"Oh, me? I'm fine! That day, the cops were chasing me and I freaked out, so I just hid out at some relatives' place in the countryside for a few days," Shawn Young quickly fibbed, trying to sound casual.
Shawn figured his last three days were just too wild to explain. If he told these guys the truth, they'd never let him live it down. So he decided to keep the real story to himself.
"Heh heh—see, I knew it! No way our boy Shawn could just vanish into thin air! Turns out he was hiding out in the sticks. But hey, your country relatives must be loaded! Look at that designer shirt—Italian handmade, huh?" Jake Jewel's sharp eyes instantly spotted Shawn's pricey clothes.
Suddenly, Alex Easton scooted over, gave Shawn the once-over, then sniffed him like a dog before scratching his head and saying, "Heh, Shawn! You got yourself a girl, didn't you? Am I right?"
"Uh—Alex, come on! You really think I have a girl? If I did, why would I go with you to Wild Flavors Street?" Shawn Young grumbled, clearly annoyed.
"Well, based on my expert opinion, you definitely hung out with a woman these past few days. And not just any woman—a young, hot one! Shawn, am I right or am I right?" Alex Easton waggled his eyebrows, grinning like a creep.
"No way! Shawn, you traitor! Got yourself a girl and didn't tell your bros? So you spent three days getting hooked on some pretty chick, huh? Shawn, any leftovers? Hook me up, man—I'm sick of watching those weird Japanese videos every night! Help a brother out!" Danny Dean perked up at the mention of girls, crowding closer and jabbering nonstop.
"Can you guys give me a break? I swear, I don't have a girl! You all know what I'm like—three days, and you think I'd suddenly have a girlfriend? Seriously!" Shawn protested loudly, secretly amazed—Alex really was like a bloodhound. All he'd done was spend half a night with Snowy Su, and the guy sniffed it out!
"Okay, but really, where'd you get those designer threads? Gotta say, Shawn, you almost look like a celebrity—if only your hair wasn't such a mess! And honestly, you look kinda different than before—" Jake Jewel, always the sharp one, was first to notice anything unusual.
"Yeah, yeah, I think you're right! Shawn's way more handsome now! Is it 'cause you got a babe taking care of you? Man, you really are something!" Danny Dean stared at Shawn, clearly impressed.