Chapter 90: Chapter 90

Terban sat alone in the dimly lit bar, the yellow lights casting a soft glow around him. He sipped on a bottle of Cappelletti Specialino Aperitivo, a bittersweet citrus liquor. As he drank, he couldn't help but think about Chaylen's invitation to join them for a drink. However, he laughed inwardly at the thought, knowing that he had already embarrassed himself before them.

After finishing his drink, he stumbled out of the bar and hired a taxi to take him home. Although he wasn't one to get drunk often, tonight was different. He had acted out of character once again.

As he opened his heavy eyes, the taxi driver asked him, "Where to, Sir?"

"To Ryan McGuffin," Terban replied.

“Ryan… what?”

"I said to Ryan Mcguffin! Are you deaf?"

The driver struggled to find a place called Ryan McGuffin on the GPS, even though he was sure it didn't exist.

As expected, the search turned up nothing. "S-Sir, there's no Ryan McGuffin place," the driver said hesitantly.

Terban let out a frustrated sigh as he closed his eyes. "I know. I'm not stupid," he replied.

The driver was secretly annoyed but assumed that the customer was drunk, so he apologized profusely. "Then, sir, where are we headed?"

"To the boarding house. Go, go, go!" Terban exclaimed.

The driver's grip on the steering wheel tightened as he glared at the seemingly intoxicated man through the mirror above.

Meanwhile, the situation at the boarding house had miraculously calmed down. Ryan had returned home with swollen eyes, so Vincent, Chaylen, and Kyle decided to be considerate and keep things peaceful for the rest of the night.

"Hey, did you eat already?" Slyvester asked Ryan as they stood in the kitchen.

Ryan offered to wash the dishes, and Slyvester asked if she needed help. Meanwhile, Kyle, Chaylen, and Vincent watched them from the living room.

When Slyvester gently swept Ryan's loose hair off her face and tucked it behind her ear while caressing her cheek, the men in the distance frowned.

They were about to interrupt the two, but they held back.

“This is torture,” Chaylen groaned and bit a mini pillow on the sofa.

“Just don’t look at them,” said Kyle, who tried to distract himself by covering his view of Ryan with his hand but still peeked between his fingers.

"I already ate," Ryan responded to Slyvester's question.

Vincent, composed and collected until now, suddenly jumped up from his seat, his eyes blazing with anger and frustration. He looked like he was about to pounce on Slyvester, but Kyle quickly stepped in and restrained him.

Vincent gritted his teeth and shook with rage, his whole body tense with fury. Kyle whispered to him soothingly, "Just let it go, man."

Vincent took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down.

He covered his eyes with one hand and tried to control his emotions. Meanwhile, Segi observed the whole scene with a sense of detachment.

He couldn't understand why these men were putting themselves through this torture. Suddenly, Segi spoke up. "Well, maybe you could just go into his room?" he suggested casually.

The three men turned to look at him, their eyes sharp and intense. But Segi didn't flinch or back down. He shrugged and said, "If you're feeling jealous, maybe it's better if you don't watch them anymore."

"Shut up," Vincent murmured.

Kyle chimed in, expressing his frustration at the situation. "Even though it's difficult to watch them, we can't just leave them alone," he sighed.

"Hey, why don’t you just get lost? You were here for many hours; I am getting sick seeing your face,” Chaylen complained to Segi.

"I am currently keeping an eye on my cousin," Segi replied, responding to a question directed toward him.

Suddenly, his attention was drawn to something happening in the kitchen. "Oh my, they're kissing!" he exclaimed, pointing to where the supposed amorous activity was taking place.

The three of them quickly spun around to glimpse what was happening but were instead met with Slyvester wiping down some wet dishes.

"Ha ha!" Segi laughed, thinking he could quickly get away with his prank by laughing it off.

"I’ll kill you!" Chaylen retorted, lightly pulling on his leg.

Segi winced in pain at the sudden tug.

Vincent quickly intervened, handing Chaylen a pillow to cushion any future hits on Segi.

"Everyone, calm down," Segi murmured, attempting to diffuse the tension.

Kyle is widely regarded as a peace-loving individual. However, he let Chaylen beat Segi as he intended to kick that annoying guy.

As the evening progressed, a sudden noise drew the group's attention. They turned to see a man stumbling into the room, his face red and his gait unsteady.

It was Terban, and Kyle quickly rose to greet him. Chaylen, who had been watching over Segi, also stood up and immediately detected the strong odor of alcohol emanating from Terban.

“Hey, are you drunk?” Chaylen asked, to which Terban offered no clear answer.

“Where’s Ryan?”

Chaylen and Kyle did not answer the question. Vincent, who was also present, remained silent when Terban inquired about Ryan's whereabouts.

