Close to You

William never thought he'd be the jealous type. 

He had always been laid-back, confident in his own way, and never the kind of guy to get worked up over things that weren't worth his time. But when it came to Est—when it came to the way Est smiled at someone else, the way someone else looked at him, the way Est seemed too oblivious to notice how easily he could capture attention William felt something deep in his chest that he couldn't ignore. 

It all started at one of their usual study sessions at a café near campus. William had been running late Nut had dragged him into some ridiculous argument with Hong, and by the time he arrived, Est was already inside, sitting at a small table by the window.  

And he wasn't alone. 

There was some guy sitting across from him, leaning a little too close, his smile a little too charming. William didn't recognize him, but he knew the type the kind of guy who knew exactly what he wanted, the kind of guy who wouldn't hesitate to make a move. 

William clenched his jaw as he made his way over. Est looked up, his expression lighting up immediately. "William, hey!" 

The other guy turned, giving him a quick once-over before flashing a polite smile. "Oh, you must be William. Est mentioned you." 

William didn't bother sitting down. He kept his hands in his pockets, his voice neutral but firm. "Yeah. And you are?" 

Est, completely unaware of the tension thickening in the air, gestured between them. "This is Phat, he's in my physics class. We were just going over some formulas before the quiz next week." 

Phat. William already didn't like him. 

"Oh," William said, forcing a small nod, though his jaw was still tight. He wasn't the type to make a scene, but something about the way Phat was looking at Est—like he wanted something more than just a study session made his blood simmer. 

Phat smiled, completely unaware. "Yeah, Est's a lifesaver. I probably would've failed this quiz if he didn't help me out." 

William's grip on the back of the chair tightened. "He's great like that," he said flatly, his eyes flickering to Est. 

Est, still oblivious to William's mood, chuckled. "You should've come earlier. I was just telling Phat how terrible my notes are." 

William wanted to say something. He wanted to tell Est he didn't like this, that he didn't want anyone else to have his attention like this. But he couldn't not without making it seem like he was being ridiculous. 

Instead, he just sat down, folding his arms. "You done studying?" 

Est blinked at him, sensing the shift in his tone. "Uh... yeah, I think so. Why?" 

William stood up, sliding his chair back. "Let's go, then." 

Est glanced between him and Phat, confusion flickering in his eyes. "Oh—um, okay." He turned to Phat, offering an apologetic smile. "Thanks for the study session." 

Phat grinned. "No problem. Maybe we can go over the practice questions again sometime?" 

William didn't wait to hear Est's answer. He was already making his way toward the door, and Est had no choice but to follow. 

The second they stepped outside, William exhaled sharply, shoving his hands in his pockets. He didn't say anything, but his silence was heavier than words. 

Est frowned, walking beside him. "Are you okay?" 

William let out a short laugh, but there was no humor in it. "Yeah. Just didn't expect to see you with someone else."