"Click." Rex opened his apartment door, stepped inside, and closed it behind him. He noticed a pair of women's slippers and a girl's school shoes sitting by the door. He walked through the small hallway and opened the main room door to find Rose lounging on his sofa, scrolling through her phone. Her feet were up on the coffee table, looking completely at ease as if she owned the place. Ruby was nowhere to be seen, but he knew she was there because of the shoes at the entrance.
Rex, full of questions for Rose, walked straight in. Seeing him approach, Rose smiled, stood up, and greeted him. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"You're home? How was school?" Rose asked caringly, looking into his eyes.
"It was fine... aren't you working?" Rex asked, staring back at her.
"No, I got permission from my boss. I wanted to just rest today," Rose answered.
"I see," Rex said calmly, even as Rose pressed closer to him.
He noticed Rose's hair was messy and she was still wearing last night's clothes. It was obvious she hadn't left the apartment while he was gone, which only made him wonder more.
"Did you send food to my school?" Rex asked. He didn't know how else to bring it up, so he just went for it.
"Yeah. You usually eat that in the morning, right? I always buy it for you. You left for school today and I knew you hadn't eaten yet, so I figured I'd just order some. I told the delivery guy to let you know who sent it so you wouldn't be confused," Rose explained.
"I see," Rex said, searching Rose's face. She looked normal—no signs of lying, just genuine sincerity. But then he pushed further, "You didn't actually go to my school, did you?"
"Huh... why would you think that? I wouldn't go to your school looking like this; I haven't been home since last night," Rose said.
"I see," Rex repeated, still watching her.
"So, how was school? Who did you talk to? Did anyone bother you? Any girls get close to you? And you stayed at school the whole time, right? You didn't go anywhere else?" Rose asked in a rapid-fire interrogation.
"Hey... why are you questioning me like this?" Rex asked, confused.
"I'm just worried, okay? You never leave the house, it's only natural for me to ask," Rose replied.
"Oh... fair enough. Don't worry, I was on my own and stayed at school. Anyway, I'm going to go change," Rex said, gently pulling away from her hug.
"Okay," Rose smiled. "No scent of another woman... safe," Rose whispered in her heart.
Rex turned and walked to his bedroom door. He opened it and "Whoa!" He was startled to find Ruby sitting on the floor, folding his messy clothes from the closet. When she saw Rex, her face lit up.
"Hi," Ruby greeted him, waving cheerfully.
"Yeah... hey," Rex replied, observing her.
Just like Rose, Ruby looked the same as last night—messy hair and dark circles under her eyes. It was clear she hadn't left the house either. Now, she was folding and apparently even ironing his clothes. Rex rubbed his hair, then sat on the floor to help her.
"How was school?" Ruby asked.
"Regular," Rex answered shortly.
"Can I borrow your phone?" Ruby asked.
"Huh... for what?" Rex asked, puzzled.
"I just want to see... is that not allowed?" Ruby asked piteously, crawling toward him until the cleavage beneath her black t-shirt was clearly visible.
"Uh... okay, here," Rex said, handing it over.
Ruby snatched it and immediately checked his message history and contact list. Her face turned serious and cold—completely unlike the usual Ruby. Rex watched her suspiciously. Suddenly, she looked at him, her expression icy.
"Were you talking to Hank earlier?" Ruby asked.
"Yeah... how did you know? You weren't there," Rex countered.
"Oh... I just knew. He always talks to you when you show up, it's a habit, right?" Ruby said, suddenly smiling as she handed the phone back.
"Hmm... I see. And how did you know I didn't have my wallet?" Rex asked directly.
"Oh... right, sorry. I wanted to borrow one of your shirts earlier so I opened your closet and found your wallet. Since Rose was already sending food, I just included it. I couldn't exactly go to school dressed like this, could I?" Ruby asked, tugging her collar to intentionally show him more than she should.
"Yeah, that makes sense... your place is pretty far," Rex replied.
"Yep... that's why I couldn't go to school. But it's fine to skip a day. What about you—where were you when the alarm went off?" Ruby asked.
"Walking home. Why?" Rex asked.
"Nothing... do you want to shower? Take a soak? I already filled the tub with warm water," Ruby said.
"Huh... no need. Just a quick shower is fine, it's still afternoon," Rex declined.
"Just take a relaxing soak. Leave everything to me," Ruby said, patting her chest and winking with a sweet smile.
"Oh... okay," Rex replied, bewildered.
Rex stood up, grabbed his towel, and walked out of the room toward the bathroom in the hall. As he stepped out, he saw Rose getting ready to cook in the kitchen. She looked over at him.
"I'm making lunch. We'll all eat together soon," Rose said with a smile.
"Oh... okay," Rex replied, feeling more confused by the second.
Rex stepped into the bathroom and stripped down. He stood under the shower, thinking hard.
"Maybe they're just looking out for me, sending food and my wallet to school, even if I don't get how they did it... it's nice to be cared for, I am grateful to both of them. But I can't let my guard down. I've been stabbed in the back too many times, especially by people I cared about. Grace threw me away after I took care of her without expecting anything just because I loved her. Miranda, who I thought of as a sister and even shared intimacy with, ended up shooting me. Princess Celina eventually discarded me, betrayed me, and killed me. My best friend Jared... he stole my lover, my accomplishments, and then killed me. So, enough... sorry, but I won't be fooled... even if their intentions seem good," Rex told himself in his heart.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Rose was humming as she cooked, her own thoughts racing.
"He's honest and doesn't mess around with other women. He's definitely different from the deadbeat who emptied my apartment... after following him, I saw he really did go to school, and there's no scent of a woman on his clothes... except for that curvy brat in the bedroom... so annoying. I'll leave her alone for now, but we'll see. The important thing is Rex has to choose me. If he chooses her, I'll just kill them both. Problem solved," Rose muttered, smiling and humming.
Back in the bedroom, Ruby was folding clothes and occasionally sniffing them, lost in her own thoughts.
"Thank god no girls at school saw him and swapped numbers. I can't let him be alone anymore; I have to keep him at home. There's no way I'm letting go of this feeling—it's the first time in my entire life I've actually felt love, even though I've been with other guys before. Now I just have to deal with that pretty granny out front... I have to handle her. I'll let it slide for now, but if Rex chooses to be with her... fine, that's okay. But not in front of me. They can love each other in hell for all I care," Ruby muttered, smiling as she folded the clothes, occasionally stopping to take a sniff.
That was the state of their minds. Afterward, the three of them had lunch together at the dining table, chatting like normal friends without bringing up anything heavy. Rex saw that Rose and Ruby seemed to be getting along quite well, almost like close friends. He was relieved there was no drama and finished his meal in peace.
That night, Rex lay flat on his back in bed, staring at the ceiling.
"This... this isn't wrong, is it?" Rex asked himself, not daring to look left or right.
The reason was that Rose and Ruby were sleeping on either side of him, hugging his arms and tangling their legs with his so that he couldn't move at all. It was cramped and hot. Both were wearing his clothes, having stayed at his place all day without going home.
"What is actually happening? Why are they sleeping in my bed, and why did they change into my clothes instead of just going home? Ugh... it's so tight. My bed fits two, but with three, it's packed. And why have they been acting like my wives all day? It's giving me the creeps," Rex wondered in his head while listening to the soft snoring on both sides of him.