Chapter 3: Playing Boyfriend, Catching Feelings

5

After one night, I became Caleb's exclusive lackey.

I set my alarm early, scrounged for water bottles, and tried to fold his laundry just the way he liked it. I even practiced tying his jacket so it wouldn't bunch at the sleeves.

Wake up and fetch water for him, help him put on his jacket after washing, carry his bag when going out.

I'd never been so organized in my life. My mom would've been proud.

Afraid he'd be malnourished, I bought a pile of fruit and snacks for his desk.

I spent way too much at Trader Joe's and filled a basket with bananas, protein bars, and mini oranges.

Because of this, Lin and Derek, who usually got rough treatment from me, were super jealous.

They started whining, poking fun, acting like I'd betrayed the brotherhood.

"Unbelievable, when I had a cast, no one bought me supplements."

Derek made a show of dragging his foot, as if his sprained ankle was the tragedy of the year.

"Tsk tsk, with a wife like this, what more could a husband ask for."

Lin wiggled his eyebrows, smirking like he was auditioning for a sitcom.

I couldn't take it, threw a bottle of Flintstones vitamins at them: "If you don't want to die, shut up."

The bottle bounced off Lin's pillow, rolling under his bed. He stuck out his tongue, undeterred.

These two idiots, usually spared my beatings, now know I'm covering for Caleb, but still seize every chance to tease me.

I swear, they were born to be annoying. Every time I tried to chill, they popped up with another wisecrack.

"He's shy, don't joke about him."

Seeing they were about to speak again, Caleb closed his book and suddenly spoke up.

His tone was cool, but it carried weight. The room fell quiet, like someone hit mute.

After a short silence, Derek and Lin acted dramatic, hugging their chests and yelling about him being a protective husband.

Derek wailed, Lin pretended to swoon, both putting on a show worthy of drama club.

But after seeing Caleb's cold glare, they sensibly shut up.

I held my forehead, cursing these two unfilial sons in my heart thousands of times.

If only I could swap them for a pair of normal roommates. But the universe clearly had other plans.

Turns out my fists aren't as effective as one look from Caleb?

Damn.

But Caleb, who usually hates their noise, actually helped me out—he's really a good guy.

I was thinking that when I saw him take out dressings from the drawer to change his bandage.

His movements were precise, careful not to disturb the stitches.

As the bandage unwound, the stitched wound was fully exposed.

The ugly stitches made me suck in a breath.

I didn't use much force that day, how did I hurt him this bad...

My guilt doubled. I wanted to crawl under the bunk and hide.

Probably because one hand isn't convenient, Caleb struggled a bit rewrapping the bandage.

His jaw tightened, forehead creased. I hated seeing him struggle.

I rushed over: "How about...I do it?"

My hands shook a little, but I tried to sound calm.

Suddenly, two heavy medicine bottles were in my hand.

"Pull, then wrap. Don't touch the stitches," he murmured, like coaching me through it while I fumbled with the medical tape.

A smooth set of movements, totally different from his earlier grimacing.

He trusted me, giving a silent nod as I started wrapping the gauze.

I suddenly felt I was being played.

Whatever, it's my fault he got hurt.

My fingers worked quickly, trying not to mess it up. I could feel his pulse, steady and warm, under my touch.

6

Caleb's arm is injured, but he still has to attend class.

He walked with that don't-bother-me energy, never complained. I carried his bag, feeling weirdly proud.

Thinking about the forum rumors, I braced myself before going to class.

I took a deep breath before pushing open the door, ready for whatever nonsense might be thrown our way.

Unlike my nerves, Caleb seemed unconcerned.

He strolled in, cool as ever, hoodie hanging off his shoulders. It was almost infuriating how calm he was.

His calm attitude made Derek and Lin admire him even more.

They whispered about him like he was a Marvel superhero.

They said only a top student, heartless and unfeeling, could be so chill.

Even being seen as gay, he's so relaxed.

I scoffed at their admiration.

It was all bravado, I thought. No way I'd be that chill if the whole campus was talking about me.

It's just self-hypnosis, what's the big deal.

But when I opened the door, I realized what real composure was.

About our fake couple status, at first some classmates gossiped.

Their eyes darted our way, voices dropping to whispers. I could feel the tension.

