15. Iam sorry

Karel could only stand frozen, his lips slightly parted, but no words came out. He suddenly remembered. The scar that was on his back. 

A wound from long ago, one that no longer hurt, but must have still left behind dark, rough scabs, glaring and noticeable.

"It... it doesn't hurt anymore, don't worry..." Karel tried to calm Arthur's anger by holding his shoulder.

However, before he could finish his words, Arthur had already pulled him into an embrace. His movement was careful, as if afraid to hurt that fragile back.

The hug felt cautious, and Karel could feel Arthur's broad chest rise and fall with heavy breaths, as if the man was holding back a sea of emotions.

"This must hurt..." Arthur's voice trembled, soft, almost like a whisper. His trembling fingers gently pressed on Karel's back, tracing the abnormal scar. He swore that whoever made Karel suffer would pay back tenfold.

Karel didn't respond. He remained silent, letting himself be engulfed by Arthur's embrace.

There was something calming about the warmth of the man's body, the distinct masculine scent, and the way his fingers held him as though Karel was the most precious thing in the world.

Arthur slowly loosened his embrace, then looked at Karel's face with eyes still red from anger, but now with a softness slipping through.

Carefully, Arthur guided Karel to sit on the sofa, then reached for the shirt that had been carelessly thrown aside. With great attention, he draped it over Karel's shoulders and began to button it up, one button at a time.

His large, sturdy fingers were so careful when they touched Karel's skin, as if each touch could hurt him further. Once done, Arthur sat beside him, taking Karel's hand into his grasp.

Then Arthur looked into Karel's eyes. His eyes, still red from anger, seemed softer now. "Tell me"

Karel looked at Arthur, trying to find the right words. "It... it's a family punishment. Last month... I got bad grades, so..."

After hearing this, Arthur's jaw tightened, and his muscles tensed. However, not wanting to frighten Karel, he took a deep breath, trying to calm his raging emotions.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Karel didn't answer immediately. He knew the original Karel had too much pride to let anyone know his weaknesses. 

Arthur lowered his head, unable to look at his lover's face, feeling like he had failed to protect the person he loved, sinking deeper into guilt, especially since it had all happened indirectly because of him. 

He lowered his head, his forehead almost touching Karel's shoulder "I'm sorry..."

"It's been a long time, so it doesn't hurt anymore" Karel gave a small, bitter smile while fixing the buttons on his shirt. 

He thought Arthur was going to do something else because Arthur hurriedly took off his shirt., but well.

Suddenly, Arthur stood up from the sofa, pulling Karel to his feet with him. His hand gripped Karel's wrist tightly, as if afraid that if he let go, Karel would disappear.

"let's go to the hospital."

However, Karel just smiled faintly, feeling warmth seeping into his heart because there was someone who cared so much about him. At least, one person who truly cared. "Don't worry, I already saw a doctor."

"I'm still not convinced."

Karel sighed lightly, then gently pulled Arthur back down to sit on the sofa. Without saying anything, he slowly laid his head on Arthur's lap, letting himself drown in the warmth the man offered.

He then reached for Arthur's hand and placed it on his head, letting Arthur's fingers feel his hair. For a moment, he felt drowsiness creeping over him.

Arthur could only sigh deeply. Even so, his heart was not entirely at ease. Carefully, he gently stroked Karel's head.

"I'm fine" Karel said in a softer tone, trying to calm Arthur's concerns.

o0o

The busy atmosphere of the cafeteria felt in stark contrast to the three young men standing out in the corner near the large window. 

The sound of laughter and chatter from other tables mixed with the clattering of knives and forks, but at their table, everything was quiet, each immersed in their own activity.

Jake, with a serious face and intense concentration, pressed his phone's screen hard. In front of him, the food that was supposed to be eaten had already cooled, but Jake's seemed unfazed.

His right hand kept moving swiftly, while his mouth occasionally muttered in frustration, yet his eyes never left the phone's screen.

Next to him, Rafael appeared far more relaxed. Sitting with one hand on his phone, he flashed a wide smile, showing his teeth every time he pressed the screen.

Raka, sitting across from them with his focus on the MotoGP broadcast on his phone, glanced at Rafael. "Rafael, Your teeth not dry?" his voice was full of sarcasm, but his eyes still fixed on the screen showing a fierce race.

