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Wai didn’t know whether to scream or cry at the sight of his reflection in the mirror. His face, normally fair and smooth, was riddled with patches of angry red, and his lips had swelled to twice their size, sore and throbbing. 

“ Pat, you bastard,” he cursed softly. 

Whatever Pat had worn on his mouth when he accidentally kissed Wai earlier had triggered one of the worst allergic reactions he ever had. Was menthol in lip balms still a craze these days? Why did Pat have to rub his mouth all over his face instead of just his lips? And how could he not have noticed the person he was grabbing and kissing wasn’t his boyfriend?!

You were sleeping in his boyfriend’s tent , the voice in his head reminded him. And it was dark inside. 

“But he should have checked,” Wai muttered before letting out a sigh. 

It had been his choice to crash at Pran’s place, and after years of hearing about Pat’s antics, he shouldn’t be surprised by what happened. He’d been fine with the mistaken kiss, but with the way he looked now…

He studied his awful reflection again, taking in the discoloration and peeling. Whatever that was happening on his face probably wasn’t going away without medication. But where would he find them now? A quick rummage through Pran’s medicine cabinet only yielded expired painkillers. 

Cursing again, Wai thought of calling Pran, but then, he remembered the other had texted him earlier that he’d gone out of town and wouldn’t be back so soon. He couldn’t call his friends either—they were likely too hungover to even move let alone come to his rescue. That left him with no one else to call for help. 

Well, no one he could reveal his laughable appearance to.

But could he even afford to care about that now? Was always looking his utmost best that important? It hadn’t made any difference in how he was perceived by that person. There were never any comments when Wai did up his hair, or when he dressed more smartly, and there were certainly no lingering gazes like those exchanged between their two besotted best friends. 

Besides, they were in their final year of study already. If Wai didn’t seize every chance he had to spend time with that person, he would surely regret it in the future, potential embarrassment or not. And he didn’t think the other would be so cruel as to laugh at his puffed up face.  

Just do it, Wai. What’s there to be afraid of?

His heart had already been given away a long time ago. He had nothing more precious to lose. With that in mind, he took out his phone and steadied himself before dialing Korn’s number.

Wai jumped when the knock came from the door. He’d been pacing back and forth by the entrance after his call with Korn, which had been surprisingly brief. Now that the other had arrived earlier than anticipated, he was even more unnerved.  

Another knock sounded. “Wai!”

Hand hovering over the handle, Wai willed his racing heart to slow before opening the door. “Hey, thanks for coming—”

There was a loud gasp.

“What happened to your face!?” Korn exclaimed, looking all too shocked and concerned.

“I said over the phone I had an allergic reaction, didn’t I?” Wai gripped the door handle tighter, feeling more self-conscious than before.

Korn furrowed his thick brows and took a step forward, eyeing Wai’s face intently. “But how? ” 

Wai fought off the urge to recoil. Did the guy have to come up so close to him?! “It’s… It’s a long story,” he managed. “I’ll tell you more later. Did you get what I asked for?”

“Ah.” Korn finally turned away, to Wai’s relief, and dug into his jacket, producing a small bag. “Sorry, the pharmacy didn't have the specific brand you wanted so I asked the pharmacist for recommendations and got you this.”

“It’s okay.” Wai took the bag of medications. “Thanks for making the trip down.”

“Hey, what are friends for?” Korn grinned and patted his shoulders before entering the room.

Wai closed the door behind them and headed to the kitchen. The medication Korn had bought wasn’t as effective the last time he took it, but he couldn’t afford to be picky now. So he popped a pill into his mouth, washed it down with a glass of water before heading to the bathroom again to check on his face.

His rashes hadn’t worsened, and the spread seemed to have stopped just right below his chin. If the medication did its work, he should look better in a few hours. Finally feeling hopeful, he left the bathroom and was about to call out to Korn when he found the other sprawled across Pran’s two-seater, fast asleep and snoring softly. 

The sight had Wai frozen in step. How tired had Korn been to doze off so quickly? Then, he remembered the tired, raspy voice he heard over the phone in the morning and felt a pang of guilt. He would have to find a time to return this favour to Korn in the future. 

Moving towards the sofa, Wai stopped just right in front of it, his gaze resting on his ex-nemesis’s sleeping face. He was enthralled. Korn always looked like he was up to some mischief, glint ever present in his eyes. But the person lying before him now had the softest features, looking all too peaceful. Slowly, his hand reached out on its own. If only he could stroke the other’s face, feel his smooth skin under his palm, and press his lips onto—

Wai shook his head. Whatever he was thinking of doing was wrong. Korn wouldn’t appreciate someone touching his face without his consent. Heck, with what happened in the morning and how he felt afterwards, he should know better than to do the same to Korn.  

Shifting his hand down, he instead pulled Korn’s jacket over his shoulders before retreating to a safe distance from the sofa. He laid down on the carpet and watched the rise and fall of his companion’s chest until the medication started taking effect, his eyelids falling shut.

It wasn’t long before sleep claimed him again. 

The third time Wai woke up for the day was to Korn calling his name and shaking his shoulders. He opened his eyes and was immediately blinded by glaring light. Was it afternoon already? 

“Hey, don’t touch your face.”

The hand which Wai had raised to cover his eyes was grabbed by the wrist. “What’s wrong?” he asked groggily. “Why did you wake me?”

“We need to go,” Korn replied. “You should get up now.”

“Why?” Wai blinked, his eyes adjusting to the brightness in the room. “Where are we going?”

“To the clinic.” Korn pulled him up into sitting. “Your face got worse.” 

