The kings Avater

After finishing their meal at the restaurant, Grayworm drove them back to Ye Qiu's neighborhood, where he had parked his car earlier. The streets were quiet, illuminated by soft streetlights, and the group walked down the pavement together, their laughter echoing lightly in the cool night air. For the first time that day, Ye Qiu was laughing along with them, though his smiles didn't last long, as his thoughts kept drifting back to Stacy.

"....Swear, today has been the weirdest day for me," Sparrow said, stretching his arms lazily.

"Right?" Grayworm agreed, his voice filled with energy. "Meeting you guys all at once in real life...I'm still trying to process that!"

"Yeah," Sparrow added, "Like, I actually thought Omega would be the short one and Somi would be tall, but it looks like you two swapped heights!"

"Hey!" both Somi and Omega protested at the same time, making the group laugh harder.

"And I totally thought Sparrow was going to show up wearing glasses," Omega countered, a teasing grin spreading across his face.

"Do I sound like a nerd to you?" Sparrow fired back. "If anything, you should've said that about Everstay. He has that quiet, glasses-wearing guy energy."

"uhh...No thanks," Everstay said flatly, the faintest trace of a smirk tugging at his lips.

"Or Somi the smartie," Grayworm chimed in, earning a side-eye from Somi.

"For once, Grayworm said something smart," Somi replied, crossing her arms.

"Wait...you used to wear glasses?" Grayworm asked, his tone suddenly curious.

"Yes," Somi said with a nod. "Sunglasses. For the sun. Excess sunlight, you know?"

The group burst into laughter, and Grayworm rolled his eyes at her overly specific response.

"Speaking of sunlight..." Grayworm said, turning to Ye Qiu with a grin. "It seems like you've been avoiding the sun all your life. You're practically glowing pale, man."

"You look like Edward Cullen, bro," Omega joked, earning another round of laughter.

"About that," Ye Qiu cut in, his voice calm yet sharp enough to grab their attention. "I was gonna ask if you are playing your own game outside your house " he said " right under the hot sun" he roasted back with a subtle smirk, making them all laugh louder.

"And what's with your avatar's blue hair?" sparrow said, looking directly at Grayworm. "Meanwhile, your actual hair is black. You don't see Somi rocking her pink avatar hair in real life—"

He paused mid-sentence as his eyes landed on Somi, he just noticed for the first time that her face was fully exposed. Her cap and mask, which she had worn so consistently, were gone.

"Waw…" he said softly, coming to a stop. The group noticed his reaction and instinctively turned to look at Somi. They all froze, their gazes locking onto her face.

"What?" Somi asked, her voice defensive as her cheeks flushed slightly. "You're just seeing my face now? How the hell did you think I ate at the restaurant? Through the mask?"

She asked as the guys were just silent, looking down at her small frame like giant. They weren't looking at her in a bad way, though; it was more like they were seeing something unexpected___Somi had a kind of anime beauty. She shifted awkwardly under their stares, biting her lip as her shyness crept in.

"Now that I look at it…" Omega began, squinting his eyes as if analyzing her features like a detective. "Somi's avatar is ridiculously detailed."

"True," Sparrow added with a nod. "She looks just like...well, Somi."

A small, bashful smile started to form on Somi's lips, but before she could respond, Grayworm chimed in with his usual teasing.

"Except the height," he said, grinning mischievously.

The group burst out laughing again, and Somi rolled her eyes dramatically.

"Even the mole under her eye," Everstay said suddenly, his observation sharp yet delivered in his usual calm tone, as they all nodded in agreement.

The group continued walking, their mood light and easy. The tension and sadness from earlier had all but dissipated, and even Ye Qiu felt a little less heavy as he walked alongside his teammates, enjoying the moment for what it was.

As they neared Ye Qiu's house, the lively chatter among the team began to die down. Ye Qiu, who had been laughing earlier, fell silent, his mind clouded with thoughts. Suddenly, he stopped walking.

The others halted as well, exchanging glances of concern. Ye Qiu turned to face them, his usually calm face clouded with guilt and uncertainty. He sighed deeply.

