Cold, uncomfortable, and tense. That's what this bed felt like ever since I became the youngest child of the Smiths. Felix woke up to the memory of his first experience on the bed, but the experience of its contradiction cuddled him. However, it feels different this time—it's soft, gentle, and warm.

6:30 AM

His eyes met the time at the analog clock on top of his wall, prompting him to get out of bed, but gently and carefully so as to not disturb the peacefully sleeping Ley in the messy state of his bed.

Felix always started his day standing in front of his closet, staring at the reflection of himself in the built-in mirror inside it to neatly brush his unkempt golden-brown morning hair with his hands.

Satisfied by the neatness of his hair, he closed the closet cabinet. But a sudden motion in his left peripheral vision caught his focus.

"You're awake, huh?" Felix says to Ley who was using the blanket to wrap his entire body, trying to hide the embarrassment.

"Ye—yes," Ley answered embarrassedly, pulling the blanket down as he revealed the top half of his body. "Did I... cross a line... sleeping here?"

"Did you get a good night's rest?" Felix casually asked.

"Oh. It was one of the best rests I've ever had," Ley replied enthusiastically, his display of discomfort and embarrassment fading. "Ahh... I take it you're okay with me sleeping here?"

"Yeah," Felix answered nonchalantly.

"Well... That's a relief. It's hard to tell with you because your face is so unexpressive," Ley murmured.

Felix smirks, hearing Ley's comment. "You know you're supposed to keep thoughts like that inside your head, right?"

"Glad to see you know how to smile," Ley said in relief as he matched Felix's smirk.

"How do you do that?" Felix asked curiously.

"Uhh... do what...?" Ley asked confusedly.

"Hmmm..." Ley pondered in his seat, staring at his blanket-covered legs. "Must be because you're so approachable."

"I see," Felix said doubtfully.

Shit... I can't tell if his response meant he believed me or not. I didn't know how to answer, and my mouth just instinctively lied. Fuck! Ley wondered.

Bothered by the curiosity in his mind, Felix walked over to the other side of the room, sliding his desk chair and facing it towards Ley as he sat down to ask a question. "Can I ask you a question?"

The curiosity in Felix's attitude was painfully obvious, so Ley quietly observed him, repositioning himself into a cross-legged posture in the bed, facing Felix.

"How are you holding up with this whole "adopted" situation?" Felix softly asked.

"I'm pretty okay with it, but if I'm being honest—" Ley answered partially, relieved that he managed to not overshare this time.

"Why'd you stop?" Felix questioned the hesitation.

"Uhh... It might be insensitive to say," Ley hesitantly answered.

"Don't hesitate; I'm the one who asked in the first place, so I'll be alright and won't be offended. Besides, it's just us here, anyways," Felix assured him.

"Oh... okay," Ley responded as he felt relief hearing Felix's assurance. "It's just that... while I'm extremely grateful that you and your family took me in, I'm afraid—no offense to you and your family—that I can't envision myself being a member of someone else's family other than my own."

Felix's gaze loosened, and his body exhaled comfortably in relief after hearing Ley's answer. "No—yeah, I get it. I'd probably think the same thing if I were in your shoes."

"So... the family, what are we to you?" Felix asked curiously.

"Well... aren't you so curious?" Ley said jokingly, causing Felix to reply with a gaze of uncertainty. "Relax. I'm just joking."

"I mean, I can't emphasize enough how incredibly kind, generous, and nice your family is to be taking in a brown boy from another country, but... all of you are strangers to me, as I am a stranger to all of you," Ley said gently. "But I do hope that we're not strangers to each other anymore..."

"What do you mean?" Felix said in confusion.

"I... would like us to be friends," Ley responded optimistically.

"How does being friends with you, well... benefit me?" Felix asked playfully.

"Ahh..." Ley nodded, smiling at Felix's playful response. "Hmmm... definitely not money. Not sure what I can offer yet, but I guess I can be a great friend...?"

"Okay," Felix replied nonchalantly, immediately voicing his innocent question. "And as a friend, can I ask you about your body?"

"Wow... weird question, but buy me dinner first," Ley answered jokingly.

"No—I meant I accidentally noticed the state of your body," Felix explained hastily.

"I kind of figured that out," Ley said with a smirk on his face as he stared at Felix. "You saw how skinny and skeleton-y I am, huh?"

"I... didn't. I was able to feel how light your body was when you buried me on my bed," Felix clarified.

"Oh. I see," Ley said nonchalantly, trying to brush off his enormous body insecurity in front of Felix. "Don't worry about it. It's just my unbelievably fast metabolism."

"Then it's good that it's time for breakfast," Felix exclaimed, standing up from his seat. "I will double your portion or quadruple it for you if it means recovering your healthy body back."

As the two went downstairs, joining the family for the routine breakfast, Mrs. Smith happily greeted them. "Ah. Glad to see you two come down at the same time. Are you two getting along well?"

"I think so, Mrs. Smith," Ley answered politely.

After the two had taken their usual seat upon Mrs. Smith's instruction, the family was stunned at the sight of the two—visibly relaxed and comfortably in their seats. It was unexplainable, but the usual silent and awkward atmosphere during the family meals with Ley was suddenly... lessened.

