The sweaty back of Mok's shirt clung to him, where Kao's arms embraced him, touching Mok's skin, while his ears turned peach.
A deep voice tickled Mok's ear, "Why didn't you even say goodbye before you left?" His hot fingers swept against Mok's neck once again, and it made Mok slightly gasp for breath. "I really missed you when I couldn't see you in my bed—when I didn't hold you anymore." Again, his breath brushed. "Mok..." he called.
"Can you stop running away from me? Or am I going to be just a one-night stand to you?"
Thinking of the words Kao said, it pricked his heart. "One-night stand..." Mok muttered.
He had only agreed to go with Kao yesterday because he didn't want any unnecessary complications between them. Once everything was settled, he had planned to mind his own business and avoid any further involvement with seniors.
But nothing went according to plan. Instead, everything became more complicated.
Mok's expression shifted. Seeing this, Kao couldn't help but call out again, "Mok..."
Startled, Mok's eyes locked with his. "Did you call me?"
Kao nodded, and Mok quietly apologized. But when no other answer came from his side, Kao dropped his head onto that soft white pillow, lessening his warmth and letting Mok go.
"Why aren't you giving me an answer? Am I really just a casual fling to you?" The silence kept tearing at Kao.
Because Kao let him go, Mok got up from the bed and straightened his clothes, staring at the silent senior.
Mok let out a worried breath. "Kao..." his voice was low. "I..." He tried to speak, but before he could continue, the sudden ring of Kao's phone cut between them.
Because of the noise, Kao never heard Mok trying to answer him.
Even so, Kao still asked, "Mok, did you say something?"
Instead of saying yes, Mok just shook his head and gestured for him to attend to the call.
A wave of disappointment caught Kao's face as he drew the phone from his pocket. He hesitated for a moment, glancing down at the flashing screen. Quickly adjusting his clothes, he stood up and looked down at Mok. His dry lips pressed a gentle kiss onto Mok's forehead, offering a reassuring smile that promised he would come back. Then, slipped out into the hallway.
The door shut behind him, the heavy sound heightening Mok's worry. Rooted beside the mattress, he remained there, still holding the tube of cream he had wanted to apply to Kao.
A faint smile bloomed on his lips as his gaze lingered on the soothing balm. "In the end, I still chose to run away...But why is he trying so hard? Always forcing my attention onto him, desperately attempting to make me smile, talking nonstop. It's always me... Mok... Mok... Mok... I'm even getting tired of hearing my own name."
Mok's eyes drifted to the entrance. "Did you really think I wouldn't notice? Kao, you faked that smile." Staring blankly at the door, he whispered into the empty room, "You're okay, right?"
***
Kao stood outside, like a cold stone.
The device was still buzzing against his palm because he had pushed the volume button to mute it.
Eyeing the closed door, he stepped away.
From the receiver, a commanding voice echoed—heavy with age and deep resentment.
"Why didn't you come to the family gathering? Do you know how many people wanted to meet you?"
When Kao didn't respond, the old man became furious. From the other side of the line, the sharp crash of something hitting the floor startled Kao.
"Don't forget. Without me, you're nothing."
Kao retreated even farther from the room. Skirting past the doors, he walked to the very edge of the corridor, where he could see the busy road and people below. His eyes traced the rolling clouds as he blinked against the bright daylight. He had always preferred the night over the day.
"Kaopun... Kaopun..." The old man spat his name again and again.
The sound made Kao clutch his chest, a burning ache throbbing inside him before he replied."Don't call me that... Chairman."
A cruel laugh echoed through the line, but Kao didn't back down."I don't want to hear you call me that anymore."The words nearly escaped him, but he swallowed them back to keep from completely losing his temper.
The harsh voice paused before turning freezing cold.
"Why aren't you calling me Father? Do you know how many eyes are on you, Kaopun? Do you want to ruin my reputation? My fame? I know you, you ungrateful brat. You are always trying to destroy it. Perhaps you've forgotten, so I will refresh your memory. It's all your fault, Kaopun... it's always been you. I will make sure you never forget that."
After clearing his throat, the man continued, "Well, there is someone who wants to meet you. Her family is our key investor. Meet her. Fulfill your duty as my son—that is the only reason you are alive."
