Chapter 15: The morning afternoon
Liam woke up late, the sunlight pricking at his face through the half-drawn curtains. He groaned, dragging the blanket over his head. His heart still felt heavy from last night, but beneath that weight was something electric—like the echo of a risk he didn't regret taking.
Then he remembered.
I kissed Micah.
His entire body tensed again. The mortification came first, hot and sharp. But it was quickly replaced by stubborn resolve.
"Coward," he muttered to himself, sitting up. "You can't back down now. He didn't push you away. That means something."
But still, he couldn't believe he had kissed Micah and didn't even regret it today.
He got out of bed, ran a hand through his slightly long, messy hair, and straightened his collar before stepping into the washroom. Staring at himself in the mirror, he told himself he wasn't looking for Micah's love—he just wanted to satisfy his desire. That after one more long kiss, he would stop.
He would just accept that Micah could never come to like him. Besides, Micah was his brother's best friend, and he shouldn't cause problems for his brother like he always did. And besides, Leo was coming back today, so he didn't even know how he could do this again.
Thinking of Leo saddened him, and his heart chilled. The courage of yesterday was gone—just like that.
After washing his mouth and face, he ran a hand through his messy hair again and straightened his collar before staring at himself once more in the mirror. Then he finally stepped out into the hallway.
He told himself he wasn't looking for Micah—he was just… going to the dining room, like usual.
He walked down the stairs and straight to the dining hall. The moment he reached the entrance, he saw Fred standing close by and greeted enthusiastically, "Good morning, Fred!"
Fred turned to him, a warm, doting smile spreading across his face. "Good morning, young master Liam. It's good you're awake on time… come, sit and join young master," he added kindly.
At that moment, Liam caught sight of the tall figure already seated at the head of the table, calmly stirring his tea. His steps faltered instantly.
Micah looked up. Their eyes met.
Liam froze. His heart skipped painfully.
Micah's face, as always, was unreadable—expressionless except for the faintest lift of one brow.
"You're awake," he said in his calm, low voice.
Liam nodded quickly. "Y–yeah. Morning."
"Morning," Micah replied smoothly, his tone as composed as ever. He gestured toward the seat opposite him and then continued his breakfast as if he no longer cared about Liam's presence.
Liam quietly sat down, but not on the seat Micah had pointed out—he chose one two seats away from him instead.
Oh, how much I miss Leo, he grumbled inwardly.
He quickly served himself his breakfast and began eating, trying to ignore the other presence beside him at the table. And with how hungry he was—and how delicious the meal tasted—it was somewhat successful.
The meal went on in silence between the two young boys: one eating enthusiastically and savoring every bite, while the other ate leisurely, calm and noble, as if it was a duty rather than a meal.
After a few minutes, Micah spoke first.
"You left my room rather suddenly last night."
Liam almost choked on air. "I—uh—I didn't mean to! I just—" He stammered, glancing up at Micah, who was now calmly looking at him, clearly done with his meal.
"Ran away?" Micah's tone was mild, but something unreadable glinted faintly behind his calm green eyes.
Liam's face turned crimson. "I—I wasn't running! I just… thought you'd want space."
Micah's lips curved faintly—not into a smile, but into something dangerously close. "Why?"
Liam swallowed hard. His brain screamed at him to look away, but his heart refused. "About last night…" he began hesitantly.
Micah calmly interrupted him. "We didn't finish your tutorial."
"What?" Liam asked, clearly puzzled by the unexpected statement.
"Your tutorial," Micah repeated. "You left."
His tone was calm, but there was no explanation behind it—just a simple statement that sounded deliberately empty.
That reply chilled Liam to the bone.
He really doesn't want to talk about it—or maybe it wasn't anything of importance, Liam thought miserably. His face paled, and his appetite vanished.
The kiss was clearly nothing of notice… or maybe it's because it was me, and he dislikes me.
His heart ached painfully, as if a sharp nail had been driven straight through it.
"..."
Micah, not getting any response from the boy, calmly continued to look at him as if not bothered by his silence.
After a few seconds, Liam reluctantly opened his mouth. "Uhmm… yeah… the tutorial… I don't need your assistance anymore. I can do the rest myself…" His voice cracked as if he were choking back tears, his head lowered as he spoke.
"Oh." Micah simply replied and stood up. "Alright then. Enjoy the rest of your breakfast."
He walked away after throwing those words casually over his shoulder.
Fred, standing a few meters away, had witnessed everything. He was puzzled by the sight of young master Liam, who now looked like someone who had just been scolded or bullied by Micah.
But wasn't it just harmless words that were exchanged? he thought, frowning slightly. What's going on? Why does Liam look so down, as if he's about to cry?