“My—” Wai paused as Korn’s words slowly sank in. 

Did his allergy not get better? 

Scrambling to his feet, he ran towards the bathroom. When he reached the mirror, his stomach sank. His condition had noticeably worsened, his face redder than ever before, and the rashes had spread all the way down to his collarbone. The medication didn't work at all. 

“Come, we need to go.” Korn wrapped an arm around his shoulders and started leading him out of the bathroom. 

Wai glanced back at the mirror again, hoping that he’d been mistaken. But the same awful face remained. What had he done to deserve such bad luck? And was this the end of it? What if he headed out now and bumped into people he knew?

“Are you okay?” Korn asked when they reached the doorway. 

“I don’t know if I can go outside looking like that.” Wai cast an uncertain gaze at the door and then at Korn. “What if someone sees us?”

“I knew you might say that.” Korn removed his jacket and draped it over Wai’s head. “Here, you can hide under my jacket.” 

“It’s red.” Wai eyed the garish piece of clothing. “Your jacket is red .”

“Yeah, it’s red,” Korn answered. “It’s a nice colour, isn’t it?”

Wai resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He was certain the irony of hiding under something so bright was not lost on Korn. But then again, he did not have the luxury of choice now, and he should be grateful he even had anything to hide under. 

“Yea, it’s very eye-catching ,” he couldn’t help saying before pulling the jacket’s hood further over his head. “Can we go now?”

“Sure,” Korn smiled. “I’ll book us a ride now.”

The journey  to the campus clinic was short, as was the wait to see the doctor. Wai kept his head down the whole time and only looked up when he entered the consultation room with Korn. The doctor had taken one look at his face and started asking questions, which he answered without much of a second thought. 

That had been a mistake.  

“So, you had lip balm containing menthol rubbed all over your face?” the doctor asked.

Wai nodded. “Yeah.” 

Silence followed. 

It didn’t dawn on Wai what he had just implied until the doctor leveled a sharp look at Korn. “You should be careful next time.”

Oh crap. 

“Doctor, he’s not my—”

The doctor waved him off. “I have other patients to see now, please go outside to collect your medication.” 

They were ushered out of the room by the nurse. While on their way out, Wai stole a few glances at Korn and was surprised to see him frowning. Was the doctor’s misunderstanding of their relationship that upsetting? 

“Korn, I could go back and tell the nurse that we aren’t—”

“How did you get lip balm on your face?” 

“W—what?” Wai stared at the other. 

Korn sighed softly. “How did lip balm get all over your face?” 

“Uh…” Wai scratched his head. “It’s a long story.”

“We have time,” Korn said. “The nurse hasn’t called your name yet.”

“Uh, but she will soon.” Wai glanced at the nurse counter. “I’ll tell you more later, okay?” 

“Why can’t you tell me now?” Korn pressed on. “Is it something I’m not supposed to know?”

Wai rubbed his temples. Why was Korn so eager to know what happened? The clinic wasn’t crowded, but they weren’t sitting in the most private spot either. Anyone paying attention could easily make out their conversation.

“It’s not anything I don’t want you to know,” he said before lowering his voice. “It’s just… really embarrassing.”

Korn narrowed his eyes. “Did you go on a date that didn’t work out?” 

“What…” Wai’s mouth fell open. “What makes you think I went on a date?!” 

“How else would lip balm have gotten on your face?!”

There was a loud shush. Wai looked toward the nurse counter and was met with the older woman’s disapproving gaze. He gestured an apology before turning back to Korn.

“I did not go on a date, you idiot.” He scolded softly. “There was an accident this morning.”

“What accident?” Korn asked.

Wai paused. “I got mistaken for someone.”

“Mistaken for who?”

“Pran.”

“Pran?” Then, Korn’s eyes widened. “Shia, it was Pat!?”

Wai shushed him. “Will you stop shouting?” he scolded again in a hushed tone. “I don’t need the whole clinic to know how I got to this state!”

“Sorry.” Korn had the decency to look sheepish. “I was just shocked, that's all.”

“It is precisely you were shocked that I did not want to say anything at first!” Wai continued his admonishment. “Now can we please talk about this later?”

“Okay, okay,” Korn put up both his hands. “We can talk about it later.”

“Hmph.” Wai folded his arms and sat back in his chair. 

It wasn’t long before he was called to the counter. They collected his prescription from the stern looking nurse, who kept giving them the stink eye before hurrying out of the clinic.

With the visit done, and medicine that would mostly certainly guarantee recovery in his hands, Wai finally felt at ease. But alongside that came a wave of exhaustion, leaving him in such a daze that he didn’t reject Korn when the other offered to send him home. 

It was late afternoon by the time they arrived at his place. Wai took his medication right away and told Korn to make himself comfortable before hitting the shower. 

The warm spray of water was a welcome respite from the chaos of the day, slowly washing away the fatigue that had clung stubbornly to his skin. He took his time cleaning up, later emerging from the bathroom to find Korn sitting at his desk—his usual spot—scrolling through his phone. 

“Hey,” Wai called out. “Do you want to take a shower too?”

Korn looked up from his phone. “No, I’m good,” he smiled. “But I ordered some noodles for us. It should come in a short while.” 

“Thanks, I haven't eaten anything since last night.” Wai put aside his towel and grabbed another chair—like he always did—to sit beside Korn. He briefly thought of continuing their conversation back at the clinic, but seeing as Korn was still busy with his phone, he took out his own phone instead to check his messages. There was nothing new from his friends. 

“How are you feeling?” Korn had placed his phone down and was now watching Wai, his elbow on the desk propping up his chin. 

