26. Chapter 26
Mano pulled his hand away first. “Give it a try,” he said, a little too quickly. Ody lingered for a moment before turning to the guitar and strumming the six strings with his right hand. The sound was beautiful.
“Good job,” Mano said.
Ody glanced back at him. “I still need practice, but… I’ll let you do yours.” He handed the guitar over.
Mano took it and returned to his seat, scanning the sheet music before continuing. Ody stayed for another ten minutes, letting the melody fill the room, then stood. “I’ll go review some notes. I need to study for Thursday’s exam tomorrow.”
“Okay, I’ll stop.”
“No, keep playing. I don’t mind. I’ll just close the door. It’ll be a nice background melody.”
“Yeah, but…”
“Sometimes I study with music anyway. It helps me focus,” Ody said with a reassuring smile. Mano hesitated, so Ody added, “I mean it. Don’t let me catch you stopping,” he teased, and Mano smiled.
Ody retreated to his room to study toxicology while Mano practiced in the living room.
Some time later, Ody’s door creaked open. Mano looked up and saw him dressed to go out. “You’re leaving?”
“Yeah, going out for a bit with Anna,” Ody said, a quiet tension settling between them.
A few days ago he kissed him. Now he was going out with his girlfriend.
“Have fun.”
“Thanks. Make yourself at home. If you need anything, call me. See you later.” He opened the door and left.
He met up with Anna, walking hand in hand and chatting about their upcoming trip to Serifos. By eight, he returned home and found Mano sprawled on the couch, scrolling through his phone while the TV played. “I’m back.”
“Hey,” Mano said without looking up.
“Everything okay? Did you eat?”
“Uh… not yet.”
“You’re not hungry? You only had soup,” Ody said, slipping off his shoes and placing his keys on the counter.
“Yeah, I’ll eat now.”
“Want me to toast some bread? That soup won’t fill you up.”
“I don’t think I can chew anything,” Mano said, his expression firm.
Ody remained still for a moment. The way Mano held his jaw, the pain he was trying to hide, landed hard. The kindness slipped into something sharper, a familiar anger he’d been holding back all morning.
“What the hell does he want from us?” He shrugged off his jacket and tossed it onto the edge of the couch. “Why does he keep pushing this? After the beating he took, he and his friends should’ve learned their lesson.”
Startled, Mano kept his voice steady. “What did he say to you in the hallway?”
Ody exhaled and looked away.
“I need to know what he said, Ody. I need to know if he’s planning something.”
Ody sat beside him. “He figured out the plan at school was yours,” he admitted, guilt clouding his face.
Mano just nodded.
“It’s my fault,” Ody said, clearly rattled. “I gave it away. He asked whose idea it was, and I…”
“Hey,” Mano interrupted, placing a hand on Ody’s shoulder as their eyes met. “It’s fine. Don’t worry. It wasn’t hard to figure out I set it up. It’s not your fault.”
Ody hesitated. “He said that… he won’t let this go.”
Mano clenched his jaw.
“What are we gonna do? He already hit you and he was alone. If he brings others…” Ody trailed off, fear rising. “I told him you’re not alone. That you’ve got all of us. But then…”
The memory hit him. “And what if I send him to the hospital first? What’ll you or your little buddies do then?” Ody turned away, exhaling through gritted teeth. “He also threatened to hurt Steve and Chris.”
“Did you tell them?” Mano asked. Ody shook his head. “What else did he say?”
“He told me to do what he says, or he’ll come after all of you.”
Mano’s frustration spiked. “What the hell does he want? What does he want you to do?”
“I don’t know. He said he might bring more people.”
“Then so will we,” Mano said, anger building.
“No, Mano. This has to stop. Where does it end? They’ve already beaten you up so many times. And after what happened at that school, he’s furious.”
“So what do you want me to do? Run and hide so I don’t get hit again?”
“Maybe we should go to the police. I don’t know.”
“You think the cops are gonna do anything?” Mano said, his voice tight.
Ody frowned. “If they see—”
“We don’t have proof. And even if we did, they won’t do shit.” He let out a breath, shaking his head. “They need more than this.” He gestured at his face. “They need names, witnesses, messages. Something they can actually use.”
Ody’s gaze dropped to his split lip.
“Bruises don’t mean anything,” Mano went on, his jaw tightening. “They’ll just say it wasn’t them. That it was someone else. That I started it.”
