“Seriously? I’m in Pharmacy,” Ody said, even more surprised.
“And how old are you?”
Mano raised an eyebrow without lifting his head. “Are you interviewing me?”
Katerina shifted beside him, glancing between them with an awkward smile.
“N-no…” Anna rushed to explain. “Just so we can get to know each other.”
“Twenty-three,” he answered, then returned his attention to his phone.
“Oh, so you’re the oldest here. I’m twenty, same as Katerina, and Ody is twenty-one,” Anna went on, smiling.
An awkward silence settled over the table until the waiter arrived with their drinks. Mano stirred his iced coffee with the straw and took a sip, his attention still on his phone.
“Um… Mano?” Katerina leaned closer while the other couple seemed distracted. “Can you put the phone away?”
He turned his head toward her. “Why?”
She gestured, reminding him they were with company. Mano shifted his gaze to the couple across from them and, with a sigh, locked his screen. He set the phone down on the table and picked up his coffee instead. Taking another sip, he looked at them, waiting for someone to speak.
Anna stepped in again. “Have you seen the new movie that’s playing in cinemas?”
“No, was it good?” Katerina joined.
“Yes, I loved it! Ody and I went the other day. It was packed; the whole theater was full.”
“Not surprising, everyone’s talking about it. Maybe I’ll go see it too. How long is it playing?”
“I think three more days.”
“Mano, do you want to go?” She turned to him, and he looked back at her.
“To the movies?”
“Yeah.”
“No.”
The bluntness made the other three exchange uncomfortable glances while he kept drinking his coffee, completely indifferent.
“So, Mano, do you play any instruments?” Ody asked this time.
Mano nodded.
“What do you play?” Ody pressed.
“Piano, guitar, flute. Been learning violin and drums for the past two years.”
“Wow! All of those?” Anna exclaimed, before muttering under her breath, half-skeptical. “Guitar and drums, okay. But I can’t picture him playing the rest.”
“What did you say?” he asked, having caught only part of it.
“Do you sing?” Ody redirected the conversation.
Mano held his green gaze for several seconds before answering. “No.”
“Why?” Anna asked. She instantly regretted it when his sharp eyes landed on her.
