[9. Tomato Sauce]
"Hey Dae...let's go to canteen" Phet said as soon as the professor left the class."Oh..Phet..I would have come..but I don't have any money with me now." Dae said feeling a bit ashamed. He had spent the little money he had with him, for the bus fare. "Oh..it's ok. Just come with me." Phet said smiling and grabbing his hands. Phet seemed to be rich. Dae remembered that he earlier bumped into his Mercedes car."Dae..let's stick together, okay ?" Phet said as they walked to the canteen." What ?" Dae asked confused." I mean let's be friends. I liked you so much.""Oh..!" Dae nodded blushing. 'Phet is so open and also confident.' He thought in mind. " Yeah..let's be friends." He replied back smiling." Hey Dae.., are you Korean ? "" Why you asked that ?"" Because you look Korean. And I noticed Kim on your ID card."" Hmm..My Dad is Korean. So I am half Korean, half Thai"" Oh..! Woah nice. So your Dad settled here ?"" Ahmm..my Dad died.""Oh....sorry."" It's okay. I was not even four when my Dad died. I don't even remember his face."" So...your mom..? Who all are at your home ? You only have a brother ?"Dae felt panicked. That day he had told Phet that Aroon is his brother. 'Great ! I am in big trouble. What to do ?' He said to himself in mind." Dae, didn't you hear me ?"" Oh..yeah. My Mom also died. Ahmm..and that was not my brother."Phet was shocked. He became speechless. He couldn't believe the boy's both parents were dead and he made him talk about that on the first day they met. He felt so sorry for him. He didn't know what to say. So he just kept silent as they walked to the canteen. But he was really confused and curious why Dae earlier said, that guy is his brother. The canteen was really spacious. There were four canteens inside campus and this one was the biggest. There were more than 50 desks. Still it was crowded. Dae and Phet walked to the counter and Phet ordered two burger and juices. Once the order arrived, they took it and went to an empty table in one corner. They sat and ate in silence for sometime. Phet couldn't control his curious self anymore. And the silence felt awkward to him. So he spoke." Dae..so that guy was not your brother ? That day you told.."" No..no. He is not my brother. " Dae said even before Phet could complete his sentence." So who is he ?" Phet asked and sipped on his juice. " Why was he behaving like that to you..?""Ahmm..he..actually....he " Dae struggled to answer Phet's question but he suddenly stopped when he saw Aroon and 4 other boys walking into the cafeteria. Phet was sitting opposite to Dae. So he didn't see them entering."Phet...let's go from here..come" Dae said grabbing Phet's wrist and taking the bottle of juice they ordered."But..why..? what happened..?" Phet asked.Dae saw everyone looking at his stepbrother and friends as they walked in. He heard a girl sitting on the nearby table murmuring to her friends, 'Oh..! Guys look T5 is here.'" Phet...we need to leave here as fast as possible. C'mon." Dae said tensed.Aroon walked in like the hero from a Drama, in the centre of his gang of five consisting of Oak, Preed, Kris, Atid and he himself. Almost everyone in the college knows them. They are the Thunder 5 or T5 and Aroon is said to be the leader of the gang. They are a powerful gang from the Engineering Faculty. Nobody dares to raise a voice against them no matter whatever they do. If someone does, then that their end.Aroon was enjoying the looks all the girls in the cafeteria were giving him, trying to gain his attention. But soon he got annoyed on seeing Dae's face. He saw Dae trying to pull up a boy, who was sitting on the chair. Aroon understood Dae was trying to drag the boy out of the canteen with him. Aroon smirked. He decided to have some fun with him along with his gang. ' Kim Tanawat, were are you trying to escape? You can't escape from us.'**"Dae..tell me what's happening. why should we go..? There's still five minutes for bell. Let me finish this drink first." Phet said confused."Ok Phet..but I have to leave now. See you in class." Dae said and ran to the exit but just as he passed Aroon, the older purposely hit the younger on his shoulders causing him to spill the juice in his hands on the older's shoes. Dae looked up in shock."I am s..sorry..I didn't...""How dare you...? Do you know whom you messed up with?" Aroon yelled in anger and everyone looked in their direction."Hey boy...are you a newbie ? Do you know who we are?" Oak asked staring at the boy who spilled juice on his best friend's shoes. The aforementioned guy was looking