Pregnant During An Apocalypse [BL]

Chapter 271: Chapter 271 - Too attached

Jai bit his lip, chewing on it so hard it almost hurt.

Shao was sitting right there. Right there, just across the room. And yet... it felt like he was miles away. He and Qui Yue were quietly eating their breakfast together, the way friends might. Smiling. Chatting. Like everything was normal.

Like last night hadn’t happened at all.

Jai’s stomach twisted with every soft laugh that left Shao’s mouth.

He didn’t even feel hungry anymore.

Slowly, the others started waking up.

There was a loud yawn from the hallway before Hana stumbled into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes. Her hair was messier than usual, sticking out to the sides like a small explosion had gone off on her head. She looked half-awake but wandered over with a smile.

”Morning,” she muttered, then moved aside as soft footsteps approached behind her.

Yuki and Zei followed closely after.

Yuki looked mildly more put together, adjusting his sleeves with a quick nod to Jai. Zei, on the other hand, was dragging his feet like someone who’d been forced out of bed against his will. His shirt was inside out, and his hair looked like a bird had nested in it overnight.

But then there was the little girl—bright-eyed and freshly washed. Her short ponytail bobbed on top of her head like a little sprout, swaying with every step as she walked in with a grin.

”Good morning!” she chirped, waving cheerfully at Jai.

His face softened instantly. He forced his thoughts away from Shao and gave her the best smile he could manage.

”Morning, little bean,” he said, leaning down a bit. ”You look refreshed.”

She beamed proudly. ”I brushed my teeth twice and tied my hair myself!”

”Impressive,” Jai said, his voice warming. ”You’re growing up so fast.”

He kept chatting with her, asking about her dreams, whether she liked beans, and if her ponytail hurt her head. Her sweet, innocent presence helped calm the aching spot in his chest—at least for a minute.

Then Hana elbowed him in the side.

”Sooo... Brother Jai...” she said with a low, playful drawl.

Jai blinked, narrowing his eyes at her suspiciously.

”What?”

”What do you mean what?” Hana gave him a knowing look and wiggled her eyebrows with the subtlety of a firework show.

He squinted harder. ”Seriously, what are you talking about?”

She didn’t answer right away. Instead, she gave him a little smirk, like she was enjoying drawing this out. With a sigh, Jai handed her a plate of beans.

”Go eat. Hunger’s clearly making you crazier.”

Hana made a dramatic pout and took the plate, but not before leaning in close to whisper right in his ear, ”You know... last night...”

Jai went still. Completely still.

He turned toward her so fast it made his neck twinge. ”What?”

But she was already giggling, her face full of secrets.

Jai’s blood ran cold. His heart thumped wildly.

Last night...

Oh god.

He hadn’t exactly... been subtle. He remembered moaning. Loudly. His voice echoing in the room. He’d been so caught up in the heat of the moment that he hadn’t even thought about the paper-thin walls. Or the fact that they were all sharing this stupid house together.

His face paled.

No. No, no, no.

His eyes darted around the room in a panic. Who else knew?

He looked toward Zei.

The man was yawning mid-stretch, lifting his arms and exposing his hairy stomach. He sniffed his own armpit with zero shame, then blinked sleepily toward Jai.

They made eye contact.

Jai froze.

Zei scratched his head, raised a hand lazily in greeting, grabbed his plate of food, and casually walked out of the kitchen like nothing happened.

Jai slowly exhaled. He didn’t know if that was better or worse.

Everyone eventually settled around the table, pulling chairs and makeshift stools close, the scrape of wood and clink of metal echoing softly through the kitchen. Plates were passed around, steam rising from the warmed canned beans. Bread was split and shared. It was quiet—one of those heavy silences that pretended to be normal but wasn’t.

Jai sat with a stiff back, forcing himself to chew on the slightly stale bread, though it felt like cardboard in his mouth. Across from him, Shao sat comfortably, spooning beans into his mouth with zero hesitation, eyes down on his plate as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world.

Not once did he look up.

Jai stared. Just a second too long. His chest was tight. It was like watching someone erase you from their mind in real-time.

His thoughts were interrupted by the familiar sound of shuffling slippers and a loud yawn.

