Chapter 11: The Seeds of Resentment

Shin’s rage subsided, leaving behind a hollow ache. He slumped onto the couch, amidst the wreckage of his apartment, the broken pieces reflecting the brokenness inside him. His mind drifted back, back to the beginning, back to Kenji.

Kenji had transferred to their school in their sophomore year. Shin had been his desk mate, and they’d quickly become friends. Kenji was easy to get along with, funny, and supportive. But beneath the surface, Shin had sensed something else, a quiet intensity in Kenji’s gaze when he looked at Shin, a subtle possessiveness in his manner.

Kenji had started to like Shin, that much was clear. He’d compliment Shin’s clothes, his skills on the basketball court, his easygoing charm. He’d always be there, ready with a joke or a helping hand. But there was always something else too, a shadow lurking in the background. A jealousy.

Kenji was jealous of Xander. He saw how Shin gravitated towards Xander, how their bond was different, stronger, more profound than any other friendship Shin had. He saw how Shin would go out of his way for Xander, how he’d drop everything to be by Xander’s side. And it gnawed at him.

One day, Kenji had seen Shin’s phone. He’d picked it up, intending to show Shin a meme, but he’d stumbled upon a folder filled with photos. Photos of Xander. Hundreds of them. Xander laughing, Xander studying, Xander playing basketball, Xander just being Xander. Kenji’s heart had sunk. He’d realized then, with a sickening certainty, that Shin’s feelings for Xander were more than just friendship.

The jealousy that had been simmering inside him boiled over. He knew he couldn't compete with Xander. He couldn’t offer Shin the same history, the same deep connection. But he could have him. He could take Xander away.

Kenji’s approach to Xander had been calculated, deliberate. He’d started spending more time with him, finding common interests, offering a listening ear. He’d played on Xander’s insecurities, his anxieties, his longing for acceptance. He’d been patient, playing the long game, waiting for the perfect opportunity.

He knew that if he and Xander started dating, it would create a rift between Shin and Xander. He knew that Shin would be hurt, betrayed. But he didn't care. He was willing to sacrifice Shin’s happiness for his own.

He’d chosen Shin’s birthday deliberately. It was the perfect day. A day of celebration, a day of trust, a day when Shin would be most vulnerable. He knew that revealing their relationship on Shin’s birthday would inflict maximum pain. It was a calculated move, a final act of revenge against the boy who had unknowingly captured his heart, and then broken it by loving someone else.

Now, surrounded by the debris of his own emotional explosion, Shin understood. He understood Kenji’s motivations, his jealousy, his calculated cruelty. He understood that he had been a pawn in a game he didn’t even know he was playing. And the realization was almost as painful as the betrayal itself. He had been so focused on Xander, so blinded by his own feelings, that he hadn’t seen the danger lurking in the shadows. He had trusted Kenji, and Kenji had used that trust to destroy him.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***