rather cold with an almost blank emotion on his face. By now everyone in the cafeteria turned their attention to them. Phet stood frozen, utterly clueless about what was happening. Because it was the same guy whom Dae earlier said, was his brother."Clean the shit immediately. Do you know how expensive my shoes are?" Aroon yelled and Dae looked at the same brand of shoes which he was wearing."I SAID CLEAN IT ""Oh..okay." Dae said and kneeled down to wipe the older's shoes with a tissue he had in his pocket. Just when he finished his task and was about to get up, he felt something thick and cold running down his forehead. He touched the top of his head and got panicked.'RED, Is it blood?, Why can't I feel the pain?' But then he found a bottle of tomato sauce on the table near him."What's happening. What is this? He said sorry, right ?" Phet yelled at the gang, running to Dae. Then he looked at Aroon in anger and confusion. " Why are you here? why did you pour the sauce on his head. Who are you ?" Phet was cut in the middle as he felt sauce flowing down his head too. He looked up to see the guy, oak holding the bottle of sauce. He didn't say a word but punched hard at his face and oak fell down on the floor with a thud. Aroon and Atid ran to his aid to help him stand up and the other two guys surrounded Phet."You are in serious trouble boy." Kris said. Then he pulled him closer by his collar. Phet tried to yank the other's hands away, trying to push him away. Then Preed came and pushed him back. Phet fell on the floor from the impact. Dae flinched. Then Kris, pulled him back, up by his collar and delivered a punch on his face. Phet punched him back on his nose, hard in anger. Kris's almost fall to a side with a bleeding nose." You ! How dare you ? Do you know who we are ?" Preed said and marched to Phet, raising his hands in the air." Stop ! Please stop." Dae cried. But Preed delivered a punch on Phet's abdomen and he fell down. Then Preed started punching him while Atid, the meek guy among them, who was standing all the while panicked, ran to Kris to observe his bleeding nose. The whole canteen looked at the scene horrified. Phet was lying on the floor and Preed was punching him. Oak and Atid were yelling at Preed to stop. Dae didn't know how to save Phet. It was all his fault. He has to somehow save Phet. He ran to them and punched Preed from behind."LEAVE HIM, PUNCH ME. " Dae yelled and Preed stopped. He turned around, putting up a fist to punch the coward who hit him from behind. But then he looked at the almost crying boy's face. He couldn't simply lunge the punch on his face just by looking at the boy's extremely pretty face. And the boy looked as in pain. But right then a hard slap fell on Dae's face. It was delivered by none else than Aroon."YES...PUNCH ME..HIT ME MORE " Dae yelled and the whole college now gathered around them in a circle. Dae felt one more hard punch land on his face but then everything went dark.[10. Cheque Leaf]Dae opened his eyes to see himself in Phet's arms. Phet was at the verge of tears. The whole crowd was still standing there but Aroon and the four guys were not there."Dae...are you okay ?" Phet asked shaking Dae's head."Y..yes..I am alright. Phet..are you okay ?" Dae asked examining his friend and touching on the dark red spot below his eyes. His face was whole red from the punches he received."I am...okay, Dae..get up, let's go" Phet said helping Dae up. Then they walked out from the circle of students, Phet pushing past people to make way. Most of the students were looking sadly at them while some were murmuring things.Once they reached the restroom they
[11. Daw-Dae]"Dae..how are you going home?" Phet asked Dae as they walked out of the class after the last hour."Oh god ! I forgot..what will I do now ?" Dae suddenly remembered that he has no money left in his hands to pay for the bus fair back home."What Dae ?" Phet asked slightly panicked"Phet..can you do me a help?""Oh okay..what?"" I know, I troubled you a lot today, but...I have no other way. Phet, can you please lend me some money ? I don't have any money left in my hands to pay for bus. It's far and It's not possible to walk. Moreover I don't know the way. I will tomorrow give you back the money. " Dae said a bit ashamed even though there was nothing to be ashamed since Phet now knows everything about me."Oh..Dae..It's okay. You actually scared me. I have car. I will drop you at your home."" oh..! You have license ?"" Yeah..c'mon. " Phet said with a smile. Dae wondered why Phet was doing all this for him.
