Unexpected Love *⁠.⁠✧

Episode 6

The next morning, Santa woke up feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders. His body ached not from the physical strain but from the humiliation Perth had subjected him to. The memory of Perth forcing him to serve as his puppet in front of everyone still played on a loop in his mind, taunting him.

Without wasting any time, Santa dragged himself out of bed, took a cold shower, and hoped the day ahead would be different—better, somehow. But he knew, deep down, it wouldn’t. After dressing in his uniform, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief that Perth hadn’t come banging on his door this time. Maybe that humiliation was enough for one day.

With a heavy heart, Santa left his dorm, trying to avoid attention. He made his way toward the campus cafe, hoping to find a quiet corner where he could be alone. But fate wasn’t on his side. As soon as he entered the cafe, his eyes locked onto the one person he dreaded seeing the most—Perth, sitting at a table with his friends Aou, Jimmy, and Winny, all of them laughing like they owned the world.

Santa froze, his mind screaming for him to turn around and leave, but Perth had already spotted him.

"Well, well, look who it is," Perth said with a smirk as Santa approached, his friends Aou, Jimmy, and Winny sitting by his side. "Ready for another day of serving me?"

Santa’s blood boiled at Perth’s words, but he bit his lip, forcing himself to remain calm. He had to—he didn’t have a choice.

Perth’s friends chuckled, clearly enjoying the scene. Winny leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms with a smirk, while Aou barely looked up from his phone, too bored to care.

Just as Santa was about to move past them, a familiar voice cut through the tension. "Phi Perth!" It was Satang, followed by Sea, Yatch, and Boom. They had seen the exchange and rushed over, their faces tight with anger. Satang, the most outspoken of the group, stormed forward, his eyes burning with rage.

"What the hell do you think you’re doing to Santa?" Satang demanded, his voice shaking with fury. "We know something’s wrong. You asked him to dance Infront of fucking everyone yesterday! You’re treating him like garbage, and you think we’re not going to do anything about it?"

Boom, standing beside Satang, crossed his arms, glaring at Perth with equal intensity. "Yeah, what’s going on? Why is Santa even hanging around with you and your stupid cronies?"

Perth simply smirked, leaning back in his chair like he owned the place. He exchanged a glance with his friends before turning his gaze back to Santa, who stood awkwardly between his own friends and his tormentors.

"Well, Santa," Perth said lazily, as if the entire situation amused him. "Why don’t you tell them? Or should I do the honors?"

Santa felt a wave of nausea roll over him. His hands trembled at his sides as he clenched them into fists. He couldn’t speak—how could he? He couldn’t bring himself to say the words that would shatter the image his friends had of him.

Sea, growing more frustrated by Santa’s silence, stepped forward. "Tell us what? What’s going on, Perth? You’re acting like a damn psychopath!"

Perth didn’t miss a beat. He raised an eyebrow, his voice cold and calculating. "You really want to know, Sea?" He let the silence linger for a moment before dropping the bomb. "Your precious friend, Santa, is my slave for the entire semester."

The words hit like a sledgehammer. Satang’s jaw dropped, and Yatch’s eyes widened in disbelief. Boom looked like he was about to explode, his fists already clenched.

"You’re lying," Satang spat, his voice shaking with anger. "Santa would never—"

"Oh, it’s true," Jimmy chimed in with a grin, clearly enjoying the chaos unfolding. "You should’ve seen it. Your friend here has been quite… obedient." He leaned forward, mockingly pinching Sea’s cheek, earning a swat from the other boy. "Isn’t that right, Santa?"