Dinggg!!!
“Woof! Woof! Woof!”
“Yeah, yeah, I know, Ai'Poo! I know! I can hear the doorbell too. Stop barking already—you're driving me crazy.”
Nakrob, lounging on the couch and lazily flipping through TV channels with the remote, heard the doorbell ring, followed by the barking of Ai'Poo-Bee, the mutt his family had taken in. The dog, unaware of its three-legged limitation, spun around in circles, barking excitedly. Nakrob groaned, dragging himself off the couch to peek out the window toward the front gate.
“Is it the postman? No one’s home anyway. Just stick the notice right there,” the large-framed young man muttered to himself as he flopped back onto the sofa, indifferent to whether the postman would curse him under their breath for ignoring the doorbell. After all, the TV was blaring loudly—anyone could tell someone was home, right?
But then... the doorbell rang again. Nakrob remained resolute, firmly planted in his current state of sloth. He would have continued in this inertia, were it not for the next sound he heard.
“Ai'Rob! Nakrob! Are you home?”
“That voice… It sounds familiar. Hin!”
At first, he couldn’t place the voice. But in the next moment, he shot upright on the couch. It was unmistakable—the voice belonged to his close friend, the one who had been absent from school all week.
The homeowner hurried to open the door, exclaiming in surprise.
Bang!
"Hey! Ai'Hin, how did you get here…?"
But then, every word caught in his throat when he saw… his friend's condition.
Ai'Hin was covering his face with one hand, but there was no missing the massive bruise.
Nakrob immediately dashed to unlock the gate, his sharp eyes scanning his friend, who looked like he'd been in a brawl with a dog.
Kon Hin's sharp features were marred by a large bruise across his face, with swelling at the corner of his mouth, one cheek, and even his eyebrow. He looked like he'd just been in some serious trouble. And then there was his outfit—long pants and a long-sleeved shirt covering his wrists and ankles, which only…
Grab!
“What the bloody hell happened to you?!”
The burly young man didn’t hesitate, grabbing his friend's wrist and yanking up the sleeve to reveal a massive, inflamed bruise streaked with blood on his forearm. There was no need to guess—the other arm probably looked the same. Nakrob's voice, almost a shout, betrayed a deep worry that only his close friend would recognize.
“It’s nothing—I fell off my bike,” Kon Hin forced a smile but winced from the pain.
“Do you think I was born yesterday?! What kind of bike accident leaves rope marks on your wrists!?!”
The marks on Hin's arm were unmistakably caused by something binding tightly, leaving rope-like abrasions. That sight wiped the forced smile off Kon Hin's face, replacing it with a faint sigh as he looked up to meet Nakrob’s eyes.
“Ai'Rob…”
“Spit it out!”
"If you’re really my friend, can I ask you not to question what happened?"
Thud!
The person about to yell fell silent immediately as the other preempted him. He almost retorted, Why should I keep quiet when my friend is in this state? But…
"Please. You’re the only friend I can rely on."
This guy was always like this—always finding a way to cut him off.
In the end, the one who was practically fuming with rage on his friend’s behalf could only let out a heavy sigh and step aside to let the visitor into the house.
“Come on in already. Looking like this, you still managed to haul yourself over to my place?” The speaker glanced at the large backpack his friend was carrying, squinting suspiciously.
“Are you planning to crash at my place?”
“If it’s inconvenient for you…” Kon Hin’s face fell.
Smack!
“Oh, for crying out loud! Convenient or not, in your state, there’s no way I’m letting you go anywhere else! Get inside already!”
The homeowner clapped his friend hard on the shoulder, making Kon Hin nearly cry out in pain. His whole body ached, but he bit his lip, not wanting his friend to worry even more.
And as for why he came here?
In this condition, there was no way he could return to the Metthanun mansion.
At this point, his Chao-nai’s condition had improved significantly, for whatever reason. But Khun Tul had said it was time to fight again. While his Chao-nai had asked him to come along, in his current state, that would only draw unnecessary attention to the situation.
Thus, Kon Hin refused and requested permission from Khun Trai to stay elsewhere for a while.
However, as the child of a laborer, he didn’t have the money to stay in a hotel indefinitely. Asking Khun Tul to pay was also not an option—his Chao-nai had no inheritance to rely on.