[12. Keep this a secret]The T5 gang sat around a table in their usual cafe called Heavens, near the college, having Coffee and snacks. Most of the customers in the cafe were students from CU because it was evening and students directly walks into one of the nearby cafes after the classes. Every single worker in the cafe knows the five boys well because they often comes there after college. These five boys are at least a 5% monthly income of the cafe. The cafe owner was so disappointed when the college closed during vacation. And now that the college reopened, he is so happy. A smile creeped on his face when he saw the five of them walking into the cafe.Atid waved at the shop owner slightly raising from his chair as he saw him smiling at them."Hey...whom are you waving at", Kris asked as he saw Atid waving and smiling. "Oh Kris..I was waving at the shop owner. I think he is really happy to see us again." Atid said and munched on his burger.
[13. Bear&Bun]Dae was about to drift off into sleep when his phone rang, causing him to flinch at the sudden sound. Reluctantly he picked it up from the bedside table and answered sheepishly without checking the caller ID."Hey Dae...it's me Runrot. Wait..! did I get the number right?""Yeah..it's Dae. Uhmm...Runrot ? This is Phet, right ?", Dae asked and looked at the caller ID. It was Phet itself." Oh..yeah. Did I just say Runrot ? ", Phet chuckled. " Okay, that's my official name."" Oh..I see. Nice name." Dae said smiling. "Phet..Why you called ?""Nothing. Just I was sitting here bored. Dae..what are you doing?""Me..? Nothing. I am just lying on my bed. I was about to fall asleep.""Oh great ! I ruined your sleep. Is that crackhead there?""You mean Aroon ? No.." Dae giggled at that. "Oh Phet..! Did your uncle or aunt ask you anything about your face ? They might have understood you got into a fight."
[14. Room]It was a kind of weird yet horrifying noise, that made Aroon flinch open his eyes at 2 in the morning. On opening his eyes, exposing them to the utter darkness filled in his room, he got scared. He felt his heart beating fast as he heard the sound again. It was something like a rough whimper, something like the painful last whimper of a person whose soul is about to leave his body, the next moment.Aroon soon realized, the sounds were coming from nowhere else than the adjacent room. His body relaxed at the realization and he left a sigh. It was just his stepbrother staging one of his new drama at midnight. Aroon was more than frustrated as he was dragged out of his peaceful sleep in the middle of the night. The whimpers then started to increase in pitch.'Ahh...what's the problem with you now ? Why the hell are you crying? Kim Tanawat, can't you even let me sleep peacefully ?' Aroon hit at the wall between their rooms. "STOP MAKING NOISE", he ye
[15. Four thousand Baht]Dae let his eye lids open in the morning to see Aroon sleeping peacefully beside him, actually far away from him on the other end of the bed. It hurt him a bit. There was a time when he had to push the older away or beg him to take his hands and legs from his body because he was always hugging him so tight while sleeping, that he was even unable to breathe. He was just like a clingy octopus.The same person now observes a kind of pollution with him. Like he is some Ugly worthless creature. Aroon don’t like seeing his face, he don't like him coming near him or sitting near him or eating with him. He hates his existence itself. Dae wouldn’t have slept in Aroon’s room. But he was just so horrified last night after the nightmare. He was really scared to sleep alone in him room. But he never expected the older to let him sleep on his bed.Aroon Duangporn is actually too difficult to be understood. He is not the same person Dae onc
[16. Junior]Dae had an innocent smile plastered on his face as he walked towards his department after buying the textbooks from the college store. He was so happy that Aroon treated him somewhat nicely after years. His face was as bright as the sun."Hey boy..", He heard someone call. He turned to the left and saw four boys sitting on the railing of the basket ball court."Me..?", he asked confused."Yes you...come over here.", one of the boys said. Dae's smile disappeared and he walked to them nervous.“What's your name?", another guy with greasy hair asked."Dae.""Are you Korean?", the third guy stood up from the railing and asked grabbing Dae's ID. He was tall and built. His face was intimidating and he had blond hair. “ Kim Tanawat Duangporn ?", he read the name out confused.“ Yeah..I am half Korean, half Thai.”“ I see.”, he smiled looking up at Dae's face and then again averted his gaze to his ID
