Chapter 70: Their Own Little UniverseKit:Later in the afternoon, they all gathered around the table for a late lunch, finally having the feast they couldn’t enjoy previously. They joked around and chatted for a bit over the meal, reveling in each other’s company.Kit was grateful for the warm atmosphere. After the entire ordeal last night, he needed something to ease his nerves, and this quality time with the people he considered family was definitely doing the trick.When the table was cleared and their plates were vacant of food, they all went their separate ways, Kit especially deciding to have some time alone to recharge. He went up to his room, appreciating the comfort of silence as he curled up by the window with a book in hand.He was about a hundred pages in when his phone suddenly rang. A bit hesitantly, he picked it up to notice that it was none other than Earth. He carefully set the book face-down to mark the page he was in, before picking up his phone and laying on the b
Chapter 71: Unbidden DesireKim:“What’s this for?” Kit asked, looking around the gazebo, a wide smile plastered on his gorgeous face. “I mean, not that I’m complaining. But what’s the occasion?”“Nothing,” Kim answered as he turned the music on to a sound they could dance to. “Can’t a man show his love for his lover?” He grinned, bending a knee in a curtsy. “Shall we dance?”“You’re so dramatic.” But even as he said that, Kit gladly took Kim’s extended hand.He pulled Kim to the middle of the gazebo, where they swayed slowly to the sound of the piano accompanied by a violin and a saxophone. It was an old melody, one he remembered his mother used to play when he and P’Kla were still little, but he loved the tune, and he loved how Kit’s body felt against his as they swayed together in unison.“Did you prepare all of this?” Kit asked, surveying the whole area with a smile.“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have any help,” Kim admitted. “The candles were P’Aawut’s idea, and Som helped wit
Chapter 72: Extended InvitationKit:Coming Thursday, Kit, Ben and Earth decided to meet up at a fancy café instead of their usual roadside Pa’s restaurant. Not that anything was wrong with the restaurant, but Kit and Ben had discussed that a less crowded place would be a better choice for them at the time. P’David drove Ben and Kit there together, while Earth told them he’d meet with them at the location.They were certain that whoever was spying on them would be there as well, not wanting to pass up the opportunity to observe them “unaware”.P’Kim and P’First had already oriented them on what to do, with P’Kim fretting more than the latter. “Do not engage,” he had said. “Again, you are simply there to observe and take note of anyone who could possibly be spying on you. If anything happens, P’David will be on standby, so just run. Got it?”“Yes, P’Kim, you said that more than five times already,” Kit had said, his patience wearing thin. He knew P’Kim just wanted to ensure their safet
Chapter 73: All This TimeKit:It was a while more before Kit and Earth were left alone to enjoy dessert. Ben had left when a car came to collect him for his doctor’s check-up, Kit’s eyes following as his friend disappeared behind the tinted windows of P’First’s familiar car and drove off.One of P’First’s men had actually entered the restaurant to look around as well, while they had come to collect Ben, and after a quick sweep, that man had told Kit that everything seemed to be alright so he could stay a bit longer if he wanted to.Earth followed Kit’s eyes with a sigh. “Ben has really changed a lot in the past few months, hasn't he?”“Hmm?” Kit belatedly returned his gaze to Earth. “Arai na? What exactly do you mean?’“Well, for starters, he’s gotten himself involved with a mafia don,” Earth pointed out with a scoff. “ And that said don just send his car to fetch his boy. They probably have the same relationship that you have with P’Kim. Don't you think so, too?”Kit considered it,
Chapter 74: A Terrible FriendKit:Earth had guessed it right—Kit was having a hard time with this revelation. He couldn't believe that what he was hearing was real!Surely, it was impossible. Earth didn't know what he was talking about. He was mistaken!“Are you sure about this?” Kit asked again. “Are you sure you’re not making this shit up for keeping secrets from you about the Chiang Mai trip? Because it isn't funny.”Earth’s frown deepened as he looked at Kit. “Does this look like a prank to you, Kit? Do you think I would stoop so low as to make fun of such a thing at Ben’s expense? Everyone, even Prem could tell that Ben liked you.”Kit couldn’t believe what he was hearing. All his life, he thought that Ben was his closest friend, but now it was starting to hit him that Ben had had feelings for him this whole time.And that was quite challenging to accept—Ben was one of his best friends, after all. It was like the ground was being pulled from beneath his feet, making him trip and
Chapter 75: Long Time No SeeKitKit froze in place, not knowing what to do or how to react. His heart was beating so fast in his chest that for an instant, all he could hear was the sound of his heartbeat as his entire body went numb. His mind couldn’t even come up with anything, it too seemed to have gone numb.He looked up into the mirror in front of him, because turning back wasn’t an option. And almost in slow motion, as if time itself had slowed down to a crawl, he saw the reflection of a man standing behind him, in dark hoodie with the hood covering his face…one of the telltale signs of suspicion that P’First and P’Kim had drilled into him and Ben, but both had failed to notice.And then the man, who was almost the same height as Kit, reached out with his free hand to remove the hood from his head, to reveal the face of his own father—the very same man whom everyone had thought had died a long time ago.Well…everyone had thought he was dead, most of all P’Kanya…but thanks to P’
