✔ 03 | Point Of Exposure

CAPITULUM 58

The Rabbit's Bar and Resto
7:15 p.m.

---

No matter how fancy a restaurant is, it still won't be enough to put an end to the "awkwardness" of a situation.

Sinulyapan ni Nova ang kanyang partner na abala pa rin sa pagkain.

'Gosh. Mukhang 'di naman apektado ang isang 'to!' She thought and picked up her spoon. Nova had to stop the urge to throw it at him in frustration.

Noong nag-aya ulit ng dinner si Detective Nico Yukishito, hindi naman niya inaasahang ganito ang magiging setup nila...

"Attorney, paabot naman 'nong soup! Ay, teka---'yong carbonara na lang---ay, joke. Sige, kahit 'yong parang alimasag na lang pala!"

Nabulabog ang mga tao sa restaurant sa lakas ng boses ni Dan. Sa kanyang kaliwa, she saw Lelouch's patient smile as he handed him all of the mentioned dishes.

"Dahan-dahan lang, baka 'di ka matunawan." Lelouch joked.

Nagningning naman ang mga mata ni Dan at walang seremonyas na nilantakan ang mga ito. Plate after plate, he literally consumed everything!

'Patay-gutom lang? Hay.'

Nova wanted to sink into her chair and magically transport back to her office.

Balak niya sana kaninang mag-overtime at aralin ulit ang kaso nang tinawagan siya ni Nico. His exact words?

"Dinner at seven. The Rabbit's."

Typical asshole.

But somehow, she hated how he knew Nova didn't eat yet. Kung nahulaan lang niya ito o nagamitan ng skills sa deduction, she can never be too sure. In the end, umuwi pa muna siya ng bahay at nag-ayos para sa kanilang "dinner". Tutal naman naudlot ang dinner na 'to noong kaso ng Robinhood Arsonist, why not make an effort to look nice?

Even though Nova knew he wouldn't even care.

Nico had seen her in her worst, so what difference would it make?

Kaya siguro ganoon na lang ang pagtataka ni Nova nang makitang naka-pwesto na rin pala dito ang ex-boyfriend niyang si Lelouch at ang colleague nitong si Dan. She quickly discovered that "dinner" in Nico's vocabulary simply means "discuss the case while eating at an expensive restaurant for privacy".

And no, Nova doesn't even know why she's disappointed with this.

"So, the Unknown Disease is actually a woman," Lelouch started. "Nakwento na rin sa'kin ni Brian kanina."

Tumango si Nico at itinabi ang kanyang plato. Hindi nakaligtas sa obserbasyon ni Nova ang pasimpleng paglibot ng mga mata nito sa resto, making sure that no one is in earshot.

"That's the closest profile we got, yes."

"May suspects na ba kayo? Hindi mo ba nabosesan ang narinig mo kanina?Hindi mo narinig 'yong instructions sa taxi driver?" Lelouch pried, his lawyer instincts kicking in.

Umismid ang detective.

"Tried. Kaso sa highway lang siya nagpahatid. From there, it's a dead end. At kung kilala ko ang boses niya, we wouldn't even be sitting here discussing this matter, don't you think, attorney?"