Only Friends: Dream On.

Dean spent hours crying in bed. When he was exhausted from crying, he drifted off to sleep. But when he woke up, he started crying again. Before he knew it, the sun had set. He decided to get up, grab his phone, and, after a long moment of steeling himself, opened TikTok. He then scrolled through the feed, exploring the content the algorithm had randomly selected for him.

 

With long, slender fingers, Dean pressed "like" on a classmate's acting tutorial video that popped up on his feed. Scrolling through, he came across an 0OTD (out-of-this-world) post from a stylish teenager showcasing their fashion sense. Dean's eyes widened at the sight of thousands of likes, but he didn't have the flamboyant style to create content that would attract attention on social media.

 

Dean found Arnold's content in the next clip. His star was dancing and doing somersaults, culminating in a shirtless display of his sculpted six-pack. It's no wonder it had thousands of likes and hundreds of appreciative comments. At least, Arnold had some fame to brag about, the Prince of Fine Arts sighed deeply, but then had to sit up straight when he saw the new content; he recognised one of the guys in the clip. 

 

If he remembered correctly, his name was Mew, and he was in the business administration faculty. They'd known each other since orientation day because they were part of a group of "celebrities" that the seniors had put together. That's how they ended up following each other on social media. In the clip, Mew is dancing with a man the caption identifies as Top, who is handsome, tall, and model-like. The two make eye contact periodically as they move. Even an outsider like Dean felt they had incredible chemistry, so it's no wonder the video has hundreds of thousands of likes. The comments are flooded with the hashtag #TopMew, as fans gush and beg the two to keep sharing more adorable moments every day. Wow, is selling fanfiction/shipping really that successful?

 

Dean suddenly narrowed his eyes. He scrolled back up until he found another Arnold dance video. He stared at the screen for a while, and soon a plan formed in his mind. Without hesitation, he ran to Tua's bedroom. The door burst open! The room's occupant, who was applying a face mask, jumped in surprise. The sound coming from the phone was a recording of an Arnold Schwarzenegger clip. The other person was also scrolling through TikTok.

 

"Would you die of a heart attack if you knocked on my door just once?"

 

"I'm the one who's going to die! Do you know what happened?! What did Jack do to me?!"

 

"You guys just keep fighting... what is it this time?"

 

"They hired Raffy as my double caster in order to get money from sponsors."

 

"What did you say?!" Tua's face turned pale. He quickly sat up, looking at his best friend with worry. Worried, feeling bad about his earlier inappropriate behaviour, Dean pouted, "You have absolutely no idea what's going on." He glanced at Arnold's TikTok video still playing on his friend's phone. 

 

"Obsessed with a guy."

 

"He's completely lost in the forest." Tua quickly locked his screen, pretending not to know anything.

 

"I've been so busy with my own work lately, I haven't had much time to talk to anyone." Dean didn't care; he quickly jumped onto his friend's bed and propped himself up on his armsTurn to face each other to begin an open conversation.

 

"I want to be famous."

 

He was taken aback, confused about the connection, but chose to try to bring his friend back to his senses.

 

"Too late, Dean. Your video of the escort girl is all over the internet. Have you forgotten? And you're crazy. Why would someone suddenly want to be famous?

"Because if I'm famous, I'll get opportunities," the Prince of Fine Arts said. "I'm not just talking about the theatre group, but I've been thinking, if I don't have a large following to claim in the future, I'll never get good jobs. Ultimately, I'll always lose to famous people. So I have to be famous! And when I'm famous, people will see me, and when they see me, they'll know I'm a good actor without having to struggle."

 

"Easier said than done, Dean."

 

"That's why I came to talk to you..." Dean smirked, "I need to borrow Arnold. Could you come and film some content sometime?”

 

The body froze for a moment.

"Arnold, really?"

 

"Hey, you saw how much potential his TikTok has? Since you two are going to be playing a couple anyway, why not create some 'couple' buzz? If I do some content with him, or if he pops into Phu's channel, I guarantee it'll be a hit. Maybe it'll even help promote our drama!"

 

"Imagining them...like they're a couple, right?"

 

"Oh, it's not that bad," Dean rolled his eyes. "But to be honest, yes, it has to create that image in people's minds. But I don't have any feelings for him. I know my friend has already claimed him."

