Blind Spot

By Perrydot

"You know what they say during road safety lectures, when driving next to another vehicle, never stay at their blind spots because no matter how closely you're running next to them, they won't see you.

The same principle could be applied to love.

Blind Spot follows the story of roommates slash best friends, Ju

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ukiyoto Publishing
• Release date: Dec 12, 2022
• ISBN: 9789360497057

Book preview

Blind Spot

Perrydot

Ukiyoto Publishing

All global publishing rights are held by

Ukiyoto Publishing

Published in 2022

Content Copyright © Perrydot

ISBN

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in a retrieval system, in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

The moral rights of the author have been asserted.

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated, without the publisher’s prior consent, in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published.

www.ukiyoto.com

Contents

Brat

Labels, Labels

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

Roses And Thorns

For Better Or Worse

In The Name Of Love

The Morning After

Mutual Misunderstanding

Too Little Too Late

The Blind Spot

Epilogue

About the Author

Brat

Y

ou know what they say during road safety lectures, when driving next to another vehicle, never stay at their blind spots because no matter how closely you’re running next to them, they won’t see you.

The same principle could be applied to love. The person who’s always standing next to you will be the same person who only stays in your blind spot and if they're unlucky, the person they have been pining for would get heartbroken and fall in love on repeat and they would bear witness to it all without ever being the subject of affection.

To others, Justin is like a flashy luxury car which combines functionality and style in one compact body. With his sassy personality, ethereal looks and brains to boot, everyone practically worships him. But to me, he’s just my roommate slash best friend who, like everyone else, has bird’s nest hair and a drool stricken cheek every morning.

Although if I so much as tell another soul, he would probably murder me in my sleep.

Justin is practically a social media star with his 80k followers. Decked up in designer clothes and a freelance model, he’s the poster boy for the beautiful and dirty rich—or at least that’s what his fans assume.

But in reality...

Su-ho, wake up! I’m gonna be late for class; give me a ride. He demands, plopping down on the edge of my bed and ripping off the blanket from over my head.

I feel a sudden chill as the air-conditioning brushes against my bare upper body and I pat around in search of the blanket I lost but Justin slaps my arm, prompting my eyes open as I groan in pain. Just take the bus for god’s sake!

Do you see what I’m wearing? And you want me to take the bus?

I wring my torso to see who he’s wearing today. Alexander McQueen, I see. I bury my head in my pillow even though I know I’m going to get up anyway and I mumble, Breakfast.

By now, Justin’s going through my closet to put an outfit together for me quick and throwing each article at me one by one. I made waffles. You can eat it on the way. He tells me as he grabs a cap for my bedhead that he probably won’t give me time to wash.

He only allowed me leeway to brush my teeth and wash my face besides emptying my bladder. Already on our way to the car and I’m still pulling the teal sweater he picked out over my head—scandalizing the neighbors.

But for Justin and me, it’s nothing new. It may seem like a parasitic relationship but believe me, it’s a balanced symbiosis.

Don’t forget, my research is due next week. I remind him as I start the engine. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not stupid or exceptionally lazy but I’m all about give and take and since Justin is way smarter than me without even trying, he might as well pay me back by raising my gpa.

In return, I serve as his chauffeur and I help maintain his image by taking him to school in my sports car. This, my friends, is the perfect example of mutualism.

I know. I know. He grumbles then tells me, Say ah...

I open my mouth almost systematically and he hand-feeds me a waffle dipped in chocolate. Don’t ghet it on my babhie’s surfaces. I say with a mouthful to which Justin twists his mouth in annoyance. I won’t. You sound like my mom. He retorts.

This is literally us everyday—except on weekends when he actually lets me shower first before taking me places (against my will). We’re never on the same page and always bickering but somehow, we finish each other’s sentences and one can’t do without the other.

And I really wouldn’t have it any other way.

Pulling up in front of his department building, I see a bunch of his friends excitedly rushing over. Justin’s friends with whom he shares the same major are quite the frivolous type and I always worry they’ll scratch my car but what I would hate more than that is to have to exchange pleasantries with them so I just sit back and grit my teeth.

By the way, I have a photoshoot later so I might be about an hour late in picking you up. I tell Justin just as he’s unfastening his seat belt and he then lets me know, Don’t bother today. I have an appointment after class.

I nod my head, not asking questions because I already know what his appointment is—a date. He steps out of the car and circles around the front. Suddenly, it makes sense why he’s looking a little extra today. It looks like he touched up his highlights and is wearing a tad bit more makeup and perfume than usual.

