(Ren POV, with Aya reactions)
Ren wasn't used to admitting ugly feelings out loud. He'd always been the funny one, the dramatic one, the reliable friend. Never the jealous one.
But tonight, sitting cross-legged on the couch while Aya dried her hair, he couldn't keep it in.
"I'm jealous," he blurted, cheeks heating.
Aya blinked, then laughed so hard she nearly fell over. "You? Jealous? Oh, please. Of what, my instant noodle stash?"
Ren scowled. "No! Of… of him."
Aya tilted her head, amused. "Him?"
"That guy at your internship. Hayato. You keep talking about him." His arms crossed tighter, voice growing smaller. "Like he's your… I don't know. New partner in crime. And I just—ugh."
Aya walked over and flicked his forehead. "Ren, don't be ridiculous. Even if I did get a boyfriend, you'd still be my personal diary. No one else is going to listen to my 2 A.M. rants about broken eyeliner or cry with me over bad dramas."
Ren's sulk cracked. He tried to keep the pout, but a smile tugged at his lips. "So I'm… irreplaceable?"
"Obviously." Aya smirked. "Now stop whining and get dressed. I'm starving."
---
The noodle shop was small and warm, a little pocket of comfort against the cool night air. Aya and Ren sat together, arguing over toppings, when a voice interrupted.
"Ren?"
Ren stiffened. Aya looked up—and immediately recognized the man. Shou Wei.
Tall, sharp-featured, his presence alone seemed to command the room. His gaze softened when it landed on Ren, but then quickly cooled when it shifted to Aya—dressed as Akira, Ren's supposed male roommate.
"You're here… with someone?" Shou Wei's tone was deceptively polite, but Aya caught the flicker in his eyes. Jealousy.
Ren cleared his throat. "Uh—yeah. This is… Akira. My, um…" He hesitated.
Aya jumped in smoothly, lowering her voice. "His friend."
Something in Shou Wei's jaw tightened. "Friend, huh?"
Aya felt the heat of his suspicion. To anyone watching, she and Ren looked like a couple sharing dinner. And Shou Wei didn't like it one bit.
Before Ren could untangle the awkwardness, another figure slid into the scene.
"Kaito, you're late," Shou Wei muttered.
Aya's stomach dropped. So this was Kaito Chen, Shou Wei's best friend. Unlike Shou Wei's sharp aura, Kaito's was laid-back, confident in a way that made Aya instinctively wary. His eyes swept the table—lingering on Aya.
"So this is Akira?" Kaito's lips curved into a knowing smirk. "The one you've been spending so much time with?"
Ren frowned. "Kaito—"
But Kaito leaned forward, elbows on the table, addressing Aya directly. "I like straightforward things. So let me be blunt."
Aya froze.
"Why don't you come over tonight? Stay with me. Just once."
The chopsticks clattered out of her hands. Ren's eyes went wide, his face flushing crimson.
"Excuse me?!" he barked, half-standing.
Aya's heart hammered in her chest. Stay with him? Did he just—? Her brain short-circuited.
Kaito, completely unfazed, raised an eyebrow. "What? Did I say something wrong? You're handsome. Interesting. I thought maybe you'd be the type to… experiment."
Aya's throat went dry. She wasn't sure whether to shout, laugh, or faint.
Shou Wei's glare could've burned through steel. His hands clenched at his sides as he shot Kaito a warning look. "Kaito. Stop."
But Kaito only smirked wider, clearly enjoying the chaos. "What? You've been guarding Ren like a dragon hoards treasure. I'm just curious about the so-called 'roommate.' Unless… are you two more than friends?"
Aya opened her mouth, but no words came.
Ren slammed his palm on the table. "He's not available, got it?!" His voice cracked, eyes blazing.
Aya glanced at him, startled. His protective anger wasn't an act. It was real.
Shou Wei's expression darkened further. His gaze flicked between Ren and Aya, a storm brewing in his eyes.
Aya's pulse thundered in her ears. She forced a shaky laugh, trying to salvage the situation. "I—uh… I think there's been a misunderstanding—"
But the damage was done.
The air around the table was heavy, thick with jealousy, suspicion, and tension. Shou Wei glaring daggers. Kaito grinning like a cat who'd just cornered a mouse. Ren trembling with fury. Aya praying her disguise wouldn't shatter under the weight of it all.
Dinner was ruined.
And Aya had the sinking feeling this was only the beginning.
---