"Hia..."
Toffee, who was on his fourth anxious lap around the bench, suddenly ran toward Artit.
"What's wrong?" Artit asked upon hearing Toffee's worried, breaking voice.
"Mok... I can't reach him."
"Okay, relax... Just relax..."
Artit hugged him.
"Isn't Mok with you all?"
Kao, who followed Artit, and Win, who came along out of concern for Kao, were both confused.
"He was with us, but he went to the restroom. Now he isn't there."
"He wanted to go to the restroom, and no one went with him? Are you all really his friends?"
"Kao..." Artit shouted.
Toffee burst into tears after hearing Kao's harsh words.
"That's enough, Kao..." Win tried to calm him, but Kao walked away, agitated.
"Lamon, why are you crying?" Phayu, having no idea what to do, settled beside Lamon on the bench and tried to soothe him.
"I am not a friend..." Lamon whined, muttering under his breath.
'Are you all really his friends?'
Those words echoed inside his mind, making him feel even worse. More than that, Lamon felt he hadn't done anything for Mok like Phayu and Toffee had, nor did he help him the way Artit did all the time. Eventually, he convinced himself that he wasn't worthy of being part of their group.
Toffee, who had buried his head against Artit, shifted his position.
"He has a fever... Phayu, if he keeps crying..."
"Lamon is sick..."
Oat, who ignored everything else he had to do, had bolted from his class after seeing the forum. Worried about the boys, he stood behind the bench where Lamon sat, unable to believe it.
He hurried to Lamon's side and checked his forehead. 'You really have a fever.' But the fever wasn't what hurt him most; it was Lamon's continuous mumbling.
"I am not a friend..."
Oat wrapped his plain black coat around the younger boy and took him to the hospital. He was angry too.
Meanwhile, Win and Phayu had no idea why everyone was so fired up. When there was a problem, there had to be a solution.
Left alone, Phayu sat there, also holding back his tears.
"I will buy something sweet," Win said, approaching him after noticing his state.
"I don't like sweet things, P'Win."
"Then something sour..."
"I don't like it..."
Win clenched his fist.
"I will buy something, and you will eat it."
He cursed under his breath and went to buy some food.
...
(The number you dialed is switched off.)
(The number you dialed is switched off.)
(The number you dialed is switched off.)
Kao kept dialing, even though Mok's phone was switched off. His dry lips couldn't bring themselves to call out his name loudly. His trembling body didn't know how to face him. He blamed everything on himself—after all, he was the one who pursued Mok.
What if he got hurt? What if he got scared?
He silently searched for him, swallowing his anxiety.
Outside the washroom, at the back of the building, there was a quiet corner. Everyone always skipped or forgot about that place, but Mok sometimes sat near the cement bench attached to the ground. Because of the bushes, hardly anyone noticed it.
"Mok..."
With a tattered look and hot sweat covering his face, Kao's broken voice finally called out.
Surprised, Mok turned.
"Kao..."
Then he averted his eyes, biting his lips, unable to face him.
"I... I didn't cheat. She is..."
Mok didn't care about the photos or the mean comments online. The only thing that truly bothered him was the rumor about him cheating.
"W-what are you saying, Mok?"
Standing behind him, Kao realized it was his own fault. He could have called him or come to him right away, but he hadn't done it, thinking it would leave Mok in a tough position.
Kao wrapped his arms around the figure, embracing him, clearly asking what he was even talking about.
"Don't, I don't want to..." Mok refused his touch, but Kao wouldn't budge.
"It's Ria. She is not like the person we..."
"I know..."
His warm breath brushed against Mok, and his calm tone soothed him.
"I know some rumors about her, but rumors are rumors. Meeting her changed my view of her. Also, you didn't tell me you were locked in the room or..."
"How did you..."
"I'm in my third year, Mok. I have my ways, but that's not what's important right now."
Their bodies held each other.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
As he patted his back, Mok, who had been hiding his tears, finally let them soak into his shoulder.
"I thought you would be worried so... You have too much on your hands."
"I am not a kid, Mok. If you don't tell me, how will I know?"
His tears wouldn't stop, and Mok still feared being scolded, even though Kao never raised his voice at all.
He wiped Mok's face with his hands.
"Sorry..."
"Look at me, Mok..."
He lifted his head.
Their eyes locked, unlike everyday, Mok's expression was wavering.
"Who am I?"
Mok gripped his hands on Kao's shirt.
"My... My boyfriend."
Again, Kao wiped the tears away.
"Even when you cry, you're beautiful..."
Mok nudged him playfully. They were facing a real crisis, and look at what Kao was saying. Still, if Kao had a chance to do anything other than hug him, he certainly wouldn't miss it.
Their foreheads touched.
Mok's red nose and continued grumbling brought a smile to Kao's face.
"That's it... I am your boyfriend, we are in a relationship, and nothing else matters, Mok," Kao murmured, gently touching the eyes. "I don't want to see you cry."
In truth, Kao couldn't stand seeing him like that. He didn't know why, but his heart sank the moment Mok's tears fell. He only wanted to see the smile that always seemed meant for him, and the laugh Mok gave only to him and Noi. He didn't want to share those expressions with anyone else.
They remained there a bit longer, as Mok needed more time to calm down.
"Can we go back?"
"Mmh."
They turned to walk back together.
"Oh, it's P'Kao..."
Two girls froze, looking completely confused. It seemed like they frequently used this path as a shortcut to their department.
"Hi... Sorry... Sawasdee khap."
