Hidden Scenario. A world where Jia Hyson picked Monroe instead of Drake.
________...________
Monroe is a good boy.
Quiet, obedient, intelligent with a very sweet mouth. Very different to Maddy who was rambunctious and lively and loud. Even though Maddy was the protagonist, Monroe was always his favourite.
Though he wouldn't dare say that to Maddy ah.
Monroe is a good boy. Maybe it's because of that, Jia Hyson never really expected to have feelings more than appreciation and familial affection for him despite his handsome appearance. Not to mention, once he realised he had become a little enamoured with Jacob, that sort of idea was further ignored.
However, the night before Jia Hyson left to join Miracle Chef, that changed.
"Adrian…" Monroe calls out; his manner is subdued, even quieter and more solemn than usual.
"Hmm?" Jia Hyson felt a little bad for leaving him all alone in the house so suddenly, so he quickly dropped what he was doing to answer him. Even though Monroe was very independent, both his sister and himself were going to be gone all of a sudden. It would be strange if the young man didn't feel a little uncomfortable and nervous about living alone.
With that in mind, he was quickly by Monroe's side, sitting beside him with an affectionate and doting smile. It wasn't often that Monroe asked for anything and Jia Hyson enjoys the rare chances he can be a good older brother to him.
Monroe swallows, seeing the open and easy smile on his face before a flash of determination flickers in his eyes. "Adrian, what do you.. what do you think of me?"
Jia Hyson furrows his brows, a little thrown by the unexpected question. After all, he would have never expected Monroe to ask something so, ah, insecure. Maybe the both of them leaving did more to his confidence than Jia Hyson thought.
Child-rearing was so hard, ah _(:3」∠)_
"I think," He says carefully, "that you're a smart, lovely and attractive man, Monroe. I'm proud to call you family."
There, that seems okay.
Monroe, however, didn't seem satisfied with such an answer, "But we aren't blood-related." He answers, curtly.
Jia Hyson felt even more confused, and frankly, a little hurt and annoyed. So what if they weren't blood-related. Laozi treated you as his own okay?
However he surpassed his irritation and replies with a calm, soothing voice, "Just because we aren't bound by blood doesn't mean we aren't family ah,"
"But I don't want to be seen as your family," Monroe stubbornly insists, edging closer, silver eyes burning with a fierce light.
Jia Hyson: '…' Bro, I've seen many romantic misunderstandings in stories that start out like this but as the person who ate trash for the sake of our familial bonds you're really breaking my heart QAQ
He used to make fun of how stupid those characters who so easily misunderstood and twisted their romantic interest's ambiguous words. You know, cliche phrases like 'I never saw you as my sister,' or 'I don't want to be friends with you,' or 'I hated you being so close to me.' But now that he was experiencing it himself, Jia Hyson could understand the pain and shock the listener must have also felt.
Even though these words should eventually follow with 'Because I love you,' or 'Because I want to be your boyfriend,' or 'Because you always turn me on,' that still doesn't fully erase the sharp, piercing damage the first sentence had dealt. Especially when the person saying this cliche crap always had to have a stupid long pause to encourage even further misunderstanding.
Sometimes they don't even finish it and would just up and leave!
Luckily Monroe was still Jia Hyson's sensible good boy and didn't do that.
Grabbing Jia Hyson's hands, he quickly leaned in to give him a peck on the cheek before retreating, a pink flush on his cheeks. "I want to be seen as a man," Monroe says, "Your man, Adrian... if you, if you let me." His blush deepens.
Jia Hyson stares at him.
"I'm willing to wait for your answer, just…" Monroe's grip tightened for a moment before it reluctantly loosened, "Just please keep me in your mind, Adrian."
Jia Hyson left in a daze.
Monroe… liked him? Romantically liked him?
The more he thought about it though, the less absurd the idea seemed. Monroe was a rather aloof person but was very sticky toward him at home. He was proud but happy to be obedient toward his demands and go out of his way to serve him his favourite snacks or a cup of warm tea. Even Maddy, his biological sister, did not get such good treatment from him.
Before Jia Hyson just attributed it to him being a male role model and the fact Monroe understood how hard Jia Hyson was struggling to make ends meet for them all. It wasn't too stupid to believe.
After all, if Jia Hyson knew someone was doing so much to make sure he was living comfortably, he too would try and do his best to make it up to them with his own small actions. If Monroe didn't appreciate what he was doing and tried to make trouble with him, wouldn't that have made him a white-eyed wolf?
So all those affectionate gestures in the past, Jia Hyson had just subconsciously filed it away under filial pity. He was very sticky and sweet to his own mother, after all, helping around the house and getting her coffee when it was cold… are these not just normal kind things?
How was he supposed to know it was all an underlying excuse for pseudo-incestuous courting?!
Bebe: '…Bebe is sure some of it was just genuinely being nice ah. 눈_눈 Please don't assume things; not everyone is full of perverted thoughts like host.'
