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Perspective - Ae (Inthach)
"Ai'Ae, calm down! Just because you can't reach Ai'Pete by phone doesn't mean something's wrong."
"But it's been two hours now that his phone's been off. You've seen that he's never like this!"
At this point, I know all my friends think I'm overreacting, but I've been trying to reach Ai'Pete since early evening. Even when I called about the rest of our team going out to eat together, he didn't pick up. Even when I tried calling one last time five minutes ago, he didn't answer. I couldn't sit there having fun with the others anymore and told them I was leaving, with Ai'Pond –who came along just to eat for free– running after me.
"Hey, I know you're worried, but the seniors from the Tech faculty have come back to treat the juniors, you know. Show them a little respect, will you?"
"I think P'No understands," I dismiss him, hurriedly hailing a taxi in front of the restaurant to get back to the dorm as fast as possible, while my friend sighs in exasperation.
"Fine, fine, I'll come along. If you check and Ai'Pete's fine though, you'd better come back to eat, all right? I even got Em to let me go."
I don't pay any mind to Ai'Pond's grumbling. I just give the driver the destination and sit with a grim expression until the taxi stops in front of my sweetheart's dormitory.
Then, without another thought, I rush straight to the elevator, swipe my card, and head up to the floor I need.
The corridor is empty, no people, nothing out of place. I don't feel any relief at all though, because I've stressed to Ai'Pete over and over not to keep his phone away from him at this time.
So the fact that he's not answering his phone for two hours—there has to be something wrong.
"Look, you, there's nothing here," Ai'Pond tells me, but I'm still not convinced until I can see it with my own eyes.
Click.
As soon as I scan my card at the door, the lock clicks, allowing me to enter.
"Pete?" The entire room is pitch dark, and an uneasy feeling washes over me since he should be here in the dorm.
"Maybe he went out, Ai'Ae," Ai'Pond suggests.
I ignore Ai'Pond, reaching to switch on the light, but my foot strikes something.
Thud!
I nearly pound the wall when I see objects scattered across the floor. Then as the lights blaze on, I freeze in shock.
"What the hell happened here!" Ai'Pond exclaims at the sight of the room now... belongings strewn everywhere as if someone ransacked the place. The table is overturned, the chair knocked back. I can think only one thing.
"Ai'Pete!" I bolt toward the bedroom door, which is shut tight, only to find it locked from the inside. I pound on it, hard. Bam!
"Damn it!" I curse, hearing a loud commotion from within. While Ai'Pond tries to tell me he'll go fetch a key or something, I take three steps back.
Then…
Crash!!!
I turn my shoulder and ram it against the door with all my strength. The first attempt doesn't work, so I back up even farther and throw myself forward as hard as I can. I don't care if my shoulder dislocates or if I get injured. I only care whether Ai'Pete is still safe.
Crack!
This time, the door flies open, and I stagger inside from the impact. Once I steady myself, I look around the room while Ai'Pond turns on the light.
"Mmph!!!"
"Hey, P'Money!" I see the source of the muffled cry—the large person bound hand and foot who's knocked the bedside lamp to the floor. What freezes me in my tracks is their swollen bruised face and the blood around their mouth, gagged as they are.
I rush over and remove the gag from their mouth.
"Where's Ai'Pete, Phii? Where is Ai'Pete!"
"They... cough... they took Pete."
"Where to?!"
"I... I don't know..."
"Where did they take Ai'Pete? Tell me! Tell me where he is!" I shout in P'Money's face like a madman, shaking their shoulders violently.
Ai'Pond rushes over, pulling me back.
"Ai'Ae, calm down! Do you see what kind of state they're in? Take it easy, will you?"
I know I am selfish for not caring about the injured, but my worry for Ai'Pete is overwhelming—I don't know what to do. Finally, I can only collapse onto the floor, both hands gripping my knees, clutching my head.
"Ai'Pete, where are you?" I feel like I am losing my mind.
"What happened, Phii?"
"Ow, I don't know! Suddenly, three men barged in. I only realized when they were already attacking Nong Pete. When I stepped in to help, they punched me and tied me up like this! Ow! Easy there!"
Ai'Pond starts untying P'Money, while I lift my head, growling low.
"Trump!!"
"Yes, yes! I heard Nong Pete calling out, 'Trump, Trump!'"
Whoosh.
I stand up the moment I hear that name, ready to rush out of the room, but Ai'Pond grabs my shoulder, yanking me back.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"I'm going to kill Trump!" I snap back at him.
