Lucian moved his head sideways, and what he saw was Sherdan's face up-close.
He took a step back then gazed at him in silent surprise.
Sherdan didn't notice this as his eyes was fixated on Martin who just mentioned his name.
"You! You let this guy sleepover? How about our friendship?" Martin asked, his voice unbelieving.
Sherdan had only arrived, so he was unable to comprehend what Martin meant with what he said.
Martin sighed. "Friday, last week, you let this guy sleepover to your house and didn't call us over!."
After hearing this, Sherdan's befuddled mind cleared. His slightly knitted brows loosened. After realizing what Martin wanted to say, he became uninterested.
"What? Are you a girl?" He asked. His expression had shifted into a listless one.
Martin scorned.
See! See this guy! He's so uncaring.
"Girl! What girl. Are boys not allowed to sleep over? Is sleep over exclusive for females!?" He complained.
After seeing that Sherdan remained uncaring, he grunted. Deliberately letting Sherdan hear him. Sherdan ignored his remarks and glanced at Lucian who had been silent since earlier.
"H-hey." Lucian greeted him.
"Hmm." Sherdan replied, his voice coldly monotonous but soft.
Lucian remained silent after this, unable to think of what he should say in response. And so, the four of them was engulfed with an awkward silence.
Lila's forehead veins starts twitching. She can't stand such a gloomy vibe!. She laughed, wanting to get rid of the awkwardness. The rusty cogs in her head moved, thinking so hard on what topic they should talk about.
All of a sudden, a light bulb goes off inside her head. She was struck with a sudden realization. Right!.
"Martin! Your birthday is coming close right?. Invite us both! Okay?" Lila said, shamelessly.
Ordinary person will subtly ask the birthday person to invite them, but Lila straight out ordered Martin to invite them.
Martin didn't mind her bluntness.
"Yeah. Sure. You better come okay? And dress up!" Martin ruffled her hair, making Lila avoid her gaze. Her cheeks turning red.
Lucian saw his friend suddenly acting so prim and proper, and his face crumpled, resembling one of those meme-like faces Senku-chan often makes.
Lila saw him making faces and kicked his feet. Making him laugh so much.
Well, knowing is one thing, but seeing is a different matter altogether.
September came in a hurry. And Martin's birthday will be held at the end of the weekdays.
Sherdan didn't have much to do, but he had been living a peaceful life. Everything is going smoothly.
Like it was the calm before the storm.
"Yow! You're Friedde right?" An arm draped around Friedde's shoulders, making him flinch.
He moved away in a hurry, uncomfortable.
He glanced at that guy, and saw that he was one of the guys whose always together with Sherdan, the latter's close friend.
What was his name again?
Right! Arice.
He remembered hearing one of their classmate call him Arice.
That guy, Arice, had a very good-looking appearance. His hair is jet black, and he had a loopy smirk on his face. If not for his handsome face, everyone will automatically think he's a molester. Despite being a high school student, he had several earrings in his ears.
Friedde felt uncomfortable with his chummy antics, but he bore with it. Silently expecting in his heart that this sudden approach was ordered by Sherdan. It had been more than a month, and he was still expecting Sherdan to come back.
What's a month of waiting for the other guy to realize how precious he is?
Friedde is sure that Sherdan must be regretting it by now. He definitely told Arice to fetch him to reconcile.
As to why Sherdan didn't come to him himself?
Friedde pacified his aching heart. Of course, it's because Sherdan must be too shy to face him anymore. So he had to send someone else.
There's no way it's because he had no plans to get back with him. No way.
Arice raised his brows after seeing Friedde spacing out. He snapped his fingers in front of the other's eyes, making him look at Arice. Arice grinned.
"Finally. I got your attention." Arice said. His voice deliberately flirtatious. Friedde caught on to his flirting, but decided to ignore it. He must have been joking. There's no way.
He was denying it in his head, but he was already shaken.
