Chapter 1.4

As the last bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, Maya turned to Rael with a bright smile. "Rael, let's all go home together and study. You, me, Rishi, and Theo."

Rael hesitated, glancing at Rishi, who stood beside her, arms crossed in his usual composed manner. Theo, leaning lazily against a desk, raised a brow as if he had no interest in studying but also no desire to refuse outright.

"I think I'll just head home—"

"Come on, it'll be fun!" Maya cut in before he could finish. "We barely get to study together."

Rishi nodded in agreement. "It'll be more productive if we all study as a group."

Rael glanced away, discomfort stirring in his chest. It was always like this. No matter how much he tried to distance himself, they would pull him back in.

Before he could protest further, Joey interjected with a cheerful tone, "Oh no, then who's going to walk me home? I'm afraid of going alone, you see. And since my place is close to Rael's, I guess he'll just have to come with me."

Rael turned to Joey, caught off guard by the sudden claim. Joey looked at him with an innocent smile, as if what he said was completely reasonable.

Maya blinked. "Joey, I didn't know you were scared of walking home alone."

Joey placed a hand on his chest, feigning distress. "Ah, it's a terrible fear of mine. Who knows what could happen to a delicate soul like me?"

Theo snorted. "Yeah, right."

Rael exhaled quietly, shaking his head. "Fine, I'll walk with Joey."

"Great!" Joey beamed, grabbing Rael's arm and pulling him toward the exit. "See you all tomorrow!"

As they walked, the sun had begun to set, casting a warm glow over the streets. The silence between them stretched for a while until Rael suddenly asked, "Today in the cafeteria, what did you mean?"

Joey blinked, pretending to be confused. "Huh? What do you mean, what did I mean?"

Rael gave him a blank stare.

Joey sighed dramatically. "Alright, alright. If you must know—I'm just observant. I could tell there was something complicated between you, Rishi, and Maya."

Rael frowned slightly but didn't argue. Joey continued, "But hey, don't worry. I don't plan to poke into your personal matters. I just think you deserve better."

Rael didn't respond immediately, instead staring ahead in quiet contemplation.

As they neared Joey's home, dark clouds loomed overhead, and a light drizzle began to fall. By the time they reached the mansion's grand entrance, the drizzle had turned into heavy rain.

Joey turned to Rael with a grin. "Looks like you're stuck here for a while. You should come in."

Rael hesitated, glancing up at the dark sky. "I should get home—"

Joey placed a hand on his shoulder, gently pushing him toward the door. "Come on, it's raining. You'll get soaked. Besides, I have spare clothes."

Realizing he didn't have much of a choice, Rael exhaled and pulled out his phone, quickly sending a message to his mother: "I'll be home late. Staying at a friend's place because of the rain."

With that, he followed Joey inside.

The warmth of the mansion enveloped him as they stepped in. It was grand yet welcoming, a stark contrast to his own home. Joey stretched, running a hand through his slightly damp hair. "Alright, let's get you into something dry. You can take a shower too."

Rael hesitated. "I don't want to trouble you."

Joey waved a hand dismissively. "No trouble at all! I'd hate for you to catch a cold because of me."

Before Rael could argue further, Joey had already started leading him upstairs. The air between them shifted slightly—something almost electric lingering in the atmosphere.

Joey glanced back with a playful smile. "I have some pretty nice clothes. Who knows? You might look better in them than me."

Rael scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Unlikely."

He stepped into the bathroom of Joey's room, clearly forgetting to ask for clothes.

As the water wash over him, neither too hot or cold,his body and mind both relaxed from nervousness he hided well under the guise of indifference.

---

Rael stepped out of the bathroom, steam curling behind him as he clutched the towel tightly around his waist. His usual clothes were damp from the rain, and he had completely forgotten to ask Joey for anything else to wear. The realization had only hit him after he had stepped out of the shower, leaving him with no choice but to emerge like this.

Joey, lounging lazily on his bed, glanced up—and promptly blinked. Then, as if the sight had fully registered, he grinned. "Well, well, Rael, I didn't know you were this fit. Should I be jealous?"

Rael stiffened. "Shut up."

Oblivious to Rael's growing embarrassment, Joey leaned forward, resting his chin in his palm. "Seriously though, how do you get abs like that? I do sit-ups, but all I get is pain."

Rael turned his head away, his ears burning. "Hard work."

"Oh? Do I need to start working hard too?" Joey mused, completely unaware of how his innocent admiration was making Rael more flustered.

Rael exhaled sharply and cleared his throat. "Give me something to wear already."

Joey finally hopped off the bed, still grinning, and handed Rael some of his clothes. "Here. They're probably a little loose on you, but I bet you'll look cute."

Rael snatched them from his hands and disappeared back into the bathroom, ignoring Joey's teasing laugh that followed him.