Unexpected Love *⁠.⁠✧

Episode 18

Perth lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling of his dorm. The early morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, but all he could think about was the fight from yesterday. Santa’s words rang in his ears: "If you want me to be yours, prove it. Treat me like a normal person and not as your slave. Stop trying to control who I hangout with. Stop being possessive towards me. That's all I ask—i don't want you to get jealous just because I hangout with someone who's not you" He clenched his jaw, feeling a knot tighten in his chest. He had messed up, but he wasn’t going to let it end there.

He sat up, determined. If he wanted to keep Santa by his side, he had to change. No more controlling, no more suffocating Santa. He needed to prove that he could be different. He couldn’t lose him—not like this.

Across campus, Santa woke up in his own dorm, feeling the weight of the fight as well. He had told Perth to prove himself, but a part of him wondered if that was even possible. Could Perth really change? As much as Santa liked him, the possessiveness was suffocating.

Sighing, Santa pushed those thoughts aside for now and got ready for class.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Later, Perth and Santa sat next to each other in class, but the air between them was thick with unresolved tension. Perth kept glancing at Santa, wanting to say something but holding himself back. He knew he needed to give Santa space if he wanted to show that he could change.

Santa, on the other hand, focused on the lecture, but he could feel Perth’s eyes on him. The silence between them was uncomfortable, but Santa didn’t break it.

As class ended, they both quietly packed up their things, neither saying much. Just as they were about to leave, Pond appeared at the door with a smile.

"Hey, Santa! About yesterday... do you want to practice that new dance? We’ve got time now during lunch break."

Santa paused, looking at Pond, then glanced at Perth. He waited to see how Perth would react, expecting him to say something. But Perth just sighed heavily, picked up his bag, and walked out of the classroom without a word.

Pond blinked in surprise, watching Perth’s retreating back. "Is he... not going to stop you?"

Santa hesitated before answering, "I guess not."

Perth walked briskly across campus, trying to calm the storm brewing inside him. Everything in him wanted to stop Santa, to tell Pond to back off, but he knew that if he did, he’d be falling right back into the same controlling behavior Santa hated.

Instead, he made his way to the campus café, where their group usually hung out. As he approached the table, he noticed Aou and Boom sitting together, laughing and sharing stories. Winny and Satang were there too, chatting quietly with occasional flirtatious glances between them. Jimmy and Sea were engrossed in a deep conversation, completely absorbed in each other.

Perth sat down at the table, feeling out of place without Santa by his side. The usual energy he felt around his friends seemed distant. His silence didn’t go unnoticed.

Yatch, who had been focused on his phone, glanced up at Perth. "Phi Perth, are you alright? Where’s Santa?"

Perth didn’t look up as he replied, his voice low. "He’s with Pond... practicing a dance, I guess."

Winny raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. "You let him go? I thought you’d stop him like you usually do. You know, possessive Perth."

The comment hit Perth hard, but he kept his voice steady. "I’m trying to change. I don’t want to control him anymore. I don’t want to suffocate him."