They helped him with his bags. The buzzer went off a moment later.
“That must be the pizza,” Blessing said. “I’ll get it!”
“Ah, tell me everything! Any good news to share?” Ajiri waggled her eyebrows, heading to Ejiro’s room, which was on the ground floor. Every inch of her was vibrating with excitement.
Ejiro grinned. His pulse raced. “Why don’t we wait for Blessing?”
“Ugh, fine. Spoilsport.”
Ejiro laughed. He didn’t bother unpacking; he and Ajiri dumped his bags in his room before they reconvened to the sitting room, Blessing back with the pizza.
Everything in the house was the same. The drier apparently still wasn’t working properly, because their clothing rack at the edge of the sitting room by the windows was filled with Ajiri’s and Blessing’s latest wash.
Blessing collapsed onto the sofa beside Ajiri after dropping the pizza boxes on the table.
“Drinks!” Ajiri jumped up from her seat and rushed to the kitchen. She came back with two ciders for her and Blessing, and a Sprite for Ejiro. “Now,” she said, when she was back in her seat, her drink open, and a slice of pizza in her hand. “Tell us everything!”
“Did you win?” Blessing asked excitedly.
Ejiro’s heart began to pound again. Slowly, he shook his head, but he was blushing furiously, unable to help it. He felt nervous, even though he knew Ajiri and Blessing would love him no matter what.
“Oh.” Blessing slumped. “Aw, that’s okay, though!”
“Wait, but what’s that look on your face?” Ajiri asked, shoving forward from her seat. Her eyes were bright. “Why are you blushing?”
Ejiro swallowed. He bit the inside of his cheek to try and stop himself from smiling helplessly, but it didn’t work.
“Um, well.” He couldn’t meet their eyes. His cheeks hurt. “I might not have won, but I did meet someone.”
There was a brief silence.
“What?” Blessing screeched.
Ejiro winced, his cheeks burning harder. “Not so loud!”
“Ejiro, you sly dog!” Ajiri jumped out of her seat so she could crowd onto him where he’d sat on one of the armchairs. She rubbed his head with her knuckles, and he laughed, shoving her off. “Did you sleep with one of the producers?”
“Or—” Blessing gasped. “One of the crew?”
“Ejiro!” Ajiri cried, scandalised.
Ejiro laughed so hard it hurt. “No! Don’t be silly! I didn’t sleep with anyone. I—” Oh God, if the crew and producers were scandalous, just how scandalous would it be when he said it was one of the other bachelors?
“If it wasn’t someone working on the set or one of the producers then how the fuck?” Ajiri asked, her brain working a mile a minute. “Did you manage to meet other people during the filming? What the fuck, Ejiro?”
Ejiro couldn’t feel his cheeks. He hid his face behind his hands. “It wasn’t a woman,” he said, voice muffled.
There was another silence.
“WHAT!” Blessing screeched again.
“One of the bachelors?” Ajiri cried. “Ejiro, was it one of the other bachelors?”
Slowly, still hiding behind his hands, he nodded.
“Ejiro!” Ajiri screamed, sounding both proud and scandalised in equal measure. “No you didn’t!”
Blessing was laughing hysterically. “Motherfucking plot twist!”
