Chapter 86 - A Bed for Two

  “W-what did you just say?” I blinked, trying to shake off the fog in my head.

  “I’m quite bored playing games. Do you want to watch a movie?” Myrrh asked, her tone oddly serious. Her sapphire eyes met mine, steady and unreadable.

  I stared at her, my thoughts sluggish. Did I mishear that? There wasn’t the slightest hint on her face that she’d said anything strange, but the dull ache behind my eyes and the faint dizziness swirling in my head made me question everything. Maybe my brain was just making things up.

  It took me a long, awkward moment before I managed to respond. “Y-yeah, sure.” I scoffed, rubbing the back of my neck. “I thought you just asked me to have sex.”

  “What!?” Myrrh’s voice shot up an octave. Her face burned crimson, her hands clutching the hem of her dress in mortification. “K-know your place, you buffoon! Not in a million years!” She practically shrieked, her whole body stiff with embarrassment.

  I couldn’t help but chuckle, the sound low and teasing. Moments like these were comfortable in their own way — Myrrh would never take my jokes seriously, and honestly, I just wanted to double-check that I really misheard her. Judging by her reaction, I definitely did. Maybe it was just the dizziness messing with me.

  “Let me borrow your laptop.” Myrrh huffed, flipping her ponytail over her shoulder as if that would somehow erase the awkwardness. “I bought this rom-com from Flix a while ago. It’s been sitting in my backlog since I’ve been too busy.” She reached over, booting up my laptop with the swift efficiency of someone who had done it a hundred times before.

  “You should’ve just pirated the movie,” I muttered, watching her fuss with my laptop.

  Myrrh shot me a sharp glare, pouting slightly. “I’m not a criminal street thug like you, you know.” Her tone was haughty, but the way she scrunched her nose made it almost cute.

  She slid a micro card into the laptop, fingers moving with practiced ease. With a few clicks, the screen flickered and shifted into projector mode, casting a soft glow across the room as the movie splashed onto the wall. The dim light made her lime-blonde hair shimmer faintly, the black ribbons tied in her ponytail catching the glow.

  I shifted, expecting her to sit in the chair like always, but instead, she started piling up pillows behind me, fluffing them until I was practically nestled in a makeshift throne. I blinked in surprise at the unexpected kindness, but before I could comment, Myrrh did something even more unexpected.

  She sat down on my bed.

  “Hey, scoot over,” she said, her voice quiet but firm, her face tinged pink.

  “Huh?” I felt my whole body stiffen. Heat crept up my neck, and I turned to her, wide-eyed. “Are you seriously gonna share a bed with me?”

  “You really make it sound like we’re intimate, huh?” Myrrh rolled her eyes, though the redness in her cheeks betrayed her nonchalance. “I just want to watch the movie comfortably. My back is killing me from sitting in that chair for hours.”

  “Eeeeeh…” I cringed, reluctantly shifting to the side to give her some space. The bed dipped slightly as she settled next to me, her warmth radiating through the thin blanket. “Don’t blame me if you catch my cold.”

  “In that case,” Myrrh smirked, folding her arms behind her head and leaning back, “I’ll be counting on you to be my slave nurse when I get sick.”

  “Whatever,” I muttered, trying to sound indifferent, but my heart was thudding loudly in my chest. I stared at the movie flickering on the wall, though I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to focus on it at all.

  Myrrh laid beside me, her body sinking slightly into the mattress, and for a moment, the reality of the situation hit me. We looked like a married couple — sharing the same bed, watching the same movie on a big projected screen, the soft flicker of light dancing across the walls. The fresh scent of her shampoo drifted toward me, something light and floral, calming the faint dizziness in my head.

  As the opening credits rolled, the room bathed in the soft glow of the projector, Myrrh broke the silence with a question that came out of nowhere.

  “Your sickness. Is it related to the binary codes and the Cosmic Tree?”

  I froze. The warmth of her presence faded into the background as my mind stumbled over her words. Slowly, I turned my head to look at her. She was still facing the screen, her expression unreadable, eyes reflecting the soft light of the movie.

  “Bingo,” I finally muttered. “You got it. I had a dream about it last night, but… it was so vague I forgot most of it.”

  “Hmmm.” Myrrh shifted slightly, the bed creaking softly under her weight. “Do you remember that karaoke night after we won the Licensure Examination Tournament?”

  If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  I blinked. “Oh, you mean that time you and Dianca had a booby-softness match?” I asked, smirking at the memory.

  Myrrh’s head whipped toward me, her cheeks flushing a deep crimson. “You’re misremembering things. That did not happen.”

  “It did.”

  “IT DID NOT!” she barked, glaring daggers at me. Her face was so close now, I could feel her breath brush against my skin. "You want me to knock your brain out?"

  "Please don't. I'm still sick." I cried. That was more than enough for me to shut up.

  She huffed, crossing her arms as she settled back into the pillows. “Anyway, that’s beside the point. Do you remember what Neil spouted that night, when we were all crazy drunk?”

  “I’m not so sure,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck, “but he was imitating something about destroying reality and…” I trailed off, the memory hazy, like trying to grab smoke.

  “He said something about the Cosmic Tree,” Myrrh added, her tone low and serious.

