The leather jacket cradled the small figure, its lining as soft as cotton.
Though terrified, it lacked the strength to bark against the biting cold.
Golden fur drenched, the shivering pup stared up at Kao with big, round eyes.
Holding him close, Kao walked back toward his car. He never noticed the name tag buried in the muddy grass where he had found the puppy.
Golden headlights shone through the dark rain. In the quiet, even a whisper would sound loud.
The little one had already fallen asleep, nestling close to his scent.
Turning the steering wheel, Kao drove into the open parking area of a modest two-story building.
With every window lit up, Kao quickly hid the tiny creature from the rain, hearing just a final, faint whimper.
The automatic glass doors slid open, and Kao glanced at the reception desk.
The space was empty.
He lightly tapped the tiled counter. A young man rushed out from the back room, panting slightly as he bowed.
"Sawasdee khrap..."
Surprised, Kao returned the greeting.
Without a word, he opened his arms to reveal his find.
That single look was all it took.
The receptionist rushed inside for a thermometer. After confirming the pup didn't have a fever, he asked Kao to wait.
Taking a seat in a black chair, Kao used his jacket to carefully dry the pup. The young man bent down for a quick pet before going back to his cleaning.
"You know how to take care of them," he remarked, resting his hands on the mop. "Do you have a dog?"
"I do," Kao replied, lowering his eyes.
"Are you okay? Let me get you something warm to drink."
"Wait... I don't—" Before Kao could finish, the worker had already disappeared.
Thinking the staff member was a bit eccentric, Kao took out his phone and dialed a familiar number. The call was answered before it could even ring three times.
"Hello... Phi..."
"Hello..?"
Mok checked his screen, wondering if there was a signal problem. Even with the heavy rain, the connection was surprisingly clear.
"Why wasn't Kao speaking?"
Mumbling to himself, Mok locked his eyes on the bed.
Earlier, after returning to his dorm, a sudden noise had made him freeze before darting inside. What happened next was known only to him.
He had entered the pitch-black room.
Light from the hallway spilled inside for only a few seconds.
The bathroom door was half open, and the sound of a flushing toilet echoed faintly.
When the door finally swung open, a stranger emerged.
"Sawasdee khrap..."
"Ahhhh—!"
The scream startled even the warden downstairs. In a blind panic, Mok accidentally threw a punch.
The poor guy dropped straight down.
Pointing a trembling finger, Mok stood glued to the spot, completely bewildered by what had just happened.
Minutes ticked by.
A key clicked in the lock.
The room brightened as Lamon walked inside.
Blinking several times, he looked back and forth between Mok and the tied-up captive.
"He's breathing. I checked," Mok muttered.
Lamon let out a relieved sigh. He quickly explained that this was a friend who was having trouble at his own dorm and had begged to use their restroom.
Mok simply nodded, his face still blank.
Bypassing the duo, Lamon made his way to the couch to open his meal.
Soon, the only sounds were his loud chewing and swallowing.
Breaking the silence, Mok focused on his roommate. "Lamon... are you really eating in a situation like this?"
After taking a sip of water, Lamon replied, "I'll die if I don't. Want some? It's tasty."
Unmoved, Mok couldn't look away from the unconscious guy.
Snore... Snore...
"...Now I'm hungry."
They both ate together, though Lamon swallowed his portions at a much quicker pace.
"Mok... the tiles are cold."
Mok, who had just lifted another mouthful, paused mid-air. Ignoring the remark, he kept chewing.
"Mok... the tiles are hard."
This time, Mok slowly lowered his spoon.
Lamon only shrugged.
Mok seized the ankles while Lamon handled the shoulders.
Under the heavy strain, they finally managed to dump him onto the sheets. Both wiped the sweat from their skin, feeling as though they had climbed an entire mountain.
Soon, the only noise was the scraping of their plates once more.
"Auntie Ja's dishes are so good. I want to go there again," Lamon said, patting his full stomach. "Mok... when will he come back? I really miss Toffee."
Mok tilted his head. "Who knew?"
After cleaning the containers Rak had given them, Mok began tidying up.
Within minutes, the place was spotless.
Lamon mopped the floor while Mok handled everything else.
Neither of them noticed how dark it had become outside.
"Mok! It's raining! Close the windows! The room will flood!"
Hearing Lamon's shout from the bathroom, Mok hurried over to shut them.
Finally sinking into the couch, he leaned his head against the cushion, waiting with his phone in hand.
The call didn't even ring twice before he picked up.
"Phi... Phi Kao..." Mok spoke as quietly as possible. "Why didn't you call me? Haven't you gotten to the condo?"
