"W-What are you doing here? H-Have you been there since..? D-Did you see..?" Lake asked Rush sequentially.

Rush was not answering his questions yet but his face already started coloring red. He already knows what the answer to his questions was.

Oh, Gosh, why does he have to see me like this? Lake wailed in his mind.

"Take a deep breath, sweetheart," Rush instructed.

Lake involuntarily obeyed Rush. He took several deep breaths.

Then, Rush's word sank in his mind. Did he hear Rush right? Did he really call him 'sweetheart'?

He eyed Rush through his lowered eyelids. Rush was grinning.

He scowled. Rush was surely teasing him again.

"Are you ready for my answers, Lake?" Rush asked mischievously. "To all of your questions, 'yes' is my answer. Yes, I've been here since you came down. Yes, I saw your performance. Ye-" Rush suddenly stopped. "Oh, there's no more question. I've already answered it all." The man winked at him.