My spirit animal is a F–Rank gecko-Chapter 48: Back to the past (9)

(Benjamin POV)

Benjamin is currently in a drugstore, complaining to the clerk.

"Was there any alcohol put in my inhaler?!"

He shows the man the black inhaler he had just bought.

"Uhhh, no kid. Why would you even think we’d do something like that? We’d go to prison, for goodness sake!"

The clerk argued back.

Ben crossed his arms while frowning.

"Then tell me why was my friend acting weird after using it? Heck, he looked like a drunk person when he inhaled that!"

The clerk just shrugged his shoulder.

"I don’t know, maybe your friend is just weird in general."

Benjamin let out a dramatic gasp.

"How dare you, he’s perfectly normal—"

All of a sudden he stopped his words; he started remembering the kiss back at the washroom.

Reza’s strawberry-flavored lip balm still lingered on Ben’s lips. He slowly spread the flavor everywhere on his lips.

Benjamin couldn’t describe the feeling in his stomach right now.

"It felt like.... A butterfly is inside me..."

While Ben had his moment, the clerk just rolled his eyes.

He didn’t get paid enough to deal with this closeted Christian boy.

"So what, kid? Are you just gonna stand there for another hour... or what?"

Benjamin frowned at the pharmacist; he had ruined his moment.

"Just give me a refund."

After the clerk gave him his money back, Benjamin went out of the store.

He noticed the sun was setting.

"Guess I need to go back to my dorm..."

He started walking to the school. While walking, he kept remembering the kiss with Reza.

For some reason, he couldn’t get that naughty thought out of his head.

"Pull yourself together, Ben!" He slapped his cheeks repeatedly until they turned red.

"He was just drunk... There’s no way Reza would do something like that.... Right?"

The more he thought about it, the tighter he gripped the cross around his neck.

"Dear Heavenly Father... please spare Your holy mind and pour it into my sin-filled head."

He kept praying until he reached the school gates.

Benjamin’s dorm was on the first floor—a privilege granted by his priest father’s connections. It made coming and going much easier.

He reached his door and noticed a large pair of shoes on the doormat.

Ben’s eyes widened; he had forgotten that he’d switched roommates, since his previous one sadly didn’t make it in the forest.

"I wonder who my new roommate will be!"

Before opening the door, Ben wondered who his new roommate would be.

He imagined someone cool—maybe a guitarist, or an artist. Even better, another Christian boy just like him.

But what he did NOT expect was Reza in his room, with no clothes on. Only his pants, and the sight of him eating potato chips.

Benjamin’s eyes shot up instantly. He then screamed, the loudest he’d ever screamed.

"Dude that’s so loud! People are gonna totally misread the situation!" Reza lunged forward and clamped his hand over Ben’s mouth.

His big hands almost covered Ben’s entire face.

Ben’s cheeks burned beneath Reza’s palm. He thrashed weakly, mumbling incoherently.

Reza finally let go, and Ben gasped for air.

"Oh my god, I’m sorry! I completely forgot about your severe asthma!"

Reza started looking around and spotted Ben’s inhaler in his bag.

He quickly grabbed it and gently held the back of Ben’s head.

Benjamin couldn’t even speak because of his asthma. But he continued to stare at the handsome man.

Despite the man’s intimidating aura, the way Reza’s expression softened while looking at him made Ben’s heart melt.

Reza pressed the inhaler. A cloud of medicine filled Ben’s lungs.

After a couple seconds, Ben started feeling better, as his hyperventilating slowly disappeared. And he could talk again too.

"Haaa..... That felt great...." Ben rubbed his forehead, and he didn’t notice that he was touching Reza’s naked body.

The boy was shocked, seeing how hard and rough his body was. Heck, if he hadn’t met Reza, Ben would’ve think his roommate has a stone affinity animal.

He pushed Reza away.

"Ah.... Why are you here?" Ben rubbed his flustered face.

"The same as you. My roommate sadly passed away. But I also didn’t know that you’re my new roommate."

After that, it was an awkward silence between the two. Ben sighed and pointed at Reza’s naked body.

"At least wear a shirt. Why are you even naked anyway?"

Reza looked at himself and chuckled a bit.

"Yeah... Sorry, I got used to being naked when no one’s here."

He went to his room to change. Meanwhile, Ben rubbed his temples.

He couldn’t believe that out of everyone, he was roommates with Reza—who he was currently trying to avoid.

"Kwok kwok!"

Just then, a bird sound distracted Ben from his thoughts.

He looked at the couch and saw a dark blue and white bird staring right at Ben.

Its eyes were creepily wide as it tilted its head.

"Is that Reza’s spirit animal?"

Speaking of Reza, he came out of the room wearing a white t-shirt.

"Hey, Reza." Ben pointed at the bird. "Is that your spirit animal?"

Reza looked at the bird and his eyes widened.

"There you are!" He rushed to grab the bird before it flew away again.

"KWOK KWOK KWOK!!" It flapped its wings, hitting Reza’s face, while he tried to grab the bird.

Ben watched the two wrestle, and he sighed.

"Like spirit, like owner...."

After a couple minutes of wrestling, the bird finally calmed down and flew towards Reza’s head.

"Wow.... Your spirit animal is so... like you."

The guy smiled proudly.

"Of course! This troublemaker right here is a Night Heron!"

He pulled a treat from his pocket and offered it to the bird, which it munched happily. "Kwok... kwok..."

Watching them together, Ben couldn’t help but find the heron kinda cute.

Then it hit him. "Oh shit, the temporary tank I ordered hasn’t arrived yet!" He face-palmed.

Reza raised an eyebrow, still letting the bird eat from his head. "So your spirit animal needs water to stay physical?"

"Yeah..." Ben was brainstorming until he saw the bathroom and had a brilliant idea.

"Hey, Reza, do you mind if I let my animal stay inside the shower?"

Reza hesitated. The request was weird. But one look at Ben’s hopeful, cute face made him cave instantly.

"Sure... I guess."

---

Inside the bathroom, Ben’s chest glowed blue. Particles drifted toward the shower, coalescing into the shape of an otter.

Reza’s eyes sparkled. The fluffy creature immediately began swirling around in the water, clearly thrilled.

"Peep-peep!" It lifted its head, spotted the two boys, and waved.

Reza’s heart nearly exploded.

Damn. Like spirit, like owner!

Benjamin bent down and patted the otter’s wet head while it purred.

"Hope you’re okay being here for a while. It’s better than being stuck inside my chest all the time!"

Reza’s expression softened, but he didn’t know what made him feel this way.

Was it the adorable otter?

Or the adorable Christian boy?