Wills’s Embrace
~04~
(Wanjan, what brand of bras do you wear?
And, uh…
and which kind of sanitary products do you use?”)
“What did you just say?” I frowned tightly, my face flushing with unspeakable feelings.
Why on earth is Wills calling?
To ask me about my sanitary pad brand?
In all the time I had known him, I never thought he would turn out to be like this.
Honestly, he was unbelievable.
[You better pick carefully, Wills.
My girl here is picky about wings, comfort, and sometimes has allergies!]
I frowned as I heard someone other than Wills chiming in on the call.
It had to be that guy I saw in Wills’ room earlier—the two of them were clinging to each other outside the bathroom door, and the image still gave me chills.
Wait, what exactly were they talking about?
This was a private matter for women.
I was about to lose my mind with these two men.
(So, what’s your answer!)
Wills’s firm tone rang out again, making me press my lips together in a flurry of emotions.
A part of me was happy that he cared this much, but another part of me was afraid.
This was something I can manage on my own.
Besides, I was not even on my period right now.
Why did he have to stick his nose into this?
Maybe it was because of his friend, who I overheard earlier.
“I…
um.”
I stammered, not knowing how to respond.
I could get embarrassed too, you know.
This man had a knack for stressing me out.
(Wanjan!)
Wills’ voice grew a touch angrier.
I know that was his signal for annoyance.
If I kept staying silent and stammering like this, I was sure he would come back to kill me.
“Just buy whatever you want; I can use anything,” I finally said, rubbing my burning face as I spoke.
How long had it been since I felt this embarrassed?
It was all because of him.
Wills…
(Alright, I’ll hurry back, then.
If you’re hungry, there’s food in the fridge.) His said, and I found myself nodding absentmindedly.
How would he see you nodding, Wanjan…
[I’m telling you, she’ll fit in this size, trust me!]
Wills’ friend chimed in again.
I had no idea what they were discussing, but my face felt like it was on fire.
Whatever it was, I knew it had to be female personal matter.
(Just worry about that plain girl of yours.
Don’t push anything abnormal onto anyone else!)
I did not even want to picture the two of them bickering.
I did not have to look to know that people around them had to have been staring.
They both stand out so much that people could not help but look—Wills especially, with his appeal drawing eyes from women and men alike.
Oh, no… here I went again, picturing the two of them hugging outside the bathroom door.
[Come on, wouldn’t you want your girlfriend to try on something like this before bed?
Pfft~ Just admit it—you’re imagining it]
His friend’s giggles heated my face again.
I did not know exactly what they were talking about, but I was sure it was about me.
(Please, Ziff, I’m begging you, just go away!)
[This one isn’t comfortable.
The plain girl said so.
You should pick this type….]
Beep…
beep…
beep…
beep…
And just like that, the line went dead, and a wave of fear washed over me about Wills’ friend.
What were they even doing?
I did not understand any of it.
I walked to the bathroom and took a look at my clothes.
Hmm…
clothes might be too generous a term—they were more like rags, with everything in a mess.
Even my underwear was soaking alone in a basin, misshapen beyond recognition.
I blushed, realizing Wills’s friend had been right about it.
It was because he threw it in the washing machine that it came out like this.
So, I picked up the pile of clothes scattered on the floor to check them over.
The washing machine had to be malfunctioning—there was still water in the drum, even though Wills had pressed the drain button.
I groaned softly, crouching down to look into the front-loading washer.
The way I moved made me look like an old person with joint pain, squatting awkwardly with aching legs and limbs.
I have no idea why I had to get injured now, of all times.
Maybe heaven was punishing me for all my past mistakes.
I barely had a chance to do anything before the sound of the door opening and closing reached me.
I wanted to get up, but my body felt so heavy as if it were made of stone.
“Wanjan.
Where are you!” Wills’ voice echoed through the room.
It would not be long before he blew up again because of something I did.
I was not trying to annoy him; I just was not prepared.
As I opened my mouth to respond, he called out over my voice.
“Wanjan!” His voice grew louder as he approached the bathroom.
All I could do was give him a weak smile as he reached me, his expression laced with irritation.