Kao's gaze went completely hollow as he listened. He failed to suppress the heavy truth he desperately tried to escape; once more, the ghost of that memory resurfaced, forcing its way back into his mind.
"So I need to meet her?" Kao's voice cracked. Recognizing this as his only temporary escape, he asked for the girl's details.
At the exact moment he spoke about her, he peered over his shoulder. The corridor remained vacant—not even the sound of a breeze stirred the air—yet he was certain he had heard something shift behind him. Shaking it off, he focused back on the line.
"But there is a final condition," Kao stated, the exhaustion bleeding through.
"I don't want to do this anymore. Dressing up, forcing a fake smile, and answering everything like a robot... I'm done. So don't call me for any more of your gatherings."
It sounded far more like a desperate plea than a firm demand.
"You—" Contempt dripped from his father's tongue as his anger flared.
But Kao ended the call before the old man could unleash his fury.
Leaning his head back against the solid wall, he stared into space, wondering...How many times had his father tried to matchmake him? First it had been men. Now it was women.
Touching his chest, Kao traced at the burning ache still tightening under his skin. He lingered there for a long moment, forcing himself to compose his features before heading back toward Mok's dorm room.
Kao entered the room, closing the door softly behind him.
Mok was standing in front of his open shelf, acting like he was busy folding clothes.
Kao stopped at the doorway, his eyes fixed on him. "Is he pouting? Adorable." He stayed still for a moment, just watching him.
May had always teased Artit, asking why he didn't try to get closer to the one he loved. Whenever she did, Artit would simply reply, "I only want to look at him from a distance. That's enough."
Back then, Kao never understood those words. He had never wanted to love anyone. But now, everything he used to avoid was rushing back into his life.
Quietly, Kao slid his arms around Mok from behind. I will protect him... he thought.
He pressed his lips to the back of Mok's neck. His mouth trailed along his skin as he gently pulled Mok closer.
Moving from the back of the neck to his shoulder, Kao left wet kisses against Mok's skin. But Mok's fists were tightly squeezing his own clothes.
Kao leaned in close, trying to reach his lips. But before he could, Mok raised a hand and firmly covered Kao's mouth."Get out."
Feeling like he had misheard, Kao blinked. "What?"
"Didn't you hear me?" Mok pushed Kao back. Completely ignoring him, he stepped over to the bed and picked up the tube of soothing cream. Walking right back up to Kao, his voice grew sharper. "Get out. Didn't you already get what you wanted?"
"Mok... Is it because I kissed you without your permission?"
"I don't want to explain. Get out."
Kao's face fell, but Mok refused to meet his eyes. Silently, Kao took the soothing balm with shaking fingers. After putting his shoes back on, he opened the door.
Before leaving, he looked back one last time. His voice shook slightly as he called out, "Mok..."
But Mok kept his back turned. Without another word, Kao left.
Once he was alone, Mok walked over to the bed.
He dropped onto the mattress, his fingers dragging across the white pillow Kao had just used.
Staring at it, his mind raced.
Right after Kao had stepped out to answer the call, Mok couldn't help but feel uneasy, so he had gone to check on him quietly. That was when he overheard part of the conversation outside—it sounded like Kao was planning a blind date.
Unable to listen to any more, Mok hurried back into the room.
Now— he couldn't calm down. His eyes were already red as he buried his face in the pillow.
His voice grew tight. "This is the worst."
"Again... I've ended up being used. He's just like the others. For a moment, I almost said I missed him. I almost apologized for running away."
"You jerk..." Mok quickly wiped his tears and gripped his chest.
"You're the worst, Kao." Mok curled up on the blanket, shutting out everything around him.
Outside, the clouds grew dark, and the stars looked scattered across the sky.
Meanwhile, inside the bustling, crowded Paradox Bar, golden lights hung from the ceiling. Downstairs in the main office, Oat was busy working on the bar accounts.
Upstairs on the private balcony—their group's special spot—Kao sat looking up at the night sky. His mood was terrible. His fingers kept tapping his phone screen, calling Mok again and again.With a heavy sigh, he finally turned the screen off.
