CHAPTER 87: FIRST TIME BEING HUMAN

Ultimately, Joshua ordered two bowls of oatmeal porridge with minced meat and a few steamed dishes. Nine’s lips were practically about to pout all the way out when he saw what Joshua had ordered, but he couldn’t say a word in the end.

Joshua was really too much!

"Come here for a moment."

Just then, Joshua suddenly spoke.

Nine couldn’t help but look up at him in surprise.

They sat opposite each other, but the seats were more like a booth—a cushioned bench that could fit two people!

Why was Joshua suddenly calling him over to sit together?! That’s right. Joshua must have been pretending to act indifferent, but deep down, he missed him a lot! Nine felt like he’d just uncovered the truth!

Ha, Joshua—acting all cold, not answering my calls or texts, and now you want to get close to me again!

Nine thought he should play a little hard to get, but his body betrayed him. He stood obediently and walked over to sit beside Joshua, muttering, "Don’t think you can just cling to me like before..."

"I don’t recall ever clinging to you," Joshua said flatly.

Nine: "Then why did you call me over—"

He didn’t finish his sentence before freezing mid-word. Joshua was holding out a wet wipe, extending it toward his face. "Come closer. Your face is actually dirty."

Nine frowned at that, about to shout, but before he could, the wet wipe was already pressed against his cheek.

He looked at Joshua, whose expression was focused and serious, eyebrows slightly furrowed.

Nine could feel the gentle pressure on his skin and couldn’t help feeling ticklish. Joshua was clearly wiping his face, yet Nine felt as though Joshua was scratching directly at his heart!

Why was his heart beating so fast all of a sudden? Human bodies really were troublesome!

"Are you holding your breath?" Joshua asked.

"N–No... of course not!" Nine wanted to yell, but Joshua’s face was so close that he could only mumble under his breath. Still, the long sigh that escaped him completely betrayed his words.

Nine’s face flushed, just a little too late.

Damn it—he had never blushed before! It was all Joshua’s fault!

Nine watched as Joshua tossed several used wet wipes into the trash, unable to stop himself from asking, "Am I really that dirty?"

Joshua nodded. "You look like you just crawled out of a garbage dump."

Nine: "..."

... technically, when he woke up earlier, he had been lying next to a garbage dump.

But he’d already washed up! He’d even made sure he was clean before coming to see Joshua.

Then again... Joshua was a clean freak, yet he didn’t show any disgust, even going so far as to wipe Nine’s face himself! There it was—yet another sign that Joshua was madly in love with him! That coldness from before? Definitely just Joshua pretending to be strong and indifferent!

"Shhhh—Ah! What are you—" Nine suddenly sucked in a sharp breath, glaring at Joshua.

Joshua frowned. "It hurts? Bear with it. Wounds like these get infected easily if they’re not disinfected."

He spoke softly, brows furrowed as he examined the cuts on Nine’s face. Some had already scabbed over, and others were still oozing slightly. Earlier, they must’ve been deep enough to expose raw flesh.

Joshua had no idea how Nine’s body had gotten such bad injuries on his face in the first place.

Hearing Nine’s constant hissing and whining, Joshua instinctively blew gently over the wounds and murmured, "Just hold on a little longer." His hand didn’t slow as he dabbed the disinfectant.

Nine could feel Joshua’s cool breath brushing against his skin—it even smelled faintly sweet, like the soda Joshua loved. His voice was soft too, softer than Nine had ever heard before.

Aaaaaaa! Nine squeezed his eyes shut, screaming internally! Joshua was so close! Was this going to lead to a kiss?! Yes, that had to be it! No matter what he looked like now, there was no denying how perfect he was. Of course, Joshua liked him! Should he... pucker his lips a little?

But as that thought crossed his mind, Joshua’s breath pulled away.

Nine opened his eyes blankly. He found the wound neatly covered with a bandage when he touched his cheek.

"Don’t touch it. And remember to change the bandage," Joshua said softly. Then, noticing the strange flush spreading across Nine’s face, he frowned and touched his forehead. "Are you sick? Or did the wound get infected?"

But it wasn’t hot.

Joshua lowered his hand and said, "Just keep yourself clean."

Then he added, "Oh, and I exchanged those supplies using my fame points in the Store. Don’t forget to pay me back."

Nine: "..."

He could practically feel the heat draining from his face.

Nine wanted to scream—there was a beast inside him roaring to get out—but he couldn’t.

Joshua! Joshua was too cruel!

Just then, the waiter arrived with their food. Joshua glanced at Nine and asked, "You know how to use a spoon, right?"

"Don’t you dare underestimate me!" Nine retorted, immediately grabbing the spoon with all five fingers and scooping up the porridge to shove into his mouth. He ate so fast that Joshua didn’t even have time to say anything.

"Careful—"

Before Joshua could finish, a loud yelp burst out of Nine.

Nine stuck out his tongue, mouth wide open and flapping his hands frantically in front of it as if that could cool the burning heat.

Joshua pressed his lips together, handing him a glass of iced water. "Hold it in your mouth. Don’t swallow."

Nine obeyed almost instantly, and a gurgling sound came from his nose. Somehow, Joshua understood perfectly: "I told you you’d get a stomachache. Stop drinking cold stuff."

"It’s burning me alive! There’s nothing good about this at all!"

Nine fumed, looking up just in time to see Joshua pressing his lips together—eyes curved slightly as though he were suppressing a laugh.

Nine froze. "If you want to laugh, then just laugh."

Joshua looked at him and couldn’t hold it in anymore. "Ha ha, I’m not laughing at you. I think you’re cute."

Cute your ass! Nine screamed inwardly, but his face still flushed bright red.

"I’m not cute!" he snapped, trying hard to reclaim his cool image.

Joshua nodded as if humouring him. "Blow on it before you eat. Slowly. You could burn your throat, too."

Nine pressed his lips together. This shouldn’t be happening—yet somehow, he still felt embarrassed.

Damn it!

Just then, a piece of tender white steamed fish landed on his plate, and Joshua’s voice followed: "I already picked out the bones, but you should still chew carefully."

Nine scooped up another spoonful of porridge, nodded with pursed lips, and took a bite.

At once, the warm sweetness of oats mixed with the savoury flavour of minced meat exploded on his tongue, making his eyes widen slightly.

"This is really good! Joshua, is it better than fried chicken?"

Nine’s voice was naturally loud—like he always shouted inside Joshua’s head.

Joshua could even feel a few people glancing in their direction.

He spoke quietly, "Fried chicken’s better. Also, you should learn how to speak at a normal volume."

Nine snorted. "When will you stop lecturing me?!"

His scrunched-up face and mischievous expression made him look exactly like an annoying delinquent.

Joshua ignored him, quietly eating his porridge and occasionally placing more vegetables and fish on Nine’s plate.

Nine ate happily, completely unaware that at another table nearby, a group of people were struggling to swallow their lunch...