Meanwhile, Ryan and Slyvester, who had been in the kitchen, overheard the commotion and came out to investigate the drunken man.

“Ryan,” Terban called for Ryan, but Vincent stepped in to block him.

“Hey. Talk to Ryan when you’re sober.”

Terban refused and attempted to wave Vincent away, but Vincent grabbed his arm.

“I said wait until you are sober,” Vincent warned.

“Let me go!”

Terban pushed him with such force that Vincent fell to the floor.

Vincent was in disbelief and ready to retaliate, but Kyle intervened and reminded him, “That guy is drunk! He’s not in his right mind, Vincent.”

Terban, still drunk on wine, looked at Kyle and said, “Kyle, you are sure you’re a real man?” He tossed a rude question to Kyle, who sighed in response. “The reason why Ryan rejected you is because you are too soft.”

Saying rude remarks were acceptable until Terban mentioned why Kyle was rejected. The pacifist’s warm gaze went rigid. Kyle approached Terban with clenched fists.

“Take back what you said,” Kyle threatened.

Good thing, Chaylen came to stop him.

"Wait! Wait! You said not to hit him because he was drunk, right?" Chaylen reminded Kyle.

And because of that, Terban’s attention went to Chaylen, his next target.

"And you, Chaylen.”

Chaylen looked at Terban, waiting for his words.

"You look like an ass."

"A-Ass?" Chaylen stuttered, turning red.

"Yeah. You heard. ASS. BUTTHOLE," teased Terban, who staggered while laughing.

"You… You…! F*ck you!” Chaylen was about to blow a punch in his face. This time, it was Segi who came to the rescue.

Segi scolded, "Please stop it. You're acting like a child."

“You,” Terban called out to Segi, who turned to face him.

"Me?" Segi asked, pointing to himself.

Terban paused before waving his hand dismissively. "Never mind. You don’t belong here. Move away."

“Terban,” At last, when Ryan spoke up, Terban's tone grew serious again.

He turned to face her, where she stood next to Slyvester.

"Ryan, can we talk?" he implored.

Ryan looked at him, unsure what to say. She had already said everything she needed to earlier that day.

"I can't," Terban said. He grabbed his chest and punched it several times. "I can't let you go." The corner of his eyes twinkled.

Looking at his teary eyes, Kyle, Chaylen, and Vincent were lost for words. They didn't think that the proud Terban would act like this.

"I've waited so long for us to meet," Terban sobbed. "So why? Why not me?" Then tears started to flow.

Vincent looked away from Terban. Chaylen bowed, as did Kyle.

Terban covered his face with both hands and continued to cry. He took a deep breath, calming himself as he put his hands down. But when he saw Ryan’s face again, his tears burst like a broken dam.

Terban started walking towards Ryan. He still couldn't walk straight. And as he stood before her, Terban gently held her hands.

"Give me another chance," he begged. "Hmm? I'm going to change."

Ryan struggled to contain her emotions as she watched his friend plead with her. Terban knelt before her, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Ryan, please," he cried out, his voice shaking. "Please, love only me." As he looked up into her eyes, Ryan could see the desperation and sadness in his expression.

Terban knew that changing his beloved's mind would be impossible, but he continued to plead with her.

Kyle, Vincent, and Chaylen have all experienced the overwhelming heartache of loving someone they cannot be with. The pain of this experience is difficult to put into words, but Terban attempted to express it as best he could. In his moment of despair, he questioned whether there was any hope left for him.

"Is this really happening? Can't I have even a glimmer of hope?" he cried out, the weight of his emotions making it difficult for him to breathe. "I love you so much. Why can't I have you if I love you so much?" He clutched his chest tightly, the physical pain mirroring the emotional turmoil he was experiencing. "Imagine waiting for years and sacrificing so much just to see you. And then, to have you tell me that you want to be with someone else...it's incredibly painful." The depth of these individuals' heartache is palpable, and it's clear that they are struggling to come to terms with the reality of their situation.

Ryan was visibly melancholy and trying to hide her tears. Slyvester observed the situation from a distance with a concerned expression. Despite not intending to give Ryan away, he carefully examined the four individuals in her presence.

Vincent appeared distressed, Chaylen was quietly weeping while rubbing his forehead, Kyle was shedding tears as he looked at the ground, and Terban was begging in front of Ryan.

This situation is emotional for everyone involved.

Slyvester found solace in the company of his four dear friends, who always supported and cheered him on.

Kyle and Vincent stood by him and provided unwavering support when he was on the brink of losing hope after Nikki's death. However, their bond is tested when Ryan prioritizes her relationship with Slyvester over their friendship, hurting everyone.

‘I once wished we could keep our friendship even if Ryan chose me, but now, I realize I was too greedy to wish that,’ Slyvester said inwardly as he looked up and shed tears.