"I'm sorry, guys," he began, his voice heavy with emotion. He sighed again, running a hand through his hair. "I messed up the game, i messed up Big time." His pretty brown eyes glimmered with sadness as he looked down at the ground.

The group was silent, watching him, as he talked

"I know we've all been trying to forget everything today, just to enjoy this one moment. But what about tomorrow? We'll still have to face it. We need to talk about it," he said, his voice faltering as he sighed once more.

Omega stepped forward, placing a reassuring hand on Ye Qiu's shoulder. "We can talk about it tomorrow," he said softly. "For now, let's just enjoy today. We all need a break, even you."

Ye Qiu hesitated, glancing at the others, who nodded silently in agreement. Finally, he gave a small nod. Somi, who had been watching him closely, smiled, visibly relieved.

As they resumed walking, Sparrow suddenly turned to Grayworm, who had been staring at him intently.

"What? Why do you keep staring at me?" Sparrow asked, raising one brow.

Grayworm tilted his head, unabashed. "No offense, bro, but__" he paused "how old are you?" he asked

The group collectively sighed, rolling their eyes.

"What? I can't help it! He looks 16 but sound…"

"24?" Sparrow interrupted.

Grayworm's eyes widened. "24?" he repeated incredulously, suprised he turned his gaze to Ye Qiu

"25," Ye Qiu said simply.

"25," Omega echoed, crossing his arms.

"23," Somi added, raising an eyebrow. "You?" she asked,

Grayworm hesitated, suddenly feeling the weight of their stares. "Uh... 22," he admitted reluctantly.

Somi scoffed, and the others smirked as they started walking ahead.

Grayworm opened his mouth to defend himself, but Somi cut him off. "Shh, shh, shh. Be quiet, child. The adults are talking," she teased, leaving him speechless.

They finally reached Ye Qiu's doorstep, and Omega handed Ye Qiu his phone.

"Lin Yue called while you were at the hospital," Omega said, placing the phone in his hand.

Before Ye Qiu could respond, the door swung open. A tall, graceful woman stepped out, her eyes already glistening with tears.

"Lin Yue?" Ye Qiu said in surprise.

"Di di," she whispered shakily, her voice breaking as she rushed to hug him.

"Di di?" the team murmured in unison, realizing she was his older sister.

Lin Yue looked at least ten years older than Ye Qiu, her features sharp and elegant. She pulled back from the hug, her hands cupping his face as tears spilled from her eyes.

"You scared me so much," she said, her voice trembling. Her fingers brushed his cheeks as she inspected him closely. "You look... pale. Too pale," she muttered, concern etched on her face.

She finally noticed the group behind him and offered them a polite bow. They quickly returned the gesture.

"Are they your friends?" she asked, her voice soft but curious.

Ye Qiu nodded, and Lin Yue turned back to the group with a warm smile. "Please, come in."

Ye Qiu's eyes widened. "Wait, no—" he began, trying to signal her.

"The house is…"

"Untidy?" Mei Yue finished for him, giving him a pointed look before lightly twisting his ear.

"Ah!" Ye Qiu winced, rubbing the spot as the others chuckled as they walked in.

"What's with the pile of trash earlier? You're lucky I came," she muttered under her breath.

Reluctantly, Ye Qiu followed the group inside, bracing himself for their reactions. But instead of the cluttered, unkempt mess he had left, the house was now immaculate. The air smelled of freshly cooked food, and everything looked clean and organized.

Ye Qiu stared in awe. "You… cleaned up?"

Lin Yue gave him a smug smile, but before she could respond, a small figure dashed across the room and threw himself at Ye Qiu.

"Shu shu!" the boy squealed, wrapping his tiny arms around Ye Qiu.

"Hey, Ye Liu," Ye Qiu said, his voice softening as he hugged the boy back.

The team exchanged surprised glances, unsure if they were in the same house they had visited earlier. Everything felt different—warmer, and cozier.

Even thou that had just met today they all felt so close, no awkward moment between.

DI DI:YOUNGER BROTHER

SHU SHU: UNCLE