After finishing the Group study session, or better put teaching lesson. Aiden and Noah headed out of the library.
Aiden’s stomach rumbled loudly, as they walked out.
Noah glanced over, laughing. “Sounds like someone’s ready for lunch.”
Aiden rubbed his stomach, grinning. “The skewer van? You know that place was legendary last time.”
Noah chuckled. “Alright, sure. But we’re walking there. I didn’t come here with my car.”
Aiden groaned dramatically. “Walk? Dude, I’ll crawl if I have to! Just get me to those skewers.”
As they headed down the street towards the van, Noah decided to ask, “So, how’s your dad’s job going? Any improvement?”
Aiden’s expression shifted his earlier enthusiasm dimming. He sighed. “Not great, honestly. His company’s been overworking him for ages and still underpaying him. He’s been a manager there for over 15 years, Noah, but they treat him like he’s disposable. The place is rotten.”
Noah nodded thoughtfully. “How much is he making?”
“About $2,200 a month. It’s barely enough for all the work he’s doing,” Aiden said, a mix of frustration and sadness in his tone.
After a moment, Noah looked over at him. “What if your dad could work as a deputy manager at An’s Gourmet, the Michelin-star restaurant? Starting salary at $3,000 a month with room for a promotion, based on his performance.”
Aiden stopped walking for a second, staring at Noah in disbelief. “Wait, seriously? He’d jump at that in a heartbeat. He’s been thinking about leaving for a while now.”
Noah grinned. “Perfect.”
Aiden’s curiosity kicked in, though. “But… how do you even know the owner of that place?”
Noah shrugged with a sly smile. “Sort of a long story.”
Aiden squinted at him suspiciously. “Wait, are you serious? Are you sure this is legit? I don’t want my dad to quit and end up jobless.”
Noah clapped him on the back reassuringly. “Don’t worry, man. We’ll sign the contract first, and once everything’s set, he can quit his current job.”
Aiden nodded slowly, still looking a bit sceptical but also hopeful. “Alright. I’ll talk to him tonight and let you know what he says.”
Noah smiled as they continued walking for around half an hour, the skewer van came into view, and Aiden’s mood visibly lifted.
“Let’s eat first,” Aiden said, rubbing his hands together in excitement. “I’m starving.”
Noah laughed. “You and your skewers, man.
As Noah and Aiden approached the skewer van, they spotted Uncle Ben, the owner of the popular food stand, coming toward them with his familiar kind smile.
“Hey, Uncle Ben!” Aiden called out. “Same order as always—and throw in a large Pepsi can too!”
Uncle Ben chuckled warmly. “You got it, kid. Give me a minute.” He turned to Noah, who smiled gratefully.
“Thanks, Uncle Ben,” Noah said. “How’s business going?”
Uncle Ben wiped his hands on his apron, his eyes sparkling. “Oh, it’s been great! In fact, look around, boys.”
Noah and Aiden glanced around and were surprised to see every table around the van was taken. The place was buzzing with activity, customers chatting happily as they waited for their food.
“Wow, it’s packed!” Aiden remarked.
Uncle Ben grinned. “Ever since your friend,” he pointed at Aiden, “showed up with that Lamborghini, people have been coming non-stop. Someone filmed it and uploaded it online. Now folks think if a guy with such a fancy car eats here, it must be good food.”
Aiden raised an eyebrow, looking slightly embarrassed. “Uh, sorry about that, Uncle Ben. But it’s cool to see business blooming!”
Noah, noticing the lack of available seats, looked at Aiden. “Looks like we’ve got no place to sit, huh?”
“Maybe we should just grab it to-go and eat somewhere else.” Aiden’s voice had a hint of disappointment.
Uncle Ben laughed heartily. “Oh, don’t you worry about that! How could I let my best customers go without a place to eat? I’ve got a special foldable table stashed away in the van just for you two. It’s your VIP table.”
Noah burst into laughter. “See, Aiden? We’re privileged. Thanks, Uncle Ben!”
Aiden grinned, relieved. “Thanks a ton, Uncle Ben! You’re a lifesaver.”
Uncle Ben shook his head with a smile. “No, no, thank you for bringing in the business.”
