On the way home, I told Jay that boxing practice was something that needed to be done, but I didn't want to involve feelings or emotions. He nodded in understanding, which made me feel relieved. We had walked about halfway when suddenly, the rain started falling, and it got heavier, forcing us to take shelter in front of an empty laundromat.
"Wow, the rain came out of nowhere. The sky was just clear a moment ago," Nao commented. We weren't too wet since we found shelter quickly. "Oh… a romantic scene, waiting for the rain together. I shouldn't be here. Should I run off somewhere else?"
"Don't say weird things," I replied, then turned to Jay and asked, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, you?"
"I'm fine, not too wet," I answered. "With rain like this, I don't think it will last long. Should we wait or call someone to pick us up?"
"This will take a while," Jay said. "Maybe until the afternoon."
"How do you know?" Nao frowned, curious.
"Just a guess."
"I believe it. I'll try contacting Tiger; maybe he's done talking to Ryan." Nao took out his phone and started typing a message. "He said he'll come in fifteen minutes. Let's wait a bit."
I smiled and nodded, looking around. Luckily, there were seats available. I invited both of them to sit while waiting. "There's a vending machine. Do you guys want something to drink?"
"No," Jay replied, and Nao shook his head. So we sat and chatted until Tiger arrived right on time. We got into the car, and Tiger handed each of us a towel. I thanked him and asked about his meeting with Ryan.
"There were some issues, as usual with stubborn people, but we managed in the end."
"Thank you," I said.
"Thanks," Jay added.
Tiger looked at us through the rearview mirror. "No problem."
I smiled a little at that. Since the first day we met, Tiger had been much nicer to Jayden. When we arrived home, we parted ways to shower and change into fresh clothes.
Jay let me shower first, so I waited for him in the room. I was surprised when he walked in wearing only a towel.
"Why aren't you wearing clothes?"
"I forgot to bring them. I thought they were in my room."
"Oh, alright then, change here. I'll wait outside." I stepped out of the room and closed the door, my heart beating a little faster and my face feeling warm. Ever since I saw him boxing without a shirt, I hadn't expected to feel like this. But Jay's body had changed a lot since the first time I saw him shirtless, probably because of intense training. His physique was more developed than an average nineteen-year-old boy.
Now I understand why Duen didn't want me to see Tiger without a shirt. Should I ask Jay to always wear a shirt while boxing? While waiting outside, I tried to calm myself so I wouldn't show any signs of nervousness or a flushed face. I didn't want Jay to ask anything. Not long after, Jay opened the door and said he was done. I took him to the other house for dinner. I was surprised to see them preparing a barbecue.
"Why are we having a barbecue for dinner?"
"To celebrate Jayden moving in," Nao answered.
"When I moved in, there was no celebration like this," Tiger grumbled slightly, looking a bit annoyed. Nao gently patted his head.
"There wasn't much at the time, but I told you I was really happy you moved in with us."
That made Tiger smile, and his annoyance faded.
"Yeah, I'm happy too."
Once everything was ready, we sat down to eat. I always thought Fei was cute. She had a special cushion for sitting because her small frame couldn't reach the table. Fei carried her cushion and climbed onto the chair.
"What are you looking at, Dan?"
"I think you're cute, Fei."
"Why?"
"Because you're small."
Fei puffed out her cheeks. "I'm going to grow taller. I'll be taller than you."
"That's possible since Dan is just barely over one meter tall. How tall are you, Dan?" Nao teased.
"I'm average. You're just a little taller."
"But I'm still taller. I always have been."
I grimaced. "But when you're next to Tiger, you look small."
"What? If Dan is next to Jayden, he also looks small."
"You're cute / Dan is adorable." Tiger and Jay spoke at the same time, making everyone at the table take turns staring at them. A brief silence fell over the table. I unconsciously scratched my neck, unsure of what to do.
"You didn't have to repeat my words," Tiger muttered.
"I didn't repeat them," Jay replied.
"It's fine," Mom said. "My children are adorable, aren't they?"
"Yes/Yes." The synchronized response made Mom smile even more. I chose to eat a piece of meat without saying anything else. As the topic of conversation changed, I started joining in again.
"Isn't being a boxer dangerous? I worry about them getting hurt or knocked out. Wouldn't that affect their health in the long run?"
