"Why is it so hard?" Arthur slammed his head against the steering wheel. "Why is it so hard just to talk to someone? It doesn't make sense!"
At this point, he felt like the whole universe was against him--or rather, the entire office. Vaguely, he caught on to the fact that people seemed determined not to let him be alone with Eugene Kim.
Arthur sighed, glancing at the clean manuscript and the movie script filled with his notes lying atop each other on the passenger seats.
Honestly, he didn't need to be alone with the omega--if that was what they were afraid of. He just wanted to ask why Eugene had affirmed Arthur's accusation that he was an alphaphobic that day. Even if Eugene refused to answer it, Arthur still wanted to discuss the script. The discrepancy between it and the original manuscript.
Originally, he wanted to ask the screenwriters first, but they were the ones who kidnapped...err, dragged Eugene somewhere. He asked the director afterward, but the only answer he got was that Eugene Kim had agreed to it.
In the end, Arthur felt like he wouldn't be satisfied if he didn't discuss it with Eugene. Why--why did they change the alpha's situation? Why did they get rid of the alpha's 'flaw'?
Why did the author agree to such a change?
Unfortunately for Arthur, before Ashley could answer his question, the nurse came out to inform her that her second child--another daughter--had been successfully delivered. Naturally, the time for any work-related conversation had ended. Afterward, his cousin was so busy taking care of her wife and newborn that Arthur couldn't even bring himself to ask for Eugene Kim's contact from her.
"Oh, well..."
Arthur leaned back again and stretched his neck to loosen himself. Even if he was no longer a proxy, he could just follow his cousin to that office, right? He chuckled darkly and finally got out of his car.
The first thing he saw was a weird, albeit adorable, view on the porch. Two children around the same age, probably only a year apart from one another, were giving instructions to the Wynnes' gardener from the fence. From the row of snow ducks atop the fence, Arthur could guess what the little generals were asking for.
One of the kids, the little girl, heard Arthur's footsteps and turned toward him. Her eyes went bright, and she raised her hand enthusiastically. "Uncle!"
Buying all of those limited-edition foreign dolls worked well for his image, huh? Arthur chuckled and returned his niece's wave. Her curly red hair bounced adorably as she jumped for a hug, and Arthur was grateful that she looked like her alpha mother instead of her omega one--who had disappeared after losing the custody battle.
"Why are you out here, Sammy?" Arthur asked while hugging her, smelling Ashley's soft leather scent on her.
Seemed like Shirley's sensitivity to smell disappeared after giving birth.
"We want to play with the snow before they disappeared! But Mama said we can't, it's too cold," Samantha pouted.
"She's right," Arthur smiled. "If you get sick, your sister will get sick too."
"Oh!"
Samantha clapped her hands as if she received enlightenment. The new sister gracefully accepted her new responsibility and nodded solemnly. Arthur laughed inwardly and shifted his gaze to the other kid, an adorable-looking younger boy with a round face and lots of baby fat framed by short blonde hair.
"And this little gentleman is?"
The boy, seemingly happy to be called a 'gentleman', perked up and introduced himself while raising his arm. "Hello, Uncle! I'm Toby."
"Toby?" Arthur tilted his head. "Ah--Tobias? Allen and Sophie's son?"
"Yep!"
Arthur turned his head to the driveway. So, the unidentified car belonged to Allen and Sophie. Thinking back, he hadn't met them since he returned. The last time he saw them...it was probably the day after he met Gin, after the whole fiasco with Ashley's first wife.
Wow...that was such a long time ago. He had heard about them having a son from Ashley, and now that he looked at Tobias again, he could clearly see that he was their child. Sophie in his round, big eyes and thick lips, and Allen in everything else.
Hmm...seeing his friends' kids, Arthur suddenly wondered what his children would look like in the future. If he had any, of course. Who knows if he was infertile like Jude; he never checked it, after all.
"What, you're here?" a whiny, slightly scolding voice came from the door, prompting Arthur to look up and roll his eyes.
"Don't sound so unimpressed, Grandpa."
Arthur could see his grandfather glaring at him. But perhaps because of the children's presence, he merely hissed and pointed inside with his chin. "Go inside and wash your hands quickly."
"Yes, yes~"
Leaving the grandfather who was happily proceeding to play with the children, Arthur washed his hands carefully before heading to the second floor. Following the sound of conversation, Arthur found the adults gathered in the master bedroom, fawning over the newborn in Shirley's arms.
"Aww, she's yawning!" Sophie clasped her hands under her chin, watching the bundled-up baby with sparkling eyes.
Ashley smiled proudly. "Cute, right?"
"I think she'll look cuter if she's more like Shirley," Sophie said.
"Hey!" Ashley clicked his tongue, before nodding the next second. "But I agree."
Shirley, meanwhile, gazed at her daughter's face and sighed. "Haah...all that hard work and Ashley steals everything..."
"Forgive me, my Lady," Ashley put her hand on her chest, as if feeling guilty.
Arthur made a vomiting sound from the door. "Eugh."
