The Hospital Visit
The next day, Dinello arrived at the hospital holding Jessica’s hand.
But he wasn’t quite sure if bringing her along was the right move. The closer they got, the more uneasy he felt. He kept thinking—What if Kyle sees her and feels jealous? What if it makes things awkward between us?
Deep down, he just had a bad feeling about introducing Jessica to Kyle. He couldn’t explain why. It just didn’t sit right.
They stepped into the hospital lobby.
Dinello stopped and turned to her.
“Jessica, I… I really don’t feel great about this. I don’t know how Kyle’s going to react. He’s never even hit a girl before—he’s not that kind of guy. But still…”
Jessica pouted and clung to his arm.
“I’ve been with you for so long, and you’ve never introduced me to any of your friends,” she whined. “If I’m really your girlfriend, shouldn’t I meet them?”
Her voice softened into that familiar, spoiled tone she used whenever she wanted something.
They bickered for a few minutes near the elevator, but then Dinello made up his mind.
“Alright. You wait here. Please. I’ll be back really soon.”
Jessica sighed, rolled her eyes, and gave in.
“Okay, fine…”
She plopped down on one of the lobby benches, picked up a random newspaper, and started flipping through the pages to pass the time.
Meanwhile, Dinello headed upstairs and made his way toward Kyle’s room.
When he entered, he saw Kyle leaning over the small table attached to his hospital bed, scribbling something in a notebook.
Dinello let out a breath of relief.
Kyle looked a lot better than he’d imagined—no broken bones, no internal bleeding, no signs of concussion. If things stayed this way, he’d probably be discharged soon.
Dinello placed a small bouquet of flowers on the side table near the bed.
It was a bundle of white chrysanthemums. He hadn’t really known what kind of flowers were appropriate for visiting a patient, so he just grabbed the first decent-looking bunch he saw.
Without even looking up, Kyle greeted him casually.
“Hey, bro. You came early, huh? That’s real thoughtful of you.”
Dinello’s chest loosened a bit. He smiled. So he’s not mad after all.
“You’re… not angry?” he asked, still unsure.
Kyle shook his head. “Nah. It was just a misunderstanding. I know you like pulling dumb pranks. It’s fine.”
Dinello smiled for real this time.
He really is a good guy, he thought. A friend worth keeping.
The Silent Brainwash
Dinello stood beside Kyle’s hospital bed, watching his old friend lean forward, elbows on the fold-out tray, scribbling away with intense focus.
“Hey, what the fuck are you writing?” Dinello asked, genuinely curious. “You look like you’re doing homework for a test.”
Kyle didn’t even lift his head. He kept writing as he replied, “Oh, it’s nothing. Pastor Simon punished me. He told me to copy out the Humbleism creed five times.”
Dinello raised an eyebrow. “You serious? What did you do? Break into his house or something?”
Kyle replied calmly, “I masturbated and watched porn the other night.”
Dinello froze for half a second. “…Okay. But like… you’re single. Young. That’s totally normal. How did he even find out?”
“I told him,” Kyle said plainly. “I report everything to him. It’s part of my duty as a follower.”
That hit Dinello like a slap. His casual smirk vanished.
“Dude,” he muttered, voice a little tighter now. “That’s not faith. That’s control.”
He stared at Kyle for a moment, then took a breath, trying not to raise his voice.
“You know what?” Dinello continued, more serious now. “Next time, I’m coming with you to your church. I wanna have a word with this Pastor Simon. Hell, maybe I’ll just blow his kneecaps out. I’m not joking.”
Kyle’s pen stopped mid-sentence. He turned his head, finally meeting Dinello’s eyes—his expression no longer calm.
“That’s not funny,” Kyle said, a rare sharpness in his voice. “If you lay a hand on Pastor Simon… you might end up getting hit by a car someday. Just… lying on the road. Dead. That’s how fate works.”
Dinello blinked, caught off guard by the sudden intensity.
It wasn’t just a warning—it was a belief. Like Kyle genuinely thought some divine consequence would punish anyone who disrespected Simon.
Dinello stared at him. His heart dropped a little.
He saw it now—not devotion, not enlightenment… but something else.
It wasn’t Kyle’s usual clueless optimism. It was a foggy calm, the kind that comes from being wrapped too tightly in someone else’s idea of righteousness.
It was deeper than just belief—it was dependence.
Dinello sighed and leaned back.
This wasn’t just about religion anymore. Kyle had gone too far into something that didn’t feel right.
He looked at Kyle’s serious, almost childlike expression—the way he held his pen so earnestly, copying each line like it was a sacred ritual.
“…Maybe what you need isn’t more creed,” Dinello thought, “maybe what you need… is a damn girlfriend.”
He didn’t say it aloud.
But as he watched his friend keep writing—so obedient, so devoted—he made a silent vow.