Mok tried to hide behind Kao, but Kao reached out and grabbed his hand. The gesture carried a clear meaning: I am not going to let go.
"Ahhh!"
The girls screamed in unison and asked if they could take photos. After getting permission, they snapped a few pictures of the two holding hands.
"P'Kao, and..."
The girls didn't know Mok's name and glanced at each other, not knowing whether to ask or not.
"It's Mok, my boyfriend."
"Ahhh... So cute! Can we take some more photos of you guys?"
"Yes, khap..."
"Kao... What are you doing?" Mok whispered, unable to believe Kao's boldness.
Kao posed, dragging Mok into a hand-heart shape. Smack! He left a quick kiss on Mok's cheek.
Flustered, Mok immediately covered his cheek with his hands, while the girls squealed again at the sudden kiss.
"We're going now..."
"Right, khap. Bye, khap."
As the two headed off hand in hand, the girls almost fainted from excitement.
"They are so cute! Hey, can we start a fan page and post this? We can just block the haters."
"Right, there's no way they should be bullied for nothing."
The two girls were determined. A new ship and a dedicated page had just been born a few minutes ago, though Mok and Kao had no idea that these two would completely change their future.
...
Click! Clack!
As the three younger boys entered their dorm room, they saw a figure curled up tightly inside a blanket.
"Shh... Don't make a sound."
They tried their best not to wake Lamon, who had returned after receiving an IV drip and a shot because his fever had worsened. After helping him settle in, Oat had waited outside the building until the three of them came back.
"When can we wake him up to eat?" Toffee murmured as the two of them huddled closer to him.
"We can wait..."
"Mmh," Mok nodded.
Phayu complained that he felt stinky and wanted to take a shower, but before he could move, a noise caught his attention.
"Huh? What are you guys doing there?"
Lamon, seeing the three of them whispering in front of the closed door, slowly stepped toward them. His right arm showed signs of the injection and IV, with small bandages stuck to his skin where a tiny trace of blood was visible.
"Take some rest, Lamon," they said in unison.
"Mok..." Lamon rambled, "Where did you go?"
Mok smiled, seeing how much his friend cared about him, and gently reassured him that he was okay. Afterward, Mok began to tease him after hearing from Phayu how much Lamon had cried before going to the hospital.
"Uh... Ah..."
But then, tears rolled down Lamon's face, startling everyone.
"I am not a friend, right?"
"Huh?" Mok couldn't understand what he meant.
Lamon slid to the floor, sobbing heavily. He had lost his sense of taste because of the fever, and his exhaustion, combined with his hatred of drinking water, left him incredibly weak.
"Everyone is doing something for you. Toffee is already doing everything he can. Phayu always helps you. But what about me? I only eat the food you buy and sleep next to you."
His voice cracked midway, "I don't know anything. I am... clueless... I f-feel like a f-fool."
Finally, the sound of his loud whining filled the room. His broken, heavy breathing hurt their hearts.
They never realized Lamon felt this way. They had never looked at things from his side. In reality, Lamon wasn't the type to complain or say, 'I am sick,' just because of a fever. He always hid his pain until they found out themselves.
Mok dropped beside him, "Then I am also an idiot for running away."
"But..."
Mok gently supported Lamon's trembling body.
"Sorry. I had no idea you were hurting all this time."
Unlike Mok, who hid his feelings but eventually shared everything with Toffee, or Toffee, who supported everyone, or even Phayu, who always cheered up after finally gaining three true friends—Lamon was completely different. He only smiled or cried quietly, barely sharing anything deep inside.
The four of them were different in their own ways, but right now, they were all sobbing in the exact same way.
Toffee and Phayu wrapped their arms around Lamon and Mok. Soon, the room filled with the sound of them sharing their sorrowful stories.
Even their room neighbors checked on them after hearing the crying from inside.
...
"Toffee... Hurry up! We are late..."
"Oh, just a minute, a minute!"
Toffee spun around and ran straight back inside the room, while Mok waited at the entrance of the dorm.
The morning sun filtered over his skin, making him feel a bit too warm, so he stepped out. Instead of taking the car, Mok went straight to the side of the road.
"Mok!"
Toffee waved his student ID and ran toward him, while Mok smiled at him as he crossed the road.
A car sped straight toward him.
Thud!
Mok was flung to the ground.
Mok! Toffee screamed.
...
"Mok! Mok!"
Kao bolted upright in bed. Cold sweat drenched his body, and his breathing was uneven. He panically grabbed his phone.
September 9, 3:02 a.m.
'A dream.'
His trembling body wanted to call Mok, but he hesitated. Tossing the phone aside, Kao went to wash his face. He didn't think he could fall asleep. He usually woke up around this time every day, but this was the first time Mok had appeared in his dream like a nightmare.
He just couldn't shake the feeling.
"Mok... I have to pick him up."
Maybe it was all just a superstition he had built in his mind, but he couldn't take the risk. Dream or whatever it was, he couldn't gamble with Mok's life.
On the table near a photo frame, a small calendar had September 16 circled in red ink, marked with the word Anniversary.
He ignored it, strapped his watch onto his wrist, and headed out for a run.
....
A dark room. On a single table, the screen of a lone mobile phone flashed in the dark.
Buzz! Beep!
Deposited: 100,000 Baht.
Deposited: 120,000 Baht.
A message popped up from an unknown sender to a user named mysteryOman.
"When will you finish the rest?"
"We don't have time..."
"Do it today."
Message unread.
One hour later.
Message read.
"Think the job's done."
Message sent.