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Est and Tui spent the next few hours searching everywhere they could think of.
They started with their usual eating spot. The lights were low, the air warm with familiar smells. But when they asked, the waitress only gave Tui a soft, regretful shake of her head.
Then the café—William’s favorite, the one that sells his favorite pastry and had a corner table that caught the morning sun. But the seat by the window sat empty, undisturbed.
They drove in silence to his parents’ house. Est knocked, the sound too sharp in the stillness. The household helper opened the door, blinking in surprise.
“Is William home?” Est asked, though the question already felt hollow.
A pause. Then a gentle shake of the head. “No, he’s not. He should be at school.”
When that failed, they went back to school.
The library first. The librarian looked up from her desk, her expression kind but apologetic, as if she already knew what Est was looking for.
Next was the courtyard. The benches were vacant, the late afternoon sun stretching long, tired shadows across the stone.
The pool was their last stop. But William was nowhere.
Est rubbed his face with both hands, his exhaustion heavy and bone-deep. His throat burned as he whispered, “I can’t find him anywhere.”
Tui sighed quietly and placed a hand on his shoulder. “You should go home, Est. Take some rest. I’m sure William will reach out soon.”
At the mention of home, Est froze. His eyes unfocused for a moment — then sharpened with sudden realization.”We haven’t checked my place,” he said quickly, almost breathless. “I need to go.”
“Est—”
But he was already halfway to his car.
He drove faster than he should have. Each red light felt like a lifetime, each stop sign an enemy.
By the time he reached his building, he barely remembered parking. His pulse was loud in his ears as he sprinted through the lobby doors — and then he stopped.
Because there, sitting quietly on the corner couch, was William. Headphones on. Laptop open. A soft glow from the screen reflecting off his face. Calm. Still. As if the world outside hadn’t been falling apart looking for him.
For a second, Est couldn’t move. Relief hit him so hard it left him dizzy. His knees nearly buckled from the release of it — the fear, the anger, the ache of not knowing. Then, slowly, he walked toward him.
William looked up just as Est reached him. His smile came easily but it faded the moment he saw Est’s expression. Without a word, he closed his laptop, set it aside, and stood.
“Hey…” he started softly.
But Est didn’t let him finish. He threw his arms around him — all urgency and tremor and leftover panic. William stiffened for a second, startled, then melted into the embrace. His hands found Est’s back, steadying him.
“I was looking all over for you,” Est said, voice muffled against his shoulder.
William exhaled slowly. “I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I just needed… time to be alone.”
Est pulled back, his brows furrowed, eyes still glassy from the rush of emotion. “Let’s go upstairs and talk.”
William nodded, no hesitation, and followed.
Inside Est’s condo, the air felt strangely calm — like the day had been loud for so long, and now, finally, it was quiet again. They sat close on the couch, the space between them small but charged.
Est broke the silence first. “I assume you saw the school news.”
William leaned back, his tone steady. “I did.”
Est took a slow breath. “Okay… first, you have to know it’s not true. I never — not once — thought I was stuck in a relationship with you or wanted to end it or—”
“I know,” William interrupted gently.
Est blinked. “You do?”
William’s gaze didn’t waver. “I’ve been a rumor since high school, Est. People made stories out of me long before you came along. None of them were true. That’s why I don’t believe any of it anymore. Besides…” His voice softened. “I only believe you.”
The words settled deep, quiet and steady. Something inside Est eased, like he could finally stop bracing. A small smile tugged at his mouth. “Good.”
He exhaled. “The second thing… it was Joong. He was the one who spread the rumors.”
William nodded slowly, the corners of his mouth tightening. “I knew it was him.”
Est’s brows drew together. “How?”
William sat forward, elbows resting on his knees, gaze distant. “Well… it couldn’t be Tui — he’s my best friend, and he’s too loyal for something like that. Dunk wouldn’t either. But Joong…” His voice trailed, then he exhaled through his nose, a trace of bitterness ghosting across his face. “Every time I saw him lately, Dunk was always there too. They’d gotten close. I didn’t think much of it before, but this morning — it all made sense. The timing. The way he looked at me last time. I just… had a feeling.”
Est frowned, thoughtful. “I didn’t even realize that.”
William leaned back slowly, hands curling into loose fists against his thighs. “I was angry, Est. Really angry. And disappointed, maybe more than I wanted to admit. That’s why I needed time alone.” His voice dropped lower. “I didn’t trust myself not to say something cruel. I didn’t want to lash out and make things worse.”
Est watched him quietly, his heart aching a little at the raw honesty in William’s tone.
“That’s the third thing I wanted to talk about, Will,” Est said gently.
William looked at him, confusion flickering in his eyes.
“You can’t keep shutting people out whenever something hurts,” Est said, his tone soft but firm. “Do you know how worried I was today? I went everywhere — every single place I could think of — just to find you.” His voice cracked slightly on the last words, more from exhaustion than anger. “I don’t ever want to feel that again.”
William lowered his gaze, guilt flickering across his face. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “It’s just… how I’ve always been. When things get too loud, I pull back. It’s easier than letting people see what I’m thinking.”
Est reached out and took his hand, fingers lacing through his. His touch was steady, grounding. “I know,” he said quietly. “Tui told me. But you have me now. And I want to be there — even when you don’t have words for it. You don’t have to go through things alone anymore. Just… let me in, okay? Even if it’s just silence between us.”
