Lucas and Yetao clung to each other with desperate familiarity. Yetao buried his face on Lucas's chest, making Lucas's attire to drown in tears, each droplet carrying fragments of their shared past. Their embrace was both anchor and shelter, a reminder that even in a world where nothing made sense, they had found the one thing that did.
After a long weep, Yetao finally pulled back just enough to see Lucas's face properly. His eyes, red-rimmed and swollen, checked on his friend's familiar features with desperate intensity.
Lucas held Yetao's cheek and wiped away his tears with a smile of relief.
"How did you come here?" Yetao asked, his voice rough and barely audible, the words catching in his throat still raw from crying. He wiped Lucas's tears with his fingers. His eyes never left Lucas's face, as if afraid his friend might vanish again if he looked away even for a moment.
Lucas let out a deep sigh.
"I came to check on you that night, but you were not there. And the screen of your tab kept flashing. I thought it was going to burst. So, I tried to remove it from bed, but it pulled me to this world", Lucas confided.
"At first, I thought it was a dream. But something in me said that Taotao couldn't have ventured outside after eating a whole strawberry cake. It was just a thought, but you really were here, huh?" Lucas rubbed Yetao's hair, his gesture both familiar and grounding amid the strangeness surrounding them.
Yetao leaned into the touch, a small smile breaking through his tear-stained face.
Bambam strode forward, his face darkening as he inserted himself between them. "What brings you here at this time, wolf lord?" His voice cut through their moment of reunion, sharp with unmistakable territoriality.
Yetao pulled back slightly, his brow furrowing as he looked between them. "Wolf lord?" he repeated, confusion temporarily replacing his emotional state. His eyes found Lucas's face again, searching for explanation.
Lucas sighed, shoulders dropping slightly under the weight of yet another complication. "Yes," he said, running a hand through his unkempt hair. "It somehow became that way." His eyes briefly met Bambam's challenging stare before returning to Yetao's bewildered expression.
"But, Taotao... Who is he?" Lucas narrowed his eyes, instinctively shifting closer to Yetao as he assessed Bambam with undisguised suspicion.
Yetao placed a reassuring hand on his friend's arm. "He's from our world too. Relax." His voice was gentle but firm, trying to defuse the growing tension.
Lucas kept his gaze fixed on Bambam, unconvinced. Bambam returned the stare with equal intensity, neither man willing to back down.
"When did he come here then?" Lucas pressed, his body language still protective.
"Umm..." Yetao hesitated, suddenly finding it difficult to meet Bambam's eyes. "He's stuck here for more than 70 years. He knows a lot about this world. He's helping me find a way to get out of this game" The words hung awkwardly in the air, the implications of Bambam's earlier confession about his feelings now layered with this revelation about his age.
Lucas's expression transformed from suspicion to barely contained amusement. His posture relaxed as he executed an exaggerated formal bow. "So, he's basically a grandpa right? Nice meeting you, elder." The mockery in his tone was unmistakable.
Bambam's fists clenched at his sides, knuckles whitening with the effort of restraint. The muscles in his jaw tightened visibly.
Yetao cleared his throat loudly, desperately trying to contain the laughter bubbling up inside him. He pressed his lips together, but his eyes betrayed his amusement as he glanced between Lucas and Bambam.
"Why did I tell such a thing in the first place?" Bambam lamented silently, his earlier romantic declaration now overshadowed by this humiliating turn. "I should've said I've been here for 3 or 4 years" The regret was bitter as he watched the mirth passing between Yetao and Lucas.
"And Bambam, he's Lu.... I mean Lucas. He's my best friend of seven years. Seems like he followed me here that day," Yetao explained, forcing a smile while carefully avoiding Bambam's eyes. The memory of that moonlit confession still burned fresh in his mind, making direct eye contact impossible.
"Why are you calling him Bambam? Where's your respect for elders?" Lucas jabbed, his voice dripping with mock sincerity.
Yetao pinched Lucas's arm hard, earning a small wince. "Lu, let's go to the palace now. It's already dark. Let's continue this indoors, Ok?", he muttered, already pulling his friend away from the increasingly tense standoff. His fingers dug into Lucas's sleeve with unmistakable urgency.
