THE DISSAPPEARANCE
The room was dimly lit, a warm desk lamp casting a soft amber glow across the space. Ruan and Akari sat side by side on the carpet, a low table between them stacked with textbooks, loose sheets, and pens scattered in lazy chaos.
Akari was focused, his brows furrowed, pen gliding across his notebook as he planned out tomorrow's lesson. Ruan, on the other hand, sat slouched, chin resting on his palm, clearly uninterested in the worksheet lying in front of him.
"Ruan," Akari said without even glancing up, "if you don't at least attempt those five questions, I swear..."
"I know, I know," Ruan sighed dramatically. "No more kisses."
Akari finally looked at him, lips tugged into a teasing smirk. "Exactly. No effort, no reward."
Grumbling, Ruan picked up his pen and began scribbling, although with little motivation. After a while, he found himself looking up again. Eyes drifting away from his half-done work to Akari who was beside him. The way his glasses slipped slightly down his nose, the soft rustling of pages, his delicate concentration...it all pulled Ruan in like gravity. His eyes couldn't bare the cuteness.
Akari caught the stare from the corner of his eye. "Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked, half-curious, half-suspicious.
Ruan leaned his head to the side, lips curling into a faint smile. "I want us to disappear."
Akari paused, eyes lifting to meet Ruan's. "Disappear?" he repeated, confused.
"Yeah," Ruan said voice softer now. "Just... vanish for a bit. Just you and me. Somewhere no one knows us. Away from this school, from the pressure, the stares... my dad, all of it."
Akari blinked, stunned by the sudden emotion behind the words. "Where is this coming from?"
Ruan sat up straighter. "There's this small city by the sea I know. Quiet. Peaceful. I was thinking we could sneak away for a weekend. Just once. No titles. No judgment. Just us."
Akari tilted his head, both flattered and concerned. "But Ruan... your basketball prep, your finals—"
Ruan reached for his textbook, flipping through it. "I'll catch up. I'll even finish this whole set tonight if it means I get a weekend with you."
Akari gave him a long look, trying not to smile but failing slightly. "You're impossible."
"And yet, you love me," Ruan teased.
Akari rolled his eyes but leaned in, brushing a kiss on Ruan's cheek. "Fine. If you solve every question right."
Ruan beamed. "You're the best, you know that?"
"Prove it, get to work," Akari smirked, already regretting how fast he'd given in.
Ruan leaned forward and gave him plenty of pecks.
"Get off big boy," Akari resisted pushing him off but inside he enjoyed the clinging.
***
It was late in the morning around 11 a.m. on Saturday; Lumi arrived at Ruan's house announced, her face calm but mind racing. She always did this sometimes; coming by Ruan's to prove that they was a sweet couple.
But today, was a bit different.
The housekeeper answered the door and immediately told her, "Ruan isn't home right now."
"Oh," she said, brows knit. "I came to grab something I left in his room."
"Miss. Yue, I'm sorry but Ruan said he doesn't want anyone in his room unless he allows it." The maid said.
Lumi rolled her eyes and sighed, "Anyone? I'm I anyone." She sounded scary.
The housekeeper already shaking apologised and reluctantly, stepped aside, and Lumi slipped inside, heading straight for Ruan's door. She was "the fiancée" after all.
Lumi walked into Ruan's room with feigned calm. Once inside, Lumi looked around carefully. She walked around Ruan's room trying to survey if she could find something that's making him cut off the engagement.
She did not think much of his absence; she thought he would probably be with his friends.
Suddenly, her eyes landed on a plain envelope lying on the desk. Curiosity got the better of her side. She picked it up and unfolded it carefully.
Inside were two printed train tickets and a hotel booking receipts.
Her eyes scanned the names:
**Passenger 1: Ruan Koo, Passenger 2: Akari Lee**
The dates matched the very day that he was absent. Today. The day she was reading the receipts.
Lumi's eyes grew wide. She scoffed unbelievably. Her lips curled into a knowing sneer.
"So that's what has been stopping you?" she said. "It's because of..." she chuckled, a chuckle of realization. The chuckle grew into laughter.
Her mind raced with possibilities, this was the proof she needed, not just of Ruan's secret, but also of why he had been so distant.
Finishing off her laughter, she carefully aced everything back, already plotting her next move.
"I got you Ruan. If I cannot be happy, neither are you going to be. We are going down together," Lumi said those herself, sneering bitterly, hardly squeezing the tickets.
On the other side, far away from the city, Ruan and Akari had escaped the city buzz, arriving at a cozy lakeside cabin surrounded by golden autumn trees. The crisp air carried the scent of pine and earth, and the gentle ripple of the lake set a peaceful rhythm.
They spent the day exploring the nearby trails, laughter bubbling between them as they shared stories and quiet moments. Ruan slipped his hand into Akari's, fingers intertwining naturally, the touch warm and reassuring.
As the sun began to dip, painting the sky with shades of pink and orange, they sat side by side on a wooden dock, their feet dangling above the cool water.
Ruan turned to Akari, eyes bright with happiness. "I needed this… needed us."
Akari smiled softly, brushing a stray lock of hair from Ruan's face. "Me too. I never imagined I would bring myself to fall in love again after what happened."
"What happened?" Ruan asked curiosity getting the best side of him.
Akari took a deep breath before explaining his past relationship with Kian.
As soon as he was done, Ruan held his hands and kissed him on the forehead, "With me you are safe. I will do anything and everything to make sure you smile."
Akari smiled softly, trying to stop himself from tearing.
With the stars beginning to twinkle above, Akari leaned in, their lips meeting in a gentle, lingering kiss. The world around them faded, just the two of them, wrapped in a moment of pure, quiet love.
Later that night,
Ruan leaned back against the edge of the bathtub, the warm water surrounding them gently rippling. Akari rested his head softly against Ruan's chest, their bodies close, hearts beating in quiet rhythm.
Ruan sighed, a soft smile curling his lips. "You ever wonder how we ended up here. Together, like this?"
Akari's fingers traced idle patterns on Ruan's chest. "Sometimes, it feels almost impossible. Like a thread winding through chaos and chance to tie us together.
Ruan nodded his voice low. "With everything against us… the distance, the expectations, the uncertainty. But maybe that's what made it real. If it was easy, it wouldn't feel this intense."
Akari shifted a little, looking up through eyelashes. "Do you think we can handle what's coming? The challenges, the consequences… whatever they are? "
Ruan's gaze softened earnest. "If we didn't believe we could, we wouldn't have made it this far. Love like ours—it's not just about feeling good. It's about facing the hard parts side by side. "
Akari smiled a mix of relief and hope. "Then I'm ready. With you. "
Ruan smiled back and cupped Akari's face. "Tonight, let's just be us. Forget the world for a little while."
They leaned into each other, their lips meeting in a slow, heated kiss that deepened with every passing second. The world outside faded as they gave in to the moment, their love wrapped in warmth and promise.
"So, sir. Akari, should I stop here?" Ruan teased caressing Akari's blushed face.
Akari didn't answer; he pulled Akari into a kiss, "Let's just be us remember?"
Ruan smiled gladly.
He then carried Akari, and with kisses in between he walked them to the bedroom. And there, they made love to each other. Each having the best night of their lives.
Little did they know—