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Chapter Text

"Forgive me."

Till felt the aliens' gazes on him, ogling him, savoring every part of his body as he moved on the stage, trying to find enough strength to continue singing.

In his mind, all he saw was the man's body withering away in the rain, a sad smile on his face, his eyes darkened by death.

"Forgive me."

He felt the greenish light upon him, the pressure and pain of loss, the sadness of never seeing that man's troubled face again, and the guilt of having been the cause of his death.

"Please don't leave me," he thought, trudging across the stage. "Don't abandon me."

In front of him lay Luka, the terrifying monster who was his opponent. He continued singing with a cynical and cruel smile, a smile filled with power.

Till knew he couldn't continue; he wouldn't make it. Ivan's sacrifice would never be appreciated, and he would die a pathetic death.

"Forgive me," he thought, walking onto the stage and seeing the aliens' grotesque expressions. "Forgive me, Ivan..."

Despair and suffering filled his body. He just wanted to rest, he just wanted to end this disgusting nightmare. He just wanted to wake up and undo everything, change all his mistakes, and save Ivan from that horrific fate.

If only he hadn't been so blind to that man's emotions, if only he'd been smarter. But now he only felt guilt and a desire to redeem his mistake, something that was impossible.

Luka approached him, singing and moving elegantly, smiling at him with an expression similar to his deceased friend's, which caused an ache in his chest.

"Please..." he begged, looking into the man's golden eyes. "Give me one more chance to redeem everything... give me one more chance to see it..."

He couldn't continue; he felt tired and confused.

Suddenly, the blond man opened his mouth and blurted out a few words in his thick, deep voice.

"Till, wake up."

The man's body jerked at those words, a horrifying pain filling his head, and he began to stagger, watching as the scene and the grotesque creatures became blurry and indistinct, disappearing in the process and leaving him in a terrifying darkness.

"Till, get up now!"

"What?"

"This is a nightmare!"

.

And in a second, the image in front of him dissolved, and Till's eyes opened in astonishment, finding himself in a padded, comfortable room.

The young man breathed raggedly, bringing his hands to his eyes and feeling tears running down his face.

What the hell had that dream been? And why did it leave him feeling so bitter?

Suddenly, someone touched his arm, and when he turned, he found himself staring at Ivan, lying on his bed with his head resting on his hand, staring at him in bewilderment.

"Are you okay? Did you have a nightmare?"

"Ivan... excuse me..."

"What are you saying? Are you still half asleep?"

Till didn't know how to respond. He rubbed his eyes for a while until he felt his mind clearing.

"What the hell was that?"

"A nightmare?"

"What do you think?" Till muttered embarrassedly, wiping away his tears. "It definitely wasn't a restful sleep."

Ivan tilted his head.

"What was it about?"

Till swallowed, sitting up in bed.

"It was the most realistic dream I've ever had. It felt so... so vivid."

Ivan nodded, looking at him expectantly.

" "I was on a stage, wearing a see-through green shirt. I was forced to sing or die."

"How exactly?"

"Giant slug-like monsters were going to shoot me. They were hideous and ugly. I was in a competition, and I was up against a blond man who looked like a woman."

He swallowed.

"It was terrible. I thought I would die. I was so desperate, and that man was playing a violin..."

Ivan nodded silently, sitting up in bed. Seeing Till's frightened expression, the boy began to calm down after Ivan patted him comfortingly on the shoulder.

"And you were... you were dead..." he murmured. "I didn't see it, but I knew it."

The youg man watched him for a few seconds, then smiled mockingly and placed his hand on his chest.

"Really?" Did I lose the singing competition?

"Yeah..."

"And you were worried about me."

Till noticed Ivan's mocking expression and after a few seconds heard a loud laugh, watching his friend laughing uncontrollably in bed with his hands on his stomach.

"That's the most ridiculous dream I've ever heard!"

"Hey, stop it!"

"Fuck! You woke up so upset that I got worried!" Ivan bellowed, wiping his tear-filled eyes. "I thought you were going to tell me the most serious dream in the world! Not a rap battle against a blond guy because some slugs made you!"

"It was realistic! I was feeling really scared!"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Ivan muttered, leaning his head on his shoulder mockingly. "You were so sad about my death, but don't worry! I'm alive and well! And I'm very happy!"

"I know, and it's a disgrace!" Till exclaimed, grabbing a pillow and hitting it in the face. "I would never worry about you dying! In fact! I'd dance on your grave, you bastard!"

Ivan burst out laughing and kicked him away clumsily, running to another pillow to defend himself.

"Says the one who woke up crying because some evil slugs killed me," he joked, imitating a tearful voice. "Oh! Poor Ivan! I don't sing well, and now I'll have to face a sissy at the karaoke of death!"

"Shut up!"

"And my shirt is a grocery bag!"

"I'm going to kill you!"

The young man lunged at his friend, trying to strangle him while attacking him with the pillow. Ivan burst out laughing several times, and they both fell out of bed and onto the futon where Ivan had slept the night before, which was spread out on the floor.

The two young men burst into laughter, hitting each other with pillows and messing up the room in the process, until the door burst open.

"Are you all right?" a female voice exclaimed. "I heard the crash. Neither of you fell, right?"

Both boys stopped their fight, watching the short-haired woman enter the room with a bewildered face. Suddenly, Ivan pushed Till and ran toward her.

"Ma'am! Your son woke up crying because some slugs made him sing!"

"Stop it, Ivan!" Till exclaimed, feeling his cheeks heat up. "Shut your stupid mouth!"

Io watched them for a few minutes and then burst out laughing.

"I thought something had happened to you. Get up or you'll be late for college," he said, picking up some of the cans of alcohol that were lying on the floor. "And clean up the room, it's a mess."

"Yes, ma'am!" Ivan exclaimed, watching Till's mother leave the room. "We'll be down soon!"

"Shut up and help me clean up," Till said, nudging him as he picked up the sleeping futon.

It took both boys a short time to organize the mess they made yesterday while celebrating Ivan's 19th birthday, drinking themselves unconscious in his room.

"I'm older than you now," the boy said mockingly, resting his jaw on his hand. "You should respect me."

"Shut up," Till said as he prepared breakfast. "And help me with this."

"I feel like I'm married to an old woman with no sense of humor," Ivan muttered, pouting. "Always taking orders, never being free."

They were both normal young men, best friends who had known each other since they entered university and got along from the first moment they saw each other (And by saying that, I mean they had countless fights and arguments).

Ivan was the older of the two, a loud, joking boy, quite annoying at times, but somehow, he managed to fit in with Till's sarcastic and apathetic personality, who was known for being a troublemaker who was always drawing portraits in class, mostly of beautiful women.

"And don't you ever speak of my dream again, or I'll kill you," Till threatened, serving the breakfast, which consisted of pancakes with jam. "Don't even mention it to Mizi or Sua."

"How boring," Ivan muttered, piling pancakes onto his plate. "I dreamed I was walking through some dark drains with Isaac, and I was carrying someone on my back. I think it was..."

The boy's gaze darkened for a few seconds.

"I don't remember... but it doesn't matter. I think we were looking for the philosopher's stone."

"What?"

"Or I think it was a magic core. I don't remember exactly."

"Your dream sounds ridiculous, my friend."

"Yours is much worse. Imagine dreaming about giant slugs forcing you to sing."

Both young men laughed and finished eating. Then they got ready and said a proper goodbye to Ionela, Till's mother.

Then they headed off towards the university with sleepy faces, the busy sound of The streets filled Till's mind, still feeling dizzy from his morning sleep.

"Today is February 14th," Ivan murmured, checking his phone. "Heartbreak Day."

"That's true," Till said, an image of long, pink hair flashing in his mind. "I'd forgotten."

"Do you have anything planned for today?" his friend said, looking at him. "Your eyes are shining."

"Shut up."

"I knew it. There's someone you like, right?" Ivan said, approaching him with a steady gaze. "Are you going to confess to her?"

"You don't even know who that is."

Indeed, Till was in love with someone, and it was his classmate named Mizi, a girl with long, pink hair, delicate and sweet, and a charming smile.

--

He remembered the moment he fell in love with her one afternoon, after getting into trouble with another student after seeing him bullying a classmate.

Maybe he didn't know them, maybe he just needed to move on, but Till is one of those people who can't hide his anger and discomfort, can't remain indifferent to something wrong for him, so he confronted the guy and ended up in a fight. The teachers warned him they would expel him if he hit anyone again; many called him a violent lunatic, a busybody, and even the girl didn't thank him properly. So he felt very frustrated after the incident, sitting in the infirmary after his bruises were treated.

Until sweet Mizi appeared, the only classmate (aside from annoying Ivan) who approached to ask him what happened.

"It must hurt," the girl murmured worriedly, sitting next to him with a sad look on her face.

Till clicked his tongue; he hated being seen pitying him.

"You don't have to act like that, I'm perfectly fine."

"I know, that was incredible, Till," the girl exclaimed with shining eyes, handing him some Band-Aids. "That's why I brought you this. The way you confronted that guy was incredible."

Till froze when he saw that face lit up by a sweet smile. It shone so brightly that he felt blinded. That's when he realized Mizi's beauty and sweetness.

He was so dazzled by the girl's presence until his annoying friend Ivan appeared, carrying several medicines and some chocolates to calm the furious boy.

"What's going on?" he asked in bewilderment, looking at Mizi and Till.

There was no answer. Since that day, Till couldn't get that innocent smile out of his head, and before he knew it, he couldn't stop staring at Mizi, scribbling in his notebooks, following her with his eyes, feeling refreshed when he saw her gaze.

The boy remembered her beautiful, feminine face, her slender silhouette turning toward him and smiling, making his cheeks blush.

"I don't understand why you don't tell me," Ivan murmured, sighing and hugging Till's shoulders. "I'm your best friend, I should know."

"I'll tell you when the time comes," Till said, feeling himself blush. "I know you'll upset me."

"I promise I won't, so come on!" Ivan murmured, pulling his friend closer with a slight smile. "Tell me!" Who's the lucky one?

"Enough!" exclaimed the boy, pushing him away with a red face. "I won't say anything! So just leave me alone!"

"How boring!"

After walking for a while, they finally arrived at the large University of Arts and Design where they both studied. They had both been studying there for two years. While Till had a natural talent and loved painting and designing logos, Ivan struggled with this. He was good at singing and public speaking, but he was a terrible artist.

According to what he'd heard before, Ivan had had many opportunities to become a model thanks to his beautiful face and elegance, but he always turned them down for some strange reason.