"Calm down! Where are you going to find him? You don't even know where he is."
"And you want me to just sit here while Ai'Pete is out there, who knows where?! Ai'Pond, you don't understand me. Ai'Pete isn't your romantic partner! You don't worry about him! You'll never understand how I feel!!!"
Smack!
My head jerks to the side—I didn't expect someone like Ai'Pond to have the guts to punch me. I turn back, ready to take him on, deciding that if he tries to stop me, I'll beat him down, whatever it takes.
"Calm down, will you?" But instead, he says this, still calm enough to continue,
"Yeah, I don't know exactly how you feel, but don't go saying I don't care about Ai'Pete. Ai'Pete is my friend too. But where are you going to look for him if you rush out now? Do you even know who took him? Ae, I know you're desperate right now, but can't you calm down first? Use your brain to think through what needs to happen first. Acting like a rabid dog isn't going to keep Ai'Pete safe, you feather-headed idiot!"
I almost never see him talk sense like this, but when he speaks, I can't help but pause, taking a deep breath even as my hands tremble.
"Ugh, Pond's right. Let's calm down for now. I suggest we calm down first, then take this kathoey to the hospital, or better yet, let's go report it to the police together."
As soon as P'Money says this, I turn to look at them, trying to steady myself before going wild again, then tell Ai'Pond.
"You take them to the hospital. I'll go file the report myself."
"Ae, wait! Hold on a sec!" With that, I rush out of the room immediately. I don't care what kind of scandal this might cause for Ai'Pete's family—all I want is to find him and know he's safe.
Then, when I find Trump… he'll know that hell is real.
An Hour Later
"A missing person case can only be filed after 24 hours, kid."
"But this isn't a missing person case! He was kidnapped!"
Now, I'm at the police station, trying to explain the situation to the duty officer, who gives me a lousy response—that I need to wait a full 24 hours.
"Do you have anything to confirm this?"
I know it sounds hard to believe because I have no proof. There's nothing to show that Ai'Pete didn't just step out for a meal and will return in a few hours.
"He was really taken! You can go check his room!" I raise my voice at the officer, but he only shakes his head, replying in a tone that warns me to calm down.
"I already told you, we can't file a report yet. At best, we can make a daily record. Come back if nothing changes in 24 hours; it won't be too late…"
"What the hell do you mean, 'it won't be too late'? What kind of cop are you, refusing to take my report? If he ends up dead, will you take responsibility? Or are you just good for taking taxpayer money!!" I can't hold back any longer. I rise, slapping the table in front of me, and shout insults at the lousy police officer who refuses to hear me out.
Yes, I'm just an ordinary student—not a celebrity, a singer, or a wealthy person who gets help the moment they walk into the station. At the very least though, I shouldn't be ignored like this.
"Hey, you better watch your mouth, or you'll end up in jail," the officer snaps back, visibly angry, ready for confrontation. Just as I'm about to swing at him though—
"Ai'Ae!!! We found him!"
I don't turn at the voice immediately, still glaring at the officer with intensity, until I feel someone pulling me back. P'Type steps forward to stand between us.
"Officer, I apologize for my brother causing trouble. Please don't hold it against him. He's just furious because his friend is missing."
I'm so frustrated that I want to hit this cop, but somehow, my teammates, who must have followed, grab my arms firmly and start dragging me out of the station, leaving P'Type to handle the situation.
"Are you guys here drunk or high?"
"You shit-lizard!"
"Calm down, Ae! You need to keep calm. If you end up behind bars, who will look for Ai'Pete?" I bite back a curse as P'Techno whispers this in my ear, helping pull me down from the station's steps, where I suddenly notice nearly the entire football team waiting for us.
"How did you all get here?"
"Ai'Pond called us, of course. He said we should get to you before you punch a cop and catch a charge."
Should I be thanking my best friend for understanding me so well? I shake off their grip, glancing back at the former captain who's come back to rally the juniors.
"Calm down yet, Ae?"
"No, I can't calm down," I reply bluntly, still beside myself with worry, causing the senior to sigh.
"You need to calm down. I heard from Ai'Champ that someone's been tailing Ai'Pete, planning to ambush him, but if you lose your temper, it'll only make things worse. Yelling at the police won't help either. They have some damn regulations or whatever. Even if they're no help, you still have us… How could a few cops stand against our whole team?"
