Every Single Thing I Touch || HeartLiming "Moonlight Chicken"

20. Labyrinth

 "It only feels this raw right now, lost in the labyrinth of my mind. Break up, break free, break through, break down, you would break your back to make me break a smile. You know how much I hate that everybody just expects me to bounce back, just like that"

—Taylor Swift, "Labyrinth"

"How have you been, Li?" North asked, gently pulling away from Liming's tight, bone-crushing hug. He smiled warmly, his eyes gleaming with genuine curiosity. "It's been so long since we last saw each other. I heard you're a hotshot lawyer in Bangkok now? I'm impressed."

Liming chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head, trying to downplay the compliment. "Ah, well, I'm not a hotshot..."

"Oh, please," North scoffed playfully, sitting down across from Liming. "Everyone talks about you, you know."

Liming's nerves flared up even more as North's presence seemed to light up the whole space. His grin widened, eyes crinkling in that familiar, teasing way. "Let's talk about you, Mr. Hotshot Professor. Who knew you'd end up being a professor, considering how much you played around in uni?"

North leaned in slightly, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Where do you think people talked about you, huh? You're renowned at Chula because of all your accolades. You were always making waves."

Liming leaned back in his seat, his half-eaten meal forgotten as a wave of nostalgia swept over him. Their days at Chula felt like a lifetime ago, but the memories came flooding back—North, Liming, and their mutual friends sharing dorm rooms, laughing at inside jokes, staying up late cramming for exams. That was when Liming had first softened toward North, back when their friendship started to take shape.

Liming had been crushing on North back then, but that infatuation had slowly faded as they became closer friends. Of course, North knew about it, Liming thought. It wasn't exactly a secret, but North never pried. He also didn't know about Liming falling in love with someone else back then, despite lingering suspicions. There were things North didn't know about Liming's life—especially his love life.

"So, what are you doing here?" North asked, gesturing towards Liming's barely touched bowl of noodles.

Liming shrugged, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "I should be asking you that. I come here all the time. What are you doing in my godforsaken neighborhood?"

North laughed, lifting a plastic bag with cans of beer, raising it for Liming to see. "Ah, one of my friends moved in here recently. We're having a welcome-back party for him."

"Oh, I see." Liming's smile faltered, an ache settling into his chest. Of course, North was busy. He had friends to catch up with, a life to return to, and Liming... Liming was stuck. He tried to ignore how the rough day had worn him down—Heart's hot-and-cold attitude, the guilt gnawing at him for years. All Liming wanted to do was cry, and now North was about to leave too.

It reminded him of high school—when Heart had blamed him for murdering Night. Liming had never felt more alone, never felt more undeserving of anything good. Now, it was like that all over again. Alone. Miserable.

"Do you wanna come?" North's voice interrupted his spiraling thoughts.

Liming blinked, raising his gaze slowly. "Come? Where?"

"To the welcome-back party," North said casually, nodding at the beer cans.

Liming's first instinct was to refuse, to retreat back into his isolation. "I mean, won't you get blasted for bringing a complete stranger to a party meant for close friends?"