"What do you need from me?" Friedde tried to make his voice sound uninterested. But Arice had already piqued his interest.
In these times when he felt like he's not needed, someone came to him with obvious motives. Arice, is like an oasis in the middle of a desert. Friedde gulped silently.
Arice stared at his changing expression. In the surface, his eyes held innocent admiration. But behind that, is contempt and indifference. He sees Friedde as nothing but an additional entertainment.
An appetizer, before he consumes his main dish.
By no means was he interested with such a weak looking guy. What he's interested about, is what this guy's bottom line looks like.
He's interested with what Sherdan's reactions will be, once he saw the one he was once obsessed with was willingly clinging to another guy. Whether he got mad or remains indifferent, both are what Arice wanted.
Arice almost could not help himself from smiling, the very thought excites him.
Arice continued with his acting. He rubbed the back of his head, his playful vibe added by his sheepish actions made Friedde unable to look away from him.
Just earlier, this guy was brooding over his ex-boyfriend, but now this guy seems like he had forgotten it completely after someone approached him.
"Ah. Sorry, were you uncomfortable with that?." Arice smiled, apologetically. His eyes slowly opening and closing. The moment it fully opened, his light brown eyes gazed at Friedde.
Making Friedde felt hot all of a sudden.
The both of them was 'flirting' in the cafeteria since it was already lunchtime. The other two of Arice' friends were still in the classroom, answering some quizzes. While Sherdan, he was nowhere to be seen again. Arice actually knew where he is, probably in a secluded place again, smoking his black cigarette.
Lucian happened to pass by and saw this scene. He felt chills run down his spine after seeing Friedde's prim-like-a-woman antics.
What the hell is that?! Gross!
That's so cringy.
Lila who was just beside her, noticed Lucian looking at Arice and Friedde in one of the tables with a beyond disgusted face and kicked his legs.
"The hell's with that face?" She scorns at him.
She had seen him make that face before when she was simping over Martin. Although if you compared this expression from before's expression, this expression is definitely the 'seriously disgusted' one.
Lucian glanced at her and sipped on the straws in his yakult. After emptying the bottle, he gave an answer.
"The look of a bitter single."
After that day, Arice continuously pursued Friedde.
Friedde told him about Sherdan and their past relationship, and will constantly mention that he hadn't forgotten Sherdan yet.
Arice didn't think of this as a problem at all. He acted like a 'willing' spare tie. And will always remind Friedde that he will always lend him his shoulder if he asks for it.
Friedde was soothed by these words. And day by day, his emotions towards Arice grew even stronger.
However, he still loves Sherdan. He can feel it, and he still wanted to pursue the other.
He 'really' (?) felt guilty about his thoughts, but it must be fine right? After all, Arice is willing to be the third party even if Sherdan and him get back together.
Thinking about this, Friedde's mood became better. It seems, he had forgotten how he scorn Sherdan's sexuality before.
Two days before Martin's birthday, and Lucian doesn't know what to give him as a gift. He laid in his bed, after thinking for a while and was still unable to come up with anything. He tossed and turn.
After getting tired, he picked up his phone and dialed Lila's number. It took only a few rings before Lila picked up.
"LUCIAN!! What a great timing!" She laughed, delighted.
She called Martin to go to the mall with her, so he can ask him what gift he would like. Although Martin insisted that gifts should be a surprise, she ignored him.
What 'gifts should be a surprise'?
What if I bought the wrong one? Or a useless one? Then won't the money used go to waste?.
Na ah, she can't have that. She dislikes wasting money the most.
Screw surprises, she would rather be rational.
And so the two of them decided to meet up at the mall, but who would have thought that Sherdan was also buying some gifts?. They all decided to shop together.
Lila suddenly realized that Lucian should be in there, so it would become a 'double date'. She was about to call the latter, but she received his call first before she even did as much as pressing the 'phone' app.
"What? What great timing?" Lucian asked, puzzled. Lila giggled to herself, evilly.