I can only stand there, speechless, as my senior again claps a heavy hand on my shoulder. I rarely see P'Techno so serious—except before a match.
Yet, now I feel I can rely on him completely, so much that I find myself saying, "Sorry, Phii. I… I feel like I'm going insane. Ai'Pond was right. I've been acting like a rabid dog."
"Good, so long as you realize it. Are you calm now?"
Snap.
It's not P'Techno who replies, so I turn around to see P'Type following us down the steps, evidently done talking to the police. Reluctantly, I nod.
"Good. Now, think about where they could have taken Ai'Pete." I go silent, straining to recall anything Ai'Pete might have mentioned about that fucking shit-lizard.
And the answer is…
"I don't know. I barely know anything about him, except that he's tried to squeeze money out of Ai'Pete."
I feel stuck, not knowing a damn thing about that guy, and Ai'Pete didn't like talking about him, either. My answer casts a heavy silence over everyone.
Ai'Pete's been missing for two hours. They could have taken him far by now.
Suddenly, my phone rings, making me jump as I grab it, hoping against hope that it's Ai'Pete.
But it's… Ai'Khaen.
Ai'Ae, you okay? I'm at the hospital with Ai'Pond. Did the police take the report? Need me to come help? I'm ready to stomp anyone who did this to Ai'Pete!
"Ai'Khaen, I'm fine." And, as if sensing my doubts, P'Type speaks up.
"I told him to follow Ai'Pond to the hospital. If we had two hotheads together, you'd both end up in jail."
I nod, knowing that Ai'Khaen has no patience. He wouldn't care who he's up against. He'd likely punch a cop if told to wait the full 24 hours.
"Ai'Pete's stuff—all of it—has been taken, his friend Phii Money wanted me to tell you. That loser cleaned out everything of value Ai'Pete owned. Even took his car keys."
I clench my fists, not out of regret over the possessions but at the thought of that scoundrel going so far.
"Thanks for letting me know. That's all…" I'm desperate to track Ai'Pete down, but before I can hang up, Ai'Khaen calls out urgently.
"Wait, wait, wait, Ai'Ae! There's one more thing I need to tell you… do you know the friend-tracking app?"
"Ai'Khaen, if it's unrelated to Ai'Pete, I'm hanging up," I say firmly, annoyed that he'd mess around at a time like this.
Ai'Khaen protests loudly.
"No, no, no! I'm not joking. The app lets you see where a friend is. Ai'Pete and I added each other on it. I was just tracking Ai'Pete's phone, but it must be off because there's no signal. But if it turns back on, I'll know his location immediately. I've set it to track him now."
I fall silent, a flicker of hope piercing my despair. My grip tightens around my phone, and my heart starts to race.
I may have a way to find him!
"So, I just have to wait."
"I don't know, though. From what Ai'Pond said, his phone's probably in those fucking shit-lizards' hands now. If they've taken out the SIM, it's over."
In that moment, I realize just how powerless I am.
I promised Ai'Pete I would protect him. I told him he would be safe. When it really matters though, there's nothing I can do but stand here, waiting for someone else to help, while he's out there… enduring who knows what. All I can do is wait.
I realize then… I am nothing but an ordinary man without power.
I answer Ai'Khaen, lowering my hand as I cover my face with the other. I feel like nothing but a miserable loser, someone unable to keep my word. For the one person I love most, I cannot even protect him.
"I am nothing but a pathetic loser!" I shout, unable to keep everything bottled up.
The thought that Ai'Pete might be hurt ignites a heat in my chest, tearing my heart apart. In this moment, I realize how much Ai'Pete means to me and why…
Why do I let someone else take what is most precious to me? Why!!!
"Ai'Ae, I do not know how you feel, but right now, do not blame yourself. Once we get Pete back, if you want to call yourself every name in the book, I will not stop you. But right now, you cannot lose hope, because if you give up, what will happen to your romantic partner?" P'Type says, patting me on the shoulder, prompting me to look up.
The whole team is looking at me with sincere concern. That concern allows me to breathe deeply.
"I am going to save Ai'Pete," I say with firm resolve, as everyone replies…
"Then we are going to help you."
Yes, now I must focus solely on rescuing Ai'Pete!
Perspective - Pete (Pitchaya)
Pain… pain all over… so much pain I can barely bring myself to open my eyes. Or perhaps… I simply cannot open them.
I think I have opened my eyes, but all I see is darkness and realize I am blindfolded. As I try to move my arm, I find it restrained. I shake my head slowly, feeling utterly disoriented, unable to tell where I am.
