While we were eating, we talked about everything.
Suddenly, Amara said,
"We're going to watch BL dramas."
"BL?" Anamarija repeated, looking at all of us with mild surprise.
"What is that?"
"Um… it's—" I started, feeling my cheeks warm, but Pim cut in before I could finish.
"It's a special genre," she said enthusiastically.
"You'll definitely like it."
"Okay," Anamarija replied, a little uncertain.
To myself, I thought, This won't be anything new for you. You're already used to this.
When we finished eating, we left the plates on the table and slowly headed toward the room. Taeng and I were talking about something unimportant, but as we passed Chak and Kit's table, our eyes met for a brief moment.
In Chak's eyes, I noticed a calmness.
In that moment, I wished I could stay with him.
But I couldn't.
Just a few more hours, I told myself.
And we'll be together again.
We followed the others down the hallway, voices echoing softly against the walls. Laughter floated ahead of us, light and careless, as if nothing in the world could possibly be complicated.
The room we entered belonged to Amara, Pim, and Noon.
At least, it was supposed to.
The moment we stepped inside, reality settled in.
"There's no way we all fit here," Noon said, looking around as she counted heads.
Pim dropped onto the bed with a dramatic sigh.
"Unless some of us want to sleep standing."
Amara crossed her arms, scanning the space thoughtfully.
Then Anamarija spoke up, her voice calm, almost casual.
"We can watch it in my room," she said.
So we followed her again, down another hallway, until she stopped in front of a door at the far end.
When she opened it, the room revealed itself slowly.
Spacious.
Bright.
With large glass doors leading out to a balcony where the lights of a pool shimmered softly in the dark.
For a moment, everyone froze.
Everyone except me.
"Wow…" I breathed, letting my gaze travel across the room. The high ceiling, the wide couch, the open space—it all pulled my attention so completely that I almost forgot where I was.
Behind me, someone whistled.
"This is a room," Taeng muttered
Behind me, I heard Non let out a low whistle.
"Okay," he said. "This is unfair."
"And a pool," Pim added, already heading toward the balcony.
"I officially love this place."
We spread out comfortably—some on the couch, some on the floor, pillows dragged closer. The balcony doors were left open, letting the night air drift in, the pool glowing softly beside us.
The drama started.
Not even five minutes in, someone knocked.
We all froze.
"I'll get it," Anamarija said, standing up.
She opened the door.
Kit stepped in first, smiling like he already knew exactly what was happening.
"Hope we're not interrupting," he said.
Chak followed him inside.
My heart jumped—but I didn't move.
"We just started.," Anamarija replied smoothly.
"You're welcome to join."
They did.
Chak sat down beside me, close enough that our shoulders almost touched. Kit dropped onto the couch next to Taeng. They positioned themselves just right—blending in, casual, unnoticed.
No one questioned it.
No one noticed.
Except Anamarija.
I felt it before I dared to look.
Chak's hand shifted slightly.
His fingers brushed mine.
Then slowly, carefully, he laced them together with mine, hidden between us, shielded by the blanket and the dim light.
I didn't pull away.
I squeezed back.
The drama played on. Laughter erupted at certain scenes. Someone commented loudly on the plot.
But beneath it all, my world had narrowed to one thing—
His hand in mine.
Warm. Steady. Safe.
Across the room, Anamarija glanced at us.
Our eyes met.
She didn't say a word.
She only smiled—soft, knowing—and turned her attention back to the screen.
And just like that, surrounded by people, hidden in plain sight,
I felt completely, dangerously happy.
After a while, the episode on the screen ended and the room slowly grew quieter.
Chak shifted beside me.
"I should go," he said softly, barely louder than the background music.
Kit stood up at the same time.
"Before someone starts asking questions."
I nodded, even though every part of me wanted to protest.
Chak squeezed my hand once—quick, careful—then let go.
They left without drawing attention. A casual goodbye, nothing that stood out. The door closed behind them, and the space they left felt… noticeable.
I stared at the screen, but my thoughts stayed with him.
Only a short time passed before there was another knock.
"Again?" Pim groaned.
"I'll get it," Anamarija said.
When she opened the door, a room service attendant stood there, pushing a small cart inside. Trays were neatly arranged—ice creams in different flavors, bowls of chips, bottles of juice and soda, even a few chocolate bars.
Everyone's eyes widened.
"Whoa," Non said. "Did we order this?"
The attendant smiled politely.
"This was ordered for your room."
Anamarija blinked.
"By whom?"
"Mr. Chak," the attendant replied smoothly.
The room went silent.
Then Pim gasped.
"WAIT—what?!"
"He's the best," Noon said immediately.
Taeng laughed.
"Of course it was him."
I felt my lips curve into a small smile, my chest warming in a way I couldn't hide.
Anamarija glanced at me.
She didn't say anything—just raised an eyebrow, amused.
Pim grabbed an ice cream.
"Okay, I officially approve that our boss is the best."
"Same," Amara added, already opening a bag of chips.
The room filled with laughter again, the tension melting away as snacks were passed around and the next episode started.
I leaned back, holding my juice, pretending to focus on the screen.
But in my head, I could still hear his voice.
Don't forget.
And somehow, even though he wasn't there anymore,
Chak still felt close.
Pim raised her ice cream like a toast.
"Okay, official statement," she said. "Anamarija has the best brother in the world."
"Absolutely," Amara agreed, nodding.
"No competition."
Taeng laughed.
"I mean… snacks, timing, zero questions asked? Perfect."
All eyes turned to Anamarija.
She hesitated for half a second—then sighed softly, a small smile tugging at her lips.
"Yeah," she admitted.
"He really is."
