Soon, the waiter brought over the coffee and desserts Yang Hui had ordered, placing them before Athrun and Nicol before departing.
Athrun and Nicol stared blankly at the desserts and coffee in front of them, unsure how to react appropriately.
"Try them. This is my favorite café—the owner's skills are exceptional," Yang Hui remarked with a smile, elegantly lifting his coffee for a sip. Finding it unsatisfying, he downed the entire cup in one go.
"Hah, now that's how you drink coffee! I really don't get those people who put on airs of elegance—torturing themselves just to show off their existence?"
"Pfft—hahaha…" Sumeragi and Wang Liu Mei covered their mouths, stifling laughter. Yang Hui's take was simply too amusing—accusing others of pretentiousness when he himself didn't know how to savor coffee properly.
"Yang Hui, what exactly are you trying to do?" Athrun didn't laugh. He couldn't. He couldn't decipher Yang Hui's intentions, nor did he believe he could guess them. It was better to ask directly.
"Didn't I say? Giving you two a break." Yang Hui replied with a smile.
"What do you mean?"
"Exactly what it sounds like. It's rare for you to visit Orb. As your host, of course I should treat you properly. Aren't you going to eat?"
"Uh…"
Caught off guard by Yang Hui's sudden shift in tone, Athrun and Nicol exchanged glances, looking between the coffee and desserts before them and Yang Hui.
"If I remember correctly, Athrun, your favorite dessert is tiramisu, right? And Nicol, you prefer green grape mousse—though for this shop, I'd actually recommend the assorted mousse instead."
"..."
Their expressions darkened. While their dessert preferences weren't classified information, only those closest to them would notice such trivial details. Yet Yang Hui knew. The realization sent a chill down their spines—just how extensive was his intelligence network?
"Seriously… Must you always assume the worst in people?" Yang Hui sighed, exasperated by their reactions.
"Huh?"
"Whenever I visit your place, Mrs. Zala always prepares tiramisu for you. Did you really not notice?" Yang Hui asked, giving Athrun a helpless look.
"Uh…"
"As for Nicol's love for green grape mousse… Sumeragi pointed it out. She said something like… 'The elegant musical prince turns into an adorable child when faced with green grape mousse.'"
"Wha—!?"
"Oh, and let's not forget the young masters of the Joule and Elsman families. The tsundere white-haired one loves teddy bear cookies, while the blond playboy prefers burgers and sandwiches—especially the beef-filled ones."
"You bastard! Who're you calling a tsundere white-haired brat!?"
"Yzak, calm down."
"Hm? Yzak! Dearka! You two…?"
Hearing their teammates' voices, Athrun and Nicol whipped around to see Yzak and Dearka being escorted over by several people, reuniting the group.
"Have a seat. I'll order for you—my treat. Though… I don't think they serve teddy bear cookies or beef burgers here." Yang Hui's smirk widened teasingly.
Dearka didn't react much—his love for beef burgers and sandwiches wasn't anything to be ashamed of—but Yzak's face immediately turned red, looking like he was about to explode on the spot.
"Hahahaha..."
Seeing Yzak's flustered expression, Sumeragi and Wang Liu Mei could no longer hold back their laughter, bursting out in amusement. Even their fellow captives, Athrun and Nicol, couldn't help but lower their heads, stifling their chuckles.
"You bastard! Let me go if you dare! We'll Duel!"
"Huh? Did all those Duels fry your brain? You're a prisoner and still want to Duel?"
"Pfft—hahahaha..."
"You damn bastard!" Yzak was hopping mad. In a battle of words, he was no match for Yang Hui even if there were ten thousand of him. His weapons had already been confiscated, and with so many guards watching closely, he didn't dare actually attack Yang Hui. And worst of all...
The most humiliating part was that the woman he liked had also witnessed his disgrace. Moreover, seeing Sumeragi sitting so close to Yang Hui, their relationship clearly intimate, Yzak guessed that Yang Hui was likely the fiancé Sumeragi had mentioned.
"Alright, since none of you seem interested in enjoying desserts and coffee, let's move on to the next stop."
With that, Yang Hui stood up and, under the stunned gazes of the four, wolfed down the untouched tiramisu and assorted mousse.
"Yang Hui, what... are you doing?"
"Wasting food is shameful, especially when it's this delicious—even more shameful!"
"Uh..." Athrun's lips twitched uncontrollably. Why did it feel like... this Yang Hui in front of him was a completely different person from the one he knew?
But Athrun kept his mouth shut. They were prisoners now, and though he didn't know where Yang Hui was taking them, if they wanted to survive, they needed to look for an escape opportunity. The best chance would be to take Sumeragi and Wang Liu Mei hostage while they were off guard.
