Stay

"You don't want to know what you're doing with my hands. But you even came here." Niel opened half the door of his house and looked at Sain who was still wearing his school uniform even though it was three hours after they returned home.

"I'm a guest, you don't let me in? This heat," he said slightly peering into the house through the gap that Niel created.

"Did you think you were here?" Niel ignored Sain's words, he asked back and closed the door behind him.

Sain rolled his eyes, his hands crossed in front of his chest by concentrating his weight on one of his legs. "Want to stay."

"What?" said Niel incredulously.

"Your ears are troubled? I have to repeat?" Sain said he was bored.

"No, I mean we're not even friends," Niel said hesitantly because he didn't know why Sain suddenly wanted to stay at his house. They are not friends, and sometimes there are always quarrels between them because of the godly nature of Sain.

"We're partners, to get out of here we have to work together."

Niel considered that he had never previously brought anyone to his house other than Michelia. He only wanted to be kind to Sain especially after he healed with unreasonable Niel fingers. "Good."

Niel ignored Sain's wide smile. He guided Sain to get into his house and towards his room upstairs.

"When we were little, you often slid on the handle of this ladder," Sain said softly. Niel immediately stopped, he turned to look at Sain who was still looking around the house. Sain's gaze fell right at Niel's bright brown eyeballs, seconds as if stopping. Niel is fixated with Sain's knowledge of himself that even he doesn't know.

"How do you know?" asked Niel at the end.

"Know what?"

"You said our childhood, we've even known each other since entering high school, right?"

Sain looked at Niel with a closed expression that Niel could not interpret. He didn't even answer his question and instead stepped up leaving Niel standing behind him. Niel stiffened where he stood, as Sain walked towards the right at his door. Though on the second floor two other similar rooms were closed and left empty, Sain knew that in his place of standing it was Niel's room.

"Let's go up, I'm tired."

Niel approached Sain's side, to open the door first. "You can use the next room. It's empty there."

"Where's the fun? I don't want to talk to the wall. Get away from you!" Sain pushed him into the room, placed his bag on the table, and held onto his hips while raising eyebrows looking at Niel. "Where are Skylar and your father?"

Niel paused for a moment, the strange things that happened seemed to have become commonplace for Niel now. He threw his body on the mattress and looked up to look at Sain. "Dad went to work out of town and I don't know where Skylar is. Have you been here before?"

Sain didn't immediately reply, he looked to the side first and looked back at Niel. Sain shrugged his shoulders indifferently. "Yes, often."

Niel raised his eyebrows, inevitably feeling curious. If he was here behaving so badly, he wouldn't be surprised that Sain and himself who were here before would be good friends. "Do you know what my relationship with Skylar is? Until he's here."

"You twin," Sain replied quickly.

"I know we're similar, but in real life, we don't have anything to do with each other or have blood relationships. I mean we were separated, and didn't know each other at first," Niel said hesitantly.

"Right, you just need to open your eyes wide and use your brain properly. You'll know that."

Niel clucked at Sain's words he moved his legs to kick Sain's shin and was a little annoyed to see Sain seemed to feel no pain just still standing undisturbed. "Your words are harsh."

"You can think again what I said," said Sain seriously. "It's hot, it's late afternoon. I haven't showered yet. Let's take a shower together." Sain flicked his head towards the bathroom door with his thick eyebrows rising and falling, Niel didn't care and preferred to lie down and drown his face behind a pillow.

***

"Look Riksa, you don't have a shadow in the mirror!" Niel pointed to the mirror where Sain stood in front of him wearing Niel's clothes that oversize due to the difference in the size of himself and Sain.

"You too, stupid."

"Yes, I know." Niel thought only he didn't have a shadow. They have to live a life without a mirror, and somehow Niel finds it a little funny. Niel smiled. "We can only think about our appearance. You're always a mess, don't you need it, do you?"

Sain snorted, he approached Niel and slightly lowered his head. Their faces were only a few centimeters away until Sain said in half a whisper. "I can look through your eyes, Niel."

Niel was a little troubled by the lack of distance. But he once again smiled and raised his hand to smooth his hair. "I can too, more easily because your eyes are so dark."

Sain raised next to his eyebrows, he stood back upright. It wasn't until his big hand grabbed Niel's hair and instead mocked him without feeling. "It's in your house, not school."

"Riksa!" Niel reprimanded and pushed Sain's chest away.

"Take some food, there! I'm hungry." Niel slightly regretted how he allowed Sain to stay in his room.

Less chastised him!

"Snacks or heavy. Or can we order food? What do you want?" asked Niel half-heartedly.

"You."

"What?"

"I said it's up to you. I've been talking from the beginning if your ears are a little troubled," said Sain who instead turned his gaze in addition to Niel.

True, he always felt troubled when he was near Sain. "Wait here."

When Niel came out of the room and walked towards the dining room, he found Skylar already there alone. Niel didn't dare to say hello, he took two plates and placed them on a tray. He felt Skylar's gaze fixed on him. Niel thought Skylar already knew of Sain's whereabouts, judging by his bike perched outside.

"For whom?" Niel gasped slightly at Skylar's voice that suddenly filled the desolate space.

"My friend, he came to stay."

"Who?"

"Riksa." Upon seeing Skylar furrow his brows, Niel instantly confirmed. "Space design. My classmates."

Skylar shrugged indifferently and continued to eat. Niel finished preparing his food and filling the water in the glass. He immediately left the space where Skylar was with that uncomfortable atmosphere.

When Niel had arrived and instead found Sain had just laid his body on the mattress. He immediately placed the tray on the nightstand not trying to make his movements sound smooth. Sain looked at it and got up to sit down.

"I just thought of something, if we could be here. They should be too, right?" asked Sain thinking. He clamped his chin with two fingers and looked at Niel.

"Since you came, I forgot that someone in another class disappeared and I'm sure it must be connected to our original place?"