Something in her voice made it clear she meant more than just the snacks.
We had barely settled back into our places when Non suddenly spoke up, completely serious.
"You know," he said thoughtfully, "if Chak wasn't getting married one day…"
The room went quiet.
"…I'd marry him myself."
For a split second, no one reacted.
Then Pim burst out laughing.
"NON!"
Amara almost choked on her drink.
Taeng stared at him.
"You're insane."
My face heated up instantly.
I could feel it—my ears, my cheeks, everything burning. I stared hard at the screen, pretending to be very invested in the drama.
Non glanced at me and smirked.
"What? I'm just saying. He's considerate, rich, calm—"
"Stop," I muttered, still not looking at anyone.
The laughter grew louder, teasing filling the room.
Anamarija caught my reaction and smiled to herself, shaking her head slightly.
I pressed my cold juice against my cheek, trying to cool down, heart racing.
Somewhere down the hallway, far from us—but close enough to feel—
I knew Chak would have laughed too.
The drama on the screen continued, voices overlapping with dramatic music, but my focus drifted in and out.
Non was still grinning to himself, clearly pleased with the chaos he'd caused.
Pim threw a pillow at him.
"Behave," she warned. "Or I'm telling Chak what you said."
Non raised both hands.
"Hey, hey. I respect my future husband."
"Stop," I said again, this time laughing despite myself.
Anamarija leaned back against the couch, arms crossed loosely, eyes moving over all of us. She looked relaxed—at home, in a way that surprised me. Like this loud, messy group wasn't unfamiliar to her at all.
The private pool beside the balcony reflected soft blue light across the ceiling. Every time someone moved, ripples of light followed, calm and steady.
For a while, we just watched.
Commented on bad acting.
Argued over plot twists.
Groaned when a dramatic misunderstanding dragged on too long.
At some point, Amara yawned and rested her head against Pim's shoulder.
"This episode is way too emotional," she muttered.
"I didn't sign up to cry."
Pim smiled softly but didn't move away.
I shifted slightly, adjusting my position on the floor. My phone buzzed once in my pocket.
I didn't take it out.
I didn't need to.
The warmth from earlier—the reassurance, the quiet promise—was still there, steady in my chest.
Anamarija noticed my distraction.
"You okay?" she asked quietly, just for me.
I nodded.
"Yeah. Just… tired."
She studied me for a second longer, then smiled knowingly.
"Good tired," she said.
Another episode ended.
Non stretched dramatically.
"Okay, last one. I swear."
"No one believes you," Taeng replied.
Laughter filled the room again.
But as the night grew deeper, voices softened, movements slowed. One by one, they started leaning into cushions, eyelids heavy, energy fading.
I glanced at the time.
Not yet.
Soon.
Very soon.
And as the screen lit up with the opening scene of the next episode, I felt it again—that quiet pull.
The promise waiting for me.
After everyone sleeps.
One by one, the night finally caught up with them.
Amara stretched and stood up first.
"I'm done," she announced. "If I watch one more episode, I'll fall asleep right here."
Pim nodded, already rubbing her eyes.
"Same. I can't feel my legs anymore."
Non stood as well, grabbing the empty chip bag.
"Traitors," he yawned. "Abandoning us at the climax."
"No climax," Pim said dryly. "Just sleep."
They started gathering their things, saying quick good nights.
"I'll see you tomorrow," Amara said, pointing at me.
"And don't stay up too late."
"I won't," I replied, a little too quickly.
Anamarija walked them to the door, exchanging quiet goodbyes and soft laughter. When it finally closed, the room fell into a calmer, deeper silence—only the soft hum of the pool lights and the paused screen remained.
Taeng cleared his throat.
"We'll… help you clean up," he said casually, gesturing toward the scattered plates and wrappers.
"Yeah," I added immediately.
"Wouldn't be nice to leave a mess."
Anamarija turned back toward us.
For a second, she just looked at us.
Then one eyebrow lifted.
"Oh?" she said lightly.
"Is that so?"
I pretended to be very focused on stacking empty glasses.
Taeng grabbed a couple of plates.
"Teamwork," he said, overly serious.
Anamarija smiled to herself, clearly amused but choosing not to comment.
"Well," she said, stepping aside,
"since you insist."
We moved around the room quietly, gathering leftovers, the earlier laughter fading into something softer—expectant.
My heart beat just a little faster.
The clock on the wall ticked forward.
Everyone else was gone now.
And the night… wasn't over yet.
Anamarija leaned against the edge of the table and crossed her arms.
"You two didn't stay because of cleaning, did you?" she said calmly.
Taeng froze with a plate in his hands.
"…What?"
"You two stayed," she continued, her gaze moving evenly between the two of us,
"because you're both going to your boyfriends afterward."
For a moment, the room fell silent.
Taeng slowly looked at her.
"How… how do you know?" he asked.
Anamarija smiled faintly.
"It's obvious," she replied simply.
She looked at me.
And I didn't deny it.
I just smiled.
Not wide.
Not explanatory.
The kind of quiet smile that says enough.
Anamarija exhaled softly, almost in relief.
"Don't worry," she added gently.
"Your secret is safe with me."
Taeng shook his head and laughed quietly.
"I think you're the only person who sees things before we even say them out loud."
"No," she said.
"I just know how to look."
The atmosphere eased.
The clock showed it was past midnight.
Anamarija picked up the last glass and gestured toward the door.
"Go," she said softly.
"The night is short."
Taeng nodded.
"See you tomorrow."
As we stepped toward the door, I turned back one last time.
"Anamarija?"
"Yes?"
"Thank you."
She didn't say anything else.
She just nodded.
And that was enough.