When he saw several pairs of eyes looking at him with various emotions, the perturbed and distressed feelings were replaced by startled and confused.
"What are you guys---" Leansei couldn't finish it when Corshe ran towards him to give him a tight hug. Rell, Perial, Revin, and Xeilin came too, with concern in their eyes.
' What's going on here? i cant remember that we have an arrange party at my own condo? ' Leansei said, confusedly in his mind.
He immediately let go of the gun as he zipped it up and put it on the side, and he put his hand on Corshe's head, who was shedding tears.
"Where were you?!" Perial asked with a rowdy voice. Leansei had never heard Perial this way or how she was tearing up now.
"Wh-what—?" Leansei was about to finish it when Xeilin punched him in the shoulder, causing him to cry.
"You made us worried." Xeilin said with a trembling voice as Rell came to tap Lean's shoulder and gave him a worried look.
"Where were you?" Rell's came to a halt when he looked at his face.
Corshe let go of Leansei as he wiped his tears like a young boy who was robbed by his favorite sweet snacks.
"I-I called someone i know from the news agency. It was a friend of mine. I asked her that i'll call her again and put you as missing when you're not back at 12 am." Perial said while looking at her phone with a stuttering voice.
Leansei turned his left side when Rell spoke, "You know that my uncle is a cop. One call to him and there will be a search team for you. If you're not back at 12am."
"I also *sniff* edit your p-picture to make a missing poster." Corshe said with a trembling voice as his eyes were fluffy since it was like he cried earlier.
"I even asked your brother and your parents if you came back home, but they said you haven't yet." Xeilin said, with her head down.
"I called.. someone who has the power to control things, atleast.. if ever the police can't find you." Revin said as he glanced back.
Leansei was speechless seeing and hearing how Kean's friends worry about him or much more like Kean. Leansei couldn't stop himself from being crestfallen as he was lying and pretending to be Kean.
' Atleast now I felt how it feels to have many real friends, and Kean must be the most lucky guy on earth to have these guys... these guys that I have to leave when the time comes. '
"What's going on?" Leansei asked, trying to hide the sadness in his eyes.
Perial looked at Rell and spoke, "I called you to sleep here in your condo, but you're not answering. So I called Rell, perhaps you are with him but.."
"But I figured something had happened, so I went to your condo and saw Perial worried because you hadn't returned home. never stayed out or you're not even answered any phone calls before. " Rell said.
"It was already 10 pm but you hadn't got back home yet, so we called your friends." Perial said as she looked at Corshe, Revin, and Xeilin with their worried eyes and slight smile.
' So I was gone for 4 hours? But how did they know each other's phone number? '
"How did you know my friend's number?" Leansei asked and turned his head to Perial and Rell, who slowly looked away. Lean looked at Xeilin, who had blushed cheeks, and Revin did as well.
"You guys—" Leansei came to stop what he was about to say when his eyes went past behind Corshe and it was two annoying brothers who were standing looking at them since then.
' W-what.. what were Xerchin and Beidhen doing here?! In the condo?? '
"Why are they here?" Leansei asked whisperedly, but he diverted his attention when Corshe looked at his face and cried more.
"Are you okayy?? Does it hurt???" Corshe asked as he leant towards Leansei to see the wound he had in the side of his lips.
Leansei suddenly remembered what he had just gone through as he licked the side of his lips, and just now, he just felt the pain suddenly. That was the only time he could feel all the soreness all over his body, including the sting he felt in his lips.
In a few seconds, Xerchin pushed Corshe out of the way as he worriedly looked at Leansei's face and body that made him and all the people in the room come to silent.
"What do you feel? Does it hurt??" Xerchin asked worriedly if that was the first time he heard him say that. He looked at Lean's eyes, cheeks, lips, neck, and even body to check if he was really okay.
' No, actually I saw his hands earlier.. he was clenching his hands.. his face was full of worriedness but he couldn't dare to talk or even walk towards me, but why now? '
"I-I'm fine.." Leansei said and looked away. Xerchin scratched the back of his neck, trying to calm himself, and he remembered the last time they talked.
Leansei just now, he felt his legs weaken from Kean's frail body.
"Aghh.." Leansei groaned as he now could feel the soreness from the several punches and kicks he got from those losers. Rell and Revin immediately assisted Leansei's body. Xerchin's hand was about to touch him when he stopped in the middle as he remembered that Leansei was mad at him and touching him again wouldn't do any good.
They gently put Leansei on the sofa, and all eyes were on him. He swallowed as he tried to think of excuses to say.
' I fell down the stairs? That's not really the issue...'
"What happened?" Beidhen asked
Leansei, only looking down and hesitating to answer.
" Did those bastar—those fugly creatures hurt you again?" Corshe asked.
