The sterile white ceiling of the hospital room was the first thing Yullisix saw when he opened his eyes. The steady beep of the heart monitor felt like an accusation. Every time the machine spiked, he felt like it was reporting his brother’s betrayal to the entire ward.
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When Yullisix was discharged five days later, he wasn't the same boy who had walked into the archery club. The warmth had drained out of him, replaced by a cold, hollow weight.
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He couldn't even look at Chleiren.
For the next few weeks, the "Archer Couple" became a ghost story. On the range, Yullisix stayed in Lane 3, as far from Lane 8 as possible even tho he was Lane 9 before. When she waited for him after practice, he would find an excuse—a sudden headache, a forgotten assignment, a check-up at the clinic. He even stopped laughing at her jokes.
"Yullisix, wait!" He froze at the sound of her voice.
He was halfway across the campus quad, his pace hurried, his head down. Chleiren caught up to him, breathless, her eyes searching his face for a trace of the boy she knew.
"I’m late for a lab, Chlei," he said, his voice flat, refusing to meet her gaze.
"You've been 'late' for three weeks, Yullisix. Three weeks mo ng sinasabi sa'kin yan." she said, her voice obviously mixed with frustration. "Hindi ka man lang nagrereply sa'kin. Are you avoiding me? Did I do something wrong? Or was it your heart ba? Did the doctor say something when you got hospitalized?"
Yes! He wanted to scream. The heart said it belongs to you, but I don't.
Instead, he just tightened his grip on his bag. "I’m just tired. The collapse took a lot out of me. I need space."
"Space doesn't look like this," she countered, stepping in front of him. "Yulli, please."
He looked at her then, and it was a mistake. Seeing the genuine concern in her eyes triggered a violent reaction in his chest. His heart desperately ached that it begged him to reach out and hold her. It was Yuvenix’s love, raw and undeniable, fighting against Yullisix’s own sense of stolen identity.
