Ape

Noah held his phone to his ear, listening as Liam spoke.

"Hurry, download it," Liam said casually.

Noah blinked, adjusting the bag of cup noodles in his other hand. "Okay...downloading it now."

"Good." Liam paused for a second before adding, "Gotta go, the sexy nurse is here."

The call ended.

Noah stared at his phone for a second before muttering, "This simp."

Shaking his head, he walked inside Liam's house.

The place was quiet. Liam was still in the hospital with Ethan, and the others were at school. As he kicked off his shoes, his phone vibrated.

Liam had added him to the group chat.

Noah opened the chat. Maiya, Kevin, Ryan, and Sarah were talking about random stuff, but Kevin had also sent some reference images for Arthur the Failure.

Noah settled at the table, took out his tablet, and started sketching.

---

Noah took a deep breath, staring at the blank canvas on his screen. His fingers hovered over the stylus for a moment before he slowly started outlining Arthur's first form—the child version.

Arthur was a boy at this stage. Innocent. Full of dreams.

Noah started with the head, carefully sketching out the roundness of the boy's face, making sure it looked soft and youthful. He gave Arthur large, expressive eyes, making them wide and full of wonder.

The hair was next. Arthur's golden-blond hair had a slightly messy, fluffy look—like a kid who ran around too much but still had a charm to him. Noah took his time adding strands, giving the hair depth and movement instead of making it a stiff, lifeless block.

Then came the eyes—bright blue. Noah spent extra time on them, layering different shades to make them pop. He added small highlights, making sure they had that spark of childhood innocence.

He moved to the body next, sketching out Arthur's frame. He was small, almost fragile-looking, dressed in a simple tunic with a slightly oversized belt, like a kid trying to wear his father's clothes. His hands were slightly curled, fidgeting, unsure of himself—subtle details that made him feel alive.

Noah zoomed in and refined the details, making sure the fabric had a slight wrinkle where it folded. He erased and redrew the folds several times until they looked natural.

Then came the coloring.

Blending soft peach tones for the skin, he carefully shaded the cheeks, giving Arthur that youthful glow. For the hair, he blended different shades of yellow and gold, making sure it didn't look flat. The eyes took extra effort, making them appear glassy and full of light.

Noah leaned back, staring at his work so far.

Arthur looked… real.

For the first time in a while, Noah felt like he wasn't forcing himself. The drawing was coming naturally, flowing from him without hesitation.

His lips curled into the tiniest smile.

Maybe… maybe he could do this.

He reached for his cup noodles, taking a quick bite before returning to his work.

But just as he was about to refine the shading, a sudden knock echoed through the house.

Noah froze, chopsticks still in his mouth.

That was weird. Liam was still in the hospital. And if Maiya, Kevin, Sarah, or even Ryan were to come here, they would just barge in without knocking. They never knocked.

Slowly, Noah got up and walked toward the front door. He hesitated for a second before opening it.

A guy stood there.

He was tall, around 5'11, with black hair in a mullet cut. Piercings lined his ears, and his sharp eyes locked onto Noah with an intense gaze.

"Who are you?" the guy asked. His voice was deep. Very deep.

Noah's throat went dry. His anxiety spiked as he tried to form words. "I-I... u-uh... N-Noah..."

The guy's eyes narrowed. "Noah? Where's he?"

"W-where's who?"

"Liam. Liam Hayes. Where is he?"

Noah's stomach twisted. Was this one of Luke's guys? If he was, then admitting he knew Liam might be dangerous.

"I-I d-don't know any L-Liam..."

The guy's expression darkened. His hand shot out, grabbing Noah by the collar.

"Are you fucking with me?" he snapped. "Who are you, and why are you in his house? Are you a thief, you little shit?"

Noah's heart pounded in his chest. The guy's whole aura was terrifying. His grip was tight, and his presence alone made Noah feel small.

"A-answer... I-I d-don't k-know w-what y-you're t-talking about..." Noah stammered, his legs shaking.

The guy released him with a frustrated sigh. "What? Did I get the wrong address? No, I'm sure this is his house..." He muttered to himself, rubbing his chin.

Noah stayed frozen, still too scared to move.

Then the guy looked back at him. "What's your full name?"

"N-N-Noah... A-Anderson..."

The moment he said it, the guy's expression changed completely.

"Anderson?" His eyes flashed with rage. "Are you Henry's member?"

Before Noah could even process what was happening, the guy grabbed him again and *threw* him across the street.

Noah crashed hard against a wall. Pain shot through his entire body, and he barely had time to react before he heard a voice yelling.

"What did you do to Liam, you Anderson scum?"

Noah could barely breathe. His body screamed in pain, but his mind was finally piecing things together.

This guy... he wasn't an enemy. He wasn't part of Luke's crew.

He was a friend of Liam's.

He wanted to explain, but the pain was too much.

The guy stormed toward him, grabbing him by the collar again. He raised a fist, about to punch Noah.

Then a loud voice screamed.

"Wait! Oscar, you idiot!"

The guy—Oscar—froze. He turned his head, confused.

Sarah came running, her face filled with anger. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

Oscar blinked. "What do you mean? I'm beating up Henry's gang."

Sarah slapped him on the back of his head. "You idiot!"

"Ouch! What did I do?"

"He's a member of the group!"

Oscar looked at Noah, then back at Sarah. "What? But... wait... what?"

Sarah rolled her eyes. "You ape."

"But his last name is Anderson."

"Yeah, so? He's Henry's *brother*."

Oscar grabbed Sarah's shoulders. "Wait, he's dangerous if he's Henry's brother. Let me kill him."

Sarah smacked him again. "Did you *just* forget what I told you?"

"But he said he didn't know Liam when he was inside Liam's house!"

Sarah sighed. "I don't know? Maybe he thought you were a good-for-nothing ape."

"That hurts," Oscar muttered.

"Shut up and bring him inside," Sarah ordered.

Oscar grumbled but lifted Noah up. "Fine, fine..."

As they walked toward the house, Noah let out a weak, pained groan.

Today was not his day