chapter 21: "Their quirks"
~Boy's Hostel,Last Floor(6th~
Leo's eyelids fluttered before finally opening. He lay still, eyes fixed on the ceiling, not moving an inch. His head hurts. After rushing back to the hostel earlier, he had collapsed on his bed, deciding a nap would help. He was still hungry, but in that moment, all he wanted was to exist quietly.
Faint voices echoed from the hall. The boys were probably back. He reached out toward the table, blindly searching for his phone. Still on the bed, his stomach grumbled. When he finally checked the time, he cursed,it was already a few minutes to six. No wonder he felt so hungry .
His headache had dulled now, so he sat up and glanced outside. The sun had already set. After lingering near his sisters's end through the window, he finally made his way to the kitchen.
"Finally, you're up. Thought you were dead the way you laid there like a corpse," Ivan's teasing voice came from behind.
"Unfortunately, I'm alive," Leo muttered, chuckling as he grabbed water from the fridge."Bro, slow down! The water's not running away," Ivan said, eyeing him strangely as Leo gulped half the bottle in one go.
"Guess I'm too hungry to take it slow," Leo replied, tossing the empty bottle in the bin.
"Oh, before I forget,El brought you food from the canteen this afternoon. He said to warm it up when you awake," Ivan added, pointing at the fridge.
" Let me help you with it," he offered, taking out the white bowl and setting it in the warmer.
"Thanks, guys. Seriously… I don't know what I'd do without you both," Leo said sincerely.
He loved Ivan and Gael like brothers. They might have their quirks, but when one of them needed something, the others always stepped in.
"Of course. I don't want you dead. Who else am I going to play with? That rock?" Ivan smirked, referring to Gael.
They both burst into laughter, unable to stop the tears that came from how hard they laughed.
"Speaking of El, I haven't seen him. He should've been back by now," Leo said, now perched on the kitchen island.
"Oh yeah, Isabel asked to see him. He's been out for over an hour now. Probably on his way back," Ivan replied, setting the now warm bowl in front of Leo.
"Thanks. Hope everything's alright." Leo dug into the food the moment it touched the counter.Ivan stared at him, visibly amused.
"Stop staring at me," Leo half-yelled, throwing a napkin in his direction.
"You should see how you look right now," Ivan laughed, catching it effortlessly.
"I'm just hungry. I haven't eaten all day," Leo said between bites, chewing slower now.
"Fine, do what you want," Ivan surrendered with a raised hand.
"But aren't you eating? It's already dinner time," Leo asked, eyeing him as he sipped water.
"Nah, I'm good. I'll eat some fruit later," Ivan said, tossing the bottle in the bin.
Leo rolled his eyes. They all had their own weird habits. He, Leo, was a workaholic—once he got going, especially when irritated, he could study or work for hours. Ivan was a small eater; he could go an entire day on fruit alone. His parents had once worried he had anorexia, but doctors had said he was perfectly healthy—just naturally ate less.
Gael? He had OCD. Cleaning compulsively, washing his hands, disinfecting doorknobs, light switches—he'd do it for hours. People thought he was insane. He wasn't. Just scared of contamination.
Leo looked at Ivan again. "You haven't really eaten either.He scooped a full spoon and held it toward Ivan.
"What, am I five?" Ivan laughed at the gesture."I'm serious," Leo replied, face straight.
Ivan sighed and leaned in. "Fine." He opened his mouth and took the bite.
Leo brought another spoon, waiting patiently for him to chew. When Ivan swallowed, Leo nudged him to sit beside him and continued feeding him while eating as well.
Just then, the door creaked open.
Gael stepped inside, hands tucked in his pockets. He paused at the kitchen entrance, staring at the scene before him—Leo feeding Ivan—then burst out laughing.
"What are you, five?" he said between laughter, holding his stomach.
Leo tried to keep a straight face, but seeing Ivan's utterly embarrassed expression broke his control. He burst out laughing too.
Ivan glared at them, then stormed out of the kitchen, face red.
Leo and Gael laughed so hard, they were nearly on the floor.
"It's okay, it's okay," Leo said, wiping his eyes. "That was worth it."
Gael took Ivan's seat, still chuckling. "How'd you even manage that? Not like he can't eat, but I wouldn't be able to get him to do that."
Leo shrugged, grabbing the last spoon of rice and eating it. "Nothing, really. I just asked him to sit and take a bite. While he was still chewing, I gave him another."
He stood and took the dishes to the sink, rinsing them off."Impressive. But he'd never listen to me like that, Gael complained. Not with you giving him that cold face," Leo said, as he dried his hands with a paper towel.
Leo turned around when he heard no reply from Gael.
RB