10

After this he would try to cook something later, clean his room, and maybe take a peaceful nap, yes in this life somehow he did a lot of house cleaning, back then he did not even have the energy to clean his room, living a messy life. Headaches also rarely came, although sometimes he had nightmares. All of that did not interfere with his activities as badly as before.

He looked ahead, at the sturdy back of someone who was playing with cellphone, Ezra frowned, he suddenly remembered the bet they made.

Today was the last day of the exam and a few days later they would get the results, he felt his face getting hotter so he fanned it with a book.

"Pssst, Ezra..." Martin whispered beside him, leaning closer, "Do you know the rumors about Raphael and Bella?"

It seemed that he knew where this conversation was going, however it was kind of strange that the news of Raphael and Bella's relationship did not spread widely, back then it was such big news that everyone in campus were in shock.

It was strange that it had been a week after Raphael and Bella had spoken, he was sure Bella had confessed her feelings, it was a predictable move. Because that also happened in his previous life.

At that time Ezra was in class with Raphael sitting at the front, he saw a woman enter the classroom approaching Raphael's seat. He heard the almost similar conversation from them. Just like what happened back in the library though slightly different, but it was something that would end up being the same.

"Bella confessed her feelings for Raphael, and that bastard Raphael turned her down, imagine rejecting a woman like Bella! tsk, what's wrong with his head?!"

Huh?

Ezra turned slowly to Martin. Alex who was also listening to the conversation, and Edward who moved to sit closer, also listened carefully. This group of guys really like to gossip.

"Bella is a sweet woman, she is a rare gem." Alex added, Edward nodded in agreement.

"Wait, what? He turned her down?"

"You ... Ezra, you were too focused on studying in the library that you didn't know about this, Bella cried after being rejected by Raphael, how could he make such a beautiful woman cry!"

"No way ..."

Ezra made an astonished face, this could not be happening. There was no way Raphael rejected her, they used to date, even though the relationship did not last long, they both looked very happy, they chatted together, ate together. Ezra remembered that moment very clearly, he also remembered that time Ezra tried not to stumble upon meeting the two of them.

This was strange, he did not know what had really happened and what had not happened anymore. Events had changed so much that he felt his heart pounding like it was going to jump out of his chest.

He did not know how to react about this information, Ezra swiftly stood up, took his bag, the three of them simultaneously looked at Ezra with confused eyes but Ezra ignored their curious glances, he walked towards the man who was sitting in front, his eyes still glued to the phone's screen.

Wrinkles were clearly visible on his forehead, he seemed annoyed with something he saw to the point that he did not realize Ezra was standing in front of his desk.

"Raphael."

Raphael flinched, his hand gripped the phone rather roughly, he looked up to see Ezra then put the phone down, suddenly his sullen face changed to his usual Raphael expression.

"Ah, Ezra, what is this? .... Do you perhaps miss me?" Raphael said in a joking tone.

"No." Ezra immediately shook his head, and at that quick reaction Raphael laughed, he then got up from his seat and stepped closer to Ezra.

"You rarely greet me first, are you hungry? want to go to the cafeteria together?"

The question made Ezra aware of his hungry stomach. Though he had planned to cook lunch at home. However Ezra really wanted to talk to this man, there was no way they could talk about that here.

"Yes, I'm hungry."

"Okay, then let's go together."

Nodding again, they walked together towards the cafeteria, this place was surprisingly quieter than usual, probably because many of the students didn't have classes anymore after this.

They sat in a corner, with food on the table, Ezra stared at his food in silence, Raphael looked at him with raised eyebrows. "You don't like it? Should we go somewhere else?"

"No, it's not that ... it's just..."

Not knowing what to say as he still did not know where to start, so Ezra took a fork, ate the pasta and chewed slowly. Raphael's gaze was still on him. After feeling the eyes that never stop staring, Ezra snorted. "Why are you watching me eat? Your pasta will get cold, eat it."

Raphael laughed thinly, he finally took a fork and shoveled the pasta into his mouth. Ezra now looked at Raphael who was eating, curiosity made Ezra straighten his body, he cleared his throat.

Bella was Raphael's only girlfriend, this man even with a handsome face like that, had never dated anyone, always turned down the women who confessed their feelings and Bella was the only woman he accepted.

There were many other beautiful women who approached this man, but he always said 'no', enjoying his single life with that arrogant face, until Bella came to him— Raphael's first girlfriend.

To be honest, Ezra didn't like Bella that much, though that woman was kind and never did anything to be disliked, but there's just strange feeling whenever he saw the two of them interact.

Even so, this was a strange thing, Raphael missed something important happening in his life, even though their relationship did not last long, but would not it be strange if Raphael missed his first dating experience?

"I heard you rejected Bella ..." Ezra finally spoke in a low voice. Raphael suddenly stopped eating.

"Hmm, yes. How do you know?"

"Martin, Edward and Alex."

Raphael chuckled, putting down his fork, he looked at Ezra as if waiting for him to say more.

"Why?"

