CHAPTER 13
---
Two days later, the rumors still hadn't died down.
If anything, they'd gotten louder.
Pond pushed open the café door, the bell chiming softly above him.
He walked straight to the counter.
"One chocolate cake," He said. "With a cherry on top."
Phuwin nodded quietly.
No teasing.
No extra words.
He turned, took a slice from the display, and carefully placed a cherry on top- adjusting it just right before setting it on a plate.
Pond had already found a seat near the window.
Phuwin walked over and placed the cake in front of him.
"...Here."
Pond gave a small nod.
Then started eating.
Quiet.
Slow.
Phuwin lingered for a second.
Hesitating.
Then-
He sat down across from him.
Silence settled between them, but it wasn't uncomfortable.
Just... Full of things unsaid.
Phuwin watched him for a moment.
His thoughts drifting.
No matter what they say...
No matter what my father said...
His gaze softened slightly.
He's never been a monster to me.
Not a psycho either.
Pond took another bite, unaware of the storm in Phuwin's head.
But one thought kept pushing forward.
Louder than the rest.
Why did he call me... His?
Phuwin's fingers tightened slightly on the table.
And what did he mean... When he said 'Why are you making me feel like this, Phuwin?'"
His eyes stayed on Pond.
Searching.
Confused.
Because more than anything-
He wanted to understand.
Pond exhaled softly, setting his fork down for a moment.
Then he looked up at Phuwin.
"...Tomorrow's the finals."
Phuwin blinked, snapping out of his thoughts.
Pond leaned back slightly, gaze steady now.
"And we're going against that university."
A pause.
"The one nearby."
Phuwin's eyes widened in realization.
Them.
The same university.
The one Pond's always had issues with.
The one tied to all the fights.
"...Wait," Phuwin said, clearly shocked. "You mean them?"
Pond gave a small nod.
Silence fell between them again.
But this time-
It felt heavier.
Because tomorrow wasn't just a finals match anymore.
It was something else entirely.
Pond's gaze dropped briefly to Phuwin's wrist.
"...Is it healed?" He asked, voice quieter now.
Phuwin glanced down instinctively.
Pond's expression tightened slightly.
"If it still hurts," He added, more serious this time, "you shouldn't play."
He looked back up at him, eyes steady.
"I mean it, Phuwin."
A small pause.
"I don't want you forcing it and making it worse... Especially tomorrow."
Phuwin exhaled softly, a small smile forming on his lips.
"...It's fine."
Pond didn't look convinced.
His gaze lingered on Phuwin's wrist for a second longer, like he was weighing whether to argue.
"...You always say that," He muttered quietly.
But this time, he didn't push.
He just picked up his fork again.
Still watching him-
Just a little.
---
The next morning, the court buzzed with noise.
Finals day.
Their team huddled at the side, tension thick in the air.
Pond stood at the center.
Phuwin right beside him.
For a second, Pond didn't speak.
He just looked at all of them.
Then-
"...Listen."
His voice was steady.
Strong.
"I don't care what happens after this," He continued. "Yeah, I'm getting suspended. That's already decided."
A pause.
"But that's not what matters right now."
His eyes sharpened.
"We're here for the finals."
The team straightened slightly.
Listening.
"We didn't come this far just to back out now," Pond added. "So forget everything else- rumors, people talking, all of it."
Then-
His gaze shifted.
He looked across the court.
At the opposing team.
His jaw clenched.
"...Those bastards," He muttered, loud enough for his team to hear. "Acting like they own everything. Like they can do whatever the hell they want."
His eyes darkened.
He stepped forward slightly.
Voice colder.
Lower.
"I swear, I won't let it slide."
Silence.
Then he looked back at his team.
"So don't hold back."
A beat.
"Because we're not just playing to win."
His gaze flicked briefly to Phuwin.
Then back to everyone.
"We're ending this."
They all cheered, energy rising as the team broke apart and ran toward the center of the court.
The noise of the crowd swelled again.
Pond stayed where he was for a second longer, exhaling as he watched his teammates take their positions.
Phuwin remained beside him.
Pond glanced at the opposing side, then spoke-
"...They made a deal."
Phuwin tilted his head slightly.
"...A deal?"
Pond nodded.
Phuwin blinked, surprised.
"...Really?"
He let out a short scoff.
Phuwin looked at the court, then back at Pond.
A small, determined nod.
"...Then I guess we really need to win."
Pond glanced at him-
And a slight smirk formed on his lips.
"Yeah," He said quietly.
"We do."
Phuwin smiled gently, glancing toward the crowd filling the bleachers.
"...Whatever they say out there," He said softly, nodding toward the noise at the center, "don't listen to them."
