Chapter CXV - A Light Nap

“Hey. . .” Nabi turned to Tjay, who happened to be staring at her during class. It caught her off guard, making her pull away with her upper body. “Amm. . . Why you staring at me like that?”

“It’s hard not to.” Tjay sighed, somehow managing to avert his gaze. “To think a haircut could change so much about the person. . . Should I do so too?”

Tjay ran his fingers through his hair which had been growing out the past few months.

“Up to you, but I think it looks great on you,” Nabi said, averting her gaze as soon as she realized she had complimented him, but it was already too late. Tjay was already smugly grinning. Clearing her throat quietly, Nabi leaned back, looking at Arthur’s empty seat. “Where do you think Art went? I’m beginning to worry.”

“I’m sure he’s fine. . .” Tjay mumbled, having no clue about his whereabouts either, but deep down, he shared her fears. Arthur wasn’t the type to skip, so his sudden disappearance left everyone wondering what had happened to him. “Probably went to the nurse’s office again.”

“You think he’s sick? He’s been falling asleep a lot recently. Could it be Narcolepsy?”

“Narco-what now?” Tjay repeated, furrowing his brows.

“It’s a chronic sleep disorder. I mean, there’s no other explanation.”

“I’m sure it’s not. . .” Tjay didn’t sound all that convinced in what he was saying, nervously crossing his arms and imagining the worst. “But if it is. . . Does this Nacrosleepy have a cure?”

“It’s Narcolepsy, and no. Though you could manage the symptoms.”

“Damn. I’m impressed you’ve read up on that. Thinking of becoming a doctor?”

“Actually. . . I heard about it in a K-drama,” Nabi shyly admitted.

“Huh. So you do still live a life outside your books when you’re not with us,” Tjay teased but regretted it immediately as Nabi didn’t hesitate to heel-kick his foot, making him grunt. “Fuck. . . Don’t do that.”

“Then stop making dumb comments,” Nabi whispered, letting out a sigh.

“No, I meant don’t kick like that. You’ll get hurt if you miss.” Tjay began rubbing his nose, trying his best to stay quiet.

Stunned by his comment, Nabi began feeling guilty after seeing him in pain. While it was well earned, she never intended to actually hurt him.

“Does it hurt that much?” Nabi asked, dropping her gaze apologetically.

“It’s fine,” Tjay reassured her. “My fault anyway.”

“Will you stop already?” Miss Seong asked, sending a chill down their spine, thinking they would get kicked out. “Irene. I can overlook you checking your phone once or twice, but you’ve been on it the entire time.”

Nabi and Tjay sighed in relief as neither wanted to get kicked out. Nabi had never been in trouble, and her parents would’ve surely grounded her. On the other hand, Tjay promised to stay out of trouble until the end of the semester. However, neither of them was happy with Irene getting into trouble, knowing she was worried the most.

“I’m sorry, Miss Seong.” Irene put her phone down, letting out a sigh. “It won’t happen again.”

“You’re right, but an apology isn’t enough. Go to the principal’s office.”

Irene didn’t hesitate to get up and leave, causing a murmur in the classroom.

“Damn. . . Two for two,” Tjay mentioned, referring to Miss Seong kicking the couple out of her class one after the other.

Irene decided against going along with Miss Seong’s wishes, sending her uncle a vague message to cover for her while promising to visit for dinner with Amelia a few times before her sister left. Of course, she knew he’d accept in a heartbeat, as he was always a pushover when it came to his nieces, a well-kept secret from her parents, or so he thought.

Despite calling Arthur’s phone multiple times, she wasn’t able to reach him since he always muted it before class, and regardless of where she looked, she couldn’t find him. There was always the chance he straight up went home, but it was hard to imagine him doing so without telling her. However, before she checked outside of school, there was one place she hadn’t visited yet as she wasn’t used to it being open to students. Walking up the stone steps, Irene went to the roof.

It was unimaginable what they’d managed to do with the plain-looking roof that previously had solar panels, which were mounted on the gym now. Surrounded by a fence to prevent accidents, the rooftop boasted various plantlife and even a marble fountain with nearby benches, making it look more like a national park than a school. Even the view was breathtaking as it overlooked the school courtyard, which also underwent aesthetic changes.

