"The distance between Iroya and Maruga"

"NAME" Part 2

The night after their victory sleepover had come and gone, but something still tugged at Iroya’s mind.

Even as the morning sun painted gold across his room and his phone buzzed with new group messages, he couldn’t shake the thought.

What’s his name...?

Later that day, Iroya and his friends met at the local mall. A new gaming place had just opened, and the trio wasn’t going to miss it.

“Hello, guys! Shall we check out the new game place in this mall?” Daniella asked, grinning with her usual energy.

Joshua pumped his fist. “Yeah!! Everyone’s saying it’s fire!”

But while the two were hyped, Iroya was unusually quiet, sitting in silence on one of the benches near the escalator.

Joshua noticed. “Hey, Iroya, what’s taking over your mind since yesterday? You’ve been zoning out.”

“Admit it,” Daniella chimed in. “You know you can trust us.”

Iroya sighed. “Guys... I have something to confess.”

The two exchanged curious looks.

“I think... I have a crush on the guy from the competition yesterday.”

Both Joshua and Daniella froze mid-step.

Daniella blinked. “Wa-what?? You’re gay?”

Iroya chuckled. “I’m not gay, i***t!”

He leaned back on the bench and explained.

“At first, I was confused. I thought maybe I was gay because I was attracted to a boy. But I did some research... and it turns out I’m not gay—I’m bisexual.”

Daniella looked puzzled. “What does bisexual even mean?”

Joshua smacked her forehead playfully. “It means you're into both men and women, you idiot.”

Daniella yelped and rubbed her head. “Ow! Rude!”

Iroya burst into laughter at the scene in front of him. The weird tension broke, and he finally felt lighter sharing the truth.

Daniella, still a bit flustered, turned serious again.

“Then why do you look so distressed about it?”

Iroya looked down at his hands.

“Because... I forgot to ask for his name.”

“WHAT?!” Joshua yelled. “You moron! That’s the most important part!”

Iroya threw his hands up. “I know! I was starstruck, okay? I congratulated his team, he smiled at me, and my brain just... melted.”

They all started laughing—Joshua nearly doubled over while Daniella clutched her stomach.

“What are you guys laughing at, huh? This is serious!” Iroya groaned.

Daniella wiped a tear from her eye. “C’mon, let’s just go to the game place before you forget your own name too.”

“Whatever...” Iroya muttered, hiding a grin.

The new game zone was bright, noisy, and full of flashing lights. The trio ran around trying different games—from racing simulators to a wild dance battle. Iroya managed to beat Joshua twice in air hockey, which earned him an energy drink and bragging rights.

Three hours flew by like minutes.

Daniella flopped down on a bean bag near the exit. “I’m starving. Let’s eat somewhere nearby!”

“Same. Let’s go to Jollibee!” Iroya suggested.

“Perfect. Let’s move!” Joshua agreed.

They found a table in the corner of the restaurant, placed their orders, and waited. Iroya pulled out his phone, scrolling absentmindedly through i********: stories.

“Gosh, I’m at 2 percent. I need to charge—”

Then he froze.

There he was.

Maruga.

One of Iroya’s mutual friends had posted a group photo, and Maruga’s face was in it—clear as day, smiling softly like he always did.

His name was tagged on the photo.

Iroya's heart skipped.

“Oh my God...” he whispered. He tapped on the tag to see the profile—

But the screen went black.

Battery dead.

“NOOO!!” Iroya cried, slamming his phone on the table.

Daniella and Joshua looked up, startled.

“What happened?!” Daniella asked.

“I-I just saw his account tagged on a story—but my phone died before I could read his name!”

Joshua laughed. “Dude. It’s okay! You can just charge your phone and check later. Chill.”

Their conversation was cut off when the waiter arrived with trays of crispy chicken, spaghetti, and fries.

“Here’s your food, ma’am and sirs. Enjoy your meal!”

The food lifted the mood instantly. They dug in, talked about school gossip, and made fun of each other’s game scores. By the time they left, the sky was already dimming into orange dusk.

Outside, Daniella waved as they went their separate ways.

“Bye guys! I had so much fun today. See you at school!”

“Yeah, we made some good memories today.” Joshua added.

“Alright, alright. See ya!” Iroya said, barely hiding his urgency to get home.

The moment Iroya got home, he rushed to his room, plugged in his phone, and waited. As soon as it turned on, he opened i********: and scrolled through his friend’s story again.

There it was—the tagged photo.

With shaky fingers, he tapped the username.

The profile loaded slowly.

Then he saw it.

Maruga Genshi.

His name.

“S-So this is your name... Maruga Genshi...” Iroya whispered, staring at the screen.

A soft smile formed on his lips.

Finally, the name that had haunted his thoughts had a face—and now, a name to match.