Love and Red Coloured Ties

Chapter song: Good Looking - Suki Waterhouse 

After the excitement of last Friday's big game, life in the dorms returned to its usual buzz. But for two residents, Julius and Eirie, the atmosphere felt charged with tension.

Ever since Eirie had discovered Julius's crush on Agares, their dynamic shifted dramatically. Julius often caught Eirie staring at him, only to be met with hostile glares when their eyes locked.

Julius was puzzled. Eirie, typically shy and reserved, seemed uncharacteristically aggressive. Even if Eirie liked Agares too, they weren't together—so why the hostility? To Julius, having feelings for someone wasn't a crime.

What started as a few glaring encounters escalated into petty sabotage. Eirie would linger in the bathroom for ages, trip Julius when he walked by, or interrupt any conversation he had with Agares at the worst moments. It was infuriating, and Julius had reached his limit.

He thought to himself, *Isn't he supposed to be the mature one here?* This reflection came after Eirie had shoved him aside to claim an object that Agares wanted.

Determined to confront Eirie, Julius cornered him near the staircase, blocking any chance of escape.

"Look, we need to talk," Julius said, keeping his tone steady.

Eirie feigned innocence, tilting his head with a practiced look of confusion. "What's wrong, Julius?"

Julius bit back the urge to roll his eyes. "He deserves an award for that act." He thought to himself.

"You've been acting strange since that day," Julius pressed.

"Strange how?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Eirie. The glaring and your childish antics have gone too far. If you have a problem with me, just say it!" he snapped.

Eirie's façade crumbled, revealing genuine surprise. "Wow, I didn't know the shy and reserved Julius could raise his voice like this."

"Anyone would be angry if their roommate was constantly tormenting them for no reason," Julius shot back, his frustration palpable.

"Ha. Nothing wrong? Spare me. You know exactly what you did!" Eirie sneered.

Julius's eyes widened in surprise; he hadn't expected such venom.

"What did I do that's so wrong?" he asked, trying to keep his tone steady.

"Liking Agares," Eirie shot back.

Julius stared at him, bewildered. "Since when is it wrong to like someone? He's not even in a relationship, so why do you care?"

"It's your cocky attitude. You act like Agares belongs to you, like you have some future together. News flash: you don't. He'll never like you, and if he gets into a relationship, it won't be with you."

Julius was taken aback. Had Eirie completely lost it? When had he ever acted possessive of Agares?

"And let's face it: the only reason you like Agares is his looks. You're just as shallow as I am," Eirie continued, his smirk infuriating.

"What? That's not true!" Julius exclaimed, feeling defensive. "I like Agares for who he is, not just for his face."

Sure, Agares was attractive, but that wasn't the reason for his feelings. Julius knew his emotions ran deeper than mere infatuation. If they were only skin-deep, he would have moved on by now. His feelings were genuine, profound; there was no way he could simply forget about Agares. Having someone belittle that was infuriating.

With each word from Eirie, his annoyance grew, and Julius felt his patience waning.

"Then what other reason could you possibly have to like him?" Eirie asked incredulously.

Julius frowned. "You're making it sound like the only reason is his looks. Agares has so many other great qualities."

"Don't push your messed-up ideals of Agares onto me," He retorted, arms crossed.

Eirie scoffed. "Whatever. It's not like you even have a chance. Someone as rich and attractive as him would never date someone like you."

"For your information, Agares isn't superficial. He doesn't judge someone's worth based solely on their looks. If you think that, then you don't really know him. He's more than just a pretty face; he's a person. Claiming to be in love with him when you don't truly understand him is an insult to the word itself. You don't actually like Agares; you just like the idea of him," Julius shot back.

A sense of superiority washed over Julius as he faced Eirie. While Eirie knew only one facet of Agares, Julius had seen much more. He couldn't believe he had ever considered Eirie a threat.

As their argument escalated, the door at the end of the hall creaked open. Agares peeked out, curious about the commotion. Though he didn't catch every word, snippets of their conversation made it clear: Julius liked him.

Agares froze, the implications of Julius's confession crashing over him like a wave. The realization sent a thrill through him, and to his surprise, a small smile crept onto his face—subtle but genuine. He found himself unconsciously moving toward the two boys when a voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Haha, what a riot." Silas laughed, stepping into view, clearly entertained.

Agares glanced at Silas, who observed the scene with amusement. "Don't you guys realize you're talking right in front of our door? People can hear you."

Eirie paled, suddenly aware that his belligerence had been exposed. He had maintained his façade as the sweet, demure boy for so long, and now his cover was blown.

Without a word, Eirie slipped away, avoiding eye contact with the two boys.

Julius stood there, cheeks flushed, still reeling from the confrontation. Silas noticed and cracked a playful smile. "Relax, man. I only said that to scare two-faced blondie over there. I'm pretty sure we're the only ones home since the rest of the guys are at club activities."

"Oh," Julius replied, a sigh of relief escaping him.

"Wait, but why are you here?" he asked.

"I wasn't feeling well, so I skipped," Silas replied proudly.

Julius gave him a skeptical look. Silas seemed perfectly fine, but he chose not to press the issue. "If you say so."

The two boys walked toward their room, chatting about the earlier events before closing the door behind them.

Agares stood by his door, unnoticed, the smile fading from his face as he was left feeling lost.

"…Julius likes me?"