FIXated

Two plastic bags packed with snacks swung from Raphael’s hand as he descended the stairs to the second floor, where his destination, Room 214, was located at the other end of the corridor.

No one in the group gave him a list of snacks to grab from the vending machines and the main hall, so he picked these bags of chips: OverLays, Cheaptoes, Takiez, and other name-brand candies based on the last time they came over to his dorm room. To appease his fancy taste buds, he bought a few sandwiches and steamed buns. Unfortunately, they may not be as fresh or piping hot as he wanted them to be during the program.

I wonder if these are enough for them…. Robin and Antonio have particularly huge appetites and can probably maul a whole roasted meat for themselves.

Raphael made a small smile. Oh, well…it will be fun regardless.

After a few minutes of walking, Raphael arrived and stood in front of Room 214. Voices and other noises, creating a ruckus, could be heard from the other side, dampened by the thick wooden door.

“This could be hell…” Raphael took a deep breath and knocked.

The door swung ajar before the third knock landed against the hard wood. Alexis greeted him with that awkward smile. “Ah, It's you, Raphael. Welcome!”

“Hey, Alex. How's it going over there?”

“Ummm…” He hesitated for a second and opened the door wider, revealing the mess. He sighed. “Not quite good. Antonio's not doing a good job decorating.”

When Raphael stepped inside, the place was a mess— streamers, paper cuts, and other decorations littered the floor. One side of the room was neat and clean, with the bedsheets folded and the books arranged on top of the desk. It was clear who owned that side. Meanwhile, the other side was the complete opposite—used clothing littered the sheets, bedside rails, chair, desk, and even the floor near the laundry basket! Gosh, it must be hell living here.

“Yo! Raphael!” Antonio called from above, waving his hand up while Robin carried him over his shoulders. He had been hanging decorations from the ceiling with Robin’s assistance.

Antonio continued. “Ya got some snacks, aight? Did you get Cheaptoes? That’s my fave!”

“Uhh... of course.”

“Oh glob! You’re the best man! You can leave the stuff on that desk next to you.”

“H-hey, bro. Chill! Stop moving—” Robin reminded him, but it was too late.

“Wha—!”

Antonio crashed to the floor with Robin after falling off balance. The two groaned while rubbing their backs and bottoms to ease the pain.

“Well, that’s the third time now.” Alexis sighed and shook his head.

Raphael chuckled. “Fine… fine. I can help you guys as best as I can.”

“Alright. Help me with this banner on the wall over here.”

“This is going to be a while.” Raphael thought.

With all the preparation, setup, and clean-up, it took them an hour to finish everything. Only a few more minutes left before the program would eventually start. Everyone gathered in front of the projector screen, sitting on the couch, and the center table was filled with snacks, with a cooler beside it.

At least everything turned out great.

“Guys, come closer!” Antonio beckoned while holding up a phone to take a selfie. “Gotta let the other party know how amazing we are decorating this place.”

“Sure. Sure.” Alexis leaned in with his best smile.

“Guess that’s necessary.” Raphael chimed in before he rested his chin on Antonio’s shoulder.

“One, two, three!” Robin began. “Smile!”

The camera flashed as the shutter clicked. It snapped a photo of them together. Antonio eagerly sent the image to the group chat to tag Judy and Feyline. That turned into a competition between the two groups on who had the best setup and decorations. Well… just between Antonio and Feyline, with Alexis mediating the fight.

Robin ended up calling his girlfriend, saying sweet nothings.

Raphael leaned his back against the cushions, watching the advertisements on screen as he waited for the next program. After the chaotic mess while hanging out with these guys, he finally found a quiet moment to relax while waiting for Harian’s MV release.

He was used to the quiet, calm atmosphere in his own room, and only his roommate Harian made the first move to start a conversation. Meanwhile, here, it was the opposite of his experience— not in a negative way, but a surprise.

“Guys, guys!” Antonio exclaimed excitedly. “Ari just dropped the MV!”

Robin stashed his phone away and turned his attention to the screen. “Play it!”

