When Worlds Collide (Taynew)

episode ✍️ 39

New goes to his room, takes a bath, and changes into fresh clothes. His roommate looks up and asks, "Hey New, where did you sleep last night? I didn’t see you this morning."

New shrugs. "I slept with a friend."

"A friend?" The roommate raises an eyebrow, curious.

New opens his mouth to continue, but before he can finish, the door swings open, and Tay steps in. The roommate immediately questions, "Hey, who are you? Why are you coming in like that?"

New quickly interjects, "He’s my friend."

The roommate gives New a questioning look, but Tay speaks up. "Pack your things and move to the hotel where I’m staying."

The roommate protests, "Wait, what? He came here to have fun with us. If you're joining, that’s fine, but why make him stay somewhere else?"

Tay doesn’t respond, simply glancing at him. New steps in to diffuse the tension. "It’s okay. I’ll still hang out with you guys. The hotel is right next door. Besides, you can spend more time with your girlfriend, too."

The roommate, still unsure, finally nods. New quickly packs his things, then turns to Tay. "I want to eat first. I’m starving. After that, I’ll move out."

Tay nods in agreement. They head to the hotel restaurant, where everyone is already gathered. Off tries to keep his distance from Tay, while New spots Gun and calls out, "Gun! Where have you been? They tried calling you so many times, but you didn’t answer."

Gun groans. "Don’t even ask. I got sick and vomited like three times. After that, I passed out. When I woke up, I had a massive headache, so Off got me some medicine. I slept like a dead man."

New, curious, asks, "So does that mean you remember everything?"

Gun shakes his head. "Nope. Off told me what happened."

New laughs. "So Off remembers everything? What did he say we were doing while we were drunk?"

Gun chuckles. "Don’t ask. Apparently, we were talking about building houses on the moon and in the ocean. That’s what Off told me."

New sighs. "Really? I don’t remember a thing."

Gun smiles mischievously. "Off also told me something funny—you mistook a black guy for a shark."

New closes his eyes, embarrassed. "That’s it. I swear I will never drinking again."

Gun laughs. "Come on, sometimes it’s fun, don’t you think?"

New manages a small smile. "Maybe… just a little."

Their laughter draws the attention of Force and Pond, who walk over, grinning. "Hey, you two! What’s the secret? Don’t leave us out of the fun," they say dramatically.

Gun rolls his eyes and slaps both Force and Pond on the back of their heads. Pond yelps, "Hey, why’d you hit me?"

New chuckles, "You deserved it."

Tay silently watches New with a quiet intensity, while Off stays close to Gun, keeping a wary distance from Tay.

They order their food, and when it arrives, they begin to enjoy the meal. New notices some women at another table continuously staring at Tay. Tay doesn’t seem to notice, but New does. He glances at them occasionally, then returns to eating. Gun notices New’s distraction and asks, "New, what are you staring at? Do you like someone over there?"

Hearing that, Tay turns his head to see what New is looking at. When Tay glances their way, the women quickly shift their focus back to their food. New frowns slightly and mutters under his breath, "Stupid Gun, just eat." Tay throws another quick look at the women, but this time, they’re staring right at him again. Tay assumes they’re looking at New since he and New are sitting close to each other. He’s about to say something to New, but just then, his phone rings, pulling him away to take the call.