Saving the Villain

"This is planned." Cosette cast the mischievous Luke with a knowing look. She was sitting on one of the lounge chairs while Luke was on the other. In the other lounge chair sat Maxen, not drinking even a bit of alcohol around. The music was loud and everyone was partying by the pool.

Some decided to swim to enjoy the high the alcohol brought to them and surely, they were having the time of their lives.

"It's not memorable without the presence of alcohol," argued Luke with a bright grin. He raised a bottle of beer and clinked the bottom against hers. "It's my first time drinking this kind of beer, but it's alright. Some of them were familiar with this and kids don't appreciate wine."

Cosette let out a deep exhale as she shrugged. "Don't drink too much."

"I can't help it. I'm angry." Luke winced as the acid traveled down his throat. "That insufferable brother of mine just gets on my nerves... always."

"Why are you so rude to your brother?" she asked out of plain curiosity, noticing the blush on his face was becoming apparent. "Luke, how many bottles did you down? Isn't this your first time?"

"Beer, yes. Drinking? No. I'm too rebellious not to rile up my family." He chuckled and smacked his lips. "About my brother... he's just an annoying lad. I sort of hate him, sometimes."

Cosette blinked ever so tenderly. "Why?"

"Huh?"

"Why do you hate him?"

"Well... I hate him." He shrugged. "Not hate like to the bones, but I hate him like hate-hate."

"That's very enlightening, Luke." Cosette rocked her head and glanced to her left, where Maxen was sitting. He was just watching everyone in the pool, so she shrugged and set her attention back to Luke.

"But are you going to be alright, Luke? I honestly don't know what sort of advice to give you since I don't have a sibling." She shrugged once more. But honestly, Cosette knew what to tell him. However, Luke didn't seem to need it and she understood the source of this frustration from Luke.

"Of course." He flashed her a smile and winked at her. "The great second young master is always going to be alright."

She watched him recline on the lounge chair comfortably. The side of her lips curled up subtly, admiring his talent in staying positive or hiding his own feelings.

"And if the great second young isn't well, then my ears are always open." Luke gazed back at her upon her reply, only to see her smile warmly. "Always."

"Will you marry me?"

"No." She scrunched her nose up as this had become a routine now, but he simply laughed.

"Ahh... I have a good girlfriend," he announced happily, gazing at the clear night sky. "Beautiful, smart, and kind. I'm a lucky man."

"Delusional," Maxen mumbled and shook his head, but Luke heard him despite the music around the pool.

"Hey, Maxen!" Luke clicked his tongue, but unlike his usual actions, he was calmer. "Delusional is believing in something impossible."

"Proves my point."

"Hah... Cozie, I will make you mine." He looked at Cosette and pointed at himself with his thumb. "One of these days, you'll fall for my charms. If not now, then when I become a hunk and a hottie."

"Sure, sure." Cosette nodded lazily and reclined on the lounge chairs, holding the bottle of beer on top of her stomach. Her lips curled up, making her eyes squint, thinking about the future.

Right now, they were too early before the novel starts. But she couldn't help but wonder what they would all look like ten years from now.

'Will it even start?' she wondered to herself, but mentally nodded. 'Of course. The Devil's Den is the story about the female lead and male lead. We are but side characters in the second volume. Although Luke will appear in the first volume, he didn't have much screen time.'

"Well, I don't think it still matters," she whispered, not knowing Maxen slowly set his eyes on her while she was mumbling. "The novel can just eat a bunch of plot holes. Hehe..."

Maxen studied the blush on her cheek. She had only drank one bottle, but her complexion was already pink.

'His father will kill me if I told him about this.' He sighed deeply. 'I just need to make sure she returns to her room in one piece.'

The three of them remained silent, enjoying the music along with the splash of water and everyone's waves of laughter. Cosette and Luke were staring at the sky, a subtle smile apparent on their faces. Meanwhile, Maxen's expression was dull, watching everyone get hyper as if they were on drugs, laughing at the most trivial thing.

"Cheers?" Cosette arched her brow after a minute and then glanced at Luke. As soon as her eyes landed on him, she saw him holding the bottle on the neck with his fingers, swinging it lazily.

