Without realizing it, Alvano threw the punch with his eyes shut—pure reflex, just as Theo had taught him. But the moment his fist connected, a pained groan escaped someone's lips.
Alvano slowly opened his eyes—and froze.
Standing before him was Theo, clutching his chest where the punch had landed.
"Y-Your punch… not bad," Theo muttered with a strained grin.
Alvano panicked. "I'm so sorry! I'm really sorry!" he said, bowing deeply. "I thought there was something dangerous inside… I didn't know it was you…"
Theo shook his head lightly, still chuckling despite his ragged breath. "You really took that basic training seriously, huh?"
Alvano's face turned red with embarrassment. He looked at Theo with a mix of confusion and relief. "I came because you didn't reply to my message… and I was worried. I saw blood on the floor earlier…"
"Oh, that…" Theo glanced back briefly, then exhaled. "I had a pretty bad nosebleed this morning. It happens when I'm too tired and don't get enough sleep."
Alvano frowned. "A nosebleed? But there was so much blood—it was all over the floor, from the living room to near the kitchen."
"Well, I thought it was nothing serious, but I panicked and started walking around looking for tissues instead of sitting still. So the blood got everywhere. I haven't had time to clean it up since I went straight to the bathroom."
Alvano let out a long breath. "So that's all?"
Theo nodded, still a bit pale. "Don't worry, I'm fine."
"At least let me know next time. I was really worried."
Theo smiled faintly. "I know. Sorry. But honestly, I'm glad you came."
Alvano lowered his head, embarrassed. "I just… couldn't relax until I saw you myself."
"So that's why you punched me?" Theo teased, lightening the mood.
Theo invited him to sit in the living room. Before joining him, he quietly closed the bathroom door—quick and deliberate, as if trying to hide something. But Alvano didn't notice. All that mattered to him was that his friend seemed okay.
In truth, Theo was hiding something. But seeing the worry in Alvano's face, he knew now wasn't the time to say anything. And Alvano, too busy fretting, didn't press for answers—something that, in a way, relieved Theo.
"By the way," Theo said, leaning back on the sofa, "why'd you come all the way here? You could've just returned my jacket tomorrow."
Alvano didn't answer right away. His eyes lingered on Theo, concern still etched on his face.
"You skipped school… was it because of me?" he asked quietly. "We trained pretty hard last night. And you didn't bring your jacket. I thought maybe you caught a cold or something."
Theo paused. He could've given a different answer, but Alvano already looked convinced.
So he replied casually, "Yeah… maybe that's part of it. I've had a bit of a fever since last night."
"And the nosebleed came from that too?"
Theo nodded. "Usually, yeah. When I'm tired or overheated, it happens."
The truth, of course, was more complicated—but it was easier to let Alvano believe that. The last thing he wanted was to make his friend worry even more.
Alvano sighed in relief. "I thought something bad had happened."
Theo smiled faintly, though his heart wasn't at ease. "You panic too easily."
"I'm your friend. That's what friends do."
"And good friends punch their friends in the chest?" Theo quipped, grinning.
Alvano chuckled awkwardly. "That was an accident."
The tension in the room slowly lifted—but something unspoken still lingered beneath the surface.
Alvano leaned back on the sofa, his worry easing yet curiosity quietly flickering behind his eyes. He glanced at Theo and asked softly, "Then… why didn't you reply to my message? I sent you a photo from the bus, but you never responded."
Theo raised an eyebrow and rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah, that… My phone fell yesterday. I think it slipped out of my pocket on my way home after training."
Alvano frowned. "Fell on the road?"
Theo nodded. "Yeah. Luckily, someone found it and turned it in to my usual repair shop. It's being fixed right now—screen cracked, keeps turning off on its own. I'm really sorry for worrying you."
Alvano sighed, then gave a small smile. "Well, at least now I know you're okay."
After that, their conversation flowed more easily. They talked about school, old memories, and Joshua—who, according to Alvano, had tried to cheer up the class earlier but failed miserably because Alvano had been in such a bad mood.
"Joshua said you're pretty tough," Alvano laughed. "He didn't believe you'd collapse just from a bit of training."
Theo chuckled. "He's not wrong. But sometimes, it's not the body that breaks—it's something else."
Alvano turned to him, puzzled by that last line. But Theo quickly changed the subject, steering the talk back to lighter things. Their laughter filled the room again, though something faint and uneasy still lingered—an unspoken shadow slowly beginning to take shape.
Even so, Alvano couldn't shake his suspicion. He frowned slightly and looked at Theo. "But… how could a stranger know your usual repair shop? Isn't that strange?"
Theo gave a faint smile, as if he'd been expecting that question. "I thought the same at first," he said calmly. "But maybe that person was planning to fix it before selling it. Who knows? My phone's not exactly cheap."
Alvano still looked uncertain, but Theo continued, "This morning, I actually went to the shop to buy a new phone. But when the owner saw me, he recognized me right away. He said someone had come in with a broken phone yesterday, asking about repair costs. He recognized the model and the case, so he kept it, just in case I showed up."
Alvano nodded slowly. The story sounded believable—but something about it still didn't sit right.
Still, seeing Theo's faint smile and hearing his easy laughter, he decided not to push it further.
Maybe it really was just a coincidence.
Maybe.