From Villain to Virtual Sweetheart: The Fake Heir's Grand Scheme(BL)
Chapter 187: Two Trolls, One Saint, and a Disaster

Chapter 187: Two Trolls, One Saint, and a Disaster

As luck would have it, before they could even make it past the front gate, a familiar voice cut through the evening air.

"Hey! Micah? Darcy?"

Micah froze mid-step. His shoulders tensed. He didn’t even need to turn around to know who it was.

"Crap," Micah muttered under his breath.

Darcy looked over his shoulder and gave a tiny sigh. "It’s Nick and Eddie."

Micah let out a groan. He had really been looking forward to a quiet dinner.

"Where are you going?" Nick called out, already walking toward them with a wide grin.

"Nowhere," Micah snapped as he turned to face them, his voice as cold as it was flat.

"No, no, no. I am pretty sure you are heading out to eat!" Nick pointed at them. "You guys! Last time you abandoned us at the restaurant. Now you are going out for a feast without saying anything?"

Eddie was close behind him, nodding his head.

"You got a bloodhound’s nose or some freaky psychic power? Why do you always show up when someone is about to eat." Micah grimaced at Nick.

"I knew I was right! You are really mean, knowing your roommates are poor and still ditching them!" Nick said righteously.

Micah rubbed his temple, already feeling a headache creeping in. "Fine," he muttered, waving a hand to shut Nick up. "Stop nagging. You can come too."

Nick made a fist pump. "Yes!"

Micah didn’t even look at him.

They all ended up at a modest restaurant not far from the campus. It was nothing fancy, just cozy and quiet. The soft light inside was warm and welcoming, but it did little to lift Micah’s mood. His thoughts were still caught somewhere between bitter and hollow.

"A private room, please," Micah told the hostess without looking up. He shoved his hands into his jacket pockets, jaw tight. He had been trying not to think about Clyde, but somehow his mood kept sinking back down into that grey space.

Once they were inside the room, Nick flopped down onto a chair and raised an eyebrow at Micah. "What’s with the long face? You look like you have lost all your fortune."

Micah sank into his seat and sighed. "Nothing. Just remembered something... unpleasant."

Eddie tilted his head. "You, a young master, what could possibly ruin your mood?"

"Some lovesick fool with no self-preservation instincts, that’s what!" Micah said through gritted teeth.

Nick leaned forward, intrigued. "Who? Is it a family drama? What happened??"

"Nah," Micah replied, his voice filled with annoyance. "Just some fool I saw at the factory. They were head over heels for someone shady. I warned them. They didn’t listen."

Darcy just glanced at him. Hearing Micah’s words, Darcy didn’t take them seriously. Micah had a tendency to meddle in other’s affair. He thought this time was the same.

"Huh?" Nick squinted at him. "Since when did you become Mother Teresa? Looking out for random strangers?"

"I was always a saint!" Micah shot back. "Ask Darcy!"

Nick and Eddie turned toward Darcy. "Really?" Nick asked.

Darcy looked up from the menu he had been reading and nodded without blinking. "Yeah."

Micah gave them a smug look. "See?"

Nick slumped forward. "So what you’re saying is, we just weren’t on your list? You never cared about us!"

"Exactly! Do you know how many times I asked to go to a mixer?" Eddie cut in, raising both hands in frustration. "If you went, all the girls will have followed! Man! I could have had a girlfriend by now!"

"What about me?" Nick added dramatically. "You know how much I love food. But just a few minutes ago, you were ditching me again! Going to eat without me!"

Micah rolled his eyes. "Wow! Such tragic tales. How could you utter these words with a straight face? So shameless."

"No, you are just biased!" Nick accused, his eyes darting toward Darcy.

Micah leaned back in his chair and smirked. "Yeah, yeah. You know what? I only care about beautiful people. You two trolls can go away."

"What?"

Nick threw a napkin at him, and Eddie stood up. The tension was escalating.

"Let’s order." Darcy cut in, his ears a little red as he set down the menu.

The other three sat in silence like naughty students who were reprimanded by a teacher.

Darcy, as always, chose dishes that Micah could safely eat. He handed the menu to the server and added, "No alcohol."

"No way!" Nick protested. "After last time, Micah should at least treat us to drinks."

"Fine. Micah and I will get juice." Darcy said.

The food arrived, and the table filled with the sounds of clicking cutlery, chewing, and laughter.

Darcy’s phone rang, he glanced at the screen and stood. "It’s my senior. I should take it," he said and left the busy room.

Micah waved a hand, busy eating.

Darcy stepped outside. After ten minutes, he returned to the room and sat next to Micah.

"Hey, finally back!" Micah said, lifting his glass with a grin. His voice a touch too loud. His face had taken on a warm flush, and his eyes were glassy, swimming with mischief.

Darcy’s eyes went straight to the glass in Micah’s hand. His whole face changed. In one swift movement, he reached out and snatched it away. He brought it to his nose and sniffed. The sharp scent hit him immediately.

He turned toward Micah with a sharp edge in his voice. "Micah!"

The shout made all three of them flinch. "What?" Nick asked, turning to them.

"Why did you let him drink?!" Darcy demanded.

"What drink?" Nick blinked and looked at the table. The bottle was empty. "I thought Eddie drank it."

"I thought it was you," Eddie said to Nick, eyes wide.

Darcy pinched the bridge of his nose.

Micah, on the other hand, was staring at Darcy, dreamy and confused. Then, out of nowhere, he leaned and cupped Darcy’s face with both hands. "So handsome," he said, staring at him like he was the only thing in the world. "Right?" he turned to Nick and Eddie. "Isn’t he handsome?"

Nick and Eddie both nodded, more out of reflex than agreement.

"Hehe..." Micah let out a giggle. "Of course he is. My little brother should be handsome."

Nick choked on his drink. "Little brother?" he asked in horror. Calling Darcy that...his gaze turned to Darcy.

Oh boy.

Darcy’s expression had turned dark. "Why little brother?" he asked, voice tense and low.

Micah didn’t let go of his face. "You are younger than me."

Darcy grabbed his wrists gently but firmly. "You are drunk."

"Hehe, no I’m not," Micah leaned in, his cheek brushing Darcy’s shoulder. "My sweet little brother..."

Darcy closed his eyes for a second. His jaw clenched. His patience, stretched thin, was at his limit.

Nick and Eddie scooted to the far end of the table, eyes wide. They didn’t say it out loud, but neither of them really knew how to deal with Darcy. He wasn’t mean exactly, just... unreadable. Even though Darcy acted properly and politely, there was an invisible wall around him. Not to say he sometimes treated others so coldly.

Except around Micah. With Micah, Darcy was different.

So they all kind of feared him.

Darcy let out a slow breath. "Come on, let’s get you out of here. Some fresh air might clear your head."

He stood and pulled up Micah carefully, keeping one hand around him as he guided him to the door.

Micah wobbled, clinging more to Darcy. "Woho! The ground is shaking..." he said with a hiccup.

Darcy just dragged him out.

Nick and Eddie sat there frozen, watching them go. They exchanged a look. Meaning obvious. God Help Micah. He was dead.