I Will Fulfill the Role of the Villain

Luke's lips, as well as the inside of his mouth, felt parched, even though he hadn’t been caught doing anything wrong.
“What are you even saying? Out of nowhere like this.”
He subtly wetted his dry lips and pulled his hand free from Theo’s grasp. Though he tried to laugh it off as if unaffected, Luke knew the truth. To Theo’s eyes, he must have looked like someone running away.

He hadn’t expected Theo to see through him so easily. When he claimed that he was worried about Dylan tarnishing the reputation of the unit he had built, Theo had immediately pierced through his flimsy excuse. Luke hadn’t anticipated such a precise counter, and now he was at a loss for what expression to wear or how to respond.
Until now, the only person who had even slightly seen through to Luke’s true self was Fail, and that had only happened because of the circumstances surrounding the supply theft case. Of course, Luke hadn’t believed there wouldn’t be anyone capable of seeing his true nature.
But he never thought Theo would be one of them.

“Luke.”
Just hearing Theo say his name made Luke flinch.
“Do you still have the ointment you received at the Calum branch?”

“Ah, yeah. It’s in my room.”
Theo nodded and rose from the sofa. As he crossed the drawing room and opened the door to leave, Luke found himself staring at his retreating back. Startled by the sound of movement, Monet got up from her spot and trotted back to Luke, curling under the sofa near his feet.
Luke absentmindedly stroked Monet’s fur, trying to calm his racing heart. If he had to rank the most surprising moments of his life, this one would surely make the top five.

A short while later, Theo returned to the drawing room, carrying ointment in one hand and bandages and cloth in the other.
“Give me your hand,” Theo said, sitting down heavily beside Luke and extending his own hand.
“It’s fine. I’ll take care of it later when I go upstairs,” Luke replied dismissively.

“Hurry up.”
Despite Luke’s protest, Theo didn’t budge. Reluctantly, Luke pouted and extended his hand. For some reason, Theo’s firm tone always made it hard for him to refuse.
“I’ve told you before, haven’t I? I’m responsible for this wound.”

“It’s healing fine,” Luke muttered, handing his hand over with a grumble.
Theo carefully unwrapped the bandages wrapped around Luke’s rough yet delicate hand. Layer by layer, the injuries on Luke’s right hand were revealed. They had healed considerably since the initial injury, but the scabs and raw patches were still stark enough to make Theo frown.
“Does it hurt?” Theo asked, pressing a clean cloth against the reopened wound.
“Not really,” Luke replied.

“So it did hurt at first,” Theo noted.
“Of course it did. I’m not some monster. You think a wound like this wouldn’t hurt?”
When the military medic had tended to him, Luke had cursed and complained the entire time.

“When I catch that bastard Nox’s leader or whatever he is, I’ll make his hand look just like mine.”
Luke’s fiery declaration made Theo smile faintly.
“You’re right. Of all places, why did it have to be your hand? Wounds like this don’t suit you.”

“What, are there parts of the body where wounds do suit someone?” Luke shot back.
Ignoring the retort, Theo set the stained cloth on the table and picked up the ointment. He scooped out a small amount of the dull white salve with his finger and took Luke’s hand again.
“Your hands are too delicate for a soldier,” Theo said softly.

Luke glanced at his own hand. The long, slender fingers and pale skin certainly didn’t match the rough, calloused hands of most soldiers. Theo had a point—it was hard to believe these were the hands of someone who trained and fought constantly.
“Now that you mention it, I guess they are,” Luke admitted, his voice tinged with curiosity. He hadn’t realized it himself until Theo pointed it out.
“Don’t tell me people at the barracks have been gossiping about it behind my back?”

Theo chuckled softly, spreading the ointment with care. “No, it’s something I’ve thought for a long time.”
The way Theo focused on applying the ointment was almost overly cautious. Each movement was deliberate, ensuring he didn’t cause any unnecessary pain. Luke watched in silence as Theo worked, the awkward atmosphere filling the space between them.
To distract himself, Luke wiggled his foot against the floor, drawing Monet’s attention. The cat flicked its tail lazily in response.

“You’ve thought my hands were delicate for a long time?”
“You said earlier, didn’t you? That you’ve been watching me all along.”
“……”

In the past, Luke’s gaze had always been fixed on Theo. He had noticed even the smallest habits Theo wasn’t aware of himself.
“Now that I think about it, I might have been doing the same.”
Theo, who had been focused entirely on Luke’s wound, suddenly lifted his head. Luke, who had been staring at Theo’s dark hair and crown, flinched slightly when their eyes met.

