NEXT MORNING —
Smyle opened his eyes slowly.
No alarm.
No rushed assignments.
No professors ruining his peace at eight in the morning.
Just silence.
Soft sunlight.
And the comfort of his blanket wrapped around him like a cocoon.
He blinked once.
Twice.
Then suddenly—
"Hahh… finally," he mumbled sleepily, burying half his face into the pillow. "Semester break. No university. No presentations. No suffering. Yeyyyyy."
Still half-asleep, he reached blindly for his phone.
The screen lit up.
He frowned.
Too many notifications.
"What the…"
He rubbed his eyes and turned mobile data on.
The moment it connected—
BOOM.
His phone practically exploded.
Messages.
Mentions.
Comments.
Likes.
Tags.
New followers.
Everything started flooding in so fast the screen lagged.
Smyle sat up instantly.
"Shiaaaa— WHAT THE HECK?!"
Instagram notifications: 99+
Messages: 43
Tagged photos: 1
Smyle stared in horror.
"…Why do I feel like something terrible happened?"
With growing suspicion, he opened Instagram.
Another tsunami.
The app froze for two whole seconds.
"Oh my god."
His followers had doubled overnight.
Comments were still increasing in real time.
His heart started beating faster.
"What did I even do?!"
Then he saw the tag.
[@Rayden.bk]
Smyle froze.
"…Huhhhhhh??!?!?!?"
He clicked it immediately.
And his soul left his body.
A photo filled the screen.
Smyle sleeping on the couch in his ridiculous gray cat-print pajamas.
Face squished.
Cheeks pressed together by Rayden's hand.
And worst of all—
His hand was gripping Rayden's shirt in his sleep.
Tightly.
Like he didn't want him leaving.
Smyle's face turned red instantly.
"When the HECK did this happen?!?!"
He zoomed in.
Big mistake.
Rayden was looking at him in the photo.
Not annoyed.
Not amused.
Not teasing.
Just…
soft.
Smyle immediately threw the phone onto the bed like it burned him.
"Aghhhhhhhhh!"
He grabbed the nearest pillow and smashed his face into it.
"This isn't right. This isn't RIGHT."
His heartbeat was going insane.
"What's gotten into him these days?!"
After five full minutes of screaming internally into the pillow, Smyle slowly grabbed the phone again.
Bad decision.
The comments were worse.
WAY worse.
"HE LOOKS SO CUTE 😭"
"MR BLACK POSTED A PERSONAL PHOTO??? HELLO???"
"That hand placement??? Sir???"
"The cat pajamas are sending me 😭"
"This marriage is fake my ass."
"Why does Rayden look at him like THAT??"
"Bro is OBSESSED."
"Smyle holding onto his shirt while sleeping 😭😭😭"
Smyle stopped breathing.
"DELETE THIS APP."
Then he noticed something even more horrifying.
Rayden had liked comments.
INCLUDING:
"You're obsessed with your husband."
Smyle stared at the screen in absolute disbelief.
"He WHAT?!"
And then—
His eyes landed on the caption.
"Semester break looks productive already."
Smyle: "..."
He slowly lowered the phone.
Then screamed into the pillow again.
DOWNSTAIRS —
Smyle stormed downstairs still wearing the cat pajamas.
Hair messy.
Face red.
Phone clutched like a weapon.
Rayden sat at the dining table calmly drinking coffee while reading something on his tablet.
Completely unbothered.
Smyle marched directly toward him and slammed the phone onto the table.
"EXPLAIN."
Rayden glanced at the screen.
Then at Smyle.
Then back at the screen.
"Oh," he said calmly. "That."
Smyle almost exploded.
"THAT?! THAT'S YOUR RESPONSE?!"
Rayden took another sip of coffee.
"You're loud in the morning."
"You posted me to THREE MILLION PEOPLE."
"2.8 million."
"THAT'S NOT BETTER."
Rayden's lips twitched slightly.
Smyle narrowed his eyes immediately.
"Why are you smiling."
"I'm not."
"You literally are."
Rayden looked back at the photo.
"You look cute."
