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The morning after, sunlight gently lit the room, casting soft glow on the sheets. William woke first, eyes still hazy from sleep, his body heavy but his heart light. For a moment, he just watched Est — the way his face was half-buried in the pillow, his hair in soft disarray, one hand resting near William’s side as if unconsciously seeking him out even in sleep. His lips were parted slightly, breathing slow and even.
William smiled to himself and leaned forward, brushing a kiss against his cheek.
“Stop,” Est mumbled groggily, swatting lazily at his face without opening his eyes.
William laughed. “We need to get up or we’ll be late for school.”
Est groaned, scooting closer until his forehead bumped against William’s shoulder. “Can’t we just skip school today, please? I’m so tired.”
William’s eyes softened. “After that long drive and our late-night activities,” he teased with a low chuckle, “I completely understand.”
Est’s eyes shot open as he glared at him, his voice sharp despite the sleep still clinging to him. “Can you just shut up and go back to sleep?”
William laughed again. “You’re always so cranky when you wake up.” He leaned in and pressed a kiss on Est’s forehead. “Go on, sleep some more. I’ll buy us breakfast.”
Est let out a sleepy smile, his voice barely above a whisper. “Thanks, Willy.”
William froze, eyes widening before a grin spread slowly across his face. “Willy?”
“Please don’t start,” Est sighed, eyes still closed.
“I like that,” William murmured, voice quieter, fond and sincere. He brushed a few stray hairs off Est’s face and pressed one last kiss to his cheek before slipping out of bed.
_
When Est woke again, it was almost noon. The room was bright and lazy with sunlight. The scent of coffee and warm pastries lingered in the air.
He found William in the living room, sprawled comfortably on the couch, watching something on TV.
“Hey,” Est said, voice still rough from sleep as he sank down beside him, leaning into his warmth. “Why didn’t you wake me up?”
William smiled and draped an arm around his waist. “You looked too peaceful. I didn’t have the heart to wake you. Breakfast’s on the table, but lunch is already on the way.”
“I’ll just wait for lunch,” Est murmured, settling his head against William’s shoulder, eyes half-closed again.
“Okay,” William replied softly, absentmindedly running his fingers through Est’s hair.
The quiet stretched, broken only by the low hum of the TV and the rhythmic brushing of William’s fingers. For a while, everything felt still, perfect in its ordinariness.
But the peace cracked when Est remembered his swim practice. He sighed, sitting up and reaching for his phone.
“Who are you texting?” William asked, glancing at him.
“Dunk,” Est said, scrolling through his contacts before pressing call.
The line connected after a few rings.
“Hello?” Dunk’s voice came through, muffled and distant.
“Dunk, I won’t be able—” Est began, but someone called for Dunk in the background.
“Est, can you just text me, please? Sorry, I’ve got to go.” Dunk’s voice was rushed. Then the line went dead before Est could respond.
He stared at the phone for a moment, frowning.
“What’s wrong?” William asked, noticing the shift in his expression.
“It’s Dunk,” Est said, his tone tinged with concern. “He’s been weird lately. Secretive.”
William turned down the volume of the TV. “Really? I didn’t notice anything.”
Est rubbed the back of his neck, thinking. “Well, he didn’t show up the last time we had that Harry Potter marathon. We couldn’t even reach him. Even during lunch or after practice — he always leaves in a hurry.”
William’s voice was calm. “He’s probably just busy.”
“Yeah,” Est muttered, unconvinced. “But it’s not like him.”
He started typing instead:
Est: Dunk, can you please tell coach I don’t feel well and will skip practice today?
Dunk: Okay. Sorry for hanging up, something came up.
Est: Thank you. But are you okay? Talk to me, Dunk.
Dunk: Nothing to worry about, bro.
Est exhaled quietly, locking his phone and setting it down on the coffee table.
“What did he say?” William asked, turning toward him.
“He said nothing to worry about,” Est replied, though the furrow in his brow didn’t ease.
William smiled faintly. “See? It’s probably nothing. Come here.”
Est leaned back into him, feeling the warmth of William’s arm around him, the steady beat of his heart. Still, the unease didn’t fade completely.