' But I just can't tell them I was kidnapped and surrounded by gun and knife men waiting for the order of their so-called master. '
"But I'm fine now. Maybe if I rest now, I'll be able to go to school tomorrow. " Leansei said with assurance in his voice.
"No, who told you to go to school tomorrow? you'll stay here and rest." Perial said while tapping into her phone.
Leansei frowns and glances at his friends. "But I can't. We only have limited time for the acquaintance party." Leansei said.
Xeilin looked at him and shook his head, "It's fine, I can monitor all of them tomorrow."
"I can't miss Mr. Luyel's class."
"You can be excused. I'll be the one to say that in the faculty office." Revin said
"No, Mr. Luyel said, no special takes. There will be a long quiz tomorrow. That's why I won't be excused until I finish that quiz. "
They all minced as they looked at Leansei. They couldn't even convince him to stay at home and rest.
"Are you sure you'll be alright? I'm sure Mr. Luyel will understand that." Corshe said as Revin got up and walked around as Perial followed him.
"I'll be alright and either way, I don't like my parents to know what happened, so none of you will say anything." Leansei said.
On the other hand, Revin brought the med kit, but Beidhen blocked his way.
Leansei could feel the warmth in his heart, the feeling of being the protagonist of the story. He is also thankful and sad because he remembers that none of these are for him but Kean.
' Why am I becoming a selfish person. '
He came back to reality when Xerchin sat beside him with a med kit. As Perial reasoned, she would call the reporter and say that everything is fine now, just like Rell. Corshe and Xeilin sat on the floor as they pretended to do something on the laptop. While Beidhen and Revin are nowhere to be found.
Leansei once again felt the beat in his heart like it was trying to bounce off his chest. He also felt his hands getting sweaty and an awkward silence from the two of them.
Xerchin took the cotton buds and betadine as he leant towards Leansei. That made him lean back. Xerchin looks at him.
"This won't hurt." Xerchin said, with a soft dashing voice, he heard once again.
' It-it's not the issue! It's your face! It is so near. '
Leansei looked away as his ears started to redden when he could smell the familiar perfume scent of Xerchin. The mint from his breath and the sting he felt as Xerchin gently tapped the cotton buds with betadine into his lips.
He tried not to breath to stop himself from getting addicted or missing the perfume of Xerchin until he finished treating the small wound in his body. Leansei finally breathed out, trying to calm his heart from beating too fast.
"Thank you for worrying, but I'm alright now. I feel fine." Leansei said, trying to assure them. They couldn't argue more, but let him say or do all he wanted.
"You can go home now." Leansei stopped when he remembered that maybe those idiots were still tailing him. It won't be good for his friends to get involved with this, and it is already late to go back.
"Why not stay here and y-you know.. sleep over?" Leansei said, "And get back early in the morning."
"Are you seriouss?? we can??" Corshe asked startledly.
"Yeah," Leansei said while nodding. He can't take it back since Corshe looks like he was really into this.
"Can we drink?--" Beidhen was stopped when Corshe threw the pillow into Beidhen's face, the one he had been hugging since earlier.
"No!" Xeilin and Corshe said synchronizedly
"Okay, okay, chill," Beidhen said and laughed.
"hello~ I'm the only girl here." Perial said
"You can use the room you're using and the other room, which is mine, and the living room will be the one we will use." Leansei said while pointing at the rooms.
Perial nodded and called someone on her phone.
"I'm in!" Rell said.
"I'll call my mom." Xeilin said and walked towards the door, and Corshe said the same excitedly.
Meanwhile, Revin was typing into his phone, Beidhen was just enjoying and relaxing, and Xerchin was on the phone in the dining room.
' Is he getting permission to Seleigh? Why do I even care? '
- ^ - "Aren't
you going to ask permission too?" Leansei asked Beidhen, who glanced at his brother and at him with an annoying smirk.
"He is getting mine too, and I know you badly want to spend time with me." Beidhen said while glancing at Revin, who was seriously typing into his phone.
Leansei couldn't figure out if Beidhen said that to him or just looked deadly gorgeous looking at Revin the whole time.
' soo annoying'—wait, why is he looking at Revin? Is there really something going on between them? No way.. right? '
Leansei glanced at Xerchin, and it was the right timing since their eyes locked on each other. Leansei could feel the deep beat flowing into his chest. Leansei couldn't deny that Xerchin had an attractive and dashing look as usual.
Their eyes got diverted when Corshe came, excitedly, as Xeilin and Rell came back together and gave him a smile.
"Granted!" Corshe said,
"Me too." Xeilin said,
"Let's get this overnight started!!" Corshe said hyperly.
Leansei shook his head and wondered what he had just thought to say such thing. He had never tried overnight before, which is why he was nervous and excited at the same time.
The noise and chaos overnight starts as the flowers bloom and new flowers come to arise and shine beautifully, but unfortunately, other roses can't bloom as much as others have with the obstacle they are facing.
______