Mr. Smith, Mrs. Smith, Alex, and Iris exchanged confused gazes at each other, surprised by the sight of Felix putting an insane amount of food on Ley's plate. But none of them bothered to stop him, noticing Ley's unbothered attitude.

How sweet. Mrs. Smith softly smiled her satisfaction.

Buddies, huh? Mr. Smith curiously questioned.

Woah... Good for you, Felix. Alex internalizes.

Whatever makes the mission easier. Iris kept to herself.

The Smiths—or the agents of the organization—felt the moment's atmosphere as unrestricting, less tense, and uncomfortable, not like previously, like some kind of psychological torture waiting to worsen.

The relaxed and friendly energy Ley and Felix exuded during their breakfast was infectious. And it was only a fraction of a second that the agents envisioned themselves being comfortable with Ley.

"Uhm... Honey, Ley. We were planning to get you to the same class as Felix, but you will need to take a series of assessment tests. Would you be open to that?" Mrs. Smith asked, pausing her eating as she turned to Ley.

"Yes, Mrs. Smith. I'm open to taking them tomorrow," Ley answered respectfully.

The family's eyes lingered on Ley as disbelief took over their heads after hearing his response. Mrs. Smith thought Ley didn't understand, so she clarified it further. "Oh. I think you will need to study for them before you take them, and you still have a month to prepare."

"Oh. I see. But may I ask if it's possible for me to take them tomorrow?" Ley softly insisted.

"Alright," Mrs. Smith calmly responded, having no desire to push it any further. "Then, I will have it set up for tomorrow."

While the silence drags on at the dining table again, Ley has already finished eating before the family despite the quadruple amount of food placed by Felix.

Huh. That meal portion was four times the usual... but I don't really feel bloated. In fact, I actually feel much better. Ley wandered as he placed his dirty plate in the kitchen sink.

Felix wanted to catch up to Ley, so he tried eating as quickly as he could. He barely got caught up with Ley in the third-floor hallway, whom he found standing in front of his room, staring at the doorknob.

Alright! Let's bedrot watching! Ley excitedly exclaimed as he stood in front of his door.

"Hey..." Felix gently approached the spaced-out Ley. "Do... you want to continue watching our sitcom?"

"Hmm..." Ley pondered as he looked at Felix like he had forgotten something. "Don't you have a workout session in your room an hour from now?"

"I..." Felix remembered, "completely forgot about that."

"It's fine. We can watch some other time," Ley replied. "Besides, it's become a daily thing for me that I hear you work out in your room."

"Though, I was very relieved it wasn't sex sounds that I regularly hear in the morning coming from your room," Ley said with a smile on his face, joking. But upon seeing Felix's stunned face, he immediately dropped it and gave a concerned look. "Ahh... too friendly?"

"Oh. No–no. I'm just not used to someone being so friendly," Felix answered.

"I see..." Ley said doubtfully. "I mean, I could stop if it makes you uncomfortable."

"It doesn't, so keep them coming," Felix said amusedly.

"Good, because it's fun messing with you," Ley said proudly, leaving the hallway as he turned to enter his room. "Alright... So, see you later, I guess."

The bed felt cold and uncomfortable as it swallowed Ley's body as he laid his face flat into it. Well, that felt exhausting... I should probably nap this exhaustion off.

While Ley napped the exhaustion away in his bedroom, Felix worked out in his room, as it was a daily routine of his weekend. But just as he began working out, a feeling of boredom striked his mind.

Is there something wrong with me? He questions, pausing his workout for a moment. Why do I feel bored working out now when I haven't before?

This boredom... it bothers me. He ponders. I'd ask him for advice, but I think he's busy watching on his laptop.

An idea came up in his head: turning on the TV to put on the show as background while he works out. Maybe having the sitcom on will help.

...

A few hours later.

12:00 PM

It's already twelve in the afternoon? Felix expressed his shock, looking at the time on his clock after finishing his workout. And right after he was done working out, Felix would go on to the balcony and have a cigarette.

As noon arrived, Ley woke up from an unpleasant smell coming outside his room, instinctively covering his face with his blanket. Ugh. I know this smell.... Because I really hate this smell.

Fuck...! This smell is too strong. Wait. Don't tell me I have an enhanced sense of smell too...? I do, don't I? Ley sighs, climbing up quickly from his bed to follow where the smell was coming from.

Ley pulled the curtains of his glass door to his right as he instantly recognized the naked guy standing outside on the balcony of his room. Oh. It's just Felix.

The sound of the glass door's sliding onto the side caught Felix's attention, startling him for a second. "You scared me."

"Your cigarette's smell woke me up, so we're even," Ley said bitterly. Hearing himself, he sighed and cleared his annoyance. It's just a cigarette. There's no point in being annoyed by it.

"You should know that smoking is bad for you," Ley said, leaning his body onto the railing of the balcony. "Which is something I'd say to you as your friend."

"Hmm..." Felix hummed, silently nodding his uninterested attitude towards Ley's warning.

"It must be a busy noon for everyone if you're smoking," Ley mentioned, squinting at the village's beautiful homes through the balcony.

"It is," Felix casually responded, blowing smoke out of his mouth.

"Yeah... I did notice that it's just us who mostly eat at lunch," Ley replied, unaware that his eyes fell on Felix's body. Woah. He's hot!

To be continued on next part...