“Much better.” Wai replied. “But my face still feels a little sore.”

“Ah, didn’t the doctor give you some cream for the rashes?” Korn reached into the bag of prescription Wai had left on the desk and took out a small tube. “I can help you apply it on your face.” 

As usual in Wai’s head, a battle ignited between what he wanted and what he should do. But ultimately, the side that always came out winning won again. 

“It’s okay,” he said. “I can do it myself later.”

“But what about the back of your neck?” Korn still held on to the tube of cream. “There are rashes there too.” 

A compromise. Wai could deal with that. If he didn’t need to face Korn, he didn’t have to worry about his face giving away anything.

“Okay, I’ll probably need your help with that.”

Wai stood up with his chair and turned around before sitting back down. He heard the sound of Korn dragging his own chair closer and felt the back of his shirt being pulled slightly down.

“Let me know if it hurts or anything,” Korn said. 

“Sure.”

When the cold cream first touched Wai’s sensitive neck, he nearly flinched. But focusing on the wall ahead helped him remain still and his skin slowly got used to the feather-like sensation.

While gentle and careful, Korn worked swiftly as well, and was done shortly after he started. “Are you sure you don’t need help with your face?”

“No thanks, I’m good.” Wai rotated his chair back around. “Really.”

“Alright.” Korn held out the tube of cream to him. 

Wai took it and nearly ran to the bathroom. He didn’t realise his heart had been racing the whole time. 

Get a grip, Wai. 

He took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly, willing the pounding in his chest to slow before applying the cream to his face. During the midst of it all, he heard knocking on the door, and it being opened before his nose detected the faint, delicious smell of dry noodles. His stomach made a loud rumble. 

Quickly finishing up, Wai left the bathroom and saw that Korn had already laid out the food on the desk. “Come eat,” he said. “I ordered extra wantons for each of us.”

At the mention of wantons Wai forgot whatever he was thinking about earlier. He skipped towards the desk and dropped back down on his chair before digging into his first meal of the day. 

For the next minute or so, neither of them spoke a single word. But after seeing Korn yawn for the third time between bites, Wai couldn’t help but ask, “What were you up to last night? You sounded tired this morning.”

“Out drinking with Pat and the rest.” Korn replied while still chewing. “We spent the night sleeping on the benches near our workshop.” 

Wai wondered if being hungover was the reason for Pat's stupendous error of judgement, but remembering how alert the other was this morning, he pushed the thought away.

“I was out drinking last night too,” he said. “That was how I ended up at Pran’s place. I was too wasted to head home.”

Korn swallowed another mouthful of noodles. “I’m guessing Pat came looking for Pran this morning but found you instead.

“Yup, he sure did,” Wai said. “Pran wasn’t around, and I was asleep when it happened. Never thought that I would one day wake up to my best friend’s boyfriend hugging me and sucking on my face.” 

Something flashed across Korn’s face, but it was gone within a blink of an eye. He stabbed his chopsticks into a piece of wanton. “How could he not have known it was you?”

“I wondered the same too,” Wai sighed. “But I guess he didn’t expect anyone other than Pran to be sleeping in the room. Otherwise, he would have thought twice before getting so into… waking me up.” 

Korn fell silent, wanton still skewered on his chopstick.

“Is… there something wrong?” Wai asked, feeling nervous all of a sudden. 

“The next time you need a place to crash, you can come over to my place,” Korn finally said. “I’ll give you the spare key to my place.” He then stuffed the wanton into his mouth.

Wai was stumped by the offer. Korn responding to this morning’s events by handing him the keys to his place was something he never would have thought up. “A—Are you sure?” he asked. “Aren’t you afraid that—”

“Afraid of what?” Korn snorted. “That you would rob me? I trust you more than I trust Pat at times, you know.”

Wai did not in fact know. He never saw himself as important a friend to Korn as his mates from engineering. But even if he was a close friend to Korn, he wasn’t his boyfriend. “Don’t you wanna save the key for someone special to you?” 

“You’re special to me.”

The words shook Wai. “I—I’m special to you?”

“Yeah.” Korn reached into his pockets and pulled out a single key, setting it gently in front of Wai. “Here. The spare key to my place.”

Wai eyed the item, mind still reeling. Did Korn not realise what he’d just said? How could he be so casual about something so significant? 

Unless… it wasn’t, and Wai was overthinking again.

“Do you not want it?” Korn asked.

“No—I mean, yes, I want it.” Wai grabbed the key from the desk and buried it deep in his own pockets. “Thanks.”

Korn broke into a small smile. “Now you don’t have to worry about anyone kissing you by mistake and then getting an allergic reaction from it.”

Was that it? Had everything Korn said and done—giving him the key, calling him special—been just to offer a safe place to crash? Or was there more behind it?

“In that case, I’ll give you my spare key too.” He dug out his spare key from his wallet and almost slapped it in front of Korn. “You can also crash at my place any time.”

Korn tilted his head to the side. “But I’m not in any danger of being mistaken for Pat.”

“It doesn’t matter.” Wai pushed the key closer to Korn. “I want you to have it anyway.”

“Does this mean I’m special to you too?” Korn teased.

“Yes,” Wai lowered his gaze. “You are.”

“I see.” Korn regarded him quietly before taking the key. “I’ll keep it safe.”

Wai nodded and returned his attention to his meal. He did not know what had come over him—so boldly admitting to how much Korn meant to him. From the time he realised his feelings for the other, he had kept them closed to his heart. No one knew of them, not even Pran.  