Why did he study art if he was terrible at it? It was a mystery that gnawed at Till's mind, especially when he saw him painting on canvas, watching the beautiful paintings turn into a horrible, grotesque stain that no one wanted to see.

Anyway.

Upon arriving at the large, multi-story building, filled with gardens and surrounded by a small, two-meter-high wall, they found a beautiful woman leaning against the entrance, calmly checking her cell phone.

Ivan let out an excited squeal and ran toward her, making her back away anxiously.

"Sua! Were you waiting for us?"

The girl didn't respond; she grabbed her brother's arm and twisted it tightly, making him yelp in pain.

"You scared me," Sua murmured, her face expressionless.

"Come on! I know you missed me!"

"Don't be silly."

Till knew very little about Ivan's younger sister.

Sua was mysterious and apathetic, always distancing herself from everyone and only interacting with her brother. The two were so similar physically that they seemed like twins. The only differences were their height and eye color, but they shared the same attractive face, bushy eyebrows, silky black hair, and an intelligent gaze.

Something that many innocent young men fell in love with they.

"Hey, Sua," Till murmured, watching the twins argue in low voices.

The girl turned around and nodded.

"I hope you took care of my brother."

"The boy almost broke his head from drinking so much," he joked.

Sua opened her eyes wide and looked at Ivan.

"Nothing happened to you, right?"

"Don't worry, I'm alive and well," Ivan replied with a bright smile.

Another thing to mention about Sua is that she's QUITE overprotective of her brother. It even bothered her to lose sight of him for too long. Till sometimes felt like she wasn't Ivan's sister, but rather a neurotic and anxious mother.

"Well, they're late. Time to go to class," the girl murmured, tugging on her brother's arm. "Say goodbye to Till."

"It's a shame we don't have the same schedule this semester," Ivan said sadly, looking at his friend. "It's so sad to be without you."

Sua clicked his teeth.

One last thing about the girl, and it was something Till noticed from the start: for some reason, Sua hated him and wanted to keep him away from her brother, perhaps out of jealousy or simply because she thought he wasn't up to spending time with Ivan.

Either way, she was irritating to deal with.

Before they could separate, a small scream came from behind them, heading toward a hallway, causing the three young men to turn around in bewilderment.

Till's heart pounded as he saw Mizi, the girl he'd been in love with for a long time. That day, she was wearing a beautiful pink dress that matched her hair and sunglasses. She was running toward them with a huge smile.

Till was so happy to see her, until the girl uttered a single word that changed his mood.

"Ivan!" Mizi shouted, running only toward his friend.

"Mizi!" Ivan exclaimed, opening his arms. "You look beautiful today!"

The girl threw herself into her friend's arms, hugging him tightly as they laughed.

Till felt an unpleasant sensation in his stomach seeing them so close. Obviously, neither of the two young men knew each other's feelings, and they didn't mean any harm. But every time he saw them greet each other like that, he wanted to punch Ivan in the face and drag Mizi away from him.

"Happy birthday," Mizi exclaimed with a bright smile. "I brought this for you."

He showed her a pink box with pink hearts.

"They're cookies I made just for you."

"Thank you very much, Mizi," Ivan said, awkwardly stroking her head. "I'll eat them all in the first period."

"At least save some for Sua," the girl murmured, looking shyly at Ivan's sister. "Um... Hi..."

Sua nodded, expressionless.

Mizi blinked several times, staring at the girl's serious face for a long time, until she noticed the young man with a gray hair and a sour face.

"Oh!" "Hey Till!" she exclaimed with a smile, making his heart skip a beat. "Did you do your homework?"

"He spent all afternoon doing it!" Ivan answered instead. "He asked me to be his model. In the end, he painted a portrait of me—"

"But..." Mizi said, blinking several times. "The assignment was to paint an animal..."

There was a long silence, which was interrupted by Ivan's loud laughter, as he wrapped his arms around Till's neck and stroked it with his fist.

"You little bastard!" he exclaimed, laughing.

"That's enough!" Till muttered, his cheeks flushed.

"Well, we should go," Sua said, looking at her wristwatch. "It's getting late."

"Wait a minute, I need..." Mizi said, rummaging through her purse. "I need to show Ivan something..."

The man turned around curiously as Sua tilted her head, watching the girl murmur to herself, her cheeks flushed, searching through all her belongings for something.

Till was close enough to Mizi to see him. He saw how the girl held a small card with hearts between her fingers and hesitated to take it out of her purse.

"What's wrong?" Ivan said. "What do you want to show me?"

Mizi remained silent for a few seconds, tapping her fingers on the piece of paper, but then shook her head and sighed.

"Forget it, it's nothing."

Both twins nodded, then Ivan said goodbye to his friend with a smile and disappeared into the hallway, being pulled by his little sister.

In the end, Till and Mizi were left alone in the hallway in a long, awkward silence until Mizi turned and smiled sweetly at him.

"Our class will start soon, let's go!"

"Sure," he stammered, watching the beautiful girl walk in front of him, looking at her cell phone and muttering a few words.

"What was that?" Till thought in bewilderment.

He clearly saw the letter Mizi refused to take out of her wallet, but why didn't she show it to Ivan? What was written there? And why did it have hearts?

Till swallowed, trying not to overthink since his classes would start soon and he needed to clear his mind to absorb more knowledge.

But that doubt remained deep within him, tormenting him throughout the class.

.

.

.

The four hours of class passed with a tormented slowness. Till sometimes looked at Mizi, and for some reason, she always saw her expression uneasy, as if she were about to take a very important exam.

Sometimes the girl took out the letter, then put it back, played with her hair, and leaned her head back on her desk, sighing sadly.

What was wrong with her?

Finally, the teacher left, causing almost all the students to murmur in relief and leave the class, talking to each other and laughing.

But Till remained at his desk, looking at Mizi out of the corner of his eye with concern.

Should he approach her and ask her what was wrong?

The mere thought of speaking to her made his cheeks turn red, so he settled back in his desk and closed his eyes.

He was really worried about Mizi and her behavior. What had been written in that letter to torture her so much?

Suddenly, he felt a mocking breath blowing in his ear, making him jump suddenly.

"What the hell!"

"Hey! Till!" Ivan spoke, leaning back in his desk with a smile. "How was class?"

"What do you want?"

Ivan sighed and placed his hands around his neck.

"I need your help."

"What did you do now? Did you kill someone? Do you want to hide the body?"

The boy smiled sadly.

"It's much more complicated than that."

Till followed Ivan out of class, escorting him to one of the gardens surrounding the university.

Then they both sat down in the sun, and Ivan took a pink letter out of his backpack, giving it to Till with a smile.

"Please read it."

"What's this?"

Till read the first few lines carefully, then opened his eyes in surprise and looked at Ivan, who smiled sadly at him.

" "What the hell! It's a love letter, dude!"

"I know! And it's for me," Ivan said, holding it up. "I just got it, and it's not the only one."

"What!"

Finally, Ivan showed him three letters from different people, all expressing their feelings of love and devotion, asking him to become their partner.

"From the moment I saw your dark eyes, I fell completely in love."

"Your dark hair and your perfection dazzled me. I really want to be with you."

"I've always found you sexy and cute. Could you be my boyfriend?"

After Till read everything, he raised his head in disgust.

"What did I just see?"

"I know!" Ivan exclaimed. "This is the first time so many people have proposed to me in one day! I don't know what to do! One of them is my classmate!" Another one belongs to the volleyball team and is named Sein. Another one is a teacher!

"WHAT?"

"I don't know what to do. Should I reject them all?"

"I think you should go out with everyone at the same time," Till muttered sarcastically. "It might work."

"Well... Sein is very nice, and we had a good time playing," Ivan said with a thoughtful expression. "Do you think I should try it with him?"

Till felt a pang in his chest upon hearing that. Ivan had always been a guy quite sought after by both men and women. Maybe it was because of his pretty face or his princely smile, but he always showed up carrying declarations of love in his arms, not knowing what to do with them.

And for some reason, Till found it too unpleasant to imagine Ivan dating anyone, maybe because he found it disgusting to see someone dating a weirdo like his friend.

"Of course not," the boy said, clicking his teeth. "If you don't like him, don't go out with him."

"But maybe emotions will blossom in the process," Ivan muttered. "Haven't you seen the movies?"

"And if they don't? What will you do?" he chided him. "You'll only break his heart."

Ivan nodded silently, staring at the cards with his lips pursed.

"You're right."

"Those guys suffer from a brain disease, look at them paying attention to you," Till mocked. "Maybe they're blind."

Ivan was silent for a few seconds and then let out a small laugh.

"I think the same."

"Now you know what to do. Reject them all and say something like, 'It's not you, it's me,' when it's obviously them."

"I'll try to be as nice as possible," Ivan muttered, looking at the cards. "After all, they're their emotions, and they deserve to be valued."

Till stared at him for a few seconds in silence, not knowing what to say.

" "Why are you like this?"

"What?"

"Nothing."

Ivan nodded, then gave a small smile and approached Till, hugging his neck and pulling him towards him, causing their heads to bump.

"Hey! What's wrong?"

"Seriously, I don't know what I'd do without you," Ivan exclaimed, smiling. "If it weren't for your advice, I'd be the most famous heartthrob in the entire university."

"I don't know what those guys see in you."

Till lifted his head in annoyance, only to be met with a beautiful sight: his friend's smiling face was too close, and he was letting out a few soft laughs, revealing his crooked fangs, his long, dark eyelashes, his perfect, polished skin like a porcelain doll's.

Till couldn't help but imagine him laughing with someone else and hugging them like that, kissing and caressing them lovingly, that person being able to see that beautiful landscape so close up.

The boy groaned, hating that image completely.

Ivan wouldn't be anyone's partner, he was determined.

"But I don't understand why they write letters; it's so pathetic," Till said, trying to hide his thoughts.

"There are many people who want to avoid direct contact," his friend replied, letting him go. "And besides, it looks very romantic and poetic."

"I see..."

There was silence, and Ivan stared at him with his dark eyes.

"Are you thinking of writing to someone?" he whispered, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Don't be silly," Till said, lowering his head uncomfortably. "I have to get back to my class; the next teacher should be there."

"Good luck with that! I have another class next hour, so I have plenty of free time," his friend said. "I'll take care of this situation and then go eat with my volleyball team. I hope Sein doesn't resent me."

"Don't mind, just ignore him."

"I can't do it. He's my friend, after all."