However... leaving aside whether Athrun could bring himself to do it, even if they succeeded, they might not be able to escape. Worse, such an act would undoubtedly cause a commotion, making it impossible to hide their identities and inevitably sparking an international incident.
So Athrun shot a glance at his three teammates, signaling them not to act rashly and to wait for a better opportunity.
None of them were fools, so they calmly followed Yang Hui into a car, heading toward an unknown destination.
They had assumed Yang Hui would take them to some government facility for interrogation and imprisonment. But when they arrived, the four were dumbfounded once again.
What appeared before them wasn't a prison, an intelligence agency, or an interrogation room—not even a dark cell. Instead, it was a high-end clothing boutique.
"Welcome, Young Master Yang Hui." As soon as the group entered the store, the proprietress stepped forward to greet them. Dressed in a deep purple gown that hugged her curvaceous figure, she exuded elegance and grace, her charm undiminished by time (slurp~!).
"Madame, here to support your business again."
"Not at all, I should be thanking you for your continued patronage. Will it be another custom order for Miss Noreiga and Miss Wang this time?"
"No, these four are my friends. Please help them pick out some suitable outfits." Yang Hui stepped aside, allowing the proprietress to see Athrun and the others behind him.
"Ah, friends of the young master! Rest assured, I'll select the most fitting attire for them. Please, come this way."
"Opportunity!"
Athrun and the others realized this was a perfect opportunity. Only the shop owner and clerks were following them, while Yang Hui's group of three and their guards remained in the waiting area. This meant they had a chance to escape Yang Hui's surveillance.
The moment the four found their figures completely concealed by clothing racks and shelves, they made their move.
Yzak, Dearka, and Nicol each targeted the clerks beside them, while Athrun aimed to subdue the shop owner. None intended to harm them—only to restrain them and extract information about alternative exits for their escape.
However, the instant they acted, the shop owner and clerks reacted with lightning speed. Delicate hands shot out like vipers, seizing each man's wrist with surprising strength. A sharp twist and a subtle trip sent all four crashing face-first to the floor, arms wrenched behind their backs and immobilized by knees pressing into their spines.
"What!?"
Only when cold tile met their cheeks did the four comprehend what happened. Stunned, they strained to glimpse their captors through peripheral vision—how could these delicate beauties overpower them so effortlessly?
Footsteps approached as Yang Hui arrived with Sumeragi and Wang Liu Mei.
"My apologies, madam. My friends behaved rudely," Yang Hui said smoothly. "Though one can hardly blame them—your beauty could cloud any man's judgment."
"My, my. Careful, or Miss Noreiga and Miss Wang might grow jealous, Young Master Yang."
"I merely speak the truth."
"Then how shall we handle these... guests, Young Master Yang?"
"Release them. Select some suitable outfits."
"As you wish."
After issuing instructions, Yang Hui led Sumeragi and Wang Liu Mei back to the waiting area, showing no concern about potential escape attempts—a lesson the four had painfully learned.
Soon, the group reappeared before Yang Hui's trio in fresh attire.
"Excellent! The madam has impeccable taste," Yang Hui praised.
Gone were their shabby Dawn Company uniforms. Yzak now wore an ivory casual suit over a sage green shirt, left unbuttoned and tieless for effortless elegance. Dearka opted for formal black—a tailored suit with matching vest, white shirt, and an azure tie knotted with deliberate nonchalance. Nicol bypassed jackets entirely, choosing an earth-toned checkered shirt with cream trousers that radiated youthful energy. As for Athrun, his hunter green stand-collar jacket layered over burgundy complemented stark white pants—a bold contrast embodying aristocratic rebellion.
"You flatter me, Young Master Yang," the shop owner demurred. "But should you bring friends again, kindly inform them of our shop rules beforehand. My staff are delicate flowers—we'd hate to startle them."
The four men's eyes twitched violently at her definition of "delicate flowers."
"Duly noted, madam."
After paying, Yang Hui led the drastically transformed Athrun and the others away. Instead of heading to the place they had imagined, he took them around Orb, mostly visiting large shopping malls and famous tourist spots.
"What exactly are you trying to do?" Yzak finally couldn't hold back and asked bluntly.
"I told you, giving you all a day off to enjoy yourselves in Orb."
"Why?" Athrun asked.
"No particular reason."
"But we're—"
"Ah, ah." Before Athrun could finish his sentence, Yang Hui raised a hand to stop him. "You're friends of mine, Sumeragi, and Liumei—honored guests from PLANT here on vacation to visit Orb."