The shock didn’t wear off as quickly as Zane had hoped.
From their introduction until Kyle fell asleep, the child clutched his arm tightly, refusing to let him go for even a moment while scowling at the two handsome men.
No matter how friendly Michael and Clyde acted, Kyle refused to talk much.
Zane gently brushed his hair aside, feeling complicated as he watched the child’s lungs expand with every breath he took.
His frame was smaller than that of children around 12, making him look a lot younger than he was.
It would have been a lovely moment between brothers if his back hadn’t stung from the stares sent his way as he tucked the sleeping child in.
“Let’s grab some food.” With Michael’s help, they cleaned up the room and said goodbye to the nurses who cared for Kyle.
“Actually…if you’re fine with it, I can cook a killer meal.” Even though Zane had promised to go with them after seeing his baby brother, Michael still felt uneasy.
“I’m already drooling.
Let’s go now!” He felt like he had been starved since morning due to his busy schedule.
The snacks and drinks did nothing to satiate his hunger for an actual meal.
The two chatted about the upcoming swimming competition the entire way.
Zane, however, stared blankly out the window.
He chatted with the system about the food he was craving most, completely lost in his own world when they arrived.
I saw an advertisement for roasted soy sauce chicken earlier.
That sounds banger.
[Master should focus on the mission.]
We don’t fight battles with an empty stomach!
[…] Silas wondered if he should just stuff some food in the host’s mouth to get him to shut up.
[Update: Mission progression is currently at 85%]
The hell!?
The sudden drop made his eyes bulge in shock.
Zane didn’t quite grasp what the issue was that kept causing these drops.
[The protagonist has successfully been chosen as the second male lead in an upcoming TV series.]
Show me what he’s doing.
Images suddenly flashed in his head as his vision changed.
The loud moans and whining filled his ears, instantly turning his face a shade pinker from how obscene the act was.
Oliver was held down on the bed by a larger man.
One of his legs was hoisted up on the man’s shoulders, fingers dinging into the soft thigh as their hips met, resulting in loud slapping of the skin.
I’m gonna throw up.
The vision cleared as Clyde gently rubbed Zane’s back with concern.
He found himself hunched over, eyes red from the inner gagging he experienced.
“What’s wrong?
Is your stomach bothering you?”
“Ye—yeah…” Zane couldn’t say that he felt his stomach churn from witnessing the protagonist having wild sex with some random dude.
[…] The system really wanted to claim innocence as the host was the one who requested to watch the protagonist.
[The protagonist is currently having sex with the rising director.
Because of this, he is guaranteed a role.]
Ugh.
[The protagonist doesn’t know that he is secretly being filmed by the director.]
Don’t tell me anymore.
He can do as he pleases.
Two chewable stomach medicines were handed to Zane once they entered the large house.
Michael quickly left to deal with the meal, not wanting to delay any further now that Zane was feeling sick.
Clyde, however, sat beside him on the sofa, eyes watching him closely to make sure Zane took his medicine.
“Do you have stomach pain often?” He wondered why Clyde was carrying this with him.
“Oliver often starves himself, so he experiences stomachaches sometimes.” As if remembering that Zane dislikes Oliver, Clyde looked at him worryingly and tried to change the topic.
“By the way…you look very handsome.”
“What did you do after sending him back?” At the mention of Oliver, Zane suddenly thought of when they split at the studio.
“Nothing…”
“Nothing?” Zane found it hard to trust Clyde when his eyes were suspiciously avoided.
Zane gripped the sofa with his left hand, locking Clyde in.
His right forearm pressed against Clyde’s chest, pinning him in place.
“This position is a bit…” Clyde rested his hands on Zane’s thighs, which were caging him in.
It had been a while since they had been intimate, causing his heart to beat crazily.
Zane was strong, so it was unlikely for Clyde to overpower him easily if he wanted to escape.
He sighed and looked up at the face covered in a thin layer of makeup, trying his best not to be riled up before they ate.
It was his first time seeing Zane with shorter hair styled in a side part that showed off his forehead and brows.
It looked particularly fierce, especially now that Zane seemed to be annoyed at the mention of Oliver.
He wasn’t wearing suits and shirts anymore, but instead, a casual tee that hugged his frame, making it irresistible.
He wore a similar black pleated pair of trousers to those outfits, giving him that classy, sexy feel without even trying.
“Did he ever pin you like this?” Zane leaned in close, lips almost touching Clyde’s as he whispered through gritted teeth.
“You’re something.” Even though he was blushing, Clyde couldn’t help the curl of his lips.
“Is it competitiveness or jealousy you’re feeling?”
“It’s just disgusting.” Just thinking of Oliver doing things with other people made him frown.
“Did he do something?
Yes or no?”
From the hospital to this neighborhood, the close distance was glaringly obvious.
All three of the main characters lived here, so it didn’t make sense that they arrived at the hospital late.
“He begged to be held.”
“And?”
The hands that rested on Zane’s thighs moved to wrap around his back as he pulled Zane in for a kiss.
“Just kidding.”
Even the aromatic smell of food couldn’t tear Zane’s attention away from Clyde.
Regardless of whether it was a joke, Zane believed the male leads were capable of falling back in love with the protagonist.
“But if you keep me waiting any longer, I might really consider it.” All the times that he was brushed off coldly by Zane flashed in his head.
A sliver of panic spread through Clyde when Zane released his hold and leaned back.
The frown was still there on his face.
It was Clyde’s turn to lean forward, arms wrapping tighter, afraid that Zane would suddenly get up and leave like always.
“Sorry.
I was being selfish and didn’t consider things from your perspective.” His head nuzzled against Zane’s neck.
What is he talking about?
Contrary to what Clyde worried over, Zane just wanted to shift back and return to his seat beside the man.
“You must be worried sick about your brother.
I should have been more understanding and patient.” Clyde continued speaking.
He wasn’t one to say much, but he felt like it was necessary to clear their awkwardness now that Zane was willing to listen.
Aside from knowing that Zane had a little brother who was in the hospital, neither Clyde nor Michael knew how dire the situation actually was.
If a donor wasn’t found soon, there was a high possibility that Kyle could pass away.
All the talk about money and whatnot made sense now.
It was understandable for Zane to put everything else first.
Zane didn’t know how to deal with this serious atmosphere.
He also didn’t know what sort of fantastical imagination they had of him for Clyde to be saying all this.
“Give me a chance, Zane.
Don’t push me away again…”
“I don’t want to intrude, but I also feel the same.” Michael had long finished making the simple fried rice dish and was silently listening in on the conversation.
“I want us to become real lovers.”
Damn.
That’s cute of them.
“I was going to ask now that I’ve officially made my modeling debut…” Zane coughed into his hand as he got off Clyde’s lap.
His ears were a shade redder.
“So you were waiting for after today?” Both Michael and Clyde gawked at him in surprise.
Suddenly, everything clicked for them.
It wasn’t just them who were anxious.
Zane was also suffering from their ambiguity.
If Zane could read their minds, he would have dug a hole to hide in from the absurdity of their conclusion.
[Are you serious?] The system once again opened up its board to write complaints about the stupid host.