Chapter 76: The Plight of Two SiblingsKit:David raced along the hallway, his heart in his throat as he took out his gun, trying his best to keep it from plain sight as he raced towards the washroom.He had been waiting for some time now, for N’Kit to come out of the restaurant, but when he didn’t do so, even after sending him the message that he was done, he couldn’t help but worry that something had happened to the Master’s lover.Reaching the washroom, he didn’t waste any time in kicking the door open, not waiting to check if the door was locked or not. But instead of finding N’Kit in any peril, he found him by the sink, throwing water onto his face.“Is everything alright?” He asked worriedly, out of breath. “What took you so long?”Kit mustered a smile and a nod. “Yes, everything’s fine, P’David.” He tried to look reassuring. “I just came to the toilet..for urgent business..”“Ah, I see.” P’David’s face colored, but he still looked around the room for anything suspicious, but fo
Chapter 77: Mine AloneKim:Kim called David to his office as soon as he settled into his chair. He could not shake the feeling that something had happened at the restaurant to make Kit severely upset. But seeing as his first move was to go to his sister for comfort, it must have been something really serious, perhaps even something he was afraid of telling Kim.What was it? As Kim waited in the room, he racked his brain of all the possibilities. Did he get attacked while he was out? No, it didn’t seem like he was physically hurt, and if he did, David would have informed him immediately.Did he have a fight with his friends? Maybe. But that would mean that the Chiang Mai trip was off, right? And he doubted Kit would do something to ruin the plans that they had carefully crafted to catch the shooter.Did he just have a flashback of their mom for some reason? Maybe that was making him miss her? Perhaps. But if that had happened, that means something must have triggered his memories of h
Chapter 80: Above All ElseKit:It seemed that his pleas had the opposite of his intended effect, because instead of sympathizing with him, it was clear that P’Kla was getting frustrated, if the way his brows met in the middle was any indication.“Stop talking in riddles,” he snapped. “If you want me to help you, then give it to me straight. Tell me directly what’s wrong and what you’re hiding.”If only P’Kla knew just how much Kit wanted to tell the whole world about the problems he was currently facing.“You have to promise me first,” he bargained, insistent. “You cannot tell anyone what you have seen.” He gestured to his neck. “Neither can you broadcast what I tell you to anyone else—anyone at all.”P’Kla was still obviously annoyed by these cryptic responses, but Kit knew that he had to be careful above all else.When P’Kla realized that such a thing was non-negotiable to Kit, he sighed, calming down a bit. “You came to me for help,” he reminded the younger man. “And so, I am doin
Chapter 79: I Fear For Those I LoveKit:It took quite some time before P’Kla finally headed downstairs after his guards informed him that Kit was there, demanding an audience. He didn’t really interact with Kit that much, mostly because there was no need for him to do so. Kit was Kim’s lover, and the man was very possessive about Kit, so Kla didn’t want to bother much about socializing.In fact, he wasn’t a people person. Moreover, he still had some leftover grudge on Kit that didn’t really go away—he had been sort of bitter about Kit being the apple of Kim’s eye, instead of Kanya, who was carrying his child, and even though that matter had already been resolved, it seemed that there was still some reluctance on Kla’s part.But since Kit had told the guards that he had something urgent to discuss with the cold and firm lawyer, the man in question managed to force himself out of his room to see what this “urgent matter” was all about.When Kla came down, he saw Kit huddled by himself
Chapter 78: Left with No Other ChoiceKit:As soon as P’Kim departed, shutting his door with a firm hand behind him, Kit was quick to spring up from his bed and lock the door.When he fell back on the bed, he proceeded to bury himself under the covers, fear and guilt churning in his gut for what he had just done. He hadn't meant to expose Ben’s secret to P’Kim, in fact, he had wanted to take that secret to the grave if possible. But circumstances hadn't left him with much of a choice.The only relief he felt was at the fact that talking to P’Kim about Ben had somehow lessened the guilt that he felt towards his friend for not realizing his feelings sooner. But the most prominent guilt remained, and it gnawed at him until he pulled the covers over his head, cowering away from the rest of world in hopes that if he hid away, somehow, everything would be alright.Unintentionally but also quite expected, he soon dozed off and only startled awake when a knock sounded at his door.He was sayi