As Yetao dragged him away, Lucas turned his head just enough to flash a silent, victorious smirk at Bambam—a private declaration of war visible only to its intended target. The gesture lasted barely a second, carefully timed during Yetao's distracted attempt to create distance between them.
Bambam caught it perfectly. His jaw tightened, eyes narrowing as he watched them retreat toward the palace whose spires glowed with an unnatural light against the darkening sky. The knot of anger in his chest tightened with each step they took.
"Of all the moments, he came right after I proposed to Taotao?" Bambam's voice was barely a whisper, meant only for himself.
"How did you find me?", Yetao was curious.
"I already had a suspicion you might be inside the game. Then I heard about your name through rumours on your dance yesterday. I just knew it was you. I just teleported immediately with the help of my mages", Lucas confided.
Lucas walked with Yetao to the palace, but the guards stopped them with crossed spears.
Yetao leaned in close to one guard, his lips barely moving as he whispered something. The effect was immediate—both guards straightened and pulled their weapons aside, bowing slightly as they created a path.
They had barely taken a few steps inside when a voice called out.
"I thought someone was busy." Jeff appeared; his bottom lip pushed out in an exaggerated pout.
Lucas froze mid-step, his eyes widening in shock. The face before him was unmistakable—one he had seen countless times on album covers and music videos.
"Whatever, welcome brother," Jeff said, his pout dissolving into a warm smile as he enveloped Lucas in a tight embrace.
Lucas stood rigid in the hug, his arms hanging uselessly at his sides. He remained frozen even as the man pulled away, his brain struggling to process what was happening.
Behind Jeff, Jackson approached, nodding a silent greeting to Lucas. Jackson's presence only compounded Lucas's bewilderment—another instantly recognizable celebrity face, here in this impossible world.
"Taotao, are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Lucas whispered urgently, leaning close to Yetao's ear. His voice trembled slightly, seeking confirmation that he hadn't completely lost his mind.
Yetao sighed heavily. "Lu, act cool. They are not from our world," he whispered back, his breath warm against Lucas's ear.
For several long moments, Lucas remained stuck between shock and disbelief, his social skills abandoned in the face of this surreal encounter. Eventually, he managed to shake himself back to awareness, forcing his body to respond with a stiff bow and a mumbled greeting.
Jeff was confused by how Yetao was already close to Lucas.
"Yetao, you knew him before?", Jeff asked.
"No. We just chatted while we were walking to the palace", Yetao forced a smile.
"Huh? Did you go somewhere?", Yetao froze thinking about Bambam's actions and felt embarrassed.
When Yetao was unable to speak, Oscar swept into the yard with purposeful strides.
"Yetao, where were you? I searched for you so long after Bambam took you, you know?" Oscar's face was etched with concern as he approached Yetao. His attention was so focused that he didn't immediately notice Lucas standing nearby.
When he finally registered the second figure, he stopped abruptly. "Huh? Lucas? When did you arrive?"
Lucas's posture immediately stiffened, his expression hardening. "Oscar? You came here too? Why? Haven't you already tormented him enough?" he asked, voice tight with barely contained hostility.
Yetao pinched Lucas's arm sharply, leaning in close. "Lucas, he's not our Oscar," he whispered urgently.
"Would you look at that? Who did I torment? And what's with you raising your voice against me?Have you finally lost your respect towards your elder brother?" Oscar crossed his arms, as he studied Lucas's reaction.
Both Yetao and Lucas froze, exchanging bewildered glances.
"Umm.... I'm his younger brother? Since when?" Lucas's voice cracked slightly, his face a perfect picture of confusion as he looked between Oscar and Yetao for some kind of explanation.
Yetao stood equally lost, his mouth opening and closing without producing any sound.
"Lu, are you getting back at me since I didn't meet you for a whole year? You know how our mom is. I've barely been out since my training. How could you do this to me too?", Oscar's voice saddened.
Brother or not, Oscar was a close friend to Lucas in his world. Lucas let out a deep sigh, the sound carrying more weight than he intended.
