"Huh, nothing beats making fun of him, especially in front of his family or friends, he gets annoyed so fast, I wonder why..." Jerome muttered under his breath while lying down to sleep. "Anyway, tomorrow will be very entertaining." He added and closed his eyes.
Walking back, Oliver looked up at the night sky, which shone with innumerable bright stars. "Sigh," he let out a breath while calming down. "He gets on my nerves like mad, I wonder… It's probably because of our past. Even though now he acts differently, I feel that in truth he hasn't changed one bit. He always tried to be the leader of the pack by any means. Thick-skinned, conceited, lecherous, and most of all shrewd. These characteristics made him the most noticeable among our age group. These very characteristics made him hated by many but also gave him charisma. His muscular body, along with his intelligence and confidence, made him very popular with girls and women. Even if he seemed overconfident or hard-headed sometimes, his boldness and charisma attracted a lot of eyes."
Oliver wondered as his eyes jumped from star to star. "For me, it was quite different, while Jerome's family promoted his behavior because that's the way their man should act according to Bigge family tradition, my family's teachings were the exact opposite. Being kind to others, flexible, humble, and loyal were the character traits that were ingrained into me by my mother. These traits made me an easy target for Jerome to show off his strength. What made it worse was my childhood friend, now my wife - Sigrid, defending me from his bullying. It actually made it worse for me when she wasn't there to protect me. But I couldn't say that to Sigrid, as I myself would not be able to sit idly while my close ones were picked on. Adding Sigrid's fiery temper made it even more impossible. While Sigrid wasn't there, I slowly became his only target. Even though I was also at the top of the class just like him, it did not stop him from making my days harder. Now that I think about those times, it was probably because we were complete opposites, and I was also more liked by the teachers and elders. While he didn't usually make fun of me or try to humiliate me in front of others, being alone with him was quite different. Listening to him bragging about the girls he had sex with while being a virgin myself, even if Sigrid was my fiance at the time, made me feel less of myself and jealous of him. And I still can't forget the time he called me over for some training at his place while he fucked one of our classmates. The years passed fast, and we all graduated from the academy. Then I got the chance to get away with Sigrid by taking a mission which took 7 years to complete. 'Am I clinging too much to the past? Has he changed? Will my agreement with him just now change anything?'" Oliver mused as he approached his tent.
Back in the tent, Sigrid lay on a "bed," which actually was just a mattress on the ground. "I wonder why Oliver acts so weirdly when he's around Jerome... Maybe I should ask him what's wrong. Normally, he's gentle and calm, but around him, he becomes anxious," Sigrid thought deeply and looked at the sole flame which danced atop the last candle they had. "But this is such a sensitive topic for him; how do I approach him..."
Suddenly, the flame waved violently as Oliver parted the entrance and swiftly stepped inside, giving Sigrid a little fright. "Ahh, you're back, Oli," she smiled and patted the mattress beside her with her lithe hand.