What You Shouldn't Do

"You're a gem, Celt," Eden said into the phone. "Yeah. How is the patrol going?"

"Just some cops here and there not doing their job, what else is new?" Celt laughed over the phone. "Oh, what's this?"

"What is it? Some hot chick?"

"Na, boss." Celt scoffed. "I wish it was but at this time of the day, there are either too many people or too little, to find a pretty woman is hard."

"Pretty, as in, they are not your tastes, right?" Eden asked, holding his shirt to his nose as the faint smell of vanilla filled his nose. His scent is still there!

"Yeah. Why are there so many beautiful women out there, boss?" Celt complained, groaning. "I don't think I ever will be able to settle down at this rate."

"Aren't you annoying?" Eden chuckled, shirt over his head. "Just get a partner and see. Maybe you will realise there is no one like them in the world and everyone else becomes dull for you."

"Whatever," Celt said quickly. "By the way, you are meeting with the hacker today, right boss?"

"Don't remind me." Eden groaned, standing in his walk-in closet, trying to decide what to wear. "I don't know why I have to meet this person. Normally they will have to go through several people and Ages before they get to me."

"I heard this person is incredible, boss," Celt said, voice growing louder. "They have been at this business for a very long time but no one knows anything about them. Not even their face."

"But I am meeting this person face to face," Eden said, tilting his head to the side, confused. "Why would someone whose face is unknown meet me face to face?"

"Maybe they want to see what you look like?" Celt said, tilting his head to the side. "Because you don't know how they look like but then again … there are not many people who know what you look like too. Most of them think Ages is the boss, not you. Though I feel like your pretty face is wasted. You should have been some kind of model."

"I know right?" Eden chuckled, pulling out a black dress shirt. "But we can't have me become well known. Otherwise, we won't be able to be as stealthy as we are."

"Aside from Doris, hardly anyone addresses you as boss in public so they don't know who you really are." Celt laughed again, kicking something in the background. "So when they get their asses handed to them and see that it is you doing it … I just love their faces."

"They do tend to look down on me." Eden agreed, pulling out a pair of black khaki pants and carried them to the bedroom. "But I do feel satisfied being the last thing they see sometimes."

"You are the best, boss!"

"Yeah, I know," Eden said, looking at the geometrical pattered clock on his wall. "Shit. I need to get ready."

"All the best boss! I hope the hacker is a pretty woman~!"

"I hope so too." Eden laughed, wearing the pants with one hand. "Or just someone pretty."

"Getting desperate, boss?" Celt teased. "Should I set up a blind date for you?"

"Na. I just feel like comparing everyone to my boyfriend. I doubt there is anyone that exists that is as pretty as he is." Eden said with a wistful sigh. "I miss him already."

"Huhhh??? Boyfriend??? Since when??? How??? Boss???"

"I got one, last night," Eden said proudly, buckling his pants. "Maybe I will introduce him to you one day. When I do, I dare you to find anyone prettier."

"Bet! I will prove you wrong!" Celt shouted into the phone before keeping the call.

Staring at the ID caller, Eden gritted his teeth, "That little piece of shit hung up on me. Wait till I see him again."

_________________

"I brought the drinks- what's wrong?" Fern asked, looking at Celt staring at his phone, face white as a sheet. "You look like you saw a ghost."

"It's even worse," Celt said as the other man entered the car, casually taking his seat. "I h-hung up on the boss."

Freezing just as he was about to put on his seat belt, Fern stared at the man beside him, fear written all over his eyes behind the glasses.

"You didn't."

"I did," Celt said, shaking uncontrollably. "What do I do, Fern? I can't believe I made such a stupid mistake."

"I will pray for your soul," Fern said, starting the car. "What kind of flowers would you like to be brought to your funeral?"

"Roses," Celt said, sucking in a breath, all hope, lost. "Red ones. And if you can add a pink one in the mix."

"You like roses?" Fern asked, raising an eyebrow at his friend. "Ok. I will keep that in mind."

"Thanks." Celt patted him on the shoulders, sobbing as they drove off.

__________________

"Heyo! Noel!" A man with dyed teal hair falling over one eye appeared on his phone screen. No matter how energetic he sounded, the bags in his eyes told another story.

"What's up with you?" Noel asked, typing on the chatbox below the video.

"Nothing much." The man said, scratching the back of his head. "I am just stuck with work. Help me, Noeell!"

"That isn't my problem." Noel typed out, looking at the barista in front of him and pointed at the item on the menu on the counter.

Caramel Boba tea.

"Just one? Would you like whipped cream with that?" She asked, sneaking glances at him every now and then.

Noel nodded and paid, taking his token, he took a seat at the corner of the café, finally turning his attention to the man on the screen, glaring at him.

"What?" He typed out.

"Don't 'what' me." Kadin snapped. "You are ignoring me on purpose, aren't you? And I heard a woman say something about boba? Can you get me one?"

"I couldn't understand you, you talked too fast. What were you saying?" Eden typed out, seeing the woman in the counter wave at him. "Give me a minute."

Taking the cup from her, he walked back to his seat and began sipping at his drink, headphones on.

"What do you mean you can't understand me?" Kadin complained, screeching into the phone. "You can read lips at lightning speed. Don't give me that bullshit."

Looking away from him, Noel stared out the window to see a familiar car pull up, a smirk coming on his face.

"They are here." Kadin notified in a series of dots and dashes sent via message to Noel's phone.

"I know," Noel answered back in Morse code without so much as looking at his phone. "Have you planted the person?"

"I have. But … what are you doing here??"

"What do you mean?" Noel typed, trying to look innocent. "I am just out for boba."

"Bullshit," Kadin said, a grin coming on his face. "You are interested in the boss, aren't you? He looks exactly like your type. I am sure you looked him up."

"Maybe I did." Noel gave him a sly look, watching the car drive to the back of the café. They are going to go through the back so that no one will be detected.

"I knew it!" Kadin laughed. "I saw him too and thought, 'Noel is going to have a major crush on this person'. That is why I accept this job on your behalf and asked to see him personally. Aren't I a great friend or what?"

"We are friends?" Noel typed, giggling when the man on the phone began to swear and scold him profusely. "Sorry, I meant to write, you are my best friend."

"That is more like it," Kadin said, huffing in annoyance. "Listen, I know you don't like showing yourself to people and remaining anonymous. But this just might be a chance for you to … get help. I don't know how, but I did some digging, the boss isn't as bad as a lot of people think he is. So, maybe … I don't know."

"I understand your concern, Kadin." Noel typed out, drinking the remainder of his boba. "I will make the decision when it comes to it. There is no rush. Not just yet anyway."

"I trust your judgment, Noel," Kadin said, brows furrowing as he attempted a smile, only to fail, miserably. "But that doesn't mean I am not worried about you. You tend to take things all on yourself.

"If you could establish some kind of friendship with this boss, you won't necessarily have to run all the time. You know?"

"Yeah." Noel typed, giving him a halfhearted smile. "I'll see. I have to go now."

Keeping the phone, Noel threw the empty cup into the trash and began climbing up the stairs of the café, putting on his hat and jacket to cover his face, he walked into the VIP lounge after showing the card that Kadin gave him to allow him to enter.

I understand your worry, Kadin. It's just, I don't know if I want HIM involved.