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GAVRIIL, WHO WAS WEARING a simple dark grey suit that has silver chains that connected the buttons of his vest to his coat, looked sharp yet elegant with his long hair neatly waxed back.

    Max was surprised to see him standing there, but Gavriil was a lot more shocked since he wasn't expecting Max to come to the party at all despite knowing that the Sinclaire's were invited, and the venue is, in fact, their hotel.

     "W-Why are you here?" Gavriil asks as Max slowly approaches him.

     "I should be asking you the same thing," Max answers, standing in front of Gavriil. He then reaches out his hand and suddenly fixes his necktie for him. "You look good," he then adds. And before Gavriil could even react, Max gently pats Gavriil's chest and walks away from him without saying a single word.

     Gavriil looks at his necktie and sees that it was now perfectly centered. 

     "Wait!" He calls out, immediately turning around to grab hold of Max's wrist so he can stop him from leaving.

     "Where are you going? Why are you leaving so soon?" Gavriil asks him, holding onto his wrist tightly, almost like he didn't want to let him go.

     Max surprisingly doesn't push him away. He looks back at him, and both of them stare at each other while the music from inside the hall could be heard on the other side of the door. And as Gavriil's chest starts beating fast, Max gives him a smile before asking, "Shall we run away?"

...

"Will it be alright that you didn't even show yourself at that party?" Max asks as he walks beside Gavriil at the parking lot.

     "It's fine," Gavriil answers with an unsure tone, his hands hidden inside the pockets of his pants as if hiding the fact that he was really contemplating on whether or not he should just leave like this. "No one really knows me that much, and my parents only forced me to go since they're not in the country."

     "So you were supposed to be their proxy?" Max sarcastically asks, and Gavriil chuckles and nods his head.

     "But aren't you rank three in Crème de la crème? It's hard to believe that people wouldn't know about you," Max continues to ask, finding it strange as to why the Alexeev family was invited, but people wouldn't even know who he is.

     "You didn't know about me either until we became classmates at J.S High, so I doubt the others who are lower in standing would know me too," Gavriil then tells him, making Max laugh.

     "Touché."

     The two then reach Gavriil's car, which was a black Rolls Royce Phantom IX. Gavriil opens the door for Max like a gentleman, and Max didn't even hesitate as he takes the passenger seat. Gavriil then closes the door for him and heads inside as well.

     Gavriil heads inside next and closes his door. He then looks at Max who's silently waiting for him to start the car. Without saying anything, he sighs and suddenly leans close to Max, surprising him. Max didn't know what the vice president was doing, but then Gavriil takes the seatbelt and locks it for him.

     "It's important to wear your seatbelt," Gavriil says while wearing his seatbelt next.

     Max unconsciously touches his chest and looks away from the vice president. "I don't usually sit in the passenger's seat," he defends even though it wasn't necessary.

     As soon as Gavriil heard of that, a sad expression immediately appears on his face, but he brushes the thought away and clears his throat as he asks instead, "Anyway, where do you want to go?"

     Max, who wasn't even looking at Gavriil, starts unbuttoning his coat as he answers, "Take me to a place where no one will find us."

     Gavriil stares at Max and gulps, but he immediately shakes his head and starts the car. "I hope Étienne wouldn't be holding a grudge against me for taking you away without his permission."

     Max looks at Gavriil and smirks. "If you really are my childhood friend, I believe Étienne wouldn't mind."

     Gavriil chuckles and doesn't say anything anymore as he starts driving away from the parking lot. The two didn't talk much until they left the hotel. The awkward silence almost killed Gavriil since he didn't really know what to talk about, so he reaches out to the radio to turn it on, but Max immediately tells him, "Leave it."

     Gavriil wanted to ask why, but he doesn't complain and leaves the radio off like how Max wanted. While he continues to drive his way to somewhere no one will be able to find them, Max looks out of the window and asks, "What does your family do?"

     The question seemed normal, but it made Gavriil look uncomfortable for some reason.