___
A few days later, Est and Dunk had just finished morning swim practice. Their hair was still damp, bags slung over their shoulders as they walked toward their usual courtyard spot. It was a quiet, ordinary morning that shattered the moment Punch came running toward them, breathless and wild-eyed, waving her phone.
“Est!” she called out, skidding to a stop. “Have you seen the school’s online news?”
Est frowned. “What is it this time?”
Before Punch could answer, Dunk reached for her phone. “Let me see.”
His voice was casual, but his fingers trembled as he unlocked the screen. Then his eyes widened, and his face drained of color.
“The headline says,” Dunk read aloud, his throat tightening, “Est and William’s fake relationship turned complicated.“
“What?!” Est’s voice cut sharply through the courtyard.
Dunk’s pulse pounded. He swallowed hard and continued, his voice unsteady. “It says: The fake couple, Est and William, were only pretending to be together to avoid a certain admirer. However, William wanted their pretend relationship to be real. They tried to be a real couple, and now Est is stuck in a relationship he doesn’t know how to end because of William’s manipulative behavior. He clearly wants out, but he doesn’t know how. Poor Est. This came from a reliable source.“
Est’s blood boiled, vision tunneling. His hands curled into fists. “Is that all? Read the rest.”
“Est, maybe we—” Punch began, trying to calm him, but Est’s tone cracked like a whip.
“Read it, Dunk!”
Dunk hesitated, throat dry. “The comments say… Est probably paid William to be his fake boyfriend at first, and William accepted to fund his vices. Another one says… William must have been threatening Est to stay in the relationship. And another—”
“Enough!” Punch snapped, snatching the phone away. “That’s enough!”
Est’s breathing was uneven now, fury simmering under his skin. “Who the hell is that source?” His voice wavered — anger barely covering the fear creeping in.
“I—I don’t know,” Punch stammered. “I’ll help you find out, okay? We’ll figure it out.”
“Est,” Dunk said quietly, stepping closer. “I’m sorry.”
Est froze mid-breath. “What do you mean?”
Dunk’s shoulders slumped, guilt heavy in his eyes. “It’s… probably my fault.”
Est blinked, the words barely registering. “What the hell do you mean, your fault?!”
Dunk flinched. His voice shook. “Joong and I have been… secretly seeing each other for a month now. And I—” he looked down, eyes glistening, “I slipped. I told him about you and William. But it couldn’t possibly be him, right? He didn’t say anything bad after I told him…”
For a long, tense moment, Est just stared — disbelief bleeding into rage. “You’re seriously defending him right now? Dunk, it’s clearly him!”
“You don’t know that!” Dunk shot back, his own voice rising in desperation. “Tui also knows about the pretend thing — it could be him!”
As if on cue, a familiar voice shouted from across the courtyard. “Est! Dunk!”
Tui came running, panting, phone in hand. His expression was pale and shaken. “Have you guys seen the school news?”
Est turned to him, eyes blazing. “Is it you? Did you spread that?”
“What?! Of course not!” Tui looked horrified. “Will’s my best friend. I’d never do that, especially now that he’s happy.”
Est’s chest tightened. “Where is he? Where’s Will?”
Tui shook his head, catching his breath. “I tried calling him before he could see it, but his phone’s off. So I think… maybe he already did.”
For a second, Est’s world stopped spinning. The courtyard noise blurred into nothing — only the rush of blood in his ears remained.
He started pacing. “What should I do?” His voice cracked again, softer this time, breaking through the anger. “He’ll think I— he’ll think it’s true.”
“I’m sorry,” Dunk said, tears brimming now. “I’m sorry, Est. I didn’t mean to—”
Est turned, eyes cold, jaw trembling. The worry for William clashed violently with the betrayal clawing at his chest. “I can’t do this right now,” he said, his voice barely a whisper before he turned and walked off.
“Est, wait!” Punch called out, reaching for him, but he was already gone.
“I’ll go after him,” Tui said, already sprinting after Est.
Punch exhaled shakily and turned to Dunk, who was trembling, face buried in his hands. Without a word, she pulled him into a tight hug as he broke down completely.
___
The hallway buzzed with the noise of students changing classes but it all seemed to fade the moment Est’s voice cut through like a blade.
