The usual lunchtime chaos had already settled into the groupâs routine by the time ramen night rolled around. What was once a weekly roast battle during lunch breaks had turned into an all-out competition for the past few months. Albedo, Scaramouche, Venti, and Aether knew the rules wellâtake turns, roast each other to oblivion, and donât back down. Whoever survived the longest without cracking got the coveted ten-dollar prize from Venti, who always made the bet to stir the pot.
Tonight, though, the battle wasnât happening at the lunch tableâthis time, it was happening around a steaming bowl of ramen and a quiet evening at Kazuhaâs apartment. Despite the change in location, nothing was going to stop the usual chaos.
Lumine, who was perfectly content to enjoy her onigiri and stay out of the crossfire, leaned back against the couch with Kazuha, watching as the group settled around the table. Her eyes twinkled with amusement as she glanced at the other side of the room. They were going to need more ramen soon.
âAlright, alright, here we go,â Venti announced, the ringmaster of their lunchtime battle turned full-blown roast-fest. âLetâs see who can roast Scaramouche the hardest tonight. Youâre looking extra ridiculous with that attitude, by the way,â Venti said, giving Scaramouche an exaggerated wink.
Scaramouche crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes but managing to keep his composure. âYouâre only calling me out because youâre scared, windbag.â
âPlease, who could be scared of you?â Venti laughed. âYouâre a drama queen. If you got any more theatrical, Iâd think you were auditioning for a high school play.â
âPlease,â Scaramouche shot back, âIâm far too good for anything you could possibly be a part of. I would outshine you in seconds.â
Lumine snorted quietly into her onigiri, already knowing where this was going.
Aether, who had been silent up until this point, leaned forward, his eyes narrowed on Scaramouche. âAlright, scarecrow. Since when did you become a drama king? Do you practice your emotions in the mirror?â
Scaramoucheâs smirk was instantaneous. âAt least I donât have to practiceâunlike you, who canât even get a sentence out without tripping over yourself, âMr. Perfect.â What, did you get picked on by your twin again today?â
Lumine let out a loud exhale, her face cooling as her irritation flickered. Her brother was definitely crossing a line.
Aether didnât even flinch. âOh, itâs on now. Youâre going down.â He turned to Venti, ignoring Lumine's sigh. âIâm gonna roast this cat like heâs never been roasted before. Mark my words.â
Kazuha chuckled softly, but even he knew it was getting heated. âDonât let them get too serious. Iâll be the one to step in if things go out of hand.â
Lumine gave him a small smile in acknowledgment. She couldnât stop them now. Honestly, part of her was curious to see how far this would go.
Venti leaned back, making sure to set the rules straight: âAlright, guys. Winner gets ten bucks, loser has to do whatever the winner wants for a whole weekâno backing down this time. Aether, youâre on your own for this round. Scaramouche is gonna need some serious work to get roasted by you.â
Scaramouche eyed Aether. âGo ahead, Aether. Try your best. Iâd love to see you fail.â
Aether wasnât about to back down. âIâve got plenty to work with, donât worry.â His eyes were locked onto Scaramouche as he straightened himself, ready for battle.
The first few insults were quick and fierce, but soon enough, both Aether and Scaramouche were really going at each other, throwing verbal jabs that hit much harder than expected.
Scaramoucheâs sarcasm had a biting edge. âIs it hard for you, Aether, to be second best all the time? Or do you enjoy living in Lumineâs shadow? Itâs gotta be hard for a guy who has everything handed to him on a silver platter, huh?â
Aether's smirk didnât waver. âOh, pleaseâcoming from the guy whoâs been obsessed with Lumine for ages. You seriously think you can win her over with this attitude? News flash, buddy: sheâs already moved on.â
There was a sharp intake of breath from everyone in the room. It wasnât just a roast anymore. That cut deepâand it didnât go unnoticed by Lumine, who could feel the heat rising between her brother and Scaramouche.
Scaramoucheâs eyes flickered with anger, but he didnât break. Instead, he leaned forward, lowering his voice to a near whisper, âYou really donât know anything, do you? You think youâre the only one who can protect her? Youâve got a long way to go before you really figure out what she needs.â
Lumineâs fingers tightened around her onigiri, but she stayed silent. The tension in the room could have been cut with a knife, and even Kazuhaâs usual calm was starting to fade.
Ventiâs voice broke the silence. âWhoa, this is getting way too serious! Guys, chill!â He raised his hands, his usual playful demeanor now gone. âYouâve had your fun. Now we eat.â
Lumine took a deep breath and stood up. âIf youâre going to keep going, do it outside. Iâm done watching you two tear each other apart like this.â She glared at both Aether and Scaramouche, her tone sharp.
With that, she grabbed her bowl, taking the last bite of her onigiri, and moved to the kitchen. Kazuha followed her, his usual quiet demeanor back in place as he patted her on the back.
The rest of the group sat in silence for a moment, the air still thick with tension. Aether and Scaramouche exchanged one last heated glance before both of them turned away, not saying another word.
Venti, trying to lighten the mood, raised his can of soda. âWell, this was fun, right? Donât worry, Iâve still got ten bucks to spare for next time!â
Albedo calmly took another sip of his soda, his expression neutral. âYouâve created real chaos this time, Venti. Maybe next time, stick to something less destructive, like group karaoke.â
Lumine, now leaning against the counter, just sighed. âI swear, you all love drama.â
Kazuha smiled at her, taking a moment to eat his ramen in peace, while the others continued to bickerâonly a little more quietly now.