Chapter 11: Got Me Worried

Alexis frantically searched for his keys, causing a commotion. The door swung open, revealing a disheveled Rei-kun who exclaimed, "Who the heck is bothering me at this hour?" Upon seeing Alexis, Rei-kun was taken aback and inquired, "Is the party finished already?" Alexis embraced Rei-kun tightly. "You fool! You had me so concerned. Where were you?" Rei-kun was taken aback by this unexpected embrace from Alexis, who was usually not fond of hugs and always avoided them, claiming they were uncomfortable and awkward, especially when it came to hugging his older brother. Confused, Rei-kun asked, "Why did you hug me out of nowhere?" Suddenly, it dawned on Rei-kun that Alexis must have been genuinely concerned about him, and he teasingly asked, "Were you really that worried about your big brother? Awww." Reflecting on Rei-kun's comment, Alexis pulled away and retorted, "No, shut up." Alexis asked "Where on earth were you hiding?" Rei-kun said "I already told you, in the shadows." But Alexis persisted, poking and prodding until Rei-kun finally confessed, "I was on a blind date." Alexis was left speechless, his jaw dropping to the floor.

Alexis questioned, "What happened to your alleged feelings? Were they fleeting?" His curiosity was overwhelming. Rei-kun retorted, "I went because my parents forced me, and she tagged along because she was bored," trying to shut down the discussion as fast as possible. But Alexis, being the inquisitive soul he is, persisted, "So, are you two lovebirds now?" Rei-kun exclaimed, "Oh no...! I already mentioned that we were forced into this situation. She even confessed that her childhood friend was Koji, and she has feelings for him..." The mere thought of her liking Koji made him feel like his insides were on fire. Alexis pieced everything together and finally grasped the expression Rei-kun had on his face - pure jealousy. He made the conscious decision not to poke fun at him; realizing Rei-kun wasn't in any real trouble was sufficient, so he let it slide. They both retreated to their separate rooms and drifted off to sleep the moment their heads hit the pillow, exhausted from the day's events.