(POV: Ethan)
It all started with a completely innocent question.
We were sitting in the cafeteria, finishing up lunch, when Ava casually asked, "Hey, Leo, where were you yesterday? You weren't answering messages."
Leo, in the middle of chewing his sandwich, took his time before swallowing. Then, with the most unbothered expression, he replied, "Running errands."
That was it. Just "running errands." Like that was supposed to explain everything.
Sophia raised an eyebrow. "Errands?"
Leo nodded. "Yeah."
Ava frowned. "What errands?"
Leo took a sip of his drink. "Buying spices."
Silence.
I put my fork down. "…Spices?"
Leo nodded again, completely unfazed. "Yeah. I ran out of some."
Ava narrowed her eyes. "So you spent, what, six hours buying spices?"
Leo didn't even hesitate. "…Yes."
Sophia leaned forward, tapping a finger against the table. "Leo."
Leo looked at her, completely calm. "Yeah?"
She sighed. "You realize how unbelievably shady that sounds, right?"
Leo tilted his head. "Why?"
Ava threw up her hands. "BECAUSE NO ONE SPENDS SIX HOURS BUYING SPICES."
Leo frowned slightly, as if genuinely considering this. Then he nodded. "… I guess."
Sophia pointed. " YOU GUESS??"
I crossed my arms. "Alright, start from the beginning. Where did you go first?"
Leo leaned back in his chair, looking up as he thought about it. "Let's see… First, I stopped by that gourmet grocery store near the station."
Sophia's eyes narrowed. "The one with the ridiculously overpriced organic stuff?"
Leo nodded. "Yeah. Their saffron's decent."
Ava looked personally offended. "Leo. That store charges a fortune for a single pinch of saffron."
Leo blinked. "Yeah. That's why I only buy the imported one."
Sophia groaned. "Oh my god."
I rubbed my temples. "Okay. Then where?"
Leo counted on his fingers. "Then I went across the city to the specialty spice shop."
Ava choked. "You— You traveled across the city? For spices?"
Leo shrugged. "They have the best selection."
Sophia's jaw dropped. "Leo. That's an hour-long train ride."
Leo nodded. "Yeah, but it's worth it."
Ava buried her face in her hands. "You are insane."
I sighed, already resigned. "Please tell me that was your last stop."
Leo blinked. "Oh, no. After that, I went to a restaurant supply store."
Sophia froze. "…A restaurant supply store?"
Leo nodded. "Yeah, they had some good deals on kitchen tools."
Ava leaned forward, eyes sharp. "Leo. That store doesn't let random people shop there."
Leo took another sip of his drink. "…You need a membership."
I stared at him. "And you have one?"
Leo shook his head. "... Yes."
Sophia exhaled sharply. "HOW?!"
Leo frowned slightly, like he didn't understand why this was a big deal. "Just an acquaintance of mine recommended me and I got one."
Ava slapped the table. "They 'just gave' you a professional membership on someone's recommendation?!"
Leo nodded. "Yeah, he let me use it."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Leo. Who. Is. This. Acquaintance?"
Leo blinked. "A chef."
SILENCE.
Sophia clutched her notebook. "Leo, you can't just say 'a chef.' Give us a name."
Leo sighed. "You probably wouldn't know him."
Ava nearly screamed. "YOU DON'T GET TO DECIDE THAT."
Leo, still looking completely relaxed, pulled out his phone and tapped a few times. Then he turned the screen toward us.
There, on a well-known chef's official restaurant page, was a photo.
Of Leo.
With the chef.
Holding what looked like an incredibly expensive dish.
Sophia slowly raised a trembling hand to her temple. "Leo."
Leo waited patiently. "Yeah?"
She took a deep breath. "…Why are you eating with a Michelin-starred chef?"
Leo blinked. "Oh. He asked me to try his new dish and give feedback."
Ava slapped both hands over her mouth.
I felt my soul leave my body.
Sophia, looking close to a breakdown, whispered, "…Why does he care about YOUR opinion?"
Leo shrugged. "I eat a lot of food."
Ava turned to me, looking betrayed. "He eats a lot of food, Ethan."
I rubbed my face. "I HEARD HIM, AVA."
Leo checked the time. "Anyway, class is about to start. You guys coming?"
Sophia just slumped onto the table. "…I need a moment."
Ava was muttering something about the universe being unfair.
I had long accepted that Leo's life would never make sense.
___
Later after Leo left we were still processing everything when Sophia muttered, "…You know, I bet we could take one his spice from the collection, and he wouldn't even notice."
Ava snorted. "True. He probably has so much he'd never realize a few were missing."
I nodded. "Yeah, like, what's he gonna do? Inventory check?"
Then, from across the courtyard— far, far away— Leo's voice drifted over, calm as ever:
"I'd notice."
WE FROZE.
Sophia grabbed my arm. "DID HE JUST—"
Ava's eyes were wide. "THERE'S NO WAY HE HEARD THAT—"
Leo, still casually walking toward the building, turned slightly and added, "Don't even think about it."
And then he disappeared into the hallway.
We sat there in stunned silence.
Sophia swallowed. "…Okay. New theory. Leo has supernatural spice-sensing abilities."
Ava whispered, "I take it back. I'm never touching his stuff."
I just sighed, staring at the sky.
Leo Arclight.
The man who casually dined with Michelin-starred chefs and could hear spice-related crimes from across the campus.
I had no choice but to respect it.
---
End of Chapter 8.