Moments later, the food was ready, and Uncle Ben set up the foldable table just for them. Noah and Aiden sat down and dug into the skewers, savouring every bite.
As they ate, Aiden looked over, grinning. “Best spot in town hands down.”
Noah nodded, his mouth full of food. “Couldn’t agree more.” The two of them enjoyed the meal, surrounded by the bustling energy of the now-popular skewer van.
As Noah was enjoying his food, the familiar sound of his phone rang out, bzzz-bzzz, bzzz-bzzz, vibrating against the table. Quickly, he grabbed a tissue and wiped away the grease from the skewers, glancing at the screen. It was Sarah calling.
“Hold up, Aiden,” Noah said, getting up from the table.
Aiden, still immersed in his food, barely looked up. “Yeah, yeah, shoo away, you’re interrupting my bliss, man,” he joked, waving Noah off like an annoying fly.
Noah chuckled and stepped a bit away from the tables, answering the call. “Sarah, hello?”
Her voice came through the line, full of excitement. “Hii Noah, guess what happened!”
Noah raised an eyebrow, already sensing her happiness. “What happened?” he asked, though a part of him had an idea.
“The company I told you about before,” she started, her voice almost bubbling with joy, “they called me earlier and said they want to renew the contract! And not just that—it’s five times better than before. It’s like…they don’t even care about their profit, they just want to make me happy!”
Noah’s smile widened, feeling genuinely proud. “See? I told you everything would be alright.”
Sarah nodded on the other end, her voice softening. “Yeah, you did… actually…” she hesitated for a moment, then continued, “Wanna have dinner again?”
Noah could almost hear the blush in her voice when she stuttered, “I… I miss you.”
A warm grin spread across Noah’s face. “Of course, we can have dinner. You are my wife after all.”
There was a pause, as if time itself had frozen on Sarah’s end. The word “wife” clearly hit her, leaving her stunned for a brief moment.
There was a sudden hitch in Sarah’s breath. “Hus—” She caught herself, then boldly continued, “Husband, huh?” Her voice was playful, but there was a clear depth to her words, testing the feeling of that title.
She let the word linger for a second longer before regaining her composure. “Alright, see you soon,” she said, her voice still carrying that giddy excitement.
With that, she hung up, leaving Noah standing there with a grin on his face.
After returning to the table, Noah sat down and resumed eating with Aiden. As they both enjoyed the meal, Noah casually remembered something.
“Hey, Aiden,” he said, glancing over. “Do you want an iPhone 15 Pro Max? I kind of have a spare one, but I don’t need it.”
Aiden’s face lit up with excitement. “Wait, are you secretly Noah Wayne now? When did you become so mysterious, dude?” He laughed, but then his tone softened. “Hell yeah, I want that iPhone, but… are you sure it’s spare? I don’t want to keep taking free stuff from you. I mean, I don’t want our relationship to be affected.”
Noah smiled and shook his head. “Don’t worry, man. We’re brothers—through thick and thin. If I’m rich, you’re rich. If I’m poor, you’re poor. Simple as that.”
Aiden looked touched by Noah’s words and grinned. “Alright, alright. But if you go poor, don’t drag me down with you!” he joked, and the two burst into laughter.
After having their fill, Aiden decided to pay for the food this time.
Uncle Ben tired to stop Aiden from paying, but Aiden wouldn’t budge. After a while of convincing, Aiden was finally able to pay.
Giving Uncle Ben $25, the meal was $15. But he tipped him $10, he wasn’t like rich like Noah tipping $200 for a $5 meal. But he still decided to keep the forefront of a rich man and tipped $10.
“Alright bro, see you tomorrow in the exam hall,” Aiden said.
Noah smirked, tossing his trash in the nearby bin. “Don’t forget to study, or I’ll have to carry you through the test too.”
Aiden laughed, shaking his head. “You’re already carrying me through life, man. I’ll at least try to make it through the exam on my own.”
Noah chuckled and gave him a fist bump. “You’ll do fine, bro. See you tomorrow.”
“Later, man!” Aiden called, waving as he headed off. Noah watched him go for a moment before turning to walk home.
