The Boy Next World

Chapter 4 Proof

Even though the weather on Saturday morning was gloomy and rainy, making it hard to stay awake, Sisira managed to drag his messy-haired self out of bed by nine o'clock. He sat there, dazed, trying to remember why he had to wake up on a day off. One hand scratched his head while the other scratched his bare neck, as his shirt collar had slipped down to his shoulder. This was a sight Phukan had never realized was so endearing.

Whether it was his sleepy face with one cheek red from sleeping on the same side all night, his pajama shirt with the top two buttons undone, revealing his white skin and smooth shoulders, or his messy hair, it was all endearing and cute. Even his sitting posture and legs splayed out like someone not fully awake made people experience cute aggression.

But Phukan always thought of himself as a plain and unremarkable guy.

"Ugh, P' Cir is coming. Yawnnnnn..."

Phukan mumbled and couldn't help but yawn, but he managed to drag himself into the bathroom.

It wasn't until the warm water poured over him that the sleepyhead fully woke up.

He barely slept last night.

Phukan finally remembered why he couldn't sleep last night. It was all because of a guy named Cirrus.

It wasn't like they had a long conversation after treating his wound. He was worried about Cirrus, who'd just had his stitches removed and had just found out that he had the guts to escape from the hospital. When Cirrus dropped him off at the condo and seemed about to follow him up, Phukan firmly told him he needed to go back and rest. If he wanted to talk, he could come back another day.

And do you know what he said?

"Then I'll come back tomorrow."

Phukan thought, Why so soon? But the worried look on Cirrus's face, combined with his own curiosity, made him agree.

And yes, it'd be time for their appointment in less than an hour.

Realizing this, Phukan quickly grabbed a simple outfit: knee-length shorts and a soft cartoon-printed T-shirt. He didn't forget the most important thing.

Today is Saturday, so purple it is.

Phukan slapped his hip once and smiled broadly. Wearing this boosted his confidence a lot.

"Alright, I'm ready. Let's go find something to eat."

It was just past nine-thirty, so he still had time to go to the convenience store downstairs and wait for Cirrus. This would also give him time to review what he thought about last night.

Beep.

"Whoa!!!"

But as soon as Phukan opened the door, he yelled out loud because he almost bumped into someone's face who'd arrived early.

"I'm sorry. Did I hit you with the door?" The small one stammered, his big eyes automatically looking up at the forehead that used to have a gauze patch. Today, the other guy had his hair down, covering everything except his eyes, which seemed to be smiling.

"No."

Phukan wanted to ask why he was smiling, but maybe Cirrus was amused by his panicked reaction, so he decided not to ask.

At that moment, the taller guy handed him a cloth bag from the convenience store.

"Don't tell me you bought this for me."

Phukan didn't take it and peeked inside. He saw various stuffed bread and, of course, a bottle of green tea.

"You haven't had breakfast yet, right?" Cirrus said, changing the subject, but it was clear that he'd bought it for Phukan.