The money his Chao-nai used came partly from working since high school, but it wasn’t enough to spend frivolously. If he were to use the money provided by Khun Trai, every bill and receipt would inevitably pass through the hands of his stepmother. Kon Hin didn’t want his Chao-nai to face unnecessary questions.
The only option he could think of, despite how ashamed he felt, was… this friend.
"Woof, woof, woof!"
Hin's thoughts were interrupted by barking, causing him to look down.
“Hey, Poo-Bee. You’re looking good now.”
The last time he’d come here, the little dog had been covered in mange. Now though, its brown fur had grown back completely, making it look much more endearing. The dog seemed to remember him, despite its usual wariness. Its barking prompted him to reach out and lightly pat its head.
“Better-looking than you,” Nakrob said, shaking his head firmly before grabbing his friend’s shoulder and dragging him into the house.
The injured man gritted his teeth, trying not to show just how much pain he was in.
Four days of being a tool to satisfy Khun Tul’s desires.
Four days of being tied to the bedposts and subjected to violence.
Four days of what felt like hell. But the embrace and tears of his Chao-nai had kept Kon Hin enduring to the very end.
Four days—the same number of days Khun Tul had once been captured and beaten nearly to death.
At this moment, his entire body ached, bruised and battered, with his hips throbbing even as he sat still.
“Does Ai Tul know you’re here?”
“I didn’t tell him, but he’s probably guessed.”
“Yeah, I’m the only friend you two have. No, scratch that—I’m the only friend who knows Ai Tul’s real self and doesn’t blab about it,” Nakrob retorted sarcastically while rummaging through the medicine cabinet.
The one being spoken to stayed silent, neither agreeing nor denying, which earned a heavy sigh from Nakrob. “I hate it when you act like Ai Tul’s complete servant. Stop protecting him already,” the larger man grumbled, throwing cotton pads, Betadine, and bandages at him before heading to the fridge. He wrapped ice in a cloth and walked back over.
Despite Nakrob’s visible irritation, his hands applying the ice pack were astonishingly gentle.
“Ouch!” But no matter how light the touch, it still hurt enough to make Hin cry out.
The makeshift medic clicked his tongue in annoyance and asked irritably, “Just tell me already—what exactly is your relationship with him?”
The injured man didn’t answer, further frustrating the other.
Grab.
“Ow! Ai Rob, I’m hurt! I’m hurt! Damn it, I’m really hurt!”
When Nakrob pressed the cotton down forcefully, Kon Hin could only scream in pain, causing the one tending to him to laugh in satisfaction before his expression turned serious.
“You’ve slept with him, haven’t you?”
Thud!
Even though he suspected his friend might have picked up on something, hearing the direct question left Kon Hin speechless. He averted his gaze, looking away, which prompted Nakrob to grab his wrist again.
“And it’s sexual sadism with tied hands too, isn’t it?”
“I told you, I fell off my bike,” Kon Hin avoided eye contact.
“And I told you, I’d be a fool to believe that.” This time, Nakrob didn’t hold back, glaring intensely, making the injured man even more reluctant to meet his eyes. The larger man continued.
“Maybe I’m speaking as an outsider, but I’ve had a bad feeling about you two for a long time. Ai Tul’s never dated anyone, even though women swarm around him like flies on filth. And you, Ai Hin, I’ve never heard you mention any girl—not once. Even when Nong Rose said she liked you, you looked like you’d swallowed bitter medicine... You’ve been sleeping with each other, haven’t you?”
Pathapee didn’t answer, but Nakrob kept pressing, making the man who had kept this secret clench both fists tightly. “Since when?”
"..."
“If you don’t answer, I’ll call your mom... or maybe I’ll just call Ai Tul’s house and ask to speak to the head chef.”
“Ai Rob!!!” This time, the injured man gritted his teeth, grabbing his friend’s arm and yelling loudly, forcing the host to meet his eyes and ask again.
“Since when?” Nakrob’s face showed no sign of joking.
Kon Hin could only avoid his gaze.
"Hin"
Hin closed his eyes, took a deep breath to gather his strength, and answered the question with a trembling voice.
"Since he was old enough to consent... I've been sleeping with Tul since I was old enough to consent."
