Episode 32

Keith felt like a change of scenery, so he had set up to work in the kitchen.

Yolie leaned over his shoulder "What are you staring at? A bug?" 

Keith jumped. "Hey! A little space!" 

"No need to get snappy." Yolie sighed. "So what's the problem?" 

"You haven't been worried about Rel since her disaster of a date?" 

"No, I have." Yolie hugged herself. "Red really isn't much better than the rest of her family." 

Keith hummed. He didn't really follow the royal family since Rel was the only one he really cared about. 

With her nose for gossip, Yolie probably had even more royal tea than Rel. Heck, she probably had rumors or horror stories about that spoiled brat.

She smirked. "Did I grab your attention with my gossip?" 

Yolie sure could be nosy... 

"Did you hear anything about that brat?"

"Oh, he's a nightmare. His friends all just want status or money!"

Keith wanted to blink. Was she just saying that?

"Come again?" Keith asked.

"That brat is said to have never befriended anyone who didn't have some kind of ulterior motive. You can imagine why. With his behavior and all."

"I don't even want to meet his parents..."

"They're actually lovely people. They just spoiled their kid rotten."

"And they are okay with how he turned out?"

"No idea."

Keith hummed. "Are you sure that's true? I mean, gossip articles are known to overexaggerate stuff."

She hummed. "Well, it seems right about that guy after seeing him do his thing."

"If he keeps this up, he's in for a rude awakening..." Keith mumbled.

Yolie shrugged. "Not like that jerk is our problem anyway."

That was true, but Keith couldn't help getting steamed up every time he thought about that guy.

"But we shouldn't do too much for Rel. She'll be angry if we do."

Did Yolie of all people really just say that? She was the most outwardly overprotective between the two of them.

Yolie crossed her arms and leaned against the counter. "Hey, just because I'm usually in her business doesn't mean I don't know when to back off. She's softer than she wants people to think."

"Yeah, but..." Keith trailed off. It was true that Rel didn't appreciate anyone meddling too much in her personal life, but he wasn't sure if stepping back entirely was the right move either. The thought of her struggling alone, especially after that date fiasco, didn't sit right with him.

"What's with that face?" Yolie asked. "I just think she needs time to figure things out herself. We have to be careful. She's already got enough on her plate without us adding more stress."

Keith sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, you're right. But if that jerk does anything else to mess with her—"

"We'll deal with it then," Yolie interrupted, flashing him a grin. "For now, let's just let her breathe. She'll come to us if she needs help."

Keith wasn't sure if he fully trusted Yolie's laid-back approach, but he knew she had a point. Rel was strong, and she didn't like being coddled. Still, he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling lingering in the back of his mind.

"Fine," he muttered, pushing his chair back and standing up. "But if she even hints that she's struggling, I'm stepping in."

Yolie chuckled, giving him a playful nudge. "Deal. Now, are you going to make us some lunch, or what?"

Keith rolled his eyes but moved toward the fridge, glad for the distraction. "Yeah, yeah. Don't get used to it."

As he started pulling out ingredients, Yolie settled into a chair nearby, watching him with a smirk on her face. Despite everything, Keith knew one thing for sure: Rel had them both wrapped around her finger, and they'd be there for her no matter what.

After lunch, Keith went up to his room to get undisturbed work time in. He had to upgrade some software, so he needed to give it the time and energy it deserved.

It could be tedious and tiring, but it was very rewarding. It also gave him opportunities to earn a bonus, which was always greatly appreciated.

After the job was done, Keith got changed to go for a jog. He needed to loosen up after all that time at a desk.

He also wanted to enjoy not getting roasted by the sun.

Keith locked the door behind him on his way out.

Keith had his terminal flip a coin and then went right. As he jogged, birds chirped around him.

There was a bit of a breeze. Keith had his hands on his hips as he ran.

He slowed down to a stop and started stretching.

Keith was about to jog off again when a voice caught his attention.

"Ah, Keith." Rexley approached Keith with his dog following at his heel. A buff guy with a small dog at his side was funny to see, but Keith knew better than to laugh.

"Good afternoon," Rexley said.

Keith was a little surprised by his presence, but he managed a small smile. "Good afternoon. What are you doing out here?"

"I was walking Toffee," Rexley replied, gesturing to the dog who was currently sniffing the ground. "He loves going for walks, so I try to take him as often as I can."

Toffee barked.

"That's great," Keith said. "You're such a good dog owner, Rexley."

"I do my best." Rexley smiled. "I've always been interested in dogs, but I was never allowed to have one growing up, so I jumped on my chance as soon as I moved out."

Toffee wagged his tail and panted before yipping.

Rex looked at his puppy with loving eyes. It was adorable.

"I'm sure he appreciates it too," Keith said.

"Are you a fan of dogs, Keith?" asked Rexley.

"I like them. They're loyal, friendly and playful. They're also very cute."

Keith's eyes widened. If he could borrow a puppy or kitten, would that help Rel's mood? Although, what would it take to make that happen?