Jock Next Bed (BL)
Chapter 116: Friendzoned

Chapter 116: Friendzoned

When Chris woke up the next morning, he didn’t even feel anything when he didn’t see Sky in the room. It wasn’t because he felt that Sky would open the door and enter the room with bags in his hands; he just knew that he was gone again.

He vaguely remembered seeing Sky leave while he was half-asleep but had been too groggy and lazy to react. He sighed and went about his morning routine, getting ready for school. His fever seemed to have been relieved, fortunately.

He did receive a message notification from Sky before he left for school. It was just a simple "Take your medicine" message.

"As if I wouldn’t," he muttered in irritation.

As he walked to school, Chris tried to shake off his lingering frustration and moodiness. People still stared at him as he passed by, but it wasn’t as bad as before. He felt somewhat relieved that the attention had lessened, but it didn’t completely lift his spirits.

His day at school was a struggle. His mood was off, and he couldn’t concentrate on his lessons or assignments. To make matters worse, Wilson, his well-meaning but often annoying friend, chose the wrong time to update him on the person he didn’t need to be updated on.

Wilson sent him a message saying that the guy was in town and had asked about him. Chris stared at the message but chose not to reply. He didn’t want to think about him or deal with the complicated emotions that came with it. He had too many things on his plate for now.

Later in the day, as Chris was lost in thought, he suddenly bumped into someone, nearly sending them both tumbling to the ground. He quickly regained his balance and looked up to see a girl wearing their university basketball vest, and Rain was standing beside her. She looked surprised to bump into him like this.

Chris apologized to the girl, who equally apologized to him before she turned to Rain to say her goodbyes and excused them. Rain smiled warmly at Chris, her eyes sparkling as she asked how he was doing.

Rain was also wearing her basketball vest, looking incredibly attractive in it and drawing the attention of everyone who passed by.

"How are you feeling? Heard you were sick." She said to him.

"There really aren’t any secrets in this town, are there?" Chris asked. It sounded like he was joking, but he was serious.

Rain chuckled. "You will get used to it. Are you fine?"

Chris managed a weak smile and assured her that he was fine, even though his mood was far from it. Rain, always perceptive, noticed his off-putting demeanour but didn’t press the issue.

"I was just about to grab some lunch outside. Would you like to join me?" Rain asked, her offer filled with genuine warmth.

Chris hesitated for a moment. He just wanted to return to his dorm. But then he needed to eat something. He also didn’t want to seem rude, so he nodded. "Sure, why not?"

As they walked to the nearby cafe, Chris realized that this was the same place where he had met Sky for the very first time. Memories of that day flooded back, and he couldn’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia mixed with the lingering sadness from his encounter with Wilson’s message.

Rain ordered her lunch, and Chris followed suit. They found a table by the window and sat down to eat. The atmosphere was comfortable, and Rain made an effort to keep the conversation light, asking about school and various other topics.

Chris appreciated her efforts to cheer him up, and slowly but surely, his mood began to improve. Rain had a way of bringing positivity to any situation, and he found himself genuinely enjoying her company like he always did. But then he began to feel slightly uncomfortable as if he were doing something wrong. He couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason for his unease. Perhaps it was because he was hiding things from Rain, or maybe it was the sense of deception he felt. And then there was the undeniable fact that he liked her twin brother, which made everything feel complicated and almost like cheating—well, not exactly cheating. But it just felt like it to him, and he didn’t know why. That didn’t make sense. Also, Sky had told Chris to be honest with her if he didn’t have romantic feelings for her.

"...we’ll be having final practice next Wednesday. Would you like to come?"

Those words snapped him back to the present, and he looked at her. He had undoubtedly enjoyed the last one, but he couldn’t continue. He couldn’t ignore his growing sense of unease. He needed to be upfront with her, even if it meant potentially hurting her feelings.

"Rain," he called her name softly, and she raised an eyebrow, looking curious.

He could understand why she looked so curious. He doubted he had ever called her name like that before.

"How... do I put this?" He said to himself awkwardly. " I’m not entirely sure if I’m correct, but I think you may have feelings for me... right?"

Rain’s eyes widened for a moment, and then she composed herself, taking a casual bite of her food. She seemed unfazed as she responded, "Well, that’s an interesting assumption. And what makes you think that?"

Chris chuckled nervously, relieved that she wasn’t reacting negatively. "I might be wrong, but you’ve been really wonderful, and I don’t want to lead you on if I’m misinterpreting things."

Rain smiled, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "So, you think I’m too good for you?"

Chris laughed, feeling a bit more at ease. "Yeah, something like that."

Rain continued to eat her meal, her tone light as she teased, "You’re lying. Tell me, Chris, why the sudden need to put some distance between us? What’s the real reason?"

Chris hesitated for a moment, unsure of how much to reveal. "There’s no particular reason, Rain. I just wanted you to know. I like you, of course. As a friend. You are just... perfect." He said it in an earnest tone. He couldn’t believe he had just friendzoned this girl. He wasn’t capping. He did think she was perfect. The kind of girl he wouldn’t think twice about dating. But her parents just had to make things difficult for him by making her have a twin.

Rain shook her head, a playful glint in her eyes. "There has to be a reason for this. It has to be either one of these reasons, Chris. Either my brother told you to stay away from me, or you have someone else you like."

Well, she was awfully correct about both of them. And the funny thing was that both reasons involved the same person.

However, Chris couldn’t help but wonder why she didn’t consider the possibility that he might not be into her like that without any specific reason.

Chris tried to deny both options Rain had presented, but she was perceptive. She leaned in closer and raised an eyebrow. "You’re not telling me something." She leaned back into her seat and sipped her drink slowly before she said, "I may not know you that much, but I can tell you are the type to go after what you want. And if you were into me, I don’t think Sky would be able to stop you." She leaned forward again. "It seems like you might have feelings for someone else."

Caught off guard, Chris stammered, "No, it’s not that..."

Rain grinned, clearly enjoying the awkwardness of the moment. "Come on, Chris. I want to know who’s stealing you away from me. Is she better than me?"

Chris chuckled nervously, his face flushed. Well, he was glad she was taking this well, but she was taking it too well for his liking.

There was no way he could tell her more than she already knew.

What was he supposed to say? ’Hey Rain, actually, it is a he, and the he is no one else but your bro?’

Rain laughed at his discomfort, playfully teasing him further. "I’ll bet she’s fantastic if you’re willing to give up a perfect girl like me for her."

You really do not want to know.

"Let’s just eat," Chris said with an awkward laugh.

Rain studied him for a moment before nodding. "I appreciate your honesty. You are nice and different. It’s really cool you didn’t try to take advantage of this situation and decided to be upfront about it."

If only she knew.

Chris felt even more shitty with himself, knowing how he had tried to use her.

"And for the record, I don’t think you’re too good for me." She added.

Chris smiled gratefully, relieved that their friendship hadn’t been strained by the conversation. He couldn’t predict what the future held, but for now, he was glad to have Rain as a friend. He would just try really hard to get information out of her genuinely from now on.

As they finished their meal, Rain looked at Chris with a soft smile. "You know, Chris, if you ever need someone to talk to or just hang out with, I’m here for you. Nothing has to be awkward between us."

Chris felt a surge of gratitude toward Rain. She had been a bright spot in his otherwise gloomy day. "Thanks, Rain. I really appreciate that."

They walked back to school together, and Chris couldn’t help but feel a bit better than he had earlier in the day. The weight of his heartache hadn’t lifted completely, but at least he had a friend who cared about him and was willing to be there for him.