Pond's smirk didn't fade.
If anything- it stayed.
"I don't care anymore," He replied.
His eyes flicked toward the opposing team, then back to the court.
"They're the ones who should be scared."
A pause.
"...Even that nearby university is scared of me now."
Phuwin looked at him for a moment.
Then back at the court.
The noise grew louder.
The game was about to start.
Phuwin let out a quiet breath of a laugh under his breath.
"Guess being viral can help you scare them," He said lightly. "Good luck."
He gave Pond's shoulder a quick pat-
Then jogged toward the center, calling out to a teammate.
Pond froze.
Just for a second.
His ears turned bright red almost instantly.
He stared after Phuwin-
Like his brain needed a moment to catch up to what just happened.
Then he cleared his throat quietly.
Composed himself.
And started walking after him-
Calm on the outside.
But his heartbeat wasn't.
---
The whistle blew.
The game started.
Shoes squeaked sharply against the court as both teams moved into position.
The ball was tossed-
And the match began.
The crowd erupted instantly.
Cheers.
Shouts.
But mixed in with it-
Whispers.
Eyes locked onto one person.
Pond.
"...That's him."
"...The guy from the video."
"...Isn't he the one who almost killed someone?"
"...Why is he even allowed to play?"
"...Psycho..."
Phones lifted again.
Some recording.
Some just watching closely.
Pond stood at the center.
Expression calm.
Cold.
But the noise didn't stop.
It circled him.
Pressed in.
"...Monster..."
"...Careful, he might snap again..."
The tension on the court thickened.
But the game didn't wait.
It moved fast.
And Pond-
Stepped forward to meet it.
The game exploded into motion.
From the first minutes, both teams were locked in a brutal back-and-forth- fast passes, sharp cuts, and constant pressure that made the court feel suffocating.
Pond moved like a wall on defense.
Blocking. Cutting lanes. Taking possession when it mattered most.
But every time he touched the ball-
The crowd noise followed him like a shadow.
"...Psycho!"
"...Don't let him get through!"
It wasn't just noise anymore.
It was pressure.
Phuwin, on the other hand, kept the team together.
Calling plays.
Signaling passes.
Dragging them forward even when their rhythm broke.
But the opposing team was relentless.
They pushed harder with every minute.
They shoved through screens.
They taunted as they played.
"Is that all you've got?!" One of them shouted.
"Pathetic! You think you can win like this?!"
The scoreboard kept shifting.
Close.
Too close.
Pond's team started slipping.
Missed shots.
Broken formations.
Turnovers.
For a moment-
It looked like they were going to lose it.
The opposing team broke through their defense and scored again.
Their bench went silent.
Even the crowd shifted.
"...They're falling apart..."
"...It's over."
Pond exhaled sharply.
Eyes dark.
But focused.
Phuwin looked at him from across the court.
Just for a second.
And something shifted.
The next play-
Everything changed.
Pond intercepted a pass cleanly.
Phuwin sprinted forward, calling out directions.
A fast break.
One pass.
Then another.
The opposing team panicked.
Shouting.
Cursing.
"Block them!"
"Don't let them through-!"
But it was too late.
Pond drove in.
Passed at the last second.
Phuwin caught it-
And scored.
The crowd erupted.
Again and again, the momentum flipped.
Their team started moving like one unit.
Cleaner passes.
Stronger defense.
Sharper decisions.
The opposing team grew louder- but messier.
Angry mistakes.
Forced shots.
More cursing.
"Shut them down!"
"Don't let that bastard lead!"
But Pond didn't react anymore.
He just played.
Final minutes.
Score tied.
Everything down to the last possession.
Phuwin signaled.
Pond nodded.
One last play.
The ball moved fast.
Left to right.
Back to Phuwin.
Then inside.
Pond cut through the defense-
Caught the pass-
And went up.
The buzzer was seconds away.
Shot released.
Silence.
Then-
Swish.
The buzzer screamed through the gym.
For a second-
No one moved.
Then the realization hit.
They had won.
And then-
They shouted.
The buzzer had barely finished echoing through the gym when everything exploded into noise.
Their teammates rushed forward, screaming in disbelief and joy.
Phuwin jumped so hard his feet left the ground for a second.
"WE WON-!"
Pond shouted too- raw, loud, completely unguarded.
Like everything he had been holding in finally snapped loose.
Their eyes met across the court.
Just for a heartbeat.
Then both of them moved at the same time.
Pond reached him first.
He grabbed Phuwin without thinking- arms locking around his legs as he lifted him clean off the ground.
"Pond-!" Phuwin barely had time to react.
Pond spun him once-
Twice-
Laughing breathlessly, something almost unrecognizable on his face.