Whatever, I release the handbrake and start to maneuver out of the driveway when Justin comes up to my side of the car and knocks on the window. What is it now?

I begrudgingly lower the window and his friends instantly start squirming and waving at me ‘hello’. I force a smile and just nod to acknowledge them all at once then I turn my attention to Justin who pokes his head in a little and whispers, On second thought, could you...maybe standby for a bit? You know, in case my date turns out to be a weirdo.

I scoff. Then stop using online dating sites. You never learn.

He gives me a stubborn look and hisses, Where else would I find a man in this day and age if not online? Tsk! Just...come by later. Okay?

Why should I when I could just go straight home and relax?

Fine. Go already, I thought you said you were late. I end up saying instead. Now, I know why my friend (singular since I only have one friend besides Justin) says I’m a pushover.

Thanks, Su-ho! I’ll make you French toast tomorrow. He says merrily and runs to his crew. I shake my head, chuckling. The nerve of him to offer toast in exchange of my precious sleep and services yet I didn’t really mind.

I yawn for the nth time as I sit in the waiting room of my friend’s studio. He catches me on his way in and comments, You look a bit tired. Let me guess, took your wife to school again, huh? He barks out a laugh.

I roll my eyes as I’m not in the mood for jokes. Real funny.

But seriously though. He says just a tad bit more seriously. You’re acting like a married couple. Should I start offering my condolences?

I’ve known JP since middle school. We bonded over the fact that we were the only Asian kids in class and were both outcasts but it worked out for the best. He went from being a hobbyist who took my pictures for fun to a professional working in print and media. And me, I turned out tall and quite handsome and you won’t believe how much that changes people’s perspective of you.

If you think about it, our relationship as model and photographer is also mutually beneficial but for some reason, he finds my friendship with Justin questionable and always teases me about it.

It’s for my research paper. I tell him and I don’t know who’s more unconvinced, him or myself. Either way, I get up from the couch lazily and say, Let’s get on with the shoot. I have to be done by four.

Hm? JP quirks an especially bushy brow at me, then a mean smirk forms on his lips. Don’t tell me...you’re on standby for another one of Justin’s dates. And when I don’t respond, he goes, Wow. Just wow. How could Justin go on all of these dates and not once take interest in the guy who waits around to take him away every time his date turns out to be a total catfish? Eh?

I turn my body towards the door. Should I just go? You don’t seem interested in working today. I grit through my clenched smile and to this, JP comes up behind me and massages my shoulders. Alright, alright. Go to wardrobe, hothead. He then pushes me into the dressing room.

At quarter to four, I start feeling restless and not just because I’m utterly exhausted but because the shoot is taking longer than both JP and I anticipated. The client is some major fashion magazine and brought a ton of clothes and concepts, each one of them completely different which meant hours and hours in hair and makeup, countless wardrobe changes and the set requiring multiple transformations.

I’m still in the middle of the shoot at four pm and my phone is somewhere in the dressing room. I sent a message to Justin earlier but I’m not sure if he read it and if he’s currently stuck in a crappy date.

I take a deep breath, trying to relax my facial expression. The sooner I give them the shots they want, the sooner we can get this over with.

At half past six, JP gives me the green light and I rush to my car, still in the outfit I last wore which they told me I can keep along with the rest of my wardrobe for today’s shoot all stashed in paper bags. I throw them in the back before hopping on the driver’s seat and fishing out my phone to check my messages.

I see that they’re marked as read but Justin isn’t replying. With no further ado, I input the address he sent me on the gps and start driving. Given that he’s ignoring my messages, it’s either he’s having the time of his life and can’t be bothered or he’s really, really mad at me right now.

It’s the former.

I park my car outside the restaurant on the side of a sloping road. From a distance, I can see that little brat, who made me rush all the way here, laughing at every single thing his date says and acting demure which he does when he’s attracted to the guy.

I’m honestly pissed, like, couldn’t he have texted me and told me to buzz off? Because of him, I couldn’t even get changed out of this stuffy suit! But then, I lean on the steering wheel and watch him as his eyes practically sparkle and he purses his lips to keep himself from smiling too widely.

It’s been a while since he last looked like that. I chuckle, thinking how silly he’s being but at the same time, it’s not a bad look on him. He may not look it but Justin’s got a lot going on so when I see him smiling genuinely, no matter how much I wanna kill him for my own reasons, I feel glad for him.

Hours later, I hear an irritating thumping noise and as I force my eyes open one after another, I see Justin outside my window. I suddenly sit up straight and automatically open the doors. Justin circles to the other side and gets