Kon Hin couldn’t look at his friend when he heard the long sigh and felt his wrist being freed from the grip of his arm.
I must be really disgusting, right?
But then, Nakrob’s strong arm wrapped around his head, pulling him close and gently rocking him like a child being comforted.
Rob's deep voice sounded soft. “Don’t make that face, Ai Hin. I’ve suspected this for a while. Just hearing it from you doesn’t make me hate you, you know.”
The listener fell silent. Pathapee’s two hands trembled, and he could feel the heat of the gaze spreading across his face. He knew only that these few words caused the feelings he had been suppressing to spill out.
“I’m not going to ask why you’re sleeping with him. You have your reasons, and Tul probably has his reasons too. I just don’t want you to keep things from me. No, I don’t want to see my friend in this state anymore. You’ve been holding it in, keeping it all inside. You’ve put too much pressure on yourself. You see Tul as a Chao-nai, but I want you to see me as a friend you can vent to anytime. You know I’m your friend, right?”
Kon Hin only then realized how much he had been holding in. Just hearing someone say to open up, to share, made him feel like he had been a toilet for his superior to vent his emotions into... He raised his hand to cover his face.
Tears fell, though there were no sobs.
Pathapee didn’t know if it was the physical pain or the weight in his heart from carrying it all these years, but when his friend patted his head lightly, the tears just came out on their own. They stained his cheeks and flowed down to his chin.
The tears that didn’t come from physical torment, but from the heart.
“I’m sorry... I’m sorry...
…I’m sorry for being so pathetic.”
Grab!
“What the hell are you apologizing for? You’re just as worrisome as Tul, you know? Sigh,” the one comforting him sighed heavily, tightening his grip on his friend’s head. He could feel Kon Hin’s tears flowing down his arm, and had to tilt his head back to look at the ceiling, because Nakrob could only comfort him this much.
What more could you expect from a guy like me who lacks sensitivity?
“Come on, if you want to cry, cry. But hurry up, I’m getting ticklish. Getting all goosebumps hugging a crying guy like this.” The speaker said only that, then went quiet.
With his other hand, he lightly tapped Poo-Bee on the head to quiet him. His eyes were fixed straight ahead, as if not paying attention to the crying man. It was as if he was giving him time to release his weakness.
How much time passed, Nakrob wasn’t sure, but when he felt the palm pressing on his shoulder, he had to loosen his embrace.
“Here, wipe your face. It’s truly a blessing to see someone as serious as you, Pathapee, cry like this.” The only thing he could do was hand him some tissue to wipe his face, then pull his arm back to his own body, staring at the face that could be considered sharp, but not handsome enough to rival his Chao-nai.
If he hadn’t known them before, Nakrob would never have believed that the two of them shared such a deep relationship.
Kon Hin seemed like an ordinary guy. He was good-looking and in great shape, but not cute or endearing. There were plenty of cute boys in their university. If Tul was really interested in men, he could have easily picked up someone else. He could only tell himself that there must be something more going on behind the scenes with them, for sure.
They’ve been together since they were old enough to consent, a relationship that’s lasted from then till now.
“Is that so?”
Nakrob shook his head. The more he thought about it, the less he understood. He only knew one thing...
“So where the hell did he go? He made you suffer like this, and he didn’t take care of you at all?”
This was what angered him. Look at the state of Kon Hin first. If he were told he’d been beaten up, he’d believe it. But where did the person who did this go?
“Khun Than just passed away. Khun Tul has a lot to deal with.”
“But he has time for you!” Nakrob growled, irritated that Kon Hin was always making excuses for the other person. Damn it, Nakrob said he wasn’t going to be angry anymore, but he couldn’t help it.
“Don’t forget, I’m a man too. Maybe I’m the one who asked Khun Tul.”
Nakrob made a disbelieving face, looking at his close friend, who was so calm and composed that everyone at the university said that Pathapee was a man of few words and very serious. Someone like him, daring to ask his Chao-nai to sleep with him? He walked behind him even when they were together. What could possibly happen in bed? Who would ask to be beaten on the bed?
He couldn’t picture it.
“Then he’s a good grandson, but a terrible partner!”
Kon Hin fell silent, then gave a sad smile.
"I’m not in a relationship with Khun Tul..."
