I just had a flashback of the scene where mc and Xavier are talking about Lumiere and the N109 zone, and how Xavier goes "He should be in his forties by now," when she asks if he's Lumiere.
Ilkay, without even thinking twice about it, says, "I don't know, hyung, you seem pretty old to me." with the most expressionless face and monotone voice before stuffing his mouth with noodles, acting like he didn't just say that.
Nevaeh is covering her mouth as she laughs. Xavier is staring at him with the most betrayed facial expression ever once he clocks that it was just a joke and not an actual read on him. Ilkay's only reaction is a slight crinkle near his eyes as he hides a smug smile behind the lid of his cup of ramen.
Then Nevaeh is pushing it further by going, "Yeah, look, your hair is all greyed out and everything." No one in the table points out the fact that it's natural, or that Ilkay's hair is white. Especially not after Nevaeh adds, "You're probably older than Lumiere."
That gets Ilkay to break. He snorts mid bite, chokes on his noodles, takes the water bottle Xavier holds out to him and takes two greedy gulps before clearing his throat.
"Oh my god, Illie, are you okay?"
"That's crazy," he says after recollecting himself, drink still clutched in his hand like a lifeline. She laughs, carefree and unbidden now that she knows Ilkay is okay. He's smiling, near death by cup of ramen experience completely forgotten as he tries to hold back his laughter and fails, "Nevaeh, that's foul. How could you say that?"
"I'm kidding, oppa, I'm kidding." After she dries her tears she pokes him some more just a little bit, "You don't look that old."
And then Ilkay and Nevaeh are back to laughing while Xavier just rolls his eyes and lets them have their little moment. If only they knew how close to the truth they hit with their jokes. Xavier deems it the end of that conversation when neither of them bring it back up, but Nevaeh and Ilkay leave the convenience store with the quiet agreement that, his answer wasn't really one and they know he's Lumiere but will not say a peep about it.