Yohan let out a soft yawn, still feeling drowsy from his deep slumber. Landon had called him earlier and asked if he wanted to hang out since he was slacking off at work. Yohan couldn't help but feel surprised by how carefree Landon seemed about his job. But maybe he could ask Landon if there were any jobs that didn't require an ID card - using Yoh's identity card frequently would only make it easier for his uncle to find him.
After promising to meet in the hotel lobby within an hour, Yohan began getting ready for their outing. He took a refreshing shower and got dressed before finally opening the door and stepping out into the hallway.
As fate would have it, however, another room's door across from his, opened at exactly the same time as his own. A tall and strikingly handsome man stepped out from within, causing Yohan's breath to catch in his throat. He couldn't believe the coincidence of their rooms being so close together.
The man stopped in his tracks, also locking eyes with Yohan. They stood there silently, gazing at each other, lost in thought and emotion.
The intense stare-down between the two men in front of their respective room doors caused a passing guest to halt abruptly upon seeing them. Desperate to use the restroom, he found himself stuck between these two men who seemed to create an invisible wall that would kill him if he passed.
He sighed with tears in his eyes and thought, 'Let this uncle wet his pants as long as your burning love comes to fruition! I'm rooting for you guys!!'
Unaware of being shipped with the cold man by a random uncle in the hotel corridor, Yohan remained focused on the imposing figure standing before him.
But Yohan finally looked away, his emotions in a jumble. He rushed as fast as he could to the elevator after closing the door to his room. Once inside, people avoided him like the plague, Yohan stood in one corner of the elevator with an almost ominous aura about him, chanting "why did all this happen" over and over again like a mantra.
With staggering steps, he exited the elevator once it reached its destination on the lobby floor. Landon was already waiting for him there, but upon seeing his new friend's gloomy face, Landon's cheerful expression quickly morphed into one of concern.
"What's wrong? Is everything okay? Did you have trouble sleeping last night?"
"It's not that..." Yohan sighed heavily before continuing, "I just... I ran into someone unexpected today."
Despite everything weighing heavy on his mind earlier, Yohan found himself smile warmly at Landon's genuine concern. It was a touching moment for him - in his previous life, he never had adult friends who cared about him like this. Yohan made up his mind to cherish and maintain this newfound friendship, even though they had only just met.
"Oh good! I'm glad it's not something too serious." Landon breathed out in relief. "But if that guy bothers you, let me have my boyfriend beat him up, he's a skilled boxer."
Yohan shook his head quickly to dispel any misunderstanding. "No, no, you've got the wrong idea. That guy doesn't bother me at all."
Not wanting to dwell on the previous topic anymore, Yohan steered the conversation towards something more light-hearted. He shifted his attention towards Landon's boyfriend and asked with genuine interest, "Oh wow! Your boyfriend is a boxer? That's pretty impressive!"
Landon pulled out his phone to show off pictures of his handsome and talented boxer boyfriend, beaming with pride as he spoke of him. Yohan couldn't help but admire how cool and charming he looked in the photos.
"He's cool..." Yohan remarked wistfully, remembering how much he used to admire martial arts athletes from videos on his old phone and TV shows at his husband's house in his previous life.
"Yeah, but he has flaws too, namely that hot-headedness of his." Landon admitted with a chuckle, still looking completely smitten by him.
Yohan couldn't help but feel happy for Landon, hoping that someday he too would find a beautiful romance. He didn't want to experience the bitterness of love like he had in his previous life before drowning.
Suddenly, Landon put his arm around Yohan's shoulder and ushered him out of the hotel, leading him down the street.
"Come on, let me take you to this new restaurant I heard about, they say their seafood is amazing." Landon said with enthusiasm as they headed out together.
As Yohan and Landon strode out of the hotel's revolving doors, a tall figure emerged from the elevator. His piercing gaze fixed upon their retreating forms as they exited through the glass entranceway. The man's cell phone buzzed to life in his pocket; he swiftly retrieved it and accepted the call.
"Come on out quick, I've borrowed my buddy's car and am already waiting for you in the hotel parking lot," a muffled voice emanated from behind the device.
The tall stranger continued to stare intently at where Yohan and Landon had disappeared, his feet finally propelling him forward in that same direction after an extended pause.
"Alrighty then, I'm heading your way right now."