“Who are you to me, and what right do you have to question me?” Josie only felt he was annoying. Aiden’s slightly reproachful words left Sean and the others momentarily taken aback.
If Aiden truly cared about her, he would not have asked such a question.
It turned out that not only did Kyle not know she had never returned to her hometown, but even Aiden was unaware of this. Over the past few years, no one knew who exactly she had been spending her time with. There was no ultimate disappointment, only ever-deepening despair.
“How can you speak to your senior like that?” Jaden’s expression darkened as he stepped forward. “He cares about you. You, a young girl, casually go out to eat with a group of men. What if something happened? How can you have no sense of safety at all?” He then cast an unhappy glance at Sean, Ian, Joseph, and the others.
By coincidence, just as they arrived, Claire pulled Delilah to the coffee shop next door, allowing Josie to go in first. As a result, Josie was the only female in the group.
“What do you mean?” Ian, anger flaring, took a step forward, but Josie reached out a hand to hold him back.
Josie looked at Jaden and smiled faintly. “What could happen?"
“Over the past few years, I have worked alongside several of you. Sometimes, we were so busy with experiments that we would go out together for a late-night meal. Back then, I was the only woman in the group, and everything was fine. So, why is it an issue now?”
“How can that be the same?” Jaden asked furiously. “We are your seniors, and we will never harm you. But how can you be sure of them?”
“Okay? So you have self-control. Well, these guys have better self-control than you, so don’t worry.” Josie burst out laughing, then her face suddenly turned cold.
“After all, they have been several times, or even dozens of times, kinder to me than you have. At the very least, they would never leave me alone by the roadside in the middle of the night and make me take a taxi home by myself.”
Jaden’s expression was even grimmer than hers. “We are going to a bar, so naturally we can’t take you with us. We’re doing this for you. If anything, you should thank us!”
“Is that so? You ditched me for my own good?” Josie let out a bitter laugh. “Ian, would you and your friends leave me alone on the main road in the middle of the night, just for my own good?”
Ian let out a quiet, cold laugh. “Of course not. Even if I were to go to a bar, I would bring you along. After all, there’s nothing to hide.”
“Are you trying to mess with me?” Jaden charged toward Ian. “I can see that your intentions toward Josie are far from honorable. You even want to take her to a bar. What exactly are you up to?”
Before Jaden could reach Ian, Sean raised his hand to stop him and asked, “Are you certain you want to take action here?”
“Jaden!” Aiden pulled him back. “We mean no offense. We’re just genuinely concerned about Josie. After all, she’s our junior. Everyone, please understand.”
Then, Aiden glanced at Ian. “If you truly like Josie, treat her well. She is still young and pure, and places like bars are not suitable for her.”
He looked at Josie and added, “Josie, the reason we didn’t take you to bars before was for your own good. We never expected you to resent us over something like this.”
He raised his hand and rubbed his chest, his face marked by a look of disappointment. “Regardless of what you may think, our concern for you is genuine. How you dress and how you interact with boys are entirely your own decisions. We only hope that you will not regret your choices.
“Even if you want to date, find a reliable guy and don’t let yourself get hurt, okay?” His elder-like expression was truly repugnant, and his words left Ian and the others stunned.