Oh wow. The exact thing you did not want to hear. Dealing with the stalker was already too much, and now there could be something even worse happening. It seemed like you were attempting to move forward, but believing that Ash may still be alive would just take you back to square one.
"Please let just all of this be a dream.. Or nightmare. I wish I could go back to the day before everything went wrong."
The gentle caress of the cool breeze effortlessly swept your hair aside. You let out a deep breath, acknowledging that you were indeed wide awake and conscious. As usual, you were the one who had to mend everything and take responsibility. Escaping from the situation was not an option.
It never was. You knew too much, which also frightened you.
You lowered your voice a bit and made a sincere effort to avoid coming across as annoyed. Although it may not be entirely unbelievable, today was just a lot. "Please.. don't tell me you actually believe him."
"Ash is capable of a lot, (Y/N). Come on you're smart as hell. Just think about it." Sing stated without even looking at you. It appeared as he was the one who was thinking about it intensely. Certainly, they all perceived you as the intelligent one who readily provided an answer. However, that definitely was not the case today. You released a yawn, you were undoubtedly feeling tired now. "I think my brain shut off for today."
"Let's just say I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out to be true. I mean.. For example: Did we ever see his body?"
Sing was incredibly persistent and refused to give up discussing this subject. And you were feeling quite exhausted and had difficulty focusing on what he was saying. Obviously.
"Well Sing we could dig up his grave and see." You joked without any facial expressions, but quickly realized it may have been too dark. His breath caught his throat after hearing that.
"Woah (Y/N)- Too far.."
"It was just a joke.. Dumb joke" You couldn't help but roll your eyes, knowing all too well that he would, of course, take that the wrong way. Maybe it was too early for jokes. Ash wouldn't be mad though, he'd probably find it funny too.
"Ugh. I'm freezing." It was quite chilly outside while wearing just your Pyjamas. You gently caressed your hand in an attempt to warm it up.
Sing stood up and walked over to you. "You should've brought a jacket. I'll warm you up a bit." The tall boy kindly wrapped his arms around you. That may seem strange to others, but for you, it was perfectly natural. The two of you have always been close friends despite the small two-year age gap. You kindly smiled and gently placed your hand on his arms, reciprocating the hug from behind.
Sing released a soft chuckle, as the two of you appeared quite unserious. "Better?" You clung firmly and also laughed a bit. Perhaps a comforting embrace was also necessary for you.
"Yeah. A little."
Sing sighed. "I don't like stressed (Y/N), ya know.." You always kept your stress hidden and internalized your worries, except when you were angry, of course.
You were at a loss for what to do and couldn't make a decision, something that hadn't happened in quite some time. It was a humbling reminder that not every decision lay solely within your hands. "Me neither." you agreed. You both remained in this position for a moment until you remembered something. It took you a little bit of time to speak those words aloud. "Sing?"
"Hm?" He directed his gaze downwards towards you.
"I'm glad we're friends again."
This was rather surprising to him since he recalled you as the "mean girl", and that you had never acted like this before. There was a lot more to being the mean girl than just what appeared on the surface. The way you perceive things and your opinions were definitely affected by Ash's passing. Sing opted to express his thoughts in a more lighthearted manner rather than stating them outright. "Oh (Y/N).." he changed the tone of his voice purposely. "Has your cold heart thawed out?"
With great effort, you attempted to suppress the urge to grin. You dismissed his gesture with a graceful roll of your eyes and gently brushed his hands aside and stood up. "I'm going to hit you."
"Just kidding. I'm glad too, drama queen." With a playful gesture, Sing raised both of his hands. You gracefully and teasingly tap him with a gentle touch. "Hello? You were the drama queen."
"I probably was.." He quickly realized that he had definitely overreacted in the past. However, you never held him accountable for it. There was a period in your life where your reactions would have been even more severe. To any situation.
It would have been better for everyone to consider going to sleep now, given that it has been a long and exhausting day. "Come on. Let's go back inside.. I'm tired." you yawned.
—
While everyone was sitting comfortably on the couch, you stood up and started discussing the sleeping arrangements. You generously offered that everyone stayed over at your place, considering it the safest option for the time being. No one disagreed, even Yut-Lung.