     "I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you," Gavriil says, and Max doesn't ask him about it anymore. If he isn't willing to answer such a question, then Max doesn't have the right to force him.

     "You're very mysterious, aren't you? Just like Viktor. No wonder the five of us became friends," Max says as he continues to stare at the cars driving past them.

     "Viktor's not mysterious. People just think he's dead," Gavriil blurts out, instantly making Max laugh out loud like Gavriil just said some kind of joke.

     Max then looks back at Gavriil and asks, "Do you know where he is? He hasn't been going to school anymore. I'm kinda getting worried," he says with sarcasm that was slightly mixed with seriousness.

     "Worried? About Viktor? Believe me, whatever is happening to Viktor, he can handle it. He's a tough one after all."

     Max nods his head in agreement and looks back at the window, staring at the cars driving past them again, his eyes suddenly heavy like he was moments away from falling asleep because of all the restless nights he spent before the party. So to avoid falling deeper into dream land, he decides to start a conversation with the man beside him.

     "Why are you always so quiet Alexeev? I don't usually see you around school, but you always look reserved; like you're thinking of something. It's as if everything you do has to be calculated. It's like you're afraid of making mistakes," Max suddenly tells him, and Gavriil couldn't help but glance at the window where Max's face reflected.

     "That is a brave assumption," he says, but Max doesn't laugh it off, letting Gavriil know that he was serious. "If I had to explain myself to you, you'd just be bored," Gavriil then tells him.

     "I won't. I actually want to know more about you, so I can remember," Max says with a softer tone, making Gavriil grip on the steering wheel, trying to surpass his growing emotions.      

     So Gavriil sighs in defeat and finally answers Max's initial question. "I'm an only child, so growing up, everyone expected a lot from me. My family wanted nothing more than perfection, and mistakes meant a significant punishment. Maybe that kind of upbringing molded who I am now. I can't help it."

     "So you hated your childhood?" Max asks.

     "No...never. I was never punished in a way that would traumatize me as a child despite growing up alone. I never hated it because I had-" Gavriil immediately pauses and takes a deep breath. "We're heirs, and behind all the richest, power and luxury, there is a negative effect. We gain something, and we lost a lot, including a normal childhood. I bet you can agree to me on that."

     Gavriil stops the car at a red light and looks back at Max because he thought he'd answer him, but to his surprise, Max was already fast asleep.

     Gavriil sighs, but then he smiles and whispers, "You always overwork yourself like this."

     As the silence in the car grows around them, Gavriil removes his coat so he could drape it around Max. He then reaches out to him to remove the hair on his face. He continues to smile at his passenger in complete awe until the car behind him starts honking at them. He flinches and immediately drives away.

     After about twenty more minutes of driving in silence, his phone suddenly starts ringing. He takes it out and places it on top of the dashboard to check who it was. When he sees who the caller is, a bitter look instantly appears on his face. He wanted to ignore the call, but his phone wouldn't stop ringing.

     Gavriil grips on his steering wheel and angrily takes a Bluetooth earpiece from the cupholder and wears it around his left ear before looking back at Max. When he sees that Max is still asleep, he finally answers the unwanted call. He doesn't even say anything as the caller immediately says, "Wow, so you now have the guts to ignore my calls like that. Do you have a death wish?"

     "I'm busy," Gavriil simply says, and laughter could instantly be heard on the other end of the line.

     "Oh right, you're having a great time at the party. I'd say I'm sorry for disturbing you, but you didn't even attend it now did you?" the caller reveals, instantly making Gavriil curse underneath his breath.

     "I ask you to go, didn't I? I needed information from those old geezers. Why are you not there?"

     Gavriil doesn't answer and glances at the man sleeping beside him for the second time. "I'll look for another way. I'll do everything I can to get you that information, but I can't do it now. I have far more important matters to attend to."

     The caller laughs again, and Gavriil instantly knew that he already knows what this important matter is.