His grandfather walked in, bleary-eyed and scratching his stomach.

”Morning,” the old man mumbled, grabbing a seat with a small grunt. He glanced around the table before his eyes landed on Jai. ”How did you sleep yesterday?”

Jai froze. His whole body stiffened.

He could feel his pulse pick up, but he managed a thin smile. ”Good. I had a good night’s sleep.”

And he had. That was the damn problem.

Ever since the world had gone to hell, his nights were usually plagued by cold sweats, fear, and the dull ache of anxiety. But last night... he had slept deeply. Warm. Peaceful. Safe.

His cheeks burned.

That irritated him almost as much as Shao’s silence did.

Jai’s eyes wandered again, betraying him.

There he was. Shao. Still eating like nothing happened, like they hadn’t been tangled up the night before, hands in each other’s hair, mouths on each other’s skin. Now here he sat, across from Jai, more interested in his beans than the person he kissed.

The ache turned to a twist in his stomach.

”I-I’ll go bring Yunfeng and Muchen,” Jai blurted suddenly, rising to his feet with so much urgency he knocked his chair slightly back.

He didn’t wait for a reply.

He couldn’t sit there any longer. Not when Shao’s silence felt like a slap to the face.

He walked quickly, breathing faster than he meant to as he approached Yunfeng’s room. Stopping outside the door, he knocked gently, knuckles tapping the wood with more hesitation than usual.

”Come in,” came a soft, husky voice from within.

Jai pushed the door open.

Yunfeng was standing by the window, the morning light casting a pale glow around his figure. He was still in his sleep clothes, arms crossed loosely, face unreadable as he gazed outside. His presence, quiet and steady, always brought Jai a strange comfort.

”Yunfeng... breakfast is ready. Come, I’ll take you to eat,” Jai said, walking toward him, voice softer now.

He reached out and held Yunfeng’s hand gently. His fingers were cool, firm, familiar.

Yunfeng turned his head slightly, gazing at the wall beside him with a subtle look of concern.

”Jai... what’s wrong?”

Jai immediately tried to deflect. ”What? Nothing’s wrong.”

He even laughed, high-pitched and clearly fake.

But Yunfeng didn’t buy it.

”I can sense it,” he said quietly. ”You sound upset. I’ve never heard you this upset before.”

Jai felt his throat close up. The dam cracked.

He gently tugged Yunfeng away from the window and guided him to sit on the edge of the bed. Then, without thinking too hard about it, Jai dropped down beside him and buried his face in his hands.

”I have a crush on someone,” he mumbled, voice muffled.

Yunfeng stayed quiet, waiting.

Jai lifted his head slowly, looking off toward the far wall, expression hollow. ”And that someone... actually kissed me. Like really kissed me. And now... they’re ignoring me. After all of that.”

Yunfeng blinked, his expression flickering with surprise and then softening.

”I hate it,” Jai continued, voice cracking around the edges. ”I feel so shitty... Yunfeng, I feel like my stomach hurts. I keep thinking about him. I keep hoping he’ll look at me, but he doesn’t. And I can’t even pretend to act normal because every time he looks away I feel like I’m being crushed.”

Yunfeng reached for him slowly, groping a little until he found Jai’s hand and held it between both of his.

”Jai... listen to me.”

Jai looked up at him, eyes wide and raw.

”If you love this person, then you have to let them know. Really know. Not just a kiss or a glance. If they feel the same... they’ll tell you. They’ll show it. And if not...” Yunfeng’s voice dipped with empathy, ”you have to move on. It’s not worth this pain. You don’t deserve to sit with all this heaviness alone.”

Jai closed his eyes. A deep, shaky sigh left his chest.

Then he slumped backward, plopping onto the bed behind Yunfeng with a groan, arms flung wide.

”That’s the problem,” he muttered miserably. ”I think I’m already too attached. I don’t think I can move on...”

The room fell silent for a few seconds. Only their breathing filled the space.

Yunfeng didn’t try to offer a solution this time. He simply reached back and squeezed Jai’s arm, a quiet way of saying: I’m here.

Jai stared up at the ceiling, wondering what the hell he was supposed to do now.