"I'm fine," Jayden replied.
"Jayden, you're fine now because you're young," Mom said.
"It depends on the situation," Tiger added. "We take care of our bodies, do health checkups. If there are any warning signs, we have to stop, right, Dan?"
I nodded firmly. "Yeah, if there are any warning signs, we have to stop immediately."
"Yes, but if you're a good boxer, your popularity rises quickly. In a short time, you can make millions. If you win championships or prizes, you get sponsors, investment money, and fame. If you have fans and followers, that's even better. You can do a lot more things easily. If you want to retire, you can. Or if you want to keep fighting, you continue."
"Right," Nao nodded. "You already have some fans. Why not open an Instagram account or a fan page?"
"Yeah, just open one. Ryan also suggested starting an account. Begin with Instagram."
"Instagram?"
"I'll open it for you," I said. Jay nodded before continuing to eat his barbecue.
After dinner, we all helped clean up. Just as Jay had predicted, by 8 PM, the rain still showed no signs of stopping. We decided to watch a movie together before bed, so we gathered in the living room.
"What movie should we watch?" Nao asked while connecting the computer to the TV.
Soon, the Netflix screen appeared.
"Suggest different genres."
"Horror movie," Fei said, raising her hand. At the age of seven or eight, she was really into thrillers. Meanwhile, her father always watched those movies with a blanket covering his face. I could watch them, but if they were too scary, I sometimes closed my eyes.
"Fei, the last horror movie made Dad refuse to go to the bathroom alone at night," Nao muttered.
Fei laughed. "Where did you find such a scary movie?"
"I'm in a horror movie fan group. They always recommend terrifying films."
"Please, no more horror movies."
"Alright, we can watch another genre since we already watched horror last time. Jayden, do you have a specific genre in mind?" Fei asked his new friend. Jay shook his head. "Then, Dad, what do you want to watch?"
"I don't care."
"And you, Uncle and Grandma?"
"Grandma has no preference."
"Something light and fun?" I suggested. "How about animation? Any new ones, Nao?"
"There is, this one," Nao said, showing the trailer. In the end, we picked that movie.
With the heavy rain outside, the whole family gathered to watch together. This was the kind of atmosphere I liked. After the movie ended, we chatted for a bit before going to bed. It was almost 10 PM. Tiger, Nao, and Fei went upstairs to sleep, while Jay, Mom, and I returned to the old house.
"Good night," Mom smiled as she opened her bedroom door. "Jayden, what do you want for breakfast tomorrow? I'll cook it."
"…Eggs and sausages," Jay answered after thinking for a moment. "My mom used to make that for breakfast."
"I'll try my best. How about you, Dan?"
"The same as Jay."
"Alright, good night to both of you."
"Good night," we replied before heading into the room.
Although this wasn't the first time Jay slept in my room, it was his first official night living here.
"Are you going to sleep now?"
"And you?"
"Yeah."
Jay lay down beside me. "This is a new place; you might not sleep well. If you have nightmares or anything, wake me up."
"Okay."
"Good night."
"Good night."
I turned my back to him, lying on my left side. I was almost asleep when Jay called my name.
"Dan."
"What?"
"Can I hug you? I like hugging you. Actually, just holding your hand is enough because I want to feel your pulse. But hugging is warmer."
"...." I fell silent, thinking about many things, feeling embarrassed and not knowing what to do. But in the end, I agreed because I thought it would be good for Jay; hugging might make him feel more comfortable. "Alright."
Jay slowly moved closer and wrapped his arms around me. I unconsciously tensed up because we were so close.
"Dan, I don't know where to put my other arm."
"Well, usually, if you sleep with one arm around my neck, the other arm would go under my neck. I'll sleep on your arm," I explained softly. "If you don't mind."
"Like this?" Jay placed his arm under my neck. I lifted my head slightly before resting back down. "I don't mind."
"After a while, this might make you uncomfortable."
"Are you comfortable?"
I could only smile in response. Honestly, sleeping while being held like this felt really nice. Warm and safe. This was the first time I had ever slept in someone's embrace like this. Usually, when I slept with Nao, I had to be careful. Ever since Nao hit my nose while sleeping back in high school, I've always been nervous when sleeping. Only in the Boston dorms could I sleep soundly.