Ivan stood up, wiping his pants, stained with bits of grass.

"Well, see you!" he said, walking away with a smile. "Say hi to Mizi for me! Tell her her cookies were delicious!" "Sua likes me!"

Till was about to answer, but he interrupted himself when he heard Mizi's name, making him realize something that had been confusing him.

She wanted to show Ivan a letter, just like all those guys who had confessed to her.

"Don't tell me..." he thought, putting his hand to his head, "She wants to confess to Ivan with a letter?"

That revelation hit him as hard as a soccer ball in the middle of a competition, making him stumble and fall with his eyes wide open.

It couldn't be true, right? Mizi wouldn't like a ridiculous guy like her friend. It was impossible. She couldn't be that blind. Right? Right?

Till lay on the grass with his eyes wide open, forgetting that his classes had just started.

In his mind, all that appeared was Mizi and Ivan's smiles, running off into the sunset with their hands intertwined.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That thought consumed him like a swarm of termites in summer, and even though school was over, Till continued to surreptitiously watch Mizi, trying to convince himself it wasn't true.

"I don't think she's that blind... Or is she?"

Meanwhile, the girl lay writing her letter over and over again, scribbling a few words and writing beside her, her face desolate.

Ultimately, she was preparing a love letter, and that's why she was so worried.

"But it's not to Ivan, it's not... I know it's not..." she tried to convince herself.

In the end, she ended up going to the bathroom to splash water on her face and look at her reflection for a few seconds. If Mizi really was in love with her friend, what would she do? Could she bear it?

Jealousy boiled in his stomach, the rage of wanting to see her away from Ivan and that idiot never touch her. Imagine them together and happy repelled him, disgusted him.

"I couldn't stand it."

Till left the bathroom after several minutes, walking toward his classroom, head down. Mizi remained at her desk, reading her letter for the tenth time.

The boy remained spying on her for several minutes, until the young woman stood up abruptly, let out a deep sigh, grabbed the letter she had worked so hard on, and walked to the trash can, throwing it away sadly.

Till remained hidden, watching the beautiful girl leave the room and walk toward the gardens with his fists clenched.

After watching her disappear down the hallway, he walked toward the classroom, feeling his heart race with emotion.

He just needed to confirm that the letter wasn't for Ivan and he could rest in peace. Obviously, he wouldn't read the whole thing to find out who his stupid love rival was. Obviously, he wouldn't interfere in Mizi's personal affairs. He just wanted to confirm one thing and leave her alone.

Obviously...

He rummaged through the trash can until he found the letter with pink hearts standing out from the rest. He gulped and picked it up, hoping to find the recipient's name on the back of the sheet.

But there was nothing; it was the perfect excuse to open it and read the entire text.

He pulled out the letter in the blink of an eye, finding a scribbled and scrawled text. Several words were crossed out and were illegible, and unfortunately, the recipient's name wasn't there.

Till sighed and began to read the text, hoping to find out who his love interest was.

He felt his heart shatter into a thousand pieces as he read the first lines confirming the recipient.

“I fell in love with you a long time ago. I was captivated by your charisma and kindness, your intelligence, your sweetness in dealing with others, and that's why I couldn't lose sight of you. I know we have a beautiful friendship that you surely value greatly, and I don't want to ruin it, but I can't keep hiding my emotions. Every time I see your beautiful dark hair, your intelligent gaze, and your charming smile, I lose my mind. I know you don't feel what I feel, but I wanted to express it to you somehow. I like you a lot... too much.”

It was obvious who Mizi liked.

Dark hair, intelligent gaze, charming smile, and kindness. The letter was identical to the ones Ivan received long ago; in fact, it was an exact copy.

Mizi was definitely describing Ivan.

Till's hands trembled at that revelation, and he felt an explosion of emotions inside his chest, all unpleasant and painful.

Before tears could even form in his eyes, he stuffed the letter into his pants pocket and quickly ran to the bathroom, locking himself in the stall and sitting on the floor.

What did Ivan have that he didn't?

Well, come to think of it, a lot of things, too many, and he was just an apathetic boy with anger issues.

He was handsome, kind to others, polite, elegant, always smiling, and easily interacted with others.

"He's way above me," he muttered, gritting his teeth and feeling his eyes water. "He's unattainable, and that's why they like him so much."

That's why Mizi, the most beautiful and sweet girl he'd ever met, liked him.

"Damn it..." she whispered, opening the letter again and writing Ivan's name over the scrawled text. "What should I do?"

Mizi couldn't throw her feelings away; she deserved to express them and be happy, even if it meant seeing her with her idiot best friend.

"Should I give it to him?" she spoke aloud, pressing her lips together. "Because he really likes her..."

Suddenly, someone knocked on the cubicle door, causing the boy to jump and utter several curses.

"What?" he yelled grumpily. "Go to the next stall!"

"I knew it was Till, I recognized your voice," someone outside the stall spoke up, instantly recognizing it as Ivan. "I've been looking everywhere for you. Hyuna wants to see you. Could you come out?"

Shit, Till wasn't in the mood to see anyone, much less his friend. He'd just found out the girl he liked was in love with him, and he was feeling pretty upset. He might jump on Ivan and start choking him.

Till put the letter back in his pocket and left the stall with a sour face. Ivan was smiling at him from outside, but his expression quickly changed when he saw his puffy eyes and gloomy face.

"Hey, are you okay?" he said, stepping in front of him. "What happened?"

"Forget it, it's none of your business," Till said, pushing him away. "What does my cousin want?"

"Well... she just wants to invite you to lunch with Hyun-woo, but..." Ivan approached again with a worried face, infuriating Till. "Did something happen? Did you cry..."

"You don't care!"

"I heard you muttering about delivering something. Is it a letter?"

"Stop butting into my business!" Till exclaimed, backing away awkwardly. "Tell Hyun-woo I can't go with her. I'm busy and I have to go."

"But Till..."

"And don't follow me," he said, putting his backpack on his shoulder and quickly leaving the bathroom, leaving his friend with a confused expression.

Ivan stared at the door for a few seconds, wondering about such aggressive behavior. He knew Till better than anyone and knew he got into that mood when someone touched a nerve.

And it was definitely about his crush.

Suddenly, the boy noticed something white lying on the floor. As he approached, he recognized it as a letter with pink hearts, slightly folded.

Till had dropped it when he left the bathroom so quickly.

Had he tried to confess and it ended badly?

Worry suddenly overwhelmed him. He picked up the letter and tore it open, hoping to discover who the lucky girl was for whom Till was so aching and crying.

His eyes nearly popped out of his head when he read the name written above the scrawled text.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Till walked along the sidewalk toward his house, his fists clenched, his blood boiling with rage.

Why did Ivan have to behave like this?

Always so kind and attentive, it drove him crazy and made him feel so inferior.

He really couldn't stand it.

"That's why Mizi likes you," he muttered. "And you took her from me, damn it!"

He reached into his pocket, hoping to pull out the letter and stare at it for a few minutes before sinking back into sadness and loneliness.

His face paled when he couldn't find it.

Till turned sharply, staring at the ground. Then he searched for it in his backpack and other belongings, but there was nothing; he'd definitely dropped it somewhere.

Feeling his heart pounding against his chest, he started running back the way he'd come, hoping to find it on the floor or somewhere.

He walked all the way to the university, checking the bathroom and the stalls, but there was nothing. He spent almost an hour looking for her but couldn't find her. In the end, he collapsed in the garden in front of the large building, rubbing his forehead and trying to remember.

Was all of Mizi's work really lost because of him?

"I'm an idiot," he muttered, letting out a low groan. "What a shitty day."

After sitting for several minutes, he opened his backpack and took out his cell phone, which he had long forgotten about, checking the messages he had just received.

He was greatly surprised when he found several missed calls from Ivan and some rather serious messages that made his skin crawl.

"Till."

"Till, I found the letter..."

"Till, what does this mean?"

"Explain to me."

"Till."

"Till."

"Till, we should talk about this."

"Let's meet."

"Till."

Would the misfortunes really never end?

The young man reread the messages with wide eyes, feeling his heart shake with tension. Now not only had he lost the letter, but it had fallen into Ivan's hands, creating a terrible misunderstanding.

Today was definitely not his day.

"Calm down, just explain to him it's from someone else," he thought, taking a deep breath and opening the keypad to reply. "He'll just laugh and leave me alone."

Suddenly, his cell phone rang again, giving him a terrible scare. Ivan was calling him, and for several seconds he stared at the screen, hesitating to answer.

Finally, he gathered enough courage and put the phone to his ear.

"Hello?" he asked, his voice shaking.

"Till..." Ivan's voice came through the speaker. "I've called you many times."

"Sorry, I didn't realize."

There was silence for a while, until his friend's voice sounded again.

"I'm in a plaza near the university. I'll send you the location."

"Yes."

The call ended, and a text message automatically arrived on his cell phone, showing the exact location where he would meet Ivan.

Till sighed deeply and lifted his backpack, mentally preparing himself to confront his friend.

"I'll just tell the truth and that's it," he thought. "I have nothing to worry about."

After a few minutes, he arrived at the square filled with gardens and benches. It was completely desolate, and all he saw was the huge group, which he recognized instantly. They were all the volleyball team Ivan had been part of long ago.

Among them were his cousins ​​Hyuna and Hyun-woo, Isaac, Dewey, the boy who was probably Sein, and some guys he didn't know.

They were all laughing pleasantly, sitting on the grass and talking to Ivan, who was smiling until he noticed his friend's presence. His smile automatically disappeared and he stood up abruptly, causing everyone to turn to Till.

"But he's my little cousin!" Hyuna exclaimed, opening her arms. "Why didn't you come? We were looking forward to seeing you."

"Well..." Till didn't know how to respond when he saw Ivan walking toward him; he had never seen his friend so serious before.

"We'll be back in a few minutes," Ivan said, turning around. "I need to talk about some things, get on with your business."

The boy led Till to a more distant spot, then crossed his arms and looked at his friend.

"I found your letter."

"Here we go," he thought, gulping.

"It's not mine, I found it somewhere."

"Where?"

Till was about to answer until he heard a voice behind him. Both boys turned and found Mizi walking toward them with a smile, carrying several bottles of alcohol with Sua.

"Sorry it took so long. They didn't want to sell us the bottles because they thought we were underage." The girl stopped abruptly when she saw Till. "Oh! Till! Where did you come from? Is everything okay? You look very pale..."

Indeed, the boy was wide-eyed and clenched his fists in surprise, staring at the girl who broke his heart.