[17. Lollipop]"Please..don't hurt him. He is my friend.", Dae said as Chau took step towards Phet.Chau turned back. "Friend? really..!? ", He asked.Dae rushed towards Phet to help him stand up. "yes, he is my friend.", he said and grabbed Phet’s hands. He then turned and walked away with Phet without another word.&nb
[167. I will be with you.]The drive to Sky Park is only 20 minutes. The boys sits in the back seat of a cab, peering out of the windows at the bright lit malls and shops on either sides of the highway. It's almost 7 Pm and all the shops has been brightly lit with colourful lights.'Fake Love, BTS' is playing on the radio in the background and Dae tries humming along with the song whilst carefully observing the Seoul city. The driver, who is probably a guy in his late twenties also sings along with the song in a low voice whilst vigorously shaking his head. Aroon just sits and enjoys the cool wind whipping through his cheeks from the taxi's open window." Are you two a couple ?", the driver suddenly asks stopping his singing and glancing at them through the mirror. Both Aroon and Dae is surprised. Not because the driver asked them that question but because he asked in English." Yeah..", Aroon replies. The driver just smiles in response and starts
[166. Ice rink]Dae sits in one of the side seats of a bus to Seoul with the older's phone in his hands, his eyes glued on the phone screen, his lips curved upward and his dimples visible as he reads the rest of the comments under their post. There had been a lot of new comments, the morning and new comments are appearing every minute. Most of them are supportive and Dae can’t help but feel extremely happy. Whenever he comes across a negative comment, he quickly skips it. He doesn’t let his mind get affected by the negative remarks.Aroon sits beside the younger, carefully watching his expression, smiling slightly whenever the younger’s smile widens a bit more. The boys had left Min's apartment only half an hour ago, after having the breakfast Granny min prepared for them. “ Enough Bun.”, Aroon says after sometime. “ You will get a head ache if you read while traveling.”“ Oh..really?”, Dae tilts his head and asks. “ Yeah I think I am s
[ 165. Overcame Fear]It had past midnight. Dae lied awake looking at the dark ceiling above him, his eyebrows scrunched together as he tried to make some important decision regarding his relationship with Aroon. The older was sound asleep beside him, still one of his strong arms caging him protectively from one side." Aru..", he suddenly called shaking the older. He needs to tell the older something urgently. Out of nowhere, he has suddenly got some strange yet strong courage, a courage to do something, something daring. He needs to do it right now or what if he loses the courage tomorrow morning?Aroon groaned in discomfort as Dae called him again. Dae reached his hands to the nearby switch board and soon the lights were turned on. Aroon's eyelashes fluttered in irritation at the sudden lightening that filled the room along with the younger calling his name whilst shaking him. " What bun ?", he asked slowly opening his eyes." Aru, I have took one impo
[164. Baby..patience ]Aroon sat on the bed, staring at the younger, sitting huddled up on the couch watching some cartoon on TV after having the ramen noodles cooked by granny min, his plump lips curved upward at the end and his dimples visible as he peered at the television screen. The younger looked so cute and hot in his new light blue shirt and cream short shorts.Aroon looked at his watch. It was almost 9 Pm. Dae isn't getting bored watching the damn cartoon. At last Aroon sat up from the bed, ruffling his hair and walked to the younger, the sweet smell of strawberries encasing him as he reaches near him.He slumps down beside the younger inhaling his sweet smell deep into his nostrils. But the younger is so immersed in the cartoon he is watching that he doesn't give him the attention he needed.Losing patience, Aroon grabs the younger's chin and turns his face to him, making him look at his eyes. Dae's heart rate suddenly speeds up at the way the o