     "I fucking hate you," Gavriil says as he glances at the side view mirror, only now noticing a car that has been following them since they left the hotel. "You really are a pain. You even sent someone to follow me. How obsessed are you?"

      "Oh, very," the caller says with a low and seductive voice.

     Gavriil was about to end the call in irritation when the caller suddenly says, "By the way, your coat is falling off of him. You better fix it before he gets cold."

     As soon as he heard those words, Gavriil's eyes widened from shock. He immediately holds onto Max before suddenly hitting the breaks. Thankfully there weren't cars around as the road was completely empty.

     The car stops, and Gavriil looks back at Max to check if he's okay. Max moves a little, but he was out cold and was still sleeping soundly due to fatigue, so Gavriil fixes his coat that's around Max and finally heads out of the car.

     The car that's been following them stops in front of Gavriil as Gavriil angrily pulls his necktie off, walking towards the car with an annoyed expression on his face.

    The driver of the car heads out with his phone in his hand. And with a menacing smirk on his face, he puts his phone close to his mouth and says, "What? You mad I'm ruining your precious little date?"

     Gavriil angrily removes his earpiece and throws it on the ground. "What the fuck do you want, Viktor?"

     The caller, who was actually Viktor, pouts like a child as he ends the call and hides his phone back in his pocket. He walks closer to Gavriil, and in an instant, his grin changes into a serious expression as he says, "What do I want? The information that I need from the men at that party. How hard is it to fucking accomplish that?"

     "I told you, didn't I? I'll handle it, but not right now," Gavriil says, sounding like he's in a hurry because he doesn't want Max to wake up so suddenly and realize that he wasn't with him anymore.

     "You're pissing me off Gav, and you know that it's not going to end well for you if you piss me off any further than this," Viktor warns him, but Gavriil doesn't even falter as he moves even closer until his face was only inches away from Viktor.

     "You're the one who's pissing me off right now Vi. I've done everything you've asked of me for years. All I'm asking is for you to leave me alone for a fucking night, you goddamn psycho!" Gavriil says with complete anger.

    Viktor doesn't say anything and stares at Gavriil for a couple more seconds before finally grabbing both of Gavriil's shoulders and laughing like there was no tomorrow. He then hugs Gavriil all of a sudden and pats his back before pulling away from him.

     "You're really something. No wonder you were the bossy one when we were young," Viktor says before taking a step back. "Alright. I'm giving you this chance because I pity your useless ass."

     "I don't need your pity," Gavriil immediately tells him.

     "Oh, believe me, you do. Because if I didn't, I'd be dragging you by the hair, shoving you inside my trunk, and forcing you to attend that party like the goddamn psycho that I am," Viktor threatens, and Gavriil finally doesn't say a word because as bizarre as it may sound, Viktor is pretty much able to do just that.

     "You win this round, Mr. Vice President. You're lucky I'm in a good mood."

     Without anything else to discuss, Viktor pats Gavriil's shoulder and finally turns around so he could walk away from him. As he reaches his car, he opens the door and looks back at Gavriil for one last time.

     "Remember what we talked about Gav. I need that information as soon as possible. I know you won't let me down, right? After all..." Viktor pauses and smirks at him before continuing, "I made you Busters' underling for a reason."

     Gavriil clenches his fist in anger as Viktor smiles back at him with a satisfied look.

     "By the way, this road you're taking..." Viktor pauses and looks at the road ahead of them. "You're bringing him back there, aren't you? To our special place," he then says with a forced smile on his face, surprising Gavriil since he wasn't expecting Viktor to still remembers it. "Shout there for me," He finishes as he heads inside his car and finally drives away, leaving Gavriil looking distressed.

     "Y-you...remember," Gavriil says, touching his aching chest. "You always say that you don't care about the past anymore Vi, but why did you have such a sad look on your face?" Gavriil says to himself before turning around and heading back to the car where Max was still sleeping soundly.

