Mr Always Late

"Hiro, have you found Aunty Bella yet?" Mel suddenly remembers the task she gave Hiro to find her mother's assistant.

Hiro, who was seriously driving the car, glanced at her. "Sorry, I forget to tell you. After tracking it for several months, I finally found her."

"REALLY?" Mel's eyes widened.

Hiro nods slowly; while his eyes were seriously looking at the road, he said..."All this time, we couldn't find her because she's changed her last name."

Mel was a little surprised that Aunt Bella did that. Why? "No Wonder! So, where is she now?"

"In City K. She works in a small company."

"Looks like we have to go there." Mel silent, thinking about something. After a while, she looked at Hiro and said, "Hiro, after you return, we will go to city K. I have to meet her soon. So, our plan can start."

"You're right. Moreover, the other party is starting to suspect you."

"hmm... That's also my concern now. Sooner or later, they will find me." Her aura turns dark. "Before they do anything, we must act first," Mel said firmly and coldly.

"With you all the way, Boss!"

After 10 minutes talk about the plan, they finally have arrived at Grandma's Recipe.

"Boss, you go in first. I'll park the car." Hiro said.

Mel nod.

She glanced at her watch. The clock showed 11.55. She immediately exited the car and walked into the Grandma's Recipe building. Soon she arrived at VIP room #888.

When she entered the room, she saw her friends; Anna, Windy, and Sam held their breath while their eyes staring towards the door, looks like they were waiting for a show.

When they saw Mel come in, Anna burst out laughing and shouted, "YES I won! You guys pay me..." she stood up and jumped with glee.

"Come on, Anna! You forced us to bet but didn't let us pick Mel. We'd also choose Mel to come first, so nobody won!" Windy said with a jokingly upset face.

"TRUE!" Sam Smirk. He sat casually while his hands crossed in front of his chest, pretending to be mad.

Mel could only shake her head to see her three best friends teasing each other around. She sat on a chair facing the three friends who were busy quarreling.

While the three of them were busy chatting, Mel checked her cellphone. She opens the hacker chat application she creates. She only provides the application to specific people in the hacker community or clients she trusts.

There is a new message in the application.

[Black] Q, can you test my firewall now?

Mel took a deep breath. She forgot that she had promised Black to try breaking his firewall system.

[Q] Right now? Sorry, I can't do it.

[Black] But you've promised.

[Q] Calm down. I'll do it Tonight.

[Black] Okay. I'll be waiting.

[Q] However, I need the fee to increase by two times than before. Can you afford it?

Mel chuckled, discreetly teasing him by asking to increase the fee. Previously, she only asked for 2 billion. Now she charges double.

Somewhere, Black grumbled, reading a reply from Q, "You are so greedy! Of course, I can afford it; that kind of money means nothing to me." He wants to reply like that, but he's afraid it will annoy Q.

[Black] I'll give you 6 billion if you break through the 6th layer.

[Q] Consider it done. Transfer as soon as I break it.

Mel closed the app when she heard a knock on the door. She looked at the door and shouted, "Come in."

Meanwhile, her three friends were still having fun talking to each other. She did not understand what they were talking about, which made Anna burst into laughter. They don't even realize there are other customers in the room.

She knocked on the table several times to get their attention. Then she said, "Hello, Guys! I also invite Hiro." Mel turned towards Hiro. "Why are you just standing there? Come here and have a sit!" Mel gestured Hiro to sit on the empty chair next to her.

"Hi Hiro..." said Anna in a low and charming voice, her face flushed.

Mel was dumbfounded to see Anna. Earlier, she burst into laughter when chatting with others. Now? She immediately changed; she became calmer and sat down with the aura like a noble lady.

Windy and Sam could only chuckle when they saw the change in her attitude.

"Hi, guys." greeted Hiro. Then he sat on the empty chair beside Mel, right in front of Anna.

"Guys... sorry I'm late!" Suddenly Harry appeared, breathing heavily. "Alright, alright, this time is on me." He said it with some regret-like joking tone. Then raised his two hands, admit himself as Mr. Always Late.

He sat on a chair and drank plain water.

"H-hey... that's mine!" Mel glared at him.

"Ups! Sorry, I'm dehydrated." Harry grinned while combing her dark brown curly hair with her hands. He exhausted running from the parking lot to the second floor, hoping he wasn't late. But his efforts were in vain.

Seeing him give up, Anna gave Harry two thumbs up with a mocking smile.

Harry chuckled.

"Guys... Have you ordered anything?" asked Harry.

"I have ordered the usual one!" Windy replied. Others are altogether following Windy's reply with a relatively short answer, "Me too."

While waiting for the food to arrive, they talked about many things, ranging from office matters to food to other popular issues in the media.

Hiro, who is usually quiet and indifferent in front of people, has become more relaxed when he meets Mel's friends, maybe because he sees them in the office. However, he's still only silently and just hearing them talking to one another without trying to join in on the conversation.

After a while, finally, the food was delivered by several waiters. All of Grandma's Recipes menus are freshly cooked foods, using Mel's grandmother's secret recipe.

Many upper-class and famous people visit this Restaurant. The menu at Grandma's Recipe is a typical home-style menu, but amazingly delicious with great authenticity. People who have tasted the foods at the Restaurant will be eager to come back again. They are coming back because the food's taste is fantastic yet very distinctive and only available at Grandma's Recipe.

They eat quickly but indulgingly. In no time, the plates are clean. 'Play Hard & Eat Hard' members never leave any leftover food on their plate, not in Grandma's Recipe, not in any other place where they eat together. Whatever food they order, they would eat it up until the plate is clean. It is their motto when they created the 'Play Hard & Eat Hard' group.

After he finished his lunch, Hiro said goodbye to the group. He still has work to do, and he still has to summarize Mel before flying to Tokyo to meet her mother as he has planned since this morning. He was hesitant to leave Mel alone. But Mel assured him she will be fine and everything will be alright.

After Hiro left, Anna, who has maintained her noblewoman-like attitude throughout Hiro's presence, suddenly changed back to her usual traits. She returned to her real personality, shameless for sure but kind, cheerful, and playful.

"Harry, you're going to pay for this lunch, right?" She asks while glaring at him.

"Anna say what? Kidding, Anna. Of course, I didn't forget." He rolled his eyes. Then he took his wallet. However, just as he was about to hand his credit card to the waitress, Mel stopped him. Harry's eyebrows lift slightly, seemingly confused.

"Guys, I've promised I would pay." Mel smiled at Harry. "You know Grandma's Recipe restaurant owned by my grandmother, right? So this is on me, guys. But next time, promise you will come back and bring more people with you!" Mel is shamelessly promoting her Grandma's Restaurant.

"No, we won't," Anna said jokingly and followed by some laugh.

Everyone also laughs.

"Don't worry, I'm going to invite all colleagues and family to eat here," said Anna, now with a firm tone.

"I will also invite my parents to eat here," Said Harry firmly.

"Me too," Sam said. All three are looking at Mel and nod in agreement.

Then the three of them looked at Windy as if asking, 'Who do you want to invite?' Windy is speechless and rolling her eyes when hearing the question.

Mel chuckled then said, "Guys, are you forget that Windy's Grandfather is one of the Directors at Grandma's Recipe? She doesn't need to invite anyone else. I think she is obliged to promote the Restaurant. Isn't it right, Windy?" Mel wink at her.

Windy smiles while tapping her cat-eyes frame glasses.

They chatted again before Mel is finally parting with everyone at 2 pm.