Ody blinked. “But Steve and the others—”
“You think they’ll take your friends seriously?” He scoffed. “They’ll just say we’re backing each other up.”
Ody fell quiet.
“Best case, they ask a few questions, maybe warn him.” His expression hardened. “That’s it.”
Silence fell between them.
“And after all that?” Mano said, his voice dropping. “After we drag his name into it, the accusations, the back and forth… you think he just lets it go?”
Their eyes met.
“He’s not alone, Ody. He’s got people. You’ve seen that.” He glanced away. “They’ll come back worse.”
Ody exhaled, closing his eyes. “And if they jump you again at uni on Wednesday?” he asked. “At least let’s tell our professors.”
“Sometimes you talk like a ten-year-old,” Mano snapped, and Ody frowned. “You think these guys will stop because a professor scolds them? They brought bats to a schoolyard like they’re in some mafia movie.”
“Something has to be done. I can’t stand seeing you get hurt again.” The words slipped out before he could stop them.
Mano went still, something shifting in his expression.
Ody lowered his head. “I’ll go with you. I’ll ask Steve and Chris too. If there’s four of us, they won’t dare mess with you.”
“How about I hire a couple of bodyguards too?” Mano said dryly.
“No need. You’ve got us.”
“Ody, be serious. I’m not some weak kid.”
“I know you’re not weak,” Ody said. “You weren’t weak this morning either. But he still hit you.”
Mano’s jaw tightened. “He caught me off guard. He landed the first punch and then kept hitting the same spot. If he hadn’t ambushed me, I’d have destroyed him.”
“I just want this to stop.” Ody sighed. “Can it stop?”
Mano looked away. “Go ask him. I’m not the one keeping this going.”
“So after this, you’re not doing anything?”
Mano’s gaze flicked back to him. “No. You said it yourself. If I do something, he’ll retaliate.”
Ody held his gaze. “Good. So it ends here.”
Mano said nothing. The silence between them thickened. He looked away first, rubbing a hand over his face.
“Okay… let’s eat,” Ody finally murmured, more to break the tension than out of hunger.
They moved to the kitchen in a quiet haze. Ody cooked almost mechanically, glancing at Mano every now and then, checking for signs that he was calming down, that he wasn’t hurt more than he let on.
Mano sat at the table, elbows on the surface, staring at nothing. The weight of Kash’s threat hung between them like smoke.
They ate with almost no conversation. Forks scraped against plates, a few nods passing between them. Mano muttered that the food was good. Ody told him to eat a little more.
After they finished, Ody gathered the plates. The silence still felt too loud. He grabbed his laptop and returned to the living room, stopping in front of Mano. “Wanna watch a movie?” he asked.
“What kind?”
“Something without guns,” Ody said while browsing online. After a moment, he added, “Can I ask you something?”
Mano stiffened. He already knew he wouldn’t like it.
“Your parents…”
“Stop.” Mano cut him off, eyes closing as a weight crushed his chest. Everything he had spent years trying to bury surged up. His breath hitched, and before he could push the thought away, the memories slammed into him.
“Move! What the hell are you staring at?”
A voice he had never forgotten. Cold, sharp.
“Shut the fuck up.” Another voice. Lower.
A slap.
Footsteps rushing closer.
Then a shot.
Bodies curling tighter on the floor. Screams ripping through the room. His mother’s voice. Breaking apart. Pleading. Filled with a fear that tore through him even now.
Mano gasped, eyes squeezed shut, his head jerking to the side like he could outrun the sound. His chest rose and fell in frantic, shallow breaths. The room tilted. For a moment, he wasn’t with Ody anymore. He was ten again, trapped in that bank.
Ody watched, eyes wide. “I’m sorry! I’ll never ask anything like that again, I swear,” he stammered, reaching out and grasping Mano’s shoulder.
Mano opened his eyes with a trembling breath. He pushed Ody away and ran into the bathroom.
Ody sat frozen, guilt crashing over him. He waited for Mano to come out, but the silence stretched. His worry clawed at him. He stood and walked to the bathroom door. “Mano…?” His voice was calm at first, but no answer came.
“Mano, can you hear me?” He pressed his ear to the door, desperate for any sound. “Are you okay? Can I come in?” Panic crept into his voice. “Mano!” He grabbed the doorknob, pushed it open, freezing at the sight.
Mano was sitting on the floor beside the sink, his gaze locked on nothing.
