The Number One Star in the Interstellar Era



TO completely calm down his mind, Reas transferred his attention to the interior of the restaurant as the two of them followed the AI waiter that was leading them to their table.

The first thing that caught his eye was the panoramic view of the bay area through the floor-to-ceiling windows that stretch along the entire length of the restaurant. The walls were adorned with abstract artwork that illuminated the space with neon colors reminiscent of a faraway galaxy. The furniture was sleek and modern, with plush cushions and chairs that provided ultimate comfort for diners.

At the center of the restaurant was a circular bar, complete with metallic accents and glass displays showcasing a variety of rare liquors and exotic drinks. A holographic menu hovers in front of each table, allowing guests to browse and order with a simple touch.

Despite its chic atmosphere, the [Galactic Grill] was also designed to be family-friendly, with a designated play area for children complete with interactive games and a giant holographic screen that displayed cartoons and movies. The entire space was bathed in soft, warm light that created a welcoming and relaxed ambiance.

Reas could see that a lot of thought was put into the design of this place.

They climbed to the second floor, following the AI waiter. He saw that the floor actually had a veranda area. The area was quite wide and open, but the number of tables were not that much and was arranged a bit farther from each other. Probably so people could still maintain a semblance of privacy.

Even without asking, he knew that Lauren must have reserved one of the veranda table seats. And as if proving him right, the AI waiter led them to the veranda area. After sitting down, they looked at the holographic menu in front of them.

Reas browsed the menu. The names of the dishes were very in line with the name of the restaurant. Like Galaxy Burger, a juicy beef patty topped with blue cheese and served on a black bun with edible glitter, or Meteor Fries, crispy french fries dusted with a spicy seasoning blend and served with a tangy dipping sauce. There were also Starry Night Salad and Nebula Nachos. And for drinks, there were Cosmic Coolers and Space Spritz.

These dishes certainly had a nice ring to them. Although it's a bit weird, it would still tease people's mind and prompt them to buy just to know what it looked and taste like. Just by those names, it was definitely something that Lauren would like.

He raised his eyes from the menu and looked at the other. Just as expected, Lauren's eyes were shining brightly as he stared at the menu. It's like he was already envisioning just how good these dishes were.

Unknowingly, the corners of Reas' lips turned up just seeing Lauren like that. And just as he smiled, Lauren lifted his head and their gazes met.

Lauren was startled. He didn't know if what he saw was just an illusion or a trick of the eye, but did he just saw Reas smile? And even so sweetly at that?

That abnormal throbbing in his chest appeared again. Then, before his brain could think, his mouth was already asking;

"What are you smiling for?"

It was already too late before he realized that his question came out a bit wrong. Like he was being aggressive when he didn't even mean to. He just actually wanted to ask why the other was smiling like that. But it ended up like this. Him and his big mouth, really.

When he thought that Reas would surely make a mocking response, what happened next was a bit different from what he had imagined.

After a moment of awkward silence, Reas cleared his throat and averted his gaze. "It's nothing, really. I just remembered something funny," he mumbled, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink.

What's with that cute reaction? Lauren almost burst out. If the other reacted that way, he would really think that the sweet smile he showed earlier was because of him.

He heard the loud thumping of his heart and shook his head. He- he should not get ahead of himself. Yes, nothing was more annoying that someone being delusional.

Lauren cleared his throat and just asked to change the flow of conversation, "Have you ordered?"

As if agreeing with this change of topic, Reas answered quickly, "Not yet. You?"

"I haven't yet either. Everything just looks so good that it's hard to choose."

"Then, how about ordering one of each dish and we'll just share it between the two of us?"

Liking that idea very much, Lauren said with twinkling eyes, "Let's do that!"

So, the two ordered each item from the menu. It didn't take long before their order arrived. And everything looked exactly as it was on the menu. They just hoped that it would also taste just as amazing.

Lauren carefully cut the burger in half and gave the other half to Reas. "Let's dig in?"

Reas nodded and both bit at the burger at the same time.

Their first bite was like a revelation. The juicy beef patty oozed with savory goodness, each bite sending a flavor explosion through their taste buds. And the blue cheese was tangy and creamy, a perfect complement to the rich beef. The black bun was a bold statement, but it worked. Overall, it was pretty damn good.

"This is so good," Lauren couldn't help but comment. When he followed that bite with a sip of the tangy cooler, the taste became even more amazing.

Reas was about to agree, but when he saw the sauce around Lauren's mouth, he stopped. And then he couldn't help but laughed. It's because the sauce was not just in one area, it was all over. The other looked almost like a kid.

Lauren raised his brow. "What are you laughing at? Don't tell me you remember something funny again?"

Instead of answering, Reas picked up a tissue, stretched his hand, and gently wiped the sauce on Lauren's lips.