 

"I got it!!"

 

"I went to all the trouble to ask for permission to borrow Arnold nicely, but it's not like I'm the only one who benefits. Arnold benefits too, since his reputation will be considered. It's easy to find a job there, you don't have to be a hostess like me," said the younger boy, speaking to his best friend. What he said was true.

 

These days, easily fabricated fanfiction goes viral very quickly. Arnold and Dean already have pretty good chemistry together, so there shouldn't be any problems. Plus, Arnold would benefit from it as well. The only question was whether he himself could cope with seeing the two of them together. The balls are close together.

 

"Go ahead, try talking to him."

 

"You understand me the most," Dean hugged his best friend tightly, so much so that Tua had to hold his face back, otherwise Mas would have smeared his face all over. 

"So, how far have you and he gone?"

 

"'Why do you ask"

 

"I want to know something about you," Dean winked. "Have you guys hooked up yet?"

 

"Hmm, got it."

 

"Looking for number 2," the person heard this and jumped up to sit on the bed. "I was wondering why your aura was so strange. You look so radiant, and your skin is so good. Ah, so that's the reason."

 

"What nonsense are you talking about?" The person grumbled irritably and turned away. "Get out, I want to sleep."

 

Dean smiled proudly, looking at the back of his friend's head. Despite the bad news, at least we received one piece of good news.

 

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The Pink Pony Club was transformed into a flea market after art students rented the space for their annual fundraising event. Students from various majors flocked to set up stalls, including beverage booths. Food stalls, game and activity booths, shops selling all kinds of goods, or even fortune-telling booths that are likely to be especially popular with Gen Z, resulting in long queues that block other shops.

 

Tickets were being sold using portrait drawing skills, with Arnold nearby as his assistant. In another corner of the same booth was a stall selling vintage clothing and accessories, attracting considerable customer attention... if it weren't for Raffy's secondhand designer booth directly across the hall. The two sides glared at each other with murderous intent periodically, yet no war broke out.

 

The sound of a camera shutter clicked. It was Boston, capturing the event's lively atmosphere. He and Arnold avoided eye contact, unlike Dean, who willingly gave a two-finger salute and consented to the photo.

 

"How's business?" Boston asked Dean, but secretly glanced at the two of them out of the corner of his eye.

 

"It's good, but I'm tired. Can you buy everything for me? I want to close the shop."

"Oh dear, we're not that rich."

 

"How pointless," Dean rolled his eyes, trying to be charming. "We can take photos somewhere else."

 

"Okay, then go. If you're not going to buy anything, don't block the storefront!"

 

Boston chuckled to himself. He turned to the shop across the street, glancing at the owner through his camera lens. He saw Raffy meticulously hanging clothes on a rack while simultaneously calling out to customers in a sweet, endearing voice. The photographer pressed the shutter. When Raffy realised what was happening, he raised his eyebrows but didn't scold him. He smiled at Boston for another photo.

Raffy's smile momentarily stunned Boston, who then regained his composure, pressed the shutter, and thanked the photographer. The photographer gazed at the captured image for a long time... before glancing at the real person in front of him again. Soon, a wicked smile appeared on his face.

 

Once Boston had left, Arnold felt a little relieved. He quickly finished drawing the portrait of the client who was posing for the photo, and although it wasn't the first time he'd seen one, Arnold couldn't help but be amazed.

 

"I thought you were only good at sketching clothes."

 

"The basics are all the same," Tua said. "I started by practising drawing. But actually, it's been a while since I last drew like this."

 

"You're still doing well," Arnold complimented, sending the image to the client along with a QR code for payment. "You should accept compliments sometimes. Don't be so humble." Tua smiled and nodded. He was happy if it was Arnold's compliment. But the romantic atmosphere was shattered when Dean sat between the two, his face mischievous and his phone in hand. Arnold looked at the Prince of Commerce with suspicion, while Tua, who could guess what was going on, sighed.

 

"Romeo, are you free?"

Arnold surveyed his surroundings for a while.

 

"It's empty. People are still looking for something to eat at this time. I doubt there will be any customers."

 

"What's that, Tua?" Dean didn't wait for his friend to answer the man's question.

"Then let's create some content."

"Huh? What kind of content is this?" the lead actor in the theatre troupe wondered.