“Where are you. . .” Irene mumbled, looking around before noticing that she could go behind the entrance to the roof.

Walking over to the small secluded area, Irene found Arthur sleeping on a bench, and with a sigh of relief, she sat down next to him while helping his head to her lap. Irene couldn’t even fathom how tired he was if she could move him without waking him up. Luckily there was no reason to wake him up just yet, considering she got kicked out of class.

Enjoying the view peacefully while playing with Arthur’s hair, Irene hummed a song she remembered her mother singing when she was little. It was the most relaxed she had been since returning from the trip as their life spiraled out of control with Ryung’s sudden collapse and the whole debt situation.

Regardless of how much faith she had in him, she couldn’t help but wonder how long he could go on living like that.

Arthur’s sudden moan caught Irene’s attention as he slowly woke up, glancing into her eyes. She greeted him with a smile while her nails gently traced across his temple.

“I fucked up, didn’t I?” Arthur chuckled, reaching for her cheek with his left hand.

“Just a little,” she told him, catching his hand between her cheek and her shoulder, closing her eyes, and enjoying his warm touch.

“Didn’t think I’d fall asleep. Just wanted to be alone for a bit.”

“Want me to leave?” Irene teased, looking back at him again.

“Come on. . .” Arthur sighed through a smile. “If I could, I’d never let you leave my side.”

“Then don’t.” She cupped his face, tracing her finger under his eye.

They looked at each other for a while before Arthur turned to his side, facing her tummy as he placed a hand under his head, gripping her thigh.

“You’re so comfortable.” Arthur snuggled closer, closing his eyes.

“My lap pillow is always there when you need it.” She giggled.

“I’ll make sure you regret saying that.”

“As if. . .” Irene continued playing with his hair.

“I’m not heavy, am I?” Arthur realized.

“Sorry to disappoint, but I ain’t that fragile.”

“Oh well. . .” Arthur squeezed her thigh playfully.

“Art?”

“Hmm?”

“I’m worried.” Hearing her voice her concern, Arthur immediately opened his eyes and tried to get up, but she stopped him. “No, no. It’s okay. Keep lying down.”

“But–”

“Just listen, okay?”

“Okay. . .”

Irene took her time to think how best to approach the subject, but knowing Arthur, the best probably meant direct. “Genuinely, how long do you think it’ll take for Ryung to recover?”

“That’s a tough question. . .” Arthur admitted.

“Still. . . I’d like an answer.”

“Well. . .” Arthur sighed. “If all goes well, it could take anywhere from weeks to months.”

“That’s vague.” Irene tilted her head back. “What’s your gut telling you?”

“You trust it?”

“I trust you.”

“Pfff. . . I don’t know.” Arthur thought about it for a bit. “Honestly, I think it might take about three months.”

“I see. . .” Irene sounded upset.

“What’s wrong?”

“Please don’t misunderstand. I’m beyond a doubt happy that you’re able to save your grandfather, but I can’t help but worry about you.”

“I told you, I’m fine.”

“Just yesterday, you told me it wouldn’t happen again. That you wouldn’t fall asleep during school, yet you did it anyway.”

“Irene–”

“Let me finish.” She sighed. “I’m not blaming you for falling asleep, but disappearing on me like that is frightening. Then there’s the whole thing with the upcoming fight you’re going to have, which is just crazy on its own, but how do I know you’ll have the energy to walk, let alone fight.”

She paused, giving him time to speak. “Can I say something now?”

Irene nodded.

“Listen. I get where you’re coming from, and I’d be worried two if the roles were reversed. Actually, I’d most likely lose my mind.”

“I’m getting there.” Irene chuckled.

It wasn’t an easy thing for him to hear.

“Right. . .” Arthur took a deep breath, picking his next words carefully. “You know, when I used to be a soldier, we’d go days without sleep out of fear of nighttime raids. It was one of the hardest things to endure as you weren’t just physically exhausted, but mentally too. Yet even then, when it came time to act, I was able to go on. I guess what I’m trying to say is– when the day comes that I need to fight some asshole, I’ll be wide awake and ready to beat him to death if I have to.”

