Chương 12: He got a roommate
Until the eve of New Year's Day, Noah hadn't seen Ethan since that night, and the silence left him feeling discouraged. He thought he'd worked through everything in his mind, but the absence weighed heavily on him.
"Shawn, tomorrow is New Year's Day. I plan to close the store for three days," Noah told his friend.
Shawn, who was casually enjoying a lollipop, looked up. "Noah? Are you going home? If not, let's spend New Year's Day together!"
"Sounds great! I won't go back. Let's go pick some vegetables together after work," Noah replied, feeling a little more festive.
Initially, he just wanted to make some glutinous rice balls for himself, but with Shawn joining him, it felt like a proper celebration was in order.
At the supermarket, they gathered a bunch of ingredients. Shawn placed everything in the back seat of Noah's car, refusing Noah's offer to help with his bags. As they browsed, Shawn's phone buzzed incessantly. To avoid disrupting other shoppers, he quickly muted it.
Finding a quiet corner, he reluctantly answered the incoming call.
"You still remember to answer my calls—are you not going to come home? You changed your phone number and your address. Who are you hiding from?"
Shawn felt the chill in the air and kept his tone flat. "Don't you know? Why are you asking?"
"Shawn, I raised you! You need to get married! Do you think you can run forever?!"
The voice on the other end escalated, like a balloon about to burst.
"Mom, I don't want to get married. The engagement was your decision. It's not the past anymore. I won't go home until you back down."
Shawn's voice was firm, but inside, he felt exhausted. "If you keep insisting, there's nothing more to say."
He hung up, blocking the number. Wandering into a nearby mobile phone store, he applied for a new SIM card, feeling the weight of his decision.
As he stepped outside, he sighed, looking at the gray sky—his life felt as dull as the weather.
"New Year's special! Buy three tissues, get one free!" a loudspeaker blared, reminding him of the holiday he'd promised to share with Noah. He felt a pang of guilt at the thought of disappointing him.
Meanwhile, Noah was in the kitchen when his phone rang. "What's up?" he answered, wiping flour from his hands.
Shawn, trying to keep it light, said, "Noah, my landlord raised the rent suddenly, and I can't find a place to stay for a while."
"That's tough. If you don't mind, you can crash at my place for a few days until you figure something out."
Noah's two-bedroom apartment had enough space, and he wanted to help.
"Seriously? That would be amazing, thanks! Where are you now?" Shawn asked, relief evident in his voice.
"I'll send you my location. Come straight over," Noah said, quickly texting the address.
After putting the groceries away and tidying up, Noah heard a knock at the door—Shawn had arrived, his cheeks flushed from the cold.
"Hey, it's been a while," Noah said, noticing the shiver in Shawn's stance. "That landlord sounds terrible. How can they raise the price on a whim?"
"Yeah, but I appreciate you letting me stay. Where should I put my stuff?" Shawn asked, gesturing to his black suitcase.
"This is the guest room; it has a bathroom outside. I usually use the one inside, so you're all set. No one's stayed here, so it's clean. Feel free to use it," Noah explained, pointing to the neat bedding. "Just change into the extra set before bed."
"Thanks, Noah. This really helps," Shawn said, his gratitude genuine.
After showing Shawn around, Noah returned to the living room and turned on the projector to watch a movie.
"Hey, what are you watching?" Shawn asked as he settled down next to Noah.
"A horror movie," Noah replied, a hint of mischief in his voice.
Shawn's expression stiffened for a moment; he had assumed Noah would prefer something artsy. "Alright, let's watch it together."
As darkness enveloped the room, the movie began. The plot followed a policeman who encountered a family massacre, his colleague trailing behind him, both armed with flashlights. The tension built as the colleague began to feel uneasy.
"John, why don't we go back? This place feels… off," he whispered, visibly shaken.
"Come on, you're a policeman! You can't believe in ghosts," the protagonist replied dismissively, but Shawn felt the tension in the air.
The colleague moved closer, but suddenly, their dynamic shifted. "What are you doing, John?"
"Stay away from me! I like soft omegas. Don't get too close!"
Shawn burst out laughing at the unexpected twist in the dialogue. "Do you think this guy is a normal person? He's scared, but he's still flirting!"
Noah chuckled, "He's definitely confident, I'll give him that."
But soon, the laughter faded as the horror intensified on-screen. The two suddenly separated, and the colleague stumbled around in fear, repeating, "I'm a good person, I'm a good person, don't look for me!"
When he found a reflective object, the camera zoomed in on the bottom of the bed, revealing a ghostly figure—a little girl with grayish skin and dark eye sockets.
"Ah! Ghost!" both Shawn and Noah screamed in unison, their fear blending with exhilaration as they shared the moment. The atmosphere shifted, drawing them closer together, their laughter and fright intertwining in the cozy, darkened room.
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