She chuckled weakly and nodded slightly. "Cheers." She raised her half-empty bottle of beer and clinked with him.

Both of them chugged down a mouthful of alcohol, wincing at the same time at the bitter taste that filled their mouths. But when they looked at each other on instinct, they both chuckled.

"You look ugly," she teased, which he didn't take to the heart.

"Thank you for the compliment, my lady. My looks just match yours. That's why we're a match made with heaven." He winked confidently, making her giggle. "Watch out. You might fall."

"I wish," she humored back.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Literally." Cosette shrugged, blinking as her eyes felt heavy. "I wish to fall in love too, you know. But I don't think it is possible when, at the back of my head, we're all just..."

Her eyes narrowed, staring at the clear sky with no stars on it. "Never mind. If you want to marry me, just ask my dad. If you get his approval, then we'll start dating."

"Geez... you understand that what you said made this already difficult task to the extreme, right?" Cosette laughed at his reply. "My dad is even scared of your dad."

"And yet, he always teases him."

"Well, now you understand where I inherited my tenacity." Both of them chuckled once more, thinking of their old men. Luke had attended Winter High with Cosette for months now, and because of that, Maynard Quinn and Conrad Blac had more chances of meeting each other.

In other words, Cosette and Luke had to see more of their old men's interactions. Now that Luke thought about it, he couldn't help but chuckle.

"People always say I am the black sheep in our family and didn't inherit anything from my parents. It's all about my big brother inheriting my father's brilliance and things like that," he mumbled, as he felt like sharing this matter with her right here and now. Not as his 'girlfriend', but as her 'good friend.'

"But I now think they're wrong. My father is persistent, especially in making friends. At least, I got something from him. It might not be the positive qualities, but well... that's all that matters to me."

Her eyes softened as she stared at his side profile. "You're amazing in your own right, Luke. I'm pretty sure your father is very proud of you. Moreover, he wouldn't bother my dad that much if he didn't want to help you with your conquest."

"Hehe... that's how precious you are."

"You mean, that's how precious our family's wealth and connections are?" she rolled her eyes, making him laugh. For others, they might misunderstand her, but this was Luke. She could talk about anything with him because they were good friends before anything else.

"My intentions are sincere, but my father's not. I admit." He humored back with a shrug.

"Goodness." She shook her head while laughing.

Listening to their conversation, Maxen pondered about it. He had lived in the Blac's residence, and although he hadn't met Maynard face to face, he already saw him from a distance. And he could tell Maynard was just like Luke more than Asher.

pAn,Da-n0v e1,c 'It's a good thing these two were more tamed than those… here they come.' A deep exhale escaped his nostrils, watching Sarah, Amie, and Fay get up from the pool and approach them. It wasn't like Maxen didn't like the girls; he honestly think they were good people. However, sometimes, their advice would get on his nerves — just like that one piece Cosette was wearing the whole day.

"Hello…" Cosette greeted lazily, lying on the lounge chair, watching the girls stand near her feet. Amie and Fay both sat down near her feet, covering themselves with the towels which Sarah handed them.

"It's so cold…" Fay shivered. Amie couldn't even talk with her quivering lips. "I don't get drunk with this."

"The plan is not to get drunk, but to drink moderately and enjoy." Sarah rolled her eyes as she stood up between Luke's and Cosette's lounge chairs.

"Sit here, Mommy Sarah." Cosette tapped her side and moved slightly to vacate some space for Sarah.

"Cozie, not you too…" Sarah sighed and turned on her heel to sit beside Cosette. However, just as she did, her foot slipped from the dripping water from her and before she could realize what was happening, she grabbed the side of the lounge chair, confining Cosette in between her arms, but it wasn't enough to stop the force of her landing.

*smootch*

Sarah and Cosette's breath hitched when their lips touched, freezing in an instant. For some reason, the music sounded distant as time seemed to tick slowly.

'I'm dead,' was the first thought that crossed Sarah's head when she felt death staring at her from the side. 'I'm dead, I'm dead, dead like dead.'

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