Theo chuckled softly, finding Luke’s expression amusing. Without missing a beat, he spoke with a calmness that betrayed no hesitation.
“I think I’ve been watching you too.”
“We were r-rivals, after all.”

Luke quickly brushed off the comment, awkwardly stammering. Why had he said something so incriminating? He could feel the ticklish sensation crawling up from his toes and tried to shake it off by cutting the conversation short.
“Yes, that’s true. I thought so too,” Theo replied, wiping his hands with a cloth. Luke looked down at his hand, now completely covered with ointment, shining as if polished. It was impressive—he doubted he could’ve applied it so meticulously on his own.
“But to be precise, I used to think that.”

“What?” Luke asked, his brow furrowing.
Theo began unwrapping a fresh bandage. “Recently, as I’ve spent more time around you, I’ve started to think differently.”
Theo’s gaze was steady, his hands methodically wrapping the bandage around Luke’s hand.

“Maybe the reason I’ve been watching you isn’t just because we’re rivals.”
The atmosphere shifted, and Luke found himself unconsciously holding his breath. It felt eerily similar to that moment in the study, though this time, Theo’s gaze was even more intense. His expression, his tone, and his demeanor were unlike anything Luke had seen before—not in their academy days, not ever.
“Luke,” Theo began, his voice low but clear, “do you remember what I said when we met again? That I wanted to know more about you?”

Luke recalled the words Theo had spoken while helping him investigate the mountain behind the estate. Nodding slightly, he signaled that he remembered.
“You’ve always been an enigma to me. I’ve never met anyone as hard to understand as you.”
“Is that supposed to be an insult?”

Theo smiled faintly. “That’s why I said it. I don’t like unclear things.”
Theo finished wrapping the bandage and gently pressed the ends to secure it.
“But lately…” Theo trailed off, leaving the sentence unfinished as he paused mid-motion. Luke, feeling the tension rise, was overtaken by an urge to escape back to his room. His instinct to avoid unfamiliar feelings was growing stronger.

“I think I might finally understand you—who you really are.”
Theo’s final words hung in the air, filling the room with a quiet intensity. Luke couldn’t decipher what he meant, but it was enough to overwhelm him. Despite having taken a long nap, his head throbbed, and his thoughts were muddled.
“Hey.”

Luke abruptly pulled his hand away from Theo’s grasp.
“Don’t you think things have been weird between us lately?”
“What exactly?” Theo asked calmly.

“Well, I can’t really put it into words, but… something’s off. This isn’t right.”
Luke muttered the words, his tone serious. Recently, whenever he was around Theo, unfamiliar emotions and complicated thoughts kept swirling in his head, leaving him feeling stifled. No matter how much he tried to rationalize or find clarity, the answers eluded him.
“From now on, stop saying stuff like that. My head feels like it’s going to explode because of you.”

For the first time, Theo’s calm eyes wavered. He bit his lip briefly, as if holding something back, and reached for Luke as he tried to stand.
“That’s a coincidence. I feel the same way.”
“What?”

Theo grabbed Luke’s slender wrist and pulled him closer.
“Actually, I’ve been feeling this way for a while now.”
The sudden closeness made Luke’s face twist in irritation. Why did Theo always push further when told to stop?

“But I’m glad,” Theo said, his voice tinged with amusement. “It makes me happy to know you’ve been struggling with the same thoughts.”
“Are you making fun of me?”
Luke was still grappling with his confusion, and Theo’s seemingly cheerful response was infuriating. Even more so, Theo’s warm breath brushing against his skin stirred a strange, indescribable sensation.

“Luke.”
“What now?”
Despite his frustration, Luke stubbornly held Theo’s gaze, refusing to back down.

“I can help you figure out what’s causing that confusion.”
“How could you possibly help with that?”
Had Theo eaten something strange today? Everything he said seemed incomprehensible.

“I told you earlier, didn’t I? I think I understand you now.”
Come to think of it, Theo’s expression hadn’t changed at all. On the surface, he looked as calm and composed as ever. Yet the warmth radiating from the hand holding Luke’s wrist felt far more intense than usual.
“Do you remember back at the academy? When there was a culture of cadets who had finished their lessons tutoring those who were falling behind?”

Luke barely noticed Monet brushing against his leg, rubbing her head against him. At this point, he was too distracted to care.
“I think I might be ahead of you in this… so if you’d like, I can teach you.”