Artit was right there beside him, completely buried in his own files.
A short while later, May joined them. She was as bright as the sun, even at this late hour.
"Wow... what's this? Our group chat is dead today," May noted. "Only a few messages? Like... mmh..."
"May, don't. Not today," Kao interrupted. "I'm not in the mood."
"Oh? Why, Kao? Why is my puppy acting like this?" Her playful prodding immediately got on his nerves.
A moment later, Oat came upstairs with an exhausted sigh.
"My God, what's wrong with my friends? One isn't talking at all, the other's battery is totally dead, and this one is just trapped in his paperwork."
Just like that, May kept joking around while Artit ignored the chaos. Both Kao and Oat became her easy targets.
Outside, the darkness grew even deeper.
Under the dim indoor lights, Artit held a mop while Oat carried a broom.
Except for May, everyone had left the main floor.
Bua had called May over earlier. After meeting Toffee and wandering around the booths, May had bought a few things but accidentally left them behind, so Bua contacted her to return them.
The bar had closed earlier than usual that day because they were celebrating the birthday of one of their staff members. The boys were cleaning up the space after sending the rest of the team home early.
"Oat, where's Kao?"
"Oh, he went to throw out the garbage," Oat replied. "Why?"
"No reason. Just asking."
"What about you? Did you confess to Toffee?"
Instead of answering, Artit just smirked.The two continued teasing each other as they worked.
The two were still talking when—
Clank!
A loud noise shattered the quiet from behind the kitchen. Hearing it, both rushed toward the sound. Only Kao was back there.
They called out to him together. "Kao!" "Kao!"
As soon as they rounded the corner, both froze.
"Oat, call Nut," Artit commanded. He lightly smacked Oat's back. "Oat, snap out of it!"
Shaking, Oat stumbled backward and sprinted off to get his phone.
Artit remained exactly where he was, panic rising inside him as he tried to figure out what to do.
On his knees, Kao was slumped on the cold floor. A knife was resting against his neck. There was no light left in his eyes, looking as if he had already had enough of everything.
"Kao, relax. Give me the knife," Artit said, carefully moving closer.
Kao didn't hear him. His hands were still trembling with fear, and tears fell silently down his face.
"Kao, we're here," Artit said gently. "Give me the knife."
Then, Kao's gaze landed on Artit. A smile appeared through his tears. With an exhausted whisper, Kao let out, "I... am... tired..."
"I know," Artit replied, making his tone even softer as he took another step forward. "Just give me the knife. You forgot what you promised me."
It seemed the word "Promise..." pulled Kao back to reality.The short kitchen knife thudded to the floor.
Artit came right up to him, extending his hand to help him. "You're okay, Kao. Relax... relax..."
After a while...
They settled Kao onto a bed in their private room.
Artit turned, "Oat, can you stay here? I need to step outside for a moment."
"Mmh," Oat nodded.
Artit tapped a comforting hand on his shoulder, telling him to try and stop his legs from trembling.
Outside the bar, a shadow was already waiting for him.
As Artit approached the figure, the mysterious person handed him a stack of papers. The moment he saw the documents, his expression filled with anger.
***
That night, the moon shone unusually bright.
Someone else was admiring it too—May and Bua.
"Isn't it beautiful?"
Bua looked over at May, smiling before she replied, "It really is."
After spending some time together, May finally headed home, making sure Bua was safely back in her dorm first.
Click!
The door opened, and May stepped inside her apartment carrying several shopping bags. She placed them onto the couch before dropping down beside them with an exhausted sigh.
Even so, a happy smile stayed on her face. Today felt like the best day ever. Thinking back on everything that had happened, she decided to take a shower and walked into her bedroom.
Before entering the bathroom, her eyes landed on a small black toy bear sitting on a glass shelf.
A soft smile touched her lips. She picked it up carefully to fix its little ribbon."Did you know?" she whispered to the toy. "I met someone today."
She lightly pinched the bear's round nose. "She is cute... just like you."
Setting it down, she finally went to take her shower, and the sound of her singing soon echoed through the bedroom.
That night, the moon felt warmer, filled with a sweet longing.