"What's she doing here?" he asked.

"We're celebrating my birthday. I wanted to invite you, but you left," Ivan replied, shrugging. "Now tell me about the letter."

"Letter?" Mizi asked, approaching. "Which one?"

"Looks like Till found a love letter from someone..."

The girl's face paled for a few seconds, staring at Till with wide eyes.

"What?"

"No!" Till exclaimed, facing Ivan. "I didn't find it!"

"Then where did it come from?"

Mizi stared at Till with a scared expression while Sua looked bored to death, and across from him, Ivan looked expectant.

If he said the letter wasn't his, Mizi would get suspicious, and sooner or later his secret would come out in front of Ivan, and he couldn't allow that. Mizi's emotions were the most important thing to Till; she was the most important thing, even above his friend's friendship.

He had to protect her and support her.

"Okay!" Till exclaimed, raising his hands. "It's mine, okay! I wrote it!"

Ivan's expression was priceless; his eyes widened, while Mizi smiled at his side.

"Till, do you like someone?"

"Can I go now?" Sua murmured. "These bottles are too heavy for me."

Till didn't want to answer; he remained silent, his fists clenched, making a superhuman effort not to punch Ivan in the face and yell at Sua to shut up.

His friend noticed his frightened expression, so he recovered from his shock and smiled at Mizi and Sua.

"We were just joking. You can go ahead. We have some things to talk about."

"But..."

Mizi couldn't finish her sentence because Ivan gently pushed her with an anxious smile.

"You can go..." she murmured through gritted teeth.

"But who was that letter from?"

"There's no letter! It was a joke! Now you can go!" Till exclaimed angrily, making everyone jump.

It was definitely the worst day of his life, and all he wanted was to get out of there. Till sighed and turned his back on them, walking away from them.

Ivan was surprised by the action, said goodbye to both girls, and ran after Till, calling him by name countless times.

"Till!"

"I don't want to talk now."

"So... that letter was for me?"

Now Ivan was acting like a complete arrogant bastard. Till was fed up with it, and upon hearing those words, he couldn't hide his anger for a moment longer.

"There you have it! The perfect guy who thinks he's better than me! Everyone loves you! Everyone prefers you! Ivan this! Ivan that!" "It's so annoying!" the boy exclaimed. "It's always you and only you!"

"What?"

"You attract people's attention and gloat about it! That you're better than me? You're not! You're just a damn arrogant bastard!"

Ivan remained silent, looking at him sadly.

"And what will you do with this idiotic information? Make fun of me? Prove that you're superior to me again?"

"Superior? I just want to understand you."

"Then don't! Forget all this! Pretend it never happened! Problem solved! Stop acting like a good, kind guy! You're irritating everyone!"

Till slumped into one of the seats in the lonely plaza, rubbing his forehead and feeling more tired than usual.

" "I'm fed up," he declared. "Feelings are shit."

"But Till..."

"Don't say anything or I swear I might hit you! You're driving me crazy," the boy exclaimed. "Pretend you didn't find anything, you didn't read that letter, and we're not talking."

Ivan sat down next to him, fiddling with his fingers, like he always did when he was restless.

"Do you really want that?"

"It's for the best. Ignore what all this mess happened."

"I can't do it..."

"Why not?"

Ivan pressed his lips together and looked at Till sadly.

"These are your emotions, I can't ignore them... you shouldn't ignore them, Till."

"And what do you want me to do? This war was always lost from the moment I fell in love," he exclaimed, his voice trembling, feeling several tears welling up in his eyes.

In her eyes was Mizi, her smile and warmth, her affection and kindness toward others. Till always knew she was unattainable, but it still hurt, and he always tried to ignore it.

And today, it all came out with that letter.

"Why does falling in love hurt so much?" he murmured, sobbing with his face covered by his hands. "Knowing that he'll never see you that way, that you'll never have a chance..."

His friend remained silent, listening to his words with furrowed brows.

"Why you?" "Why is it always you?" Till continued whispering, his face covered in tears. "What's wrong with you? I don't understand..."

"Me neither..."

Those words reignited the anger and jealousy hidden inside Till. What did Mizi see in that jerk? Ivan had taken her from him in the worst way, without lifting a finger. It was so humiliating and painful, it felt like a betrayal.

"But you deserve to be heard, Till. I understand why you feel this way. Just express them..."

"You want me to express myself?" the boy exclaimed, throwing himself at Ivan with his fists clenched. "Well, here are my feelings!"

A blow landed on his friend's arm, then on his chest. Till began to hit relentlessly, even though he felt very weak.

"I'm suffering all this shit because of you!" he yelled. "I can't stand you! Why do you behave like this? Stop being nice!" "Make me hate you! You damn perfect guy! You make me feel so bad about myself!"

Obviously, Ivan wasn't bothered by the blows. He raised his arms to get up and remained silent, listening to him scream and vent.

After Till unleashed all kinds of insults and threats, he began to feel calmer. He still felt the sadness painfully piercing his chest, but it was bearable thanks to the tears he'd shed.

Ivan noticed Till's tired and sad demeanor. He hesitated for a few seconds and then raised his arms, gently surrounding his body with the intention of comforting him.

"No!" Till murmured, trying to pull away. "I hate you..."

But the boy didn't allow it. He pulled him towards his chest and made Till's face rest on his shoulder, giving him the warmth he needed.

"I'm so sorry," Ivan whispered, stroking his head. "I'm sorry for causing you so much sadness."

Till opened his teary eyes in surprise.

How could a person be so sweet and hateful at the same time?

He wanted to pull away, but didn't have the courage. He felt Ivan's comforting hands on his head and shoulders, so he began to relax and cling to him.

Ivan had always had the ability to calm him down in the worst of times, whether by keeping him company or hugging him.

And what Till needed most was someone who would give him that much confidence and affection.

"Idiot..." he whispered, hugging Ivan's back.

The presence of his friend comforted him that day and gave him more peace than anyone else. Till felt jealous, envious, and angry, but he couldn't live without him; he couldn't hate him, much less walk away.

He really needed it.

"Forgive me..." Ivan murmured after several minutes of silence.

"Okay..." Till whispered, clinging to him with his eyes closed.

Chapter Text

Sua's favorite time of day was at night, where she could read a story, watch a series, or play a video game with her annoying brother.

It was the only time she felt at peace, living for herself and sharing time with someone who truly understood her.

That day, she decided to read a romance novel set in the 19th century that followed the stupid cliché of a poor woman and a rich man. The protagonist fell in love with an extremely wealthy but proud man. They initially hated each other, but after many situations, they ended up falling in love and getting married.

In short, enemies to lovers at its best.

"It's not that bad."

The girl was about to read the first page of the book when suddenly, her bedroom door burst open. Ivan staggered in and threw himself onto her bed, curling up.

Sua was used to that behavior; as long as it didn't bother her reading, everything would be fine.

"Sua..."

The girl sighed, recognizing that pitiful tone of voice.

"What happened now?"

Ivan stood up, sitting on the bed with a dark expression.

"Could you give me some advice?"

Sua remained silent, closed her book, and sat next to her brother, expressionless.

"Did someone bother you?"

"No."

"Then it's okay..."

" Someone confessed their crush on me" Ivan spoke suddenly. "And I don't know what to do..."

Sua clicked her teeth, pulling away.

"If it's love advice, call Till. You know I don't understand that shit..."

"I would, I assure you..." Ivan muttered, sighing uncomfortably. "But the only problem... is that TILL was the one who confesed to me."

Sua was about to resume her reading, but those words petrified her. She turned to Ivan with a surprised expression. At the same time, she knew her brother wasn't joking because he continued with a serious expression.

"What?"

"You heard him..."

The girl tilted her head, processing what she had just heard with furrowed eyebrows. Was that rat-faced guy in love with her brother? She had never realized that before, and her intuition was always right about everything.

That guy had never given her a good feeling.

"But that he's in love?" she thought, biting her lip. "What the hell is this?"

"What do I do, Sua?" He started crying and hitting me, he was so upset," the boy murmured, rubbing his forehead sadly. "I'm to blame for his pain. He told me all the time, and I felt so bad."

"Hey! Calm down!" Sua exclaimed, approaching to comfort him. "Calm down, it's not your fault that he fell in love with you."

"I made him suffer."

"It was his responsibility to fall in love with you. You didn't do anything wrong," she murmured, staring at him for a few seconds. "And what did you feel besides guilt?"

"I don't know. I feel so confused about my emotions," Ivan murmured, lying down on the bed and covering his face with a pillow. "I don't know what to do."

Sua remained silent, watching him lament silently while messing up the bedspread. Then she sighed and picked up the book, looking at the cover, which depicted a couple in love running into the sunset with a smile on their faces.

"Okay, Mr. Darcy," he thought. "Clear my mind so I can understand this shit."

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And everything went to hell.

Obviously, it took Till a long time to get over the fact that the girl he loved was in love with someone—more specifically, his best friend.

He became depressed for several nights, and although his mother tried to talk to him, Till just remained silent, processing the unpleasant feelings in his chest.

But the painful thing was going to college and seeing Mizi and Ivan talking. It was terrible to see the girl sitting quietly at her desk, as it felt like his ribs were breaking and his internal organs were rupturing.

And when he saw Ivan, the first thing he felt was anger, then envy, and finally guilt. He knew his friend hadn't done anything wrong, but he couldn't help feeling resentful toward him, and that made him feel so miserable.

So, he made a decision to fix everything: to get away from both of them.

He needed time to think and heal, to forget all the mess he'd made a few days earlier.

With Mizi, it wasn't too difficult since he always avoided her out of nerves, but the incredibly challenging thing was getting away from Ivan.

He was very used to her presence, so it was hard for him to walk past her when Ivan greeted him. For the next few days, he spent his time awkwardly avoiding his friend, trying not to confront him.

But Ivan was a stubborn and clingy guy. Every time he saw Till running, he would follow him, and when the boy didn't respond, he would pester him until he uttered a word.

Their funny and strange friendship turned into a life-or-death chase across the university, where Till was the prey and Ivan was the puppy with separation anxiety who needed attention.

That day, Till had managed to escape to the empty rooftop of the top floor. He checked the stairs and made sure he didn't see Ivan anywhere. Then he collapsed on the sidewalk and rubbed his head.

How could that guy be so irritating?

He always found a way to find them. Did he have a hidden GPS hidden inside his body?

"But now I'm free," he muttered, stretching and tugging at the collar of his shirt. "Finally..."