"Come here to the Central Town's Mall, let's buy Martin a gift. Come quickly okay? Okay?"
"And also, dress up nicely okay?." She said, then hanged up. Making Lucian befuddled for a second.
Nevertheless, he still did what she did and picked up a pretty decent casual clothes.
When he arrived, he froze in his spot.
"Wha.."
"Yohooo! Welcome, welcome. Hurry, come here. We'll be shopping together." Lila wrapped her arms around Lucian's like a snake. She had resolved herself to never let Lucian escape!.
Lucian facepalmed.
He should have known when he heard Lila's excited tone that she was up to no good!. If he knew that Sherdan will also be here, he would have chosen to avoid him than linger around him.
Sure, the other didn't get mad at him after that conversation, and also didn't seek him out for anything. But that doesn't mean Sherdan would be wholeheartedly alright if Lucian became chummy with him!. That guy hates it when someone barges inside his personal space!.
But what else can he do? Leaving right now will make him look weird and snobby, so better just shut up and get this over with.
That was his plan. But of course, Lila wouldn't let such inconvenient thing happen.
And so, Lucian had fallen into her trap.
She giggled evilly, resembling Martin, who was looking at her, of a certain evil curse in an anime he recently watched. He nudged on Lila, wanting her to stop acting like she's possessed.
Lila coughed, embarrassed that she was caught acting shamefully by her crush.
"Okay, okay. Let's go and shop. Martin, you better tell us what you like." Lila ordered Martin.
Martin sighed from the headache. He wanted to experience the anticipation of guessing what gifts will be given to him. But Lila was so persistent that he had no choice but to comply to her demands.
He reminded himself that she was the first female friend he had made. So he had to treat her nicely. Martin sighed in his heart once again.
The four of them visited several stores. Lila and Sherdan had already bought a gift as per Martin's advice. But Lucian was unable to buy anything. He doesn't have that much money to spend as leisurely as Lila and Sherdan.
So he just asked Martin what kind of things he prefers. He will buy them on a much affordable store, and if he can't still find one, he might consider customizing a gift for Martin.
Lucian contented himself with window shopping. At least, he is 'shopping', although it was only with his eyes.
After strolling around for too long, they were already tired. Sherdan however, remained composed, he was used with walking around and moving his body. So this walk is not tiresome at all.
They went into a popular fast food chain since they all had no appetite for heavy foods.
The remaining two tables were only for two, so they separated and sat down on their seats. Martin and Lila shared a table, because of Lila's persistence. And so Sherdan and Lucian had no choice but to share the remaining table.
"I'll order. What do you want?" Sherdan asked, his voice baritone despite his age. Lucian told him what he wanted and was about to give him his share of money, but Sherdan didn't accept it and went ahead.
Lucian can't help himself from gawking at Sherdan. That guy looks so eye-catching despite his casual look.
Lucian could still remember how gorgeous Sherdan was in a business suit, with his long wavy hair parted between his forehead.
Sherdan now doesn't have the same built as his 32-year-old self, but he's still larger than an average 16-year-old. His muscles were moderately developed, and his future self's rough features were gradually developing.
Lucian stared at Sherdan who was standing in the line of customers, in a daze. He propped his chin under the palm of his right hand and shamelessly assessed Sherdan's features.
He was brave since Sherdan wasn't looking, but if the other look his way, he will definitely revert to his proper self. Immediately.
Sherdan is wearing an oversized black hoodie, with printed words inside a box at it's front. Paired with that is a black above the knees' jean shorts and also a black shoes. Sherdan looks perfect with this all-black outfit because of his pale skin.
With and air of indifference and coldness, he's like an enigma.
Lucian snapped out of his thoughts of admiration after seeing Sherdan heading back on their table.
After almost an hour, the four of them exited that fast food chain. They have already gone shopping, and doesn't know what else to do. It was still early, and the weather is great, so it will be a waste to go home at such a great time.
And so Lila suggested their next itinerary.
"Let's go on a movie date!"