 

"We wanted to film content with Arnold; it would be a form of promotion."

 

“Why not make it a play? Since we have to play a couple anyway, why not create some romantic moments to boost Tua sales?”

 

Hearing this, Arnold hesitated. He turned to ask Tua for his opinion.

 

"Come on, man. It's good. At least it helps promote the theatre group," Tua said, before taking the cell phone from Dean's hand. "What kind of photos do you want? I'll take them for you."

 

"Since we're at it, let's create a 'walk-through' moment at the event. We can pretend to look at different booths. I'll buy you a drink and feed you, you buy me a snack, and then do a little review to help it go viral."

 

The ticket seller pursed her lips, suppressing her displeasure. Dean rolled his eyes at the protagonist's father's impatient delay. He dragged his arm. Have two people as big as a child's head stand up together.

 

"Stop thinking about it! Come on! Let's start with our own booth. You can just press the shutter button and take pictures!" Tua nodded, silently complying with his friend's request without uttering a word.

 

Timmy was calling out for donations for his troupe from his stall, but his usually cheerful smile faded when he saw Dean holding Arnold's hand, reviewing products in his own vintage clothing store, Prince of Gold. Dean was helping Arnold remove a shirt from a mannequin so they could see the merchandise hanging on the shelves next to them. Timmy's eyes widened in surprise, and he quickly nudged the person standing beside him, who was lost in thought, to get their attention.

 

"Hey, Cack!"

"What....""

 

The sound director was taken aback when he followed Timmy's gaze. Jack frowned, making sure he wasn't imagining things, before becoming increasingly irritated as Dean intimately tucked Arnold's t-shirt into his pants.

 

"What are they doing? Why are they getting so touchy-feely?"

"Probably making some content," Timmy pointed to Tua, who was filming a video. He knew Jack wouldn't be happy, so he tried to calm him down. "Come on, man, didn't he say he wouldn't give up?"

 

"Is there no other way?"

 

The atmosphere didn't seem to be getting any better, so Timmy gave up, pretending to go buy snacks at another booth, leaving Jack standing there fuming. Then, a new person walked in. Raffy was about to greet them, but when he saw Dean and Arnold, he was equally stunned. Until Jack turned around, saw me, and spoke first.

 

"Oh, hey Raffy!"

 

"What's wrong? Why do you look like you're not having fun?" Raffy pretended to ask, even though he had figured it out. 'Did the donations not meet the target?'"

 

"No, I'm just bored."

 

"I want to go home too. I brought so much stuff to sell, people will see and think I'm showing off my wealth like a celebrity's child. Just getting you to give me the lead role is probably enough to get a lot of gossip."

 

"Why are you so interested in what other people say?" Jack said. "Just wait until you actually show it; your work will speak for itself."

 

"See? You're the only one who trusts me," Raffy said, deliberately flirting.

"I came to invite you to go for another drink. Want to come?"

 

Jack thought for a moment before giving his answer. "Go on, I'm not in the mood today," the young director said just as Timmy returned. He smiled at Raffy before walking away from the booth himself, so he wouldn't have to endure that unpleasant sight any longer.

 

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Rome wasn't interested in the shops at all; he was just there for a beer, and he'd even arrived just in time for Happy Hour. The young man was very proud of his lavish spending, which he felt was worthwhile. He sat alone at the bar. Pink, the owner, personally attended to his knee condition, pouring draft beer into a giant glass before handing it to him. It was at that moment that Rome caught the scent of a familiar perfume.

"I'll have a bottle of soju, please," Raffy said with a rather bored tone.

 

"Sure, go ahead. Why the long face? A cold drink will cheer you up," said the shop owner. Teasing the customers.

 

Rome raised an eyebrow in displeasure. "Aren't you going to greet me?"

 

"Oh," Raffy turned around and said, "How was I supposed to know it was you? Why didn't you say hello first?"

 

"Whatever," Rome chuckled, shrugging indifferently, though he desperately wanted to strike up a conversation. He intended to ask about the reason for setting up the booth, but someone interrupted him.

 

"Excuse me," Boston appeared, holding his camera.

 

"I just took a picture of Raffy. Do you want it?"

 

Raffy was taken aback, but when he saw Boston’s flirtatious body language, he was ready to charm them back as well.

