CHAPTER 105: A DATE WITH A FRIEND

"Hey, Joshua, you looked at me just now and blushed, didn’t you?"

The moment the phone screen went dark, Luther immediately clung to Joshua, refusing to let him go. Joshua nodded honestly.

Luther froze for a second. Usually, if anyone looked at him and blushed, he’d instantly assume they were a bit... well, gay. After all, what kind of guy looks at another guy and blushes?!

But because this was Joshua, Luther couldn’t explain why his own heart suddenly started beating a little faster.

He quickly followed after Joshua, speaking in a probing tone, "Why, though?"

He told himself he didn’t really care—he just wanted to know why Joshua had blushed, that was all.

But... what if Joshua said he liked him?

Luther pressed his lips together, feeling uneasy. No, if Joshua said he liked him, he’d have to reject him—absolutely. He’d steer Joshua back to the right path. They’d stay best friends for life!

"I just thought you looked wonderful," Joshua finally said.

Luther stopped dead in his tracks, touched his own face, then couldn’t help but pinch Joshua’s cheek lightly. "You’re beautiful too," he said softly.

Then, as if realizing something, his expression darkened. "Wait—so you mean you think I look beautiful like... a girl? That’s why you blushed?"

The thought made Luther feel oddly unsettled.

Joshua looked at him and shook his head. "You really are beautiful—because that’s what you look like. But when I think you’re beautiful, I still know you’re Luther. I know you’re a man. I just think Luther is beautiful, that’s all."

This time, it was Luther’s turn to freeze in place. His face suddenly flushed bright red, completely unguarded.

By the time Joshua had gone into his room, Luther was clutching his chest with one hand, staggering backward in a daze.

Leonard, who was nearby, frowned slightly at the sight.

Luther shut his eyes tight. "Joshua... he just fell for me, didn’t he?!"

Justin: "..." Pretty sure it’s the other way around.

Well, that’s that. The one who seemed the straightest among them was, in fact, the biggest clueless gay of them all.

Justin could only hope Luther would never realize it for the rest of his life—as long as he kept obsessing over being Joshua’s "best friend," everything would be fine.

When Henry returned to the room, he saw Joshua already ready for bed, sitting quietly on the bed. The ends of his hair were still damp, sticking softly against his pale skin.

Joshua looked up, blinking his eyes at Henry.

Henry was the first to speak. "What’s wrong?"

"Henry," Joshua asked directly, "have you ever felt like... we’ve met before?"

Henry froze slightly at the question.

He looked at Joshua—his gaze deep, intent—and Joshua met it, unwavering.

Henry suddenly said softly, "Joshua, did you know? I’ve always had nightmares."

As he spoke, he stepped closer to Joshua, leaning down slightly to look at him.

Joshua didn’t move, keeping his gaze fixed on Henry.

Henry lowered his eyes to meet his, his expression soft yet fragile. "But ever since I saw you, the nightmares stopped haunting me, Joshua."

As he said that, he bent down, his hand gently lifting Joshua’s chin. His cool lips brushed the corner of Joshua’s eye in a kiss so light, so careful—it was as if Henry were touching the most delicate, breakable thing in the world.

Joshua’s eyes fluttered slightly. Staring at the man before him, he couldn’t help recalling Henry from his memories.

Perhaps they were the same person—the same soul—or maybe there was only a faint, inexplicable connection between them.

But the Henry before him had grown up in this world without him. He had lived an entirely different life. He wasn’t his Henry. The memories from a parallel world didn’t belong here.

He wasn’t the Henry that Joshua once knew. He shouldn’t allow those misplaced illusions to retake root...

"Joshua, don’t cry." Henry’s voice broke the silence.

Joshua blinked, instinctively raising his hand to his face—there were no tears. He clearly hadn’t been crying.

Yet Henry only patted his head gently and murmured again, "Don’t cry."

Joshua watched his retreating back before finally lying down, burying his head under the blanket.

It had been a strange, unsettling night, but at least it helped him recall fragments of his past.

If he stayed in this world long enough, would he remember everything?

But what would be the point? This world had no family for him, no one who truly knew him. Remembering would change nothing—it would only pile nightmares upon nightmares.

The next morning, Joshua was awakened by the sound of his alarm ringing repeatedly on his phone.

He frowned, curling deeper under the blanket before reaching out a lazy hand to turn it off.

Alright... eight in the morning. Time to get up and get ready for his meeting with Nine.

Except... Joshua curled up tighter like a little cocoon. He really didn’t want to get up at all.

Half-asleep, he cracked his eyes open, then squinted and shook his head before finally gathering enough determination to throw off the covers and sit up.

"So cold..." he muttered.

Like a startled rabbit, Joshua hopped around in the bathroom, the icy floor practically killing him.

Outside, Leonard, Justin, and Luther were huddled together playing a game, while Henry sat off to the side reading a newspaper.

Yes—an actual newspaper.

At that moment, Leonard suddenly looked up, visibly irritated. "Joshua’s gonna skip breakfast again, isn’t he?"

Luther, Justin, and Henry spoke at the same time: "He’ll get up when he’s slept enough."

The three of them exchanged glances, then quickly looked away, pretending nothing had happened.

Leonard: "..." So annoying.

Just then, the bedroom door opened. Joshua stepped out wearing a white hoodie and gray jeans, a blue windbreaker draped over one arm.

The others exchanged glances. Justin immediately ran over and asked, "Joshua, are you going out?"

Joshua nodded as he put on his jacket. "Yeah, I have an appointment with a friend."

Luther narrowed his eyes. "The one from the other day?"

Joshua paused for a moment, then nodded. "That’s right, it’s him."

By now, he was standing by the shoe cabinet, slipping his shoes on. After putting on a mask and a baseball cap, he even pulled the hood of his hoodie over his head.

He looked at everyone and waved. "I’m heading out. If I’m not back by evening, just go ahead and eat without me."

This time, Henry spoke up. "Are you staying overnight at your friend’s place?"

Joshua shook his head. "Probably not..."

That was not a definitive answer!

Everyone stared blankly at the closed door in front of them.

Two minutes later, both Leonard and Luther suddenly jumped up from the couch and looked out the window.

They lived on the tenth floor of the apartment complex, so they could see everything below.

After a while, Joshua finally appeared.

Not long after, a car pulled up right in front of him.

"What the— that guy from the other day has a car too?" Leonard exclaimed.

You couldn’t really blame him—Nine had looked absolutely broke and pitiful the last time they saw him.

Justin muttered from the side, "A lot of so-called ’friends’ turn their backs and sabotage people once they get famous..."

Hearing that, Luther clenched his fists.

Henry, sitting off to the side, said calmly, "Those are Joshua’s relationships. Stop acting like a bunch of nosy stalkers."

The others: "..."

They glanced at Henry, who still hadn’t flipped to the next page of his newspaper, and silently rolled their eyes.

Henry really loved to act all superior.