The screen loaded into Ari’s Utube channel, and Antonio clicked on the latest release videos. The thumbnail had that ethereal glow, with Harian sitting under the moonlight wearing white garments that fluttered in the gentle breeze. It was a breathtaking sight.

Chasing You. Raphael read the title that appeared briefly on screen before the video started. The song played— an acoustic pop sound with a soft guitar riff and a melodic, low hum. It had this emotional but mysterious edge.

Once Harian— Ari emerged on screen, the room erupted into squeals and cheers.

“There he is! Ari!” Antonio’s eyes teared as he hugged Alexis tight. “He is as beautiful as that moon.”

Raphael quietly watched the MV, listening to the song. Visually, it was stunning with Ari’s presence. His voice had the same soothing tone, mesmerizing him the more he listened.

“That tune… it sounds familiar….” He realized. It was the same lullaby that Harian hummed in his sleep. He never thought that he had been listening to the same song all this time, but he preferred Harian’s version.

“Wherever I go… I see the ghost of you…” Antonio began singing into the melody. “Chasing you to the edge…. Hoping to catch a glimpse of you.”

“Wow. You already memorized that.” Alexis was impressed.

Robin joined in, singing along with Antonio and waving his hands in the air. “I’ve been chasing you~.”

Raphael felt his chest tighten as he listened to the song’s lyrics. It only reminded him of her, Elena. He had been chasing a version of her from the past, and this was his only chance.

What a coincidence. He was on the verge of tears, feeling his eyes starting to swell.

After the song ended, Antonio grabbed his arm and cried out. “Noooo! Why does it have to end?!”

Raphael looked away and quickly wiped the tears forming underneath. “Y-yeah. You can always play it back.”

“I love this one the most!” Robin exclaimed. “Bet Judy’s crying over this for sure.”

“Definitely, cuz I am!” Antonio agreed. “Gosh, Harian really dedicated a lot of his time to creating this song. I remember watching his livestreams in the studio, and Ari had been recording for hours!”

“Hours? That’s dedication.” Alexis blinked.

“Yes!” Antonio sniffled. “Especially this new album. I heard rumors that it's dedicated to someone special to him.”

“They always say that to keep things interesting.” Robin laughed it off.

“I mean, for sure, but I always love his dedication to the art.” Alexis wiped a tear from his face. “Wish I could support him more.”

Raphael looked at Antonio for a moment, then grabbed something from his side pocket. Without Antonio’s support, perhaps this watch party would not have happened.

“Antonio…” Raphael called him. “Say…you want to support him, right?”

Antonio glanced at him, tilting his head. “Hell yeah! I may not be the number one fan, but I like to think I am!”

“Wanna watch the concert with me?” Raphael offered with a smile, showing him the extra ticket that Harian had given him yesterday.

His eyes widened. His jaw dropped. His fingers gripped his hair in shock as he muttered. “Are you for real?!”

“Absolutely,” Raphael assured him, handing it to him. “Thought you deserved it more.”

Antonio raised the ticket in the air as tears trickled down his face, not from sadness but excitement and happiness. He exclaimed. “My frickin’ first concert! Guys! I’m going to see Ari live on stage!”

Alexis clapped his hands. “Whoa! Congrats! Where did you get the ticket? Heard that the first show tickets were all sold out in an instant.”

“Harian gave it to me,” Raphael admitted. “Sorry, I don’t have enough for you all.”

“Dude, it’s fine. I mean, among the rest of us, Antonio’s the craziest fan here.”

“I swear, dude, I would have groveled on the ground if you didn’t decide to get it to me,” Antonio said while placing a hand on his shoulder. “But thank you, man.”

“It’s all good.” Raphael smiled.

“Let’s celebrate!”

Robin flipped the cooler’s lid and pulled out canned beers for everyone; even Alexis, who had avoided drinking before, accepted one. Raphael received it and popped it open. The can hissed as the foam rose and spilled over.

“Cheers!”

They raised their cans together in a toast as the sound of clinking filled the place. Raphael watched them chug their drinks and was surprised to see Alexis gulping it down like a professional. He drank it afterwards, feeling the warm alcohol course down his throat.

