Be With Me

Chapter 8

Kelvin couldn't sleep that night. His mind was completely occupied by that man. Actually, there's a reason why he didn't send a message to Mr. Leather Jacket a few days ago.

Because the truth is, Kelvin made a bet with himself. He bet that if he accidentally met Mr. Cris Yoon again without him doing anything, he would think of it as the world giving its blessing and granting him what he always wished for the most.

He told himself that if their paths crossed again without Kelvin actively seeking him out, he would never let him go so easily again, nor would he hesitate or hold back in trying to get what he really wanted.

So now that it actually happened, and the fact that it happened in just a matter of days from when he last saw him, Kelvin's determination skyrocketed more than ever. He was going to do this. There was no more turning back!

That night, Kelvin couldn't sleep. He was excited to call Leslie but he had to wait for the man's message first. Kelvin had to know when they would meet again so he could prepare for it.

However, as time went by, there was not a single 'ding' from his phone to indicate that he received any message and it makes him nervous. He started typing on his phone, intending to send Cris a message, but it was harder than Kelvin thought. He didn't know how to even start a conversation. He had never done anything like this before. Others were usually the ones who always called or texted him first. Should he call him? What should Kelvin say? Should he ask?

Kelvin spent an hour lying on his bed, looking at his phone, trying to make a decision. And finally come to realization that even such a little thing as sending a message wasn't easy at all. Now that he thought about it, did those guys who courted him before who messaged him act like this as well? Kelvin shook his head sat up and leaned on the headboard, still contemplating.

He tried to recall the first messages from those boys and his eyes narrowed. He finally realized that almost all of them started with a simple 'Hi!'. Kelvin rested his chin on his finger, like a detective trying to piece together some important clues, and then started to type the word 'Hi'.

Unfortunately, he couldn't send it. Because he personally thought that this particular word was a little boring, a little too plain. Would Cris even reply if he just sent a simple 'Hi'? But what else could he say aside from this? Should he ask if he was already sleeping?

Kelvin sighed in frustration. He knew he was overthinking this whole damned thing but even knowing that, didn't help him at all. It appeared that talking to him in person was a hundred times better than trying to send him a message on the phone. It was as if he was more scared of the phone than the person and that was just way too messed up.

In the end, Kelvin jusy simply sent him a goodnight emoji – a white fluffy cat yawning as it fell asleep on a fluffy white pillow.

And then, Kelvin followed suit and fell into a dreamless sleep.

When he opened his eyes the next morning, the first thing he did was to immediately look for his phone. Kelvin took a deep breath and when he saw that he received a message from him, his heart raced in nervousness. God Kel! Why are you getting nervous so early in the morning?!

[Cris Yoon: I will send someone to pick you up on Saturday evening. Send me a message beforehand if you change your mind.]

Kelvin's shoulders dropped as he sighed. It seemed like Cris Yoon was still planning on giving him enough time to change his mind. He even seemed so confident that Kelvin would! 'Too bad, Mr. Cris Yoon, but this gayboy here has already decided and I'm not changing my mind anymore…'

…

Days went by and at last, Saturday finally arrived.

Kelvin had told his family that he would be sleeping over at Leslie's house that night. His family knew Leslie well since she had been around their place a few times for sleepovers in the past so they had plenty of time to get to know her.

They knew her family background but she was Kelvin's good friend. That's why they already treated her as part of their family. But even though they knew Leslie well, Kelvin's family were still constantly worried about him, so to make them relax, Kelvin called Leslie over to speak with them.

After some stern reminders about alcohol and drugs and boys, they finally let them go.

"Sigh… your family is… how should I put this?" Leslie started as she drove Kelvin's car towards the city. "I really like your family. I'm jealous that you have such a caring and accepting family, Kel, but they're so over protective of you. You're already twenty! I just think that it is about time for them to stop treating you like you're still sixteen. I understand they're quite worrywarts but I personally think they shouldn't be that strict towards you anymore."

Leslie's brows were pulled together as she explained. She knew that Kelvin's family were just showing their concern for him but she sometimes thought that they didn't really give Kelvin the freedom to do what he wanted. However, Leslie was also sure that part of it was Kelvin's fault, too. He was too kind and obedient. He always arrived at home on the exact time he told them he would, he never went out with dates, he never lied to them and he definitely wouldn't ever go against them. Leslie even wondered if Kelvin had anything he desired at all because all this time, he lived his life like a perfect vessel who did not seem to want anything for himself. It seemed like he was content as long as he could make his family happy. Kelvin was the definition of a perfect, filial son.

That's why Leslie was very surprised to find out what Kelvin had actually planned on doing today. And honestly, Leslie was a little hesitant to help him because she hadn't even seen this Cris Yoon, sure he's a popular celebrity, but it doesn't tells her what kind of guy he really is.

However, Leslie thought that this was the time for her to support her friend. At long last, Kelvin finally decided to leave his shell, so Leslie must set aside her worries for now and just support him as much as she could.

"It's okay. I know that they just want to make sure that nothing bad will happen to me. Even though they sound strict, I know that, deep down, they may actually want me to go out more." Kelvin just grinned at his friend and Leslie could only shrug.

"Oh well. Now that I think about it, if I were in their shoes, I might be the same, especially when my beloved, well-behaved son suddenly decides to sleep over at his friend's house for the first time ever in his life!"

"Haha, I honestly don't see anything weird with that, though."

"Gosh! You have no idea, Kel. I'm telling you! Wait… don't distract me. You still haven't answered my questions! Now tell me, this is just the first date, right?" Leslie finally began the interrogation.

Gladly, Kelvin was already fully prepared for this so he answered her right away.

"He said we will be attending a party held by his friend. He said I'll be his partner."

"After the party, you will have your first date, right?"

"Yes."

"And after the date, well… you know what might happen next, right?"

"Well, of course… I have a fairly good idea of what could happen next. I read a bunch of romance novels."

"But you've never read yaoi smuts, Kel. Ah, I kind of regret not giving you those kind of novels to read. You were so innocent that I didn't recommend any yaoi novels to you. Sigh…"

Kelvin simply blinked at what Leslie was saying. He felt like he understood what his friend was trying to say but he clearly couldn't get the connection between the first date and yaoi novels. Kelvin didn't want to make his best friend worry so he didn't ask her to elaborate. Besides, he would just show Leslie that he knew what he was doing.

"I'll be fine, Les. Now you're acting just like my family as well, you know?" Kelvin grinned at her and Leslie could only sigh.

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