2 PM. I had slept a lot. Noel would be here soon, as he always seemed to arrive as soon as I woke up. The fact that there were cameras in the room was obvious, as Noel would arrive with food as soon as I was awake.

“How hard did that maniac work on me?”

Not just my lower back, but my entire waist felt sore. The pain, which I hadn’t noticed at the height of my excitement, came like a tidal wave. I lay there motionless, breathing heavily as the pain settled in.

I decided to stay in this position until Noel arrived.

Who could have washed my body? The idea of that maniac Cane cleaning me up himself didn’t seem likely at all. The thought of Noel doing it was embarrassing enough, but if it had been Theo, I could understand. I found myself hoping desperately that it was Theo.

***

“It was Cane.”

Noel replied with a playful smile when I asked. He didn’t seem at all bothered by what had happened last night. All three of them were incredibly thick-skinned. Of course, with Noel, nothing had gone all the way, so maybe that’s why he acted as if nothing had happened. Either way, Noel had slipped away as soon as I started to get close to him.

“Cane? Seriously?”

I tried hard to deny reality.

“Maybe he felt bad about smashing everything yesterday.”

I joked weakly, forcing an awkward laugh at my unfunny attempt at humour. The idea of Cane carrying me to the bathroom, washing me thoroughly, drying me with a towel and then gently tucking me back into bed was too unbelievable. Was this some new form of torture?

With some effort I managed to sit up, eat the late lunch Noel had brought me and even brush my teeth. Noel had also brewed some peppermint tea, one of my favourites.

“Why did you act like that yesterday?”

As I sipped my tea, I took the initiative to probe Noel’s thoughts.

I had a mission: to subtly win over this sensitive man, just as Theo had described, and make him trust me completely – without him realising my intentions.

“Yesterday?”

Noel feigned ignorance and I put on a deliberately stern expression.

“You mean when you undid my buttons?” he asked, a teasing glint in his eyes.

“Ahem. Yes, that.”

“Why are you asking me? Shouldn’t I be asking you why you did that to me, Yuel?”

Noel laughed sweetly, obviously amused. His expression was truly carefree.

“No, that’s not what I meant… I asked why you ran away.”

At the word ‘ran’, Noel couldn’t hold back his laughter, his voice bright and clear.

For a moment it was as if flowers were blooming around him.

It was always like this – if Theo was like a black panther lurking in the shadows, Noel was like a tree standing serenely in the sunlight. How could such contrasting personalities come from the same person?

“I wasn’t ready.”

He replied lightly, the remnants of his smile still lingering.

“And now? Are you ready?”

I asked boldly, picking up the thread of the conversation.

“…Yuel, you are too forward. I can’t give you what you want,” he said, scratching his forehead, obviously a bit upset.

“I am not doing this because I expect anything from you, Noel.

I had a long talk with Theo yesterday. He’s hurting. He’s putting me in the same position as his mother. I’ve decided to stay by his side, whether as a partner or as his doctor. I think it’s the right thing to do.

My calm tone and clear articulation have always inspired confidence in patients and their families. I had never lied to them. But today was an exception.

“Cane, you and Theo are all part of the same person, aren’t you? I’ve always agreed with that idea. It was Theo who found it hard to accept. Now that he’s changed his mind, I think I should treat you the same way I treat him. Besides… you’ve been a great comfort to me, Noel.

“Well, I see a contradiction in what you’re saying. You say we’re all the same person, but your ultimate goal was for the personalities to merge into one. That’s why you’ve always tried not to treat me as ‘Noel’ in any special way. At least, that’s how it felt to me.

This is why I hate dealing with smart people. And the way he called me ‘Doctor’ had a weight to it that poked at my conscience and made me feel guilty for deceiving him. It was different from the way Cane used the term with his playful, mocking tone.

“Things are different now, Noel. I’ve decided to ‘coexist’ with all of you.”

I said, deliberately using the same word Theo had used yesterday.