I’ll pull you out of this, bro. Somehow.
The Unexpected Visitor
The hospital room fell into a long, awkward silence. Kyle sat at the little tray table attached to the hospital bed, quietly finishing the last of his assigned copying. His handwriting was careful, almost elegant—each stroke written with devotion.
When he was done, he placed the notebook aside, took a breath, and looked up at Dinello.
“So… what’s your plan next?” Kyle asked. “Joey’s already married. You’ve got to start catching up.”
Dinello gave a faint smile. In his heart, he thought, Aside from being brainwashed and overly pious, Kyle’s honestly a good guy.
He shrugged. “What about you? Joey’s off the board—what’s your next move?”
Kyle chuckled softly and shook his head.
“I’m just going with the flow now. Girls these days have such high standards… it’s tough. My family’s tried introducing dozens of girls. Friends, church people, everyone’s tried. But no one ever works out. Nobody ever seems to like me.”
He gave a small sigh.
“I guess it’s just the two of us losers left now.”
Dinello paused. He felt a twinge of guilt. This was the moment he knew he couldn’t keep lying. He looked at Kyle—so honest, so sincere—and decided he had to tell the truth, even if it came out awkwardly.
He pulled out his phone and sent a quick text message. Less than two minutes later, someone knocked gently at the hospital door.
“Come in,” Dinello called.
The door creaked open.
In walked a tall, striking young woman, wearing a smart Zhongshan suit with her long hair tied neatly in a ponytail. Her presence lit up the room instantly.
“I want to introduce someone,” Dinello said, standing up. “This is Jessica. My girlfriend.”
Kyle blinked in disbelief. His eyes widened with surprise, and he sat up straighter. After a few seconds of stunned silence, he managed a smile.
“Wow… your girlfriend is really pretty. Congrats, man.”
Dinello scratched the back of his head, a little sheepish.
“Actually… we just got together a couple of days ago,” he said—offering a harmless little lie. He didn’t want Kyle to think he’d been hiding the relationship all along.
Kyle suddenly became animated, his usual calm replaced by cheerful chatter.
“You lucky dog!” he said with a grin. “Seriously, good for you!”
The three of them ended up chatting warmly for the next twenty minutes. The tension faded, replaced by laughter and lighthearted stories.
Eventually, it was time to go. They said their goodbyes with smiles.
And just like that—it felt like a good day.
Should I Save Him?
Dinello held Jessica’s hand as they stepped out of the hospital and onto the bustling city street. A breeze rolled by, brushing past them like a sigh of relief. He felt lighter—like a weight had been lifted from his chest. Finally, the secret was out. No more lies. No more hiding. Just honesty.
Jessica gave his hand a little squeeze, smiling up at him.
“See? Your friend isn’t anything like you imagined. He wasn’t jealous. He wasn’t petty. You made him out to be way worse than he actually is.”
Dinello chuckled under his breath, half embarrassed. “Yeah… guess I did.”
They walked side by side, casually heading back the way they came, blending into the weekend crowd. But then Dinello stopped walking.
Jessica looked at him curiously. “What’s wrong?”
He looked down at the sidewalk for a moment, then back at the hospital behind them.
“I don’t know… I just keep thinking… Kyle’s lost. I mean—he’s gone way too deep into this whole blind devotion thing. He’s brainwashed. It’s not normal. I feel like… I should go back and pull him out.”
He paused, conflicted.
“But then again, maybe it’s not my place. I mean, he seems happy, right? He’s got something to believe in. Something to hold on to. And his health’s not the best. His mental state’s fragile. Maybe I should just let him be…”
Jessica didn’t say anything. She understood this was something Dinello had to wrestle with himself.
The day carried on like normal. They went out on their usual date—Western food, bubble tea, a round or two of Arkane at the arcade. But all throughout the day, Jessica could sense Dinello wasn’t really there. His eyes kept drifting. His mind was somewhere else.
She didn’t ask. She didn’t need to.
She knew exactly who he was thinking about.
Later that night, they returned to Jessica’s apartment. A romance movie played softly on the TV, casting dim light across the room. Dinello sat beside her on the couch, still distracted, his eyes unfocused.
Finally, Jessica reached over and pulled his head gently into her lap. She stroked his hair with slow, steady motions.
“Babe… if there’s something on your mind, just say it,” she said softly. “I don’t know if I can help, but I hate seeing you like this. You’re usually such a goofy guy. But today… it’s like your heart’s somewhere else. Don’t bottle it up, okay?”
Dinello looked up at her, took a breath—and then broke into a comically exaggerated goofy face.
“Me? I’m fine! Nothing at all!”
They both burst into laughter. The tension popped like a balloon. He tickled her ribs, and she smacked his shoulder. They play-fought, teased, and tangled like kids—just a couple in love, making the most of a complicated day.