He didn't notice the terrifying shadow that emerged from the rooftop entrance with a grin from ear to ear.

"Found you, Till!"

The boy let out an undignified squeal and then stepped back, watching Ivan walk toward him carrying a plastic bag.

"What do you want?" Till confronted him angrily. "Leave me alone!"

"Why are you acting like this?" I'm not going to kill you—

“Anyone would get paranoid if someone was chasing you every day!”

“Anyone would chase their best friend if they started avoiding you overnight!”

Till remained silent, and Ivan sighed, sitting next to him and handing him the plastic bag.

“Here, you haven't been eating well these days.”

“What?”

“I went to Mizi's house yesterday and we baked a cake for Sua. I saved some for you,” Ivan murmured, taking out the plastic container that was inside the bag. “It's chocolate.”

Till wanted to answer, but the mention of Mizi made his heart ache terribly.

“Thank you,” he said, opening the container and taking out the pieces of cake. “But you shouldn't worry about me.”

“I am, Till. I can't get you out of my head.”

Those words made Till clench his fists.

"Ivan, I..." the boy gulped and sighed. "I want you to forget everything that happened. Act like nothing bad ever happened. I'd feel better for that."

"I can't ignore it. You're always avoiding me like I'd done something wrong."

"I need some time!" he exclaimed, squeezing his chest. "I'll take care of my annoying feelings, and everything will be back to normal!"

Ivan remained silent for a few seconds, staring up at the cloudy sky.

"I can't ignore something like this. My best friend proposed to me in a very strange way. Even if you asked me, I wouldn't be able to..."

"Don't be so dramatic! Just reject me!" Till said, his mouth full of cake. "Reject me and forget all this shit! People have proposed to you many times, and you've always managed to clear them up. Do the same with me."

Ivan pressed his lips together, his hands shaking.

"I can't, Till!"

"Why not?"

"Because it's you!" he exclaimed. "I've rejected so many people that it's become a habit. It's normal! But you're not like them!"

"What?" Till asked in bewilderment, seeing Ivan rubbing his head. "What are you saying?"

The young boy sighed and hugged his knees, staring up at the sky for several seconds and choosing the right words to explain his situation.

"I've always had trouble making friends," he suddenly confessed, making Till frown. "I tried to be perfect and smile for others, but I always felt so alone since no one really knew me. The only one who supported me was my sister."

Till blinked in bewilderment. Was Ivan telling him about his emotional problems? What the fuck?

"I was used to pretending to be a smiling person but feeling so lonely inside, until I met you..." Ivan looked at Till with a sad smile. "I don't know why, but I've always felt safe and understood by your side. I don't need to be perfect, I don't need to do things I don't want to do, I feel like I can be myself."

Till remained silent, staring at Ivan with wide eyes.

"I truly value your presence, Till, and I couldn't bear to lose you," the young boy confessed. "That's why I can't do this. I can't be cruel to you like I am to others. You were always special to me."

Before he knew it, Ivan was very close to him. Till's heart thudded slightly as he watched the smiling boy in front of him. What was he saying? That he was special?

"Hey... Ivan... What are you doing?" I stammered. "That's weird, you know?"

"I need you to understand what I'm thinking!"

"But don't come at me like that!" Till yelled, pushing him away and avoiding his piercing gaze. "I get it! Stop being so dramatic and go on!"

Ivan watched him for a while and suddenly stroked Till's head.

"What are you doing?"

"Give me some time, Till, please," Ivan declared, smiling gently. "Give me time to think about it. I have a hard time understanding my emotions, but I only know one thing: if I'm going to date someone, I'd like it to be with you."

Till wanted to push him away, wanted to yell at him to stop his strange behavior, but he kept staring at him with his mouth half-open, staring into his deep eyes and kind smile.

He had never thought of Ivan that way. He had always seen him as a friend, but not as a partner.

“Do you want some time to think about it? So we can both become boyfriends?” The thought crossed his mind “What are you saying?”

“So give me some time…”

"You don't need to do that!" Till exclaimed in panic. "Just forget it and reject me!"

"I already told you I can't!"

"Because you're so complicated!" the young boy yelled.

He had definitely fallen into the worst misunderstanding in the world, the ultimate one. He hadn't only dragged Mizi into it, but Ivan too, and now he was turning him gay.

He had to stop him before everything went to hell.

"Ivan! You're not gay! You don't have to do this!"

"I don't care what I am. A person is a person, after all."

"That's so gay!" Till yelled, covering his head.

It was too late. Till had screwed up badly. Now his heterosexuality and friendship with Ivan were at stake.

"What have I gotten myself into?" he thought, chewing the cake with his pale face.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Till scribbled absentmindedly on the page in his notebook, ignoring his teacher's words and the slides of medieval paintings reflected across the room.

At that moment, he was trying to understand the enormous problem he had gotten himself into.

"I like Mizi," he thought. "And Mizi likes Ivan..."

So who did Ivan like? Was it Till?

"No, of course not!" he shouted to himself, scribbling furiously on his sketch. "He's just confused! He'll get over it!"

He remained thoughtful for a long time, doodling Mizi's face and trying to find a solution to his problem, until suddenly, a few words brought him back to reality.

"The completed assignment will be due in five days!" the teacher exclaimed. "It will be the highest grade of the semester!"

"Assignment?" he thought, startled. "What assignment?"

Having no answers to his mental questions, he threw a crumpled sheet of paper from his notebook to Acorn, who was sitting peacefully beside him.

The young boy turned around, his eyes wide open.

"What are you talking about?" Till asked, leaning toward him.

"Oh!" "We'll be doing a project in pairs," Acorn muttered, removing the piece of paper from his hair. "It'll be a report on the types of art throughout history, and we'll also have to paint something."

"What?"

"Are you deaf?"

"Listen carefully!" the teacher exclaimed, holding up his list, making both boys jump. "I'll dictate your group partners right now!"

"Shit..."

"I just hope it's not with you," Acorn muttered, sitting up straight. "I'm sorry if you stuck that pencil in my eye."

"How about I stick a guitar in your eye?"

The names began to be called out one by one. Several girls squealed with excitement upon learning they'd be doing the project with their friends, others sighed in disappointment.

Till remained silent, hoping they wouldn't mention Acorn's name; that boy was completely irresponsible when it came to doing projects.

"I don't care who it is, except him," he thought, scribbling absentmindedly in his notebook.

"Mizi Shinen!" the teacher suddenly exclaimed, adjusting their glasses. "With Till Urak!" (Is Till Hindu?)

The girl's name hit him like a brick wall and made him pale. The only word that came to mind at the shock was...

"What? What? WHAT?

" Now he'd changed his mind. He wanted to do the assignment with Acorn, or anyone else, but Mizi.

"Now that you know!" the teacher exclaimed, putting away his list. "I need you to coordinate with your partners now and start working!"

Acorn was about to get up from his seat and go to Marty, but Till stopped him with a face so horribly pale he looked like something out of a zombie movie.

"What do you think if we switch partners?" he pleaded. "Or do it together?"

Acorn looked at him for a few seconds and wrinkled his nose.

"No."

It seems God was taking it upon himself to make Till suffer and had turned him into his soldier with more battles. What would happen now? Would he get lost in the middle of the ocean with an Avengers tiger? Would a war break out where he'd have to fight and leave his family behind? Would he become Spiderman?

"With great power comes great responsibility," he thought sadly, but suddenly a kind smile pulled him out of his daily laments.

"Hey Till!" Mizi exclaimed, sitting down in front of him energetically. "Ready to start?"

Seeing the girl in front of him, his heart began to beat faster, but at the same time, he felt pain. Till sighed and nodded, trying to remain calm.

"Okay..."

Hours passed after Mizi and Till went to the library to coordinate and get ahead on their work. They had to write a report on Renaissance art and paint a mural in the style they had researched.

It wasn't that difficult...

But Till couldn't help but suffer inside when he saw the girl's beautiful face up close. Every time he saw Mizi, he felt so illuminated by her warmth and tenderness.

"But it's unattainable," he thought, his lips pursed.

"I'll take care of the origin and historical context," the girl spoke. "You take care of the characteristics and the artists."

They stood for a long time, looking at their respective laptops with concentration.

"And how are you feeling?" the girl suddenly asked.

"What are you talking about?"

"About the love letter you wrote on Valentine's Day. That afternoon you seemed very upset, and I was really worried."

Till clenched his fists for a few moments, feeling the painful warmth of her words in his chest.

"Don't worry, I've gotten over it."

"Is your love unrequited?"

The Young boy stared at his computer screen for a few seconds.

"Yes."

Mizi nodded with a sad smile, checking her laptop.

"I understand what it's like to love someone, but knowing that they'll love you back," the girl murmured sadly. "I confess that I like someone too."

There it is, the stab in his chest that made him writhe in pain and clench his fists. Now she had confirmed it, and it was much more humiliating.

" "But it doesn't matter anymore," she thought, her eyes moist. "I knew it after all."

"Actually, I was thinking of confessing this Valentine's Day," Mizi continued. "But in the end, I ran away like a coward. I know he'll never reciprocate my feelings, that he only sees me as a friend. I know, but it hurts..."

"It hurts to just be able to watch him from afar," Till said, completing the sentence with a blank stare. "Admiring him but only surviving with the image of him in your eyes."

Mizi nodded with a smile, turning to the boy.

"So, did you confess to him or...?"

"I didn't. I got discouraged too."

"We're both cowards after all," Mizi said, laughing. "We're so pathetic and stupid."

"Sometimes it's okay to be."

Silence fell over them both again. Till watched Mizi out of the corner of his eye and could see the sad expression forming on her face. He couldn't stand seeing her like this; she deserved to be happy.

"You should confess," the young boy suddenly suggested. "Show him that you love him."

"I won't Mizi murmured, smiling. " I couldn't bear to scare him away and have him walk away from me."

"I think you'd have a chance. It's better to try than to do nothing," she encouraged him. "I know you'll succeed."

The girl opened her eyes in surprise, then looked at the floor and smiled.

"Same to you," she whispered.

That word made Till's heart race and she felt filled with hope. Should she do it? Should she try?

The two Friends worked for a long time until dusk. It was then that Mizi yawned and stood up from her desk, smiling at Till.

"I have to go. I have to meet my mom."

"Sure," Till stammered, standing up. "I'll walk you to the front door."

Mizi and the Young boy walked slowly, talking about random things and laughing at her jokes. It was the first time Till had been so close to her, and she felt very familiar, like she was a close friend.

