The morning was placid. Unlike the usual rush, there wasn't much of a crowd today. Even though lines had formed, the hospital felt unusually calm.
Two pairs of shoes hurried into the room.
The scent of medicine pricked their noses. It carried a sweetness unlike the harsh odor they avoided outside.
"Please sit here... The doctor will be here shortly."
"... Khap..." Mok clasped his hands together and smiled at the nurse. Her small nose and bright eyes fit her round face perfectly, making her face seem brighter.
"She knows you?" Kao asked doubtfully.
"Mmh... Our family hospital wasn't this big or famous when it first opened. Her parents worked for my family, and she actually looked after me when I was a kid."
Pain filled Mok's voice.
Kao reached out and held his hand, tilting his head. "You don't need to speak about it if you don't want to."
Mok placed his other palm over Kao's, offering a reassuring squeeze. "It's not that bad, Kao... Thinking back, I realize I'm blessed. Lucky, too. I've never truly been alone."
His lips curved into a relieved smile. "I'll tell you everything..."
When those words reached Kao's ears, their gazes locked. 'You don't need to... just being with me is enough,' Kao thought.
He leaned closer, drawn to Mok like a magnet. He hesitated for a brief moment but could not help himself. Those dry lips made him completely lose his sanity.
Their breaths mingled with the sweet scent.
Clank!
The heavy door was pulled shut.
The room was designed with extra security because some patients could become aggressive. Startled, Kao flinched, hitting his hand against the edge of the table.
"Phi..."
"It hurts..."
"Let me see." Mok carefully examined the small red bump forming at the edge of Kao's right palm. He rubbed the bruised skin gently, trying to soothe the pain.
"Mmh!" Clearing his throat loudly, Mok's uncle stepped inside, interrupting a scene straight out of a romantic movie. The sight of the two lovebirds made his chest throb with irritation. His dramatic cough seemed to scream: 'Stop it. Hands off my dear boy.'
With a forced smile, he walked past them and sat down at the desk. He picked up a pill from the table and swallowed it like candy.
Mok's eyes narrowed.
"Those are diabetes pills." His uncle paused, then proudly asked, "Are you finally showing some worry for your dear uncle?"
"No."
That single word struck the older man straight in the heart.
"Hah..." Kao almost burst out laughing.
"Let me ask you again, dear..."
"No."
It felt like a verbal slap to the stomach.
Annoyed, Mok brought his sweaty hand down onto the desk.
"Uncle... Don't embarrass me."
Kao hid his laughter. No matter how funny it was, he had to control himself. Otherwise, who knew which of them would end up on the floor tonight?
"Okay... I give up. What did I do? I raised you into a fine man... only to get treated like this..." Seeing the look on Mok's face gave him a scare. He quickly stopped his dramatic act.
He pressed a button under the table. The nurse who had smiled at them earlier returned. She moved over to Kao and guided him toward a side door.
"Wait..." Mok called out.
Forgetting everyone else in the room, he slipped off his glasses. The white light shone in his beautiful eyes as he leaned closer to Kao's face. His eyes told Kao everything without a single word: 'You will be me today, and I will be you today... So be strong.'
He moved back.
Without his glasses, he revealed far more than his tongue ever could, worry filled his eyes as he watched his partner stand at the door.
The door shut behind them.
"Mok..." his uncle spoke in an attentive tone. "Don't worry. Trust us."
Mok kept his head down, not moving until his uncle led him into the next room.
"You can stay here. Look, there are so many books. I'm leaving now, dear..." The older man stopped at the doorway. "Oh, I almost forgot. Mok, I already bought your favorite food. Eat it."
With that, he disappeared through the connecting door.
Rubbing his tired eyes, Mok settled onto the small bed, his mind drifting elsewhere.
His attention was caught by a photo frame on the shelf.
It was a family photo from when he was ten. Mok felt silly looking at it, remembering how his sisters and cousins had enjoyed dressing him up as a girl.
'Why is he still keeping this...?'
To Mok, his uncle was like a second father. He could be more honest with him than with his own father. That was the only reason he had called him and come here today. They were family, after all.
...
The door opened, and Kao walked inside.
Through the big windows, he could see buildings of all sizes. Under the sun, the glass reflected the light so strongly that it was hard to stare for long.
It wasn't a peaceful view filled with greenery, but rather a bustling cityscape—a place that was sad for some and happy for others.
He backed away from the glass and blinked twice to clear his vision.
"Sit here, please..."
Kao sat in a large chair twice his size that adjusted with a remote, giving his long legs plenty of room. When the nurse asked him to take off his shoes, he felt awkward letting her see his socks as he straightened his legs.
Noticing how flustered the young man was, she stepped outside to give him space, telling him to relax.
Near a small table, there was a bottle of water.
Even the chair was designed carefully so it wouldn't hurt a patient if it moved or hit something. There were no curtains, only automatic glass windows that could close for privacy.
"Are you worried?"
Kao spun around when he heard a voice behind him. Mok's uncle had entered through another door. "It's because of the visitors who come here," he explained gently. "Some of them can become violent."
"Can we start?"
The playful attitude was gone. Now, he was entirely professional, his voice serious and quiet.
He lowered the chair into a bed and sat beside Kao. Even while sitting, his long legs reached the floor easily as he took notes on a tablet.
"Can we start with an introduction?"
"Khap..." Kao tried to sit up, but the doctor stopped him.
"I am Paul. You can call me that. Before we begin our session, let me assure you of one thing: nothing you tell me will leave this room. We don't even keep audio records of the session, only primary files regarding your medical condition."
