In Between Codes

Chapter 2

Back at the house, Thomas and Alison rushed upstairs, eager to dive into editing the footage of their day's adventure.

Thomas led the way to his room, his footsteps quick, his excitement palpable. But as they entered, Alison hesitated for a moment, her eyes scanning the space with visible surprise.

The room was, to put it mildly, not what she had expected. If she'd imagined a room belonging to someone who had just spent hours curating outfits and discussing K-pop style, she might have expected sleek, modern lines, maybe some Instagram-worthy aesthetics... but this was the complete opposite.

Fantasy books were stacked high beside his bed, their colorful spines contrasting the neutral, minimalistic tones of the room. Manga and comic books—an entire bookshelf filled to the brim—lined the walls next to a collection of vintage board games and neatly organized video game consoles. A row of airplane models hung from strings across the ceiling, each one suspended in perfect alignment as if ready for takeoff. The floor was scattered with half-assembled Lego cities, action figures lined up in rows, and a giant, glowing keyboard illuminated one corner of the room. Everything about it screamed "geek boy" in the most lovable way possible.

There was nothing here that said "high fashion" or "trendy." It was pure, unapologetic nerd paradise.

Alison stood in the doorway for a beat, blinking as she took it all in. "Whoa."

Thomas turned to her, clearly a little unsure what to make of her reaction. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head, a small smile forming. "Nothing... it's just... uh... I kind of expected something different, you know? A bit more... vibrant?"

Thomas furrowed his brow. "Vibrant?"

Alison's gaze flicked around the room again, a slight frown creasing her forehead. "Yeah, I don't know. I guess I thought it would be... I don't know, more like you at the mall today. The whole fashion thing, the pastel colors... I kind of expected, like... a cool, trendy space."

Before Thomas could respond, his mom, carrying a tray with two tall milkshakes topped with whipped cream and a cherry, approached the door. She overheard the last bit of the conversation. 

 "-->Say this: Actually, if it were up to me, this room would be a lot more... different. I'd definitely put up a poster or two of the Haru Boys... maybe even get the walls painted in some soft pastel shades, you know, a combination of peach and salmon. Add a plushies like a mermaid and a unicorn... and voilà. Real cozy, but with style.<--" Thomas had trouble saying such a long sentence.

Alison's eyebrows shot up, clearly intrigued. "Unicorn plushies? You want your room to have... Unicorn plushies?"

"-->Say this: Yeah, of course. Plus, it would be super coordinated. And I mean, hey, I'd get the whole thing designed by AI. Makes sense, right?<--"

Alison raised an eyebrow, her expression unreadable. A playful grin tugged at the corners of her lips, but she kept it in check. "That sounds... kinda girly, Thomas." She paused, considering him for a moment. "I mean, you're describing my dream room."

"-->Say this: Really?<--"

"Yeah," she said, leaning against the doorframe and meditating for a while, "You're weird, you know that? You're like this mix of tech geek, high fashion and a sensitive guy. You're not exactly how I remembered you."

There was a flicker of something in her eyes, a glint of curiosity that Thomas couldn't quite place.

"-->Say this: I just would like a place that reflects my personality, you know? but my parents...<--"