**Chapter 4: Adapt's Hidden Feelings**

As Adapt continued to tease Jason, his playful demeanor started to slip. He was trying to keep his emotions in check, but it was getting harder by the minute. He hit Jason with the exercise ball again, but this time, his voice cracked as he said, "Come on, Jason, don't be like that." Jason flinched, looking up at Adapt with a mixture of annoyance and concern. Arky, still filming, captured the moment as Adapt's face twisted into a mixture of frustration and vulnerability. For a brief moment, Adapt's mask slipped, and Jason saw a glimpse of something more. It was a look of deep concern, of genuine care, and it took Jason aback. Silky and Ronaldo exchanged a concerned glance, sensing that something was off. Silky leaned in closer to Jason, her hand still on his shoulder. "Hey, Jason, it's okay," she said softly. "We're here for you." Ronaldo nodded in agreement, his eyes locked on Jason's face. But Adapt's attention was still fixed on Jason, his eyes burning with an intensity that made Jason feel uneasy. Adapt's voice was shaking as he said, "I'm just trying to make you feel better, Jason. You're always so down, and it kills me." He paused, his eyes welling up with emotion. "I just want to see you happy, that's all." Jason looked up at Adapt, surprised by the depth of emotion in his voice. He felt a pang of confusion, unsure of how to react. Part of him wanted to brush it off, to tell Adapt to stop being so dramatic. But another part of him, a part that he couldn't quite explain, felt a flutter in his chest. Arky, still filming, seemed to sense the tension in the room. He zoomed in on Adapt's face, capturing the raw emotion that was playing across his features. Adapt's eyes were red-rimmed, and his voice was shaking as he tried to keep his emotions in check. "Adapt, dude, chill out," Arky said, trying to lighten the mood. But Adapt just shook his head, his eyes never leaving Jason's face. "I'm fine, Arky," Adapt said, his voice cracking. "I just... I care about Jason, okay? I don't want to see him like this." He paused, his chest heaving with emotion. "I feel like I'm losing him, and I don't know how to stop it." The room fell silent, the only sound the quiet hum of the camera and the soft music playing in the background. Jason looked up at Adapt, his heart racing with surprise. He had never seen Adapt like this before, so raw and emotional. For a moment, it seemed like Adapt was going to say something more, to reveal something that he had been keeping hidden. But then, he seemed to snap back into himself, his mask slipping back into place. He grinned, trying to play it off like nothing had happened. "Lighten up, Jason," Adapt said, hitting him with the exercise ball again. But this time, it wasn't funny. Jason just looked up at him, his heart pounding with confusion and curiosity. What was Adapt trying to say? And why was he feeling this way? Jason couldn't shake the feeling that something had just shifted between them, something that he couldn't quite explain. He looked up at Adapt, searching for answers, but all he saw was a mask of playful teasing, hiding something much deeper.