MY RIVAL BECOME MY LOVER

Chapter 16:The Final Countdown

*Day 146.*

Jay woke up and counted.

Not days since Brian left.

Days until Brian comes home.

*6 days.*

He wrote on the wall under their names, under _Day 32: He came back_:

*Day 146: 6 days left.*

Maya walked in with coffee. "You are counting again?"

"Always counting."

"You counted yesterday too. And the day before."

"Because yesterday was 7, today is 6, tomorrow is 5. That's how countdown works, Maya."

Maya sat on his bed. "Jay, are you okay? You look... weird. Happy but weird."

"I'm happy-weird. That's allowed when your boyfriend comes home in 6 days after 152 days."

His phone buzzed.

*Brian [5:32 AM Singapore]:* Woke up. Your jersey smells like you now. I wore it to sleep. My roommate says I am disgusting and in love.

*Jay:* You ARE disgusting and in love. When is your flight?

*Brian:* Day 152. 11 PM flight. Land Day 153 morning 6 AM your time. Room 14 time.

*Jay:* I will be at airport at 5 AM. With sign.

*Brian:* What sign?

*Jay:* You will see.

---

*Day 147 - 5 days left.*

Jay cleaned Room 14.

Not normal cleaning. INSANE cleaning.

He fixed the buzzing air conditioner. He washed both bedsheets. He washed Brian's #14 jersey even though Brian said don't wash it because it smells like Jay. He vacuumed under the beds where 6 months of dinosaur socks and lost pens lived.

Davis walked by. "Lee, are you moving out?"

"No. My roommate is moving back IN."

"Ah. The Singapore boy. Finally."

"5 days."

Davis nodded. "You have a B+ waiting to become an A if you can focus again."

"I can focus now."

Sera came with a small box. "For Brian. Welcome back gift. Tell him I said sorry for sitting in his seat."

Jay opened it. It was a new pair of dinosaur socks.

Sera smiled. "I still ship you two. Even if you are annoying."

*Brian :* What are you doing?[Night]

*Jay:* Cleaning. Room 14 must be perfect for you.

*Brian:* It was perfect already because you were in it.

*Jay:* Cheesy. I like it. Keep going.

*Brian:* I packed. My dad cried. First time I saw my dad cry.

*Jay:* Why?

*Brian:* Because he said, "You are going back to your Room 14 boy, aren't you?" And I said yes. And he said, "Bring him to Singapore next winter, I want to meet the boy who made my son fly 4600km for 24 hours."

Jay cried a little at that. Then wrote on wall:

*Day 147: His dad wants to meet me.*

---

*Day 148 - 4 days left.*

Jay couldn't sleep.

He kept checking the clock. 2 AM. 3 AM. 4 AM.

At 4:13 AM he texted.

*Jay:* Are you awake?

*Brian [4:14 AM - instant]:* Yes. Can't sleep. 4 days.

*Jay:* Me too. What if plane is late?

*Brian:* Then you wait. I will come.

*Jay:* What if you forget how Room 14 smells?

*Brian:* Never. It smells like old books, your shampoo, and my jersey.

*Jay:* What if... what if we are awkward after 152 days apart?

Silence for 2 minutes. Jay panicked.

Then Brian called. Video call.

Brian's face, messy hair, Singapore morning light behind him.

"Jay, look at me. We were not awkward after 32 days when I came back for 24 hours and we fell on floor. We will not be awkward after 152 days. We are Room 14. We are never awkward. We are just us."

Jay nodded, tears.

"Show me wall," Brian said.

Jay flipped camera. The wall full of lines.

_Day 1: He left._

_Day 32: He came back._

_Day 146: 6 days left._

_Day 147: His dad wants to meet me._

Brian was quiet. "Add one more."

Jay took pen. Wrote on camera for Brian to see:

*Day 148: 4 days left and I love you more than 4600km.*

Brian smiled. "I love you more than 4600km too. And more than chicken rice."

"That's big. You LOVE chicken rice."

"I love you more."

They fell asleep on video call. Again.

