Chapter 256: Chapter 256
"Hey, Suzy," the moment was interrupted by Leonard’s voice. He did not even bother to knock before stepping inside the room. "Derek and I are making some spicy dumplings. Car to join us?"
Thomas tried to hide a disappointed sigh, while Suzy only grinned and nodded.
"Dumplings sound good. Let’s do it!"
As the three of them stepped into the kitchen, Derek was already standing behind the counter, meat, flour, and vegetables arranged in front of him. It looked like he had already started preparations on his own.
"Suzy!" he beamed the moment he saw her coming. "We were feeling hungry so I suggested making dumplings."
"It was a good idea," she nodded, already washing her hands. "Let’s make them together."
With that, all four of them stood behind the counter, each eyeing the ingredients they liked the best.
"Suzy," she couldn’t tell how much time had passed when Derek suddenly called out to her.
Suzy’s attention shifted toward him the moment he spoke.
"What is it?"
"What do you think of this one?"
Derek flashed her a boyish grin and held up the dumpling he had just finished, presenting it like a prized achievement awaiting inspection.
Suzy leaned closer and examined it carefully.
"Not bad at all."
Only then did she notice the neat row of dumplings already lined up in front of him.
Each one was plump and symmetrical, their pleats evenly folded and surprisingly professional-looking. Compared to the dumplings she and Thomas had been making, Derek’s were undeniably more attractive.
A faint suspicion surfaced in her mind.
Was her junior asking for praise? Fortunately, she had no problem indulging him.
Raising a thumb, she gave him another approving nod.
"These are amazing. They’re much prettier than mine. I bet they’ll taste great too."
Her compliment was entirely sincere. Her bright eyes reflected nothing but genuine admiration.
Derek visibly brightened.
Without the slightest doubt, he accepted every word she said. Satisfaction spread across his handsome features, and a hint of pride appeared in his smile.
To him, Suzy’s approval was the greatest reward possible.
His hands immediately became even more energetic.
If a little praise felt this good, perhaps he could earn more.
Unfortunately, his good mood lasted only until he noticed Suzy turning her attention toward Thomas.
She leaned over to check his latest dumpling and even reached out to adjust the position of his fingers while he folded the wrapper.
The pleasant warmth in Derek’s chest slowly faded.
So Thomas was still more important.
His lips pressed together unhappily.
Thomas’s dumplings remained far less elegant than Derek’s, but he approached each one with absolute concentration.
They still looked somewhat rough around the edges, yet the improvement was obvious.
Suzy stayed beside him, occasionally leaning over to inspect his work. Every now and then, she would press down a loose edge or help seal an uneven fold.
"This one’s actually pretty nice."
She picked up a freshly finished dumpling, turning it over in her hands before placing it carefully onto the tray.
Thomas glanced up at her. A faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
The atmosphere between them felt effortlessly comfortable.
Watching the exchange, Derek slowly deformed the dumpling wrapper in his own hands without even realizing it.
Looking down at the wrinkled piece of dough, he silently crushed it into a ball and reached for another wrapper.
His hands continued moving quickly, but now each dumpling seemed to be folded with considerably more force.
As though he were competing against someone.
When Suzy noticed the occasional looks he kept sending her way, she turned around curiously.
The moment Derek realized she was looking, he deliberately shifted his gaze elsewhere and refused to meet her eyes.
Almost like a sulking child.
Something about his behavior felt strange.
Before Suzy could think too deeply about it, another problem appeared on Thomas’s side.
Somehow, while folding dumplings, flour had ended up on his face.
A streak of white dust stretched across one cheek, making the usually intimidating man look unexpectedly comical.
"There’s flour on your face."
Suzy laughed.
Thomas immediately raised a hand to wipe it away.
Unfortunately, he wiped the wrong spot and succeeded only in transferring the flour onto the tip of his nose.
The result was somehow even worse.
Suppressing another laugh, Suzy shook her head.
"Let me."
She grabbed a wet wipe, rose onto her toes, and carefully cleaned the flour from both his cheek and nose.
Leonard had become so accustomed to scenes like this that he barely paid attention anymore.