I was slightly surprised when Jay adjusted his embrace while I was lost in my thoughts. He hugged me a little tighter, and within a minute, he seemed to have fallen asleep. His steady breathing against my neck tickled because I wasn't used to it. I thought I would fall asleep soon due to exhaustion, the cool atmosphere with the rain outside, and the warm hug. But I didn't.
I couldn't sleep because my heart was beating too fast. After a while, Jay woke up.
"Dan."
"Hmm?"
"Why is your heart beating so fast? What's wrong?"
"You weren't asleep?"
"Yeah."
"You woke up because of my heartbeat? Is it that loud?"
"I just felt like it wasn't normal," Jay answered. "So I woke up."
"Ah," was all I could say. His sensitivity was truly remarkable.
"Is something wrong?"
"No... Nothing..." I sighed, thinking that I had to explain, otherwise, Jay wouldn't let the topic go. "I just feel embarrassed being so close to you, that's all."
"Because I'm hugging you?"
"...Yeah."
"So I shouldn't hug you?"
"...It's not that... just hug me," I replied softly.
"Alright. Are you going to sleep?"
"Yeah. Go to sleep."
"Okay."
Jay went back to sleep. I stayed awake for almost two hours. I woke up in the morning, and Jay was still hugging me. I was lying on my side, facing him. I was startled and pushed him slightly before sitting up on the bed.
"What's wrong?"
"I was just surprised."
"You're the one who turned over."
"Yeah, but I'm not used to waking up and seeing someone so close."
"So, can I hug you again tonight?"
"How did you sleep last night?" I preferred to ask instead. Jay sat up in bed.
"I slept well."
"You didn't wake up in the middle of the night?"
He shook his head.
"Nightmares?"
"I didn't dream about anything."
"Wow." That was amazing. As we all knew, Jay had chronic sleep issues. Even though he had consulted a doctor and took medication, it took time. But if sleeping while hugging me helped him get a good night's sleep, that was perfect. Besides, I also slept well, except for the first two hours when I was tense because I wasn't used to it. Even after waking up, I still felt calm. "That's good."
"So, can I hug you every night?"
"Of course." I smiled.
After showering and getting dressed, we went downstairs for breakfast. We planned to buy sunflowers today, but the rain hasn't stopped since yesterday.
"It'll be hard to buy flowers now," I commented while sitting on the sofa. "Jay, when do you think the rain will stop? It's been raining since yesterday."
"In the afternoon."
"You're good at predicting the weather."
"I'm just guessing."
"But your guesses are always right."
"Yeah."
"So, while we wait, how about we make your Instagram account?" I suggested, remembering that I had said yesterday that I would make one for him, but then we ended up watching a movie and I forgot.
"What's that?"
"It's a platform for uploading photos on social media. You can post pictures of yourself or other things, so fans or people who want to follow you can do so. You can upload photos and update what you're doing or where you're going."
"Why do they need to know?"
"You don't want to?"
Jay shook his head.
"Then we don't have to make one," I replied. Better to do what he liked.
"Do you have an account?"
"Yeah."
"You post photos?"
"Yeah. Want to see?"
"I do."
I took out my phone, opened Instagram, and handed it to Jay. I actually didn't like posting photos on social media, but it was necessary for work.
"Who is this person?"
Jay held the phone to ask. I could hear the displeased tone in his voice. It was a picture of me with a client. I answered, but then more questions followed—why we had lunch together, why we were so close, why they were smiling like that, why we went to that place. He didn't just ask about one photo but every single one, and I was sure he had already memorized all the names of the people in my pictures.
Luckily, I didn't have many photos. Otherwise, I would've been explaining all day.
"You have more photos with someone named Nok. A total of seven photos."
"That's because Nok is on my work team."
"Are you close?"
"You could say that. We've worked together since I started at this company."
"Five years ago."
"Yeah."
"But you've only been with me for seven months."
"Does that mean she's closer to you than I am?"
"Of course not," I answered firmly. We literally slept hugging each other last night. What made him think I was closer to a coworker than to him? "Knowing someone for a long time doesn't mean we're closer. Do you think we're close?"
Jay thought for a moment. "Yeah, we're close."
"A lot?"
"A lot."
"I think so too. I like being with you more. Besides, our relationship is different."
