The sound of a low hum from the air-conditioning condenser that was positioned between the car's grille was the only sound you could hear inside the car. The quiet atmosphere makes Leansei uneasy. He sat stiff in the passenger seat, hands in his lap, watching the city slide past.
The lavender-vanilla scent that circulates gives a dispersible effect that can calms his nerves. But the scented air freshener wasn't enough to make Leansei remain seated comfortably.
The car stopped at the tall and middle-class condo. Leansei furrowed his eyebrows and glanced at Xerchin, who didn't mind anything.
"Where are we?" Lean inquired, peering out the window to take a look at the surroundings. The area has two buildings facing each other with a small playground. A garden with lights strung through the trees.Quiet and clean. The kind of place people rented when they wanted to disappear without leaving and really good for living alone or happy couple.
"Your condo," the baritone voice of Xerchin said as he held the steering wheel. Leansei was unable to speak and glanced at Xerchin to know if he was joking around, but it seemed like he wasn't.
' Did Kean had a condo? How does xerchin knows that Kean had a condo? But Beidhen said they hated each other— '
"What are you still dazed about?" Xerchin said. "Do you want to sleep in my car?" as he looked at Leansei with a serious face.
' But I don't have a key nor the password for Kean's condo.'
Leansei doesn't have a choice but to climb out of the car. But Xerchin spoke midway, "The keycard is in your wallet." Leansei took his wallet out to see if Xerchin was telling the truth, and he was right. The dark blue card. It made him wonder more.
' How did he know? How did he know kean had a condo?Damn it's killing my head. '
Leansei coughs, "T-thank you," said while looking at the ground. "For everything. I'll repay you as I can. Somehow."
' as if i can afford to buy the things he want. He's more richer and wealthier than the combination of me and kean's. As if i had more contribution. '
"You will? How will you repay me? "Xerchin said leaning back in his seat with a mischievous smirk on his lips, staring intently at Leansei. Lean gulp his own saliva, then look away.
' Why does he look attra--I mean, why does he need to look at me like that? I'm a guy! I'm straight! But to think this bastard has everything means he is rich, he has money, and even a car. What can I repay him? Should I get my money in my bank? I can't just spend Kean's money, ' His throat went dry as the thought occurred to him.
"I'Il... pay for your food tomorrow," he said, the words coming out before he thought. "Or.
Ask me anything."
"Are you sure?" Leansei nodded as Xerchin's eyes glowed in the moonlight. "Okay then."
Leansei gave a deep sigh in relief and turned to walk away, but stopped when Xerchin's voice called to him.
"Mooncalf." He said this as he climbed out of the car and took something out of his trunk. He came back with a big paper bag.
Leansei looked up to him as he just realized how Xerchin looked so fine and attractive. Aside from his goddess complexion, he has a matured fit body, taller than Leansei (Leansei is only Xerchin's chest, that's how tall he is). He was attractive enough in the way he walked and dressed. He moved like someone who'd never had to run for a bus. Leansei wonders if he is like a son of a deity that was sent to earth. Xerchin walks towards Leansei and hands over the paper bag. Leansei came back to reality and looked at the paper bag in his hands, making a confused look.
"Mom said I should give you this." Leansei hit his face as soon as heard that. Leansei felt a warmth in his heart. He is glad and excited at the same time. He never got anything from anyone except from Grandma Delin and owner. Leansei carefully takes the paper bag with a jovial face.
"Tell her thank you and it is very much appreciated." Leansei said as he looked inside the bag. There are a few packages and tupperware—smell of home-cooked food inside the paper bag, and it smells really good.
Xerchin stared at Leansei for a few seconds and then walked towards his car to drive off. Leansei waved at him before turning his back and going to his condo. When he got inside Kean's condo, the place was neatly arranged. The condo was too big for Leansei to afford. There are two bedrooms, a set of dining tables, and a kitchen on the left side, and a balcony and living room on the right side.