As they reached the front door, Till stopped, and Mizi turned around, flashing him a small smile.

"Remember to finish your homework, then we'll paint the mural."

"Okay," Mizi nodded and was about to turn around. Till saw the moment she turned in slow motion, clenched his fists, and gathered enough courage to stop her.

"I could try."

Till quickly grabbed Mizi's wrist, looking at her.

"Mizi... I..."

The girl opened her eyes in surprise, staring at the blushing young boy.

"I..."

He knew he had no chance, but deep inside him, the hope of being loved by her continued, tormenting him. What if he tried?

"I like someone," he remembered Mizi saying.

The image of the smiling girl appeared before his eyes, and when he realized how in love she was, he stopped, feeling his heart break for the last time.

She loved someone else, and he could never reach her.

He couldn't keep chasing her; he had to give up and move on.

"Till, what's wrong?"

The boy returned to the present and looked at the girl in front of him, seeing her beautiful face illuminated by the sun's rays and her sparkling eyes.

He wanted her, but she couldn't be his.

"I... I wanted to tell you..." he put his hand to his neck. "Could you pay for the canvas? I don't have any money right now. I promise I'll pay you back later..."

"Oh..." Mizi remained silent and then shrugged. "Sure."

"Okay! See you tomorrow!" the boy exclaimed, turning his back on her.

Mizi nodded and walked toward the sidewalk, disappearing behind a sea of ​​people.

Till stared at the road he'd left for a long time until he sighed and walked toward the university.

"Goodbye, Mizi."

That day, he officially gave up on the girl and his feelings, letting her go and realizing he could never reach her.

After that, he walked for a few moments through the university corridors to relax, watching the beautiful sunset of various colors and hues.

Everything was very lonely until his cell phone suddenly vibrated.

Till took it out and checked it, finding a message from Ivan.

"Everything okay, Till?"

That jerk was always worrying about him, which irritated him sometimes, but after letting go of his feelings for Mizi, for some reason he felt freer and clearer, happier.

He smiled slightly and answered.

"Yes, thank you."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For the next few days, Till and Mizi spent the time working together to finish the mural and the report. Sometimes they met at the girl's house, other times at the library, or at Till's house, where his mother greeted them warmly.

Those days helped him get to know Mizi better, or even better.

The reason he fell in love with the girl was because of her beauty and kindness, as empathetic and innocent as an angel descended from heaven.

But thanks to those days, his perception of Mizi changed a bit. It's true that she was a sweet and charming girl, but she wasn't perfect at all.

Mizi was extremely clumsy, whether she knocked glasses of liquid over on Till's notebook or tripped countless times even though there was nothing on the floor. She nearly ruined the mural many times by dropping paint drips on it, and she also folded the report sheets in an incomprehensible way.

At first, Till thought it was cute, but after Mizi broke two plates trying to serve her mother's pancakes, he started to get a little fed up.

"Mizi, I'll mix the paints..."

"Mizi, I'll put away the report..."

"Mizi, I'll pour the coffee..."

"Mizi, please don't touch anything..."

He couldn't stand it if the girl ruined the latest Avengers action figures in his room, or tore up the Nirvana posters on his wall, smiling at him with inspirational quotes. If that happened, he might strangle her.

That's why Mizis were officially banned from his room.

.

.

.

"Hi!" Ivan exclaimed on the fourth day, approaching with Sua to look at his mural. "That looks good! Is it The Birth of Venus?"

Till and Mizi had spent the entire morning painting it in one of the university gardens; they were stained with paint and sunburned.

"Indeed," Till replied, wiping his blue cheek. "I wanted to paint Da Vinci's The Last Supper, but Mizi didn't want to."

"It's so hard to draw so many men stuck together," the girl excused herself.

Ivan remained silent while chewing gum. Behind him, Sua tilted her head, taking in all the details.

"Are those jellyfish?" the girl spoke suddenly, pointing to a corner. "They don't appear in the original work, do they?"

Mizi's cheeks turned red, and she cleared her throat awkwardly.

"Oh yeah! I made them!" "I've always liked jellyfish," the girl sighed with a sweet smile. "They're elegant and beautiful, and they also have such lovely, delicate colors. I'd like to be a jellyfish in my next life."

Sua nodded, smiling slightly.

"How cute."

"Did you know jellyfish poop out of their mouths?" Ivan suddenly spoke up, smiling. "Would you like to be a jellyfish even knowing that?"

The calm, artistic atmosphere was broken, leaving them all in an awkward silence.

"I'll make you poop out of your mouth," Till exclaimed after a few seconds, lunging to choke Ivan. "You idiot!"

His friend burst out laughing while Sua brought her hands to her face to hide her laughter.

Both boys began to wrestle while laughing and teasing each other.

Unfortunately, their friend, who had a more athletic and robust build thanks to sports, managed to defeat the skinny Till, who spent his time sitting at his desk drawing anime.

Till fell to the grass and was pinned down by Ivan's weight, breathing heavily on top of him with a joking smile.

"I told you so," he mocked.

Till wanted to make a scathing comment, but his words were drowned out by Ivan's smile and his slightly flushed face. He watched his broad shoulders rise with his breathing and his throbbing neck shine in the sun.

It was always the same when they played around like this. Till was always defeated, but he reveled in how attractive Ivan looked from below and how close their faces were.

"You guys look like kids," Sua murmured, snapping him out of his trance. "Well, we should go now, Ivan. Dad's waiting for us."

The boy nodded, standing up abruptly and walking over to his sister, while Till sat down slowly, rubbing his face.

"Hey Till!" his friend spoke.

"What?" he croaked.

"If you need help with the mural, you can call me. I've finished all my homework, and I'M FREE!"

"Let's go, Ivan."

Till nodded, then watched as his friend was dragged by his sister like a puppy. Sometimes Sua seemed like the older sister to him.

There was silence until he heard a slight giggle from Mizi.

"What's wrong?" Till asked sarcastically. "I usually beat her in strength, don't believe her..."

"It's not that, I just find your closeness funny."

The boy opened his eyes, seeing Mizi laughing.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I recently met Sein, and that guy was obsessed with Ivan. He was always trying to get his attention, and once he confessed to me that he was jealous of you because of your great luck." Mizi smiled. "What Sein wouldn't have given to be crushed by Ivan like he was with you."

Till blinked several times.

"You're speaking for yourself, right?" he thought, taking out the paints with furrowed eyebrows. "Since you like him too, are you jealous of me too?"

"Well, let's continue," Mizi said, stretching. "Let me mix the paints."

"No."

"I don't understand why you won't let me touch your acrylics," the girl complained. "It's sad."

Till didn't respond; he was thinking about other things.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Time passed quickly, until finally, the last day before the delivery arrived.

That afternoon, Mizi came to Till's house to finish the enormous mural, which was quite beautiful and elegant. The boy bet they would get an excellent grade for it.

"We did it!" exclaimed the girl, skipping a little while as she looked at the painting. "Let's rest a while before putting the finishing touches on it."

"What do we do?"

Mizi smiled and held up a bag.

"For our work!"

The girl had bought canned drinks and chips, something that made Till smile. Both young men sat on the couch, looking at the painting and drinking.

"I bet she'll give us a 10," the boy said proudly.

"Or a 9."

"We painted Venus. I hope the goddess rewards us for that."

Both boys laughed for a few seconds, then stuffed their mouths with chips.

"Well, it was very nice working with you," Till confessed suddenly, after swallowing them. "I had fun."

"A lot more than I thought."

"I think so too," Mizi said, smiling foolishly. "I always thought you didn't like me, you avoided me and wouldn't talk to me."

"Oh... I'm sorry."

"Actually, I did it because I liked you."

"I hope we work together on future projects," Mizi said, showing him the palm of her hand. "Mr. Da Vinci."

Till smiled and they high-fived. The girl smiled sweetly, took a few more gulps, and got up from the sofa, approaching the paint for her furrowed eyebrows.

"But I'm not convinced by Venus's hands; they look too fat."

"You did those," Till muttered.

" "I know, that's why I'm criticizing it," the girl apologized, affected by the drink. "But I love the pink tones you used for the seashell."

"You did that."

"Then it's a disaster."

Mizi continued walking toward the painting, making a few comments and criticizing the painting. She didn't notice the bright green rug that was dangerously stuck to her leg. Her mother used it to decorate the living room and give it a more summery feel. Till always asked her to get rid of that hideous thing, but she was stubborn.

Anyway, the last thing Till saw was Mizi falling to the floor with a thud thanks to the rug, hitting her nose in the process. The canned drink she was holding flew toward the painting, spinning and splattering its contents until it hit Venus's face, staining her face with pink soda.

Both boys remained silent for a while, then Till let out a shriek and ran to the painting, raising a dirty rag to wipe it all up.

"I'm sorry!" Mizi exclaimed, covering her bruised face. "I didn't realize!"

Till was going to tell her not to worry, he'd just wipe the drink off with the rag and everything would be fine.

First, he scrubbed Venus's face, but after a few seconds, he pulled the cloth away and paled in shock.

"Shit."

The woman's face had disappeared due to the liquid and dirt that spread across the canvas, as the paint was still fresh, giving it a blurry appearance.

"Shit," he repeated, wiping away the rest of the drink in a panic.

But he had ruined it; now the entire painting was a combination of smudges, dirt, and red liquid that spread grotesquely. Not even modern art would be proud of that atrocity.

Till dropped the rag and stepped back, his lips trembling, staring at the mess. Then he picked up his phone and checked the time.

It was 10 p.m.

"Even if we stayed up all night, we wouldn't be able to do it," he thought, rubbing his head.

Meanwhile, Mizi stared at the painting, covering her mouth with both hands.

"Forgive me, Till!" she muttered, her face covered in despair. "I ruined everything! I'm a mess!"

The boy didn't respond; he covered his face with his hands, staring at the mess that had once been a beautiful painting of Venus.

His mother had gone out with her friends that night and would be back very late, so she wouldn't be able to help them repaint.

"Let's kill each other," she murmured, handing him a paintbrush. "On the count of three, let's stick these things into our hearts..."

Mizi looked like she wanted to cry. She grabbed the paintbrush and sat down beside him.

"What are we going to do?" she said, staring blankly. "Can we do it by 7 in the morning?"

"If we rush, we'll get it done, but it won't look pretty. The canvas will be very stained and dirty."

"Are you saying we should start from scratch?" the girl exclaimed. "It can't be right!"