“Wow. . . okay,” she mumbled, caught off guard as it was the first time he mentioned killing someone, but strangely, it felt reassuring. It was the first time she ever questioned if she was right in her head, but then remembered she was dating someone literally out of this world. “Fine. I’ll believe you, but you better not be lying to me.”

“I wouldn’t dare.” Arthur smiled, gazing into her eyes. “Honestly? I hate that everything has to be so difficult. It’s exhausting to have to deal with bullshit after everything I’ve been through. However, I’m happy to walk down this path. Unlike before, I now have people I care about deeply.”

“Those people care about you too, so make sure you come back to them, okay?” Irene smiled again, leaning down far enough to press her forehead against his.

“I promise.”

The bell rang, signifying the end of class.

“Time flies, huh?” Arthur chuckled as Irene sat up straight. “We should head back to class.”

“Actually, let’s just go grab our stuff and leave.”

“Huh? But what about classes?” Arthur asked, surprised by her suggestion.

“Don’t pretend like you’re paying attention. . .” Irene slowly helped him up. “Besides, you owe me a date.”

“I do?” Arthur chuckled.

“After disappearing like that, you better start thinking how to make it up to me.” Irene teased, grabbing his hand. “Come on. Let’s get our stuff before the teacher arrives.”

“I told you they were together.”

Whispers started as the couple reentered the classroom.

“So does that mean they’re really dating?”

“I’m starting to think it might be true. . . but like, Arthur? Really?”

Ignoring the comments, the two made their way to their desk, picking up their bags.

“Art! Where were you?” Max yelled.

“Dude, you had us worried.” Tjay sighed.

“Guys, relax. . . He’s alright,” Don said, crossing his arms, acting as if everything was normal.

“Weren’t you the one who insisted we report him as missing?” Nabi furrowed her brows at Don.

“W–when?!” Don tried denying it, making everyone chuckle.

“Guys, I’m okay.” Arthur smiled, putting his notebook in the bag. “But thanks for worrying.”

“Why does it seem like you guys are leaving?” Don asked.

“Cuz we are,” Irene said, lifting her bag up.

“You are?” Nabi asked, looking confused.

Irene glanced around the classroom and noticed some were still whispering about them, and while she couldn’t hear what they were saying, it was still annoying that she could guess. Leaving her backpack on her side of the desk, she moved closer to Arthur before sitting on his side, pushing the bag away from him.

“Irene?” Arthur asked, never expecting her to grab him by the shirt and pull him in for a deep kiss in front of everyone.

Their first public kiss stole everyone's attention as Irene refused to let him go until everyone saw them kissing. She felt it was about time they put all rumors to rest and cleared up any possible misunderstandings.

While Arthur closed his eyes after a few seconds, Irene kept them half-shut, keeping an eye on the classroom as even their friends were stunned. She was especially glad that Jun, who was just reentering the classroom, got to see them kissing.

Breaking away from the kiss, Irene looked at everyone.

“For all you assholes whispering behind our back, curious as to find out if we’re dating or not, I hope this clears things up a bit. Now do me a favor, and don’t let me hear any more bullshit spewing out of your mouths, okay?” Irene made sure she was being loud and clear before looking back at Nabi. “Sorry about that. Had to get it off my chest.”

“N–no worries. . .” Nabi got flustered.

“Oh, right. You asked if we were leaving.” Irene turned to Arthur, who was also confused as to what just happened, tapping his chest a few times. “We’re going on a date.”

“You don’t have to make us jealous,” Max joked, giving Irene a wink.

“You’re gonna skip and leave us here?” Tjay asked.

“If you’re gonna be so depressed about it, why don’t you just go?” Nabi suggested, crossing her arms, knowing well he made a promise not to get in trouble, and skipping school was definitely trouble.

“No, no. . . I’m not sad. Just gonna miss them,” Tjay played it off, scratching his head while the others snickered.

“We’ll miss you too, buddy. Have fun in class,” Irene teased, jumping off the table, and grabbing her bag with one hand and Arthur’s arm with the other. “Let’s go, darling.”

Chapter End.

Thank you for reading.