---

*Day 149 - 3 days left.*

Maya helped Jay make sign.

Big cardboard. Colorful. Letters:

*WELCOME HOME #14 - ROOM 14 FOREVER*

"This is ugly," Maya said.

"It's beautiful. He will cry."

"He cries at everything."

"He cried when I wore his jersey, yes."

At night, Jay packed a small bag. For airport.

Inside: Brian's dinosaur socks keychain, Polaroid from Day 1, cold chicken rice container (cleaned, for memory), and new Polaroid film.

*Brian:* 3 days. I am scared.

*Jay:* Why scared?

*Brian:* What if you changed? What if you don't like me now? What if you like someone taller?

*Jay:* Bri, I am dating a guy who flew 4600km for 24 hours to explain a cousin photo. No taller guy can beat that. You are stuck with me.

*Brian:* Good. Be stuck forever.

---

*Day 150 - 2 days left.*

Room 14 had visitors.

All floor came. Davis brought pizza. Sera brought cake that said "152 DAYS OVER" but she spelled OVER as OBER and everyone laughed.

They all signed the wall. Small messages around Jay and Brian's names.

_Davis: Finally, Lee can get an A again._

_Sera: Ship sailing home!_

_Maya: I guarded this room 152 days. My job done._

Jay cried. Again. He cries a lot now.

*Day 151 - 1 day left.*

Jay didn't go to class.

He went to airport at 5 PM even though flight is tomorrow 6 AM. He sat in arrivals and waited 13 hours. Security thought he was homeless. Maya brought him blanket.

"Jay, his flight is TOMORROW," Maya said.

"I know. I want to be first person he sees when he lands. First."

At 11 PM Singapore time, Brian texted:

*Brian:* Boarding now. 6 hours. See you soon, roommate.

*Jay:* See you soon, boyfriend. I'm at airport already.

*Brian:* WHAT? Jay Lee, it's 13 hours early!

*Jay:* I know. I counted. 152 days I waited. 13 hours is nothing.

Brian sent photo: Him on plane, eyes red, holding Polaroid of Room 14.

*Brian:* Me too. Can't wait to come home.

Home. Not Singapore. Not dorm. Room 14. Jay.

---

*Day 152 - 0 days left.*

6:00 AM.

Flight board: *SQ 2022 Singapore -> Landing 6:03 AM - LANDED*

Jay stood with ugly sign, wearing Brian's #14 jersey, dinosaur socks, holding Polaroid camera.

People coming out. Business men. Families. Kids.

Then.

Brian.

Same hoodie. Same messy hair. Bigger suitcase this time. No return ticket.

He saw sign. He saw Jay. He dropped suitcase.

Jay dropped sign.

They ran.

Middle of airport arrivals, 6:05 AM, two boys hugging like in movies but real, with 152 days of missing in it.

Brian picked Jay up, spun him, same as Day 32 but this time no 24 hours limit. This time forever.

"You came early," Brian whispered into Jay's hair.

"You came home," Jay whispered back.

"I did. Room 14, I'm home."

Jay was crying, laughing, hitting him. "You i***t! You made me count 152 days!"

"You counted wrong. It was 152 days of me loving you from far."

Maya filmed from behind pillar, crying and screaming, "MY SHIP IS HOME! MY SHIP IS HOME!"

Brian took sign, held it up. "Welcome home #14? I'm #14?"

"You are MY #14. Always."

They walked out of airport holding hands, suitcase rolling, sign dragging, with 152 lines on wall waiting for one more line.

Back in Room 14, Jay wrote final line.

Not with pen. With Polaroid photo of them at airport today, taped over all old lines.

Under it, he wrote:

*Day 153: He came home. For good. Room 14 forever.*

Brian read it, then kissed him slow, home kiss, not airport desperate kiss.

"Room 14 forever?" Brian asked.

"Forever is 152 days times infinity," Jay said.

"That's a lot."

"That's us."

Outside Room 14, the buzzing air conditioner finally stopped buzzing. Because Jay fixed it. Because home doesn't buzz. Home is quiet. Home is Brian's breathing next to him in small forever