“How special?” 

“W—What?” Wai looked up from his noodles. “What do you mean?”

“How special am I to you?” Korn asked, his piercing eyes boring straight into him.

Wai swallowed, feeling a sudden, overwhelming urge to run into his bathroom and hide till Korn left. “Erm, you’re as special as you can be,” he said. “Special enough for me to hand you the spare key to my room.”

Korn’s gaze wavered ever so slightly. “Will I still be as special after we graduate?” 

Wai didn’t know. He thought getting over someone would be easy given how fast he had moved on from Pa. But it’d been almost two years now, and he still only had eyes for Korn. “I guess so,” he replied. “But it’s hard to predict what will happen in the future.” 

“You’re right.” Korn said, a slight smile tugging at his lips. “Who knows what the future holds? Maybe one of us will move away, or we will end up drifting apart and forgetting about each other in just a few years.”

“I won’t forget you,” Wai said. “I won’t forget the times we spent in university. Not even when we were fighting.”

“Neither would I,” Korn said before grinning. “Your punches really hurt.”

Wai snorted. “As if yours didn’t.”

Korn chuckled. 

With the conversation ended, Wai could finally finish up his remaining noodles. They later cleaned up the desk together and settled back in their respective chairs with the iced tea in their hands.  

“So, what are your plans for later?” Korn asked, sipping at his drink.

“Sleep,” Wai replied. “I’m supposed to be on shift at the bar tonight, but I’ll call in sick. What about you?”

“I’ll probably sleep too,” Korn answered. “The benches at the workshop weren’t the most comfortable to spend the night on.

Wai felt the familiar pang of guilt again. “Thanks for coming to my rescue this morning,” he said. “You could have ignored my call, but you didn’t.”

“It’s fine.” Korn waved a hand. “I was already up and wondering where Pat went when you called.”

“Hmm, he was probably already with Pran by then.”

Korn made a face. “Yes, after he had practically molested you.” 

Wai nearly spat out his tea. “Korn!” he exclaimed. “It was an accident! Pat did not molest me.”

“Hmph.” Korn shrugged. “If you say so.”

“I had a blanket covering my face,” Wai continued. “And it was dark… I think.”

Korn rolled his eyes. “Even if that were the case, Pat shouldn’t be mistaking anyone for Pran with the amount of fucking they do.”

Wai opened and closed his mouth. He didn’t press further for fear of knowing more about Pat and Pran’s sex life. It was bad enough that he already knew too much from what Korn sometimes shared with him.

“I should head off soon.” Korn let out a loud yawn before straightening to his feet. “My body is ready to keel over any time soon.”

“You could take a nap first if you want.” Wai offered. “I don’t mind.”

“Nah, I’m good.” Korn shook his head. “You need your rest and I miss my bed.”

“Alright,” Wai said, and followed the other as he made his way to the doorway.

“Keep me posted on your condition, okay?” Korn clapped a hand on his shoulder before stepping through the door.

“Wait!”

“Yes?” Korn turned around. 

“Thanks again for everything,” Wai said. “I’ll buy you a drink next time.”

Korn cocked his head to the side. “Just a drink?” 

“Okay, two then,” Wai said with a grin.

“Make it three.” Korn held up three fingers. “One for asking me to come to you this morning, another for making me take you to the clinic, and the last one…” He paused, smirking. “I’ll think about it and let you know later.”

“Didn't you have enough drinks last night?” Wai asked, half-amused. 

“Aow, the drinks can be anything, no?” Korn said. “Coffee, milk tea, bubble tea, pink milk, lemongrass, juice…”

Wai listened as Korn listed what sounded like the entire canteen drinks menu. “Are you done?”

“Beer works too.” Korn flashed a toothy grin. “Let’s make that the third one.”

Wai suddenly felt like slamming the door in his face. “Okay,” he said. “I’ll see you then.”

“See you.” Korn sniggered. “Call me if you need anything.”

“Yeah, sure.”

Wai closed the door behind him. Slowly, a smile appeared on his face. His insides felt all warm and fuzzy—not just because of what Korn had said earlier, but because Korn had wanted to spend time with him outside their usual haunt, the bar.

But if they were already special to each other, was it wistful thinking to ask for more?

Wai’s rashes notably subsided over the next few days. Before, he looked almost like a burn victim, now it just seemed like he had a mild eczema flare up. Still, he stayed holed-up in his room most of the time, only heading out to run small errands—like getting drinks from the vending machine downstairs. 

But there was only so much isolation he could tolerate. Even with Korn texting him regularly, and his friends dropping by the day after the incident, he still felt like he was going stir-crazy. So, when it was time for his shift again at the bar, he put on a mask and sunglasses and made his way there. 

His boss was not impressed with his appearance on arrival. “Go home,” he said. “I don’t want you working looking like that.”

“What’s wrong with wearing a mask and sunglasses?” Wai protested. “Didn’t we do that during covid?”

“I meant your rashes!” his boss snapped. “Don’t come to work if you’re sick!”

“But—”

“Go home and rest,” the older man ordered. 

“But I’ve rested enough!” Wai exclaimed, annoyed that he had to head back to his stuffy room, and not get paid at the same time.

“Then, rest more.” His boss squeezed his shoulder. “And oh yeah, your boyfriend is here.”

Wai’s head whipped toward the entrance—and sure enough, Korn was already making his way over. “He's not my boy—”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. I don’t want to see you when I come back out here.” His boss waved before disappearing into the back room.

Wai sighed and turned toward Korn, who had stopped just across the counter. “Hey,” he said. “What are you doing here?”