Here we go again, Wanjan—you really had a knack for making people resent you.
“Your leg’s messed up and yet you still…” he muttered before holding out his hand to me.
I glanced between his face and his hand, feeling a bit lost, until he sighed in exasperation.
“Get up.
If water seeps into that cast, what then,” His voice was tense.
I looked down at my ankle, tightly wrapped in a white cast.
Just as I was about to argue, he shot me a glare, so I reluctantly extended my hand to him.
Could I be any more pathetic…
“I told you to stay put; why couldn’t you just stay put?” Wills mumbled as he helped me out of the bathroom and carefully settled me on the sofa in the living room corner.
How unnerving—just a moment ago, he had seemed so annoyed.
I had no idea what had gotten into him.
Maybe he was just acting nice to catch me off guard before flipping the tables on me…
Well, there I went, getting carried away with silly thoughts again.
“Your shirt’s so thin it’s see-through now,”
he muttered.
His words snapped me out of my thoughts, and I quickly looked down at myself.
I hurried to cross my arms over my chest because the shirt I was wearing—one of his, actually—had gotten damp and was nearly see-through.
I glanced up at him for a moment, then quickly looked away again.
He was way too scary…
“Go wait in the room.
I called a technician to check the washing machine—no idea what’s wrong with it.
And unless I call you, don’t come out,” Wills said, hauling me up from the sofa again.
Why did he seem to enjoy dragging me around so much?
“Here, this is yours.
Go get yourself sorted,” he added firmly, before finally heading out of the room.
Turning toward the bed, I noticed several paper bags from various women’s clothing brands piled all over it.
I blinked, not quite comprehending, but could not help feeling grateful.
“Thank you, Wills…”
Hearing voices from outside, I realized the technician Wills had mentioned had arrived.
I stayed seated, still surrounded by heaps of clothes on the bed, unsure where to even begin putting everything.
The guilt made me feel uneasy, but in the end, I had no choice but to pick out an outfit and change out of the shirt and shorts of his I had been borrowing.
Then, my face flushed hot as I caught sight of the adorable, pastel-colored underwear he had bought.
No…
not only was my face red, but I felt like a boiling kettle, steam practically pouring out.
I could not even imagine what it was like for him to buy these things.
If he kept being kind to me like this, I could not deny that I had missed him, too.
But…
I shook my head, trying to chase those thoughts away, and busied myself folding the clothes while waiting for the technician to leave.
Soon enough, I heard Wills call me to come out for dinner.
Limping along quietly, I found him staring, visibly stunned the moment he saw me…
I felt lost at what to do.
“Damn it, Ziff…” Wills muttered, running a hand through his hair.
I had no idea what was going on with him.
.
Wills’s talking…
For heaven’s sake…
I could not even remember how long I had been friends with Ziff, but it had gotten a bit out of hand how he always knew exactly what I was thinking.
When I went shopping for Wanjan, he could not stop giving me opinions on everything—about which item was good, and which was not.
Believe it or not, and I hope you would, over half of those clothes were Ziff’s choices.
Especially the underwear; he seemed to pick those with the enthusiasm of a personal shopper.
The sales assistant, a woman, could not stop blushing as she watched us—two grown men—picking out lingerie with such joy.
Honestly, for a moment there, I had this ridiculous vision
of me and Ziff as two hulking guys, hearts fluttering as we shopped blissfully together.
Creepy…
Absurd, right…
And the outfit Wanjan was wearing right now was the ultimate choice.
It was nothing revealing or provocative—just a sweet pastel oversized shirt with big buttons down the front, paired with white shorts, making her looked like a high schooler.
Wanjan’s naturally clear, bare face, without any makeup like other women I know.
I could not deny how nice it felt to see her clean, innocent face like this.
Ziff knew I liked women like this—feminine, dressed in something soft and gentle.
Quite a friend I had, was he not?
“Is there something wrong?” Wanjan asked nervously, avoiding eye contact.
That was when I realized I had been staring at her without blinking because she looked so gentle and adorable that I had forgotten myself.
Just thinking about it irritated me.
“Nothing.