"They'll give us the worst grade, but it's better than nothing," Till whispered, standing up, staring blankly. "Come on..."

The boy was about to walk toward the paints, but Mizi jumped up from the couch, pulling out her cell phone.

"Ivan offered to help you, right? Let's ask him for help!"

"What?" Till shrieked, looking at her. "It's 10 at night. Obviously, he can't! And he paints horribly!"

"We have to try!" Mizi said, pacing the room while playing with her hair. "Please, Ivan, answer!"

The cell phone rang for a few long seconds until, suddenly, the boy's voice came from the speaker in a friendly voice.

"Mizi? Is something wrong?"

The girl took a long time to explain what had happened. For a moment, Ivan laughed at the situation, but hearing them so desperate, he remained silent until the end of the call.

"Okay, I'll come help you," the boy murmured. "I'll be there in 20 minutes! Can I bring extra hands?"

"That's perfect, Ivan," Mizi exclaimed, jumping up and down. "Please!"

The call cut off in an instant, leaving them both in silence.

"I hope we can do it," the girl said, preparing the materials to correct the mistakes and repaint everything.

Till nodded silently.

Just as Ivan had promised, she arrived at Till's home 40 minutes later, or maybe more, accompanied by her inseparable sister Sua, who looked at the painting with a wrinkled nose.

"What the hell is wrong with Venus's face? We're talking about the Goddess of Beauty, right?"

Mizi nodded at the criticism, falling silent in embarrassment.

Till wasn't in the mood to confront Sua. He clumsily handed her a paintbrush and then approached Ivan, who was staring at the mess with a hand to his jaw.

"Beautiful work, my friend," he muttered, watching Till approach.

"Why did you bring Sua? Did you force her?"

"What? Of course not!" Ivan defended himself. "She wanted to come the moment she heard about your situation. She was very worried..."

"Sua worried about someone other than you?" What nonsense am I listening to?

"Don't talk about her like that. She's a very loving and empathetic person, she just doesn't know how to show it," Ivan said, frowning. "So, thank her for being here, and let's begin."

With the help of two other pairs of hands, they began working on the mural, drinking copious amounts of coffee and correcting the dirty and unsightly parts.

Sua was very skilled at painting; without her, they wouldn't have been able to move forward. And, relying on Mizi and Ivan's energy, Till continued painting until his wrist hurt, watching the hours fly by.

It was two in the morning when they began to visualize the possible ending. Maybe it wasn't perfect, but it wasn't that bad either. Till considered it a work of art fit for a high school gallery.

By then, the poor boy had horrendous dark circles under his eyes, and his eyelids were drooping from exhaustion, but he continued putting the finishing touches on it.

On the sofa, Mizi lay fast asleep after finishing Venus's face for the second time, and Sua was sitting next to her, resting her eyes.

"Here," Ivan murmured suddenly, handing Till a glass of water and covering him with a blanket. "You might get sick."

"Don't worry, let's just finish this," he whispered, gulping down the water in a jiffy. "I'll paint that corner, you take care of the other."

Ivan let out a loud yawn, nodding as he rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"Okay..."

Till watched his friend for a few seconds, feeling guilty.

"You could have not bothered coming."

"I know, but I can't let you do this alone," Ivan muttered, blinking tiredly for a few seconds. "Besides, you'll pay me back later."

"What?"

Ivan let out a light laugh and continued painting.

Finally, an hour later, they managed to finish everything after waking up Mizi and Sua. The four boys added the final brushstrokes and looked at the result with tired eyes. Mizi clapped weakly, Sua remained expressionless, Till furrowed his eyebrows, and Ivan let out a loud yawn.

"Well, that's all," the black-haired boy muttered, walking by. "Till, could I use your shower? I stink of paint and I need to shower."

"Sure."

"Where can I sleep?" Mizi said, rubbing her eyes. "On the sofa?"

"We have a guest room," Till explained. "But it only has one bed. You and Sua can sleep there."

Sua furrowed her eyebrows while Mizi paled.

"What?"

"Or do you want to sleep on the sofa?"

"Fine!" Mizi squealed.

"Thanks, Till!"

Sua didn't seem happy, but she remained silent.

" After preparing everything, Till called his mother to explain the whole situation. The woman giggled and understood.

"I'll be there in about half an hour. Please have the girls sleep in the guest room, and you and Ivan can sleep in yours."

"Okay."

Both siblings had come equipped with their pajamas and even their toothbrushes. Sua lent one to Mizi, and for some reason, the girl's face was as white as a sheet.

After making sure the two women were comfortable, Till got ready for bed and limped into his room, his eyelids closing with sleep.

All he needed was to close his eyes for a moment and forget about Renaissance art, the deformed-faced Venus, and his anger at Mizi's clumsiness.

His sleepiness and tiredness vanished when he saw Ivan standing in his room, completely naked, wearing only a towel around his neck. His hair was wet, and drops of water were falling down his body.

The man had just gotten out of the shower and was ready to change.

But as soon as the boys saw each other, their eyes met with a terrified expression. In that awkward second that seemed like a century, Till took in Ivan's toned and robust body, his defined abdomen, his muscular arms and legs, his...

"Till! Why didn't you knock on the door!" Ivan exclaimed, covering himself with both hands and backing away.

The boy came out of his trance, his face turning red, and he brought his palm up to his eyes in an exaggerated manner.

"Sorry!" he squealed, backing away from the door and slamming it shut while breathing heavily.

The image of Ivan naked remained in his mind after washing his face several times.

He had rarely seen Ivan's torso, only when they went to the pool or the beach, and every time he saw it, he couldn't take his eyes off it; he had to pretend by doing something stupid.

But now he had unlocked a new mental image of his friend's body.

He could make a sculpture of it, and the teachers would marvel at its beauty. He had always known Ivan was attractive, but his body was even more so, much more so.

Now he understood why his parents wanted to make him a model.

"Shit!" he thought, putting his hands to his face. "What the hell am I thinking!"

After a long time, Till worked up his courage and entered his room, already changed and ready for bed.

Ivan was on the floor, calmly spreading out his futon, as if nothing had happened.

"Time to go back to sleep with my good friend," he suddenly crooned, smiling. "I was already missing him."

"You came to sleep two weeks ago!"

"I know, but I miss him anyway."

Till didn't respond; he sat on the corner of the bed, hugging his legs, as far away from Ivan and his attractive body as possible.

"What's wrong?" the dark-haired boy asked, looking at Till. "I'm not going to eat you."

"Something's bothering me," he confessed. "You said you'd pay me back with something after you helped me paint."

Ivan nodded, his eyebrows furrowed.

"That's right, I haven't thought about that yet."

Suddenly, his face lit up, a mischievous smile spread across his face, and he stared at Till.

"Oh! Is that it?" Do you think I'm trying to sexually blackmail you?

"What?" Till shrieked, startled. "Of course not!"

But Ivan didn't hear him. He climbed into bed slowly, still smiling an annoying smile.

"Calm down, I'm just going to touch you a little."

"What!" Till shouted, seeing the man's hands approaching him. "What are you doing?"

The man didn't listen. Before he could touch his abdomen, a pillow hit him in the head, knocking Till back onto the mattress.

Ivan burst out laughing and hit him again with the pillow, then stepped back with a funny face.

"Just kidding!" he exclaimed, getting out of bed and yawning. "You just owe me one favor. Buy me a meal or something. I'll let you know later."

Till was furious. He grabbed the pillow and threw it in Till's face as he roughly got into bed.

"You idiot..." he muttered through gritted teeth. "Turn off the light when you go to bed!"

Ivan rubbed his head tiredly, turned off the light, and lay down on his futon, curling up on the pillow like a tired child after a long day.

"Hey," Ivan murmured suddenly, his deep voice echoing in the room. "Why are you so tense?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Please don't make the atmosphere any more uncomfortable, you just saw me naked."

"Shut up and go to sleep," Till said, squeezing the pillow. "I have to submit that assignment tomorrow."

"And I have to go to class," Ivan muttered, yawning. "I'm so tired..."

There was silence after the boy said that. Till couldn't help but feel guilty, but very happy to have him by his side. Knowing he'd have someone supporting him always left a warm feeling in his chest.

Warmth and guilt.

"Forgive me."

"Thank you..." he said sincerely, after a long moment of thought. "Thank you for helping me. I promise I'll repay you."

After letting out those words, he raised his head, hoping to see his friend's face in the darkness.

Ivan lay there, smiling sweetly, his expression so beautiful and peaceful it seemed like a painting before his eyes.

"You know I can't turn my back on you. I'll always help you with whatever you need."

The boy's heart pounded at those words. He smiled and lay down on the pillow with a calm face.

"Thank you," he murmured, sighing.

"But please..." Ivan spoke suddenly, flashing a mocking smile. "Don't attack me while I'm sleeping. I still want to remain a virgin."

"What?" Till yelled, raising his head. "What the hell! Of course I wouldn't do that! How disgusting!"

"Whatever you say," the boy muttered, turning his back on him. "I'll fall asleep soon, so don't scream."

"It'll be you who'll attack me! You sick pervert!"

"Oh... that sounds exciting," Ivan said sarcastically. "Now go to sleep, I need to regain energy for my classes."

Obviously, Till didn't shut up. He screamed for a long time until he fell asleep. It was 4 in the morning and they only had two hours of sleep.

They should have taken advantage of it...

But one of the boys didn't do it at all.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The first thing Till felt after waking up from sleep was a breath on his neck, lips passing over his ear that made him shudder.

Then came the hands, delicately caressing his clothed abdomen.

Till slowly woke from his sleep, feeling himself crushed by someone much heavier than him.

Was this another sleep paralysis?

His eyes widened in surprise as he recognized the silhouette. Ivan was lying on top of him, pinning him down on the mattress with a terrifying smile.

"Did you really think lunch would make up for all my sacrifice?" he muttered.

"What!" Till exclaimed, trying to pull away. "What the fuck? What are you doing, idiot!"

The boy began to squirm and move away from his friend's grasp, but he was too strong. He saw the empty futon spread out on the floor and Ivan, who was pinning him down, smiling.

"Hey! I'm not in the mood! I've been working all day!" "Stop playing games and go to sleep!"

"This isn't a game," Ivan murmured, licking his neck. "You hinted at it yourself. I want you to pay me back this way."

Till noticed his friend wasn't wearing any clothes to cover his abdomen, revealing the muscular torso he'd seen a while back.

Seeing that landscape, he felt saliva build up in his mouth and a suffocating heat cover him, but he chose to ignore it and keep fighting.

