Alex watched quietly. Everyone else seemed used to her quick shifts in focus, but for him, it was new—he had never seen anyone whose attention jumped around so quickly.
It didn't even take ten seconds before Hania's gaze moved again, this time to something else entirely. She fidgeted in her seat, unable to sit still for more than a moment. One second, she was giggling at nothing, and the next, she looked lost in thought, then suddenly sad.
Alex studied her with growing suspicion. The constant energy, the restless movements, the unpredictable mood swings—everything pointed to one simple conclusion: she was definitely high… or something close to it.
"I don't want to play. I'm more interested in what's in those boxes," Hania said, her attention shifting instantly toward the pile near the wall. She got up and made her way over, moving with poor balance, nearly tripping a few times before steadying herself. Still, she managed to reach the boxes and stopped in front of them, her curious eyes fixed on the bright wrapping paper.
She turned toward Tharos, silently asking for permission to open them, her excitement clear in her expression. Tharos looked toward Alex for an answer, and Alex simply shrugged, showing that he didn't mind.
With that, Tharos nodded toward Hania, unable to tell her no. Hania's face lit up immediately. She crouched down and started tearing through the wrapping paper, her movements quick and impatient. Pieces of the torn wrapping scattered around her feet as she ripped through the layers until the box underneath was fully exposed.
Inside was a massive LEGO set, neatly packed and colorful, the kind that filled the room with the faint sound of shifting plastic as she moved it.
"Lego?" Hania said, confused, as she had never seen something like this before. The large box caught her full attention, her eyes scanning the image printed across the front as if trying to understand it.
Tharos's eyes, however, brightened at the sight. He turned to Alex with visible excitement, clearly thrilled. The man truly knew what he wanted, and Tharos couldn't hide it.
"I can't wait to put the thing together," he said, walking over to Hania to get a closer look. His eyes widened when he saw what it was—a massive Optimus Prime set. The box itself was huge, easily taking up most of the table space once placed down.
The image on the front showed a detailed model, one that, once assembled, would stand roughly the size of a preschooler. Best of all, the set came with built-in motors, allowing the Optimus Prime figure to transform into its truck form once finished.
"I could almost kiss you," Tharos said, grinning as he carefully took the box from Hania's hands. Hania didn't seem to mind; she was still curiously inspecting the picture on the front, trying to figure out exactly what Lego was supposed to be.
"Please don't," Alex said quickly, his tone flat but calm, which made Mina burst into laughter from across the table.
"I want to set that thing up. I'm sure everyone else wants to do the same," Mina said, excitement clear in their voice. Everyone nodded in agreement almost immediately, eager to get started.
Moria was the first to move, standing up to clear the table of the board game pieces that were still scattered about. Amos joined him without needing to be asked, stacking cards and pushing the remaining pieces into a neat pile. Alex followed their lead, moving quickly to help gather the rest, wanting to make enough space for the massive Lego set that had already captured everyone's attention.
In no time, everyone had gathered around the instruction sheet that laid out each step for building the set. The paper stretched across the table, showing countless tiny diagrams that explained how to fit the pieces together. They leaned closer, some pointing, others quietly scanning the images, trying to make sense of the complex design.
But what caught everyone off guard was Hania. For the first time since Alex had met her, she seemed completely focused. Her eyes stayed fixed on the pieces and the page in front of her, her restless energy replaced by determination. It was a rare sight—something none of them had ever seen from the usually scatterbrained girl.
They all stepped aside, watching as Hania stood quietly beside Alex, who had already started putting the pieces together without waiting for anyone else. It was a bit rude, since after all, Tharos's birthday, but Alex seemed too focused to notice. Hania, however, paid close attention to every move he made, her gaze following his hands as if studying how each part fit perfectly in place.
"I think it goes like this," Alex said, leaning closer to the instructions, trying to make sense of the small printed diagrams. His brows furrowed in concentration as he turned the page sideways, comparing the picture to the pieces in front of him. Still, something felt off, and his frown deepened.
"No, like this," Hania said quickly, taking the instructions from his hands and studying them with equal focus. For a moment, they both stared at the model and then back at the page, only to share the same confused expression when the pieces didn't fit the way they expected.
"Oh, we have the wrong size piece," Hania said after a brief pause, realizing their simple mistake. Alex gave a short nod and immediately started digging through the pile, finding the right one within seconds.
Hania held onto the instructions, her expression shifting into one of intense focus. To Tharos and the others, the sight was unexpectedly adorable. Watching the usually scatterbrained Hania sitting upright with a serious look, carefully overseeing every move Alex made, was like watching a little sister trying her hardest to act like a professional construction manager supervising an important project… they didn't forget Alex, watching the two working together was worth a few secret pictures.