Rafael closed his mouth and only briefly looked away, then raised his middle finger to Raka without stopping his game.

"Yashhh, shit" Jake's curse was louder, making the atmosphere even more chaotic. 

With a frustrated expression, Jake threw his phone onto the table with a rough motion, and the phone nearly flipped over when it landed.

The small commotion made a few people in the cafeteria glance their way, briefly observing without really caring. However, Rafael, startled by Jake's reaction, quickly turned to glare angrily. "Shut up!"

Rafael got up from his seat, his body swaying slightly from the shock. "No, Prince, my friend just caused some commotion" he mumbled into his phone.

Jake, still looking annoyed, glared at Rafael with sharp eyes. Slowly, he brought his mouth closer to Raka's ear. "I thought Rafael is crazy? I noticed he was speaking some weird language to himself"

Raka, still engrossed in the motorcycle battle he was watching, simply shrugged without looking away. "I dont care, maybe he's on the phone with someone" he replied casually, as if he didn't care about what was happening around him.

"Better he makes a call, I see him pressing his phone while laughing like a maniac" Raka said, glancing at Rafael, who seemed busy with his game.

"Why do you guys look so serious?" shouted Ervin, who had just arrived and sat in the empty seat next to Raka, not forgetting to grab some of Raka's fries.

"Hey, hey, those are mine!"

"Why are you so stingy? I don't mind that you damaged my car yesterday" Ervin responded casually, chewing the fries he'd just taken, unfazed.

"Stop, are you guys even listening to me? I suspect Rafael is dating his game" Jake said, but he was ignored by Raka and Ervin, who were too caught up in their argument.

"No problem? You even secretly took my money for a car that only had a scratch." Raka shouted to Ervin, still ignoring Jake.

Seeing this, Jake dropped his shoulders in defeat. He was thoroughly fed up with all the noise.

"Better head to the my darling fairy class" he muttered before leaving the cafeteria.

In a quieter corner, Daniel, sitting alone, glanced briefly toward Karel's friends' table, which was in the middle of chaos. 

His eyes drifted for a moment, hoping to spot Karel among them. But Karel was nowhere to be found. Usually, the five of them would always eat together, but this time, Karel seemed to have disappeared from their gathering.

Daniel felt somewhat relieved, because in the past few weeks, he had always been near Karel, and some of his classmates had started avoiding him out of fear of getting involved with Karel.

Daniel's hand automatically reached for the book lying on the table. He flipped through a few pages and looked at the pictures of Karel that he had secretly drawn between his school notes. His eyes lingered on one of the drawings for a moment, his lips pressed tightly together, trying to hide feelings that were hard to explain.

Suddenly, the voice of a girl broke the silence, "Daniel, hello!" The shout made him panic for a moment. Quickly, he closed his book and looked up, only to find a girl standing in front of him, smiling with a friendly expression on her face.

"Can I sit here?" the girl asked with a smile, her eyes sparkling though she seemed a bit hurried.

Daniel simply nodded, there was no reason to refuse. After all, this wasn't his seat. He continued eating his meal calmly.

"Is Karel still bullying you? That kid is such a mess, that's just how he is. I'm sorry about Karel"

Daniel immediately narrowed his eyes, distaste showing on his face. He knew exactly who this girl was. She was the one rumored to be the girl Karel liked, yet here she was, speaking about Karel in an unpleasant way.

Despite that, Daniel chose not to respond and continued eating quietly, trying to maintain his composure.

Seeing Daniel's silent response, the girl huffed in annoyance. Why were so many guys ignoring her lately? Even Karel, who used to always chase after her, now seemed to disappear from her sight.

However, in order to maintain her soft image, the girl decided to smile and try to find another topic of conversation. "Is this your book? Wow, students in the science department are so diligent" she said, attempting to start a conversation with a cheerful tone.

By talking to a poor student, she hoped to raise her image again, especially since the cafeteria was crowded enough for others to witness her actions.

o0o

This will be a new story, with Rafael as the main character.

[BL] My Boyfriend in the Game

An advertisement for the simulation game "My Duke" caught Rafael's interest, prompting him to download it. He could even communicate directly with the in-game characters.

This simulation game is incredibly realistic in its graphics, bringing every detail of life in the British royal era to life, and the character he plays seems perfect. Over time, he becomes addicted and even dreams of entering the game world.