"What did you just say!?!"
This time, Nakrob turned to look sharply, his eyes wide. He made Kon Hin move to sit up before speaking in a calm voice.
"Can I use the bathroom? I want to take a shower."
"But we’re not done talking..."
"I’m tired, Ai Rob. I’m really tired today. Please, let’s talk later."
Nakrob immediately knew that he’d never get the full story after seeing the expression on his friend’s face, but all he could do was lead the way to the bedroom, pointing to the bathroom and saying that it was available for use.
Then Rob sighed in resignation, saying: "If you need anything, just call me."
Kon Hin gave a tired smile, just as his phone rang. He picked it up and froze when he saw the screen.
The caller was none other than...
"Yes, Khun Tul."
Whoosh.
Nakrob, who was about to go grab a towel, turned back.
"Let me talk to Khun Tul!" Nakrob nearly grabbed the phone, but had to pull back to stop himself.
”You’re at Ai Rob’s place, right?”
"Yes, please tell Khun Trai for me," Kon Hin responded politely, as if the events of the past four days hadn’t happened at all. This only made Nakrob more irritated, his brows furrowing even deeper.
He did this to you, and you’re still speaking politely to him?
Nakrob was about to snap out loud several times but stopped because of the pleading look in his close friend’s eyes.
”When are you coming back? I’ll pick you up.”
"I’m not sure yet. At least let the wound on my face heal first," Kon Hin said, touching the corner of his mouth, recalling how he got the injury.
”Call me when you’re ready…”
In the background, Hin heard another voice. ”Khun Tul, Auntie asked me to come call you. Oh, I’m sorry, am I bothering you?”
Kon Hin almost smiled, but his body froze, his mouth left hanging when the sweet, clear voice of someone he didn’t recognize called out with the name... Wadi.
”Call me when you're ready, then.”
Khun Tul had already hung up, but Kon Hin was still holding the phone in his hand, frozen. Nakrob couldn’t take it anymore.
"Ai Tul, you... wait, you hung up already!"
Pathapee didn’t care about his friend. He just pulled the phone back and walked into the bathroom with a nonchalant attitude, despite something troubling his heart deeply.
Who was Khun Tul with? Wadi—who was that?
The thought made his body ache worse than after enduring violent sex for several days in a row.
~~~
Tul acknowledged that putting everything on Kon Hin made him feel unbelievably better, as if some of the weight pressing down on his heart had been lifted. Even though his heart was still shrouded in the antagonistic situation left behind by his grandmother, it was no longer time to stay bogged down by the meaningless words of someone who was now nothing but ashes.
However, the slight uplift in his mood quickly faded when his close friend mentioned he would be staying with someone... Ai Rob.
The friend who had caught up with him to the point that it had long been irritating. Rob could fight him equally, in activities and popularity among both upper and younger years, but none of that compared to the fact that Rob had realized he was wearing a mask, pretending, and now Kon Hin chose to rely on someone he despised. Still, the reason his close friend gave made him reluctantly accept it.
Rob was the only one who could insult him without mercy, yet he was also the only one who would keep quiet about what had happened. So, after letting Kon Hin go to find his friend, Tul returned to the beautiful mansion he hated with all his heart.
This house had been rebuilt after Phonlay went into the hospital, so it was fortunate it wasn't the old mansion filled with terrible memories…
However, the young man's frustration quickly turned into a warm smile when he saw someone stepping uncertainly out of the grand building. Though he was puzzled, Tul quickly walked up the stairs toward the beautiful long-haired woman.
"Hello, P'Tul."
"Hello. How did you get here, Wadi?"
Napawadi, the woman he had almost forgotten existed in his life.
The one who smiled with relief when Tul remembered her.
"I came with my mother. Um, I am sorry about your grandmother, P'Tul," Wadi said in a concerned tone, her eyes showing sincere sympathy.
But that made Tul unintentionally clench his fist, turning his face away as he hoped.
He suppressed his feelings of hatred when mentioning that woman, but that made Napawadi think in another direction.
"I apologize," she said.
"Why are you apologizing to me?" Tul asked with a forced smile, trying to mask his irritation. He thought the young woman was another one who felt pity for his fate.
