Ethan stared at the camera. "Can you… fix it or something ? Since you're into tech?"
"Okay, let me see," Dylan said, taking it. He pressed the power button but nothing happened. He tried it again and still nothing.
He glanced at the lens, then at Ethan. "If it won't turn on," he said slowly, "I can't access anything."
A weight fell on Ethan's gut.
"But I need it urgently for the project," Ethan said quickly. "I'm apparently supposed to give the report tomorrow."
"We'll have to take it to a camera shop then."
"Is there one around here?"
"I don't know. Let's check the map."
They found eight nearby shops, but one by one, they were closed. Desperately, they even tried asking passersby.
"Camera shop?" "No." "Sorry, none here."
Finally, an older man came up to them and pointed to a small shop just past the junction.
They found the shop, but the repairman was agonizingly slow. He poked at the camera a few times, muttering in an inaudible tone.
"It'll take time... like hours to back up the files, and finally repair it."
Ethan finally crashed out. He checked his watch, and it was late, he still hadn't even studied for his morning quiz, but that was the least of his worries.
"I… I have to go," he muttered, "or I'll miss the last bus. But I need this camera for the report"
Dylan looked at the repairman, then at Ethan. He reached out and gripped Ethan's shoulder.
"You go," Dylan said. "I'll just stay back and make sure it's fixed. I'll bring it to you tomorrow at school, unfailingly. What time's the report meeting?"
"In the afternoon, after the quiz."
Dylan nodded, followed by a quick contact exchange. Ethan's words tumbled out in a rush. "Thank you. Seriously, thank you so much. Thank you!"
"You've said that three times already," Dylan teased.
"I mean all three!" Ethan said, heart racing, relief flooding him as he turned and hurried off into the night, heart pounding with a goal of not daring to miss that bus.
_____________________
The elevator ride to Adrian's floor was something Ryan was already used to. This was the eighth tutoring session, and the heavy, suffocating feeling that had pressed on his chest the first day he stepped in was gone. The space no longer intimidated him.
Tomorrow would be his first quiz since Adrian started tutoring him, and he couldn't help but pray it went well.
As the elevator ascended, Ryan mentally sorted through questions, storing the ones he needed clarification on, the areas he wanted to dig into deeper. He repeated formulas in his head, rearranged concepts, testing himself quietly.
The doors opened.
And as usual, Mr. Reginald received him at the door. Ryan followed him inside, already expecting the familiar routine, which was straight to the staircase and then to Adrian's room... and then the study.
But halfway through the living room, Mr. Reginald stopped.
So did Ryan.
Adrian sat on the couch, back facing him, head bent slightly as he focused on a tablet resting on his knee. Ryan instinctively took a step forward, then stopped midway.
He had company... no companies.
The living space was structured in a way that some areas weren't visible from every angle. And seated on a couch tucked into one of those blind spots was a guy who looked oddly familiar. Ryan was certain he'd seen him before, more than once even, but he just couldn't place where exactly.
The guy turned, noticing him immediately.
"Who's the kid?" Mike asked, tipping his head toward Mr. Reginald. His voice echoed casually through the room as his gaze shifted from Adrian to Ryan.
Adrian turned slightly, about to respond. "That's..."
"Someone is here?"
Ryan spun around to the voice coming from behind him, near the kitchen. A figure walking out, a fork stabbing a strawberry from a bowl in his hand, and tossing the fruit into his mouth.
It was a face Ryan would never forget.
Liam.
Liam's head snapped toward Ryan, their eyes locking instantly, and a sharp flicker of recognition hit both of them.
It was the first time Ryan had seen those eyes since the hospital. The first time since the "Hi" texts had been left to rot in an unanswered thread for days.
Ryan opened his mouth, the words "You're here?" or "Why didn't you reply?" trembling on his tongue, but he was cut off instantly.
"He's just someone I tutor," Adrian replied from the couch, not even looking up from his tablet.
"You tutor someone?!" the two friends said in unison, an identical shock written across their faces.
Adrian finally looked up with an indifferent expression. "Yeah. Is it something so shocking?"
"Yeah, it's very shocking," Mike chirped. "I mean, since when did you have the patience for any of that?"
Adrian briefly looked at him, said nothing, and continued whatever he was doing.
Liam, meanwhile, moved back toward the kitchen island, leaning against it. The bowl was still gripped in his hands, fork resting inside.
The initial shock in his eyes had faded, replaced by something quieter and more like curiosity as he glanced between Ryan and Adrian, his gaze lingering a second longer than necessary each time.
"Oh, Dylan will be so shocked to hear this," Mike laughed, staring Ryan up and down openly. "Anyways, what's your name, kid? If he's tutoring you, I might as well get to know you then."
