"What happened?"
The sudden disappearance of Kao had turned everything into total chaos.
In the private dining area, Ria's father poured wine into his and Napat's empty glasses. The faint aroma of wine filled the room. With a whisper, Ria's father continued, "If the engagement between them doesn't happen,
your dream project will be put on hold as well."
"Napat," he called out in a serious tone. "I'm not at the bottom. I'm standing right here as your equal. On the other hand... look at yourself."
A waiter, who stepped over to serve another exquisite dish, was halted by a gesture from Ria's father. "We don't need anything," he sneered, waving the waiter away. Lowering his head closer to where Napat sat, he added, "Your party failed, and so did your business. I don't know what kind of bad luck follows you, but for four years now, you've been going..."
He dropped his fork onto the table.
Clank!
"...like this."
The conversation was not going as Napat had planned. On top of that, he was being looked down upon by someone he considered a leech—a man who used to beg in front of him.
Outside, Ria was texting on her phone. Biting her nails in anxiety, she stood rooted to the spot, cursing Kao under her breath.
"So my brother really said he doesn't like you? Oh, what a bummer you are."
"What do you want?" Ria spun around to face Alisa, looking as if she wanted to strangle her.
"I did just as you said. I took photos, uploaded them, and hired someone..."
"Shh!" Ria grabbed Alisa's dress, pulling her close. "You didn't take those photos yourself, so why act like you did?"
"You're right, I didn't. I just hired someone to do it. But you know, the money you gave me isn't nearly enough."
Alisa smirked.
"Besides, I think my brother left because of his boyfriend... No, wait. You're the one who pushed him to it—like that accident you planned today."
Clicking her tongue in annoyance, Alisa stepped back and turned to walk away. "Just give me the money if you don't want me telling everyone what else you've done."
"Shit... curse you!" Ria bit until her index finger bled. "That Mok... I should have just killed him. That's right. If he's gone, there's no way Kao will go anywhere."
She let out a bitter laugh. "Hah... haha... Ria, you're a genius... haha..."
As the night grew heavier, the atmosphere both inside the dining room and outside remained tense and suffocating.
...
"Ahh! Don't, Phayu! It hurts!"
"Oh, hey, Mok. Why didn't you listen to me?"
"What did I do? How could I know the car was speeding like that?"
In the emergency ward, curtains were drawn around the bed where Mok lay. One by one, his friends took turns interrogating him. This was already the fifth time Phayu had stepped inside to badger him.
"Lamon said he's not going to talk to you," Phayu grumbled. "Ha... Oh man, you are so done."
Mok suddenly scanned the area.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm looking for something to throw at you."
"Damn... Y-You! Fine, I'm leaving."
"Go, and don't come back in," Mok scoffed, brushing him off.
Phayu pressed his palms together in a dramatic mock prayer. "May heaven grant me peace."
Just a minute after Phayu left, another figure pushed the curtain aside.
Annoyed, Mok shouted without looking up, "Just leave me alone!"
The figure froze.
"K-Kao...? No... I didn't mean it! I didn't know it was you... I thought it was Phayu, so... No... Kao..."
Kao drew him into a tight hug.
Everything happened so fast, but Mok could feel Kao's rapid breathing, racing heart, and trembling hands. Even after seeing that Mok was safe, Kao couldn't calm down.
Mok only had a minor wrist fracture and was waiting to finish his IV drip. The doctor told him to rest for at least two hours, which was the only reason he was still lying there.
"Kao... were you worried about me?"
No response came. It wasn't that Kao was being stubborn or angry, but the words simply wouldn't come out.
"D-Don't worry, it's just a minor fracture..."
Kao checked Mok's bandaged arm. Unlike his usual talkative self, he didn't utter a word. He simply offered a quiet smile and hugged him again.
'Sorry...'
He didn't have the courage to say it out loud. Without another word, he walked straight out of the ward.
"Kao!" Mok called after him.
"Kao..."
But Kao didn't even glance back.
After the IV was finished and Mok had rested, he and his friends headed back to their dorm.
...
Inside Artit's car, Mok remained silent while the two chatterboxes, Phayu and Lamon, placed bets on random things. As usual, the loser had to buy food.
"Mok..." Artit was the only one who noticed Mok's grim expression through the rearview mirror.
"Did Kao scold you?"
If Kao had scolded him, Mok would have felt better. But nothing like that happened. Kao hadn't said a single word, nor had he bothered to drive Mok back to the dorm. It was completely unlike the Kao he knew.
"No..." Mok replied softly.
From the passenger seat, Toffee said reassuringly, "He must have been really scared."
"Don't worry, he'll call you. Also, it's not safe for the four of you to wander around alone right now. Call one of us or Nut whenever you need to go somewhere."
"Khap, P'Artit."
Mok gripped the back of Toffee's seat.
"... Did something happen with Kao's family?"
"That... I'm sorry..."
"Hia..."
"I can't tell you, Mok. I'm sorry." Artit gulped hard, and heavy silence swallowed the car once again.
By the time they reached the building, the dorm auntie was waiting outside anxiously. After checking that Mok was alright, the four boys said goodbye to Artit and went inside.
...