"No..." Kao's distant voice came through, accompanied by the faint squeak of shoes against clean tiles.
Mok cut the call right away and started a video call instead. Confused by the sudden disconnect, Kao accepted the incoming video request.
"Mok... Hi..." His soaked hair and awkward smile told Mok he was already in trouble.
"Kao... where are you? Tell me."
The phone shook slightly.
"Okay... I'll explain."
"You'd better."
"The thing is..." Kao confessed everything, describing how he found the pup. "Look... at this little one."
Lifting a corner of the jacket, he showed the pup sleeping soundly. "You don't like him?"
"Can I be honest?"
"You can."
"I've never really been fond of animals."
Noticing Mok's worried face, Kao smiled.
"It's okay. You don't have to like them. Besides, I wasn't planning to adopt him."
Only the rain broke the silence.
"Excuse me... Here. Please drink this. It's herbal tea."
"Thank you."
Kao accepted the cup from the employee.
He blew lightly to cool it and swallowed a small amount before putting his phone away. With the pup's eyes still closed, his fingers delicately brushed its tiny head.
"You're getting warmer..."
"Are you the one who brought him here?"
The gentle voice had a soothing quality that could put anyone at ease. Holding a hand against her lower spine, the veterinarian gave a friendly nod.
Her shoulder-length hair framed her face, and her large belly drew Kao's gaze.
"No need to worry," she noted. "I still have plenty of time before my due date. My belly is just a little big. Come with me."
Kao followed her through the small lobby into the examination room, where she examined the pup's teeth, nails, and body.
"He must have belonged to someone before. But these wounds..." Her fingers touched the marks. "...he was most likely abused."
"Wounds...? You mean..."
"Yes. He's a really strong one... but he's exhausted." Snapping off her gloves, she continued her checkup before preparing an IV.
"For now, all he needs is this IV. Once it's done, he's good to go."
She faced Kao. "Are you planning to adopt him?"
Kao lowered his chin.
"If not, I can place him on our adoption list."
As she extended her hand toward the jacket, Kao held out a palm to halt her. "Let's keep it on him until it's done."
The doctor nodded in understanding.
Returning to the lobby, Kao stood there for a few moments before taking a seat.
The rain had finally eased, leaving only a damp mess behind. Parents often told their children that rain never truly disappeared—it only stalled for a while before blowing somewhere else, just like the wind.
"Kao..."
Kao turned around.
There was Mok, his hair a total mess. He had thrown on a random shirt without looking and left his glasses behind.
"Mok..."
He froze.
All the confidence that brought him to the clinic was gone.
"What are you doing here? How did you know?"
Fixing his eyes on the clinic sign behind the chairs, Mok stayed still. Kao walked up to him until they met right in the middle of the entrance.
"I..." Mok's words faded. "I... came to see that one. I mean... I..."
Taking his cold hand, Kao guided him inside.
Entering the room, Mok right away spotted the pup lying on the large table. "Cute... Why is the needle so big?"
"He has a few wounds, so they gave him an injection and an IV."
The door slid open once more.
"I'll need your signature so I can put him on the adoption list."
The doctor then faced Mok. "And who are you?"
"I..." He swallowed hard. "I'm... his partner."
"Oh..." The doctor grinned, glancing back at Kao. "So that's why he was hesitant to adopt him," she muttered softly.
As Mok and the doctor continued talking, Kao stood in a daze. His mind replayed only one sentence: His partner.
Mok tapped his shoulder. "Kao... Kao..."
When that didn't work, Mok covered one ear and shouted, "Kao!"
Kao jumped, his ears ringing. "Did you call me?"
"No, my ghost did," Mok almost barked at him.
"The treatment is done," the doctor said with a laugh. "You can take him home now."
"Home... what home?" Kao's focus snapped to Mok, who was clearing his throat.
"Kao... don't make me hit you." Pouting, Kao clung tightly to Mok's arm.
Mok nudged him away. "You're worse than a kid."
Mok lifted the pup. The doctor mentioned they would need to return for a check-up, while Kao finished up the remaining paperwork.
Soon, his arms were full of pet supplies bought straight from the clinic.
"Kao, I'll take mine and..."
Beside his car, Kao noted the time before apologizing. "I have to go to K9."
Mok simply hummed, accepting the keys to Kao's condo before catching him off guard with a quick kiss.
"See you at home."
Waving one last time, Mok headed toward his car. The moment he disappeared, Kao collapsed onto the ground, totally spacing out.
"They're both so cute..."
Meanwhile, he had completely forgotten about K9.
Samy had been waiting for what felt like an eternity.
Kao knew he had to go, but he couldn't seem to pull himself away.