Kael’s POV There were moments when I caught myself smiling…
And I never knew why.
Sometimes it happened because Liam said something ridiculous.
Sometimes because Noah quietly corrected him.
But more often than not…
It happened because Asher was nearby.
I wasn’t brave enough to tell him that.
Not yet.
— The shrill sound of Liam’s alarm shattered the quiet morning.
It rang once.
Twice.
Three times.
No one moved.
Finally, Noah sighed, reached across the room, and threw a pillow directly at Liam’s face.
Thump.
“Agh!” Liam shot upright.
“I WAS AWAKE!” “You were snoring.” “I was…
meditating.” “You were drooling.” “I was moisturizing my pillow.” Asher laughed under his breath.
I couldn’t stop myself.
A small laugh escaped me too.
Liam immediately pointed at me.
“There!” “He laughed at me!” I quickly lowered my head.
“…S-Sorry…” “No.” Liam grinned.
“Do it again.” “W-What?” “Laugh.” “It suits you.” My face immediately grew warm.
Asher glanced at me from the corner of his eye.
“…He’s right.” I blinked.
“…Really?” “You should laugh more.” “…It sounds nice.” For some reason…
Those simple words stayed with me long after we left the dorm.
— Outside…
The campus had changed.
Colorful banners stretched between buildings.
Volunteers carried boxes filled with decorations.
Students practiced dances near the auditorium.
Others painted signs for food stalls.
The Welcome Festival was only two days away.
The entire university buzzed with excitement.
Liam stretched dramatically.
“I am going to eat everything.” Noah looked at him.
“You said that yesterday.” “And I meant it yesterday.” “I still mean it today.” Asher shook his head.
“You’ll be broke by lunchtime.” “Worth it.” — As they crossed the central courtyard, a cheerful voice called out.
“Asher!” A young woman wearing a volunteer armband jogged toward them.
She was from another faculty and carried a clipboard under one arm.
“You’re still helping with stage setup tonight, right?” “I’ll be there after work.” “Great!
We were worried you’d cancel.” She smiled warmly before hurrying off again.
Kael watched the exchange quietly.
Something unfamiliar stirred inside him.
He wasn’t sure what it was.
It felt…
Heavy.
Liam noticed immediately.
“Oho…” Noah sighed.
“Don’t.” “I’m just observing.” “You’re never just observing.” Liam leaned closer to Kael.
“…Jealous?” Kael’s eyes widened.
“N-No!” “You answered too fast.” “I-I’m not jealous!” Asher turned around.
“What are you two talking about?” “Nothing.” Liam answered far too quickly.
Kael looked at the ground.
His ears had already turned bright pink.
— The morning lecture passed surprisingly quickly.
Professor Lewis clapped her hands together.
“I have good news.” The class immediately became suspicious.
“During the Welcome Festival…” “Our class has been chosen to organize one of the activity booths.” Groans echoed through the room.
“You’ll work in groups.” She began reading names.
“Liam.” “Noah.” “Asher.” “Kael.” “You four will run the ring toss booth.” Liam jumped to his feet.
“I was born for this!” “You’ve never played ring toss.” “I’ll learn.” — After class…
The four made their way to the student union building to collect supplies.
Boxes of colorful rings and wooden pegs were stacked against the wall.
Liam insisted on testing everything immediately.
He threw the first ring.
It flew past the target…
Bounced off a chair…
And landed around Noah’s neck.
Silence.
Then the room exploded with laughter.
Noah slowly removed the ring.
“I’ve never met someone who can miss this impressively.” “I was testing the aerodynamics.” “You were testing our patience.” Even Kael laughed.
This time…
He didn’t hide it.
The sound was soft.
Gentle.
Like wind chimes.
Asher looked over instinctively.
There it was again.
That smile.
He found himself smiling too.
— By late afternoon, everyone was exhausted.
The campus café was crowded, so the four bought drinks from a vending machine and sat beneath the old maple tree.
Leaves drifted around them in shades of gold and amber.
For a while…
No one spoke.
The silence wasn’t awkward.
It was peaceful.
Kael held a warm can of milk tea between both hands.
“…It’s nice.” Liam looked around.
“What is?” “…This.” He glanced at the three boys beside him.
“…Sitting together.” The words slipped out before he realized it.
He froze.
“…I…” “…I didn’t mean…” Noah smiled softly.
“I know what you meant.” Liam nudged Kael’s shoulder.
“You’ve officially become one of us.” Kael looked up.
“…One of you?” Asher answered quietly.
“No.” “…One of us.” For a heartbeat…
Kael couldn’t speak.
No one had ever said those words to him before.
One of us.
Not a burden.
Not an outsider.
Not someone to pity.
Just…
Family.
His eyes stung.
He quickly looked away before anyone noticed.
Except…
Asher did.
— That evening…
Asher left for his part-time job.
The dorm suddenly felt strangely empty.
Kael sat at his desk with an open textbook.
He read the same sentence four times.
None of it stayed in his head.
His eyes drifted toward Asher’s empty bed.
Without thinking…
He stood.
Walked over.
And sat down on the edge of it.
The mattress still carried the faint scent of laundry detergent and cedar soap.
Warm.
Comforting.
“…You’re smiling again.” Kael nearly jumped out of his skin.
Noah stood in the doorway holding two cups of instant ramen.
“I…” “I wasn’t…” Noah smiled knowingly.
“You miss him.” Kael’s face turned scarlet.
“…N-No.” “You’ve been staring at his bed for five minutes.” “I…” “…” “…Maybe a little.” Noah chuckled.
“You really are hopeless.” Kael buried his face in both hands.
“…Please don’t tell Liam.” “I won’t.” “…Because he’ll never let you live it down.” Both of them laughed quietly.
— Close to midnight…
The dorm door finally opened.
Asher stepped inside, looking exhausted.
His shoulders slumped.
His tie hung loosely around his neck.
Before he could even put his bag down…
He heard soft footsteps.
Kael appeared in front of him.
“…Welcome back.” The words were simple.
But they made the fatigue melt from Asher’s face.
“…I’m home.” Kael smiled.
“…Welcome home.” For a brief second…
Neither of them moved.
Then Asher reached out…
And gently ruffled Kael’s messy hair.
“So…” “You waited up for me?” Kael looked away shyly.
“…Maybe.” Asher laughed.
A real, warm laugh.
“…Thank you, Rabbit.” Kael touched the top of his head after Asher walked past.
His hair was a mess now.
But…
He didn’t fix it.
For some reason…
He liked that Asher had been the one to mess it up.
— CREATORS’ THOUGHTS sunset_with_vibes Sometimes, love begins with the smallest routines…
waiting for someone to come home, saying ‘welcome back,’ and realizing the place felt emptier while they were gone.