The Endless Battle
In the deep stillness of the night, when the city’s noise had long faded and the world outside seemed to hold its breath, Dinello and Jessica were locked in a rhythm that had lasted for hours. The curtains barely moved in the soft breeze from the slightly open window, and only the faint buzz of the refrigerator reminded them that the world still turned.
They kissed—fierce and in sync, again and again. Their bodies moved together in a choreography of passion and searching. It wasn’t just lust. They were trying to communicate something raw and wordless. Every push and pull, every gasp and grasp, carried the weight of unspoken emotions.
Even though Dinello’s hips never lost their pace, Jessica could sense it—his mind wasn’t fully there. She noticed the way his eyes occasionally lost focus, like they were staring at something far away. But she didn’t stop him. She wrapped her arms around his back tighter, anchoring him to the present.
At one point, as she rode him with growing intensity, her breathing ragged, Jessica reached forward with one hand and gently pinched his nipple, teasing him with a smirk. Then, as she leaned forward and brushed her lips against his ear, she whispered between panting breaths, “You don’t have to carry everything yourself… I mean it.”
Her voice softened, more tender now. “If you’re okay with it… I’ll tell you what I think. I think you should let him be. Everyone has their own path. And if he looks happy… maybe that’s enough.”
Her touch, her warmth, the earnest look in her eyes—these weren’t just words. They were truth, spoken in a way that cut through everything clouding his mind.
And suddenly, something clicked inside him.
Maybe he had been too obsessed with fixing someone who didn’t want to be fixed. Maybe Jessica was right. Maybe it was time to just let go.
His usual goofy grin made a quiet comeback.
He reached up and cupped both of her breasts, playfully tickling the nipples with his thumbs. She gasped in surprise and grinned, but before she could tease him back, he flipped her over and pinned her to the bed. The grin stayed on his face, but now it was mixed with desire—raw and focused.
He was back.
He was Dinello again.
They kissed again—hungrier, deeper. Their bodies tangled, rolled, grinded. They gave everything to each other, again and again, until the night outside finally began to fade into a pale morning glow.
At last, the room fell quiet.
Their sweaty bodies wrapped tightly together, the sheets barely hanging onto the edge of the bed. Jessica’s fingers rested lightly against his chest as they both drifted off.
They slept deeply, without worry, without walls.
It wasn’t just physical release. It was the release of pressure, doubt, and weight they had both been carrying. In each other’s arms, they found a rare kind of peace.
And for the first time in days, they truly rested.
The Big Red Exclamation Mark
The noon sun spilled into the apartment, flooding the bedroom with a harsh, honest brightness. Dinello and Jessica were still in bed. Her head rested peacefully on his chest, rising and falling with his breath.
Dinello slowly opened his eyes, blinking a few times. His first instinct wasn’t to kiss her or stretch—but to grab his phone from the nightstand. Carefully, without waking her, he started typing a message to Kyle.
But Jessica stirred. Her eyes opened halfway, and she smiled sleepily.
“Hmm… you think about Kyle more than you think about me,” she murmured, half-joking, half-curious.
Dinello grinned and slipped a hand under the blanket. His palm found her breast and gave it a slow, deliberate squeeze.
“I think about you more than anyone,” he whispered.
Then, with a teasing smirk, he gently tickled her nipple with two fingers.
Jessica let out a soft gasp, then giggled and swatted at his hand. “Stop that,” she whispered, face warming.
Dinello chuckled and turned back to his phone. He typed:
“You feeling better today? Hope you’re doing okay.”
He hit send.
A moment passed. Then another.
Jessica gently stroked Dinello’s cheek, her voice soft. “So… did he reply?”
Dinello’s face froze. His eyes stayed locked on the screen. He didn’t speak.
Curious, Jessica crawled up onto his chest and peeked over his shoulder. Her eyes landed on the screen just in time to see it:
A big red exclamation mark.
“Message failed to send. You’ve been blocked by the recipient.”
Jessica’s smile slowly faded.
Neither of them said a word.
On the other side of the city, in a dim, suffocating room with no light except the thin rays sneaking past the blinds, Kyle sat alone in the dark. No music. No screens. Just stillness.
He sat hunched on the edge of his bed, arms resting limply on his knees. His voice came out in a hoarse whisper, directed to no one but the stale air around him.
“Looks like I’m the last one… the only loser left in the whole damn world.”
He laughed once, dry and bitter.
“I’m all alone again.”
He paused.
“Only Pastor Simon understands. Only he sees me. From now on, I’ll follow him. I’ll give everything to him.”
He stood up slowly, almost robotically, and shuffled across the room. From the nightstand, he picked up a bottle of antidepressants, poured a few into his palm, and swallowed them.
Then he climbed back onto the bed and lay flat on his back—eyes wide open, unmoving—gazing at the ceiling with a vacant expression.
His jealousy festered beneath the surface like rot under skin.