14. The Shocking Post

Inside the Villa – Nighttime

  Hanu quietly opened the bedroom door and slipped inside, gently closing it behind him. But the moment it clicked shut—

  "AAAAAAAAAAHH!!"

  He jumped up and down on the spot, hugged a pillow, and then threw himself onto the bed. His cheeks flushed red like a ripe tomato.

  "Oh my God… he told me to sleep well! Oh my God… HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO SLEEP WELL NOW?!"

  He bounced around again, this time clinging to the pillow and letting out a high-pitched squeal.

  Unbeknownst to him, the bathroom door—connected to the room—began to creak open slowly.

  Zio stepped out, towel-drying his hair… and froze.

  His gaze locked on Hanu, who was hopping like he had just won the lottery, cheeks blazing and face… well, absurd.

  "…Hanu?" Zio called, his voice cautious and full of disbelief.

  Hanu froze. Slowly, he turned around, horror splashed across his face.

  "Z-Z-Zio?!" His voice barely made it out.

  Zio pointed at him. "You… what were you just doing?"

  "I-I-I WAS S-S-STRETCHING!" Hanu blurted out in panic.

  Zio squinted. "Stretching? You were literally hopping and grinning like crazy."

  "No, no, it's part of this, uh... expressive yoga technique!" Hanu lied shamelessly.

  Zio grew more suspicious. "Your face is super red. Where were you?"

  "I didn't go anywhere!" Hanu shouted, bolting into the bathroom. "I'M TAKING A SHOWER NOW!"

  SLAM!

  The bathroom door shut fast, followed immediately by the sound of running water.

  Zio stood still, completely stunned by the bizarre scene that had just unfolded.

  "…Okay, that was beyond suspicious," he muttered.

  Meanwhile, behind the bathroom door, Hanu stood under the stream of water, hands covering his face.

  "Oh my god… he saw me… But—but… ROBIN REALLY WIPED IT WITH HIS THUMB AND THEN LICKED IT?! OH MY GODDDD!!"

  He started bouncing under the shower again, not caring that the water soaked him head to toe. That night… he knew he would never forget.

---

Villa Bedroom – Later That Night

  Hanu emerged from the bathroom with damp hair, wearing a loose t-shirt and comfy shorts.

  His face was still tinted pink—whether from the warm shower or the lingering effects of Robin, even he didn't know.

  He flopped onto the bed next to Zio, who was already lying down, scrolling on his phone.

  "Ugh… exhausted," Hanu murmured, pulling the blanket up to his chest.

  Zio glanced sideways. "What? Why so sluggish now? You were bouncing around like a maniac earlier."

  Hanu didn't reply. He just smiled faintly and picked up his phone, opening the photo gallery.

  He scrolled through the pictures from earlier that afternoon—selfies with Robin, a few candid shots of Robin looking out to sea, and… the one he liked best: Robin's tilted head mid-laugh.

  Hanu's smile widened. His cheeks turned pink again.

  Zio stared at him from the side. "Hanu… what is wrong with you? Seriously, you've been acting super weird."

  "What do you mean weird?" Hanu asked without looking away from his screen.

  "You've been smiling to yourself, your face is red, you were jumping around—wait a sec… are you in love?!"

  Hanu snapped his head toward him. "No!" he said quickly.

  Zio narrowed his eyes. "Where did you go just now? Be honest."

  "We… just went for a walk," Hanu replied casually, trying to sound cool.

  "A walk where?" Zio pressed.

  "To the… beach," Hanu mumbled. "Sunset. In Ancol."

  Zio's jaw dropped. "Ancol?! On that borrowed motorbike from the villa staff?! Are you DATING?!"

  "No!" Hanu protested. "We just… sat, had some ice cream, walked around… ran a bit… took photos…"

  Zio hugged his pillow. "YOU WENT ON A DATE!"

  "No, Zio!" Hanu slapped his own pillow. "I swear, we just enjoyed the afternoon! At the beach! With… the bodyguard!"

  Zio's eyes bulged. "The bodyguard? You mean… Robin?!"

  Hanu gave a sheepish grin. "Hehehe…"

  "Oh my God… you really have a crush on him, don't you?!"

  Before Hanu could answer, he quickly opened Instagram. He selected a photo he'd secretly snapped earlier—Robin staring out at the sea, soft evening light framing his face like a movie poster.

  Hanu typed a short caption:

  "With this one guarding me, the world just feels safe.🖤"

  Post.

  Within seconds, the notifications exploded.

  Ten seconds later…

  ❤️ 3,204 Likes

  💬 812 Comments

  Comments poured in:

  > "WHO IS THIS?! HE'S SO HANDSOME??!"

  > "PLS DON'T TEASE US, HANU! THAT'S OUR BODYGUARD NOW!"

  > "THIS IS TOTALLY HANU'S BOYFRIEND! LOOK AT THAT VIBE!"

  > "I'M NOT JEALOUS BUT I'M JEALOUS."

  Zio, peeking over Hanu's shoulder, immediately smacked him with a pillow.

  "ARE YOU CRAZY?! WHY DID YOU POST THAT?! YOUR FANS ARE LOSING IT! AND THAT CAPTION IS TOO CUTE!!"

  Hanu buried his face in the pillow, giggling in panic. "I WAS JUST MESSING AROUND! OH MY GOD!"

  Zio flailed. "YOUR JOKES ARE GIVING HALF THE FANBASE A HEART ATTACK!! IF THE MANAGER SEES THIS, WE'LL GET DRAGGED INTO ANOTHER CLARIFICATION VIDEO!"

  Hanu curled up under the blanket. "But… the photo is nice, right?"

  Zio stared at him in disbelief. "What is wrong with you? When did you turn into such a lovesick fool…"

  Before Zio could continue ranting, Hanu's phone buzzed again—this time a new DM.

  Robin: "That photo's of me, right? Maybe add a bit of filter next time… but nah, it still looks cool. Thanks."

  Hanu's face turned crimson. He let out a squeaky scream and dove into the bed, hugging his phone tightly.

  "Aaaaaaaaahhh… he texted… he texted!!"

  Zio could only watch in horror, shaking his head slowly.

  "Yup. I'm filing a report with the villa psychologist tomorrow."

---

Somewhere in Another Room

  Robin had just finished his shower. He sat on the chair near the window, hair still damp, his loose shirt clinging lightly to his toned figure, phone in hand.

  He opened Instagram, just to check the usual notifications. But then, something caught his eye—a new post right at the top.

  @hanuKyl__: "With this one guarding me, the world just feels safe.🖤"

  Robin's brows furrowed. He tapped on the post.

  One second.

  Two seconds.

  Three seconds.

  He stared at a candid shot of himself gazing out at the ocean. The sunset cast a soft glow around him. But what truly caught his attention… was the caption.

  Robin raised an eyebrow slightly. Then… smiled.

  He held his phone for a few quiet moments, not doing anything, just staring at the screen. The corners of his lips tugged up gently.

  Without thinking too hard, he typed:

  Robin: "That photo's of me, right? Maybe add a bit of filter next time… but nah, it still looks cool. Thanks."

  And hit send.