Free Web NovelChapter 34: Ch 33: Imaginary Toxic Ex and The Holy Rey
Luke stood at the coffee shop counter, arms crossed, watching the new employee fumble around.
The cashier, a middle-aged Asian man with the expression of someone who had seen too much today, sighed with deep exasperation. He turned to Luke with an apologetic smile.
"We sorry. New guy learning very very slow."
Luke waved it off casually. "Hey, no trouble. Everyone starts somewhere, right? What’s a couple extra minutes?"
The cashier’s tired face broke into a grateful smile. "Thank you for understanding. Kind customer." His asian accent was thick.
As Luke waited, his mind drifted back to what had happened on the slide. Gwen had almost called him "Clow—" Clowny... Clowny Creep...
From her expression at that moment, it seemed like a slip-up, but it was a weirdly specific one.
He needed to know if it was just a slip-up because Veritas was probably living rent-free in her head or if she actually knew something.
A minute later, the "new guy," another young Asian man, placed a tray on the counter.
Luke stared at the two drinks, "That’s not what I ordered, bro."
Hearing this, the older cashier officially lost it. He turned to the new guy, his face turning a light shade of red.
"Shaun! Too many mistake!" the cashier barked. "I fire you very soon! You do mess again and again!"
Luke’s eyebrows rose.
Shaun.
’Wasn’t that the name Shang-Chi used when he came to America?’
He glanced at the new guy... perfectly Asian, looked barely 18, black hair, looking mortified from scolding... and voilà, the green pendant resting against his collarbone.
’Yup. That’s definitely Shang-Chi. Just... a few years younger than in the movie.’
The cashier was still going, "No no! No talk! Cancel talk! Cancel tok! Kind customer wait for you and you repay by mess up order!"
Luke was slightly amused as he caught the first few sentences before the language barrier kicked in, causing Luke to lose interest.
"Just give me my order, man..."
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Luke finally got his two icy cold coffees after five more minutes. He thanked them, tipped, and headed back toward the shaded lounge area.
When he arrived, the scene was exactly as he’d left it. The gang lay scattered around like casualties of a fun war.
And Gwen was still leaning forward on the balcony railing, watching the crowds below.
Luke paused mid-step. For a brief moment, he thoroughly appreciated the view of Gwen’s curves in that pink-and-white swimsuit.
"Hey," Luke said casually, stepping up beside her and sliding one icy cup her way. "I wanted to ask a very sensitive question. If you don’t mind."
Luke leaned on the balcony next to her, taking a sip from his own cup. "It’s about what you almost called me earlier."
Gwen’s heart started to pound. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com
Luke caught the shift in her expression.
’Spider heroes really are expressive,’ Luke thought. ’I mean, even with their masks, they expressed their emotions really well.’
Luke continued, voice light but curious. "You’ve been a little quiet ever since that moment. So... was it a toxic ex or something?"
’Oh. So that’s what he thought?’ Relief and panic crashed into each other so hard she almost laughed. ’He scared me for nothing. Of course, that was a bit stupid of me... My mind has been so occupied by that damn clown that I forgot that there’s no way anyone could figure out my identity from one half-slip up, I could cover it up even if I had called Luke clowny creep...’
She let out a long, dramatic sigh and arranged her face into something appropriately sad.
"...Yeah. You’re right, Luke. It was an ex." Her voice went soft and slightly sad, "He was the most toxic, manipulative guy I’ve ever met. Abusive too."
Gwen never had any relationships, so there wasn’t any ex either. But listening to her lie, Luke clutched his chest as she’d just shot him through the heart.
"Ouch... that actually hurts, Gwen. And not for the reason you think." He said in mock heartbreak. "I’ve spent the entire day being nothing but a gentleman and a good friend, and you went and mistook me for that kind of guy?"
Gwen’s eyes widened in more panic this time.
"No no—of course not!" she rushed out, waving her free hand. "You’re nothing like him, Luke! I swear! It was just—"
Luke tilted his head, eyes narrowing just enough to be playful but still pressuring. "Just...?"
’Why did I almost call him that?!’ her brain screamed. She didn’t even know the real reason. The word had just slipped out of her mouth in that moment, as if it was just the right person. Now she had to build an entire lie on top of the first lie, and it had to sound believable, and it shouldn’t also make Luke feel bad.
"Well... you see..." She fidgeted with her coffee cup. "he used to... laugh out loud and call out the names of his attacks before hitting me." freewebnovёl.ƈom
Silence.
Luke just stared at her. Literally speechless.
Three separate thoughts hit him at once, rapid-fire:
’First—I never yell out my attack names. Ever. I focus them in my head for better control. Even while ’Howitzer Impacting’ her, I only whispered Howitzer to myself.’
’Second—her body language is all over the place. She genuinely doesn’t know why she almost said it. Which means I don’t have to worry about her actually knowing anything... for now. But I should still be more careful around her.’