"Because I don't even like that woman, as simple as that. You know so well that I have never had the desire to be in a relationship," he said it so casually, without the slightest tone of regret.

Ezra felt his brows furrow deeper. Never had the desire to be in a relationship? It did not make any sense, 'Then why did you accept Bella in the first place, in your, no— in my previous life?!' he wanted to ask that but Ezra clicked his tongue, there was no way he could say that. Raphael would think he's crazy.

"Are you sure? Bella is a beautiful woman, she looks perfect for you so—"

Raphael raised his head to look at him. That gaze made Ezra close his lips tightly, unable to continue what he wanted to say. Raphael made a tired face, obviously he did not want to talk about this anymore.

"Do you think Bella is beautiful?"

"Of course I have eyes, so of course Bella looks very beautiful, anyone would say that."

"Ezra do you like her?"

Confusion spread across Ezra's face upon hearing that ridiculous, out of nowhere question, why did he suddenly make that assumption? Raphael's expression turned cold, his eyes fixed on him as if he didn't want to miss a single expression.

"No, I was just wondering why you turned her down."

"You are ridiculous. Do you think it's strange for me to turn down a beautiful woman like her? Even though I've turned down many other beautiful women in the past?" Raphael said sarcastically, pressing his voice on the word 'beautiful women'.

Ezra wanted to reply— yes, it's strange! you accepted her confession in the previous life, so why is it different now-

Raphael's mood seemed to turn bad. The sound of the phone ringing loudly broke their silence, Raphael took his phone from his pocket, now his face looked even more irritated, staring at the object as if he wanted to slam it on the table.

He pressed the phone's screen to stop ringing then turned it off, seeing that Ezra got curious.

"Who?"

"My mom."

"Aunt Regina .. Ah, I haven't seen her for a long time why did you reject her call?"

Raphael clicked his tongue, couldn't hide his annoyance. "She wants me to go home. She said there's an important event and she wants me to come."

This suddenly reminded him, Raphael's house wasn't that far from this university yet he lived in the same apartment building as Ezra, this man was really strange, there were so many things he could not understand about this man even though they were friends since childhood.

Ezra sighed, he felt his head throb, his headache came back again.

"Aunt Regina misses her son, it's only natural for a mother to want her child to come home."

"Aha, yes... That woman is noisy and always telling me to go home."

"Then go home, after the exams are over we'll have a few days off anyway...., so go back to your big mansion and spend your time with her."

"Then you come with me."

A low soft voice that made his chest constrict, Raphael stared at him, waiting for an answer. Ezra, picking up his fork again, fiddled with his pasta.

It reminded him of that offer, one he refused along time ago. Right after the shipwreck incident, Raphael always wanted him to move to his mansion, to stay there. And because of that Ezra stopped talking to him, avoiding Raphael, he was fed up with Raphael who kept asking it every time he opened his mouth.

Even though Raphael knew Ezra's answer was always no, the man persistently wanted Ezra to stay with him, at the Winchens mansion.

"I mean ... don't worry. I'm not asking you to move there, it's just a visit to my mom, a visit! My mom misses you too, it's been a long time."

Raphael, took the water bottle and drank it, moistening his lips with the water, Ezra tilted his head looking at the man for a moment, for some reason there was a glint of disappointment in his eyes.

"I don't think I will go," he muttered. As if having already guessed such an answer from Ezra's lips, Raphael laughed bitterly.

"Therefore," he said, "I don't want to go there either."

"That doesn't make sense, it's your house."

"There's no way I'd leave you alone."

"Raphael ... I know you know my condition but I don't need your pity, I'm not weak."

It was always like this, Raphael who was secretly watching over Ezra. Ezra didn't want this, didn't want to be pitied, especially by this man, he had shown too much weakness in front of this one man.

And that feeling of being vulnerable somehow, he was afraid of that, he was afraid of losing control of himself, depending too much on this man, feeling an attachment— it was scary.

Because if you suddenly lost that person, if Raphael decided to break their bond then Ezra would be completely be alone in this world, it would be more difficult to get rid of that loss if you were used to always depending on that person.

It was still hard for him to shake off his sadness after the death of his parents, he used to always lean on his parents, losing them taught him not to get too attached to anyone.

"I don't pity you, I care about you because you are precious to me."

Ezra's hand that was holding the fork suddenly halted, he looked at Raphael, those blue eyes looking at him gently, the image of a sincere heart that could not be hidden.

-I don't pity you- He was telling the truth, but why was it so hard for him to believe? Ezra had no idea.

They ate quietly after that, neither spoke, just the sound of plate against fork clanking, and when they were done, Raphael offered to walk back to their apartment together.

Somehow the silence made his heart beat stronger, his head was throbbing, and Ezra silently clutched the medicine box in his pocket, weighing whether or not to take the pills. His head felt like it was about to explode, his chest felt hot.

Occasionally hearing faint conversations from a distance, the two men who were walking side by side to go to the same place remained silent, Raphael did not speak and Ezra also kept his mouth shut.

Today was strange. Ezra felt strange.