I remember the last thing I saw: P'Money collapsing onto the floor. I must have been struck unconscious after that, leaving me unaware not only of my location but also of how much time has passed.
Fwoosh.
"Mmhh!!!" I cry out as the darkness is abruptly replaced by blinding light, forcing me to squint. Before my eyes can adjust, someone leans in close, grinning widely.
"Hey, Ai'Pete. Awake now, are you?"
"Puh… P'Trump," I murmur his name weakly, feeling myself begin to tremble with fear.
He laughs at my reaction.
"It's been a while. Why did you run from me?" I am too frightened to respond, avoiding his gaze and turning my head in the opposite direction—only to widen my eyes in shock.
"Heh-heh, like it, do you? This way, you can see yourself nice and clear."
"L-let me go… take whatever you want, just... release... me."
I flinch, my voice shaky as I plead. I can see my own reflection in a black-tinted mirror nearby… I am tied with my hands behind my back to the wooden headboard of a dilapidated bed. The room is bare, aside from a video camera positioned at the foot of the bed. And in the corner, two men are sitting, watching.
I don't even want to imagine what they intend to do to me.
"What are you so afraid of? You used to come to me willingly, Ai'Pete."
I look back at the demon I once mistook for an angel, my eyes filled with terror. His voice, soft and coaxing as it once deceived me, now feels disgustingly insincere and repulsive.
I now know just how much more genuine someone like Ae, with his blunt speech, truly is.
"P-P'Trump, please… just let me go. What more could you want from me? You've already taken hundreds of thousands…"
"It'll never be enouuugh~" he replies in a mocking tone, tossing a familiar-looking silver card around before flipping it to show me the front.
"Now, tell me nicely, what's the PIN?" I hesitate, not because I mind the money, but because Ae insisted I shouldn't give these people anything.
Yet at this moment, I'd sacrifice everything to see my mother and Ae's face again, so I try to negotiate.
"I...if I tell you, you have to let me go."
"And since when do you have the right to negotiate with me!!!"
Gasp!
I flinch as he shouts, and quickly tell him the four-digit PIN. He seems to calm down as he takes my phone, turning it on and toying with it.
"ATM withdrawals are just too slow. Come on now, tell me your online banking password, Ai'Pete."
He sits down beside me, reaching out to stroke my cheek. I lie there stiffly, glancing at him with fearful eyes. From the corner of my eye, I see the two other men watching me intently.
This account only has two million... It's alright, Pete, it's alright.
I take a deep breath and give him the online banking password, knowing that fortunately, I've only registered for online access with my account that holds the smallest amount.
"Oh ho! Guys, two million!"
"Heh-heh, so he really is a Khun-chai like you said, Ai'Trump."
I shut my eyes in fear as I hear him transferring the money to another account. Then I flinch when one of the other men speaks up.
"And that car's no junker either. Sell it abroad, and you'll have more than enough to clear the debt—and then some. You'll be living easy for years, Ai'Trump." I open my eyes and look at him, laughing maniacally, wondering how I ever could have liked him.
What will he do to me? Once, Ai'Trump seemed like a reasonable man, but maybe, as Tinn said, he's been using drugs. Now he looks gaunt, his gaze hollow, and it makes me tremble with fear because I cannot predict what he might do to me.
"I… I've told you everything. Please, let me go," I attempt to negotiate.
Instead he locks my phone and tosses it to one of his friends. Then he stands up, offering a gentle, almost tender smile, and utters words that make my blood run cold.
"How can I be sure that Ai'Pete won't tell anyone?"
"I...I swear I won't! I won't tell anyone, really!"
"I believe you. But I need some insurance."
Heh-heh.
I flinch as the two men sitting in the corner rise and step toward me, their cold stares sending chills down my spine. Then, Ai'Trump says something that fills me with so much dread, I wish I could pass out all over again.
"Do you know, Pete...I can embrace a man now."
"N… no."
I shake my head, struggling to free my wrists from the thick ropes, my legs curling back in a vain attempt to put distance between me and the three men. Then, the one I once foolishly admired smiles and speaks.
"What do you think, Pete? If there were a video of the Young Master Pete debasing himself with three other men and it found its way to your grandmother's mansion, how much more would I get?"
"No!! No, Ai'Trump, get away...do not come near me!!!" I shout at the top of my lungs, my heart seeming to have disappeared entirely as terror wells up in my throat, leaving me only able to scream.