"Who said I forgot?" Lucas finally replied, his lips curving into a mischievous smile. "I really didn't recognize you since you became so old within a year."
The words hung in the air for a moment before Oscar's expression transformed. The sadness melted away, replaced by indignant fury that blazed in his dark eyes. With a growl that started deep in his chest, Oscar lunged forward, arms outstretched to beat his insufferable younger brother.
"You little—!"
Lucas danced backward, laughing as he narrowly avoided Oscar's grasp. His feet moved with practiced grace, each step calculated as he retreated behind Yetao, using the slender man as an unwitting shield.
"Save me from the ancient one!" Lucas called out, ducking behind Yetao's shoulders.
Oscar charged forward, determination hardening his features as he reached around Yetao to grab at Lucas. In his haste, his fingers brushed against Yetao's shoulders, the innocent contact sending an unexpected jolt through his system. Oscar froze, his hand lingering a moment too long before he jerked it back as though burned.
The crimson that flooded Oscar's cheeks was unmistakable—a deep, telling blush that spread to the tips of his ears. His eyes, wide with surprise at his own reaction, couldn't quite meet Yetao's curious gaze.
Lucas, ever observant, caught the exchange and narrowed his eyes. Lucas was annoyed how the Oscar here is also bound to be a trouble for Yetao.
"Elder, why are you blushing over a child?" Lucas asked, his voice dripping with mock innocence. "Are you a pedo?"
The provocative question had its intended effect. Oscar's embarrassment transformed back into rage, his earlier hesitation forgotten as he launched himself at Lucas with renewed vigor.
"I'll kill you this time!" Oscar bellowed, his voice echoing off the walls as Lucas darted away, cackling like a madman.
Jeff observed the chaos with growing exasperation. He slapped his forehead with an open palm. His eyes tracked Oscar's movements, noting how even as he chased Lucas, Oscar's gaze kept drifting back to Yetao, drawn like a compass to true north.
"Hopeless," Jeff muttered under his breath, shaking his head at the pitiful display of Oscar's obvious infatuation. "Absolutely hopeless."
Yetao's lips curved into a gentle smile as he watched their chaos around the yard. Their playful bickering stirred something nostalgic within him, memories rising to the surface like bubbles in still water.
"It's been so long since I've seen them play like this", he thought, his eyes softening as he observed Lucas ducking behind a garden bench, Oscar in hot pursuit. Fragments of his old trainee days flashed through his mind.
His reminiscence was interrupted by a presence at the edge of the yard. Bambam stood there. Unlike the others, his expression was stone-cold serious, eyes fixed intently on Yetao.
At first, Yetao returned the gaze casually. Then realization dawned on him like a sudden downpour—the memory of Bambam's earnest confession, still hung between them unresolved.
Heat rushed to Yetao's cheeks as he quickly averted his eyes, finding sudden interest in the pattern of stones beneath his feet. The weight of Bambam's unwavering stare burned against his skin even as he looked away.
Bambam's jaw tightened, a flicker of emotion—hurt, perhaps, or resignation—crossing his usually composed features. Without a word, he turned on his heel and strode away, shoulders rigid with tension, disappointment radiating from every step.
Jeff, leaning against the old oak tree, missed nothing of the exchange. His sharp eyes tracked Bambam's retreating figure before sliding back to Oscar, who was still oblivious, preoccupied with trying to corner Lucas near the garden shed.
"Damn it," Jeff muttered under his breath, running a hand through his hair in frustration. He watched as Oscar finally caught Lucas in a headlock, both of them laughing despite their mock struggle.
Jeff shook his head, lips pressed into a thin line. "Oscar, how can I tell you this?" he whispered to himself, conflict evident in his furrowed brow. His gaze drifted between Oscar and the path Bambam had taken.
"You've got yourself a strong rival," Jeff continued, his voice barely audible over the brothers' playful shouting. "And I don't think you even realize the battle you're in to win your crush."
He sighed deeply, wondering if he should intervene or let the inevitable drama unfold naturally. Either way, the peaceful night suddenly seemed charged with unspoken tensions and the promise of complicated days ahead.