Chapter 3Funding the Flame

Roman was rarely home. Sometimes he was at the cafe, sometimes God knows where running the streets.

I went straight there every day after school.

I'd buy an extra plain roll from the cafeteria at noon to eat for dinner.

On the fifth day of living there, I was gnawing on my cold roll when he pushed the door open.

"Move," he grunted, frowning.

I clutched my bread and automatically scooted over on the sofa.

He dropped a massive bag of takeout BBQ on the table and started eating.

The smell of roasted meat filled the room. I chewed my dry roll, secretly swallowing my saliva.

He glanced at me: "You want some?"

I asked cautiously: "Does it cost extra?"

He suddenly laughed. "If you eat, you're on cleanup duty."

To me back then, those few skewers of meat were absolute salvation.

After that, he started coming home a bit more often, and he'd always bring food.

Sometimes BBQ, sometimes lo mein, sometimes hot soup.

It smelled so incredible that, years later, I still remember exactly how it tasted.

He would watch me wolf down the food and laugh:

"Asher, you got a massive appetite, don't you?"

Honestly, I was just starving.

I skipped breakfast, ate the cheapest thing for lunch, and had a cold roll for dinner.

Whatever he brought back was the only real meal I had all day.

After eating, I'd lean against the sofa and study.

He’d play video games next to me, occasionally lighting a cigarette when he got bored.

I habitually stayed up late studying. When he checked the time, he’d bark at me:

"Asher, roll into bed and go to sleep."

I'd mumble an "okay" and slowly get up.

I couldn't help but warn him: "Roman, smoking is bad for your health."

He didn't care. "Life and death are up to fate. Riches are up to heaven."

I cautiously tested the waters:

"Can I try a drag?"

His eyes turned lethal:

"You want me to break your legs?"

I slept in the bedroom; he usually crashed on the sofa after gaming.

The sofa was small. He was tall, and he couldn't even stretch his legs out.

"Roman, why don't you sleep in the bed?"

He shot me a look, a half-smile forming.

"What, two grown men cuddling up together?"

I felt embarrassed.

The bed was narrow. Two guys would definitely be cramped.

But Roman was the type who could pull the covers over his head and fall asleep instantly.

I never thought I'd cross paths with someone like him.

He was so fierce. He fought brutally. Even the high school bullies were terrified of his name.

And me, the teachers' pet, somehow ended up sharing a weird, harmonious life with this gang boss in a rundown apartment.

Eventually, I completely ran out of money.

"Roman, the rent... can I pay you after I graduate college?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Can you do laundry, cook, and clean? Work off your debt."

From then on, I took over all the chores. He even started paying me a "salary."

Thanks to that money, I could finally afford full meals at school.

The days I lived there became the most secure time of my life.

He had a lot of friends, guys and girls.

One guy saw the spotless apartment and gasped:

"Boss, why is your place so clean? You hiding a sugar baby in here? If Stella finds out, she'll cry herself to death."

I had seen this "Stella."

Tall, glamorous, stunning figure.

Word was she'd been chasing Roman for a long time.

One day, she stood at the door with red eyes, screaming:

"Tell that little vixen to come out here! I want to see what she looks like!"

Roman casually grabbed me by the collar and dragged me to the door.

"Take a look."

The group of friends stood frozen.

"Holy shit! You got a boyfriend?!"

Roman leaned against the doorframe, arrogant as ever:

"I like men. Stop wasting your time on me, Stella."

Stella's heart shattered completely.

I followed him back inside, hesitating for a long time.

I wanted to ask if he really liked men, or if it was just an excuse to reject her.

But I couldn't get the words out.

For some reason, my heart wouldn't calm down.

Why did I even care who he liked?

He stared at me, frowning:

"What is it?"

"Just... what are we having for dinner?"

He let out a laugh, tossing a bag of walnuts at me.

"Eat these. Heard they're good for the brain. Perfect for you."

That day, he proudly showed off how he could crush walnuts with his bare hands.

"Cool, right?"

Honestly, a little dumb. Of course, I didn't dare say that out loud.

I asked him: "Roman, why'd you dye your hair blond?"

He got defensive: "What do you mean blond? It's gold!"

Me: "Oh, so like a golden retriever..."

"Are you calling me a dog?!"

He shot me a warning glare:

"Asher, you got a death wish today?"

But this time, I wasn't scared.

Spending so much time with him, I realized he was all bark and no bite with me.

One day, I carefully told him:

"Roman, I want to apply to the State Tech University. It's in the suburbs, I'd just have to take two buses to get there."

He shoved a handful of crushed walnuts into my mouth:

"You think a top-tier university is that easy to get into? Better eat up and fix that wooden brain of yours."