But when they saw us walk in, everyone shut up.

...Just a minute ago, they were cursing Caleb as a pervert and scumbag.

Now they wouldn't dare look us in the eye. I wanted to laugh.

Cowards.

Caleb didn't care, but I couldn't stand them gossiping.

I slammed my hand on the desk:

The sound echoed, grabbing everyone's attention. I wasn't messing around.

"It's 2025—stop acting like it's the Stone Age."

"I've been with him long enough, I'd know if he's a scumbag."

My voice was firm, the words sharp. I glared at the back row, daring them to reply.

"If I hear you talking crap again, don't blame me for being rude!"

I cracked my knuckles, making sure everyone knew I wasn't bluffing.

The guys who'd been yelling for us to leave were instantly terrified.

Their faces went pale, some actually flinched. It was a little too easy.

Some even pulled out chairs:

"Caleb, Marcus, you're here... hehe."

"We were just joking, don't mind."

Their attitude was even more fawning than mine to Caleb.

They tried to act friendly, but it came off as desperate.

I slung an arm over his shoulder, threatening:

My grip was strong, showing off our "couple" status.

"He's my guy—if anyone gives him grief, it's me, got it?"

The guys nodded like crazy: "Got it, got it."

Some even laughed nervously, eyes darting away.

Caleb stood beside me, the corners of his mouth curling in a faint smile.

I caught it — a tiny upward twitch, rare and precious.

He rarely shows emotion, but that smile made me dizzy.

My stomach did a backflip. I didn't know what to think.

If he were a girl, this would be the perfect hero-saves-beauty scene!

My tail almost wagged to the sky.

I felt lightheaded, grinning like a fool.

After Caleb sat down, I was about to head to the back row, but he grabbed my wrist.

His grip was gentle, but firm enough to make me pause.

"Where to?"

He looked up, puzzled.

His eyebrows raised, like he was genuinely curious.

Others also looked at me curiously.

The whole class seemed to be waiting for my answer.

Oops, almost forgot I'm his shield now.

I scratched my head, smiled awkwardly, and sat beside him.

"Haha, went the wrong way."

I leaned back, sighing with relief.

My pulse slowed, and I pretended to study my notes like nothing happened.

Luckily, Caleb only set my "working" period to half a year.

Any longer, with my lousy acting, I'd be exposed.

I was already counting down the days to freedom.

7

After class.

Still the road to the dining hall.

Still the same mealtime.

Natalie stopped me and Caleb again.

She waved from the shade of a maple tree, a smile spread across her lips. The spring sunlight made her eyes sparkle.

But this time, instead of nervousness, she was beaming, her eyes glowing.

Her energy was contagious, and she bounced a little on her toes.

She tilted her mouth, mysteriously handed me a printed document.

It was folded neatly, like something you might hand in with a college application.

"If I'd known you two were a couple, I wouldn't have had any thoughts about him. Thought you two might… appreciate this genre."

Her voice was soft, but teasing. I felt the sting of jealousy, even if I didn't want to admit it.

"Here, a little gift for you, read it back in the dorm."

The girls with her also had weird smiles.

Their grins were wide, the kind you get when sharing juicy gossip.

"Thanks."

Though confused, I accepted it blankly.

My fingers tingled, not sure if I should open it right there or wait.

She likes Caleb, why give me something?

My brain spun, trying to connect the dots.

And their smiles were strange, a mix of excitement and something else.

It felt like I was missing the punchline to an inside joke.

After getting food, I nudged him: "What do you think Natalie was laughing about?"

I tried to sound casual, but my nerves showed. I poked at my fries, waiting for his reply.

Caleb paused, broke his chopsticks and handed them to me: "Just eat."

His fingers hesitated—a tiny pause in the chopsticks—then he handed them over without looking up.

He seemed unwilling to answer, turning his eyes away.

But for a moment, I caught a trace of...displeasure in his eyes.

It flashed, then vanished, and his reply came clipped, like jealousy he didn’t want me to hear.

I always chat with him while eating, so this was weird.

I poked my chicken tenders, trying to figure out what I'd done wrong.

Caleb's odd behavior made me think.

I ran through the day in my mind, searching for clues.

After recalling for a while, I couldn't think of anything I'd done to offend him today.