"Different?" Jay looked confused. "How?"
"I won't say."
"Then I'll ask my bosses."
"I'll explain it to you."
In the afternoon, the rain stopped—just as Jay predicted—so we went out to buy flowers. When we arrived, he didn't take long to pick out a frame and sunflowers, but he took forever to decide what to buy for me.
"Buying a golden retriever stuffed animal?"
"Yeah."
"Why are you taking so long to choose? They all look the same."
"None of them look like me."
I couldn't help but chuckle. "None will be exactly the same. Nao didn't mean it that way." After a little explanation, he finally chose one. After buying everything, we went home. Now, beside the table lamp, there was a golden retriever plushie. I couldn't help but smile. This was the first gift Jay had bought for me, and it also represented him.
The framed photo with Mother Jane was placed next to it.
"Time flies, doesn't it?" I commented while tending to the plants in the garden.
"Tomorrow is already Monday. Will you be training at Uncle Jerd's gym?"
"Yeah."
"How will you get there?"
"I will walk. I already know the way."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'll warm up before practice."
"Alright."
After dinner, Tiger approached me to talk about Jay's diet. Nutrition is very important for an athlete. Tiger gave me the contact of a nutritionist at the gym in case I had any questions. From now on, I would be responsible for Jay's diet.
"This isn't difficult, but can you handle this? You're already exhausted from work," Tiger said.
"Mom can help," my mother answered with a smile. "It's not too complicated."
I showed my phone to my mother. "They told me to follow this diet plan first."
Mom looked at it and said it wasn't a problem; she could prepare all the meals and supplements.
"This is too much trouble for you, Mom."
"It's fine. I always cook," she replied.
"This should be my responsibility," I muttered.
"You already have a lot on your plate. Don't worry. With the ingredients we have, I can manage."
"I can take care of the ingredients. Or we can hire a nutritionist for this," Tiger suggested.
Before I could respond, my mother interrupted, "Don't waste money unnecessarily. If this doesn't work out, then we'll hire someone."
"Alright." Since my mother insisted, I had no reason to refuse. After that agreement, I went back to my work in my room, while Jay watched me closely, trying to understand what I was doing.
"You do this every day?"
"Not always. Today, I have to fix something."
"I see."
I finished working at around 11 PM, a little later than usual. Then we went to bed. Jay asked for permission to hug me, even though I had already given him permission in the morning. Jay fell asleep quickly, unlike me, who still wasn't used to it and took time to fall asleep.
I woke up because I felt his embrace loosen.
"Are you awake?"
"Yeah. Are you going to the gym?"
"Yeah, and you should get up too."
"Alright."
I offered to take Jay to the gym on his first day because I was worried. I watched him for a while, and after seeing that everything was going well, I left for work. Nao, who said he would join the training, still hadn't woken up. Well, he probably wouldn't train as intensely as Jay.
When I arrived at the office, I saw Tee and remembered that I had recently rejected his invitation, and he hadn't responded. I tried to greet him as usual, but he avoided me. That wasn't a good sign. He didn't speak to me all morning, creating an awkward atmosphere within the team. During lunch, Nok came to talk to me.
"Boss, is Mr. Tee okay? He hasn't said anything, and it's making work difficult."
"Huh?" I was surprised. I wasn't sure if I should talk about it. I didn't want Tee to look bad. "Maybe he has personal problems. He'll be fine soon. Either way, I'll talk to him." I decided to answer like that. Nok nodded, understanding.
After lunch, I tried calling Tee to talk privately.
He still had a blank expression, making me sigh.
"Tee, if you have a problem, you can talk to me. Acting like this makes it harder for the team to work and creates a bad atmosphere. It negatively affects our work."
"I thought you already knew the reason."
"Is it because of me?"
"I've never liked someone as much as I like you. Honestly, I can't accept it." He spoke with a voice full of pain. "Do you already have a partner? I thought I could wait until you opened up to me."
"Tee, I think I've been clear enough. I don't want this to affect our work. We need to separate personal matters from work."
"And the answer?"
I lowered my head slightly, biting my lip and clenching my fists. Without realizing it, I took a step back.
"What answer?"
"Do you already have a partner?"
"I like him."
"So, you're not officially with anyone yet?"
"I'm with him."
"But you're not really together, are you?"