Silence.
Smyle's brain completely shut down.
"…What."
"You heard me."
"No, actually I don't think I did because WHAT?!"
Rayden looked entirely too calm for someone causing this much emotional damage before breakfast.
Smyle pointed aggressively at the screen.
"WHEN DID YOU EVEN TAKE THIS?"
Rayden answered immediately.
"You fell asleep during the movie."
Smyle froze.
Movie?
Oh.
Right.
Last night.
They had started watching something in the living room.
Smyle remembered pieces now—
The couch.
The blanket.
Being sleepy.
Warmth nearby.
And—
His ears turned red again.
Oh no.
OH NO.
He looked back at the picture.
His hand really was clutching Rayden's shirt.
Tightly.
"…Why was I holding onto you?"
Rayden looked far too pleased by that question.
"You tell me."
Smyle immediately looked away.
"Delete it."
"No."
"Rayden."
"You're overreacting."
"You posted me in cat pajamas."
"You wear them confidently."
"That is NOT the point."
Rayden finally set his coffee down.
"You're popular now."
"I DON'T WANT TO BE."
"That's unfortunate."
Smyle glared at him.
"You're enjoying this."
"A little."
"A LITTLE?!"
Rayden leaned back slightly in his chair.
"You're entertaining when embarrassed."
Smyle looked genuinely betrayed.
"You're evil."
"That too."
His phone started ringing suddenly.
Video call.
Group chat.
Ohm. Leo. William. James. Hong.
Smyle stared at it in horror.
"No."
The phone kept ringing.
Rayden glanced at the screen once.
"You should answer."
"I should throw myself into traffic."
"You're dramatic."
Smyle answered anyway.
Big mistake.
The second the call connected—
Leo screamed.
"THE CAT PAJAMAS 😭😭😭"
James nearly fell off wherever he was sitting.
"BRO YOU SLEEP LIKE A KIDNAPPED HOUSEWIFE."
William pointed accusingly.
"WHY IS HE HOLDING YOUR FACE LIKE THAT?!"
Hong looked suspiciously amused.
"No actually wait— why does Rayden look happy?"
Smyle covered his face instantly.
"IT'S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE."
All five of them together: "THEN WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?!"
Rayden quietly continued drinking coffee beside him like this had nothing to do with him.
Traitor.
Absolute traitor.
Ohm finally spoke.
Too calmly.
"…Why are you holding onto his shirt in your sleep?"
Smyle stopped breathing.
"I WAS ASLEEP."
"That doesn't answer the question," Hong replied immediately.
"YOU PEOPLE ARE THE WORST."
Leo gasped dramatically.
"WAIT. Did he post you first thing in the morning?"
Smyle: "Yes."
The entire group went silent for one second.
Then James whispered:
"Oh he's DOWN BAD."
Rayden actually laughed quietly at that.
Smyle whipped around immediately.
"STOP ENJOYING THIS."
Rayden looked entirely unashamed.
"No."
Later —
The teasing finally ended after Smyle threatened violence.
He collapsed dramatically onto the couch.
Exhausted.
Emotionally destroyed.
Rayden walked past him calmly.
Then paused.
"You saved the photo."
Smyle froze.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
He checked his gallery.
And there it was.
Saved.
His face went blank.
"…I hate technology."
Rayden's smirk returned instantly.
"You saved it willingly."
"It was an accident."
"Sure."
Smyle pointed at him aggressively.
"Don't start."
Rayden stepped closer.
Too close.
Then casually tilted his phone toward Smyle.
The same picture.
But zoomed in.
On Smyle's hand gripping his shirt.
Smyle's heartbeat skipped.
"You hold on tightly," Rayden said quietly.
Smyle swallowed.
"I was asleep."
"I know."
Silence.
Then Rayden added softly—
"I didn't move because of that."
And there it was again.
That stupid feeling in Smyle's chest.
Warm.Too real.
Smyle looked away immediately.
"…You're getting weird again."
Rayden's gaze stayed on him.
"Maybe."
And somehow—
That answer affected Smyle more than teasing ever did.