Chapter 360: Chapter 359: SSR Character
The Ferreri slid smoothly off the main road, the roar taming into a steady purr as Rex guided it toward the restaurant he’d scouted earlier. Neon lights and setting sunlight spilled across the polished hood as they pulled into the lot, the car looking even more unreal under the glow.
Sophie finally let out a dramatic sigh as he parked, like a kid being told to leave the playground. "Ughhh... I don’t wanna get out. I swear I could live in this car."
"You’d run out of gas in a day," Rex replied dryly, shutting off the engine. The sudden silence after the V12’s thunder almost felt strange, like someone had cut the soundtrack mid-song.
Sophie unclipped her seatbelt but didn’t move, still staring around as if she wanted to memorize the entire experience. Her cheeks were pink from the wind, her hair a mess of tangled waves, and yet she looked like she’d just stepped out of a fashion shoot.
Finally, she hopped out with a bounce, immediately spinning once in the open lot, arms spread as if she were still catching the wind. "God, that was insane. I still feel like I’m flying!"
"Try not to get hit by another car while you’re ’flying,’" Rex muttered as he got out, locking the Ferreri with a soft beep.
Sophie shot him a grin. "Buzzkill level: maximum. Admit it though, you had fun too."
He paused, hands in his pockets, giving her a half-smirk. "...Not bad."
That was enough for her. She lit up like she’d just won another game of rock-paper-scissors.
They stood by the entrance a moment, waiting. Rex leaned casually against the car while Sophie fidgeted in place, still buzzing with leftover adrenaline.
Soon, Daisy’s sedan pulled in, much quieter and far less attention-grabbing, though still sleek in its own right. The contrast was almost comical... Ferreri versus "normal rich-girl car."
Hannah was the first to step out, smooth as always, not a hair out of place despite the wind she’d just endured from the chase. She glanced once at Sophie, who was practically vibrating beside Rex, and quirked the faintest of smiles. "Looks like you enjoyed yourself... maybe a little too much."
Sophie crossed her arms, chin tilted proudly. "Jealous?"
"Not at all," Hannah replied with that calm tone that somehow made it sting more. "I prefer to arrive at restaurants without my hair trying to strangle me."
Daisy rounded the car and shot Sophie a side look, half amused, half sharp. "Honestly, you scream louder than the engine. People two blocks away probably thought Rex kidnapped you."
"That’s called enthusiasm, Daisy," Sophie shot back with a smirk. "You should try it sometime instead of pretending you’re above fun."
Surprisngly, Daisy didn’t fire back immediately. Her gaze flicked to the Ferreri, then to Rex, her expression unreadable for a beat before she brushed her hair over her shoulder and said, "I’ll let you keep that win...for now."
Elara climbed out last, quiet as always, her bag still slung tightly over her shoulder. She trailed behind the group as they headed toward the restaurant, her eyes briefly catching Rex’s before dropping away. She didn’t say anything, but the faintest smile touched her lips at Sophie’s boundless excitement.
The restaurant Rex picked wasn’t the kind of place students usually wandered into on a weekday. Not overly gaudy, no gold chandeliers or velvet curtains, but polished, sleek, and expensive enough that the waiters carried themselves like minor royalty. Warm lighting spilled across dark wood tables, the air fragrant with a mix of spices, herbs, and slow-cooked sauces.
...
The moment the door swung open and Rex strolled in with four girls at his side, the whole place seemed to glitch. For a second, the whole restaurant stalled. Conversations clipped mid-sentence, wine glasses hovered halfway to lips, and forks froze in the air.
The beauty trio alone was enough to turn heads anywhere—they were practically campus celebrities... but with Elara’s soft, almost unintentional grace added to the mix, the group somehow looked even more balanced. She didn’t stand out by force, yet her quietness made her glow, like a hidden detail you only noticed once you slowed down. And then there was Rex, walking at the front like he had spawned straight out of a cheat code. The five of them looked less like students and more like a scene straight out of a fashion spread.
Even the waitstaff,trained to smile through anything, slipped for just a moment. Their gazes flickered over the group: three stunners in completely different flavors, one girl glowing softly like a hidden gem, and then Rex himself, whose sharp, almost inhuman handsomeness was the kind of thing you couldn’t even argue with. It shut down any hope for competition before it could even began. The male waiters sighed internally, muttering silent complaints to the heavens. cursing the cosmic dice roll that had handed this guy the cheat code to life.
Why him? Why not me? If life was a game, clearly Rex had been gifted an SSR character design while they were stuck with the tutorial skin.
The diners weren’t nearly as subtle. Guys shot daggers of envy, girls leaned in to whisper. One man muttered to his date, "Damn! Does this kid think this is some teen drama?" His date just exhaled and said, "Maybe he does." Another guy just shook his head, resigned, like he’d just lost a battle he hadn’t even signed up for.
His friend just shook his head in defeat. "Some people are born rolling natural twenties. Don’t fight it."
...
Sophie walked ahead, practically bouncing on her heels, still buzzing from the Ferreri ride. "Oh my god, this is perfect! Look at that ceiling... Rex, it even smells rich in here."
"Stop embarrassing us," Rex muttered, though his deadpan only made her grin harder.
Hananh and Daisy also nodded in approval.
On the other hand, the lead waiter finally collected himself, pasting on his best professional smile as he approached. "Welcome, it’s a pleasure to have you with us tonight, This way, please." he said smoothly, bowing just enough to show respect without overdoing it. If you listened closely though, there was the tiniest edge under his tone, as if even his courtesy couldn’t completely hide that twinge of envy, like he wished he could say, Sir, would you mind leaving one of them behind for us mortals?
(End of Chapter)