William looked up then, eyes softer, guilt giving way to something more vulnerable. “I know I make it hard sometimes,” he said, voice trembling faintly. “I’ve never been in a relationship before. I don’t always know what’s right or how to handle things like this. But I’ll try. I’ll try to be better.”
Est smiled, a small, tender curve of his lips. “It’s my first too,” he said. “We’ll learn it together.”
William returned the smile, slow and gentle, a quiet reassurance passing between them.
A soft silence settled for a moment.
William shifted in his seat, voice low but steady. “So, how did you find out it was Joong?”
“Dunk told me,” Est answered. “They’ve been together for a month already.”
William’s eyes widened as the news sank in. “A month?! That long?!”
Est couldn’t help but laugh at his reaction, the sound lightening the room. He sighed softly before he spoke again. “I actually feel bad for Dunk. I was angry at first, but he must’ve been so hurt too — especially after what happened in the corridor.”
William frowned, curiosity piqued. “What happened?”
“I may or may not have confronted Joong,” Est admitted, his tone somewhere between guilty and defiant. “And it wasn’t exactly… the calm talk. Dunk overheard everything.”
William stared at him. “You what?! Est, are you crazy? You could’ve gotten in trouble — you’re an athlete!”
Est chuckled softly, the memory already dulled by exhaustion. “Don’t worry. Tui was there. He stopped me before I could actually do something stupid.”
William groaned but let out a laugh. “Thank God for Tui. Remind me to thank him later.”
“You should,” Est said with a grin. “He’s a good friend.”
William looked at him, eyes warm again. “So is Dunk. I think he needs you now, especially after everything.”
Est nodded, his voice gentling. “I know. I’ll talk to him tomorrow.”
He leaned back against the couch, shoulders finally relaxing, then crossed his arms in mock defiance. “But for now… can we cuddle? I’m still a little shaken from all this chaos.”
William chuckled, that low amused sound Est always secretly liked. “Aww, baby Est is sulking.”
“Shut up,” Est muttered, cheeks warming — but the edge of his mouth betrayed a smile.
William opened his arms without a word. Est hesitated for only a heartbeat before giving in, sinking into the familiar warmth. His body fit easily against William’s chest, as if it had been waiting all day to rest there. The steady rise and fall of William’s breathing, the faint rhythm of his heartbeat — it anchored him, pulled him back from everything that had been unraveling.
“Please promise me you won’t disappear on me like that again,” Est murmured, voice soft enough to almost blend into the silence.
William’s arms tightened around him, chin resting gently against Est’s hair. “I promise,” he said, his voice low but sure. “Next time I need space… I’ll find it beside you.”
___
The next morning, when they arrived at school hand in hand, neither of them cared who saw. Heads turned, whispers followed — but not the same kind as before. This time, people were smiling. Some waved. A few even greeted William with a cheerful “hi.”
William blinked, almost startled. “Okay… that’s new.”
“I know,” Est said, glancing around. “Not exactly the reaction I expected.”
When they reached their friends’ table in the courtyard, William looked at the familiar group — Lego, Punch, Nut, Hong, Tui — all watching them with wide grins. “Everyone’s being nice today,” he said cautiously. “Should I be worried?”
Lego snorted. “You seriously haven’t read the news yet?”
Est groaned, rubbing his temples. “Oh no, what now?”
Tui could barely contain his grin as he read from his phone, putting on a dramatic voice. “The article says: ‘William and Est’s relationship is real. Our reliable source came forward to admit the previous post was false. William isn’t a gangster, nor is he dangerous. His family is not a mafia. His father is a neurosurgeon, and his mother is a pediatrician. The source—‘” Tui paused for effect, eyes gleaming, “‘is Joong Archen, who wanted to apologize to Est and William, and especially to the person he loves and had hurt the most, Dunk. He also wanted to ask Dunk not to give up on him.’“
A hush followed the words. For a heartbeat, all Est could do was blink. “Wow.”
Nut grinned, relief washing over his face. “Finally! Your name’s cleared.” He extended his hand toward William, a genuine smile softening his usual teasing tone. “Sorry it spread because of us.”
William shook his head gently. “It’s not your fault people twisted things.”
“Yeah,” Hong said, leaning forward. “We tried to clear your name before, but no one listened. We did everything, but it wasn’t enough.” His voice dropped. “But really, we’re sorry.”
William smiled faintly, the edge of tension finally slipping from his shoulders. “It’s okay. Really.”
Est watched him — the way his expression lightened, the way his eyes seemed brighter now that the weight of judgment was gone. For the first time, William looked free.
Punch leaned forward, curious. “Wait, so you were faking it at first?”
“That’s what I wanted to know too,” Lego added, grinning.
Est laughed softly. “Yeah. We did. At first.” Then he turned to William, a small smile tugging at his lips. “But we fell in love.”
Nut groaned loudly. “That’s so cheesy.”
Everyone burst out laughing.
“You two didn’t look fake to begin with,” Hong said. “You’ve always had chemistry.”
“That’s what I told them,” Tui said with a grin.
William smiled, reaching under the table to squeeze Est’s hand. Est squeezed back, thumb brushing over his knuckles. It was a simple touch, but full of quiet meaning — a reminder of everything they’d been through, and everything they’d chosen to stay for.
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