The night continued with their watch party as they tuned in to Idolnet TV, where Harian performed his new song for the first time. They cheered and squealed, especially when Harian won an award at the end of the show.

After that, Antonio and Robin began another sing-along session while getting drunk. Alexis got too wasted to function, so he stared into space. Raphael had finished a can and a half, but finishing the other half felt like too much.

He stood up and stumbled. “G-guys… I’ll head out to the bathroom.”

The two were still singing at the top of their lungs, trying to hit the high notes as best as they could. They were too busy to notice him. Raphael only chuckled softly as he left the room.

Once he stepped out, Raphael tried his best to appear unfazed by the alcohol in his system, but his eyesight became blurry as the hallway tilted slightly around him. He walked to the bathroom, pressing his hand against the wall. It was only a few blocks away.

From a distance, he could only make out the figure coming towards him. Probably a student? Hopefully not one from the student council or, worse, a teacher.

Just act normal… Raphael convinced himself and leaned against the wall.

As the figure approached, closing in, Raphael could see him more clearly this time. It was a student wearing a hoodie and baggy jeans. That was a relief.

Raphael nodded once as a form of greeting. “Good evening.”

The other lowered his head and pulled his hoodie over his face, not even bothering to look at him or greet him. He passed by without a care.

How rude. Raphael thought in his mind.

He huffed out his breath before continuing on his way. In no time, he arrived at the bathroom and did his business.

After a few minutes, Raphael found his way to Antonio’s dormitory room and saw all of his friends lying on the couch and the ground.

Snoring.

Wasted.

The soft hum of the karaoke song still played in the background while flashing blue and yellow lights shone on his face. Raphael shut the door behind him and turned off the projector and the party lights.

He was tired.

He sat on the bed next to him, feeling his limbs giving out as he lay down. The sheets were soft, and the pillows were comfortable enough. Soon, his eyes began to close as he drifted to sleep.

Harian peeked into his own room, hoping not to disturb his sleeping roommate. It was still early in the morning, and he had returned after celebrating his win at a dinner party.

Surprisingly, his bed was empty. No one was inside.

“Oh? Where did he go?” Harian wondered as he stepped inside and shut the door behind him. “Guess Antonio had something to do with it.”

Harian tossed his bag and clothes aside, leaving in his undershirt and boxers as the cold draft touched his skin. A sigh of relief escaped from his lips as he relaxed on the empty seat in front of his desk.

The comeback had its first successful night. After everything, he was tired at the end of the day but glad that all his hard work had paid off. Performing on stage day after day may not be as grueling as the dance practice and recording sessions.

“Tomorrow's going to be another day.” He sighed and stretched his arms. “Might as well get some sleep.”

On top of his desk, he noticed a crisp white sheet of parchment paper sealed with a cute sticker, conveniently placed for him to see.

“Cute~ Did Raphael leave this for me?”

How sweet of him, but Raphael did not strike him as someone who would use cutesy stickers or even write a letter for him to read. He seemed more practical and would rather be straightforward with his compliments. If Raphael did not write it, he must have left it for him to read.

He opened the fan mail. It was a two-page letter.

The beginning read like any other fan mail letter, complimenting him on the new song release and praising his efforts and dedication. A smile formed on his lips. It was the usual, but he always appreciated it regardless.

When he turned to the next page, his eyes widened, and his smile vanished.

The white pages were stained with red, blotted ink, or was it? It was dry to the touch, at least.

Meanwhile, the handwriting was close to illegible, given how distorted and crooked the lines were. Despite the clear warning signs, Harian still read it.

“I have seen you walking out of the dorm in that dress…. You’re as beautiful as the last time I saw you.”

“You rode the company’s van with a plate ABC45121. I would have hopped in if it were not for the security.”

His fingers shivered while he tried to read the rest. The strange stench of iron clung to his nose, making him retch. The letter slipped from his fingers and dropped on the floor as Harian struggled to keep himself from vomiting while breathing heavily.

Whoever wrote that had been watching him for a long time. He knew everything— his daily routine and the clothes he was wearing, even the smallest detail.

Harian realized who it was.

He is back.

The crazy stalker.