At some point, he had finally mastered rolling dumpling wrappers. The tutorial video on his phone had long since been replaced by a sitcom, and he was happily watching it while working.
Derek, however, was nowhere near as calm.
He already knew about the relationship between Thomas and Suzy.
He had spent plenty of time mentally preparing himself for it.
Yet knowing something and witnessing it firsthand were entirely different experiences.
Watching them interact so naturally right in front of him left a bitter heaviness lodged firmly in his chest.
It felt as though several steel rods had punched holes straight through him, allowing cold wind to rush inside.
What hurt most wasn’t the physical closeness. It was the ease between them. The effortless understanding. The quiet compatibility.
Everything felt so natural that even his jealousy seemed unnecessary.
Why didn’t he and Suzy have that same atmosphere?
He knew she liked him. He was certain of it.
Yet something still felt missing. Something important. And he hated that feeling.
The longer he watched, the worse it became.
Eventually, instinct took over. He needed to get away.
"I need to use the bathroom."
Setting down the dumpling he had just finished, Derek rose and walked away without hesitation.
Suzy shot a glance in his direction.
Assuming he genuinely needed the restroom, she simply nodded.
"Alright."
Derek didn’t respond. Instead, he headed straight into his room.
The moment he disappeared, Leonard suddenly spoke up.
"Suzy."
She paused and looked over.
Leonard’s eyes sparkled with obvious amusement.
"I think somebody’s upset. Aren’t you going to go comfort him?"
Suzy immediately caught the unmistakable look of entertained mischief on her uncle’s face.
Her uncle truly loved watching drama unfold.
"What makes you think he’s upset?" she asked.
Without answering, Leonard simply pushed aside the wooden bowl that had been sitting in front of Derek.
Then he gestured toward the evidence hidden behind it.
Suzy lowered her gaze.
The sight made her mouth twitch.
Several completely ruined dumpling wrappers lay crumpled behind the bowl.
Each mangled piece of dough looked as though it had suffered a deeply personal attack.
Judging from the destruction alone, Derek’s mood couldn’t have been much worse.
So he really was upset.
Finishing the dumpling in her hands, Suzy placed it on the tray and dusted the flour from her palms.
"I’ll go check on him."
The comment was directed toward Thomas.
Thomas paused briefly before offering a considerate nod.
"Go ahead."
Suzy washed her hands in the kitchen and headed toward the hallway.
She barely reached it before Derek emerged from his room.
The two stopped simultaneously. For a moment, neither spoke.
Derek stared at her. Then he turned his head away. The corner of his mouth dipped noticeably.
The sight almost made Suzy laugh. In fact, she found it surprisingly adorable.
Derek was handsome to begin with. Even his sulking was attractive.
Knowing he was acting this way because he was jealous didn’t irritate her in the slightest.
Strangely enough, it improved her mood.
Taking a step forward, she caught his hand.
"Are you upset?"
She blinked innocently.
Derek’s eyes flickered downward briefly before darting away again, refusing eye contact.
"Why would I be upset? I already told you. I just went to the bathroom."
His voice carried an unmistakable pout.
"Really? Then how do you explain those poor dumpling wrappers?"
"That was because Uncle Leonard rolled them badly."
Derek immediately shifted the blame.
If Leonard had heard that excuse, he probably would have coughed up blood.
"Is that so?" Suzy raised an eyebrow.
Derek remained silent. After several seconds, his gaze drifted toward her again. His amber eyes looked softer than usual, almost damp beneath a thin veil of emotion.
"Yeah." His voice dropped. "Do you really think I’m that petty?"
Suzy didn’t answer immediately.
Meanwhile, Derek continued speaking. "I understand."
A faint laugh escaped him.
"You and Thomas have always been close. You’ve been together since the beginning of the apocalypse. Of course you’d worry about him."
He lowered his eyes. "I’m just a junior."
A pause followed. "How could I possibly compare to Thomas?"
The last few words were barely audible.
His lashes trembled. A faint flush spread along the corners of his eyes.
Watching him like this, the amusement inside Suzy slowly softened into something warmer.
Something that looked suspiciously like heartache.
