SECRET LOVER

Chapter 1: Drawn to You

The sound of pencil scratching against paper was the only thing filling Daive’s bedroom that Sunday afternoon. Outside, the sky was unusually still—gray, but not raining. Much like how Daive felt inside.

He paused, staring at the sketch on his lap. He had drawn Sky again. Not intentionally. He had started with just the curve of a smile, then a pair of eyes that felt familiar, and before he knew it, he had drawn him. Again.

Sky’s messy hair, his carefree grin, the little crinkle under his left eye when he laughed—Daive captured it all without needing to look at a reference. He knew Sky’s face better than his own.

He hated how easy it came to him.

A buzz from his phone broke his thoughts. A message from Sky.

Sky:

You alive, Daive? Or did your sketchpad finally eat you? 😜

Sky:

Come over. I’m bored.

Daive smiled slightly and typed a short reply:

Daive:

On my way.

---

Twenty minutes later, Daive was sitting on the floor of Sky’s room, flipping through game options on the console while Sky complained about math homework behind him.

“I swear, the new teacher’s trying to kill us,” Sky groaned, flopping dramatically onto his bed. “She gave us ten problems. TEN. Like we’re robots or something.”

Daive didn’t respond. He was too busy staring at the way Sky’s shirt rose slightly as he rolled onto his side, revealing a sliver of his waist. It wasn’t even intentional. Sky never noticed these things. But Daive did.

Always.

He turned back to the game selection before Sky could catch him staring.

“You okay?” Sky asked, sitting up and tossing a pillow at him.

Daive caught it. “Yeah. Why?”

“You’re quiet.”

“You talk enough for both of us,” Daive muttered, smirking.

Sky grinned. “You love it.”

And the stupid thing was—he did. Too much, maybe.

---

Later that night, after dinner, Sky walked Daive to the gate. They always ended their hangouts like this—like a scene out of a movie neither of them was brave enough to finish.

“Hey,” Sky said, scratching the back of his neck. “You’re free next weekend, right? I was thinking we could—"

“Sky!”

A girl’s voice rang from the sidewalk. Yna.

She jogged up to them, smiling brightly, her long hair bouncing with each step. “Oh, wow. I didn’t know you lived around here.”

Sky raised an eyebrow. “I’ve literally lived here since we were kids, Yna.”

She laughed. “Right. Anyway, I was wondering if you got the homework from earlier? I missed the last part of the lecture.”

Daive stood quietly, watching the exchange. Yna was smiling—too much. And standing—too close.

Sky, ever polite, nodded. “Yeah, I have it. I’ll send it later?”

“Thanks! You’re the best,” she said with a playful wink before turning and walking off with a sway in her step.

Daive’s chest felt tight. He hated that he noticed how cute she looked. Hated that Sky didn’t seem to hate it.

“She’s just being nice,” Sky said, sensing the silence.

Daive shrugged. “Sure.”

But inside, his thoughts were loud:

Do you like her?

He didn't dare ask.

Instead, he walked away with a quiet goodbye, hands in his pockets, sketchpad in his bag, and jealousy blooming in his chest like a storm cloud.

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