Leansei put the paper bag in the living room and walked towards the beige-colored door; it was bigger than Leansei's one-room apartment. He walks inside and puts his bag on the bed.
He glances at the desk and sees a table with a set of books and an open journal notebook. He ambled towards it and read the pages of the notebook. It was a kind of journal notebook of Kean's. It has a small note at the end that says, "To this day, I totally regret it. There was too much to handle, too much to think about, and too much pain. The only thing I knew was that I tried and loved him so much. But can't I rest? Can't I sleep through the clouds of darkness? I just want to rest. " As Leansei read it, his chest hurt when he felt a different set of emotions. It wasn't his grief.
But it felt like it. The letter has an emotional sensation; it's like he is bidding a goodbye.
' But who does he love? Who is it? Wait, it's not Xerchin, is it? But this letter arrived on the same day I met the old lady on the train--isn't that a coincidence? '
Leansei wonders if it's all because of the old lady. That's why he transmigrated into this body. But now he thinks that Kean must have lived his life miserably since he just now realized that Kean doesn't have a good relationship with his family, a good high school life, or even a love life. Leansei couldn't even know if he was lucky to be able to live again with a stable financial life or if he was still living a terrible life again.
Leansei flinched as a vibration rang in his pocket. He took the phone and answered the call.
He answered. "Hello?"
[Son, it's me, your mom.] Leansei looked at the name of the caller and instead of mom was written, it was Mrs. Ferech.
"Why did you call me M-Mom?"
[ Thank God, Mr. Vcheroi took care of you. I heard what happened. ] Leansei looked down as he was left with no words to say. Leansei couldn't just say he was being bullied and beaten by some thugs.
"You did?"
[Yes, they said you had a fever, but I know Vcheroi's son isn't bitter about what happened. They said you're fine. ] Leansei was in relief when he realized that Xerchin hadn't told them. Beidhen hadn't either. Instead, they said he got sick. Leansei smiled unconsciously as he was thankful that Xerchin and Beidhen hadn't told Mr. and Mrs. Ferech.
[You should go home instead of staying there in your condo. You might get sick again. No one will take care of you there.] A worried tone from Mrs. Ferech in the line.
"I'm fine, dont worry. " Leansei said. "I'll come home next week when i can."
[ Alright, me and your dad are busy this week. I told your brother to check up on you. You still need a lot of rest. Then I'll hang up now. ]
"Yes, thank you, m-mom."
[Okay, bye, I love you ] And then the call ended. Leansei gently rubbed his neck and looked at Kean's screen phone.
' Does Kean hate his family? "
Leansei stared into the phone as he was preoccupied with his thoughts. He glance ay the journal again, reading, scanning and analyzing as if he can find the answers to the question in his mind.
The doorbell cut through the quiet like a blade. He was confounded and came back to reality. He immediately walked towards the door as he pressed a hand to his stomach as he stood since he hadn't fully recovered yet.
When he opened the door, the air left him. He was stupefied as he saw the guy who was standing at infront of his door. His shirt was damp with sweat and trousers were wrinkled. He was holding a plastic bag in one hand while his phone in the other.
"Tyvan." The name came out low, without permission. It hit Leansei in the chest. He was taken aback while looking at him. He had not expected this. He had not expected Tyvan to know where Kean lived. He had not expected to see him again at all.
He smiled, careful yet tired. "Hey, Kean. I heard what happened." Worry threaded through his voice. "May I come in?" Leansei couldn't imagine he would get to talk to him like this.
Leansei couldn't say no since Tyvan helped him last time. He opened the door wider and stepped aside to let him in and closed the door behind him. Tyvan walked towards the living room and his eyes landed on the paper bag from Xerchin. He didn't comment. Not yet.
Leansei went to the kitchen to offer him a water or coffee, at least. But he doesn't know where the utensils and water glass were placed. Kean's cabinets were all closed, aligned and perfect. He opened three before he found the glasses.