I shook my head. "Tee, please calm down. If you keep this up, I'll have to inform the higher-ups that you can't work with us."
"Go ahead. And what will you achieve?" he hissed. "Have you forgotten that I'm the son of one of the main partners? I could have you fired or suspended."
"Go ahead," I answered in a neutral voice before walking away indifferently. The only thing I felt at that moment was exhaustion. Do whatever you want.
I went up to the rooftop, sat down, and called Jay. Hearing his voice, I felt a strange sense of relief.
"How was training at the new gym?"
[Good. Hey, Dan, Jab wants to talk to you.]
"Alright."
Then I heard Jab's voice. [Phi, I think there's a problem.]
"What happened?"
[Jayden came from a big gym, right? And he has a foreign personal trainer. His meals are also specially prepared, while the others just eat whatever is available. My dad and I don't mind, but the others are unhappy about it.]
"I see." I nodded even though no one could see me. "Wait, did Jay hear that?"
[No, I stepped outside to talk.]
"How serious is it?"
[Quite serious. The high school kids don't mind; they're under my supervision. But the adults are thinking, 'From a big gym? Personal trainer? Can't he eat the same as us? How great does he think he is?' This afternoon, they want to challenge him to a sparring match. Do you understand?]
"And what did Jay say?"
[He agreed. I know he's good, but I've never seen him fight. And he's still young. I'm worried.]
"Can't you stop it?"
[It's difficult. Training matches are normal. If I stop it, they'll think Jayden needs to be protected.]
"I understand. It's just practice, right?"
[Yes.]
"Just keep an eye on him. We don't want anyone underestimating or resenting him."
[Alright, I'll give the phone back to Jayden.]
"Alright."
Then Jayden was back on the phone.
[What were you talking about with Jab?]
"I was just saying that you're training at the gym for the first time," I replied. "And you'll be fighting tomorrow. Is that okay?"
[Yeah, training before a real fight is great.]
"Good. Good luck."
[Thanks.]
"Sorry I can't be there to cheer you on tomorrow. I'll watch the broadcast at work."
[Alright, Dan.]
"What's wrong?"
[Are you feeling sick? Your voice sounds sad.]
"Wow. You can tell just from my voice?"
[Yeah. What's wrong?]
"I just had some issues with a coworker."
[Who? Do you want me to deal with them?]
"Don't worry. I'm just tired."
[Do you want a hug? I'll come over and hug you.]
I couldn't help but chuckle. "Hahaha, then just come to the office."
[Dan, wait for me.]
"You can't. I was just joking. I'll hug you at home."
[Alright, I'll wait for you at home.]
"Okay, I'll get back to work. See you at home."
[See you at home.]
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
[Bae Irene❤]: Phi, I think I was too worried about Jayden.
[Bae Irene❤]: He's really strong. Is he really nineteen?
[DanNuea]: Did he win by KO in the first round?
[Bae Irene❤]: How did you know?
[DanNuea]: He always wins by KO in his fights.
[Bae Irene❤]: Seriously? Wow...
[Bae Irene❤]: Dodge and punch to the chin.
[Bae Irene❤]: Now I understand why Jayden looks angry.
[DanNuea]: Angry? Why?
[Bae Irene❤]: Someone said that someone was talking badly about you.
[Bae Irene❤]: And Jayden heard it.
[Bae Irene❤]: Understandable. No one should talk badly about my brother.
[DanNuea]: Was it a boxer from Jab's gym?
[Bae Irene❤]: Yeah, he should be kicked out.
[Bae Irene❤]: We shouldn't accept people like that.
[Bae Irene❤]: Oh, in that case, my Phi Nao wouldn't be able to come to the gym either.
[DanNuea]: Jab 5555.
[Bae Irene❤]: So who is Jayden?
[Bae Irene❤]: Is he yours?
[DanNuea]: 🤔
[Bae Irene❤]: You're not going to tell me, are you?
[Bae Irene❤]: No problem, I'll find out myself.
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
[DanNuea]: Thank you for protecting me.
[DanNuea]: How can I not love you even more?
[DanNuea]: (message deleted)
[Jayden]: Dan, what did you write at the end?
[Jayden]: Why did you delete it? I didn't get to read it.
[DanNuea]: 55555
[DanNuea]: See you at home 😊