“Checking in on you,” Korn replied. “I wanted to head over to your place but since you said you were working, I came here instead.”

“You should have just gone to my place,” Wai said. “I’ve been sent home so I won’t be working tonight.”

“Oh.” Korn blinked. “Why?”  

Wai took off his mask. “Because I still look like this.”

“Hmm…” Korn studied his face. “Looks better than when I last saw you. But I can see why your boss sent you back.”

“Huh, but I look better, no?”

“You still look diseased.”

Wai folded his arms across his chest. “I’ll have you know that even though I may have been sent home, I’m still a staff here,” he said. “I can throw you out anytime.”

Korn snickered.

“If the two of you don’t leave now, I will be doing the throwing out,” shouted a voice from inside the back room. 

Wai quickly put his mask and sunglasses back on. “Let’s get out,” he said, before dashing around the counter and dragging Korn with him out of the bar. 

It was a cool evening night. The rain that had come down earlier dissipated much of the day’s heat, and with a light breeze blowing, it made being outside rather pleasant—if Wai didn’t have his stifling mask on. 

“Are you heading back to your place?” Korn asked.

“No. I don’t want to.” Wai gave the pavement a half-hearted kick. “After being cooped up indoors for so many days, I’m sick of my room.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Korn frowned. “I could have visited.”

I was waiting for you to ask… or just show up unannounced. Don’t you have the key to my room?

“I didn’t want to bother you,” Wai replied. “You’ve helped me enough.”

Korn suddenly grabbed his shoulders, pulling him close until their faces were just inches apart.

“What are you doing?” Wai asked, grateful for the sunglasses hiding his eyes—he had no idea where to look.

“Checking to make sure you’re still Wai.” Korn said, eyes scanning his face. “The Wai I know isn’t this modest.” 

Wai rolled his eyes. “What are you talking about? I am modest.”

Korn let go of him. “Says the guy who regularly asks his friends for help with stuff he overcommits himself to.”

“Did you come down to check on me, or just to pick a fight?” Wai asked, hands on his hips.

“Check on you, of course,” Korn grinned. 

“Hmph.” Wai turned on his heels and started down the sidewalk.

“Aow, don’t be angry.” Korn came up beside him. “I was just teasing you.”

“I’m not angry at you.” Wai looked ahead. 

“But you look angry.” Korn stuck his head in front of him for a second.

“I’m surprised you can tell from the sunglasses and mask I’m wearing,” Wai said dryly. 

“I can tell you’re angry even if your entire face was covered,” Korn said matter-of-factly. “Right now, your back is stiff, your shoulders are tense, and you’re walking way too fast.”

“I just wanted to get out of that place.” Wai slowed his pace. “The crowd was picking up.”

“If you say so.” 

Wai didn’t bother with a reply. He had more important things on his mind—for example, figuring where to go next. 

After a few blocks, they came upon a row of food carts lining the street, their savoury smells wafting through the air. One in particular caught Wai’s eye.

“Do you want some skewers?” Korn asked, as though reading his mind. “It will be my treat.”

“Don’t I owe you some drinks?” Wai said, walking towards the cart selling skewers. “I can treat you to skewers instead.”

“No.” Korn stepped in front of him. “ I’m getting the skewers. You are going to treat me to nice drinks at nice places, not carts by the street.”

Wai raised his eyebrows. “Why do you make it sound like we are going on some date, or something?” 

“Because we are.” Korn said without missing a beat, turning to the vendor and placing an order.

Wai stared at his back. A part of him wanted to believe Korn had meant exactly what he said, but it was more likely him being his usual unserious self. He joked like this all the time anyway.

“Here you go.” Korn handed him the bag of steaming skewers. “Careful—they’re hot.”

“Thanks.” Wai took out a stick, then realised he’d have to take off his mask to eat. Sighing, he slipped it back into the bag.

“What’s wrong?” Korn asked.

“I can’t eat now,” Wai said. “Too many people around.”

“Ah.” Korn looked around. “I know a place we can go. Wait here, I’ll grab us some drinks first.”

Wai did as he was told until Korn returned with another bag. 

“Come, let’s go.” Korn gestured for him to follow.

They cut through a few alleyways, passed several blocks and crossed a large road junction before arriving in front of a gate, which Wai recognised as the entrance to the campus park. 

“This is the place you thought of?” Wai peered into the dim, wooded grounds. 

“Where else can you take off your sunglasses and mask without anyone seeing you?” Korn said a little too proudly before walking ahead. “Come, we can find a bench to sit on.” 

Wai trailed closely behind him. He wasn’t exactly afraid of the dark, but something about the campus park at night made him uneasy. If not for the constant croaking in the distance, the place would’ve felt downright creepy.

They eventually found some benches that had been sheltered from the earlier rain. Korn set their drinks on one. 

“Uh.” He glanced over. “Are you going to take off your sunglasses and mask?” 

Wai blinked, then took off his sunglasses and mask. Immediately, the park felt less creepy. The soft glow from scattered lamp posts cast golden hues on the ground, and the trees swayed slightly from the soft breeze blowing. It was rather peaceful. 

He felt like an idiot. 

Pretending nothing had just happened, he walked over to sit beside Korn on the bench. Then, he pulled out the skewer from earlier and bit into the juicy pork, delighted that it was still warm. 

“Good?” Korn asked.

“Mhm.” Wai nodded.

For the next few minutes, they ate quietly.

“By the way,” Korn said, breaking the silence, “I managed to talk to Pat last night about what happened. He said he’d text you once he had signal again. Did you hear from him yet?”

