The School Idol's Roommate [BL]

The Unwanted Visitor

"What happened?!" Aki blurted out as he took in Zy's appearance. The usual carefree look was gone, replaced by a tear-stained face and disheveled hair as if he ran all the way to the apartment.

"Aki..." Zy hiccuped and clung to Aki for his dear life. Tears pooled in the corner of his big, puffy eyes.

"Wait, let's go inside first," Aki took Zy's arm, half-dragging the other guy to the living room.

Liam peeked out from the kitchen, his brows knitted together. He glanced from Aki to Zy then back again as if asking a silent question. Aki could only shrug. Liam then leaned on the counter and watched Aki bring Zy to the couch, letting his friend sit down.

"Should I leave?" Liam asked, his face impassive.

"No, it's okay. I consider you a friend. I'm sorry for barging in," Zy cast a sorry look that made him look even smaller and more fragile. "It's just that..."

"What happened?" Aki asked softly, sitting beside Zy.

"Drew," Zy's voice cracked. "He--we..."

Aki stared hard at his friend, biting his lips. He did not want to say the words that were on the tip of his tongue but he could not hold back. "Did you break up with Drew?"

"No!" Zy said in such a force that made Aki flinched. He watched as his friend's face fell and his body sagged. Zy pressed his palms over his eyes. "I don't know. I just-- I don't want to see him for now."

"Did you two fight?"

Zy nodded as he buried his head in his hand. "The worst thing he said was, 'Stop acting like a child and stop being clingy.' So I told him fine, we're breaking up! But I didn't mean to. Unless--" he swallowed, "unless he's going to dump me for her."

"He's cheating?!"

His friend nodded again.

Aki felt conflicted. Half of him wanted to comfort Zy. It was like his knee-jerk reaction from being long-time friends. Even before he realized his feelings, he was always overprotective of Zy. They were, after all, each other's ally.

At the same time, he could not find it in him to cruelly judge Drew before even hearing his side of things. He agreed that Zy tended to be too clingy and self-centered. But anything that he would say now would only agitate Zy.

Aki was not sure how to make Zy feel better. At the back of his mind, he thought he would just let his friend blow out some steam by hanging out in the Moonlight or anywhere Zy wanted to go.

He glanced at Liam who was sitting on a stool, looking straight ahead. His face was unreadable.

"Please let me stay here for a few days," Zy tugged at Aki's sleeves. "Please Aki. I'm begging you."

Aki was startled and could only blink at Zy's pleading look. He opened his mouth but no words came out. He cringed inside, giving himself a mental kick. How did he turn down Zy before?

He sighed. Right. He never did.

"Zy, I--" Aki threw a quick glance at Liam. "I'd love to help. But..." Aki flailed and waved his arms at their luggage huddled in a corner.

Zy looked around, noticing the bags and Aki's get-up for the first time. He frowned. "Are you going somewhere?"

"We're going to Liam's hometown," Aki said cautiously as he watched Liam at the corner of his eyes. Somehow, he felt guilty and he did not know why.

Zy's eyes widened a bit and Aki just had a bad feeling about it.

"May I come?"