Chapter 71

"You guys..." Edward said, a puzzled expression creasing his face and a frown on his brow.

For a moment, he struggled to find the right words before realization hit him.

It is no wonder they acted this way.

Wasn't it because they had no idea how much money their YouTube accounts were generating?

That's right—they are clueless about how much money their skits had made at all, and it was because he didn't tell it to them... Or rather, he never intended to tell them in the first place.

Well... To be fair, Edward originally wanted to tell them about the details.. But, after thinking of how money would change the dynamics of their group, he hesitated and finally chose keep it on himself.

If others were to learn about it, they would surely ask for a larger share, and in order to maintain their relationship, he would have to comply with their demands.

However, if that were to happen... The group would never be the casual group of friends that it originally was, but a money-oriented, business-focused organization.

Which is exactly what he does not want to see... After all, the reason he chose to film skits with them in the first place was to make money.

If he were to tell them the real figure, then conflict between their relationships would be inevitable.

After all, it was only appropriate for them to ask for more, given that everyone of them contributed equally to the group, and it was also reasonable for him to reject, as he also needed more finances to carry out his future plans.

Wait... What if they do not ask for more and he was just thinking too much?

Maybe they won't ask for more?

After all, they are his friends; don't he trust them?

After all, they are his friends; shouldn't he have faith in them?

Perhaps he was indeed overthinking, but it does not matter... He's looking at a more objective view of the problem.

After all, that's how a normal human would react in the face of such a situation.

It's not that he didn't consider them as his friends; in Edward's mind, he genuinely treated them as his real friends... However, everything was different in the face of money.

This was also why, from the very beginning, he frequently reminded them that the account was his... Well, although not directly, everyone understood it.

After all, it was his idea that the group was established, and it was because of him that the group was able to shoot skit. It was his money that was spent so the group was able to become what they are now, and everyone felt it was reasonable.

Does it sound hypocritical?

In the end, he was saying that he genuinely thinks that they are his friends, but why is he saying that he doesn't want to pay them equally because it would ruin their friendship?

Doesn't he just want all the money for himself so that he can implement his future plans?

Perhaps it is indeed hypocrisy.

Edward himself had stated multiple times how much of a hypocrite he is, and he had no intention of denying it because accepting it for himself made him feel validated in his own hypocrisy.

He thinks that accepting his own hypocrisy would somehow make him less hypocritical, but deep down, he knew it wasn't the case.

He knew that it would only increase his hypocrisy, yet he continued to convince himself otherwise, seeking solace in this contradiction.

That's how hypocritical he is.

However, even though he was hypocritical, he was not a demon... At least he still had his own bottom line, and that was that he wouldn't take others' hard work for granted.

Even though he can't share with them the real revenue from their skits, he would still give them a talent fee that was equivalent to their contribution.

This was also the reason he decided to host Boodle Fight, which was to compensate them for their hard work.

However, seeing them getting tired because of all the preparation they did instead of enjoying their resting day, Edward felt that wasn't enough.

And just as he was thinking, Alfred suddenly reminded him of a more convenient and easier way to do things, and he thought, Why not hire a catering service instead of doing everything by themselves?

Looking back, wasn't it also hitting two birds with one stone?

In this way, not only was he able to compensate them for their hard work, it would also make them less suspicious of the fact that he was only giving them a fraction of revenue from their skits... Well, at least in the future.

I mean, it's inevitable for them to know how things work sooner or later, and in fact, they could even learn about it right now if they just take the time to explore it through the internet.

Perhaps they just don't care about it right now; after all, they're just teenagers, and their expenses aren't particularly high.

They haven't experienced society yet and thus haven't fully grasped the real value of money.

But what about in the future?

Once they find out that he was only giving them a portion of the whole revenue, they might resent him and think he has betrayed them, which he does not want to happen.

Having experienced the loneliness of having no social life in a future timeline, he knew very well the importance of having poeple to hang out with.

That is why he wanted to retain his relationship with them, and he wanted to show them that he was giving them enough so they would not think negatively of him later on.

""Well... For me, even though 16,000 is huge, I still feel that it's worth it. I mean.. I want everyone to enjoy their rest day..."

"This..." the group looked at each other with an embarrassed expression.

Thinking that all this time, it was Edward who always spent money on them, and it was Edward who gave them an opportunity to earn money, everyone felt grateful in their hearts.

At the same time, Edward's lips curled up as he saw their reaction, and he was relieved that his plans had worked.

"Hehe, no need to hesitate, everyone; 16,000 is not that big to me, believe me."

"B-but... how about we talk to them first? Maybe we could lower the price..."

"Sure, but I made up my mind. I'm going to spend money so that we can enjoy our rest day."

"..."

Time passed,

At around six, the group disbanded, and he went to his parents apartment to spend time with them and finally bid farewell at around eight in the evening.

After taking a taxi back to his apartment unit, Edward entered, and a sigh of solitude escaped him at the silence that enveloped the space, the stillness seeming to echo in the emptiness of the rooms.

Shaking his head, he changed into more comfortable clothes, then headed straight for his bedroom, turned on his phone, and began scrolling through his Facebook newsfeed.

At around ten in the evening, as Edward logged out of his account and was about to settle in for the night, a text message popped up on the screen, catching his attention.

Patricia: "Are you there? I'm right before you're unit."

Raising his brows in confusion, Edward got up from his bed, went to open the door of his unit and to his surprise, he really found her standing right outside.

"I... I'm kind of feeling alone," Patricia said hesitantly, a blush painting her face as she shifted her gaze nervously.

Looking at her, how could Edward not understand what she was implying?

The next morning.

Edward woke up, feeling a bit lost for words as he glanced at the limbs that were tightly wrapped around him like an octopus.

"... does that mean we really became friends with benefits?" Edward smiled wryly and shook his head.

Unwrapping the legs that were clinging to him, Edward got up from the bed, proceeded to go about his morning routine, and then headed out of his unit for his morning run.

By the time Edward returned, the sun had painted the sky with warm hues, signaling the new day in full swing.

As he unlocked the door and entered his unit, Edward found Patricia at the kitchen table, quietly stirring her coffee with a spoon, as if pondering something important.

"What happened?" Edward asked curiously as he looked at her.

"I... n-nothing, I just felt something was off," Patricia blushed slightly, her gaze dropping to her coffee, as memories of the previous night flooded her mind. "I.. about last night."

"Yes?"

"I.. I don't know what happened to me. Maybe it's because it's been days since we did that, and not doing it for so long is..."

"Frustrating?"

"Y-yes," Patricia nodded, her cheeks tinged with embarrassment. "D-do you also feel frustrated?"

"No, I have my right hand."

"R-right h-h-hand?" Patricia stammered, caught off guard by his unexpected response.

"What? It's a good way to relieve some stress and get better sleep," Edward responded, a playful glint in his eyes.

"Isn't it unhealthy?"

"Everything that is too much is unhealthy."

"T-that I see... B-but, I don't know how to do that."

"I'll teach you later."

"..."