A/N: The image above does not belong to me. It belongs to the person who uploaded it on the internet.

Barcode's POV

It wasn't my alarm that woke me up on Monday morning. It was the sound of rain pounding hard on the roof and against my window pane.

I turned off my alarm even before it could start ringing.

I stumbled out of bed and went out into the hallway to walk towards the bathroom.

It seems I wasn't the only early riser in the house.

I met Ken in the hallway. He had just walked out of the bathroom. He was wearing a navy blue bathrobe and although a towel was wrapped around his head I could smell the pleasant scent of his shampoo and his body wash.

"Good morning," he greeted me.

"Good morning, Ken," I said, trying not to get affected by his manly smell and manly voice. "Listen, my friend Jeff is coming to pick me up in half an hour. If you think you could be ready by then I could ask him to give you a ride. We're going to the same uni anyway. That is if you'd like to."

"Thanks for the offer, but I'll be fine," Ken replied. "Besides I don't think that Jeff would like the idea of the presence of a third wheel," he added.

"Why would you think like that?" I asked. "Jeff is a really nice guy. I seriously think that he won't mind giving you a ride."

"Nah, I'll be fine, seriously," said Ken, already walking quickly back to his room, not waiting for me to insist that he come and ride with me to uni.

For some reason I felt disappointed that Ken was not going to ride with me to uni. I didn't know if I was going to see him again for the rest of the day. Hopefully, I get to see him later this evening for dinner.

I shook my head as I entered the bathroom. What was happening to me. Why was I starting to get attracted to Ken.

A/N: The image above does not belong to me. It belongs to the person who uploaded it on the internet.

Ken's POV

My phone was ringing when I entered my room.

Kuya Stell was video calling me. (A/N: "kuya" is a Philippine honorific for an older brother or older male friend.)

I grabbed my phone and tapped on it.

"Bakit ang tagal mo sumagot, saan ka galing," was how he greeted me (translation: Why did it take you so long to take my call? Where have you been?)

"Kuya!" I frowned at him. "I just came from taking a shower! Look at me!"

I made sure that he could see that I was still in my bathrobe and towel.

"Oh okay," Kuya Stell relented. "It's because I really miss you. I wish you didn't have to fly all the way to Thailand for a scholarship. I don't know. Maybe it's selfish of me but I just want you to always be by my side."

"What is this, a love confession?" I teased him.

He did not reply. His face grew serious.

Uh oh, should I have just kept my mouth shut.

"I should have told you before you left Manila ..." he started to say.

A knock on the door interrupted our conversation.