"Stay the bloody hell away from me!"
"Come on now, let's have some fun. Didn't you already enjoy being taken by men, Pete? What's there to fear? You've probably already been used up by that Shorty till you're ruined, haven't you?"
I refuse to listen to him because the only thing I shout out is...
"Ae! Ae, help me...someone, help me...please, help!"
Thud!
"Again!" I taste blood in my mouth as one of them slams a fist into my face. I'm not finished fighting though, and when one of them grabs my ankle...
Crash!
I manage to kick one squarely in the shoulder, sending him sprawling beside the bed. I can only guess how furious I've made him now.
"Step aside, let me teach this pathetic little Khun-chai a lesson!" He shoves Ai'Trump and the other man aside, pressing my legs down with his knee. His repulsive face lowers toward mine.
"You think I'm going to be gentle with you, you disgusting gay?"
Smack!
My face jerks to the side as his hand strikes me. I struggle with all my strength, feeling the ropes cutting into my wrists, but I don't care. I fight to free myself, but he slaps me again and again until the pain numbs me, until tears stream down my cheeks.
All I can do is mutter… "Ae, help me...help me…" And as long as I believe that Ae will come, I must fight...I must fight to the very end!
I will belong to no one else. I belong to Ae, and Ae alone.
Perspective - Ae (Inthach)
"Are you certain it's here?"
The moment Khaen calls me to say he's picked up Pete's signal, it is as though I've been revived from the dead. I am ready to storm the address he's sent, but my seniors urge me to remain calm. So, we gather our group and head for the destination, finally arriving at an old rental house in an overgrown alley, a place that looks like it has been abandoned for some time.
Perhaps it is fortunate that it isn't far from our university, so it doesn't take long for us to get here.
"Certain. Pete's car is right there!" I grit my teeth, pointing at the familiar Mercedes parked alongside two motorcycles.
I am too anxious to approach quietly, but P'Type insists we don't know how many of them are inside. "If we charge in and they harm Pete, would you be willing to risk that?"
That is enough to calm me, just enough to follow quietly behind P'Champ.
At the moment, the house is lit only on the lower floor. I can hear laughter coming from inside, but before creeping up to the window, I spot a sturdy piece of wood, perfect for gripping, and picked it up. Then, I silently move along the side of the house.
Clink.
Just as I am about to catch up to P'Champ, he raises his hand, stopping me, and looks back with a sympathetic gaze.
"If you see him, you must stay calm."
"What do you mean?" I asked him in a low voice.
Something deep inside me was screaming that whatever I am about to see is bad news. So instead of promising, I brush past my senior, stepping forward to take his place. I look through the shattered window inside, and at that moment... it feels as though I've stopped breathing.
There, I see Ai'Pete... Ai'Pete laying bare on the old wooden bed, his body smeared in blood—likely his own. He is so still that, in that moment, I know I am about to lose my mind.
Bang!!!
"Ae!!" At that point, I no longer care how many of them there are or if they have weapons. I charge straight at the front door, slamming into it with full force, ignoring the shouts from the others behind me.
"Hey!!!" I pay no attention as they turn around in surprise. Instead, I swing the wood in my hand, striking one of them square in the face.
"All of you hurt Ai'Pete!!!" I shout, swinging the wood again, this time hitting another across the head.
Then I see him... the one who harmed the one I love.
"Trump, you're dead!!!" I lung at him, disregarding anyone else, raising the wood in my hand and swinging it hard into his torso.
"Damn it, he's just one guy! What are you all doing?!" Trump yells, trying to block my blows.
I don't know if my friends have come to help. My sole focus is on Trump... the one who hurt my romantic partner.
Crash!!
I throw the wood aside and charge at him, grabbing him by the collar and landing a punch right in his face as he cries out, trying to hit me back.
Thud.
My head snaps to the side, and the metallic tang of blood fills my senses… and it only makes me thirst for more of his.
"You hurt my partner! Die, you fucking shit-lizard!!!" I scream, landing another punch to his face, then jerking him forward to drive my knee into his stomach before he could even react. He might be bigger than me, but now he is nothing more than my punching bag.
Whack!.. Thud!!!... Smack!!!
"You die, you die!!! You die!!!"
That was all I shout as I kick the one who has collapsed, curled up on the floor. I kick him again and again.
All I know is… I will make him suffer even more than my partner has endured!!!
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