131. They Look Suspicious

"You are late. Why did you change meet up locations last minute?"

"Oh, sorry, I was dropping Yeon off..."

"Yeon?" Niel glanced behind Stan and apart from the people walking around the crowded foodcourt, there had been no familiar face of Yeon. "Where is he?"

"Meeting up with Mora." Stan seemed displeased as he replied. "Let's get this done with, I have something to do after this."

Niel nodded, not wanting to delve deeper to connect with whatever was bothering his long term nemesis. He'd been dealing with enough as it is with his fated's mood swings that he hardly had the energy for another person. Additionally, he'd dreaded meeting Stan alone for the longest time. It took him a lot to swallow his pride and show up, asking for help.

"How's Elric?" Stan asked, his eyes wavering elsewhere.

"You can ask him yourself. He's been..." Niel hesitated briefly and decided upon not discussing his current predicament with Stan. He concluded that if Elric did want his best friend to know about his status, he'd have disclosed it to him already.

Unfortunately, Stan misunderstood Niel's hesitation. "You mark him and all of a sudden no one should ask after him, is that it?"

"Hey, what has your knickers in a twist?"

"The hell?" Stan returned his gaze back to Niel and frowned.

"Look, I don't know what happened to you before we met today but can we be civil about this meeting. I only came to you upon Elric's mom's recommendation, and to think you'd suggest such a noisy location..."

"I only agreed to see you since she insisted on it."

Standing up, Niel concluded. "Let's just postpone. This was a bad idea after all. You and I will never get along..."

"You're planning to get married to my best friend?"

"Wha- How'd you find out? I thought you haven't spoken to Elric?" Niel sat back down seeming frustrated and confused at the same time. "He's been winning about secrecy yet you knew..."

"His mother told me."

"Oh, right. Yea." 'That makes sense.'

"That's why you're meeting me." Looking away behind where Niel was sitting, Stan added. "Look, I didn't want to meet up with you either so can you just tell me what you need so I play my part and be over with it?"

"Why do you keep gazing outside the foodcourt..?" Niel turned to look behind where Stan had been constantly drifting his eyes off to. "Isn't that Yeon....and Mora?" Shooting an accusatory eye towards Stan, Niel asked, "You chose this place knowing they'd meet here?"

Stan whispered, pulling at Niel's sleeves. "You'll get me caught. Stop looking at them!"

"What the heck man! You're crazy!"

"Just ignore them and tell me what you want! Pretend you didn't see them and stop wasting my time..."

"You already know why I'm here! I told Elric's mom my interests..."

"What would you like to invest in? Let's start from there." Stan asked, peeping again at his fated and Mora sitting a few feet away from them in another booth.

"I'm as green as it can get. You can guide me."

"How can I guide you into a direction you yourself don't know where you're going?"

"Man, I really hate you."

Stan sighed and shook his head in frustration. "What I'm saying makes sense so don't take it personal and even if you do, I don't care. What is your main objective for wanting to invest then? At least tell me you have an answer to that."

"Make more money of course."

"What have you invested in so far?"

"Do I have to start with an investment to invest?"

"You're asking the wrong questions. Do you intend to earn a regular return income or you want a safe and secured investment?"

"Don't they mean the same thing?"

Stan stared at Niel plainly. His facial expressions were clear that he was getting irritable and Niel didn't miss it.

"You know, if I start using aviation jargon, your brain will explode too."

"Seems I'll start from scratch. If you do want to venture in this field you need to understand how money and investments work. It's paramount to be aware of your goals to the latter, however, goals can change from time to time due to risks involved in an investment. You said you want to make money, right? Ask yourself about the kind of returns you expect and how long you plan to keep an investment...and just to be clear, profit is not often the end earning since it can be split up in a variety of ways. Additionally, are you planning to reinvest your profits or save them up in another investment?"

"Can you go a little slower, that's too much information."

"I don't have time for this." Stan fiddled with his fingers on the table. "Yeon is about to leave..."

"Why are you so obsessive? Yeon can take care of himself. Besides, isn't Elric's mother keeping a watch on everything? I would know..."

"I'm not discussing 'relationship' with you. Especially not from a guy who beat up his fated to a pulp! Learn to control your temper, will you?"

"Says the guy that used the power of fated mates thinking he is superman."

Stan grimaced, his gaze returning to Niel.

"You started it. Look, I don't want to fight with you, and seeing that you are so distracted with Yeon, I'd rather just leave. How Yeon puts up with you, I wonder. I'd rather take lessons elsewhere..."

"Tell Elric's mother we met. I don't want to have to see your face again either."

"You're incorrigible." Niel stood up once more. "I'm going to see Yeon."

"Hey..!" Stan whispered. "Just stay hidden for a little longer until they stand up!"

"What do you take me for? I haven't seen Yeon for months, of course I'm going to say hi to him."

"Wait..!" Stan grabbed onto Niel's sleeve again to stop him. "Tell me, how frequently do you speak to Yeon?"

"We chat and stuff... Wait, why do I have to answer you that?" Niel yanked his sleeve away from Stan and turned to leave then stopped when Stan's face lit up as he looked at his phone.

"Yeon texted me to pick him up. Now I have to wait for twenty minutes."

"Why? He is just right there."

Stan remained quiet and picked up the menu. "I need to buy time."

