They are in the karaoke room, and each one takes their time to choose a song and sing it loud with the mic. They're comparing their scores with others and trying to get 100. Surely they are drinking and having fun.Ayan is singing along with them. The boy tried to read lyrics and sing high notes. Nevertheless, it sounded too cute for the audience, who cooed at the sight of the baby's voice, and the mispronunciation of words sounded adorable to them.Freya watched Roman and Dean walk toward their room. She couldn't hold them back. She tried her best. However, they're glued together."Roman, how about letting Dean stay with Sabastian?" Freya asked, glancing at Dean, who was sitting with the staff while choosing a song.Roman looks at Freya with a questioning gaze. He didn't realize why this topic was brought up."I mean, just look at Sabastian," Freya says.Roman looks at Sabastian. Sabastian had his gaze on Dean and was holding a soft, lingering smile while sipping a drink. He sure looked like a whipper for Dean."Tomorrow is the last day. So, changes are not needed." Roman replied, looking back at his son singing with others.Freya bites her lips and throws a glare at Dean. What does this man have that nobody is ready to leave him?"They can continue their love story after the contract. They're not supposed to love their colleague." Roman explained, looking back at Freya.Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his head. He grunts, pressing his fingers on his temple.Freya looks at Roman with wide eyes.It's working! Finally, Roman will turn subconscious. His brain will go blank. However, he will stay conscious. He will become physically weak too, and he will be at her mercy. She couldn't hold back her smirk.If everything goes according to plan. Roman will not be able to escape from her web. The attractive butterfly that Freya had wanted since the moment she saw him But there is a lot of turbulence. She looks at the tiny boy, singing his heart with others. How do I throw Ayan out of the room?She knows Ayan always sticks to his father. After all, his father is his sole support. But for tonight, Ayan should stay with someone else. Her eyes fell on Dean, who was also rubbing his forehead.She rolled her eyes and looked at Sabastian. Maybe those two can mingle and create some nice, juicy gossip for the world.'Two men were found tossing on the bed very intimately.'She softly chuckled. That will surely make this trip memorable for others and for her too. She looks back at Roman, who has furrowed eyebrows. She needs to do something now."Roman, are you okay?" Freya asked while placing her palm over Roman's shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze.Roman looks at her with narrowed eyes. "I am fine." He pushed her hand away.She looks at her hand and grits her teeth. You push my hand because I'm just your friend, or—Roman's eyes fell on Dean, who hurriedly stepped out of the karaoke platform, confusing others. Roman was quick to follow him.Freya narrowed her eyes. Something else?Sabastian stood up too. Liam, watching the situation, stood in front of Sebastian with a drink. "I want to sing with Sabastian." He announced it loudly, getting cheers from the people present. Liam turns back to Sabastian. "I hope you don't mind."Glancing at the exit and back at Liam with a lot of hesitation, he nodded. Why does the universe not want him to be with Dean?Roman held his throbbing forehead and followed Dean, who was leaning against a wall and holding his chest.Dean's chest seems to be burning. His lungs burned, and his heart thumped against his ribcage. His eyes closed tight as he inhaled and exhaled, fisting his black shirt. His forehead is sweating, and there's uneasiness in him."You're not fine," Roman said, standing in front of the man.Dean looks at Roman and snaps his head to the other side. "I'm fine," he whispers, stepping away from Roman.Roman stops Dean by holding his arm. "You clearly--" Roman felt a sharp pain in his head as he held it. "Shit!"Dean looked at Roman and narrowed his eyes. "Even you are unwell." He points it out.Roman doesn't reply; instead, he pulls out his phone and calls Liam."Liam, please come out for a second." He said that and ended the call.Liam was out in a second, looking at Roman and noticing him leaning against the wall. He didn't look fit."What happened?" Liam asked, walking faster towards the duo."Liam, I am not feeling well. Something is wrong with me again. Fuck, this trip is turning into a burden now.""Calm down and tell me properly," Liam said hastily while looking around for an available chair. but he found none."Just get Ayan from there. We'll return to the hotel." Roman explained, glancing at Dean for a second and looking back at the manager.Liam sighed and nodded. He looked at the duo and whispered, "You guys should sort out things." He stepped away from them and walked inside the room.Roman looks at Dean, and Dean looks at him too.Sometimes our faces say the things we tend to hide. Let it be our nervousness, worry, or even care. We maintain a static look during those situations. probably trying to hide our vulnerable side. Even from those we care about..."Papa?" Ayan stepped towards them with careful steps and a confused gaze. He walked side by side with Liam and looked at Dean, who gave a tired smile in an attempt at assurance."Baby, let's go now. We should wake up early too." Roman stretched his hand for the boy to hold it. His eyes are droopy and he looks tired. He had difficulty looking at Ayan too.Ayan looks at Dean and back at his father. "Ok."Liam wished Roman would tell him the reasons. However, watching the walking figure move away from his sight He understood that they still have a long way to go before they become close friends.