His stomach in knots, Misha glared at the door before him as if it wasn't the door of his father's study but the gate of hell. He stared at it for a moment, not even moving an inch, and finally, let out a self-mocking laugh. Why was he so anxious? He wasn't a kid anymore, and there was nothing to be afraid of.
Ignoring the lump in his throat, Misha took a deep breath and knocked three times. A second later, Alexey gave him permission to come inside. After one more deep breath, Misha slowly opened the door and walked into his father's study, his movements stiff.
His father was sitting on a chair, looking through a pile of paperwork. Though he had requested a few days off from work, he had also brought back the urgent documents he had to analyze and approve by the end of the week, ensuring his absence wouldn't put his team's project behind schedule.
Right. Before becoming a drunkard, his father had been a responsible man, and people relied on him. Misha had forgotten.
The hinges of the door squeaked, but afterward, there was no more sound—it was as if a ghost had entered the room. Silence stretched until Alexey lifted his eyes from the report he was reading and looked at the door. He then saw his son standing still in the doorframe like a statue. Even his breathing was slow and swallow, barely perceptible.
"Misha?" Alexey called, a hint of worry in his voice. "Are you ok?"
His father's voice pulled Misha out of his thoughts, and he immediately nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine. Perfectly fine."
Misha said so, but he still didn't dare to move away from the door. He had stepped into the room, but he was unable to go further in. There were too many unpleasant memories lingering in his father's study, and its sight made him sick to his stomach. He couldn't muster the courage to stand closer to his father, not in this room.
"Well, you see," Misha's voice trailed, and he unconsciously started to fidget. "I want to go to Dereck's, but mom said to ask you to come with me. Is it ok...?"
The corner of Alexey's mouth curled up into a discreet smile, which slightly softened his sharp facial features. He then put his paperwork aside and stood up. "Yes, of course. Let's go."
Before they left, Gulnas didn't forget to tell them to be careful on the road and rushed over to kiss her son on both cheeks. She hugged him tightly for a few seconds before letting go.
"Don't forget to look left and right before crossing the road, ok?"
"Yes, I will," Misha smiled, kissing back his mother's cheeks. "See you later!"
"See you later, sweetheart."
His mother was overly clingy, but Misha didn't mind—on the contrary. He loved her show of affection and bearhugs very much, feeling like they were slowly but surely filling the emptiness left by her death. Her prolonged absence from his life had marked him deeply, and it couldn't be forgotten within a mere few weeks. His wounded heart would need time to heal.
***
When they finally arrived at Dereck's house, Misha heaved a sigh of relief. Walking alone with his father was awkward, terribly awkward!
Before transmigrating into his younger self, Misha had cut ties with the man many years ago. To top it all, the last time they spoke to each other, he only had curses left to say. So, the boy he was now had no idea how to interact with Alexey. Moreover, his father was a man of few words, so it wasn't easy to have a proper discussion with him.
The only thing that came to his mind was to talk about the weather, but Misha wasn't sure that it was something a child would eagerly want to chat about. So, in the end, he decided to shut his mouth all the way to his friend's house.
'Maybe I should ask Dereck how he interacts with his father,' Misha thought. Mimicking his friend's behavior would perhaps help him mend his broken relationship with his own father. He was still thinking about this when he rang the bell.
Soon, the door flung open, and Misha smiled brightly at the chubby child. Dereck was obviously surprised to see him standing on his doorstep, his eyes wide open.
"Misha...? What are you doing here?"
Dereck often passed by his friend's house these past few days, but whether he knocked or rang the bell, nobody answered him. The day Misha was admitted to the hospital, he was present, so he knew where his friend was. However, he didn't get any news afterward, leaving him in the dark about his health condition. And today, Misha showed up on his doorstep out of the blue. To say that he was surprised was an understatement!
Seeing his dumb face, Misha couldn't swallow back his laughter and snickered, "Surprise!"
Although Misha knew he should have called before coming over, he had never been the kind to do so, and he'd rather pop up when people least expected it. He had always done things impulsively, which included visiting his friends unannounced. Anyway, Misha lived two blocks away, so it wasn't inconvenient to walk and ask in person if he could come over and play. And since he was already at his house, the possibility of his friend saying "no" wasn't as high as if he had called.
"You're fine now?" Dereck asked worriedly. "Your fever is gone?"
