MY RIVAL BECOME MY LOVER

Chapter 12:The Promise

There were 23 days left before Singapore.

23 days. Jay counted every day on his calendar with a red heart. He crossed out 7 days already. It felt like watching a timer to a breakup he didn't want.

Tonight was different. Brian's dad had called. Flights booked. December 15th. Official.

After the call, Brian was quiet. Too quiet.

Jay was sitting at his desk, trying to study, but he couldn't. He kept looking at Brian who was sitting on his bed, staring at his suitcase.

"Bri?"

"Hmm?"

"Come here."

Brian looked up. Jay patted the floor. Their spot. Where they always ate noodles.

Brian came and sat across from him.

Jay took his hands. "23 days left. We need rules."

"Rules?"

"For long distance. Like Room 14 rules, but for Singapore rules. So we don't break up."

Brian squeezed his hands. "We won't break up."

"Promise first, rules second. Okay, Rule 1: Video call every day. Even if it's 5 minutes. Even if you have party."

"Every day. I promise."

"Rule 2: No lying. Even if it's bad news. Like if some pretty girl in Singapore tries to flirt with you, you tell me."

Brian smiled. "No pretty girl in Singapore is as pretty as you. But I promise, I will tell you everything."

Jay blushed. "Rule 3: You have to wear something of mine. So you remember."

Brian pulled at Jay's dinosaur socks which he was already wearing. "I'm already doing that."

"Good. Rule 4..." Jay hesitated. His voice got small. "Rule 4: You have to come back. You have to come back to Room 14. To me."

The room went silent. The buzzing air conditioner, the rain outside.

Brian moved closer. He was on his knees now, in front of Jay. He cupped Jay's face with both hands.

"Jay Lee, listen to me. I am coming back. 6 months is nothing. I've waited 21 years to find a roommate who doesn't hate me. I'm not losing him to 4600 kilometers."

Jay's eyes were wet. "What if you like Singapore more? What if your dad makes you stay?"

"Then I will bring you to Singapore. You can be annoying in Singapore too."

Jay laughed with tears. "I'm not annoying!"

"You are. My annoying."

Brian leaned in and kissed him. Soft at first. Then deeper, because 23 days felt too short suddenly.

Jay kissed back, his hands fisting Brian's t-shirt. "Stay tonight? In my bed? I mean... our floor spot is cold."

Brian picked him up. Jay yelped.

"Your bed is too small for two," Brian whispered against his lips.

"Then we make it fit."

They fell onto Jay's bed. It creaked. It was indeed too small. So Brian was half on Jay, Jay was half under Brian, their legs tangled.

Jay was wearing Brian's big black shirt again. Brian was in sweatpants.

"Bri, can I ask something stupid?" Jay whispered, his face red.

"Anything."

"Before Singapore... can we... can we be closer? Like... really close?"

Brian froze. He understood what Jay meant. Jay had never... neither of them had ever with anyone.

"Jay, are you sure? We don't have to—"

"I want to. I want my first time to be with you. Before you go. So when you go, you remember."

Brian's breath caught. He looked at Jay, really looked at him. Red cheeks, big eyes, trusting him completely.

"Are you sure?"

Jay nodded. He was shaking a little, but not from fear. From wanting.

"Okay," Brian whispered, his voice hoarse. "We go slow. If you want to stop, we stop. Promise me."

"I promise."

Brian kissed him again, slower this time. He kissed his forehead, his mole under his eye, his cheeks, his nose, until Jay was giggling and squirming.

"Stop, that's ticklish!"

"Good. I want you to laugh."

He kissed Jay's lips, soft and careful. His hands went under Jay's - no, his own shirt that Jay was wearing - and touched his waist. Warm skin.

Jay gasped. "Your hands are cold!"

"Sorry," Brian laughed, warming them. "Better?"

"Much better."

They were kissing under the small blanket now. The room was dark except for the little warm lamp on the desk. Rain on the window. Room 14 was quiet.

Jay's hands were in Brian's hair. Brian's hands were holding Jay's waist like he was something precious.

"Jay, you are so... you have no idea," Brian whispered.

"What?"

"How much I..."

He didn't finish. He just held Jay tighter.

After a while, they just lay there, breathing hard, forehead to forehead, messy hair, swollen lips, tangled in the blanket.

Jay's shirt was half off, Brian's sweatpants were low. But nothing more than kisses and touches. Soft, first-time, clumsy but full of love. They didn't go all the way - not yet. Not tonight. Tonight was just for promises.

"This is enough," Jay whispered, hiding his face. "This is more than enough."

Brian pulled the blanket over them both, creating their little fort again. He wrapped Jay completely in his arms.

"23 days," Brian said.

"23 days," Jay repeated, "and then 180 days after that. And then you come home."

"Home is where you are. Remember that."

"Cheesy again, Kim."

"You love cheesy."

"I love you," Jay said quietly. It slipped out. Second time in Room 14 someone said love.

Silence.

Then Brian kissed the top of his head. "I love you too, Lee. I loved you since you complained about my alarm."

Jay hit him. "You ruined the moment!"

"No I didn't."

They laughed under the blanket. Outside, the rain got heavier, but inside Room 14, under that blanket, it was the warmest place in Seoul.

Brian reached over and took a black marker from the desk.

"What are you doing?" Jay asked.

Brian lifted the edge of Jay's bed where the wood was. He wrote: *B + J = Room 14 - 12/15 Come Back*

"So when I'm gone, you look at this and remember I promised to come back," Brian said.

Jay took the marker and added below it: *I'll wait. With dinosaur socks.*

They fell asleep like that, marker still in hand, blanket fort, one small bed for two, 23 days left but promising forever.

Maya, who was spying again from the hallway window, took a blurry photo of their shadows under the blanket and captioned: "Room 14 is making promises tonight. I'm not crying, you are. #23Days"