"Khap..."
"That means you don't need to hide anything."
Silence filled the room.
He paused, waiting patiently for Kao to introduce himself.
Minutes ticked by, but the doctor waited as if he had all the time in the world.
"I am Kao... Kaopun."
"That's a good name." The doctor smiled, but Kao's voice remained lifeless. Uncle Paul put his tablet down, took off his glasses, and stared outside. "If it hurts, you can tell me... That's why you are here. Let everything go."
"Khap... It... hurts..." Kao looked out the window without blinking, exactly how he used to watch the dark night alone.
"It started with my name... to the point where I felt disgusted." His gaze fixed outside. "Sometimes I wonder... why is fate so cruel to me? Why did it take everything away? Why... am... I... alive?"
...
Clack!
Hearing a sound, those small feet moved toward the door, but stopped when he heard whispering outside.
The small place had an open kitchen, a room, and an attached bathroom. Everything was covered in dirt. It was a place Kao had long erased.
Ignoring the mess, he took the last orange out of a white plastic bag. White fungus had already spread across it. Wiping the fruit on his loose shirt, he peeled it. A warm smile appeared on his cheeks as he held the orange in his hands.
Hiding in a dark corner of the room, he began to eat.
Suddenly, another noise echoed, terrifying him.
Click!
The key finally rattled inside the lock, followed by the sound of heels.
"Hey, why does this place smell so bad?"
"How can you say that? The money you give me isn't even enough to feed that brat. He eats like a pig."
With an annoyed hiss, the woman in heels waved her hand in front of her nose. "Where is he?"
The other woman, who looked middle-aged and tired, lowered her voice. Her bitter tone still carried through the filthy room.
"Hey... Brat!" Her contemptuous voice echoed as she began searching every corner illuminated by the dim light. "There you are..." she cursed under her breath.
She bent down, holding her waist as if it ached, clearly not wanting to touch him at all. The half-peeled orange slipped from his hands and dropped onto the floor.
Kao shivered beneath a table in the dark corner where the bulb was broken. The table was filthy, but he crawled underneath because it was the only safe place he had to eat.
She grabbed his wrists and shook him, roughly wiping his face until the orange smeared all over his skin. Gritting her teeth, she mumbled, "Filthy," and dragged him out into the light.
"Here... Give me the remaining balance payment."
"Auntie... what's going on...?" Kao whimpered.
"How many times do I need to say I am not your auntie!" the woman snapped, nearly slapping his thin shoulders. The wealthy woman standing beside them did nothing, watching coldly as if it had nothing to do with her.
A strong scent of expensive perfume filled the boy's nose. The next second, his vision blurred and he collapsed.
His small body fell to the floor like a weightless sponge tossed into a heavy sea.
"What a hassle..."
Before everything went black, the last thing he saw was her disgusted eyes staring down at him.
...
A cold night took over.
Honk!!!
His head hit against something, and a loud honk woke him up. Kao sat up quickly, wondering what was happening. His whole body ached, and he felt like throwing up.
Suddenly, the car braked. Thankfully, he had his seat belt on. The inside was neat and smelled luxurious.
Someone opened the car door and bowed to him. "Young master..." The suited man held out his hand and waited.
'What's going on...'
Those small hands trembled as the bright lights blinded him. It was something far beyond the stray dogs and cats he had seen through the small window of that dirty house.
This place wasn't dirty; it was gleaming.
His new clothes made him look like a child from a rich family and his mind was full of this strange place and his new appearance.
'Who made me like this?' his little mind wondered.
"Young master..."
The suited man led him past a giant gate that opened with a frightening noise. Inside, the living room was enormous. Kao froze at the sight of the polished floor, afraid he would make it dirty.
The man gently released his hand and guided him onto a soft cushion. The small boy looked like a tiny ant, barely noticeable.
He dug his nails into his knees and lowered his head, full of anxiety.
There was a commotion inside as many people in the same clothes ran back and forth. From the middle of it all, a shadow loomed over him.
"Mmh... So... You are my grandson..." With a low hum, the old man stared down at Kao.
His legs were weak enough that he needed a stick, its golden handle held in an old hand. "If the wind touched this child, he would probably flee."
The old man called him closer.
"Come here..." His voice sounded harsh, but Kao didn't flinch. Very carefully, he took a few steps forward. The old man lifted his chin and examined him. From his thin legs to his calloused hands, nothing about him seemed right for a child.
"Who found him?"
The suited man lowered his head. "It was..." He leaned down and whispered a name into the old man's ear.
The stick thudded heavily against the marble floor.
"How many years..." The grandfather's words trailed off, his eyes darkening. "Kill them all. No... make sure they know exactly who I am before they draw their last breath."
"Yes, chairman."
The suited man, acting like a shadow meant only to execute orders, disappeared without making a single sound.
The old man stroked Kao's hair before ordering the woman standing behind him, "Call him."
Then he walked deeper into the mansion, leaving a maid behind. She hurried over and immediately knelt in front of the boy.
"What a sweet child you are... Can we get you something to eat?"
Kao's blank, confused expression broke her heart. She lifted him into her arms and held him tightly, trying to comfort him.
The night grew heavier.
Kao watched the dark sky until he fell asleep on the floor instead of the bed.
The little boy lay beside the window, taking up only a small space.
"Mae..." he whispered in his sleep.
Perhaps it was his unconscious mind calling out for a mother he had never seen in his life.