     Gavriil stares at him and reaches out his hand to touch him, but he immediately pulls away and takes a deep breath instead before grabbing the steering wheel and resting his head on it, trying to ignore the fact that he had a sudden encounter with Viktor just a minute ago.

     But just when Gavriil thought that Max was still sleeping, a voice suddenly asks, "What did Viktor say?"

     Gavriil immediately looks back at Max and sees him hugging his coat, his eyes and nose red since he only just woke up a couple of minutes ago.

     Gavriil wasn't surprised though; he already expected that Max must have woken up after all that ruckus. "Are you cold?" He asks instead, turning the AC off for him.

     "Where are we?" Max asks next, changing his first question because he thought that Gavriil didn't have any plans on answering it any time soon. But he was wrong about that when Gavriil suddenly told him, "I lied about my parents forcing me to go there. I was actually supposed to go to the party because of Viktor. I was there to gather information for him, but I wasn't in the mood to go."

     Max didn't know what to say because he wasn't expecting Gavriil to actually explain it to him, but after thinking about it, Max chuckles and tells him, "Not in the mood to go? I practically forced you to leave so it's basically my fault. Maybe that's why he looked mad."

     "When did you even wake up you cheeky little brat," Gavriil teases as he reaches out to Max to pinch his nose like a kid.

     Max laughs and playfully pushes Gavriil's hand away from him. "You should have gone to the party if it was that important Gav."

     Max, whose smile made Gavriil's world stop for just a quick second, looks back at Max with complete admiration as he says back, "But you're important too."

     The atmosphere instantly changes between them as soon as Gavriil said those words, and the smile on Max's face disappears as the two of them continue to stare at each other deeply. But just before things could go any further, Max immediately turns his head and looks out of the window, pretending like he didn't hear anything. The action made Gavriil chuckle. 

     "You shy?" He continues to tease.

     Max gulps, his cheeks suddenly heating up for no apparent reason.

     "J-Just drive," Max answers, and Gavriil laughs and finally starts driving again.

     As usual, the awkward tension between them grows bigger, but it was mostly coming from Max. As a boy who grew up learning about the company, Max knows very little when it comes to things like these. Things that don't involve making strategies and plans.

     "By the way, have you talked to chairman Mills?" Gavriil suddenly opens up, surprising Max.

     "H-How did you know?"

     "I just had a hunch. There wouldn't be any reason for you to be there other than that. After all, you are going for the hidden stocks, right?" Gavriil asks back.

     "Well, I did get the chance to talk to him, but it didn't end like how I wanted it to. Nonetheless, I'll get him to listen to me as soon as I help Cj with getting someone to invest for him," Max casually says, and Gavriil almost hit the breaks again because of how shocked he was after hearing what Max just said.

     "Leigh, you do know how powerful the Mills family are, right? You wouldn't be asking for their help if they weren't. And with your current standing, you're not as influential as you were before," Gavriil explains, making Max cross his arms and look at Gavriil with his right eyebrow raised.

     "Are you doubting me already?" Max asks.

     "I'm just asking."

     Before Max could even start arguing with him again, Gavriil finally parks the car on the side of the road. Max looks out of the window and realizes that they were actually on top of a hill now.

     "We're here," Gavriil casually says as he turns the car off.

     "What in the...are you planning to push me off a cliff and murder me?"

     "Don't be an idiot," Gavriil says while laughing. He then heads out of the car and immediately opens the door for Max. "You told me to bring you to a place where no one could find us, so here we are."

     Max looks at Gavriil with doubts in his eyes, but then he steps out of the car too as Gavriil closes the door for him.

     "Follow me. Just watch your step."

     Gavriil starts walking towards a bunch of trees that eventually leads to what seems to be the edge of a cliff. Max wasn't expecting much, but then he was welcomed to a great view of the city lights that blended well with the sky. Words couldn't come out of Max's mouth. It was that breathtaking.

     "Well Leigh, welcome to our secret place. Welcome to the King's Horizon. "

- END -