The car Farel was driving slowed as it entered the apartment complex. He rolled down the window to greet the security guard at the booth. The guard smiled back and waved them through.
"Are you sure you want to hire a detective to investigate Damar?" Farel asked as he scanned the area for an open parking spot. "Isn't that a little over the top, Ding?" he added after finding a space. "What if Ezra doesn't approve?" Farel asked hesitantly.
"Don't tell him."
"What if he finds out?"
"He won't suspect anything. His whole world is just Webtoon."
Farel nodded in understanding.
The two of them got out of the car and headed toward Ezra's apartment, carrying a plastic bag filled with food.
Ezra poured water from a glass pitcher into a glass and drank it all. On a Saturday like this, the best thing would have been to take a vacation to Puncak, but his comic deadline was already looming.
Ezra was still terribly sleepy. He'd been forced to get up earlier than usual to finish coloring the artwork. His hair was still a mess.
Beep... beep... beep... be-beep...
The door's keypad lock was being opened.
Ezra hurriedly fixed his hair and put on a sweet smile, thinking Damar had returned from his morning run.
But his smile vanished the moment he saw who walked in.
"What's with that face?" Farel snapped, annoyed by Ezra's sour expression. He set the bag of food on the dining table.
"Were you waiting for someone?" Gading asked, eyeing Ezra's tense expression suspiciously.
"N-no..." Ezra replied stiffly—a response that only made Gading more suspicious. "You two usually don't come this early."
"What are you talking about? We always come by whenever you're on a deadline to help with the coloring."
Ezra lightly slapped his forehead. How could he have forgotten? He didn't officially have an assistant yet, but Farel was always kind enough to help color his artwork, while Gading handled the food and snacks.
Beep... beep... beep... be-beep...
The door was accessed from outside again. Ezra's body suddenly went rigid. He glanced at Farel and Gading, who both turned toward the front door at once, their faces full of questions.
As if he already knew what was about to happen, Ezra could only offer an awkward smile when Damar stepped into the apartment, his T-shirt slightly damp with sweat after exercising.
Without saying much, Gading grabbed Ezra by the shoulder and shoved him into the bedroom. Farel followed behind. In an instant, Ezra's bedroom became a tense interrogation room.
Gading ordered Ezra to sit on the edge of the bed while he stood with his arms crossed.
"Care to explain yourself, Young Master Ezra Isander Jayantaka?" Gading demanded.
"Uh... well..."
"Your crush is staying here?" Farel cut in from beside Gading, completely ignoring the tension in the room.
"It's different!" Ezra shot back, a little frightened. He looked like the youngest child caught sneaking his boyfriend into the house for the night.
"How is it different?" Gading pressed.
"He... doesn't have anywhere to live..."
Farel snapped his fingers. "You're taking him in just like you took in Athan, right?"
Ezra nodded slowly.
"Ezra!" Gading groaned in exasperation. "You barely know him! How could you let a stranger stay in your apartment? Are you crazy?" Gading raised a hand when Farel started to interject.
"You're acting just like his stepdad," Farel quipped, trying to lighten the mood.
"I'm acting this way because I care about you, Zra! What if something happens? Are you sure he doesn't have bad intentions?"
Ezra lowered his head and fell silent. Gading had a point.
"He seems like a good person," Farel chimed in.
"Seems?" Gading shot Farel a sharp look. "A lot of people seem nice when they're actually not!"
"I... trust him," Ezra said quietly.
Gading sighed deeply as he looked at Ezra. "Sorry, but I can't just trust him like that. I'm still going to keep an eye on him."
"Whatever," Ezra conceded.
"You like him, right?"
"Hmm?"
Ezra was busy drawing panels for the next episode while Farel sat across from him, helping with the coloring. Ezra never forgot to include Farel Nugraha's name in the credits of his comic.
"You like him, right, Zra?"
"Who?"
"You do! You like Damar, right?"
Ezra slowly looked up. He knew exactly where the question was going. He wanted to deny it, but he wasn't very good at lying.
"I don't know. Whether his showing up was a coincidence or not..." Ezra paused, "I just feel safe when I'm with him."
"Is that all?" Farel asked, looking curious.
Ezra nodded.
"Honestly, I agree with Gading," Farel admitted softly. "You've only just met him. Even someone you've trusted for years—like my former manager—could have the nerve to run off with hundreds of millions of my money. I understand what Gading means. We really do need to be careful."
Ezra gripped his pen tablet a little tighter.
"You can be so naive when it comes to feelings, Zra. You can fall head over heels just like that. What if he's straight and finds out you're gay? And what if he has bad intentions? He could take advantage of the situation."
Ezra fell silent. "I wish I could like girls too. I've tried, but I still can't. I can't come out to my family either."
Farel sighed as he looked at his friend. "So what about him? Do you feel a connection yet?"
Ezra said nothing. He couldn't lie to himself: his heart really did grow a little warmer every time he was near Damar.