“Ah yes, I think I did.” Wai pulled out his phone from his pockets and started scrolling. “I think he sent the message while I was at the bar…” 

He paused, eyes flicking across the screen.

Hey, sorry about the allergic reaction. Buy you a drink when I’m back. 

Wai read the message, then reread it—his half-eaten skewer forgotten. Something didn’t sit quite right with him.

“Hm, how sincere,” Korn commented, peering over at Wai’s phone while chewing on his own skewer.

“At least he apologised…” Wai said, still staring at the brief message. “Though it almost doesn’t feel like an apology, does it?”

“Nope,” Korn said. “It doesn’t.”

Wai shrugged and kept his phone. He hadn’t been expecting an apology from Pat anyway. It was enough that he‘d even bothered to text him. After all, what happened had just been an accident.

“If you want, I can get him to apologise properly,” Korn offered. 

“No, it’s fine.” Wai waved a hand dismissively. “And how exactly are you going to do that? Threatened to beat him up?”

Korn scoffed. “Beating people up isn’t a thing I do anymore.”

“Thanks to Pat and Pran?” Wai quipped.

“No, thanks to Pran,” Korn said. “Anyway, I have many ways to make Pat apologise. Just give me a signal, and I’ll make it happen.”

Wai raised an eyebrow. “And… what’s one of those ways?”

“I’ll threaten to replace all his presentations with porn if he doesn't,” Korn said, flashing a sly smile.

“You—you’ll do what? ” Wai stared at him. 

“Aow, it’s not like I haven’t done it before,” Korn added. “The sponsors chose Pran’s proposal for the play because I swapped Pat’s slides for porn.”

“W hat? !” Wai practically yelled. “Why would you do that?!”

“If Pat won, he would have given in because Pran would be upset,” Korn explained. “But if Pran won, Pat would support him anyway. So, all I did was save them the trouble of fighting.”

After knowing Korn for nearly three years, Wai thought he understood him well enough. But evidently, underneath that goofy and easygoing exterior laid a devious masterplanner.

“You’re… such a good friend, huh?” Wai said dryly.

“I’m just someone who understands his friends very well,” Korn winked.

“I see.” Wai eyed him sceptically. “And how well do you think you know me?” 

“Hmm…” Korn pinched his lips in mock thought. “Pretty well.” 

“Okay…” Curiosity piqued, Wai shifted, turning toward him and bending one leg up onto the bench. “Tell me something about myself, then.”

“I already did earlier, didn’t I?” Korn cocked his head to the side. “You’re someone who regularly asks his friends for help—”

“Tell me something about myself that I don’t already know,” Wai glowered at him.

Korn laughed and set his drink down before moving to straddle the bench, facing Wai directly. Their legs almost touched.

“Do you want the condensed version or the long one?” he asked. 

“Both.”

“The condensed version is… you’re thick-headed.”

“Did you just call me stu—”

“Let me finish first.” Korn held up a hand. 

“Fine.” Wai sank back, folding his arms across his chest.

Korn waited, then placed a hand on his knee. “You second-guess yourself and others way too often… especially about things that matter.”

“W—What?” Wai slowly loosened his arms. “What things?” 

“That’s for you to figure out, my dear Wai,” Korn smiled sweetly. “If I have to do all the thinking for you, you’d have to owe me even more drinks.” 

“Aow, three drinks weren’t enough?” Wai teased. “How many more do you want?”

Korn tapped absentmindedly on his knee. “That depends. How many more will you let me ask for?”

However many you want. 

“I don’t mind as long as it’s a reasonable number,” Wai replied. 

“What’s a reasonable number?” Korn asked.

A hundred? A thousand?

“Twenty.”

Korn snorted. “Stingy.”

“Aow, why is it always me owing you drinks?” Wai grumbled. “Why don’t you owe me any?”

There was a pause.

“If you figure out what I said earlier… I’ll owe you a lifetime of drinks.” Korn removed his hand, taking away its fleeting warmth with him, and shifted back to his original position.

Wai watched him sip from his drink, a dull ache blooming in his chest. “Life—lifetime, huh?” he murmured. “Don’t joke about things like that.”

Korn angled his head toward him. “Then I guess you’ll just have to owe me drinks instead,” he said. “Make it fifty or something.”

“Ass,” Wai muttered, giving him a soft jab with his knee before turning away.

They stayed at the park till the wind died and the frogs went to sleep. Korn offered to walk him back to his place, but he declined, wanting some time to himself, and they strolled to the fork where they would separate. 

“Call me if you need company,” Korn said. 

“I will,” Wai nodded.

“Alright, rest well.”

“Erm, Korn.”

“Hm?”

Did you really mean what you said earlier?

Wai swallowed. “Thanks for hanging out with me.”

“Any time,” Korn smiled softly and headed off into the quiet night.

Wai watched his figure slowly fade into the distance, disappearing around the corner.

Then, he turned around and walked away.

The next day, Wai didn’t wake up until mid-afternoon, having spent most of the night staring at the ceiling. His thoughts kept looping back to what Korn had said, and what any of it actually meant. Part of him desperately wanted to believe Korn was hinting that he knew how Wai felt, and maybe even felt the same. But the other part, louder and far more convincing, insisted otherwise.

His internal conflict continued until nearly dawn. And when he woke, groggy and tired, all he felt was frustration—until Korn called. 

“Hey… what’s up?” Wai greeted sluggishly.

“Did you only just wake up?” Korn asked. 

“Yeah…” Wai rubbed his eyes.

“Okay, go get ready,” Korn said. “I’m coming to fetch you.”