[ 163. The old couple. ]Dae walks holding Aroon's hands, a smile sits on his face as he amusedly watches the infinite number of shops and stalls on either side of the road. A heavy plastic bag hangs on Aroon's free hand and it swings back and forth as they walks quickly through the street market of Cheonan. Inside it are the little stuff they bought from that market." Aru, walk slow.", Dae whines." Dae, it's going to rain soon. I think we need to walk 15 more minutes to reach the bus stop."" It's going to rain? How do you know ?", Dae asks confused." Look up at the sky."Dae looks up and sees the greying clouds above him rumbling with warning. Out of nowhere an ice cool wind blows and whips through their hair. A drop of water falls on Dae's nose tip." Aru..yeah..it's raining."Soon fat droplets of rain hits both of their forehead and Aroon runs holding Dae's hands to a nearby tiny restaurant. Standing there under the leak
[162. Baby goats]After almost an hour, Dae wakes up feeling hungry. He blinks his eyes thrice before slowly lifting his heavy eyelids, adjusting his dreary eyes to the morning sun rays rushing in through the open window. He slowly sits up straight, lifting his head from the older's shoulders." Why you woke up quickly ?", Aroon asks, his gaze on his phone, his fingers dancing rapidly over the screen. "There's one more hour to reach there. Sleep a little more.", he says slightly turning his head. Dae just hums in replay but looks out of the window deciding to watch the sights outside for sometime. The bus is now going through a city and tall buildings array on both sides of the road. Soon Dae notices the board of a restaurant and instantly his mouth waters seeing the variety food items on the banner. He feels extremely hungry after seeing the photo of the food items. He hadn't eaten dinner last night. But he feels reluctant to tell Aroon that
[ 161. Bus ride ]Dae squirmed on the bed, left and right trying to meet the familiar warmth. But he didn’t hit Aroon's body even after rolling about a lot. So he finally opened his eyes to figure out where the older actually was. He turned his face to his right and he was shocked. Abruptly he turned around to the left and there too was no one. Dae sat up on the bed in panic with a fast thudding heart. " Aru..", He called out frightened gazing around in the room. He looked over at the window and it's still dark outside. Dae started getting more nervous by the instant. "A..Aru..", He again called and this time it came out muffled because of fear. He was about to cry as no reply came.He only remember both of them running into a hotel, actually a motel at midnight after walking through the empty roads for almost an hour. He was really sleepy then and as soon he saw a bed, he fell on it and drifted into sleep, hugging the older. But now where is the olde
[ 160. Eloped ]It was really dark when Aroon landed at Seoul airport. He had changed the time in his phone from 5: 52 Pm to 7:52 Pm. And it had past 8:20 when he finally got out of the airport and got a taxi. Somehow he was able to tell the driver that we wanted to go to Daegu and fortunately the man understood him.Aroon took his phone and called Oak as soon as he hopped into the taxi.“ Aroon..be really careful. We will call you if there’s anything. And if your Dad calls you, pick the call. Or he will get suspicions. Bye then, take care.”, Oak said before ending the call.Aroon then placed the phone in his pocket and leaned back in his seat.The taxi driver, who was an young man, not looking anything more than 25 tried to converse with him in a English mixed Korean. And Aroon was able to comprehend something. His one week stay with Kim family had taught him a little bit Korean. He also tried to converse a little with the driver in an attempt to
[159. Let’s bring back Dae.]Aroon didn't have dinner. He sat on his desk chair thinking what to do next. An hour ago, he had texted Dae ' Are you okay ?' just to see whether he has his phone with him. The message was marked ‘seen’ after sometime but no reply came. So he understood the phone was either in Mr Kim’s custody or with his own Dad.' Dae isn't alright. Right now, he might be crying, lying in that room where we stayed. Or they might be questioning him. He is definitely not okay. He needs me.', Aroon suddenly took his phone in his hands and started searching for the next flight to Korea.There was a flight at 5 Am. The booking was about to close and he hastily went to book ticket. But soon he found that there was not enough money in his card. It was strange as the ticket doesn't coast that much. He checked the balance and found the whole money in his account has been withdrawn a few hours ago. Aroon felt totally helpless. He called O