After some time, Liam stood up too—clearly not done with his breakfast. His head was still lowered, his messy hair covering his face and hiding his expression. He walked out quietly, murmuring a soft "thank you" to Fred and the cook for the meal.
As soon as he stepped into the hallway, he quickened his pace—then suddenly broke into a run, bolting up the stairs as if being chased by someone.
Fred, standing there, was greatly shocked by his sudden action. His eyes widened, and worry immediately filled his expression. I hope he's alright, he thought anxiously.
The scene that morning was truly confusing and disturbing.
Upstairs, Liam's footsteps echoed along the hallway before he reached his room. He slammed the door shut behind him and leaned against it, his chest rising and falling quickly.
He bit his lower lip hard, trying not to cry. The back of his throat ached as he whispered shakily, "It didn't mean anything to him… not even a little."
He squeezed his eyes shut. Why does it hurt this much?
He had promised himself it was just curiosity—just something to get out of his system. But now that Micah had brushed it off so coldly, it felt like something in his chest had cracked open.
He thought of Micah's calm face, the way he had stirred his tea like nothing had happened, and his quiet, polite tone. "We didn't finish your tutorial." That simple line echoed over and over in his mind until it almost drove him mad.
It hurt. It really hurt.
He dragged himself to his bed and sat down, his fingers clutching the edge of his blanket tightly. He wanted to be angry, but all he felt was sadness—deep, quiet sadness that filled every part of him.
After a while, he took a deep breath and whispered, "Fine. If he wants to pretend it didn't happen, then I'll pretend too."
He forced a shaky laugh, though it sounded hollow. "I'll act like it meant nothing. Like it was just another mistake."
But his voice cracked halfway through. His hands trembled.
He didn't want to admit that even pretending would hurt.
He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and stood up. His reflection in the mirror by the wardrobe caught his attention again. He looked pale and small, his eyes rimmed with red.
He frowned. "Pathetic," he muttered, shaking his head. "You're acting pathetic."
He forced himself to take a deep breath and ran his hands through his hair again. "I'll just wait for Leo to come back," he whispered softly. "When he's home, things will feel normal again. Everything will go back to normal…"
He didn't know if he was trying to convince himself or the reflection staring back.
Then, from outside, the sound of a car engine drifted faintly through the window. It slowed, then stopped. Tires crunched softly against the gravel driveway.
Liam's eyes widened. He rushed to the window and pulled the curtain aside slightly.
A sleek black car was parked in front of the mansion gates. The driver stepped out, walked around, and opened the back door.
And then—Leo stepped out.
Tall, confident, his familiar grin lighting up his face even from a distance.
"Leo…" Liam whispered, his voice catching. His chest tightened with both relief and guilt.
He stood there frozen, watching his brother exchange a few quiet words with Fred and the guard below. Leo didn't smile, didn't wave—he simply gave a short nod before walking toward the entrance, his posture straight and collected.
Everything inside Liam churned. The guilt from earlier crept back like a cold shadow. Leo didn't know anything—about the kiss, the tension, the strange thing that had shifted between him and Micah.
What will he think if he finds out?
A soft knock sounded at his door, startling him. His heart jumped.
He turned quickly, but before he could answer, the door creaked open slightly.
"Liam?"
The voice was low, calm, and unmistakable.
Micah.
Liam's breath caught in his throat, his body frozen.
The door opened a little wider, light spilling into the dim room. Micah stood there, his expression unreadable, his emerald eyes calm as ever—but there was something strange in them now. Something quiet, tense, and searching.
Liam took a step back instinctively, his heart pounding.
Neither of them spoke for several seconds. The silence stretched between them like a wire pulled tight.
Then Micah's voice came, soft but steady. "Leo's home."
He paused, eyes locking with Liam's. "Let's not… act awkward, okay?"
And just like that, he turned and left, closing the door gently behind him.
Liam stood frozen, staring at the door long after it shut.
His fingers clenched tightly at his sides, trembling slightly.
Downstairs, Leo's cool, steady voice echoed faintly through the hall—calm, collected, carrying that quiet authority that always made Liam feel both safe and uneasy at the same time.
But inside Liam's room, his chest felt tight and heavy again—his heart caught between relief and a growing fear of what was to come.
He didn't know what Micah meant by "don't act awkward," but something told him that this was only the beginning.
Something was changing—slowly, quietly—but it was already too late to stop it.
And deep inside, Liam knew:
Whatever happened next… would change everything.
A.N: It's been a while, my lovely readers. This chapter is a bit longer than usual — enjoy every moment of it! 💫