Maybe after rejecting Natalie, he's interested in her now?

But a mean little voice in my head whispered, or maybe he wants someone easier.

But he doesn't seem the type.

Caleb was never one for drama or messy rebounds.

The more I thought, the more puzzled I got, even the chicken tenders tasted bland, and I spaced out several times while eating.

The flavor faded, my appetite gone. I chewed slowly, lost in thought.

Looking up, Caleb's handsome face was even darker.

He glared at his food, chopsticks gripped tight.

He snorted coldly: "You seem to like Natalie a lot?"

His words came out sharper than I'd expected.

"Huh?"

Damn, could I be right?

My throat went dry, the room felt smaller.

His expression scared me, a mouthful of food stuck in my throat, making me hiccup several times.

I coughed, cheeks burning, eyes watering.

"How could I like her, maybe just a bit of a crush at most."

I tried to sound light, but my voice cracked halfway.

"You better be."

Caleb's face didn't clear up, but his voice softened a bit.

The edge was gone, replaced by something closer to concern.

Eating the chicken he gave me, I felt more confused about him.

My thoughts whirled, trying to understand the sudden shift in mood.

Sigh, a man's heart is a locked safe.

I let out a quiet sigh, wishing for a manual to decode his brain.

8

I thought Natalie's thing was just a side event.

Just another weird day on campus, or so I hoped.

But my gut told me she didn't give me anything good.

My instincts tingled, warning me not to trust mysterious gifts.

Unexpectedly, that night when Derek came to borrow my elective notes, he grabbed that document by mistake.

He flopped on my bed, waving the paper around like a treasure map.

He looked at it, then at me, giving a lewd laugh.

His eyes glinted with mischief, and I braced myself for nonsense.

Honestly, exactly like Natalie's expression earlier.

I glared: "What are you laughing at."

He rolled on the bed: "You really haven't read what's inside?"

His voice was teasing, but his eyes dared me to open it.

"Of course not, otherwise I wouldn't ask you."

"Then I'll read it to you."

He cleared his throat, using a serious broadcaster tone:

"Before differentiation, Marcus always thought he was an alpha, but when the test results came out, his second gender was omega."

He held up the paper, voice dramatic, like he was narrating a soap opera.

"Devastated, Marcus went to a bar to get drunk, but he forgot that the first 24 hours after differentiation are the most dangerous for an o."

His voice was nice, but the more he read, the more wrong it felt.

My skin crawled. The words were surreal, the plot even weirder.

And his voice kept getting louder, those strange words flooding my ears:

"Marcus felt his body heating up, omega instincts awakening uncontrollably."

"He trembled, trying to escape, but fell into Caleb's burning embrace."

"Worse, at the same time, between his legs..."

"Stop, stop!"

I lunged, snatching the paper away.

My vision went black, realizing it was a luxury car fanfic, and I quickly covered his mouth:

"What alpha and omega, sounds like you're telling dirty jokes." And Derek muffled back, "It's a fanfic trope—alphas/omegas—don't overthink it."

Derek tried to squirm away, but I held firm, muffling his words.

"What era is it, you don't know about ABO? I bet Caleb—"

"Your Caleb is showering!" I knocked him hard, glad Caleb wasn't there.

I threw the paper in the trash, heart racing. If Caleb found out, I'd die of embarrassment.

If he heard this, I'd rather be dead.

No wonder his expression was weird today, he probably guessed what was inside.

Any straight guy would be freaked out by this.

Derek saw me spaced out, thought I was shocked by the ABO setting, so explained it in detail.

He pulled out his phone, showing me a Wikipedia page, voice eager.

After listening, I snapped back: "How do you know so much about this?"

He chuckled, bent down and pulled out a pile of hidden manga from under the bed.

The covers were all neon colors, covered in hearts and sparkles. I nearly dropped the pile in horror.

Just one look at the covers and I nearly fainted.

Damn, he's a total fujoshi—BL superfan—whatever the guy version is.

I now suspect he made me kiss Caleb purely for his own pleasure!

Derek forced a book into my hand: "This one is pure love, you should experience it."

He winked, like he was handing me forbidden treasure.

...I don't want to experience.

Just as I was trying to shove the hot potato back into his box,

Caleb's low voice came from the bathroom:

"Marcus, pass me the towel."