Jock Next Bed (BL)
Chapter 208: The distance between them...

Chapter 208: The distance between them...

Chris stared at his mother like she’d personally betrayed him.

He didn’t want any pressure on Sky. There was still this fragile unsaid thing between him and Sky. Whether it was how Sky felt for him or how he had gotten here and all the in-betweens. As well as clarifying all the lies told even though Sky was already aware.

But his parents didn’t seem to be concerned about any of that.

His mother continued anyway, folding her arms more tightly. "I heard he was even stranded and thrown out too." Her eyes narrowed slightly with that knowing glint only mothers have. "Why go through all that—for a roommate?"

Her gaze was still fixed ok Sky.

Sky looked like he wanted to evaporate into the floor.

Chris pinched the bridge of his nose. "Mom. Please."

His father raised a hand like he was in court. "I’m also very curious, actually."

Chris spun around to face Sky, flustered. "You don’t have to answer that."

Sky blinked, still flushed, but then quietly said, "I wanted to make sure you were okay."

No one said a thing.

Sky’s voice was soft but firm, his eyes never leaving Chris’s. "Since I couldn’t reach you. And... I wasn’t sure if you’d return."

Chris’s parents glanced at each other.

Chris turned to them, cheeks flushed. "Can we please move on before I die of secondhand embarrassment?"

Chris’s mother straightened up, her gaze still fixed on Sky.

"Think well before you answer the questions we ask you next time. You sounded more confident the time I spoke with you on the phone." She said to Sky in a strict tone before her tone changed to a calmer one. "Alright, boys. Get yourselves together. The doctors have signed the discharge papers. We’ll be continuing all treatment from home."

Chris blinked. "Wait, we’re leaving today?"

"Yes," she said, already turning to begin tidying a few things. "You love it here?"

Chris hesitated before asking, "Do I need to... go back to work tomorrow?"

His voice was cautious, unsure.

His father looked up at him from the bed, then pushed himself up straighter against the pillows. He studied Chris for a moment, something warm flickering behind his tired eyes. Then he said, simply, "No. Take a break."

Chris’s brows rose slightly, surprised. But then something else hit him—a look from his father that made him go still.

It was subtle. Quiet.

But it was there.

The kind that didn’t need words.

Pride.

He wasn’t sure what his mother had told him, but a part of him tried to tell himself that he didn’t do much. However, when he saw his mother also looking at him warmly, he swallowed.

Then smiled.

A little shaky at first—but it grew. He nodded. "Okay."

"Are you coming with us?" His father’s question swung the spotlight back to Sky, who immediately stiffened, all his newfound composure dissolving.

Sky’s gaze darted to Chris, a silent, desperate plea etched on his face.

"Can I?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

"Did you have other engagements?" Chris’s mother interjected before Chris could speak, her tone leaving little room for argument.

Sky shook his head mutely.

"Then we’ll see you at dinner. With a more confident attitude demeanor." Her words were firm, but a hint of something akin to amusement played around her lips.

For some reason, Chris was hesitant. Were they sure they were ready to see a more firm and confident Sky?

*****

The drive felt like something out of a movie.

Sky still wasn’t sure if he was dreaming. Everything was just too... clean. Too smooth. The black car they rode in had tinted windows, plush seats, and a quietness that felt unnatural. Chris sat beside him in a neatly tailored suit, checking his wristwatch like he hadn’t just been in a hospital gown just an hour ago.

And Sky... he was in a suit too. A real one. Not one of those rented graduation sets, but the kind you’d see on rich heirs in dramas. A young man had literally walked into the hospital with two bags like some high-end stylist from a photoshoot set. Said they needed to change.

He wasn’t sure why they needed to look that formal to leave the hospital. But he obeyed.

Now he stared out the window as they emerged from the VIP underground exit. Sleek, expensive cars lined the lane like showroom models. The hospital’s front never saw traffic like this—this was the part of the world only a few ever saw.

Chris’s parents had taken a separate car ahead of them. Sky barely registered the wave Chris’s mother gave before their doors closed and they were driven away.

The city looked different now. Pretty, even. All glinting windows and gold-tinged sunset casting shadows over the glossy skyscrapers. Sky blinked as the buildings whipped by, trying to take it all in.

He hadn’t had time to notice any of this when he arrived.

Not when he’d taken the wrong train and drifted off to sleep. Not when he woke up in a panic and dropped off somewhere and then realizing he’d left his bag—his entire bag—somewhere. Not when he searched frantically and realized his phone was gone too.

Maybe someone stole it. Maybe it slipped from his pocket. He couldn’t even remember.

He’d only had a little money left. A few crumpled bills and barely any idea where to go. He tried the old paper map he got from the train terminal. Didn’t help much. Every corner of the city looked the same: busy, towering, overwhelming.

He tried public phones to get to the police, and after long minutes of hold music, even the police wouldn’t help him about a lost bag unless he came in person.

His last bet was this hospital. It had been all over the news, so he had come, looking homeless and lost.

It was either he saw Chris or they just took him to the police station for causing a nuisance. Maybe he would use that chance to ask them about his bag and phone.

The car turned into a high-end building, passing a private gate that opened without so much as a knock. The house was massive, like mansions in magazines, with perfectly manicured lawns and palm-lined drives.

Sky sat up straighter.

Sky stared out the window, breath caught in his throat.

He’d heard Chris was rich. He had seen it with his eyes too.

But nothing had prepared him for this.

The car coasted through like it belonged—like he belonged. Palms lined the drive like they’d been planted just to greet royalty. The house—no, mansion—stood like something out of a dream. It was too perfect to be real.

This was the real Chris. The one he hadn’t fully let himself imagine. And suddenly, all the distance between them—between their worlds—rushed to the front of Sky’s mind.

What am I doing here?

The warmth of Chris’s hand brushing over his knuckles made him jolt.

He turned. Chris’s eyes were on him, soft but knowing. The kind of look that said he saw everything Sky was thinking. And maybe had expected it.

"You okay?" Chris asked gently.

Sky nodded. Too quickly.

Chris didn’t call him out for the lie. He didn’t have to.

When the car pulled up to the entrance, someone in a black uniform immediately stepped forward and opened the door. Sky’s feet felt heavy as he stepped out onto the pristine stone driveway.

Ahead, Chris’s parents were already being assisted. His father was being eased into a sleek, custom wheelchair, Chris immediately moving to help. He fit into the moment so seamlessly. Like this was normal for him. Like he’d done it all his life. Be his father’s son.

Sky stood there, unsure. Stiff. His palms were still damp, and his shoes felt too tight. He had to blame it on them for not guessing his shoe size correctly.

He needed to blame this on anyone.

A man in a fitted suit—young, sharp-featured, clearly staff—approached him with a small nod.

"Mr. Sato," he said smoothly. "I’ll be in charge of you while you’re here."

Sky blinked at him. "I—uh—what?"

The man only smiled politely, as though Sky’s confusion was expected. "Your luggage will be brought in once it’s located. For now, please allow me to assist you inside."

Sky opened his mouth to protest, but no sound came out.

Because the truth was, for the first time in a long while, he had no idea what came next.