Besides, if she knew Veritas was him. Then the scene would be really different from what it is now.
’And lastly— how the actual fuck did she come up with something that brutal and messed up on the spot? Damn. Even knowing it’s complete bullshit, I feel kinda bad just imagining that scene...’
He blinked slowly, still processing.
Gwen was already regretting every life choice that had led her to this exact moment. She took a desperate sip of coffee like it might save her from the consequences of her own mouth.
Luke finally found his voice, though it came out a little strangled. Well, he was doing his best to control his laugh.
"...That’s... intense."
He rubbed the back of his neck, genuinely unsure how to respond to a fake trauma story that was somehow comparable to Veritas’s level of bullshit.
Gwen forced a weak laugh that died halfway out of her throat.
"Yeah. It was... a lot."
’Yeah, laugh it off, Gwen. I won’t dare to mention this again.’
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An hour later, after some much-needed rest and a change back into casual clothes, the whole gang headed over to the land side of the park — Terra-fun-Terra. Bright lights, loud music, thrilling rides, and roller coasters.
Honestly? This side wasn’t half as fun as the water rides. At least, not for Luke and Gwen.
The others were living their best lives. Alex screamed her lungs out on the Velocity Vortex, arms flailing like she was trying to fly. Manny laughed like a maniac every time the coaster flipped upside down. Even Betty was yelling "AGAIN!" after the first big drop.
Luke and Gwen, meanwhile, had to work to show genuine excitement.
"That big drop felt like I wouldn’t survive!" she whispered as they got off the pendulum hammer ride. She said, trying to be a part of the thrilled group.
"Yeah, same," Luke replied, matching her dull fake excitement. "You sounded like you’re really gonna die."
She elbowed him, but she was smiling.
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At least the view was nice when the sun finally went down.
The whole park lit up in glowing colors, pink, blue, yellow, and red, turning the place into a glowing wonderland.
Then they reached the Escape + Horror House.
Peter immediately became the MVP.
First room? He spotted the hidden key in under thirty seconds. Second room? Solved the riddle before anyone else even finished reading it. Third room? He was already moving the bookshelf before the librarian ghost even made its appearance.
By room four, the excitement had turned into pure annoyance.
Betty finally snapped. She grabbed a comically large pair of prop scissors from one of the horror displays and held them up like a weapon.
"Peter," she said sweetly, "if you don’t stop being the world’s most annoying genius for five minutes, I’m going to use these. On your neck. Repeatedly."
"Exactly," Michelle said, "This place doesn’t even need the horror actors. It got her."
"Remind me never to get on Betty’s bad side," Gwen muttered to Alex.
Alex giggled.
The rest of the escape rooms finally turned into actual team fun. Moderately enjoyable, at least. Though honestly, half the challenge disappeared when you realized most in the group attended a prestigious university. Geniuses everywhere. It got old fast.
Then they reached the final room.
A massive red sign greeted them at the entrance:
"SAY YOUR PRAYERS, TRESPASSERS. THIS IS WHERE YOU DIE."
The door slammed shut behind them.
Then the walls started moving.
Both side walls—the left and the right—began closing in, slow but steady.
Thirty seconds passed. Nothing. The room was basically empty. No hidden switches. No false panels. Just plain walls and a floor that suddenly felt very small.
"Peter, do something, or we’re all gonna die here!" Betty yelled.
"I want to, but I honestly can’t find anything!" Peter said, running his hands along the wall, trying to find a hidden switch.
"Relax, guys, the walls are made of foam. But we should probably pray, the sign said so." Alex poked the surface of the wall and sighed.
Michelle shouted, "But I don’t have it memorised!"
After Michelle’s panicked shout about not knowing any prayers, Luke turned to Manny with a knowing look.
"Manny. Only you can do this," he said. "Remember... the holy Rey."
Manny’s eyes went wide. He straightened up like a soldier receiving orders, clasped his hands together, and stepped into the center of the shrinking room.
"Dear Looord..." he sang, voice full of genuine emotion, but lacking in melody, "when I get to heaven... please let me bring my maaaan~"
Betty raised an eyebrow so high it nearly left her face. Then she burst out laughing.
"Oh my god. He meant Lana Del Rey!"
Up in the control room, the staff were losing it. One of them wiped tears from his eyes while another slapped the desk.
"This was easily the funniest group we’ve had all week," he chuckled, then hit the button.
A deep, demonic voice boomed through hidden speakers inside the room:
"Prayer accepted. You may live."
The walls stopped moving with a loud clunk, and the exit door swung open.
The group spilled out into the cool night air, laughing so hard some of them could barely walk straight.
After the ridiculous escape, they grabbed a quick dinner at the food court: pizzas, fried chicken, tacos, soft drinks, and way too many jokes about Manny’s heavenly performance.
And then it was time to head back.
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This was the end of slice of life chaps. Next Chapter onwards we move back to progressing the story a bit, after that it’ll be the QnA stream Chapter.
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