The doorbell rang twice before Ronan finally dragged himself to the door, half-asleep in his house clothes.
When he opened it, he blinked in surprise.

“Alax?”

Alax stood there grinning, arms full — a couple of cans of beer dangling from one hand, a crinkled bag of chips from the other. “Hey, man. Thought I’d drop by. We used to do this all the time, remember? When we were in middle school”

Before Ronan could even answer, Alax stepped inside like it was still old times. He dropped the snacks and drinks on the coffee table, kicked off his shoes, and flopped onto the couch.

Ronan stayed by the door for a moment, staring at him — unsure if he should laugh or question what was happening. They hadn’t hung out properly in years. Middle school felt like another life; since then, there had only been the occasional message or a quick “hi” on campus.
Still, something about Alax’s presence — casual, loud, comfortable — made the apartment feel smaller.

“Come on,” Alax said, flipping through the channels. “Race’s starting. You still like cars, right?”

Ronan walked over slowly and sat beside him, opening a soft drink. The fizz filled the silence between them.
“You came all the way here just to watch the race?” he asked, glancing at Alax from the corner of his eye. “Could’ve watched it at your place.”

“I don’t like watching alone,” Alax said simply. He opened the chips with a sharp pop and tossed one in his mouth. “I’d have watched with Elara, but she’s went to her father.”

The name hit Ronan like a quiet punch. His fingers froze around the can. For a moment, the sound of the TV filled the air — engines revving, crowd cheering.
Then, without a word, he lowered the can back to the table.

Alax looked at him, confused. “What’s wrong? Don’t like the drink?”

Ronan’s jaw tightened. He didn’t answer immediately. His voice came out calm but strained.
“You like her?”

Alax blinked at the sudden question, then grinned — the kind of grin that came too easily. “A lot,” he said. “I like her so much I don’t ever wanna let her go.”

They both fell silent. The roar of the race grew louder.

Ronan forced a smile — it was small, stiff, and didn’t touch his eyes. “That’s nice,” he said quietly, and turned toward the TV.

The light from the screen flashed across their faces, alternating blue and white. Alax leaned forward, excited, completely caught in the race. Ronan just stared blankly at the moving cars, but his mind was somewhere else — on her smile, on the way she used to call his name.

“He has no idea what he has,” Ronan muttered under his breath, barely audible.

few minutes later

Alax’s phone rang, slicing through the tension. He picked it up immediately.
“Hey, Elara?”

Ronan’s heart jumped. His eyes flicked toward Alax. He couldn’t hear her voice, but the mention of her name was enough to make his chest tighten.

“What — you’re at my place?” Alax said, surprised. “Come up, I’m at Ronan’s.”

Ronan’s fingers clenched slightly against his knee.

“Don’t worry, he won’t mind,” Alax added, looking at Ronan with a teasing smile before hanging up.

The room felt heavier after that. The TV noise seemed far away.

Ronan broke the silence. “Why are you move in here? You used to like being around your parents.”

Alax shrugged and leaned back, resting one arm along the couch. “They don’t want me seeing Elara.so….”

Ronan gave a small nod, but his eyes stayed on the floor. He really did move out for her.

Alax leaned back on the couch, sipping his drink with a grin. “Now we’re neighbors,” he said casually, like it was the most normal thing in the world.

Ronan turned to look at him, raising an eyebrow. “You moved out of your house just so you could see her more often?”

Alax chuckled, eyes still on the TV screen as he nodded. “Yeah… kinda.” He shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal, but there was a flicker of pride in his voice — the sound of a man who thought love justified everything.

Ronan leaned back slowly, his gaze fixed on Alax for a few seconds longer before turning toward the flashing lights of the TV. He tried to sound calm, but there was a quiet sting in his voice when he spoke again.

“Must be nice… to have someone worth moving out for.”

Alax didn’t notice the edge in his tone. He just laughed under his breath and threw a popcorn kernel at the screen. “Yeah,” he said. “It’s worth it.”

Ronan forced a small smile, but his chest felt heavier.
The room fell quiet again — only the sound of the race filling the space between them.

Every word from Alax chipped away at him, slow and quiet.

“Why haven’t you confessed yet?” Ronan asked, his voice lower now.

Alax laughed softly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Confess? Man, what if she doesn’t feel the same? I’d rather stay close than lose her.”

Ronan’s lips twitched, the corner of his mouth pulling downward before he forced it back up.
“It seems like she likes you,” he said quietly.

Alax turned toward him, suddenly animated. “You really think so?” His eyes brightened, hope flickering there.

Ronan looked away, pretending to focus on the race. His voice barely carried over the sound of the engines.
“Yeah,” he said. “I think she does.”

Alax grinned and clinked his can against Ronan’s. “Then maybe I’ll tell her soon.”

Ronan gave a faint nod, eyes fixed on the screen — but he wasn’t watching the race. He was watching his world crumble, one small smile at a time.

The doorbell rang.

Alax’s face instantly lit up. “She’s here!” he said, practically jumping off the couch. Ronan barely glanced up as Alax sprinted to the door, his heart pounding with excitement.

