By Your Side ✧⁠*⁠。

Episode 18

Perth woke up early that morning, his body still heavy with sleep but his mind stirring with thoughts. He rubbed his eyes, letting out a quiet groan as he sat up on his bed. His fingers ran through his tousled hair, his gaze unfocused as memories from the previous day came flooding back. The image of Santa and Aou riding the motorcycle together and was talking to eachother lingered in his mind, gnawing at him in a way he couldn't fully understand. He clenched his jaw and sighed deeply. "Why does it bother me so much? He just a brother...right?" he thought, frustrated. He knew he had promised Santa the freedom to choose his own path, yet seeing him with Aou had sparked a pang of jealousy he couldn't shake.

Shaking his head, Perth got up and grabbed his towel from the closet. He walked to the bathroom, trying to push the thoughts aside. The cool spray of water helped calm his racing mind, but not enough to stop him from replaying the moment over and over again. "You need to let it go, he's not a baby anymore." he told himself sternly as he turned off the shower. He dried off, wrapped the towel around his waist, and stepped out of the bathroom.

Gemini, groggy and disheveled, had just woken up. Sitting on his bed, he groaned in frustration, rubbing his temples before standing up. "Perth, What's your deal? Ever since yesterday, you've been acting weird." Gemini muttered before grabbing his own towel and heading toward the bathroom.

Perth didn't respond. Instead, he walked to his closet and began putting on his uniform, the crisp fabric a comforting routine amidst his chaotic thoughts. Once dressed, he picked up his phone and car keys from the nightstand, slinging his bag over his shoulder. While waiting for Gemini to finish, he shouted, “Gemini! Hurry up!”

Gemini emerged from the bathroom moments later, raising an eyebrow at Perth’s tone. "Why are you so grumpy today?" he asked, drying his hair with a towel. Perth didn't answer, just motioned for him to hurry. Gemini rolled his eyes, muttering something under his breath as he grabbed his uniform and got dressed.

Once ready, the two headed out of their room, walking down the stairs to the parking area. As they reached their vehicles, Perth’s eyes caught two familiar figures walking down the stairs. It was Santa and Fourth. Gemini’s face lit up immediately. "Fourth!" he called out, jogging toward the younger boy.

Fourth smiled brightly and jogged to meet Gemini halfway. “Want to ride with me? I’ll drop you off,” Gemini offered, holding up a spare helmet. Fourth hesitated for a moment, glancing back at Santa, who gave him a reassuring smile. "Just go, I'll be fine," Santa said softly.

Fourth nodded and took the helmet from Gemini. After fastening it securely, he hopped onto the back of Gemini’s motorcycle, holding on as Gemini drove off toward Fourth’s faculty.

Santa, now standing alone, was about to walk away when Perth approached him and gently grabbed his wrist. Santa turned, startled. “Ride with me. I’ll drop you off,” Perth said, his voice firm but not unkind. Santa blinked, then smiled and nodded, following Perth to his car.

The ride to Santa’s faculty was quiet, with Perth focused on the road and Santa gazing out the window. Despite his concentration on driving, Perth couldn’t help but steal glances at Santa, the sunlight catching the soft curve of his cheek. The sight sent a flutter of emotions through him—emotions he couldn’t quite name but knew were significant.

Meanwhile, Gemini and Fourth arrived at Fourth’s faculty. Fourth hopped off the motorcycle and handed back the helmet with a grateful smile. “Thank you, Phi Gem,” he said. Gemini grinned, reaching out to pinch Fourth’s cheek lightly. “No problem. I’ll pick you up later, okay?” Fourth nodded, waving as Gemini rode off toward his own faculty.

Inside the faculty, Fourth was immediately greeted by Aston and Chokun. “Ohoo, Fourth’s got a boyfriend now!” Chokun teased, nudging Aston. Fourth’s face turned a deep shade of red. “You two jerks, shut up!” he muttered, trying to hide his embarrassment.