Hook: The Novel (English)

Chapter 18: Confession

Third Person's P.O.V.

Upon their arrival at the resort reserved by Prince for Gadiel's birthday, Prince wasted no time, striding purposefully towards the information desk.

"Reservation for Prince Aiden Estrella," he declared, prompting the attentive woman at the information desk to promptly attend to his request.

Meanwhile, the remainder of the group began retrieving their luggage from the car. Dean positioned himself beside Ford, extending a bag towards him. "Here's your things," he offered.

Ford's expression soured as he accepted the bag, a sense of disappointment clouding his thoughts. His hope for a private moment with Gadiel had been dashed by the presence of their friends. Silently cursing them, Ford's dismay was interrupted as Gadiel seized his bag.

"Let me take care of this."

"No need-"

"I insist," Gadiel interjected firmly, prompting Ford to simply nod in acquiescence. Arguing with the birthday boy seemed futile, especially as Ford had come to realize the depth of Gadiel's stubbornness over time.

Meanwhile, Finn grappled with retrieving his luggage from the trunk. Its size gave him pause; it seemed as though he had packed for a week-long vacation rather than a brief stay of 2 or 3 days. Nevertheless, as Kristin Finnley Gutierrez, questioning his packing habits seemed unnecessary.

Annoyance bubbled within Finn, its source uncertain. Was it the unwieldy size of his luggage, his own lack of foresight, or the bitter twinge he felt witnessing Gadiel's help to his friend?

However, in a surprising turn of events, someone deftly lifted his luggage from the trunk, drawing Finn's attention. His pale face flushed crimson as his heart raced, for it was none other than Mikel standing before him, a warm smile adorning his features.

"Let me help you," Mikel offered earnestly.

Finn's initial shock gave way to a smile, his gratitude evident in his response. "Sure, I don't mind," he replied without hesitation, surprising even himself with his willingness to accept assistance.

As Mikel observed Finn's swift acceptance of his help, he couldn't help but to wonder

'Normally people would hesitate to accept help, especially from someone not very close,'

Meanwhile, Julian abruptly asked something that caught Dean off guard, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"What the heck are you talking about?" Dean retorted incredulously.

Julian persisted, undeterred by Dean's bewilderment.

"Because they say, the more you hate, the more you love. You're always grumpy towards me, so maybe you want to get my attention-"

Dean interrupted with a scoff. "Hey, Lasallian boy! You're not within my standards!"

Undeterred by Dean's rebuke, Julian pressed on, determined to air his grievances. "You're so grumpy. I haven't done anything to you, yet since the first time we met, you've always been so grumpy towards me," he explained, his tone a mixture of frustration and curiosity.

"You didn't do anything? Seriously? Dude, did you forget you almost scratched my car? I was just about to park, and then you had stole my spot," Dean exclaimed, his frustration evident in his voice as he pointed an accusatory finger at Julian.

"That was ages ago. Can't you just move on?" Julian replied, a hint of exasperation creeping into his tone.

"Move on? Moving doesn't exist in my vocabulary. But hey, it's your call. Just stay away from me; you ugly creature!" Dean grumbled, shaking his head in disbelief before striding away, leaving Julian standing there, a mix of confusion and amusement on his face.