Jia Hyson: 'You've gotten meaner lately Bebe. The M in me rather likes it ah.' (´,,•ω•,,)♡
Bebe: '...' Congratulations. You've lost another level of Bebe's respect.
...
Love is a little like doubt. Once the seeds have been successfully planted and sprouted, it's difficult to uproot.
Jia Hyson likes Drake. However, he doesn't know Drake too well. Not as well as Monroe anyway.
Monroe who likes his coffee with sugar but not even a drop of milk. Who always wakes up with no bed hair except for a small tuft of hair at the top of his head that always sticks up like a broken antenna. Monroe who secretly hates salmon but will offer to buy it without complaint if Jia Hyson has a craving for it.
Compared to Drake, who had lied to him for years… In the end, did he really know him much at all?
Jia Hyson sighs, his heart feeling more complicated than it's been for a long, long time. His sex life in his original world was messy, it's true, but his emotions weren't even an inkling as complicated as it was right now. After all, he's never felt like he'd been in love with anyone until now.
He remembers something he wrote once:
'Sometimes love could have been sprouted ages ago, but the owner never noticed. Then one day, a person will point it out, and the owner would find a giant towering tree that they swore was never there before. However, the tree is sturdy, grown over time by mutual trust, familiarity, affection and dependence.
Among the trees, it is hard to find but once found it is impossible to ignore.
It is dominating and unshakeable.
Perhaps this is what love is.'
It was simple and easy to understand, but at the same time, it was just a bit of romantic nonsense that Jia Hyson had written, inspired by a shitty romantic movie he had watched with one of his gold digger lovers the night before.
However, now he really had a metaphorical tree of love. To be honest, he may even have two.
However putting his sentiments for Monroe beside his affection for Drake who Jia Hyson was in comparison less familiar with and had recently lost trust in, it is not too difficult to feel that Drake was a little lacking compared to Monroe.
Jia Hyson had always been more inclined to a utilitarian mindset ah.
Silently Jia Hyson made his decision.
...
Ghosting Drake was a little hard. Don't get him wrong, Jia Hyson was very good at ghosting people and rejecting people in general. But in his heart, he couldn't help but feel a little reluctant in breaking things off.
He doesn't really want to say this, given that he had already resolved himself, but he genuinely thinks he could have spent a lifetime with Drake.
Maybe in another life.
Drake seemed to catch his change of attitude and became increasingly frantic and desperate to re-mend their relationships to what it once was. Jia Hyson hesitates a bit but finally agrees; it wouldn't do to make an enemy of a male lead. However, he both subtly and explicitly emphasises their friendship can only stay a friendship now.
Upon hearing this, Drake could only give a bitter smile and agrees. However, Jia Hyson could see in his eyes that the man was only biding his time, unwilling to really give up.
Leaving the show was almost a relief, and not just because of how hard desserts were to make- like my god, it's like chemistry but too distractingly delicious. How could he hope to do anything but snack on the batter? Or the icing? Or the filling? Fuck, why did he make it cappuccino flavoured it was too good not to eat!
Finally, he can go home.
To Monroe.
Monroe was waiting for him by the doorway as he arrived, his usual stoic and cold expression softened with the warm look in his eyes and the faint smile on his handsome features. "Adrian, you're back,"
Jia Hyson pauses for a moment, heat rising to his cheeks at such a heartwarmingly domestic sight. A handsome man waiting for him by the doorway… Aiyah, it turns out he was this sort of person?
Bebe: 'What sort of person?'
Jia Hyson: 'A sappy romantic hehe.'(/ω＼)
Bebe: '…' Don't say anything, Bebe. It's not worth it Bebe. You are above this Bebe.
"I-I'm back," Jia Hyson confirms with a pleased, shy little smile. He couldn't help but think that he had made the right choice.
Monroe's grey eyes lit up, after living so long with Adrian, how could he not understand this coy, bashful expression. He had only seen such a look when the other was texting that crush of his. It was a sight that would have made him feel stuffy and uncomfortable but now when it was finally directed toward him… Monroe swore he couldn't feel any happier.
With some trepidation, Monroe stepped closer toward Jia Hyson. "..Did you think of me?" He whispers, his voice low and mellow, but there was a trace of nervous anticipation and fear underlying his voice. They were close enough that Jia Hyson could smell the faint scent of coffee and something sweet from him. Monroe was always the type that needed sugar when stressed.
Jia Hyson's lips subconsciously curved up at the familiar smell, the reminder about how safe and comfortable Monroe was. "En," He softly agrees, then he gently grasps the other's shirt, leans up and softly kisses him.
Monroe stiffens in surprise for a moment before quickly and eagerly reciprocating, his kiss a little more frantic and sloppy due to inexperience and excitement however Jia Hyson merely chuckled through the kiss, finding the feeling irresistibly sweet and adorable.
It seems his good boy is going to need a few lessons on being bad ah.