The day—or perhaps it was already night—Ren had spent it with a glass of water in his hand. Although they insisted several times that he drink alcohol, he always refused.
He had been pressured into going out, that was true, but they would never manage to make him drink.
"No, thanks."
Ren was very aware that if he even tasted a glass of alcohol, something terrible would happen to him. That fear hadn't been born on its own; his mother had planted it in him since he was little, and now it was impossible to ignore.
When everyone except Ren was already clearly affected by the alcohol, the conversation began to take a dangerous turn, the kind that only appears when no one measures their words anymore.
"Lesly, I'm serious… that guy you like so much is an asshole. You're beautiful, you should be with someone better. You shouldn't have to put up with that idiot," Soldi said, his voice trembling.
From the way he spoke, Ren could understand him. It wasn't just alcohol; there was something else behind those words.
That made him nervous, but what truly unsettled him was that, at that moment, Miya—the girl who had been talking with Jersey just a short while ago—was now resting her head on his shoulder.
Ren's face turned red like a tomato.
If anyone wondered what had happened to Jersey, the answer was simple: he hadn't come back from the bathroom.
And the only one who seemed to notice was Ren.
"Ten minutes have already passed… what could have happened to him?" he thought.
Ren hoped that Jersey would return and help him move Miya off his shoulder, but that idea began to crumble with every passing minute.
Alcohol was supposed to be something for having fun, for losing a bit of awareness. That was precisely why Ren was afraid. If Jersey was drunk and saw them like this, he wouldn't react well. None of this would end well.
After all, Miya and Jersey were dating… weren't they?
"He's going to beat me to death."
That was the first thing he thought. He had read too many novels where that scene ended badly. Besides, his body wouldn't withstand even a single punch. He was thin, fragile; if he let his hair grow a little, anyone could mistake him for a girl.
"I'm done for…" he murmured softly.
He turned his head, looking for help, and saw Soldi and Lesly. Both were sprawled out, kissing each other without the slightest shame.
"What…? I only stopped looking at them for a few minutes?"
The little hope he had that one of them would get him out of that situation vanished completely. Worse still, a new discomfort began to grow.
Before Ren's eyes, Soldi and Lesly seemed to devour each other. How could they do that so calmly? Ren knew what a kiss was; he wasn't ignorant. He had always thought it was supposed to be something nice, even tender. But seeing the guy who had brought him there in that scene only left him with a bitter feeling.
"Is this what a kiss really is…?"
Before he could think any further, Miya slid off his shoulder and fell onto his lap. She was no longer leaning against him, but resting on his leg.
Ren took a few seconds to react. Then, like a startled cat, he jumped back, leaving Miya on the seat and lifting her unintentionally.
Miya, her eyes heavy with sleep, took a few seconds to regain consciousness. When she realized where she was and saw Ren in front of her, with his hands outstretched and his face completely unsettled, she smiled.
But it wasn't a calm smile.
It was a twisted smile, filled with pleasure.