New World with Four Husbands

"Maybe Zaque isn't so bad." Lala hums, biting the last bit of her chocolate sandwich.

Coco rolled her eyes at the garden fairy's comment, a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth as she made her way to Jacques' and Renaldo's house.

Despite the tension in the air back in the house, the moment Zaque placed the bread down in front of her, the fairy stopped cursing everyone out and dove straight for the bread, as if they were simply having a meal together as usual.

After a good second of tearing a piece of bread, Lala's gaze flicked toward Zaque, her expression shifting to a mix of irritation and slight admiration.

Why? Well, it was because he was the one who made the bread that tasted heavenly in her mouth so even if she was hating his guts just that morning, she couldn't deny the taste of his bread.

It was hypocritical of Lala, but Coco could only agree, Zaque's bread does taste something else.

Coco continues to walk down the narrow and almost empty streets of the small village, passing by half wooden and cobblestone buildings and familiar faces.

The sound of birds chirping and children at play filled the air, and the scent of freshly-baked goods wafted from the nearby bakery with the sun casting a golden glow on her figure from behind.

The streets were bathed in the soft glow of the afternoon, the last few rays of daylight casting long shadows across her path.

The air was cool, a light breeze blowing through, ruffling her hair and swaying her clothes.

As she walked, the sounds of the village faded until only her footsteps remained, a steady rhythm that kept time with her thoughts.

After a good while of walking, Coco finally reached the house of her friends.

Coco walked close to the house and paused in front of the door, raising her hand to knock softly on the wood, the sound seemed to echo through the silence, the sound sharp and clear.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

She waited for a few moments, her heart beating in her chest, her anticipation building.

There was a brief moment of stillness before the sound of footsteps could be heard from within the house, gradually growing louder and louder.

"Coming!" A muffled response came from within.

A tall, lean man with striking purple eyes and long, black hair appeared, his expression slightly surprised after he opened the door, his gaze took on a curious glint, his eyebrows raised in a silent question.

The porch light cast him in a pool of soft illumination, the shadows dancing across his face, making his features look almost ethereal.

"Good afternoon, Kairo." Coco smiled and waved at the mediator standing in the doorway, her face soft and friendly, "Or should I say good evening? It's getting late after all."

Her eyes sparkled with a hint of playfulness, her expression warm and welcoming.

"Good evening." Kairo or Rogue, mumbled.

"Yes, yes, good evening." Coco hums and tilts her head, "Is Jacques and Renaldo home? They invited me to have dinner with them tonight."

Coco did not waste any time to inform Kairo about her upcoming dinner with friends.

Kairo's expression immediately turned to confusion, a frown creasing his brow, but he graciously invited her inside the house, gesturing for her to enter with a wave of his hand.

Coco stepped inside the house, the sound of her footsteps muted by the plush rug beneath her.

"Rogue? Who is it?"

All of a sudden, her ears caught the sound of a deep voice calling out from somewhere further inside the house causing her to crane her head toward the direction of the voice, curious about who had spoken.

She entered the living room, the room was filled with a cozy atmosphere, the comfortable furniture and dim lighting making it feel like a warm haven.

Though, her attention zeroed on the familiar person lounging on the couch.

"Rey?" Coco questioned, not sure if her ears were playing tricks on her because surely, such a deep voice wouldn't belong to the kid— whom she assumed to be so young, but turns out to be already an adult— whom she befriended a while ago.

"Coco?" Almost immediately, the person perked up from the couch and turned to her, his eyes wide in surprise.

"Coco!" Rey beamed brightly, getting off the couch and scrambling to go around the cushion before he lunge forward, tackling Coco.

It was a good thing that Coco was strong because if it weren't for that, she would have been tackled down to the floor by the excited mediator who hugged her like he had not seen her for years.

"I missed you! Jacques told me that you were busy lately so I couldn't invite you to hang out with me!" Rey exclaimed, wrapping his arms around her tighter.

"I missed you, too, buddy." Coco said, laughing awkwardly as she patted his back.

It was hard to believe that the little Rey she knew was already taller than her, like his puberty had hit him so hard that it changed him physically overnight.

Thankfully, she didn't have to stay in Rey's suffocating hug because there was a knock from the door, then followed by Jacques' voice calling out to Rey and Coco, urgency in her tone.

"Rey! Is Coco with you?!" Jacques asked, followed by quick and light footsteps across the hall.

"Coco!" Jacques' brightened up when she saw Coco in Rey's arms, "Goodness! I'm so sorry for being so late! We just closed the shop! There were too many customers who wanted to buy pork today."

"Haha.. It's okay, I'll help you cook—"

Coco held out a hand towards Jacques, silently asking her for help because Rey has a tight hold on her, but Jacques merely shook her head.

"No, I'll cook." Jacques refused her help and turned in her heels, "Renaldo will be back after he's done closing the shop to help me so just relax with Rey, okay?"