"I'm Ryan," Ryan replied, unsure what exactly he was supposed to be feeling in that moment.
"And I'm Mike," he said easily. "So tell me, how much are you paying him for this? Or did you sell a kidney?"
"Mike, could you stop pestering the master's guest?" Mr. Reginald intervened sharply, already turning to follow Adrian as he started up the stairs.
"Why are you making me the bad guy?" Mike protested, trailing after them. "That was a harmless question."
He climbed the staircase close behind Adrian, lowering his voice as he leaned toward his ear. "Now I see the reason why you've been missing our usual Friday nights. He doesn't look bad, though."
"Can you not say anything unnecessary?" Adrian snapped, his voice trailing off as they disappeared around the corner.
The lounge fell silent with just Ryan and Liam and the sounds of Mike's receding laughter and the distant thud of footsteps on the up-floor corridor.
Ryan stayed rooted to the spot, turning to face Liam, who was still nabbing and slowly chewing on his strawberries.
"That took me by surprise," Liam said finally, straightening himself.
"I guess so," Ryan tittered, the sound nervous and thin in the large room. "I didn't know you'd be a friend to Adrian."
"I didn't know my friend would be a tutor too... and you being the student. That's more like a double shock."
"Yeah, it's a small world..." Ryan shrugged. "I guess that explains the headphones," he said, glancing toward the stairs where Adrian had disappeared.
Liam tilted his head. "The headphones? The ones I gave you?"
"Yeah. Apparently, Adrian has the exact same type. I thought it was just a coincidence."
"Oh… um, it actually came as a pair, so I gave the other one to Adrian."
"Ha, that explains it," Ryan laughed softly, biting his lower lip.
Finally, the mystery of the identical headphones made sense. It wasn't some coincidence, though he didn't dwell on it, letting the thought slip as he focused on the person in front of him.
"What bout you? You both just tutoring?" Liam asked, leaning back slightly.
"Yeah. But it's started recently, though... nothing else..." Ryan paused, looking up at Liam with a shy, honest curiosity. "And you, why did you suddenly go mute? I sent a lot of unreplied texts... figured maybe you were stuck with work, but you should have just dropped something, at least."
Liam dropped the bowl on the counter and walked up to him, closing the distance between them.
"Hey, it's really not like that," Liam said, his voice dropping to that soft tone. "I was really busy at the hospital. I couldn't get the time to make calls and send texts, only the important ones got through." He reached out, running a hand over Ryan's curls gently.
"And, um, I got back to school just yesterday. My plan was to meet Adrian first and then meet you," He leaned slightly, lowering his head to meet Ryan's eyes. "Guess it all just had to happen at the same time. I'm really sorry if it felt like I ignored your messages."
"Nah, it's fine," Ryan said quickly, a genuine smile tugging at his mouth, with the worries he'd carried the last few days gradually fading away
"How about dinner later? Let's catch up on those texts I ignored. That's my punishment," Liam offered with a small, inviting smile.
Ryan let out a quiet laugh. "What punishment? It's just dinner, why are you..." He paused, looking up to the person descending the staircase
Mike leaned over the railing, "Hey tutee, your tutor's waiting," he teased, his voice echoing through the space.
Liam reached out, his hand resting briefly on Ryan's shoulder, bringing back his attention.
"Ryan, you go ahead. I'll text you the place, or you can just let me know when you'd be free for it."
"Alright then," Ryan said, giving a small wave.
He started up the staircase, passing Mike as they both locked eyes for a brief, silent moment, acknowledging each other.
Mike walked down to join Liam, his gaze still lingering on Ryan's retreating back. "You both know each other?"
"Yeah, kinda," Liam said, turning toward the door. "We met at the hospital."
"Ohh," Mike replied with a slight, thoughtful nod. He followed Liam toward the exit, still taking short glances back at the stairs as if trying to sense something cooking under the surface.
This will be one hell of a ride, Mike laughed internally as the door clicked closed behind them.
Up the stairs, Ryan made his way to the usual study room, and, as usual, Mr. Reginald served him tea or coffee, whichever he requested, while he waited for Adrian.
But where could Adrian have gone? Every time he waited, it was always Adrian not being at home. And yet now, when he had actually met him at home, why wasn't he coming?
He had a quiz tomorrow and wanted to use today to prepare, to cover as much as he could. Cause the two days weekly sessions Adrian fixed had never felt enough, and yet he still couldn't make the most of them, because Adrian was always late.
And even though his exams were still weeks away, the uncertainty gnawed at him. He wasn't sure he would be able to cover enough to pass the minimum GPA required to maintain his scholarship.
He lay his head on the table, his forehead resting in his outstretched hands. He wished he could vent, complain, resonate with Adrian about all this, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it.
The tutoring was free, given out of Adrian's goodwill. So what more could he ask for?