"Dad was the one who raised us because Mom died giving birth to him. He was my younger brother, my best friend," Roby said, his voice completely broken. Zen looked at him, wide-eyed and innocent.
Roby continued, "But you know, it wasn't our fate to live together for long. That's why he left Dad and me alone."
"I-I'm sorry… but what happened to him?" Zen asked, holding back tears.
Roby met his gaze and said, "H-he… he died in a car accident. He was coming back from his coaching class when a drunk truck driver crashed into his car. He… he left me and Dad alone."
A heavy silence fell between them. After a few minutes, Roby spoke again. "The day I first saw you, I thought I had met Harry. And today, seeing you like this, I just remembered him… and my whole body started shivering. I felt like my own brother was in pain. I'm sorry if it feels like I'm being too close to you."
A tear slipped from Zen's eye. He looked at Roby with a mix of innocence and gratitude, and without thinking, he reached out. Roby hugged him gently, patting his back to comfort him.
Breaking the hug, Zen gestured toward the bed. "Sit with me." They both sat down, and Zen looked at him with puppy-like eyes, overwhelmed by the warmth and care Roby had shown.
"I'm the only child of my parents, but I've never felt this kind of care or concern from anyone. I never had a friend until now. When you helped me, it was… precious. Thank you, brother," Zen said, his voice soft but full of emotion.
Roby smiled, patting Zen's shoulder. Then he asked, "So… will you be my little brother from now?"
Zen's eyes lit up. "Little brother? But we don't even have that big an age gap!"
Roby chuckled. "I'm already 19, turning 20 in five months. How old are you?"
"I just turned 19 this month," Zen replied.
"See? I'm older, little soldier. Now, enough talking let's have dinner," Roby said, smiling. They both chuckled and went to the dining area. After dinner, Roby said goodnight and left, leaving Zen feeling happier than he ever had. He cuddled his pillow and drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, someone knocked on Zen's door. It was Roby.
"Good morning. How are you feeling now?" Roby asked, handing him a bag of food.
"I'm feeling better. Come in, let's have breakfast together," Zen said.
Roby shook his head. "I'm getting late for college. I'll see you after classes. Stay home, take your medicine on time, and don't overdo anything. I'll be back later."
Zen stood there, slightly stunned. "Wait… what just happened?" he muttered, before going inside.
Meanwhile, in another dorm room…
"Jennifer! Jennifer! Jennieeee! Look at me! Wake up! We're getting late already!" Ana shouted, shaking her friend awake. For ten minutes, Jennifer didn't respond.
Ana removed the blanket from Jennifer's face and gasped at her fevered skin. "You're burning! I'll call a doctor," she said, dialing quickly.
Jennifer weakly shook her head. "Don't call… I'll be fine. I'm waking up now you go get ready." Her voice was cracking.
"You're out of your mind! You're burning up, and you want to go to school?" Ana said, exasperated. "Stay here. I'll bring soup and medicine."
A few minutes later, Ana returned with soup and medicine, feeding Jennifer carefully. "You need care, that's all. I'm not going anywhere yet… and—"
Jennifer cut her off. "Stop it. I feel better after taking the medicine. Now go to college."
"Fine," Ana sighed, rolling her eyes. Before leaving, she checked Jennifer's temperature again and instructed her to rest and stay away from books.
At school, Roby sat at the last bench as usual. Zen wasn't present due to the accident, and Mr. Lee called attendance. "Zen… Zen?" Roby stood and replied, "He's on leave because he met with an accident," and sat back down.
When Jennifer's name was called, Ana explained she was sick and couldn't attend. "Take care of your friend, Miss Ana," Mr. Lee said kindly.
During class, while most students focused on the lecture, Ashley wrote a note and tossed it onto Roby's desk. It read: "Babe, movie tonight?"
Roby opened the note and replied: "Tell me how it was." Ashley's eyes widened in shock. She glared at him, but he ignored her and returned to his book.
At recess, Roby sat in the cafeteria, sipping cold coffee and reading. Mia approached, sitting beside him, eyes sparkling seductively. "Why are you ignoring me? I've been sitting here for five minutes!" she complained.
Roby glanced at her, raising an eyebrow, then closed his book. "First, I didn't call you here. Second, why are you wasting your time?"
"I'm not here for you, Mr. Roby. I'm here for Zen. I want his number can you give it to me?" she asked, blinking innocently.
Roby stood up, ready to leave. Then he looked back, voice low and husky: "No." And he walked away.
Near his locker, Roby finished searching for something and locked it. As Ana approached, someone threw a ball, hitting her back and causing her to fall into Roby's arms. She wrapped her arm around his neck instinctively, holding him tightly.