Just A Friend

Night came quickly.

Jason knocked on Val's door, opened the door to see Val sitting on the edge of his bed.

"Val"

"eh boss"

Jason entered, pausing for a moment to see Val's face, which he thought was very pale and tired when he saw him enter. Jason slowly sat down next to him, about to touch Val's hand but the young man raised his hand.

"Are you alright? Where were you? Why did you shut off your phone?" he asked.

Val reached for his phone in his pocket, the battery was drained, he had turned it off earlier for one reason or another.

Jason saw that Val's lips were dry and chapped. Recently, he thought that the kid was getting thinner until his cheekbones were visible.

"Did, something happen? You look really tired lately, and, you come home from work at three in the afternoon, how many times have you done that? Did you go back to your campus and have another project or.."

"Nothing Boss," Val answered quickly, his eyes looking big at Jason. He averted his gaze when he realized he had been looking for too long.

"Eh, pardon me, boss, I, want to take a shower"

Val stood up from his seat. Holding on to the bed, he got up to go to the restroom which was not far in front of him, but he almost fell back when Jason reflexively caught Val's body when the young man suddenly staggered.

"Val!"

Val straightened up again, he smiled at Jason, who was worried when he saw him suddenly stagger.

"Eh, thank you, boss, I think I'm too full"

Jason was still reluctant to release his grip on Val's hand, which he thought was so thin that he could felt the bones clearly. Val pulled his hand.

"Boss"

"Stuffed? How many plates did you eat just now?" asked Jason as Val continued his way back towards the restroom, and closed the door.

No answer from Val. The restroom door was immediately closed tightly.

"Val, you're okay, are you!" Jason exclaimed again.

Not long after, Val's voice was heard inside.

"I'm fine, Boss," Val shouted back.

The sound of water running from the tap covered the silence then. Val stared at his face in the mirror, blood dripping back from his nose staining the white sink.

"Hoh" he opened his locked drawer under the sink, various kinds of colorful medicines in plastic bottles almost filled up the space.

Previously, at Argent Central Hospital.

Val opened his eyes. He fell asleep in bed and saw the face of Doctor Rio who had bent down in front of him.

"Doc, did I fall asleep?" Val asked.

The doctor smiled. He straightened his body to check the IV line that was attached to Val's arm. He fell asleep after Doctor Rio asked him to do a biopsy and it felt very uncomfortable, he could still feel the pain in his backside. He realized that they had also put an oxygen tube on him, his head was dizzy.

"Ah" Val tried to pull himself up, but Doctor Rio grabbed his shoulder.

"Hey, just lie down, stay here until your IV runs out, and then you can go home. Your blood pressure is very low, if your condition continues to decline you may have to stay in the hospital tonight."

Val gripped Rio's hand which was holding his, closing his eyes to try to ease up the dizziness.

"Heh, is this over, doc? There are no other tests, right?"

Rio brushed Val's hair behind his ear, looking at the young man's face for a long time. He nodded.

"Well after this, there are no other tests, go to sleep, I'll wake you up before night, okay?"

Val was still holding Rio's hand until finally he fell asleep again.

"Thank you, doc"

Rio held his breath, stroking Val's hair and looking at him for a long time.

"Go to sleep, everything will be fine later,"

...

Diamond office building in sunny daytime.

Before lunch. In the archive room located outside the room near the elevator.

Val had just entered the archives room with the notes that Jason had requested, when he was very serious, someone put his arm around his waist from behind. He almost jumped in surprise and turned around to find Iyana already behind him.

"Il?"

The tightly closed archive room made Jason frown deeply. He had asked Val to go there and that had been more than half an hour ago even though they were about to have lunch.

"Wow, that kid, maybe he got lost among the piles of files again."

Ilyana hugged Val tightly, and tied Val's waist with both hands "Eh Il" Val tried as gently as possible to release her.

"Please Val, don't choose Fena, just me, we've known each other for more than three months now, I really liked you from the moment you came in, you should consider me first instead of her."

Val was silent, maybe Ilyana's mood was in bad mood so her colleague from the same department acted like that, and she had to try to understand.

"There's nothing wrong with Fena and I, Fena and I have been friends since we were kids, that's why we're close, apart from that, there's nothing."

Ilyana raised her head, her undereyes black because the eyeliner blended with her tears.

"Really Val? Y-you guys, aren't dating?" Il asked with happy eyes, Val nodded

"Yeah, we're just friends."

Hearing that, Ilyana immediately hugged Val tightly back.

"Val, I know, you definitely won't disappoint me."

But Val couldn't say if he would give hope to Ilyana because he didn't know if he was attracted to the girl more than a friend.

Val lowered Ilyana's two hands from his waist gently.

"Il, but, I don't want to give you hope, if.."

Ilyana refused to let go of his embrace. 

"Why can't you, Val, I never have problems, I have my job, and I'm quite successful"

Val struggled when Il's hug got tighter, even making it difficult for him to move and breathe

"Il, Ilyana"

"No Val, please, I only want you, if there is no Val, then the others will be nothing"

"Don't be kidding Il, what's wrong with you? Let's go to lunch, we'll discuss it another time."

The door opened from the outside.

"What..are you two doing here? Val? Il?

Jason stood with one hand still on the door handle. Ilyana who was hugging Val immediately released her hand when she realized the boss was already looking at them. With still wet eyes she ran out past Jason.

"hucks"

Val sat down, and took a deep breath. 

"Heh thanks, Boss"

Jason approached, checking on Val who looked exhausted.

"Hey, are you alright? Your face looks so pale."

Jason helped Val stand up. 

"I'm fine, Boss, this is because someone said that Fena and I are dating"

Jason pursed his mouth. Val's gaze as if he accuse him. He widened his eyes.

"Not me, why should I talk like that, maybe, she saw it by herself"

Val looked at his Boss sharply, then walked past him out. Jason felt Val was angry with him.

"Hey Val, you have to trust me, let's find something to eat, it's already lunch time"

Val let go of his Boss.

"I'm not hungry, Boss, just eat yourself"

Jason screeched.

"No way, it can't be like that, come on"

Jason didnt' care if Val was angry, he grabbed Val's hand and pulled him.

"Lets go"

"Boss!"