Ryan and Rose burst into an even louder laughter.This time, there was no attempt to hold it back as Ryan bent slightly at the waist, one hand resting on the edge of the table as his shoulders shook. His laughter was open and unrestrained, the kind that demanded attention whether people wanted to give it or not.Rose wasn’t any better either.She covered her mouth at first, but that did nothing to stop the sound. Her laughter spilled out freely, sharp and mocking, her eyes fixed on Benjamin as if she had just witnessed the most ridiculous scene of the day.And in a way, to them, she had.Around them, the atmosphere changed completely now. Nearby diners slowed their movements as their conversations dipped. Heads turned openly now. There was no more pretending not to watch. Everyone could see it.A young man standing beside his table. A bill unpaid. Two others laughing at him without restraint.It didn’t take much for people to form conclusions.Ryan finally straightened up, though the

Ryan let out a sharp snort.The sound cut through the quiet tension that had settled over the table.“Transfer?” he repeated, his tone filled with amusement.He looked at Benjamin as if he had just heard the most ridiculous suggestion of the day.“What are you going to do?” Ryan continued, raising a brow slightly. “Transfer the fifty-two cents?”There was a brief pause.Then— he laughed. And loudly.Rose joined in immediately. Her laughter came just as quickly, her shoulders shaking slightly as she tilted her head back.“Oh my God,” she said between laughs. “That actually makes sense.”Her eyes flicked toward the bill on the waiter’s device.“Since that’s probably all you can afford right now.”Another round of laughter followed. It wasn’t just them anymore. A few people nearby couldn’t help but smile at the remark. Even those who didn’t know the full situation found it mildly amusing.The tension shifted slightly. For a moment, it almost felt like a joke shared among strangers.And u

Benjamin turned slightly, his attention finally shifting from the table to the two figures standing beside it.“Oops,” he said lightly. “Well, looks like I paid after all.”A faint smile touched his lips, calm and almost careless.Then he turned back to Elise as though the matter had already been settled.“Let’s leave,” he added. “We’re done here.”There was no trace of irritation in his tone. No attempt to argue or defend himself. Just a quiet conclusion, as if the entire exchange had never really mattered to him in the first place.Elise blinked once, then nodded.“Yeah,” she said, pushing her chair back. “Definitely done.”She stood up, brushing her hands together lightly as if shaking off something unpleasant. Then she glanced at Ryan and Rose, her expression changing instantly to disgust. She didn’t even bother to hide it.“Honestly,” she muttered, shaking her head. “You two… you too are annoyingly exhausting.”Rose’s lips tightened at that, but Elise had already turned away.Ben

For a moment, no one spoke. The owner’s question still hung in the air, quiet but heavy.‘Why did you transferred more than the required amount?’All eyes were on Benjamin now. But he did not answer immediately.He simply looked at the owner, calm as ever, as though the question itself carried no weight. His expression on the other hand did not change either. His posture just remained relaxed.Then, just as the silence began to stretch, Elise let out another soft laugh. She shook her head lightly, one hand still near her lips as if she was trying, and failing, to contain her amusement.The sound broke the tension.Rose heard it and her expression tightened instantly. Then she scoffed.It came out sharper than she intended, cutting through the quiet. Then she turned back toward the owner, her brows knitting together as she forced a confused look onto her face.“Wait…” she said slowly, her tone deliberately uncertain. “So he didn’t just pay?”The owner glanced at her briefly but did no

For a brief moment, the entire restaurant seemed to forget how to breathe. Ryan stood there, completely still, his expression frozen in a way that did not quite match the situation. His mind lagged behind what his ears had just picked up, as though the words spoken had arrived too quickly for him to process. A million. The number echoed in his head, repeating itself over and over again. It sounded ridiculously unreal. Something that did not belong in a place like this. Not in a modest restaurant. Not in the middle of an argument. And certainly not in connection with someone like Benjamin. Ryan blinked once. Then again. His gaze then shifted slowly toward the restaurant owner, as if expecting to see some hint of amusement, some crack in the man’s composure that would confirm this was all nothing more than a poorly timed joke. But there was none. The man stood calmly, the receipt still in his hand, his expression steady and professional. There was no trace of humor in his eyes.