Cling! The elevator doors slid open, spilling flickering light down the hallway. Even as they stepped out, the rest of the corridor remained unusually dark. Lamon ran ahead toward their room to unlock the door.
"Ahhh!" he screamed, stumbling backward.
Thud!
"Lamon!" The group sprinted toward him.
"What's wrong?"
Lamon's shaking finger pointed toward their door.
"Damn it!" Toffee and Phayu yelled.
Mok stood there in disbelief. Their loud shouts woke up nearly the whole floor, throwing the hallway into a total uproar.
"Guys, we don't even know who did this yet..."
"This is why we need CCTV on every floor!"
In every corner, students were on their phones sharing the news, taking photos, making guesses, and playing detective.
At first glance, the mess on the door looked like blood. Red paint was splattered over the photos of Kao and Mok glued to the door, with a hateful message written directly across it.
'Die, You Bitch... See You In Hell.'
Neighbors and fellow students stepped in to help them scrub the mess.
"It's not coming off..." Toffee groaned.
The dorm auntie gently patted Mok's shoulder.
"Toffee, leave it for now. I'll call someone to repaint the door tomorrow."
"Hey, Mok, don't worry. If it's someone from our building, we'll find them." one of the neighbours said.
"Mmh," Mok hummed, forcing a small smile.
But all four of them felt uneasy about going inside the room tonight.
"Auntie, can we stay outside for tonight?"
"Of course, dear. Just don't miss your classes tomorrow."
"Khap..." They pressed their palms together in a respectful wai and bowed.
Toffee and Phayu quickly went to pack clothes for the night, while Lamon and Mok waited in the hallway.
"Alright, everyone get back inside," the auntie called out to the crowd. "Don't you all have classes tomorrow morning?"
"Mine starts in the afternoon!" someone shouted back.
"No excuses, go back to sleep, kids!"
"Aww, Auntie..."
"Inside, now!"
...
Click! Clack!
Mok entered the condo.
Kao placed Mok's bag in the bedroom before heading into the bathroom to get everything ready. He checked that the floor wasn't slippery, neatly arranged Mok's clothes, and unbuttoned Mok's pajama top so he wouldn't have to strain his injured hand. He then tested the hot water and set out the hairdryer so Mok could dry his hair easily.
"Ah!" Mok winced as his head bumped into Kao's.
"Mok..." Kao muttered, avoiding eye contact.
"Why are you acting like this? Aren't you going to ask me anything, Kao?"
Everything had been fine before Kao visited his family. Mok couldn't understand if he was the problem or if he was causing trouble for Kao.
"What are you talking about?" Brushing the topic aside, Kao gestured toward the bathroom.
"Go take a shower."
"How can I shower by myself?" Mok complained, lifting his bandaged arm.
When the car had almost hit him, he instinctively reacted and protected his body, leaving his arm as the only part that got hurt. Otherwise, it would have been much worse.
"I'm a little busy right now, I..."
Slam!
The bathroom door shut with a heavy bang.
He angrily yanked at his uniform shirt before striking the edge of the sink with his uninjured hand.
"Bastard... Bastard..." Mok muttered under his breath, unable to stop the tears.
"Bastard... I hate you..."
Kao leaned his head against the door, listening. He stayed there just to hear Mok's voice, but the broken sound of it almost made him step out of the room.
"I hate you... Kao..."
'Sorry.'
...
Later that night, Kao was nowhere to be seen in the condo.
Mok lay alone in bed, unable to sleep. He had forgotten his pain medication, and the ache in his bandaged arm kept him awake.
Sitting up, he checked his phone—it was 3:54 AM. Dark circles framed his swollen, tear-stained eyes. The stillness of the apartment felt suffocating. When he had asked about Noi earlier, Kao hadn't given him a clear answer. Unable to figure out what was happening, Mok got up to get a glass of water, but his trembling fingers slipped, dropping the cup onto the floor.
Ding-dong!
The doorbell rang, startling him.
'Who could that be at this hour?'
Kao had his own key, and his friends were already asleep after calling to check on him.
Remembering P'Artit's strict warning not to go anywhere alone, Mok grabbed a small kitchen knife and cautiously approached the door.
"Who is it?" Mok asked through the door.
"Sawasdee khap..." a soft, sweet voice replied from outside.
Bark!
"Noi!"
At the sound of the bark, Mok threw the knife aside and opened the door. The little pup leaped into his arms.
"Noi! Where have you been?" Mok hugged the pup.
"Who are you? Why do you have Noi?"
The young boy with the sweet voice hesitated slightly. "I'm Max, khap... P'Kao... he left Noi with me... I'm going now, khap!" (Max- from chapter 1)
Before Mok could ask anything else, the boy turned and hurried toward the elevator just as the hallway lights flickered out.
Mok held Noi close, gazing down at the pup.
"He was really handsome, wasn't he, Noi?"
Woof!
Noi gave a soft whimper, nuzzling into Mok's chest, comforted by familiar scent. He locked the door, relieved that he wasn't alone anymore.
Carrying the pup into the bedroom, Mok sank back onto the mattress.
"Let me get some rest now..."
Woof!
Mok smiled faintly. "You agree, huh?"