Ody crouched beside him. “Are you okay?” He searched Mano’s face.
He didn’t move. He looked empty, hollow, almost lifeless.
“Mano, talk to me…” Ody pleaded.
He slowly stood, movements stiff and robotic, then walked past him. Ody followed him into the living room, not taking his eyes off him. Mano sat on the couch, leaning his head back against the wall, his eyes fixed straight ahead.
Ody hesitated before sitting beside him. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.
Mano didn’t blink.
“I’m such an idiot… I’m sorry. I’ll never bring it up again, I swear.” His voice was shaking.
Still nothing. Ody waited, expecting anger, yelling, anything. Instead, tears streamed down Mano’s face. His expression didn’t change. His eyes stayed fixed on that invisible point, unblinking, while the tears ran freely.
Ody’s eyes widened. “Please, don’t cry…” he said, barely audible.
Mano sat frozen, tears cutting silent paths down his face.
Ody moved closer. “Mano…” he murmured, wiping both cheeks gently with his thumbs.
Mano’s gaze finally shifted to him. He blinked once, slow and heavy.
“I’m sorry,” Ody said, pulling him into a hug.
Mano stayed rigid in his arms. Ody held him anyway, tight, steady, trying to anchor him while Mano’s mind replayed horrors he couldn’t escape.
After a long while, Mano pushed him away. Ody pulled back, searching his tear-filled eyes.
“Put the movie on,” Mano said, his voice hoarse.
“I want to… help.”
“If you want to help, put the movie on.”
Ody nodded. Mano needed distance from his thoughts, not questions. He grabbed the laptop and set up the movie while Mano wiped his face.
“You probably think I’m weak. A crybaby,” Mano muttered.
“No. Never. You’re the bravest person I know,” Ody said, sincerity in every word.
Mano closed his eyes, lowering his head.
“Crying doesn’t make you weak,” Ody said, his voice soft. “You’re human. You’re allowed to feel it.”
Mano lifted his gaze. “Do you know that…” he hesitated. “That you’re the only person I cry in front of?”
Surprise flickered across Ody’s face. “But people have brought up your parents before…”
“And I end up beating the crap out of them.” Mano’s gaze held his. “You’re the only one I cry in front of.”
“But I’ve never insulted you like that,” Ody said, thinking of the guy who had called him a fucking orphan.
“It’s not just that. You do things that…” His voice faltered. “That reminds me of them. You remind me what it feels like to have someone care. To be looked after.”
Ody stared at him, his chest tightening.
Mano broke eye contact. “Put the movie on. A comedy.”
During the movie, the atmosphere slowly lightened. By the end, it almost felt normal. It was late when it finished.
“Are you going inside?” Ody asked as he closed the laptop.
“Why would I?”
“Well, you’re my guest…”
“Exactly. Which is why I’m sleeping on the couch.”
“But—”
“Goodnight, Ody.”
Ody hesitated, then stood up. “Goodnight, Mano.” He turned off the lights and went to his room.
Lying in bed, he couldn’t sleep. The image of Mano’s tears kept replaying in his mind. It hurt him in ways he didn’t understand. He checked his phone. 2:20 a.m. He opened his door and walked toward the kitchen. That’s when he saw Mano.
His head swayed side to side, eyes closed, a faint groan slipping from his lips. His hand moved over his chest, reacting to something in his dream. His breaths came uneven. Then he turned toward Ody, tears sliding from his closed eyes.
“Mano…” Ody whispered, moving closer. He touched his shoulder gently, unsure if he should wake him. “Mano, wake up…”
A gunshot exploded in Mano’s dream. His eyes shot open. He inhaled, chest rising fast, vision swimming with tears. He stared at the ceiling, trying to steady his breathing.
“Are you okay?” Ody’s voice pulled him back. He was sitting beside him, his face tight with worry.
Mano lunged forward and wrapped his arms around Ody’s waist, burying his face against his stomach as he held on like he was the only solid thing left in the world.
Ody froze for a second, then slowly placed his hands on Mano’s back, pulling him close, anchoring him. “I’m here… it’s okay,” he murmured, his voice soft with sorrow. “Don’t be afraid. I’m right here.”
Mano clung to him, shaking, his tears soaking into Ody’s shirt.
As Ody held him, feeling Mano fall apart in his arms, a heavy thought settled in his chest.
He had never seen him this vulnerable.
And he had never wanted to protect him more.