 

"Is that a subtle way to ask for my LINE ID?"

 

"Hey, what kind of person do you think I am?" Boston grinned. "You could have sent an AirDrop."

 

"It's alright. If you ask, I'll give it to you anyway."

 

"Wow, so now we're friends!"

 

"Want to be more than just friends?" Raffy raised an eyebrow, a mischievous grin. Rome heard everything clearly. Frustration made him drain his beer before slamming the glass down on the table and signaling for a new one.

 

"Are we going out tonight?" Boston asked.

 

"I'm about to close the shop and I'm bored," Raffy mused. "Where do you want me to go?"

 

"How about your room?"

Rome couldn't take it anymore. He jumped up, grabbed Boston by the collar, and yanked him, causing him to stumble and startling everyone in the bar. The bartender, Pink, was there too, trying to calm everyone down. But Rome really couldn't take it anymore. "What the hell is wrong with you? Why are you so aroused? You want it so badly?"

 

"Are you so desperate you have nowhere else to go?"

 

"What the hell are you talking about?!"

 

"What the hell is wrong with you, Raffy?" This time, Rome yelled directly into his face.

"You said you liked Jack so much, but you're still going around indiscriminately like this? Really!!!!"

 

Raffy was taken aback to see Rome so furious, but he still didn't understand why.

 

"What I do with whoever I do is my business. You and I are nothing to each other."

 

"But I'm your friend."

 

"Yes," Raffy stepped forward to face the other man, "a sleeping partner. We're friends who have sex, nothing more. You have no right to interfere with what's going on in my life?"

 

Rome was taken aback. Already furious with Boston, hearing this only intensified his anger. He pushed Boston away before letting out a sarcastic laugh in the face of the man who had pushed him off.

 

"Okay, Raffy," the speaker stared into the other's eyes, "if you want to be promiscuous, if you want to be worthless, then go ahead. I hope you don't come crying later."

 

Raffy was speechless. The other man's words had pierced his heart, sending stinging pain through his body. He could only watch as Rome disappeared into the crowd without saying a word. Boston watched the two of them alternately with a look of satisfaction.

 

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The final night of their influencer career began with a live stream featuring Arnold as the target in a "young boys falling into the water" game, which unexpectedly became the most popular booth at the event. Passersby eagerly pulled out their phones to take photos and videos of the adorable moment between the two boys to upload to social media. Everything seemed to be going well, except for one thing...

 

"Tell them that much, I think. We have practice tomorrow, they'll both catch a cold," Jack said to Tua, his voice laced with displeasure. Tua sighed. He wished that were the case.

 

"That should be it. We've got plenty of content," Jack said, waiting until the two had played to their heart's content. Dean and Arnold waved goodbye to everyone who had shown interest before going to change their clothes. Jack handed Dean and Arnold towels and new clothes before leaving, leaving Dean and Jack alone together.

Jack saw Dean take off his shirt, exposing his chest, as if to change clothes right there.

 

"Why don't you go change in the bathroom properly?"

 

"Oh, as if you've never seen one before," the speaker said with a sweet smile. "Why?"

Are you afraid you won't be able to control yourself?"

 

"I'm not an outdoor person."

 

"Yeah, you're a lonely, bedridden boy," Dean said, putting on his new shirt and putting his hands on his hips. He faced the director, puffing out his chest with pride, "How's that? Did I do a good job?"

 

"I think you should stop. It doesn't help anything; it's just a waste of time and effort."

 

No. Uh-huh, Mr Officer," Dean teased, "Are you saying that as the director chief?"

"My ex-boyfriend was jealous." Dean's words hit Jack right in the heart.

 

"You know that guy likes Arnold, don't you think about how he feels?"

 

"I already talked to him. He's the one who filmed the video for me," Prince of Sin said with a mischievous smile. "You still haven't answered. So, you're really jealous of me, aren't you?"

 

"I do not know"

"See? Do you believe now that I'm a top-notch actor? You're already going crazy just playing a couple in a drama and making content. I told you this New Dean will bring you more followers. Just you wait!"

 

Dean patted the taller man's shoulder reassuringly. Jack quickly shook his shoulder, letting out an irritated sigh to cover up his frustration, before the young director turned around and walked back to man the donation booth to raise funds for the theater troupe.