Yuna's fork clinked against the empty plate, and her eyes scanned the dessert menu hungrily. Without a word, she gestured for the waiter, silently requesting another slice of vanilla cake. Across the table, Elisa simply nodded, her eyes gleaming with amusement at Yuna's appetite.

As Yuna savored each bite of the cake, her expression transformed from hunger to satisfaction. She signaled for a second slice, then a third, and eventually a fourth, her enthusiasm for the dessert evident in her focused, swift movements.

Elisa watched, surprised. "Didn't know you were this hungry," she remarked, raising an eyebrow.

"Hm? Not really, I just don't want to miss out on this delicious cake... you're treating me, right?" Yuna whispered, her eyes darting around the cafe conspiratorially.

Elisa chuckled at Yuna's nonchalant response, appreciating her friend's unabashed indulgence. They continued their silent exchange, a dance of gestures and expressions, as Yuna enjoyed her dessert with unapologetic relish.

Minutes passed, and the cake vanished, leaving only satisfied smiles on their faces. Elisa initiated a conversation about their lives over the past year, attempting to shift the topic away from Yuna's earlier outburst.

"Yeah, you know I'm taking over after my dad... and honestly, I want to, for my own sake," Elisa stated, her tone tinged with confidence.

Yuna, seemingly unfazed, continued to sip her hot chocolate, her attention momentarily diverted. Elisa sensed the conversation wasn't engaging Yuna and decided to probe deeper, her curiosity piqued.

"Ahem... Yuna, what have you been up to in Elysian Online!?" Elisa asked, her eyes alight with intrigue.

Elisa delved into her own achievements in the game, describing her ascent to the top 10 players in the country within a year. Her words were animated, painting a picture of her prowess as a solo player and her contributions to their country's standing in the virtual world.

Yuna's demeanor shifted. Her brow furrowed, and her grip on her hot chocolate tightened. The atmosphere around them crackled with tension until Yuna could no longer contain her frustration.

"Ahhhhh!!! Enough!" Yuna's outburst reverberated through the cafe, a sharp contrast to the previously hushed atmosphere.

"Uh?... Yu...Yuna?!" Elisa was taken aback, her eyes widening in surprise.

Elisa observed Yuna's pouting face, a clear indication of her anger. Sensing the need to mend the situation, she discreetly signaled the waiter, attributing the disturbance to a misunderstanding in their order.

Approaching Yuna, Elisa inquired about her sudden anger. Yuna, after taking a deep breath, began to explain the source of her frustration from the beginning.

"And today, that capsule is no longer available here... and I can't play the game at all!" Yuna grumbled, her voice low but seething with irritation.

Yuna's frustration simmered beneath the surface as she recounted her efforts to obtain the game capsules and the obstacles she had faced.

"Oh... I see... haha..." Elisa nervously sweated, her eyes darting away as she realized the depth of Yuna's anger.

"Yuna, I want to apologize to you... okay?" Elisa's voice was gentle as she reached out, holding both of Yuna's hands in a gesture of sincerity.

"What's this all about? How am I supposed to know whether I should be angry or not if you don't tell me what happened?" Yuna questioned, her confusion evident.

Without a word, Elisa stood up from her seat and knelt down, bowing her head in a heartfelt apology for her actions a year ago.

"What... what are you doing, Elisa?!" Yuna asked in astonishment, taken aback by Elisa's unexpected gesture.

Elisa raised her head, her eyes filled with remorse, as she explained how Yuna ended up in her current situation due to her actions a year ago.

A year ago, when Elisa had just become a manager, she had placed a massive order for those capsules to monopolize them for their company. When she found out the capsules were cheaper in Yuna's area, she had bought them all and arranged for the new stock to be sent directly to their company after signing a secret agreement with the game store Yuna had visited earlier.

"So... that's what happened... but... but I swear, I was only following my dad's orders because he said it would benefit him... haha," Elisa said, her voice faltering with guilt as she saw Yuna's angry expression.

"Oh... it's you this whole time... I didn't expect it's people I know..." Yuna began, her anger subsiding as understanding dawned.

"Yuna?" Elisa, starting to feel afraid, interjected.

LISTEN TO ME, YOU!..." Yuna loudly nagged at Elisa, her voice carrying a mix of frustration and relief as she released her pent-up emotions. Elisa, still kneeling, accepted her fate, absorbing the torrent of emotions.

Minutes stretched into what felt like an eternity as Yuna vented her anger, her words a torrent of frustration and disappointment. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Yuna's tirade came to a halt.

"Haah... haah... hm?" Yuna, her throat parched from yelling, noticed Elisa looking exhausted, her own anger temporarily spent.

Yuna, seeing Elisa's fatigue, extended a hand, silently lifting her from her kneeling position and guiding her back to her chair, a gesture of unexpected compassion.

"Wow?!... Did I fall asleep earlier?!... It seems like that was just a bad dream... or was it?" Elisa, seeing Yuna in front of her, realized the reality of the situation.

"Haah... Seriously, I apologize. I thought you already had those capsules, and I had no idea the prices in different areas would skyrocket like this..." Elisa apologized, her voice contrite, her guilt etched on her face.

"Enough with this topic... it's done, so what can we do?" Yuna said, exhaling deeply and returning her attention to her hot chocolate.

Elisa sat in silence afterward, her discomfort palpable. After a while, Elisa made a surprising statement.

"Yuna, as a gesture of apology... I'll give you one of my capsules," Elisa said confidently.

"Hmmm~... Yes, yes... wait, really!?" Yuna, who was slowly grasping the depth of Elisa's remorse, stopped sipping her drink, her eyes widening in surprise.

"That's right, and if anything goes wrong with it, you can contact me for repairs, and I'll cover the costs," Elisa added, offering another assurance.

Yuna, hearing the offer, didn't immediately agree. She needed more reassurances, more certainty that this gesture was genuine.

Yuna asked if the capsule was from their company's inventory. Despite her anger, she didn't want to inconvenience Elisa if the capsule belonged to their company. Elisa assured her that this capsule was her personal property, her sincerity evident in her eyes, finally convincing Yuna of her authenticity.

"It looks like today isn't entirely an unlucky day... alright, when will the capsule arrive?" Yuna, who had transitioned from anger to hope, asked, a glimmer of excitement in her eyes.

"Tomorrow, I'll send my staff to install it at your house... oh, and give me your home address," Elisa said, handing her phone to Yuna.

Yuna quickly typed her home address with a bright smile, her hope reaffirmed.

"Alright... okay, I've sent a notification to my subordinates," Elisa said, giving Yuna a thumbs-up sign.

Yuna, who had finally found a glimmer of luck that day, was overjoyed and more open to discussing the game with Elisa, especially her ranking as a top 10 player.

"Hehehe, even though I'm busy, I still keep up my game," Elisa said, smugly, her tone lightening the atmosphere.

They continued chatting about it, and Yuna, glancing in a different direction, felt that something hadn't arrived yet... something that could ruin her day once again.

"Sorry, both of you... the vanilla cake is sold out. Is there any other replacement order you'd like?" A cafe staff member approached them.

"Ahhhhh!!" Yuna screamed inwardly, her anger boiling over, but she restrained herself, her disappointment etched on her face.

Yuna didn't want anything else and just sighed, seeing her bad luck strike again, her eyes reflecting her disappointment.

Elisa, observing Yuna's reaction, consoled her and chuckled softly, understanding her friend's frustration.

"My vanilla cake..." Yuna said, her voice tinged with deep disappointment.