"You said you wouldn't attack me! You damn pervert! Go to sleep right now!"

"Don't be a liar! You've wanted this for a long time," the young boy said, lifting Till's shirt against his will and exposing his slender chest. "Now stop struggling."

The young boy tried to squirm, but Ivan immobilized his hands and brought his mouth to his chest, licking the skin gently.

Till felt the hot tongue on his nipples, teasing and lightly biting them. It was a strange sensation that made him shudder uncontrollably, letting out a few muffled moans as he bit his lips.

"Damn it, Ivan!" he yelled, trying to hit him on the head, but the man bit his nipple hard, making him yelp in pain.

"I told you to stay still."

Till let out a low moan, feeling completely dominated.

Was he being forced to do this by his best friend? Really?

"Stop..."

The man didn't stop. He continued caressing his chest and massaging his nipples with the palms of his hands, making Till squeal and cover his mouth.

"You're so soft," Ivan murmured. "How nice..."

Till didn't want to show it; he obviously wanted to maintain his dignity in such a situation, but something in his groin began to feel hard from the constant caresses.

“I'm getting turned on… Shit…”

“Stop… teasing me,” Till squealed, blurting out a comment that contradicted his thoughts. “I hate… this.”

Ivan lifted his head, their gazes meeting for a few moments. He saw a thread of saliva connect his lips and nipple. Ivan licked his lips slowly without breaking eye contact, making Till freeze.

It was an extremely sensual sight; he had never seen anything like it, not even in the porn videos he'd ever watched. That sight was enough to ignite the spark of lust hidden deep within Till.

Suddenly, Ivan brought his hands to Till's bulging crotch, holding it firmly. The young boy let out a low squeal and arched his back, feeling a deafening pleasure at the pressure on his penis.

“You're so turned on,” Ivan said in a husky voice.

"Shit..."

Till wanted to curse the Young boy, but his head went blank when he felt the strong hand caressing his wet crotch, playing with the tip of his clothed penis and fondling his testicles.

The Young boy couldn't stop moaning at the touch; it felt so good. He wanted to feel Ivan's skin on his, on his penis, but he was so furious with the young boy that he didn't want to show it.

"Ivan... Son of a... bitch..." he muttered, his face flushed. "Shit..."

"Say it, you want it, right? You want me to touch you?"

The man squeezed Till's groin so hard that he made Till squeal, arching his back.

"Ivan... I hate you..." he muttered, but Till needed him; he felt so tight down there. "Hurry up..."

A triumphant smile appeared on Ivan's face; it was such a charming and sexy expression that Till felt even hotter. What was he doing being touched by such a hot guy? How did he get there?

"If that's what you want," he muttered, pulling down his shorts and underwear.

Till's penis bounced up, making the boy cover his mouth in embarrassment.

"You're so turned on," Ivan murmured, stroking the tip of his member with a finger. "I am too."

"What?"

Suddenly, Ivan grabbed Till's hand and guided it down to his crotch.

Till groped around the edges, his eyes widening in surprise as he felt his friend's bulging member soaking through his dark pants and bulging dangerously.

"Do you feel it?" Ivan said, breathing with his cheeks flushed. "We're in the same boat..."

Although he was touching his friend's penis, Till wasn't uncomfortable or scared. He continued to feel it with his lips pressed together, feeling it so unreal and sexy at the same time; the heat was making him lose his mind.

Suddenly, Ivan pulled away abruptly, and Till raised his head, watching the man slowly kiss his slim abdomen, then his hips, and finally, reaching his penis, which was leaking a thin liquid.

Ivan lightly licked the tip, causing Till to arch his back and moan.

Seeing his reaction, Ivan gave him a mischievous smile and kissed the member several times.

"Shit... Ivan..." moaned Till, squirming. "Damn..."

"As rude as ever," Ivan murmured, staring so intently that Till felt self-conscious. "Just focus on the sensation."

After that, he didn't speak again. He kissed the glans again, then licked slowly, slowly moving down the shaft.

Till continued moaning, clutching Ivan's hair and arching his back. Mizi and Sua would definitely hear him; the walls weren't very thick.

But he couldn't do anything about the waves of pleasure that overwhelmed him. He closed his eyes and focused his tongue on Ivan, his warm breath, his body. Everything was a serious stimulus for him. Suddenly, Ivan thrust his penis into his mouth and began to bob his head, causing the boy's hips to jerk.

After the constant licking and kinky sounds Ivan's mouth produced, Till's pleasure reached its peak. The boy closed his eyes and let out a loud moan, thinking he was seeing heaven for a few moments. All he felt was the ecstasy and warmth that overwhelmed him.

And it was all thanks to Ivan.

"Damn..." he cursed, feeling a few tears running down his cheeks. "Ivan... Ivan... Damn it..."

He could only call his name and feel him. How could he be so good?

He spent a short time cursing and unable to see anything, only feeling a heartbreaking heat. Then he felt himself reaching climax, and a white light appeared in his eyes, devouring him.

Till let out a squeal, arching his back for the last time, feeling the ecstasy consume him.

After a long time in that unreal state, he felt himself slowly returning to his body. His legs and abdomen were aching from the tension. Till let out a soft moan and opened his eyes, watching Ivan pull away from his limp member and swallow the semen calmly, without taking his eyes off him.

"Did you like it?"

Till wanted to curse, but he felt weak, and for some reason, everything seemed very blurry to him.

Suddenly, Ivan threw himself at him, covering his face with kisses. Then he grabbed his jaw and placed a soft kiss on his lips, making Till freeze in surprise.

The young boy watched as his friend caressed his face, smiling so sweetly that he felt his heart beat faster.

"Till..." he murmured, bringing his face closer to his. "You're so attractive."

The young boy felt devoured by his gaze. He saw him approach to place another kiss on his lips. Till didn't feel uncomfortable. He closed his eyes and waited for the contact, his heart beating strongly in his chest.

"Wake up..." Ivan suddenly spoke, stopping a few millimeters so their lips wouldn't touch. "It's time..."

"What?"

Suddenly, another kiss fell upon him, and his surroundings dissolved in an instant. Ivan's smile disappeared into the darkness, leaving him in a cold and lonely place.

And after that, Till woke up from his dream.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The first thing the boy saw was the ceiling of his room. The room was dimly lit by the dawn, and he felt very cold.

The first thing the boy saw was the ceiling of his room. The room was dimly lit by the dawn, and he felt very cold.

Ivan wasn't on top of him, and Till raised his head, searching for him in bewilderment until he found him on the floor, sleeping and snoring on his futon, curled up like a caterpillar.

The guy was definitely fast asleep and unaware of the strange situation Till had just experienced.

"Was it..." he muttered, his eyes wide open. "A dream?"

His damp pants confirmed it. Till jumped up with a start and ran to the bathroom, locking himself in and then taking off everything. The white liquid appeared between his legs, slowly running down his thighs.

"Shit..." he muttered, covering his mouth with his hand. "Was it really a dream?"

Everything felt so real, even Ivan's warmth and his smile.

Had it all really been a product of his brain?

"Damn," Till felt so horrified that all he could do was curse for a long time until he calmed down.

Then he cleaned himself up properly and changed his clothes in silence. He left the bathroom with a blank stare. He walked silently to his bed until he stopped in front of Ivan's futon. The boy slept so innocently, snoring occasionally and pressing his face into the pillow.

Had he just had a wet dream about his best friend? The guy who was currently sleeping next to him?

"What's wrong with me?" he murmured, sitting on the edge of his bed to continue observing Ivan.

He saw the man's face, his long eyelashes and his white skin illuminated by the rays of dawn. His hair was scattered across the pillow, and his fang protruded slightly from his lip, making him look so tender.

Then he looked at his neck and his slightly exposed collarbones. He saw his white hands and thick fingers, resting peacefully on the blanket.

Seeing that sight, he remembered everything that had happened in his dream and the devouring pleasure he felt when Ivan placed his hands on him. He wanted to feel it again, even if it would mean...

Saliva pooled in his mouth, and he slowly approached Ivan, wanting to touch him. His fingers were about to brush against the young boy's cheeks, but in an instant, he realized what he was doing.

He stopped abruptly, stepped back, and crawled under the bed, covering his mouth with both hands and breathing heavily.

Was he really about to attack him? Was he really going to do it?

"What's happening to me?" he whispered in a small voice, trying to calm his heart. "Shit..."

Till lay in bed for a long time, trying to sleep for a few minutes and forget about the disaster he had just experienced.

But he couldn't.

He lay for a full hour, feeling Ivan's presence behind him, sleeping soundly without a care in the world.

"Fucking son of a…" Till muttered. "Bitch…"

Ivan didn't hear him.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Finally, Till and Mizi managed to hand in their assignment on time. The teacher examined the painting and noticed the stains they tried to hide with paint. But after hearing their explanation, he shrugged and gave them a mighty 7.

It wasn't so bad.

"And it was all thanks to them," Mizi muttered, holding her blushing cheeks. "We have so much to thank them for, after the stupidity I did yesterday."

Till didn't respond. He had huge dark circles under his eyes and looked at the sky with a curious expression, as if he'd never seen a cloud before.

"I guess…"

After classes ended, both boys slowly left the classroom. Mizi was eating an empanada with her cheeks puffed out like a squirrel, and Till just wanted to go home and sleep. Suddenly, an arm wrapped tightly around her shoulders.

"Hey!" Ivan exclaimed, magically appearing behind him. "How was the delivery?"

Feeling the young boy's hands on his body, his heart began to pound, and a blush spread across his gaunt face. He pulled away abruptly.

"What do you want?"

"Till! Is this how you thank our saviors?" Mizi exclaimed, staring at him. "Be more respectful."

Then he walked over to Ivan and Sua, who remained silent.

"Thank you so much for everything. We swear we'll make it up to you."

"About that!" Ivan exclaimed, smiling mischievously and looking at Sua, who was nodding her head. "We've already thought about what we want."

"What?"

"We want you to help us study for the final exams. We really need help," the boy spoke, but Sua elbowed him. "Well, I have a lot of problems. Sua always tries to teach me, but she ends up losing her patience."

"That's perfect!" Mizi exclaimed, clapping quickly. "We'll help you in any way we can! Me and Till!"

"Good!"

Ivan and Mizi remained talking for a long time, while Sua and Till remained silent and looked at each other awkwardly, waiting for them to finish.

Suddenly, Till raised his head and his eyes met Ivan's for a few moments.

Were they very pretty, or was Till losing his mind?