The meal at Ryan's mansion felt quite stiff and awkward because his father was strict; even the lovely Clara ate in almost silence. Nikolai felt that Ryan's father didn't like him from the way his sharp gaze flicked toward him several times. Perhaps the father disapproved of his son's choice of friends... 'Well I was poor in the past, is it because of that?'
However, because Nikolai was too tired to confront him, the meal ended in silence. "Ryan, it seems your mother isn't here?" The pair sat on the balcony of Ryan's room while drinking beer together.
"Yeah... it was because of a fight in the past, my dad is very stubborn and refused to accept his fault." Ryan's words came out through gritted teeth. It was like an invisible hand was crushing his heart. "After that, Mother stopped coming home when dad was home."