It's not what she expected 12!

Putri and Dewi sat amidst the clatter of cutlery in the cafeteria, the air between them thick with unspoken tensions. Their conversation—a fragile bridge over the storm of recent conflicts—had dwindled to uneasy pauses.

"Done lecturing me yet? I should go… need to buy something," Dewi muttered, avoiding Fitri's gaze. A flimsy excuse; truthfully, she couldn't bear another probing word from her.

"Fine," Putri sighed, swirling the dregs of her juice. "But remember what I said. Make things right with Sebastian, okay? He's your closest friend. Apologize." Her tone softened, yet carried the weight of finality. She slung her bag over her shoulder, the gesture punctuating her sermon.

"O-Okey. I'll… head out then. Was supposed to meet a friend earlier, but you'd appeared from nowhere so—" Putri shrugged, trailing off. The lie hung like mist.

"Take care," Dewi replied flatly, watching as Putri vanished past the cafeteria doors.

---

The moment the footsteps faded, Dewi slumped. "Huff… Thank God I didn't slip up about that stuff."

" ahh i forgot that i will talk with her and Farhan, ah... Whatever, i will talk that matters tomorrow"

The sinking sun painted the room in amber, and Dewi, too, retreated—back to the borrowed sanctuary of Emeka's apartment. Three months now, she'd folded herself into its corners, a transient ghost navigating a life half-lived. Problems clung to her like shadows, and tonight, they'd follow her into the dim solitude of that unfamiliar room.

—

In another wing of the world, Sebastian and Rian were tangled in the languid aftermath of intimacy, the air thick with whispered promises and the musk of shared sweat. A sudden, insistent knock shattered the silence—a fist against wood, urgent and unrelenting.

"Ugh, who the hell is that?" Rian growled, his voice still rough with desire. The intrusion scraped against his nerves like a blade.

Sebastian traced a finger along Rian's jaw, his touch featherlight. "Don't be cruel. Open it—might be someone in trouble," he chided, though his lips quirked with amusement.

Rian sighed, pressing a lingering kiss to Sebastian's temple before dragging himself to the door. His steps were heavy, not with fatigue, but with resentment.

The door creaked open.

"Farhan?" Rian's voice sharpened. "What are you doing here?"

"nothing, i just want to tell you something about..."

Fews seconds later, Farhan's eyes widened, his rehearsed speech crumbling as he glimpsed Sebastian behind Rian—shirtless, tousled, and radiating a defiance that made Farhan's throat tighten. "Sebastian! You're here too!" he chirped, sidestepping Rian like a serpent slipping through grass. "I've got news—"

Rian stood frozen, his pulse a drumbeat of rage. 'That smug little viper.'

Sebastian tilted his head, curiosity piqued. "What news?"

"A secret," Farhan purred, leaning closer. "Between Dewi and Emeka."

Sebastian stiffened. "What?How do you know—?"

"Not yet, but I'll find out." Farhan's grin widened. "How about dinner next week? I'll spill everything—"

Rian snapped.

He lunged, fingers clawing into Farhan's collar, slamming him against the wall until the plaster groaned. "YOU DARE FLIRT WITH MY BOYFRIEND?" he roared, the words raw and primal, a feral thing unleashed.

Farhan scoffed, his smirk sharp enough to cut glass. "Your boyfriend? Really? I thought you two were just… close friends." The lie dripped with mock innocence, his eyes darting to Sebastian's bare torso.

Rian's knuckles whitened around the doorframe. " Are you blind or just delusional?" he hissed, stepping forward until his shadow swallowed Farhan's. "Look at us. You think friends lounge around half-naked? Wake up."

A beat of silence. Then—

"Fine. I'll take that dinner offer," Sebastian interjected, voice calm, as if untangling a math problem.

Farhan's grin turned feral. "See? Some people appreciate my company." He tossed a wink at Rian. "Later, Tian." The door slammed shut, leaving the nickname hanging like poison in the air.

'Tian?' Sebastian's brow furrowed. A name only his mother used. How did Farhan—?

Before he could dwell, Rian whirled on him, eyes blazing. "You're seriously accepting a date with that vulture?" His voice cracked, raw as an open wound. "Do I mean nothing to you?"

Sebastian cupped Rian's face, thumbs brushing the tears threatening to spill. "It's not a date. I need to know what he's scheming about Dewi and Emeka. Trust me." He pressed their foreheads together, breath warm and pleading. "I'll make it up to you. Anything you want."

Rian trembled—a storm of hurt and want. "Anything?" he whispered, the word a blade balanced between threat and hunger. "Then… let me finish inside you tonight. It's been weeks." His voice dropped, rough with need. "Say no, and I swear I'll burn this whole place down."

Sebastian's laugh was velvet. "Deal. Now stop pouting."

Rian collapsed into his arms, burying his face in Sebastian's neck. Eighty-five percent. That's how much of his heart he'd surrendered—a reckless, irreversible plunge. Sebastian was his gravity, his oxygen. Without him, Rian would crumble into stardust, unmoored and infinite.