Play Hard & Eat Hard

Five days later.

This weekend Mel will meet her best friends, she has promised them to have lunch together.

She invited them to have lunch at her Grandma's Restaurant, 'Grandma's Recipes,' which recently opened a new branch in the Capital. The Restaurant is in Central District. There are several 5-star hotels, large shopping centers, and many luxurious restaurants and entertainment centers in the district.

Grandma had never been interested in opening a branch in another city other than S City, her hometown. She wanted Grandma's Recipe to be exclusively in S city only. However, since Mel settled in the Capital, Grandma finally opened a branch of Grandma's Recipe in the Capital city.

Grandma said that she wanted to have a reason to visit Capital to check out her Restaurant's branches and meet Mel, her one and only Granddaughter. She also plans to move to J city.

Mel is deeply moved and glad when she heard Grandma's reason to open in her city. All this time, she is sad that she has to live in a different town than Grandma. Only because she has to fulfill her dream, she was forced to lives in the Capital city and must always stay strong as she is living alone.

Mel is very excited today because she will also meet Grandma at the Restaurant's office besides meeting her best friend. Grandma is here, visiting the capital city.

She missed Grandma so much because they hadn't seen each other in 3 months. At the time, she flew to city S to celebrate Grandma's birthday.

Mel sits on her favorite kitchen island and enjoying her favorite breakfast, a cup of coffee, and a sandwich.

While eating, she read the group chat 'Play Hard & Eat Hard.' This group chat is made for her and her best friends and starting during college. There are five people in this chat group, Mel and her four best friends.

The first friend is Anna, and she is a lawyer at her family's law firm, Wilmer Group. Mel has known Anna for a long time. Anna has been her best friend ever since she sets foot in M country. Anna became the first person who helped her adapt to the country. She also helped her forget her pain.

When Mel decided to return to study at X University, Anna followed her. She forces her parents to send her back to enroll in X University. Mel was grateful to have Anna by her side. For her, Anna is not just a friend; she considered her as a sister. Like a real one, too, because Mel doesn't have any siblings.

The second friend is Windy; she is the granddaughter of Grandpa Salim. One of the Directors in her Grandma's Company. She met Windy when she visited city S. They became close when Windy studied at the same campus as Mel, X Capital University.

And there are Harry and Samuel; she met them in college. They are her classmates, and when they graduated from college, Mel invited them to join MT Group. Like Harry and Sam, Windy also joined MTG after finishing college.

Until now, one year after graduating from college, they are still close. They often hang out together to eat and check new restaurants or travel together.

This morning Mel was surprised to see hundreds of new chats that she hasn't read. It looks like last night, the four of them were busy discussing while she was busy working in the computer room without opening her cellphone.

Mel chuckled. She scrolled up and read what they were talking about last night.

[AnnaCuteFromBirth] Guys! Don't forget it's noon today on Grandma's Recipe. VIP room on 2nd floor, room number 888.

[FakePrinceHarry] Yes, Mam!

[Windy] Okay.

[Sammy] Noted.

[AnnaCuteFromBirth] Don't be late... those who are late will pay!

[FakePrinceHarry] Damn! Anna, just say if you want me to pay! (angry icon)

[Sammy] (Thump up icon)

[AnnaCuteFromBirth] LOL! Just accept the reality as Mr. Always late.

[Sammy] (grin icon)

[MT] Guys, Big Sister will pay! (smile icon)

[AnnaCuteFromBirth] Wow! Looks who's shows up. Finally, someone volunteered to pay. Mel, don't forget and don't cancel. If you cancel, we will make you pay. And I mean pays the lunch, literally (Grin Icon)

[FakePrinceHarry] Boss, thank God you reply. I almost stopped by the police station to file a missing person report because you didn't respond to our chat for nearly two days (LOL Icon)

[Windy] Typing...

[Windy] @MT Where have you been? Everything alright?

[Sammy] Come on. You guys are overreacting!

[Sammy] Boss is like that, guys! She's always too busy. Unlike us, she doesn't have much time to check her cell phone.

[FakePrinceHarry] You got the point!

[Sammy] (Roll eyes icon)

[MT] Sam, you know me so well! (Thumps up icon)

[Windy] Typing...

[Windy] @MT don't forget tomorrow, okay!

[AnnaCuteFromBirth] Yes, Mel.... don't forget and don't cancel. If you canceled, I'd be so mad at you.

[MT] Okay. See you, tomorrow guys!

Mel could only shake her head reading their chat. Soon she closed the chat apps and reading business news.

A few minutes later, her cellphone vibrated again. There was an incoming call from Grandma. She picked up the phone immediately. "Grandma... how are you? I miss you..." Mel said in a cheerful voice.

"Girl, Grandma is healthy, and I miss you too. Have you had breakfast? Want to have breakfast with me at the hotel?"

"Grandma, I'm having breakfast now." Mel feels guilty for not accompanying Grandma to breakfast.

"Okay then. you will come to Restaurant this afternoon, right?" Grandma worried that Mel might forget her appointment.

"Yes. I have a lunch appointment with my college friends, including with Windy." Mel stood walking to the large window beside her spacious kitchen.

She's looking out the window, and Her eyes fixated towards the garden around the Lotus River, which was cover in thick snow. Her forehead creased, imagining how freezing is outside. She took a deep breath and then continued her sentence. "Don't worry, Grandma, after lunch, I will visit you."

After talking a few things with Grandma, Mel hung up on the phone.

Suddenly she heard a voice from the corridor in front of her door.

She was surprised because she never heard a commotion like now all this time living in this Apartment. "Did the neighbor in front of the house finally appear?" she thought.

Mel walked to the door and peered out through the peephole. She saw someone enter the house, which she thought was empty. "Yeah! Finally, my neighbor has shown up!" She's giggled unwittingly.