By now, Napawadi must have learned from his stepmother that this 'Tul' had no wealth to speak of. The plan he once had to use this woman as a stepping stone had to be put aside for now.
"I heard that you, Tul, are very upset. I shouldn't have reminded you of this, and I'm sorry I didn't attend the funeral. I just got back to Thailand yesterday, so today I came with my mother because I wanted to... sigh... express my condolences to you, Tul. Ah, no, no, to everyone here as well," she said, her concerned gaze lingering too much. She stammered as her feelings slipped out, her cheeks flushed so deeply that the listener fell silent.
Tul stared at her face until the young woman was the one to look away. Her hands instinctively grabbed at the hem of her shirt, clearly nervous.
"Thank you for 'worrying' about me," Tul said.
Tul threw a stone to test the waters, and that made the woman’s cheeks flush even more, clearly visible.
Her behavior made it obvious—no matter how naive someone was, it was clear that the other person... was interested in him.
"Uh, I’ll go see my mother now," Napawadi said.
Grab!
"Wait a moment."
At that moment, Tul quickly grabbed the slender wrist, different from his close friend’s, causing the young woman to startle, turning to look at him in surprise. However, she didn’t pull her hand away.
"Uh, Tul... it’s just my hand... um," the beautiful woman said briefly, lowering her gaze to her own hand, clearly nervous.
It was obvious she had never been close to a man before, and that made Tul speak softly.
"Napawadi, you know, right, that I didn’t inherit anything from my grandmother?"
"Y-Yes," she replied.
The listener nodded slowly, prompting Tul to ask again.
"I’m not worthy of your concern."
"It’s not related!" Napawadi protested, her voice louder. Her lips pressed together, and she shook her head vigorously.
"Whether you, Tul, received an inheritance from your grandmother or not; what does that have to do with why I am concerned for you? Whether you received it or not, I still care... ah."
Napawadi lifted her other hand to cover her mouth, her cheeks burning so deeply that it was almost frightening, while the lump in her chest pounded rapidly, realizing what she had just said.
And that made Tul, who still held her hand tightly, give a faint smile.
"Thank you for worrying about me."
Tul slowly released his grip, and as soon as she was free, Napawadi almost immediately pulled her hand back to her chest, lowering her head and muttering softly.
“Wadi will go see Khun Mother.”
The slender figure disappeared back inside, but Tul remained standing still. Not for long, though, before the corners of his mouth lifted into something akin to a sneer.
Do you see this? No matter how many times you trample on me, I will always lift my head for you to see.
This thought compelled the young man to walk into the house slowly, though one hand still gripped his phone tightly. Deep within his mind, he could still see the image of someone who had been battered to the point of being utterly broken—lash marks, binding marks, bruises turning an alarming shade of purple.
He knew it must have hurt, but he couldn’t stop himself either.
“Bloody damn it!”
Tul knew he should go greet Wadi’s mother, but instead, his legs carried him in another direction within the living room. The thought of Kon Hin spending time with Nakrob was disturbing enough to push him to make the call. Yet his irritation only deepened into resentment when Nakrob firmly declined to be picked up.
If I come get you, will you not be able to cozy up to Nakrob or something?
He quickly brushed the thought out of his heart when the same young woman reappeared hesitantly. He chose to end the call with his confidant, forcing a smile for the bridge that would elevate him further.
“Do you need something, Wadi?”
“Khun Mother asked me to call you. She noticed you had been inside for a while now.”
The young woman offered a small smile, which only enhanced her sweetness and charm, before continuing with visible uncertainty.
"Am I bothering you, P’Tul?"
The question made Tul realize he had been wearing a stern expression, prompting him to relax his features slightly. He offered a warm smile before replying.
“Not at all.”
The other tilted her head slightly, a gesture that led Tul to step closer. Taking the liberty, he placed his hand gently on her upper arm.
"Let us go. It was just something trivial."
The young man gave a light push, prompting the one being touched to shrink away quickly, though not out of disgust—her fair cheeks only flushed a deeper red. She lowered her head until her chin nearly touched her chest, a sight that made the observer’s eyes gleam with satisfaction.
Unbeknownst to Tul, however, the so-called 'trivial matter' was deeply wounded—not only in body but in heart.
For his Chao-nai was now close to someone else.
Someone who was a better match in every way.
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