"Who gave you this?" Tyvan asked from the sofa. His voice was light, but his eyes weren't. He sat on the sofa as he looked at the big paper bag on the living room table.
Leansei looked back and saw what Tyvan was referring to. "It's from Mrs. Vcheroi." He took one and poured water in it.
Tyvan's eyebrow lifted as soon as he heard it. "Oh. How come you were with Vcherois?"
Leansei walked towards him and set the glass down on the table and moved the paper bag to the dining table.
"It's a long story. They helped me. I stayed there for a few hours." He tried to sound like Kean. Like someone who belonged in rooms like this. "Anyway. What are you doing here?" Leansei opened the bag and was astonished when he saw the food in the paper bag. There were tasty macarons, delicate and colored like spring. A chicken curry in a small tupperware side dishes he couldnt name. Food he had only ever seen behind glass.
Tyvan followed him with his eyes. "I came because I thought you were really were very ill. So I brought medicine. And your favorite," He held up the plastic bag. "Coffee nut ice cream." Leansei glanced at Tyvan as he heard it. He felt bad when Tyvan exerted his efforts like that on Kean and guilt came to him fast when he looked at the about the ice cream he bought. He does not eat coffee nut ice cream because it is not one of his favorite flavors.
"Thank you," he said quietly. "You shouldn't have." He put the food in the fridge. The containers fit too neatly.
Tyvan watched him. "Right... you still don't remember anything?" Leansei stopped with his hand on the closed fridge door. Lean couldn't even find his words to speak. In the first place, he really doesn't have amnesia, since it's not his own body, he doesn't know anything, even Kean's memories. There was only a blank space where a life should be.
Leansei walks toward Tyvan and took the plastic to look inside it to see what he brought for him. They were pills, vitamins, and fever patches. "I can't recall," he said. Careful. "Not since I woke up. Maybe I won't. Maybe some things are just gone."
Tyvan nodded slow. "That's good— I mean. You should rest more." He stood. "I should get going now. See you at school." Tyvan said, and walked towards the door. He gave a deep sign before locking the door.
He walked to the door and paused as he held the handle. Let out a breath like he'd been holding it the whole time and he was gone.
Leansei collapsed on the soft mattress of the rose-scented bed. Many things have happened to Leansei since he awoke. He got to meet different people with a mystery life and relationship with Kean. Leansei also got to know some of Kean's problems before the accident happened.
Leansei opened his eyes when he remembered Xerchin. His back stay laying in the mattress while his hands were spread open in the bed and stared into the ceiling. Leansei couldn't forget the blue murcial eyes of Xerchin and the same deep-toned voice of him from the first day they met.
' Why does he call me Mooncalf? What does that mean? '
Leansei turned to the left side as he thought deeply when Beidhen words came back to him about the embarrassing conflict between Kean and Xerchin. The unimaginable scenery couldn't be compressed into Lean's mind. Lean still couldn't figure out why Kean did that xerchin.
' Is it because he loves him? Or does he want his attention? '
Lean turned to the right side as he thought of Xerchin's knowing about Kean's life. He wonders that they might have had terrible conflict, but they must have had some relationship before that happened. Whether Lean thinks that Xerchin is somewhat special to Kean in any case or not.
In annoyance, Leansei climbed out of bed and walked towards the desk as he opened the laptop. It doesn't have a password, so it's easy to access. He searches for information about the Ferech family, Vcheroi's family, Devon family, body swap, near-death experiences and being transmigrated into another body. He may often use gadgets, but he isn't that dumb to not know how to use them.
He did everything he could to know about everything. He spent hours researching it. The tabs multiplied, articles, forums and old new clips. He read until his eyes burned through the night.
Outside, the city dimmed. Inside, Leansei kept typing. Because if he was going to live in Kean's life, he needed to understand whose ghosts he was walking with. Maybe helping or solving Kean's problem will go everything back to normal.
' I might get something out of this crap. '