  I frowned, staring at the shifting shadows on the wall. Come to think of it, Neil once told me a strange story from his childhood — something about being rescued after getting trapped in a mass of roots or vines. At the time, I brushed it off as one of his stupid ramblings. But now, with everything that had happened… maybe there was more to it. A quiet part of me had always suspected Neil might be a key to unlocking the mystery of the Cosmic Tree, but I kept pushing the thought aside.

  “I’ll try to ask him about it next year. You know, once classes resume,” I muttered.

  “Oh yeah, sure. Ask him on a date or something.” Myrrh’s serious demeanor vanished, replaced by a smug grin. “Didn’t you say Neil is totally gay for you? Maybe take him out for a romantic candlelit dinner. I even know a nice restaurant. Or, if you’re feeling adventurous, there’s a love hotel I can recommend.” She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

  “Shut up. The movie’s starting,” I grumbled, sinking lower into the pillows as the screen flickered with the first scenes.

  And just like that, the thoughts of the Cosmic Tree and Neil faded into the background, lost in the glow of the projector. The room filled with soft laughter and delighted squeals as we got sucked into the rom-com’s antics. Myrrh giggled beside me, occasionally making snide comments about the characters, while I just enjoyed the warmth of her presence and the easy rhythm of our banter.

  When the credits rolled, we swapped the fluffy romance for something darker — a horror flick from my collection of illegally downloaded movies from the dark web. The shift in atmosphere was immediate, the room growing colder as shadows danced on the walls. Myrrh clung to the blanket during the jump scares, though she’d never admit it. After that, we put on a documentary about ancient civilizations and alien conspiracies, the eerie background music lulling me into a strange, half-dazed state.

  We binged through movie after movie until night settled in, the hours slipping away unnoticed. Somewhere between the ancient astronaut theories and a rambling monologue about pyramid energy, my eyelids grew heavier. The warmth of the blankets, the soft hum of the projector, and Myrrh’s quiet breathing beside me made it impossible to stay awake.

  Before I knew it, sleep took me.

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  Morning came softly. The first rays of sunlight crept through the window, brushing against my face and stirring me from sleep. I turned over with a quiet groan, trying to escape the brightness — and nearly had a heart attack.

  Lying beside me was Myrrh, sleeping soundly, her chest rising and falling in a peaceful rhythm.

  My breath caught. Up close, Myrrh was… beautiful. The soft morning light painted her pinkish-white skin with a gentle glow. Her long eyelashes fanned out delicately over her cheeks, and her lips, slightly parted, looked almost too perfect. Strands of her greenish-blonde hair spilled across the pillow, silky smooth, catching the sunlight in faint golden streaks. We were so close, our faces mere inches apart. If I leaned forward, we’d be…

  I gulped, heat rising in my cheeks. Myrrh would punch me into next week if she caught me staring at her like this. No — scratch that — she’d go full judo on me if she realized she’d spent the night in the same bed as me. I carefully shifted, moving with the precision of a bomb defuser, as I slid out from under the blanket. Each creak of the mattress made my heart race.

  Finally, I stood up, exhaling quietly. That’s when I noticed something odd — the dizziness, the pounding headache that had plagued me yesterday… they were gone. I felt completely fine. Better than fine. My body felt light, like I’d just respawned at full health in a game.

  Weird.

  Shaking off the thought, I grabbed my face towel and tiptoed out of the room, padding down the corridor toward the lavatory. The dormitory was eerily quiet. As I passed each door, I noticed that every room on this floor was marked red — a sign that its occupant was away. Looked like I was the only one left for the holidays. The silence pressed against my ears, making my footsteps feel unnaturally loud.

  The cold water in the sink was a refreshing shock. I splashed my face a few times, watching the droplets slide down my reflection in the mirror. My heart had finally stopped racing, though the image of Myrrh sleeping so close still lingered in my mind. I let out a long breath and dried off, deciding it was time to head back.

  As I opened the door to my room, the soft creak of the hinges broke the silence. I froze. On the bed, Myrrh stirred. Her eyelids fluttered before slowly opening, her blue eyes hazy with sleep as they locked onto mine.

  Crap.

  Her eyes snapped open, sapphire irises locking onto mine as the realization dawned. Her face flushed a deep crimson, the color creeping all the way to the tips of her ears.

  “W-Wah—”

  Before she could finish, an idea struck me. I knew exactly how these situations played out in movies and shows — the girl would scream, the guy would panic, chaos would ensue. But this time? I decided to flip the script.

  “Eeeeeek!” I shrieked dramatically, clutching the blanket around me like a damsel in distress. “A perverted stranger slept in my bed! H-Help! Somebody call the police!”

  Myrrh’s jaw dropped. “What!? Who are you calling a perverted stranger!?”

  I pointed an accusatory finger at her, trying to keep a straight face. “A perverted woman I know slept in my bed!”

  Her expression twisted into disbelief. “So I’m a pervert either way, huh?” she groaned, rubbing her temples.

  I gasped, clutching my chest as if my honor had been tarnished. “D-Did you… did you take my virginity!?” I whimpered, eyes wide with mock horror. “I-I feel so violated…”

  “STOP WITH YOUR STUPID ANTICS!” Myrrh screeched, grabbing the nearest pillow and hurling it at my face. The soft impact nearly knocked me off balance, feathers flying everywhere. I barely caught myself from toppling over, laughter bubbling out of me.

  Myrrh crossed her arms and turned away, cheeks still burning red. “Idiot…” she muttered under her breath.

  I couldn’t help but grin. Totally worth it.