Chapter 77: Mine AloneKim:Kim called David to his office as soon as he settled into his chair. He could not shake the feeling that something had happened at the restaurant to make Kit severely upset. But seeing as his first move was to go to his sister for comfort, it must have been something really serious, perhaps even something he was afraid of telling Kim.What was it? As Kim waited in the room, he racked his brain of all the possibilities. Did he get attacked while he was out? No, it didn’t seem like he was physically hurt, and if he did, David would have informed him immediately.Did he have a fight with his friends? Maybe. But that would mean that the Chiang Mai trip was off, right? And he doubted Kit would do something to ruin the plans that they had carefully crafted to catch the shooter.Did he just have a flashback of their mom for some reason? Maybe that was making him miss her? Perhaps. But if that had happened, that means something must have triggered his memories of h
Chapter 76: The Plight of Two SiblingsKit:David raced along the hallway, his heart in his throat as he took out his gun, trying his best to keep it from plain sight as he raced towards the washroom.He had been waiting for some time now, for N’Kit to come out of the restaurant, but when he didn’t do so, even after sending him the message that he was done, he couldn’t help but worry that something had happened to the Master’s lover.Reaching the washroom, he didn’t waste any time in kicking the door open, not waiting to check if the door was locked or not. But instead of finding N’Kit in any peril, he found him by the sink, throwing water onto his face.“Is everything alright?” He asked worriedly, out of breath. “What took you so long?”Kit mustered a smile and a nod. “Yes, everything’s fine, P’David.” He tried to look reassuring. “I just came to the toilet..for urgent business..”“Ah, I see.” P’David’s face colored, but he still looked around the room for anything suspicious, but fo
Chapter 75: Long Time No SeeKitKit froze in place, not knowing what to do or how to react. His heart was beating so fast in his chest that for an instant, all he could hear was the sound of his heartbeat as his entire body went numb. His mind couldn’t even come up with anything, it too seemed to have gone numb.He looked up into the mirror in front of him, because turning back wasn’t an option. And almost in slow motion, as if time itself had slowed down to a crawl, he saw the reflection of a man standing behind him, in dark hoodie with the hood covering his face…one of the telltale signs of suspicion that P’First and P’Kim had drilled into him and Ben, but both had failed to notice.And then the man, who was almost the same height as Kit, reached out with his free hand to remove the hood from his head, to reveal the face of his own father—the very same man whom everyone had thought had died a long time ago.Well…everyone had thought he was dead, most of all P’Kanya…but thanks to P’
Chapter 74: A Terrible FriendKit:Earth had guessed it right—Kit was having a hard time with this revelation. He couldn't believe that what he was hearing was real!Surely, it was impossible. Earth didn't know what he was talking about. He was mistaken!“Are you sure about this?” Kit asked again. “Are you sure you’re not making this shit up for keeping secrets from you about the Chiang Mai trip? Because it isn't funny.”Earth’s frown deepened as he looked at Kit. “Does this look like a prank to you, Kit? Do you think I would stoop so low as to make fun of such a thing at Ben’s expense? Everyone, even Prem could tell that Ben liked you.”Kit couldn’t believe what he was hearing. All his life, he thought that Ben was his closest friend, but now it was starting to hit him that Ben had had feelings for him this whole time.And that was quite challenging to accept—Ben was one of his best friends, after all. It was like the ground was being pulled from beneath his feet, making him trip and
Chapter 73: All This TimeKit:It was a while more before Kit and Earth were left alone to enjoy dessert. Ben had left when a car came to collect him for his doctor’s check-up, Kit’s eyes following as his friend disappeared behind the tinted windows of P’First’s familiar car and drove off.One of P’First’s men had actually entered the restaurant to look around as well, while they had come to collect Ben, and after a quick sweep, that man had told Kit that everything seemed to be alright so he could stay a bit longer if he wanted to.Earth followed Kit’s eyes with a sigh. “Ben has really changed a lot in the past few months, hasn't he?”“Hmm?” Kit belatedly returned his gaze to Earth. “Arai na? What exactly do you mean?’“Well, for starters, he’s gotten himself involved with a mafia don,” Earth pointed out with a scoff. “ And that said don just send his car to fetch his boy. They probably have the same relationship that you have with P’Kim. Don't you think so, too?”Kit considered it,
Chapter 72: Extended InvitationKit:Coming Thursday, Kit, Ben and Earth decided to meet up at a fancy café instead of their usual roadside Pa’s restaurant. Not that anything was wrong with the restaurant, but Kit and Ben had discussed that a less crowded place would be a better choice for them at the time. P’David drove Ben and Kit there together, while Earth told them he’d meet with them at the location.They were certain that whoever was spying on them would be there as well, not wanting to pass up the opportunity to observe them “unaware”.P’Kim and P’First had already oriented them on what to do, with P’Kim fretting more than the latter. “Do not engage,” he had said. “Again, you are simply there to observe and take note of anyone who could possibly be spying on you. If anything happens, P’David will be on standby, so just run. Got it?”“Yes, P’Kim, you said that more than five times already,” Kit had said, his patience wearing thin. He knew P’Kim just wanted to ensure their safet