SUYEN
I sat cross-legged on my bed, flipping through the pages of my manga, trying to immerse myself in the story. But no matter how much I focused, I couldn’t drown out the faint rustling sounds coming from across the room.
Marcus was on the floor, surrounded by a mess he’d created after opening one of my boxes—the one where I’d shoved all my medals, trophies, and certificates. He had this habit of making himself way too comfortable, like my personal space didn’t even exist.
“You’ve got quite the stash here,” he said, holding up one of my chess trophies like it was some kind of treasure. His voice was light, teasing even, but I could see he was genuinely curious.
“What are you doing?” I asked, glaring at him over the edge of my book.
“Admiring your collection,” he replied, inspecting a medal like it was a piece of fine art. “You should’ve told me I was hanging out with a child prodigy.”
“Put those back,” I muttered, turning another page in my manga.
“Why? You embarrassed about being talented?” he said with a smirk.
I rolled my eyes. “No, I just don’t need you touching my stuff.”
But he didn’t listen. Marcus never listens. Instead, he picked up one of my certificates and let out a low whistle. “Top three in the Nationals?” he said, raising an eyebrow. “Damn, Suyen. You’re insane.”
I tried to ignore him, but my patience was wearing thin. “Marcus, seriously, stop going through my things.”
“Relax, I’m just looking,” he said, holding up his hands like I’d accused him of stealing. He set the certificate down and leaned back against the wall, one knee up, looking far too at ease. “Didn’t peg you as the overachieving type.”
I snorted. “Yeah, well, people don’t usually peg me as anything, do they?”
He fell silent after that, but I could still feel his presence—like a persistent itch I couldn’t scratch. I tried to lose myself in my manga again, but the words blurred together. Eventually, though, the quiet settled over us like a blanket, and I started to relax.
The room felt warm and calm. Too calm.
I didn’t even realize I’d fallen asleep until I woke up to the faint sound of rustling paper and the soft clink of something being set on the table.
Blinking groggily, I glanced at the clock on my bedside table. 3:30 PM. How long had I been out?
I sat up slowly, rubbing my eyes, and that’s when I saw Marcus.
He was at my desk, arranging something. I blinked again, trying to make sense of the scene. There was a stack of burgers and a couple of cups of milk tea sitting on my table.
“What… are you doing?” I asked, my voice raspy from sleep.
Marcus turned around, a grin spreading across his face. “Good afternoon, sleepyhead. Thought you’d never wake up.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Why are you still here?”
“Because you’re fun to bother,” he said simply, leaning back against the table. “Also, I figured you’d be hungry, so I got food. You’re welcome.”
My stomach growled at the mention of food, betraying me immediately. Marcus smirked.
“You didn’t have to,” I muttered, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed.
“No, I didn’t,” he said, opening one of the burger wrappers and taking a big bite. “But I wanted to. Besides, you look like you haven’t eaten all day.”
I ignored his comment and reached for one of the milk teas. The moment the cold drink hit my tongue, I sighed. Okay, maybe I was starving.
“See? Told you,” Marcus said, pointing at me with his burger.
I shot him a glare, but he just grinned wider. “Don’t look at me like that. You’re welcome, by the way.”
“For what?”
“For being the thoughtful guy who brings food to his grumpy friend,” he said, dramatically placing a hand over his heart.
“Thoughtful? You’re annoying,” I said, taking another sip of my drink.
“And yet, here you are, eating the food I brought,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “Admit it, you’d miss me if I weren’t around.”
I scoffed. “Yeah, sure. Like I’d miss a mosquito.”
He laughed, that stupid, carefree laugh of his that always sounded like he didn’t have a single worry in the world. It annoyed me how easy he made it look to just... be.
“So,” Marcus said after a moment, his tone suddenly more casual. “What’s with all the medals and stuff? You never talk about it.”
I shrugged. “There’s nothing to talk about.”
“Bullshit,” he said, his eyes narrowing slightly. “You don’t just win national tournaments and act like it’s no big deal.”
“Maybe I don’t want to talk about it,” I said, a bit sharper than I intended.
Marcus didn’t seem fazed. He just leaned back in his chair, chewing thoughtfully on his burger. “Fair enough,” he said finally. “But for what it’s worth, I think it’s pretty cool.”
I didn’t know how to respond to that, so I stayed quiet.
We ate in silence for a while, the quiet between us surprisingly comfortable. It wasn’t until I reached for the last burger that Marcus smirked again.
“Didn’t take you for a big eater,” he teased, nudging the wrapper toward me.
I rolled my eyes. “Says the guy who inhaled two burgers in five minutes.”
“Hey, I’m a growing boy,” he said, flexing his arm dramatically.
I snorted. “You’re ridiculous.”
“And you love it,” he said, leaning back with a satisfied grin.
I didn’t dignify that with a response, but the corners of my mouth twitched despite myself. Marcus had that effect on people—like no matter how much he annoyed you, you couldn’t help but smile.
As I finished my food, I caught him glancing at the box of awards again, his expression softer now.
“What?” I asked, feeling defensive.
“Nothing,” he said, shaking his head. “Just thinking it’s a shame you don’t show this stuff off more. You worked hard for it.”
I looked away, fiddling with my empty cup. “It doesn’t matter. None of it does.”
“Bullshit,” Marcus said again, his tone firm but not unkind. “You’re allowed to be proud of yourself, Suyen. Even if no one else is.”
I swallowed hard, the words hitting me in a way I wasn’t prepared for.
“Thanks,” I muttered after a long pause, my voice barely above a whisper.
Marcus didn’t push any further, and I was grateful for that. Instead, he stood up, stretched, and looked around my room like he owned the place.
“Next time,” he said, turning back to me with a grin, “you’re buying the food.”
I rolled my eyes again, but this time, there was a faint smile tugging at my lips. “Yeah, yeah. Now get out of my room.”
“Make me,” he said, sticking his tongue out before plopping back down on the floor like he had no intention of leaving.
I sighed, picking up my manga again. As much as I hated to admit it, having Marcus around wasn’t the worst thing in the world.
But I’d never tell him that.
****