"Oh? Sam invited you?" his mother asked, eyeing the three boys as they entered. She noticed right away, they were wearing the same school uniform as her son.
"Ah, I see. You must be Sam's school friends! He's never brought anyone home before, so this is quite a surprise. Please, please, have a seat!" she said warmly, motioning them toward one of the small tables.
Meanwhile, Sam's entire body trembled.
The people he hated most in the world were now in his home, sitting in his family's restaurant, just a few feet away from his parents.
And yet... he couldn't act out. He didn't want to cause a scene or raise suspicion. Seeing how kindly his mother was treating them, how genuinely happy she seemed, it was tearing him apart inside.
"Sam, go on and sit with them," she encouraged. "I'll bring you all something to eat!"
She then turned to head into the kitchen, pletely unaware of the tension hanging in the air.
"Yeah, e on, Sam. Don't be shy," Ko said with that same twisted smile.
That smile never left his face.
Not wanting to make things worse, Sam reluctantly moved and sat down at the table, right next to Ko. They were side by side, while Joe and Mo took the opposite seats, already snickering to themselves.
Ko casually threw an arm around Sam's shoulder.
"Look at this, us friends hanging out at your house. We should've done this sooner," he said with a grin, pulling Sam in closer.
Then, in a low whisper near his ear, Ko added, "I told you... if you weren't careful, you'd pay for it."
As Ko pulled away, Sam's mother returned carrying a metal tray loaded with grilled skewers and snacks. His father followed behind, placing a few soft drinks on the table with a smile.
"You're all wele to stay as long as you like," Sam's mother said warmly. "It's the first time he's ever brought friends home, so please, make yourselves fortable."
"And don't even think about paying," his father added. "This one's on us."
With that, the two of them stepped away, leaving the boys to dig into the food without hesitation.
Sam sat frozen, watching as they devoured everything without a hint of shame.
His heart sank.
Even though his family struggled every day to keep the business running, his parents had still offered them a free meal. They had treated them with kindness, as honored guests.
And yet... Ko and his crew had ruined his school shirt, humiliated him time and time again, and now were happily eating into his family's livelihood.
Why?
Why couldn't they just leave him alone?
"Hey, this food is really good," Mo said, licking his fingers. "No wonder you grew up to be such a fat pig if you had this around you all the time."
"Right, right," Ko chuckled. "Since the food's so great, I think we should swing by every day. Your parents did say we were wele, didn't they?"
"Every day?" Sam echoed, his voice trembling.
He imagined the toll this would take on his parents, the bright, hopeful smiles on their faces. If these boys came every day, it would wear them down, both emotionally and financially. The thought made his stomach twist in knots. He couldn't take it. He just couldn't.
"Please," Sam finally spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. "Please... don't e back. Please..."
Ko was just about to bite into another meat skewer, but froze the moment the words left Sam's mouth.
"Our servant is making requests now?" Ko said slowly, lowering the stick back onto the tray. "You should be grateful we're visiting you like this."
Mo and Joe stopped chewing, glancing at each other nervously as Ko stood from his seat.
"Well," Ko said, brushing off his pants, "if this is going to be our last visit, we might as well make it a memorable one, right?"
With a smirk, he turned and walked toward the counter.
For some reason, seeing Ko act so casually made Sam's heart pound, as if it were about to leap out of his chest.
"Hello, sir," Ko said with a polite bow. "I know this might be a lot to ask after everything you've already done for us, but since it's our first time hanging out with Sam and we're having such a great time..."
Ko walked over to the fridge by the side and opened it, pulling out a bottle. But it wasn't just any bottle, it was an alcoholic beverage.
"I understand if it's too much," Ko added, flashing a charming smile. "It's just that... it's a really good day, and I thought maybe we could celebrate."
Sam's mother's expression tensed. There was a good reason for it, they were all seventeen, and the legal drinking age was eighteen.
"Don't worry about it, Nancy," Sam's father called from the kitchen. "I was drinking at fourteen. Kids always sneak a drink or two at parties when their parents aren't looking. At least this way, we can keep an eye on them. Better here than out on the streets doing who knows what."
Given his reasoning, Sam's mother hesitated... then simply smiled and nodded.
"You two are the best!" Ko said as he grabbed three more glass bottles and brought them back to the table.
Once he returned, Ko popped the caps and the group started drinking, everyone except Sam.
'What is he doing?' Sam thought. 'Is he really planning to never e back? Is he just trying to get as much free stuff as possible? If that's the case... then fine. I'll bear with it for one day.'
The group continued laughing, drinking, and snapping photos and videos on Ko's phone. They were clearly having a blast—again, everyone except Sam.
When the drinks were nearly finished, Ko stretched his arms out and stood up.
"Ah, I need some fresh air. My face is turning a bit red. You guys stay here and chill," Ko said as he stepped outside the restaurant.
Once outside, he looked around, his smirk only growing wider. Pulling out his phone, he brought it to his ear. After a few rings, the other end picked up.
"Hi, yeah. I'd like to make a report about a place. It seems they're serving alcohol to underage kids."
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