“Joong!”
Joong was leaning lazily against the lockers, scrolling through his phone, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. He looked up just in time to see Est charging down the corridor, eyes blazing.
“You bastard!”
Before Joong could react, Est was on him — grabbing him by the collar and slamming him against the lockers. Students froze mid-step, the hallway falling silent.
“Est, stop!” Tui hissed, rushing in and tugging at Est’s arm. “He’s not worth it, okay?”
Est’s chest rose and fell in quick, furious breaths. His voice shook with rage. “What did you do, Joong?”
Joong met his glare, jaw tight, eyes shining with
a cruel satisfaction. He smirked. “What? I just shared the truth.” He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Maybe I added a few lies too.“
“How could you?” Est spat.
Joong’s smirk twisted into raw bitterness. “You want to know why?” His voice rose, trembling with emotion. “Because I wanted you both to feel what it’s like to be played!”
“Played?” Est repeated angrily, eyes narrowing.
“Yes, Est!” Joong’s voice broke. “You knew I liked you back then, and you still went around pretending with William. You made me a fool!”
Est jaw clenched as he glared at Joong, disgust written across his face. “Is this the kind of person you want to date, huh?”
Joong’s retort caught in his throat. Confused, he turned — and froze.
Dunk was standing a few meters away, pale as chalk, eyes wide and glassy.
Est tore free from Tui’s grip. His voice was low but cutting. “I hope you’re happy now, Joong.”
Then he turned and walked away, his footsteps echoing down the hall. Tui gave Joong one last glare before hurrying after Est.
The moment they were gone, Joong turned back to Dunk, his voice trembling. “Dunk… how long have you been standing there?”
Dunk’s voice was quiet, too calm for how much it hurt. “Long enough.”
Joong took a shaky step forward, panic flashing in his eyes. “Dunk—”
But Dunk didn’t move. His expression was heartbreak and disbelief all at once. “We’re over, Joong.”
Joong’s face crumpled. “No, no, Dunk—listen to me. I didn’t mean for it to go this far.” He reached out, but Dunk stepped back like the touch would burn him.
“You knew Est is my best friend. And I trusted you,” Dunk said, voice trembling but firm.
Joong’s tears spilled over. “I just wanted to take revenge,” he whispered. “Especially on William. I wasn’t thinking—”
Dunk’s voice cracked, but the words came like ice. “The fact that revenge even crossed your mind means you still feel something for Est.”
Joong shook his head frantically. “No, I don’t. You know I love you. I do.”
Dunk blinked back tears that wouldn’t stop falling. “If that were true, you would’ve just laughed and let it go. But you didn’t. You wanted to hurt them. You wanted to hurt me.”
Joong tried to speak, but the words died in his throat.
“So we’re done,” Dunk said quietly, his voice barely audible. He turned and walked away.
Joong stood there frozen, his legs giving out as Dunk disappeared around the corner. He collapsed against the lockers, the sound of his quiet sobs swallowed by the distant noise of the hallway returning to life as if nothing had happened at all.
__
Est was already in the parking lot, keys trembling in his hand, when Tui’s voice broke through the humid air.
“Est, wait!”
Est froze but didn’t turn. His shoulders were tight, his pulse racing so loud he could barely hear anything else. “Go away, Tui,” he said. “I need to find William.”
Tui jogged up, breath uneven. “Look, I’ve known him since we were kids,” he said gently. “When something like this happens, he shuts down first. He just… disappears for a bit. He needs time.”
Est shook his head hard, gripping the car keys tighter. “That’s exactly what I don’t want,” he said, the words spilling fast. “He’s probably overthinking right now. I need to be there. Even if he doesn’t want to talk, even if he doesn’t look at me—” His voice cracked. “I just need him to know I’m here.”
Tui stared at him for a long moment. He could see the panic beneath Est’s calm. He exhaled slowly. “Fine,” he said quietly. “But let me drive. You’re too emotional right now. And William will kill me if anything happens to you.”
Est blinked, his throat tightening. “Okay,” he whispered.
As they drove, Est stared out the window, barely blinking, his hands clenched in his lap. The city blurred past, and all he could think about was finding William—before the silence did more damage than the lies ever could.
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