Niel laughed and shook his head in disbelief. "I'm not getting mixed up in your shit. Yeon!""What the hell man!" Stan complained, covering his face with the menu then gave up upon seeing how much effort Niel was putting into catching Yeon's attention, waving his hands and what not. Stan bolted up quickly, pushing his chair back abruptly and startling everyone in the foodcourt. He then pretended to be just walking by.

"Oh! Niel!" Yeon called out from the restaurant outside the foodcourt. "What are you...Stan?"

After reaching their table, Stan spoke in his defense, his eyes on Niel. "We bumped into each other by chance."

"That's even better, we can leave early then." Turning to look at Mora, Yeon suggested. "Can we drop you off on the way?"

"...But we were still talking. I still have ten minutes left of our allotted time."

"Let's push it to our next meet up." Yeon suggested but Mora seemed displeased.

"Yeon and I have something to do." Stan jumped in. His facial expressions and body language were as an open book that he despised Mora.

"It's fine. Yeon, can you see me off then. I'll take a taxi and give you two some alone time."

"Sure." Yeon agreed and advised both Stan and Niel to wait for him before leaving.

"Why did you do that?"

"I'm not going to spy on Yeon with you asshole."

"Yeon is cheating on me..."

"What? With who?" Niel looked at the direction from where both Mora and Yeon had left. "No way!"

"Yes way! He has been meeting Mora behind my back for the past two weeks!"

"And what made you jump into that conclusion?"

"Just....how close they are. That's why I've been watching them to make sure."

"You think Yeon is cheating on you with Mora?"

"Why else would he lie to me? He tells me he comes to see his friend and has never told me it's Mora. Sometimes he says he's at his parents but he still meets Mora! They touch each other's faces, hold hands and laugh intimately! What else I'm I supposed to think?"

"But... This is Mora we are talking about."

"I don't get it either! I've been pondering over it and I've come to the conclusion that perhaps it's Yeon's unstable health....I mean he is fated to me and his marking to me will never be normal... Yeon's eyes also change whenever he is with Mora the same way they change when he is with me..."

"He is your fated. Why would he cheat on you?"

"I'm not the one who marked him first, remember? Fuck. This is stressing me! I don't know why he is lying to me!"

Niel shook his head at how petty Stan had become. "You are burden of a partner."

Stan sighed. "I must have lost all my wits to have this conversation with you. You probably think I'm obsessive just like everyone else."

'I want to tell him the truth and I feel bad for him since I know he senses some sort of oncoming danger, yet, I promised Elric to not tell anyone, especially him of all people.' "It's your instincts isn't it? Your protective instinct over Yeon."

"What?"

"How do you feel seeing him with Mora?"

"Anxious. Where are you going with this?"

"What are you going to do about it, if he is indeed cheating? Hide like a coward?"

"Are you going to tell on me?"

"Why don't you just telll him you don't like him meeting with Mora instead of stalking him?"

"I can't.... I'm trying it...be.. I mean to allow him space." Stan stuttered.

"If you have free time to stalk him, get a job."

"Fuck you."

Niel laughed. "Hey, your instincts are valid but I don't think Yeon is cheating on you. He is not the type."

"How would you know?"

"I've known him longer than you and besides, as his fated, you should trust him regardless of how you two became fated."

"It's Mora I don't trust."

"Yea. I've never trusted her either."

Just then, Yeon appeared and reached to embrace Niel, an action that made Stan grimace.

"I've missed you! What a coincidence for you to show up here."

"Stan was teaching me a thing or two about investment."

Yeon threw Stan a suspicious look. "I thought you two bumped into each other?"

"They are getting married." Stan blurted out.

"What? Is it true Niel?"

"Yea..." Niel looked at Stan briefly to let him know he knew what he just did then glanced back at Yeon. "It was supposed to be a surprise but oh well."

"Congratulations! I'm happy for you two! Elric told me you two moved back to his old apartment."

"You two seem to keep intouch. He even told me you're his best friend now."

"That rascal!" Yeon laughed.

"I missed your birthday too, but I have a present already. I just didn't know I'd meet you here. Maybe you can pay us a visit sometime."

"What is it I'm too curious to wait."

"Well there is a new spot I discovered for ice cream where I used to work as a barista. They have this hazelnut mocha ice cream, I think you'll prefer it rather than the caramel flavors."

"Sounds yummy. Is it far? We can go now and catch up..."

"I think Stan wants to spend time together. Perhaps tomorrow?"

"We could go tomorrow the three of us." Stan said. 'I can't believe I'm letting Yeon hang around this mut of a guy when he used to be his love intrest.'

"That's a good idea. Then afterwards we'll meet Elric. He mentioned he was unwell. Is he feeling better now?"

"He is doing great. It wasn't a big deal so don't worry." Niel quickly dismissed. "I have to get going now. I'll see you then."

"Don't be a stranger."

Niel laughed. "I won't. Bye Stan."

Stan nodded in acknowledgment and watched Yeon waving excitedly at Niel until he disappeared from their sight into the crowd.

"You always have a different smile and attitude whenever you're with him. Do you treat your friends this closely always?"

"What do you mean?"

"Forget it."

"If something is bothering you talk to me. Where did you park today anyway?"

"There." Stan pointed from where he'd earlier dropped Yeon off to meet Mora then regretted it. It was already hard enough finding a parking spot and to think he'd lied to Yeon he had an errand after dropping him made him realize he'd sold himself out just like that.

"You...never left?"

'Damn it!' "I...bumped into Niel..."

"Liar."