safety net (kepat au)

67

AK's POV

The day…

It's the last day of this year and my organs were active. I woke up early today and I'm in such a good mood that my father was freaking shocked I greeted him. I'm also shocked why I'd do that.

"Have you contacted your friend," in the middle of our breakfast he asked coldly . I nodded at him and he just sip on his cup and proceeded to read his newspaper.

I do actually texted Patrick about this and just yesterday I receive the greatest news! Not too greatest but that's enough to make me woke up on the right side of the bed.

He said he might come and asked for my address, I gave it to him. But there's like a percent that he'll not make it, but I didn't mind that. I'm pretty sure he'll come. 

And by that, I just realized that the time was slow today and the excitement makes it slower than I expected. I also don't want to spam him today or else he'll back out last minute and that sucks, so to ease my boredom, I called Mika to hangout and the guy challenged me a basketball.

"You dude really suck here," he said as he do some shooting while I'm just crouching here to watch.

"I want to go home and do the math," I said and the guy scrunch his nose and pranked me with a fake throw of the ball towards my face. 

"You're boring. You called me and now you want to go home and smash your brain,"

"That's also a mind sport,"

"Nah, pass. How about online games?"

"Not in the mood," the guy was now frustrated. He put the ball on the ground.

"Okay so what would you want to do, you want to waste our last hours this year by doing this, slacking off here. Dude the year will change a few hours from now. Why do we end up here anyway,"

Right, I pulled him here to slack off.

"I just want to kill time,"

"Let your dad do it he's a mafia,"

"…"

"Okay, I'm lame,"

"He's not a mafia, and also why don't we just eat instead,"

"Dude, are you asking me for a date? No man, I don't do my best friends," I throw him a disgusted face.

"The nerve of you to assume I'll ask you for a date. Come on, let's go. No, treat this time," I dragged him by his collar.

"Then let's date, you treat me,"

"Eww gross,"

After eating and wandering and playing on the arcade, Mika and I finally split our ways. It's five and I guess not checking time-to-time will make it fast.

By the time I arrived home, I went straight to my bedroom and fell asleep. I didn't even know that I closed my eyes and I just woke up it was nine pm when the knock on the door cut my dream.

"Sir, there's a package for you," the person on the other side said so I attended. I opened the door and she gave me a small box. I accepted it and thanked her and then went back inside and shut the door.

Where does this come from, I forgot to ask. I didn't order something though, I checked my phone and theres no any notifications. Then I remembered Patrick, what time will he go? He should've told me earlier so I can fetch him or what. Why did I forget this?

But anyway, I shook off my thoughts and check this package first, after opening this I'll message Patrick.

Back to the package, there's a sticker for information pasted outside. Also, there was some small dedication note or something attached.

From: Plant
To: AK (bug)

Just open this, trust me this is not a death threat.

Ps. You know me

My face wrinkled in confusion, what is this for?

I proceeded to open the box and saw random stuff. A plant toy and a bug. I checked what's special with it and I discovered that every time I place the bug near the plant, it magnifies, they stick to each other and now that reminds me of something.

Then I rummaged again on the items left. There's a smaller box and an envelope. I first checked the box and saw some pictures inside. 

I am right, this is from him. This is from Patrick. Why am I receiving this though? He's coming, is this necessary to be delivered? Or is it a delayed package for Christmas?

One by one, I checked on the photos. There are some photos of us two together, a photo of him that was taken by me, and a candid photo of mine. There's a short message written on its back and it's everything about the photo.

Then, I checked on the last item, the envelope. I opened it carefully, scared to rip off the contents inside. 

There's a letter, handwritten by him inside. It's long and I don't know why I'm scared to read it and it took me a while to finally read through it.

Bug,

This is a full-effort gift I ever gave someone, you're so lucky it's you. I can't say any sweet words because you're so annoying. You annoy me every second, even your breathing annoys me. You follow me around, fool around and my system absorbed it. I'm immune to your nuisance. I'm trying not to diss you here but I'm on the verge of doing that so I'll change the "topic". I'll be real, we're like frenemies, we turned friends but we still argue and argue and what. You know, I'm so glad that you show me your different sides, I'm glad you never get tired of my cold treatment on Twitter that you even spam me that I was about to block you but I can't because I'm now used to your presence. In those days I'm torn, you're there. I'm also glad about that 'charity AK' that I want to award you a Nobel Prize on the spot. 

I admit it, you turned into a best friend to me. It's fun to have you, I'm so glad that I think I don't deserve it. This letter, the photos, and the whole package, I'm giving this to you as a token of the friendship we made because I know after this, I can't face you like before. It's a coward move to say it in this way but I'm sorry, I can't make it. You know, I'm really grateful to have you, you helped me a lot, even if I scold you so much and even curse you to death, I'm thankful you bugged me. I know by doing this, it will affect our friendship so I'll tell everything here because you'll probably snob me on socials. YOU'RE THE GREATEST FRENEMY I'VE EVER MET.

PS. After the bug land on the plant, the time will pass that it needs to go back to where it should be. At the end of the day, a bug will find another company, it's maybe another bug or the bug himself.

Yours Truly,
Plant

Numbness is what I felt after. Emotionless, I pick up everything and put it inside the package and close it. I stare at the air blankly and then a knock interrupted me again.

"Sir, I'm sorry for another disturbance but someone's waiting for you downstairs and he says it's urgent,"

A pinch on my heart was felt. Am I hoping? He already said it in the letter, he can't make it. Why am I still hoping?

"Sir, he said he's a friend so I let him in,"

My mouth opened and adrenaline made me stand from my seat and fix myself. There's a small hope inside me that it could be Patrick and there's a big panic that she might let an enemy enter. Who could that be if it's not Patrick?! It's impossible to be Mika because he'll barge in my room.

I'm still fixing myself as I went downstairs. My quick move was getting slower and slower when I saw a tall man's back. He's fixing his hair and he's gorgeously doing it.

I cursed when the guy turned to me and gave me a grin. Suddenly, the last sentence I read in Patrick's letter echoes in my mind.

'At the end of the day, a bug will find another company, it's maybe another bug or the bug himself.'

"Hey there," he greeted still with a grin.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"