Is your fever any better?
How about some dinner?” I asked, clearing my throat, suddenly feeling a strange nervousness under her gaze.
Why was that?
I had known plenty of women, so why was I still getting flustered and affected by Wanjan’s gaze?
It was a question I had never once managed to answer.
“You haven’t eaten yet either?” Wanjan asked as I helped her over to the dining table.
“No… Just barely managed to shake off Ziff.
Sorry about his lack of manners earlier.”
I guided her into a chair and then pulled one up next to her.
She looked a little clumsy and awkward, which I found myself actually enjoying.
“I picked up some roast duck—you like that, right?” I asked, knowing all too well her likes and dislikes.
As much as I had tried to forget, those details were still sharp in my mind.
“Thank you,”
she murmured softly, and I found myself smiling as I unpacked the roast duck.
I had waited ages to buy it, and I set out a plate and utensils for her as well.
“Is that a goldfish?” Wanjan’s eyes had wandered over to the little goldfish swimming around in its bowl, one that Ziff had essentially forced me to adopt.
“Yeah, Ziff made me keep it.”
Yes…
he insisted, saying he would withhold his payment if I did not.
He had promised to pay me for tracking down the person who sent those harassing messages to his woman.
It was not like I really needed to charge him, but I had been a bit short on cash after blowing money on car expenses.
There was no way I would ask Wanjan to pitch in.
I had originally considered finding a male roommate to share the rent for a bit, but then fate threw Wanjan my way instead.
So, was it fate messing with me, or just plain destiny?
Anyway, I would just collect from Ziff before next month’s allowance come out, and I had got my usual sources of extra income.
It was not a big deal.
Besides, I did not need a new roommate anymore—Wanjan’s back in my life.
“Then I’ll take care of it.
I love goldfish.” Wanjan said, looking at me, excited before quickly looking away again.
“Sure… be my guest.
This place is yours now, after all.”
She looked back at me in confusion, and I could not help but laugh.
Ah, well… there was no rush here.
One step at a time.
After finishing lunch together, I cleared the table and washed the dishes while Wanjan sat there, laughing to herself at the little goldfish.
I had no idea what she found so funny, but it was a relief to see her laugh instead of cry.
Dylan had been oddly silent lately…
I had not seen him at all.
I found it strange.
Dylan, who was usually assertive and intense, seemed to have retreated.
I knew from his demeanor that he had feelings for Wanjan, and he did not seem too concerned that she was now with me.
It was not like Dylan did not care what I do with Wanjan, but he seemed unfazed, even with her being mine.
Dylan’s attachment to her was almost obsessive, like he was not going to let go no matter what she had to go through.
I glanced over at Wanjan again as she continued to giggle, tapping her finger on the surface of the water in the fishbowl.
Was that fun…
I just did not get this girl.
While drying my hands with a dish towel after finishing the dishes, my phone buzzed in my shirt pocket.
I pulled it out, and saw a message from someone.
Thinking it was probably spam, I thought I would delete it.
But when I looked at the number, I noticed it was a normal number, not some promotional service.
“Wills, I want to feed it.
Where’s the food kept?”
Wanjan’s voice was lively as she asked, seeming in much better spirits since that day.
I felt relieved, sure I had done the right thing by keeping her away from a dangerous guy like Dylan.
“It’s in the bag.
Have a look,” I replied while glancing at the text message on my phone.
“Oh…
It’s so cute.
What did its last owner feed it to make it this adorably chubby…”
I smiled at her words, watching as she hobbled over to open the plastic bag on the kitchen counter, like a kid excited about a new toy.
But as I looked back at my phone, my eyes widened in shock.
There, on my screen, was a photo of a man and woman together.
The image was nearly identical to the one I had helped Ziff investigate a while ago—a photo of him and some woman, which someone had anonymously sent to his girlfriend.
But this time, it was Dylan and Wanjan…
lying together in bed.
Though the image was slightly blurred, Dylan’s broad frame almost entirely blocking the woman, I would recognize that sweet face anywhere.
It was Wanjan.
The same Wanjan who was standing in front of me, holding up the fish food with a wide smile…