The door swung open, and before Elara could even speak, Alax pulled her into a tight hug. “I missed you so much,” he murmured against her hair, holding her like he’d been waiting a lifetime.

“Alax — hey — stop,” Elara said, struggling to free herself. Her hands pressed against his chest, her voice firm. “Why are you here? Didn’t you text me to help you move in? Come on, let’s set up your apartment.”

Alax laughed, still keeping an arm around her as he led her inside. “Why so much hurry? Let’s watch the race first — then we’ll think about everything else.”

Elara sighed, her patience thinning. “It’s already 5 p.m. I rushed here straight from my father just to help you. I’ll be late going back to my place.”

“Then stay over,” Alax said with a teasing grin. “Sleep at my place tonight.”

“Alax, stop joking around,” she said, brushing past him to put her bag on the counter.

Ronan, still on the couch, kept his eyes fixed on the TV, pretending to be absorbed in the race. But every word between them landed heavier in his chest. He could hear their laughter, their voices so familiar with each other. It made something inside him twist — not just jealousy, but the painful reminder that he was the outsider now.

He took a slow sip from his drink, not tasting it at all, eyes dull in the reflection of the TV screen.

They both stepped into the living area.
“Hi, Ronan,” Elara said softly.

Ronan didn’t look up. He just nodded, eyes glued to the TV screen, pretending to be absorbed in the car race. The glow from the screen flickered across his face — calm on the surface, storming inside.

Elara sat on the sofa beside him, their arms brushing lightly. It was barely a touch, but Ronan felt it like fire under his skin. His body stiffened, jaw tightening, eyes never leaving the screen.

“Here,” Alax said cheerfully, handing Elara a soft drink before dropping down beside her.

“So… how’s the race?” Elara asked, her voice gentle, directed at Ronan.

No reply. Not even a glance.

Before the silence grew heavier, Alax jumped in, talking loudly about the race — the cars, the speed, the stats — filling the air with his easy voice. Elara smiled and nodded, but her eyes weren’t on him. They were fixed quietly on Ronan, who sat inches away, emotionless yet breaking inside.

Alax noticed.

Something in the way she looked at Ronan — the stillness, the hidden warmth — made his grin fade for a second. Then, suddenly, he stood up and took Elara’s hand. “Let’s go.”

Elara blinked, startled. “Where to?”

“To my place,” Alax said quickly. “Help me unpack. We can watch the race there.”

“But… you asked me to come here.” Elara’s tone carried confusion, even irritation, but Alax didn’t seem to hear. He tightened his hold and pulled her gently toward the door.

Ronan didn’t move. He didn’t even turn.

The door closed behind them, and the apartment fell into silence — only the low hum of the TV and the flickering race lights on the wall remained. The living room lamp had gone off when Alax left, leaving Ronan alone in half-darkness.

He exhaled shakily, his eyes still fixed on the cars darting across the screen. His reflection blinked back from the glass — empty, hollow.

And then, without a sound, a few tears slipped down his cheek and vanished into the dim light.

Elara was half asleep when she heard Alax’s voice drifting from the kitchen. He was on a video call with Aria.
She lay still on the couch, eyes closed, her breathing slow — listening.

“Why didn’t you tell her the truth about Ronan?” Aria asked.

Elara didn’t move. The truth about Ronan? she thought, her curiosity flickering through the haze of sleep.

“I didn’t,” Alax said, the sound of a bottle cap twisting open echoing faintly. “What should I even say to her? What if she gets mad?”

“What if Ronan tells her himself? That would be a big problem,” Aria warned.

“He won’t,” Alax replied confidently. “I know him. He’d never want her to stay by his side just because he did her a favor.”

Aria sighed from the other end. “He’s liked her since middle school, Alax. Do you really think he won’t do anything to get her? You know how he is”

Elara’s eyes fluttered open, her pulse quickening. But when she heard Alax’s footsteps approaching, she quickly shut them again.

He walked into the living room, sank into the chair beside her, and propped his feet on the coffee table.
“Those were just flowers,” he muttered. “It’s not a big deal.”

Aria’s voice crackled faintly through the speaker. “She got close to you because she thought you were the one who gave her those Yellow roses .”

“Whatever. Elara doesn’t like him anyway, so it doesn’t matter,” Alax said, settling comfortably on the sofa. His gaze drifted toward Elara, who was fast asleep.

“I just don’t want her to be mad at me,” he murmured softly. “I can’t stand that.”
As he watched her sleep, something gentle flickered in his eyes — a softness that words couldn’t describe.
It wasn’t friendship. It was love.

Elara’s chest tightened. Her mind drifted back to that day years ago — the day her mother died. She had gone to the riverbank alone, numb and lost, and found a single Yellow rose lying there beside her. She never learned who left it.

Later, in high school, Alax had told her it was him. She had believed him — and slowly, she’d grown close to him, even started to like him.

But now, lying there in the quiet, with Aria’s voice fading from the call, Elara realized the truth was something else entirely.