FIXated

Gaze and the Call

“Thanks for helping me out, Raphael.” Harian gratefully remarked, smiling warmly at him.

His long, slender arms carried stacks of papers, pressing them onto his chest for security. Raphael smiled back, walking alongside him while his hands gripped tightly another set of papers.

“It’s nothing. Thought you needed a hand.” He laughed it off. “Are you fine with having your lunch delayed to deliver these?”

“It’s alright. Not reaaally hungry at the moment. Besides, I have to control my diet for the upcoming comeback.”

“That sounds rough.” Raphael sighed.

He glanced over his shoulder to take a closer look at his friend, Harian. Although he appeared the same bright angelic presence, still giving him that signature warm smile, he noticed the faint lines on his cheeks concealed by light makeup and the tiredness behind his golden eyes. For a rising idol, the amount of pressure must have taken a toll on him.

“And…What do you do in a comeback?”

Harian chuckled gleefully, nudging his side. “You’re being silly. It’s a lot of training for the dance choreography, recording sessions, and doing stage performances. Don’t forget promotions too.”

“Oh. Sounds amazing, but that’s a lot of work to do… Are you doing well?”

“Don’t worry. It’s nothing. ‘Tis how it works.” He shrugged it off. Though his voice cracked as he said those words, Raphael could see a faint sparkle in his eyes. He seemed determined, not just tired, and that reassured him.

“Alright. Just let me know if you need anything.”

They continued their conversation, laughing off Harian’s little gossip about the morning session while walking at a steady pace through the long hallways before the next corner.

Just as they were about to take a turn, distinct footsteps clicked hard on the tiled floors as three students appeared in the hall, walking in confident strides while their mocking laughter echoed off the walls. The hem of their skirts swayed along with their movement, exposing the sheer tights and laced thigh-high stockings underneath. They flaunted their modified uniforms — short skirts, high slits, low-buttoned shirts, midriffs, outrageously-colored hair and accessories, unprescribed by the Academy’s standards.

Raphael stopped dead in his tracks.

What caught his attention was not the dangerous aura of the three combined but the familiar orange locks, fluttering in her pace as she stepped forward, holding a picture up with her manicured fingers. A smirk appeared on her face, mesmerized by the photo as she kept her eyes fixated on it.

The moment they approached closer to him, her gaze shifted like she immediately recognized his presence, staring intently at him with those emerald green irises.

He held his breath, averting his gaze from hers.

It’s her… Sylvia.

As they passed right beside him, he could feel her stare linger on him, watching him from top to bottom, followed by an intense glare coming from the taller figure in the group.

“Hmph, not bad.” Tanya scoffed. “He looks interesting enough.”

Emma, the one with neon pink fringes, messy buns, and thinly-knotted braids, came forward carrying a box full of photos in her arms and peered over Sylvia’s shoulder while smiling impishly at him.

“Nee~ Sylvie-jie,” She pleaded, pouting her lips. “Puh-lease tell us what his reaction was?”

A soft chuckle escaped from Sylvia’s lips before she replied.

“Let's say... He was hard as fuck.”

Laughter broke out once again between the three of them, voices overlapping with a mixture of differing tones— sharp, high-pitched, sultry, deep, and sarcastic cackles. Their conversation happened within Raphael’s earshot, intentionally letting him eavesdrop on their gossip.

Raphael furrowed his brows upon hearing them. Who were they referring to?

They continued laughing, still walking at their pace, before their voices faded into the distance as they took a turn onto the next corner.

Somehow, that conversation struck a nerve with him. His hand clenched tight and trembled, creasing the edges of the sheets.

Are they talking about me? Raphael thought to himself.

Suddenly, a hand pulled him aside, snapping him out of his trance-like state. He glanced over his shoulder, seeing Harian’s round golden irises looking back at him with a concerned look on his face.

“Hey, Raphael? Are you alright?” he asked.

“Ah—” Raphael paused for a while, hesitating. His mind went blank, unable to come up with an excuse. Then, he took a deep breath, finally having the urge to speak.

“Y-yeah. I am good.”

---

As the sun set from the horizon, painting the skies in hues of orange and pinkish purples, the once bustling community court center had just been emptied, with only a few volunteers remaining, sweeping, cleaning, and arranging the place to prepare for the next community gathering program.

Hiding at the outskirts behind the center, two men were hanging out together, one fiddling with his phone while the other chugging a can of soda. Their broomsticks and dustpans were thrown to the side, and a roll of garbage bags remained untouched on the ground.

“Aargh, fuck it.” Flipper groaned with frustration, fumbling over his phone while typing aggressively. “Hey, Mikey. The weirdo panty-shots connoisseur rejected our recent collection.”

“Oh-ho? Really?” Mikey, the man in a cap, glanced at him, surprised, still holding the canned soda at the tip of his lips. “Did he ask for something else?”

“Yeah, right! Dude’s demanding, he wants something dangerous and exotic. No frickin’ repeats!”

“Tsk. Tsk. Don’t worry about it, bro.” Mikey wrapped his arm over his shoulder, rubbing his back. “We’ll find ways to get that as long as we have each other.”

“How the fuck are we going to get that?”

“Patience, bro.” He assured him once more. “Dangerous… exotic. What’s the difference? All it takes is a sneaky little shot.”

Flipper snorted. “Damn right you are.”

Bzzzt!

Bzzzt!

The sound of vibration buzzed deep in Mikey’s side pocket as he got caught in surprise. He wasn’t expecting a call this late. Then, he grabbed his phone to take a glimpse at whoever was calling.

The screen flashed on his face with Caller ID listed as Unknown.

“Who is it now?” Flipper scrunched his face, asking him.

A wide grin appeared on Mikey’s lips, his eyes glinting with excitement.

“Oooh… looks like we are getting some news for our new project.” Mikey snickered, accepting the call with the swipe of his thumb, bringing it closer to his ear.

“Bro, what’s up?”

The sound of static came from the other side of the line, muffling the heavy breathing into distorted hums. A voice cleared its throat, hesitating at first before taking a deep breath, uttering these words in a low, warped voice.

“Acquiring photos failed—” The static cut the caller for a second, before returning with a hard swallow as it continued.

“It’s Sylvia… She took them.”

Upon hearing her name, Mikey’s eyes widened, burning with fury, and his jaw tightened, gritting his teeth. The soda can in his fist slowly crushed under pressure, making a metallic scrunching noise.

He cussed under his breath. “Sylvia…. That fucking bitch….”