"Eiji's already using my other bed. So who will use the couch? Or.. someone can squeeze into my bed." You winked. Eiji's eyes rolled in disdain at that. Sing raised his hand immediately. "I would." After you laughed, Eiji quickly intervened and Yut-Lung remained silent.
"..You're taking the couch." Eiji shook his head as he spoke. Despite being aware that you were joking, there appeared to be a slight sense of disappointment on Sing's face. "I was just kidding anyway.."
"Alright. Then you and Yut-Lung can use it. It's big enough for two." You announced. And yet, your friends still had some complaints.
You never considered using the empty rooms in your house, even if you had the means to do so. Perhaps you never considered the idea, but having a guest room would probably have been a wise decision. Sing glanced at you with skepticism. "Don't you have several rooms? Like isn't this a big ass house?"
Out of the blue, Yut Lung chimed in as well, voicing his agreement with Sing's perspective. "I thought about that also."
Eiji was on the verge of entering scold-mode once more. "Hello? Be a bit more grateful."
It was understandable that they were confused, but you chose to overlook it. Actually, they should feel appreciative. Your living room was actually quite nice and spacious. It was likely the same size as Sing's apartment. You didn't say that out loud though.
You decided to end the discussion and go to bed without further argument. "They're empty.. Sorry guys. I already put blankets and pillows on the couch. Good night."
—
The following morning, you were already awake at an early hour. It was difficult to fall asleep due to excessive overthinking. As you reached out to the bedside table, your hand tightly gripped your phone, eager to check the time. You looked at the screen, and your eyes widened as you read the glowing digits that displayed the hour: 9 AM. Wow. Everyone was probably still asleep.
You glanced at your bunk bed, usually crowded with plushies because you didn't have any other use for it, and noticed that Eiji also woke up simultaneously. "Oh hi. Good morning." you called over to him. "You're awake."
Eiji appeared to be fully alert in an instant. "Good morning. I'm always up early.. It sometimes annoys me whenever people sleep too long." He mentioned while tidying your bed.
"Chill. It's just 9 AM." You gently rubbed your eyes and let out a small yawn. "But I'm kind of the same, yeah.." Unlike most people, you were probably unable to continue sleeping, so you simply decided to get up. "Let's go sit in the kitchen. You want coffee or anything?" Eiji stepped off of your bed and nodded politely.
"Sure.." he agreed.
As both of you found yourselves in the kitchen, you prepared the coffee. In the meantime, Eiji was browsing through apartment listings. "I barely lived there a month. Now I can look for a new place." He found it rather bothersome. It wasn't just him; now, numerous people are in the unfortunate position of having to search for alternative places due to the extensive damage inflicted upon the apartment complex.
During the night, you were already considering something, unsure of how he would respond. "About that.. Eiji I have an idea. Maybe it'll be weird for you but.. how about you move in here?"
you offered. Eiji appeared to be quite interested in that, as his eyes widened.
"Wait really? Like actually?"
You kindly gave a slight smile. "Yeah. I mean I don't mind. This house is too big for me anyway. You're planning to finish your studies here after all. You can choose any room you want." He took a moment to consider before giving a response. It scared you a bit. Perhaps it was a bit too much and.. weird.
However, his perspective on the matter was entirely different. "I don't think it'll be weird if we live together.. Do you?"
If you were being completely honest, it's possible that you might have overlooked the potential consequences of living with a friend. But Eiji.. Eiji still held significant importance to you. This would be different, right?
You readily agreed without giving it further consideration, shaking your head. "Nope. Not weird at all."
Eiji immediately displayed a broad smile. "Then I'd love to. Thank you (Y/N)!"
"Ahh I'm so excited!" You embraced him tightly and shrieked with excitement. Suddenly, you found yourself certain about this decision. You were genuinely thrilled about living with your best friend. Eiji returned the hug. "Me too (Y/N)."
Both of you were momentarily disrupted by the sound of a phone vibrating. Eiji excused himself. "Oh I have to take this.. it's my mom."
"Good luck."
As Eiji exited the room and made his way to your balcony, you heard the sound of the doorbell ringing.