Noel was silent for a moment, his gaze deep and thoughtful as he looked at me. But as always, there was a warmth in his eyes that made it less overwhelming.

“You don’t quite understand, Yuel. We are one person, but at the same time, we are three different individuals. Even though we’ve decided to share you and love you together, you must treat us as separate people. Because that’s what we are. I’m not Theo and Theo is not me.

I forced an embarrassed smile. It would be impossible to accept that. Theo and Noel had turned normal logic and norms upside down. If I took Noel’s words at face value, it would mean that I was essentially in a polyandrous relationship.

“If you can fully accept that, then I’ll be able to share love with you.”

“Have you fully accepted this, Noel? What about Theo? And Cane?”

“As I told you yesterday, Theo has redefined his standards. You are one of ‘us’, Yuel.”

I felt like Alice in Wonderland, everything surreal and upside down.

“So that’s why he kidnapped me?”

I murmured, feeling like I’d stumbled upon some strange realisation. Talking to Noel helped me to piece things together.

“…The obsession with his mother is part of it, but after you two split up, Theo spent a lot of time thinking about coexisting with me.”

And he made that decision the wrong way. Noel may be a different person, but they share the same body, and it seems they’ve adjusted their standards to share everything if Noel’s claims are true.

“But you won’t accept that, will you, Yuel?”

“That’s why you brought me here.”

“There are many reasons. It’s complicated.”

I laughed, feeling a little empty.

“You’ve always been complicated.”

I took a deep breath. I wanted Theo and Noel to trust me completely.

“To be honest, the old me wouldn’t have accepted it. But what’s done is done. Cane and Theo have had s*x with me, and they’re two different personalities in the same body. I don’t have the right to argue about the standards Theo has chosen to live by. If that’s what Theo wants, that’s fine. I love all three of you. You’re all fragments of Theo’s mind.”

In truth, it was difficult to love Cane, but I included him to avoid provoking his mischief. Leaving him out would only make it harder to deal with his temper.

‘This was, of course, the opposite of what they believed. But instead of abruptly abandoning my stance, I wanted to show that I still held to my original perspective, while at the same time signaling a willingness to compromise with Theo.’

“Are you serious, Yuel?”

“Absolutely.”

Noel stared at me for a moment before shaking his head.

“You’re saying some dangerous things, Yuel. If Cane or Theo heard that, they’d probably be all over you.”

“That’s a very seductive thing to say, you know. Loving all three of us.”

I didn’t avoid Noel’s gaze. I wondered how he would react if I asked, “And what about you, Noel?”

Instead, I chose a different question.

“Why is that… seductive?”

“Because it acknowledges our existence.”

“You’re pushing this theory about us being fragments of the mind, which is nonsense… but still, saying you love all three of us? There’s something heated about that.”

“And you, Noel? Do you feel that way too?”

I couldn’t hold back and asked the provocative question.

“…Me too.”

Noel responded simply, holding my gaze steadily.

I found myself momentarily averting my eyes from the intense look in his. Even though I had brought this situation upon myself, the idea of being intimate with Noel still felt like crossing an invisible line, like breaking a taboo.

“Ahem, anyway, my point is – don’t run away like you did yesterday. I’ve made up my mind and prepared myself. I’m staying with Theo. I still love him. And… yes, I love you too, Noel”.

As soon as I said it out loud, a strange feeling came over me. Even though I knew my words were meant to move Noel, human emotions are strange. I began to wonder if I somehow loved the other personalities living in Theo’s body.

“There is no hidden agenda here.”

I said firmly, as if to drive the point home. Noel looked at me for a moment, then gently lifted his hand and brushed against my cheek. The warmth of his touch lingered before he pulled away.

“I want to believe you. You’re just too beautiful, Yuel.”

“No, really, it’s not like that!” I insisted, feeling nervous.

Noel’s face drew closer until chu! our lips touched lightly. His soft, moist lips pressed against mine for a brief moment before gently pulling away.

“I understand.”