"Why are you asking for a fight the second you come?" Ashley snapped, hissing to prevent the baby from crying in surprise.
"Actually, I've been here for a minute already," Arthur shrugged.
Ashley rolled her eyes. "God forbid a woman loves her wife," she pointed at her cousin. "That's why you should find some romance!"
"You sound like Grandpa," Arthur grumbled.
Allen, who was leaning against a cabinet near the door, chuckled as he greeted their youngest member. "Long time no see, Arthur."
"You don't change much, do you?" Sophie said with a laugh.
"Yeah, it really is a long time," Arthur stepped inside to shake Allen's hand. "Sorry for not contacting you guys sooner."
"No worries," Allen smiled gently, as always, but there was a playful glint in his eyes. "I heard you were pretty busy getting thrown into a hot pan."
"Thanks to someone," Arthur gave his cousin a side eye, which Ashley returned with a wink and a smirk.
"But it'll be over soon, right?" Allen glanced at his friend. "Once Ashley comes to work again, you only need to work on this project during post-production."
"Yeah..."
Arthur replied dryly, his voice drawled slightly at the end. Ashley blinked curiously at the hesitation in her cousin's voice. "What's wrong?" she smirked teasingly, baiting. "You want to keep working as my proxy? I don't mind--"
"Nope," Arthur said quickly, crossing his arms in front of his face in rejection. "I have enough daily fights with that bas--Collins."
Arthur coughed awkwardly as Shirley shot him a warning glare, avoiding the use of inappropriate language just in time. He only let out a relieved sigh when Shirley smiled again.
He glanced at Ashley, who was still looking at him curiously. "But, like...I don't mind tagging along a few more times."
Ashley arched her brow high. "You said you hated it."
"It's just..." Arthur swept his hair back, exhaling slowly. "There's something I need to discuss with someone."
"Who?" Ashley tilted her head before snapping her finger as she recalled their conversation in the hospital. "Ah...Eugene Kim?"
Allen and Sophie turned their heads at the same time, eyes widened. "Eugene? What about Eugene?"
They had forgotten about it since Eugene hadn't mentioned anything more since that dinner, but it returned to them at that moment.
Arthur was even more surprised, gaze moving between the two. "Huh? You know him?"
"What--I haven't told you?" Ashley said, as if it were an afterthought. Perhaps it was. "I got the manuscript from Sophie. Eugene is her friend."
"Bestfriend!" Sophie corrected her quickly.
Ashley gasped, clutching her chest. "What about me?"
"You're Allen's best friend," Sophie pursed her lips sulkily.
"Oh, my..."
"No, wait--you're Eugene Kim's friend?"
Arthur was even more bewildered. Not just 'acquintanced' but...bestfriend? Suddenly, Arthur felt a bit dizzy.
"Uh-huh," Sophie crossed her arms, as if feeling proud. "Ah...are you guys still at odds with each other?"
"Well..."
"Damn, Arthur--you're an adult. Why are you still fighting like children?"
"What fighting?" Arthur pursed his lips, feeling wronged. "We barely talked to each other, so how can we fight?"
"Hmm..."
Under Allen and Sophie's doubtful gaze, Arthur suddenly felt cold sweat on his back. He never thought Eugene would be their friend, and thinking back on all his remarks...
Ugh--what if Eugene told them about it? He didn't want Allen to see him as an unruly brother.
Clearing his dry throat, Arthur said cautiously. "Anyway, even if I was in the wrong--somehow--I could only apologize if I could talk to him," he muttered. "But I haven't been able to...for some reason."
Arthur paused, glancing at the others.
"Uhh..." he bit the inside of his cheek. "Can you, like, give me his contact or something?"
"Giving someone's contact information without consent is rude, Arthur," Allen replied--still gentle, but also stern.
"...I know," Arthur sighed.
Allen and Sophie looked at each other, suddenly feeling curious. Honestly, they had no idea what exactly happened between Arthur and Eugene, but they also knew Arthur. The man could be rude, but most of the time, he didn't do it intentionally.
"Why do you want to talk to him?" Sophie asked curiously.
Arthur, who was already starting to give up, startled. "Just...clearing some misunderstanding...hopefully?" he replied sheepishly. "And something about the movie."
"Ah, that thing you were asking me before? About the difference between the original story and the movie script?" Ashley snapped her fingers.
"Yeah..."
"Hmm..."
Sophie and Allen looked at each other again, as if conversing with their eyes. After about ten seconds of musing, Allen made a subtle smile, and Sophie shifted her gaze back to Arthur.
"I can't give you his contact information, but..." Sophie smiled. She liked it better if her friends could reconcile and get along well. "Maybe I can help you set up an accidental meeting?"
Arthur widened his eyes, and suddenly clasped his hands in reverence. "Sister!"
Ashley winced. "Who are you calling 'sister'?"
"Ho ho ho!" Sophie crossed her legs and spread her fingers under her chin. "Call me that again."
"My honorable older sister Sophie!" Arthur smiled widely, brightly.
Perhaps the universe hadn't forsaken him, after all!