RED STRING REWRITTEN

21

Gemini: (softly, broken) “Because I cared too much. And I was a coward. But I don’t want to be a coward anymore… not with you.”

Fourth’s sobs grew louder, his fragile body trembling.

Gemini pulled him closer, but carefully, as if giving him the chance to pull away.

Gemini: (whispering, desperate) “Please, Fourth… just give me one chance. Let me show you I can be better. Let me prove this friendship is real.”

Fourth didn’t answer. He buried his face into Gemini’s chest, crying harder and harder.

Gemini held him silently, his own tears falling. For once, there were no lies, no masks. Just pain. Just truth. Just them.

He whispered to himself.

Gemini: (to himself) “No masks tomorrow… No Lion, no Gemini. Just me.”

His grip tightened around the phone.

Gemini: (determined) “Please, Fourth… just give me one chance.”Let me show you I can be better. Let me prove this friendship is real.”

Fourth didn’t answer. He buried his face into Gemini’s chest, crying harder and harder.

Gemini held him silently, his own tears falling. For once, there were no lies, no masks. Just pain. Just truth. Just them.

Later

[Fourth’s House – evening After the Gym Confrontation]

The house was quiet when Fourth walked in. His eyes were red, his cheeks blotched from crying, but he quickly wiped them with the back of his sleeve. He didn’t want anyone to see.

He climbed the stairs slowly, but before he could reach his room,his phone rang.

Phuwin: (in call) “Fourth? Where were you?”

Dunk: (in call) “Yeah. We didn’t see you after class. You disappeared for hours.”

Fourth froze. His heart raced, the memory of Gemini’s tear-streaked face flashing in his mind. He turned, forcing a weak smile in call.

Fourth: (softly, avoiding) “I… I just went to the washroom. Stayed there for a while and then came to home.”

Phuwin raised his brows, clearly not believing.

Phuwin: (teasing, but worried) “You were gone for hours, and you expect us to believe you were in the washroom the whole time?”

Fourth: (snapping slightly and cut the call) “I don’t want to talk about it, okay?”

The sharpness in his tone silenced both of them. Dunk exchanged a concern with Phuwin but didn’t press further. Fourth turned away phone quickly and rushed upstairs.

[Fourth’s Room – Late Night]

The door clicked shut behind him. Fourth collapsed onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling. His chest felt heavy, his head buzzing with Gemini’s words.

Gemini’s voice replayed in his head, raw and desperate:
“Please… give me one chance. One chance to prove that I can be real. Not Lion, not masks, not games. Just me—Gemini. Just your friend.”

Fourth’s hands trembled as he clutched the bedsheet.

Fourth: (to himself, whispering) “Why… why do you make it so hard? I want to hate you… I should hate you. But then you said those things and… and I…”

His eyes blurred with fresh tears.

Fourth: (choked) “Lion was the only safe place I had… and now it’s you. You, the same person who hurt me… and yet the same person who saved me.”