“Huh, why?” Wai shot upright.

“Read your messages,” Korn said. “Pat and Pran came back this morning. They’ve asked us all to gather at the bar in an hour's time.”

Wai frowned. “A gathering? Why?”

“I don’t know,” Korn replied. “Maybe they’ve finally come to their senses and are gonna announce they are dating or something.”

“Why today…” Wai groaned, rubbing his temples. 

“Did you not sleep well?”

“No.”

“Neither did I.” 

“Oh.”

A pause.

“Anyway, go wash up,” Korn said. “I’ll meet you at your place in about fifteen minutes.”

“Hang on,” Wai said. “Why are you coming down to meet me first when your place is—”

The call ended. 

Wai stared at his screen. He thought about calling back, but instead rolled off the bed and trudged to the bathroom. He washed up quickly, and was done in just under ten minutes. Then, he got dressed and headed down to wait for Korn.

Like the past few days, he took the stairs instead of the lift—thank god he only lived on the fourth floor—and exited through the dorm’s back door before going around to the front. 

But just as he passed the row of vending machines near the foyer, his path was abruptly blocked by a group of engineering students.

“Phi, that’s the guy!” shouted a girl with a long ponytail. “That’s the pervert who’s been loitering around.”

…Pervert?

“Who are you calling a pervert?” Wai demanded. 

“You!” yelled another girl with glasses. “We’ve been seeing you sneaking around the back of the building these past few days and scaring girls!”

“I have not been sneaking around,” Wai said, glaring. “And I definitely have not been scaring any girls. I have not even seen a single girl around here these past few days!”

“She’s seen you!” The tallest guy, presumably the leader, in the group stepped aside to reveal a petite girl, who didn’t look at him.

Wai narrowed his eyes. The girl looked familiar, but he couldn’t quite place where he’d seen her. “Alright,” he said evenly. “I’m sure this is a misunderstanding. I’m a resident here. Loitering around is what residents do.”

“The hell you are!” one of the guys snapped. “Perverts like you always come up with the same excuse.”

Wai clenched his jaw. He was tired and in a foul mood; he had no time to reason with a bunch of gullible students. “Once again, I am not a pervert. I live here. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have somewhere to be.”

He stepped to the side, trying to move past the group, but the boys darted forward, blocking his path.

“Move.”

“Not until you come with us to the security,” the tallest boy said. 

“Go to hell.” Wai stepped forward and shoved past him.

That was when everything went sideways.

He didn’t know who made the first move—only that hands grabbed at him from all directions. Then, he was yanked and dragged across the pavement toward what he could only assume was the security office.

“Hey!” shouted a familiar voice. “What are you guys doing!? Let go of him!”

“Phi, he’s a pervert who’s been loitering—”

“He’s not a pervert! He’s my friend!!”

Korn? 

At that instant, the rough hands that were pulling him let go, and a moment later, strong arms wrapped around his waist. 

“Korn?”

“Yes, it’s me,” Korn said, steadying him. “Are you okay? Can you stand?”

Wai nodded, though he leaned into him. He still needed time to get his footing. 

 “Why were you dragging him around like that?!” Korn shouted.

“But Phi, we just wanted security to check if he was a pervert—”

“You’re young, not dumb!” Korn continued. “Instead of dragging him to security, couldn’t you have brought the security to him!?”

Wai peeked at the group of students. Most of them looked stunned; a few were shifting awkwardly in place. “Korn, it’s fine,” he said. “They were just looking out for their friends.”

“We are sorry, Phi,” said the leader of the group. “We will be careful next time”

“Go!” Korn waved them off. “If I see any of you assaulting another student again, I will report to the professors!”

The group scurried off. 

“Alright, I’m okay now,” Wai patted Korn’s hand lightly. “You can let me go.”

Korn let go of his waist and bent to pick up the fallen sunglasses and mask before handing them to him.

Wai took the items and stuffed them into his pocket. 

“You’re not wearing them anymore?” Korn asked. 

“Nope.” Wai shook his head. “I rather have people stare at me than be assaulted by a bunch of freshmen vigilantes.”

Korn sighed deeply. “This allergic reaction of yours has really given you a whole lot of trouble, hasn’t it?”

“It is what it is,” Wai said. “Sometimes, shit happens.”

“Yes,” Korn replied. “Sometimes Pat happens.”

Wai let out a small laugh. “You’re really not gonna drop this, are you?”

“Nope,” Korn said. “In fact, I’m even less inclined to drop it now.”

“Are you gonna switch Pat’s presentations with porn again?” Wai asked.

“Nah, I have better ideas.”

“Like what?”

Korn only smiled.

For a moment, Wai wondered if outing their friends’ relationship was on the table, but shoved the thought aside. Korn was a much better friend than he was, and would never repeat what he had done before.

Since they still had time, they  slowly made their way to the bar. When they arrived, Pat and Pran were already seated at a table, though the rest of their friends hadn’t arrived yet.

“Shia, Wai, what happened to your face!?” Pran exclaimed the moment he saw Wai.

“I had an allergic reaction,” Wai replied, taking a seat opposite him.

“Yeah, thanks to Pat ,” Korn added pointedly as he sat down beside Wai.

“Thanks to Pat?” Pran’s brow furrowed. “What did Pat do?” He turned to his boyfriend. “What did you do?”

“Uh…” Pat scratched the back of his head. “I made a mistake.”

“What mistake?”

Wai leaned forward and rested his elbow on the table. “He mistook me for you.” 

“Mistake you for me !?” Pran voice pitched up. “ How ?”

