Chapter 24: Tangle threads

"Achooo!!"

A sudden sneeze jolted Yohan out of his thoughts, pulling him back to the present moment. As he rubbed his nose, he couldn't help but recall an old superstition that his husband's chef had shared with him, that sneezing was someone talking about you.

But who could be talking about him now? His uncle's family? Landon? Or perhaps... Kian?

The idea of cold and distant Kian speaking about Yohan made him laugh inwardly. After all, Kian had already 'rejected' him. But then again, who could Kian have been speaking with about Yohan? His brother?

At the mere thought of Kian's brother, his past life husband, Yohan felt goosebumps crawl up his skin and his breath catch in his throat. The fact that they had almost met again so soon in this second life, sent a bitter smile tugging at the corners of Yohan's lips. Despite this close call, he was relieved that they hadn't met yet.

It was fortunate that Kian was a considerate individual who didn't pry into other people's personal lives, it allowed Yohan to avoid having to explain why he reacted so strangely towards his brother. However, from what Kian said earlier, it seemed like his brother would be taking charge of the amusement park project. This meant there was a high chance he would spend more time in this city, perhaps even run into Yohan.

Yohan couldn't help but wonder if choosing this city as his escape destination had been a mistake. But if he hadn't come here, he never would have met Landon or Jun, two people who had become dear to him in such a short amount of time.

Since arriving here on the first day, Yohan couldn't shake off the feeling that everyone, especially himself and Kian, were mere pawns in a game of fate, their paths crossing at every turn like puppet strings pulling them together. It was almost too coincidental to be true, yet it seemed to happen time and time again.

Shaking off those thoughts, Yohan tried to focus on anything else besides Kian or his brother. He shifted in bed restlessly, trying to find a comfortable position but failing miserably. As he did so, his mind wandered back to what Landon had said earlier about his ID card being ready soon. Apparently, he needed a new photo for it - prompting Landon to suggest they go out tomorrow and change up Yohan's hairstyle, so that he wouldn't be easily recognized.

It amazed Yohan how carefree and relaxed Landon seemed, not working or doing anything other than accompanying him around town. A twinge of curiosity sparked inside Yohan as he wondered about Landon's background, but decided that it wasn't important enough for him to pry into. Besides, if Landon didn't want to tell him anything, Yohan wouldn't push the matter.

And then there was Jun... why did he feel so familiar with him? As Jun's words echoed through his mind, it felt like they were something he had heard before. But where? He tried piecing together the puzzle of their connection, but exhaustion overtook him and soon enough he felt himself drifting off into slumber.

Before drifting off to sleep, one final thought lingered in his mind - everything about this second life felt strange and out of place. It wasn't just Kian and his brother that made him feel this way, it was also his relationships with Landon and Jun. There seemed to be something inexplicable connecting them all, like several tangled threads being pulled together and intertwined in strange ways.

Despite the confusion and uncertainty of it all, Yohan found solace in the peacefulness of his slumber. But soon after he fell asleep, Yohan let out a groan, unaware that he was dreaming of something important that would slip away from him when he woke up. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as the dream progressed.

In his dream, Yohan was talking to a man who seemed familiar but he couldn't quite place him. The man looked upset and desperate but the voice sounded muffled like important words were censored.

"I tried to tell them the truth about you but I couldn't! There seems to be something... @#%*!#$," said the mysterious man in frustration.

"What do you mean they seem protected... #$*@×#!¥?" Yohan asked confusedly as he listened intently.

"I promise I will always protect you," The man vowed solemnly. "This time, you have to..." but before he could finish, a loud booming sound interrupted them. Everything went white and the dream vanished in an instant.

Yohan stirred restlessly in his sleep for a moment but soon settled back into a peaceful slumber without any further dreams troubling him.

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In Landon's bedroom, two figures lay entwined in a warm embrace, one with red hair who seemed to have slept soundly and drooling, while the other with piercing green eyes appeared lost in thought. Jun's hand stroked Landon's head absentmindedly as his mind wandered elsewhere.

He mumbled quietly to himself, repeating names over and over again as if trying to unearth a buried memory.

"Yohan..."

The name slipped out of Jun's lips like a whisper, causing him to squint his eyes in deep contemplation. He felt as if he was close to uncovering something important, memories that had been buried for too long were starting to resurface.

"Could he be..."

Jun mused, his gaze fixated on Landon's peaceful sleeping face, snuggled comfortably in his arm and drooling slightly. The sight made him feel giddy inside, finding it silly but utterly adorable at the same time. He leaned in and planted a gentle kiss on Landon's nose before letting out a low chuckle to himself.

Jun trailed off from his thoughts for a moment, he didn't want to jinx anything just yet. But if what he suspected was true, then perhaps they should start looking for more information together.

"If it really is him..." Jun whispered under his breath as he pulled Landon closer towards him. "Then you have finally found him..."