⋇⋆✦⋆⋇The clock ticks 10 p.m., along with high heels ticking over the floor in a room."The plan flopped." The manager deadpanned.Freya looks at the man with red eyes filled with angry tears. Her hand held the glass of champagne. "Why did you stop me?" She spat with anger."What? Let me break the door, and what? Drag Roman out of the room?" The manager raised his eyebrows. "Then?" He crossed his arms and raised his eyebrows.She grits her teeth and gulps down the alcohol all at once. "I tried to stop him. However," She slammed the glass on the table and sat next to her manager."I wonder what's going on between them now?" The manager whispered to himself or wanted Freya to hear him and added oil to the burning flame."What could happen, huh? Nothing will happen. My Roman has a son. Also, he's still mourning his wife's death."The manager sighed, "When did I say that Roman would do things that you wanted on yourself?" He narrowed his eyes. "They surely formed a strong bond in this short interval of time." He mumbles, looking at the tea table with deep thoughts.Freya grits her teeth. Nothing! Literally, nothing is going as she wishes. She can't even touch a strand of Roman's hair, and Dean holds his hand. Ayan, the tiny version of Roman, sticks to Dean as though glue were on paper.⋇⋆✦⋆⋇Roman pats Ayan's head, lulling the boy into a dream world. He smiled, looking at the peace in his son's face. However, he frowns when his head starts to throb again. He pressed the veins on the temple."Here," Roman heard Dean's voice say. He turns around to see Dean massaging his forehead and extending an ointment to Roman."I know, you need it too." Dean further added and gestured for the man to take it. His droopy eyes focused on Roman, who was sitting upright.Dean sighed. "We're strangers from tomorrow, right?" He stood up and locked eyes with Roman. "Today you can think of me as a roommate at least." He placed the ointment next to Roman and turned around to lie on the bed.Roman grasped Dean's wrist, looking up at the man with guilt. He doesn't know what made him think like that, and unknowingly, he has hurt this man, who wiped his tears and hugged his pain. Who showed him a positive side, just like his dear wife."I'm sorry," Roman whispered, looking down. "I'm very sorry." He blinks his eyes. "That was very heartless of me." His lips quiver with burning eyes. "Why would I say that to someone—" Roman looked up and saw Dean's teary eyes.He stood up from the bed and cupped the model's face. "I'm so sorry. So sorry." He wipes the warm tears from his cheeks. "Please forgive me." His eyes flicker with Dean, who sniffs, trying his best not to break down."It's ok," Dean whispered. "I know, I'm just a stranger and—"Roman hugs him tightly and says, "I'm very sorry." He closed his eyes, cursing himself for hurting this kind soul."When you said that, it hurt." Dean fists Roman's shirt. "It hurts very much to hear that from someone you care about very much." He continued while tears glided down his cheeks.Roman, who was rubbing his back and caressing his hair to calm the man, froze upon hearing the last sentence."Do I mean something to you?" Roman asked, looking at the man in his embrace. He felt vigorous nods on his shoulder and warm breaths on his neck.Roman smiled and said, "You have become important to me too."Dean breaks the hug, looking at the man with wet eyelashes. "Then, why did you?""I was scared..." Roman wipes the tear stain from Dean's cheek, looking at the man's confused gaze. "I already lost someone. I didn't want to get attached to anyone and let history repeat itself." Roman looks down while his arms are still around Dean's waist."Were you scared to lose me?" Dean asked, holding the man's cheek to look at him."You're..." Roman stops looking keenly at Dean's face. "Your..." He gulps and says, "You are more than my friend now. You have become very important to me." He held the hand that held his cheek. "I'm scared to be left alone again.""You have your family," Dean whispered, wiping the lone teardrop from Roman's eye.Roman scoffs, "Family, who is forcing me to get married again? Calder is my best friend. But I couldn't share my pain with him." He shook his head and looked at Dean. "Then you walked carefully and invaded our lives with your words and presence. Surely, support is everywhere. It's just us who need to realize it and lean on the right person.""But Calder is your best friend, meaning he's very close to you and—"Roman cuts off Dean's words and says them with a smile. "Even the word 'close' has tiny spaces between the letters."Dean pressed his lips into a thin line and nodded. "How does it make me any different, then?"Roman takes a second and replies, "Probably because we have lost someone important. There are probably many similarities between us." He hugs Dean again. "Probably you give me the comfort that I don't hesitate to share my thoughts with you." He closed his eyes. "Probably—""I feel like I'm here in your arms." Dean cut off Roman's words and closed his eyes too. Roman hums, pressing the man close to himself."Probably, I like hugging you too," Roman says, hearing a giggle.Dean broke the hug and chuckled softly. "There comes the Dean I know," Roman whispered with a warm smile.The headache turned mundane from the warmth of their hearts. Probably, they liked each other's company without any knowledge. Perhaps, it's because of the heart beating, which will surely show them the path to each other. They don't know when they lay next to each other on the bed, hugging one another.⋇⋆✦⋆⋇Freya looks at the medicine in the manager's hand, who is deep in thought. Mostly planning a new plot again. "Why are you still holding those tablets?"The manager snaps from his thoughts and looks at Freya, realizing her words. "You mean ketamine?""Yeah, throw it away, before anyone sees it." She mutters with a rising temper."Nah, it'll be helpful in the future. Besides, people cannot suspect us. They know I gave them the same drink as Roman, which even Dean drank." The manager keeps the strip of pills in his pocket. "Hopefully, nobody noticed him drinking it.""Don't irritate me by saying his name. That guy is getting in between me and my love."The manager hummed, "Why don't you do the same as in the past? Join hands with that CEO again and--" Freya pressed her palm over his mouth.She glares at him and says, "Keep it shut." She looks away and mumbles, "I don't know this time what he would ask in return."