“Uh…” Pat shifted in his seat, eyes darting. “I didn’t know he was in your room that morning.”

“That morning… the day we went Pha Pun dao?”

Pat nodded.

“And what did you do?” Pran asked slowly, glancing at Wai.

“I… uh…”

Before Pat could finish, Korn suddenly stood up and walked over to Pran.

“Pat did this,” he said—and grabbed Pran by his shirt and planted a kiss on his mouth.

There was collective gasp.

“Shia, Korn! ” Pat jumped up, fists clenched. “What the hell was that for!?”

Korn pulled away—from a very stunned Pran—with the most devilish grin on his face before turning to Wai. “See? I told you I had better ideas.”

Wai could only gape at him.

“Uh, what’s going on?” came a voice behind them.

They all turned.

Their friends stood just a metre from the table. Shock was written across all their faces—except for Mo, who was already snickering.

“Is this a love triangle?” he quipped.

Sensing an imminent storm, Wai shot to his feet, grabbed Korn by the arm, and started hauling him toward the back of the bar, ignoring the calls behind them.

When they neared the back room, Wai stopped in his tracks and turned to him sharply. “Have you completely lost your mind?!”

“Yes.”

“Even then, you shouldn't have—” Wai paused, thrown off by the unexpected intensity in Korn’s voice. “W—What do you mean by yes ?”

“I’ve completely lost my mind,” Korn said, gaze unwavering.

“W–Why?” Wai breathed.

“Because the person I know likes me still doesn’t know I feel the same—even after all the hints I’ve dropped,” Korn said quietly. “Because my best friend kissed him before I even had the chance—and hurt him too. And there’s nothing I can do about it.”

Wai’s breath caught. “You…” his voice faltered. “You mean… me?”

Korn didn’t look away. “Who else do you think I’ve been hinting at?”

A dozen memories flashed through Wai’s mind—from months ago to their recent interactions. Had he been wrong about them all? And Korn knew he liked him!?

His heart pounded. “You knew?”

“Yes,” Korn said. “I’ve known for a while now.”

“But… why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because you were always so darn confusing!” Korn ran a hand through his hair. “Every time I tried to get close, you pulled away, and when I backed off, you would pull me. I thought maybe you just weren’t ready yet.” 

“I thought…” Wai exhaled. “I thought you were straight.”

Korn let out a strained laugh. “You really are thick-headed. Have you never thought to ask? I’m bi.”

“You’re bi, and you…” Wai suddenly found himself at a loss for words. For the longest time, he’d told himself Korn would never feel the same, yet now, here he was, faced with the exact opposite.

“You really do love second-guessing yourself,” Korn murmured, stepping closer. Then, he leaned in to gently press his lips to Wai’s. 

Wai froze. All he could register was the warm breath ghosting over his still slightly sensitive skin, and the softness of Korn’s mouth against his own.

When Korn pulled back, a smile was playing on his lips. “I guess this means you owe me fifty drinks.”

“W-What?” Wai blinked. “Why?”

“I did all the figuring out for you.” Korn said a little too proudly. 

“No, you didn’t,” Wai pouted. “I figured it out before you did.”

“I think the only thing you figured out was Pat being ready to punch me.”

“You were asking for it,” Wai shot back. “How could you kiss my best friend like that?”

“Well, his boyfriend—my best friend—kissed my boyfriend,” Korn said.

“Aow, when did I agree to be your boyfriend?”

“Since the moment I told you I liked you. And that you owe me fifty dates.”

“Drinks,” Wai corrected him. “Not dates.”

“Dates.”

“Drinks.”

“Are you two idiots done?”

They both snapped their heads to the side.

The bar’s owner—Wai’s boss—stood nearby with his hands on his hips, thoroughly unimpressed.

“Sorry, Phi.” Wai gestured an apology, motioning Korn to do the same. “We’ll leave now.” He grabbed Korn by the wrist and steered him toward the back door.

“You should probably tell him again you like him,” the older man called after them. “Just in case he convinces himself you were joking.”

“Aow, Phi!” Wai turned back—but his boss had already disappeared.

“I think I’ll do one better.” Korn cupped his face and pressed their lips together.  

The kiss was hotter and deeper this time, leaving Wai dazed and short of breath when they parted. All he wanted was another kiss.

“Are you convinced now that I like you?” Korn whispered softly, his lips still grazing Wai’s.

“Yes.” Wai nodded. 

They kissed again, breaking apart only when Wai’s lips went numb.

“Do you think we should go back?” Korn asked.

“Only if you wanna explain why you kissed Pran.”

Korn laughed. “I think I’ll pass,” he said. “Let Pat do the explaining.”

Wai sniggered, but a strange, tingly sensation made him stop. “Korn?”

“Hm?”

“When you kissed Pran, did you feel any tingling?”

“Uh… maybe?”

Panic rose in Wai’s chest. “Korn… I think you transferred Pat’s lip balm that was on Pran onto me.”

Korn’s eyes widened. “Shia.”

Epilogue

“So, where do you think those four ran off to?” Safe asked.

“Pat and Pran are probably arguing somewhere outside right now,” Mo said. “Korn and Wai… who knows.”

“I think Wai dragged Korn off because Pat looked like he was about to punch him,” Louis offered.

“So… Korn likes Pran?” Chang asked, frowning.

The rest shrugged.

“Maybe Wai likes Korn,” Chang added.

Safe stared at the table. “It’s a possibility.”

“So… it’s a love… square?” Mo tilted his head.

“Love quadrangle,” Louis corrected.

“Hm.”

The end.