"Are we missing a piece?" Alex asked, scanning the scattered pile in front of them. He shifted pieces around, checking under the instruction sheet and even beneath the box, but the one he needed just wasn't showing up.
Both he and Hania immediately started searching, their hands moving quickly through the growing mess of LEGO parts. The clinking sound of plastic filled the room as they dug through the pile, but after a moment, Hania froze. She looked down, realizing the exact piece they'd been looking for was sitting right in her hand the entire time.
She laughed awkwardly, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. Alex let out a quiet sigh and rolled his eyes, though the small smile tugging at his lips gave away his amusement.
"We did it!" Hania cheered happily once they finally snapped the last piece of the head into place. The sense of accomplishment hit her all at once, pure and bright. It had been a long time since she'd felt joy that simple.
The massive LEGO set was divided into five main parts: the two legs, two arms, the head, and the central body. They had just completed the head.
Hania leaned forward and pressed one of the small buttons on the LEGO head, expecting something to happen. When nothing did, she frowned and pressed it again, a little harder this time. Still, there was no response. Realizing it needed batteries, her shoulders slumped slightly in annoyance.
She was just about to complain when she paused, noticing movement out of the corner of her eye. Turning her head, she blinked in surprise—Tharos and the others were sitting comfortably around the table, already eating while watching her and Alex work. Plates were half-empty, drinks were poured, and it looked like they'd been at it for a while.
"When did the food arrive?" Hania asked, her attention already shifting from the LEGO set to the plates of food. Whatever irritation she'd felt seconds ago vanished completely.
Meanwhile, Alex stayed focused on the half-finished build. He was about to make a quick trip to the store to buy batteries, but with how she had quickly shifted attention to the food… well, he gave up on the idea.
"A few minutes ago," Tharos said, reaching over to hand Hania the sweets she had ordered earlier. She accepted them without hesitation, immediately digging in and eating with the enthusiasm of someone who hadn't tasted sugar. The bright colors of the treats seemed to fascinate her, and she didn't care that half of it ended up smudged around her lips.
"Why didn't you guys join?" Alex asked after a moment, glancing toward the others. It struck him as strange that they'd all chosen to sit back and watch instead of helping with the build.
"Hania rarely stays on one topic, so we decided to sit back and let the moment last," Mina said with an amused smile. Their tone carried the warmth of someone who'd known her for a long time and had seen this kind of thing before.
Alex nodded in quiet understanding, his gaze returning to Hania. She had completely tuned out the world, lost in her sweets. The way she focused on eating—carefree and happy—made it seem like this was her first time experiencing something so simple yet so enjoyable.
"You weren't here when we ordered, so I got something for you," Tharos said, sliding a plate across the table toward Alex.
"Thanks," Alex replied, appreciating the gesture. He didn't waste any time and began eating. The soft hum of conversation filled the room, mixing with the occasional sound of laughter.
By the time everyone had settled in, Alex realized he'd made five new friends that day. It wasn't the kind of instant bond that came from shared history, but there was something easy about it—something that hinted at the start of something genuine. Getting to know them better would take time, but for now, plans for the future were already forming naturally.
"Well, how about we set a date? Just you and me." Mina said suddenly, a teasing smirk forming on their face.
Alex froze mid-bite and looked at he/she awkwardly, unsure if Mina was serious. Mina burst into laughter at his expression, clearly enjoying the reaction. Alex sighed, realizing they were just teasing him, but the heat rising to his face made it hard to play it off. For some reason, around Mina—him, her, whichever—he felt like the child in the room.
You have a poor sense of fashion; it would be a sin to let you walk around like that," Mina said with a grin that made Alex uneasy. "So let's go shopping for new clothing. Once I'm done with you, even the gods would desire you."
Alex blinked, unsure whether to laugh or take offense. "That's not needed," he said awkwardly, hoping that would be the end of it. But Mina didn't even seem to hear him.
"We're going next week, and I'll pay. My treat," Mina said confidently, leaving no room for argument.
Alex glanced down at himself, his eyes scanning over his outfit. For the first time, he truly noticed how mismatched and ordinary it looked. His sense of fashion really was… questionable. To think he had been walking around like this without a second thought. How could anyone let him walk around like this?
"Of course, if you want, you can pay," Mina added with a teasing smile.
Instantly, Alex straightened up, brushing his shirt as if to prove a point. In that single moment, his opinion shifted entirely—his fashion sense was perfect. He couldn't understand what Mina was talking about or why they seemed so eager to fix what clearly wasn't broken.