"Yes! I feel wonderful!" Misha smiled, puffing out his small chest. Just now, he was able to walk to his friend's house without feeling too exhausted. It was something worth celebrating! "So, can we play together?"
"Sure!" the chubby child nodded, beaming with joy. "I'll ask grandma."
Dereck went in and returned quickly, letting them know that the answer was "yes".
"I'll pick up Misha at around five," Alexey said, his voice as icy as ever. He glanced at his son and added, "Don't cause trouble for your friend."
"I won't!" Misha sighed, his mouth twitching.
'Humph! I hope you get lost,' he childishly thought when his father left, knowing perfectly well that such a thing was impossible. If Alexey managed to get lost when they lived only two blocks away, then it'd mean he was a blockhead. And he wasn't.
"Come in!" Dereck invited, pushing the door further open. "Let's go play in my room!"
Misha obediently walked in, glancing around curiously. It had been a long time since he had last come here, yet everything was like he remembered.
Dereck's room was on the second floor. To reach it, they had to walk through the living room where his grandmother was watching the television while knitting a pair of slippers. Since it was a weekday, Dereck's parents were at work, and his grandmother babysat him. Because she lived with them—her apartment was in the basement—it was convenient for her to take care of her grandson whenever his parents were busy.
When Misha saw her, he politely said, "Hello."
However, he didn't receive any response. The old lady was quietly knitting, not even lifting her head to greet him. Misha didn't take it to heart. If his memory served him right, her hearing was quite bad, and if he wanted her to hear him, he'd need to shout and stand nearer.
After a last glance at the old lady, Misha followed his friend upstairs. Although he hadn't come to this house for many years now, everything felt somewhat familiar, and a warm feeling spread in his stomach. After his father started to beat him, he often hid at his friend's house when Gabriel wasn't at home, and Dereck would silently take care of him. Since their youth, he had taken Misha under his wing, with the reasoning that he was five months older than him, and thus looking after him was his duty.
Even as they grew up, Dereck still kept an eye on him, never forgetting his words.
For as long as Misha could remember, Dereck had always been more mature than other boys of the same age. Now that he thought about it, it was probably his fault. A bittersweet smile stretched his lips. For all Dereck had done for him, he could forgive his little betrayal at the bar—yes, until now, Misha had been thinking of taking revenge one way or another. His petty nature wouldn't disappear any time soon, ah!
After entering Dereck's room, Misha's smile grew wicked as he said, "Do you remember your promise?"
Blinking, Dereck asked, "Which one?"
There was more than one? Misha rapidly tossed the thought aside. It wasn't like he could remember them, anyway.
"Helping me pull pranks on my sister's boyfriend!"
"Oh, this one. Yes, I remember."
"Then, do you have money?"
"I have some left from my birthday...?"
"Great! It's time to go out and shop a little!"
Dereck frowned. He wasn't supposed to leave the house when his parents were out, except to visit Misha, who lived close by. Although he had promised to help his friend, and they also did some naughty things previously, he was still an honest and obedient child at heart.
"Don't worry, I'll pay you back!"
Misha mistook his friend's expression. He had forgotten that Dereck had been a law-abiding person once upon a time—it had changed a bit in their teens. Dereck, who was worried about his friend, decided to stick to him like a shadow, chaperoning him to make sure he didn't go overboard with his rashness. Thus, Dereck often ended up sneaking around. It was impossible to know how many times they went out to the bar underaged or how many times they had gotten in trouble because of this.
Dereck was an honest man, but he could step on his principles if it were for that particular troublemaker.
"I don't really mind the money," Dereck corrected. "It's just that I'm not supposed to leave the house."
"Don't worry, don't worry! If your parents don't find out, there won't be any problems."
"But..."
"Trust me! Your grandmother is half-deaf, she won't hear us leave, and we'll come back before that bast–" Misha coughed and changed the words he was about to say, "before my father comes to pick me up."
Little Dereck fidgeted a bit before eventually giving in and nodding. Like any child about to make mischief, he felt as excited as anxious. It was the first time he would sneak out, yet it also felt like something he had done many times before. It gave rise to an odd feeling that left him puzzled.
__________
Mini theater
ML: So, a few chapters ago, you had "children" with Vanessa, and now you're eloping with Dereck. Who exactly is the ML of this story?
MC: Not you!
ML: ...
Chapter revised on 2022-05-02
Edited by Clozed! ♥
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