And then-
It stopped.
Too close.
Too sudden.
Too quiet in the middle of all that noise.
Phuwin froze in his arms.
Pond did too.
Their breathing hitched at the same time.
And without either of them fully understanding who moved first-
They closed the space between them.
A kiss.
Lips to lips.
It wasn't long.
It wasn't planned.
It was just-
Shock. relief. adrenaline. everything colliding in one second too fast to stop.
The crowd gasped.
Like the entire gym had just been struck silent at once.
Pond and Phuwin pulled apart instantly.
Eyes wide.
Breath stuck.
Silence swallowed everything.
Even the cheering died mid-sound.
Phuwin scrambled down immediately, stumbling back from Pond like the ground had tilted under him.
His face flushed, eyes blown wide.
Pond stood frozen.
Still processing.
Still staring at him.
No words.
No sound.
Just silence.
The silence didn't last.
It cracked.
First came the whispers.
Low. Sharp. Confused.
Then louder.
"...They kissed?"
"...Phuwin kissed Pond?"
"...No way-"
The crowd erupted all over again- but this time it wasn't cheers.
It was shock.
Rumors forming in real time, spreading faster than the game had ever moved.
Even Pond's teammates froze.
One of them slowly turned his head.
"...Bro... What just happened?"
Another just blinked.
"No one saw that coming."
Phones went up again.
Recording.
Zooming.
Whispering.
"Is that real?"
"Did they actually-?"
Phuwin looked around.
Too many eyes.
Too many voices.
Too loud.
His breathing broke.
Panic hit his chest all at once like he couldn't find air in the noise.
He stepped back.
Once.
Twice.
Then turned.
And ran.
He didn't even look back.
Just pushed through the edge of the court and disappeared into the side exit, shoulders tight, mind spinning too fast to understand what he had just done.
Behind him-
Pond stayed where he was.
Still.
Silent.
Eyes wide.
Fixed on the space Phuwin had just left behind.
The noise around him kept going-
But he didn't hear it anymore.
---
Later that evening, Book was practically speed-walking down the street, eyes glued to his phone as he scrolled through clip after clip of the viral moment.
Every video was the same.
Pond.
Phuwin.
The kiss.
The crowd screaming.
The freeze afterward.
"Book... Slow down or else you'll trip, and watch where you're going or else you'll hit a pole," Force said beside him, still holding his hand firmly so he wouldn't actually crash into anything.
Book didn't even look up.
He just grabbed his hair with his free hand, eyes wide like he was watching his entire worldview collapse in real time.
"I'm shocked," Book blurted out. "I am actually shocked."
Force sighed. "I know you are."
Book finally stopped walking for a second, staring at the screen again like it might change if he looked hard enough.
"They actually kissed," He said slowly. "Like- actually. In front of everyone."
Force gave a small nod. "Yeah. I saw."
"I'll talk to my brother about it," He added calmly, like this was just another problem on his list.
Book turned instantly.
"Can you believe your little brother and my older brother kissed?!" He said, voice rising. "Like- what is this?! What did Pond feed him?! What kind of brain malfunction is this?!"
Force blinked at him.
"...Feed him?"
"Yes!" Book threw his hands up. "Because there is NO WAY Phi Phuwin just- just- does that out of nowhere! That man studies, breathes notes, and avoids drama like it's a disease!"
He pointed at the phone like it personally offended him.
"And Pond- Pond is Pond! He's supposed to be intimidating, violent rumors, basketball psycho energy- NOT... This!"
Force exhaled, squeezing Book's hand lightly to calm him down.
"It was probably just adrenaline. They just won a game."
Book spun in place, still agitated.
"Adrenaline doesn't make people kiss! That makes people scream or faint or run- not-" he gestured wildly, "-ROMANTICALLY SHORT-CIRCUIT IN FRONT OF A WHOLE STADIUM!"
Force looked at him for a moment, then said dryly, "You're really mad at Pond right now."
"I AM!" Book snapped immediately. "What did he do to my brother?! What did he do to Phi Phuwin's reputation?! Do you know how many comments are calling him 'Pond's boyfriend' right now?!"
He stopped, breathing hard.
Then added more quietly, still furious:
"...That idiot is going to give my brother a headache."
Force exhaled and gently tugged Book a little closer.
"Calm down," He said quietly. "I'll talk to my brother about it. Just... Don't spiral."
Book let out a frustrated huff, still visibly annoyed, but the edge in his expression softened slightly.
"...Fine," He muttered. Then he started walking again.
---
A few minutes later, they reached the front of Book's house.
The gate stood under the dim evening light, familiar and quiet compared to the chaos he'd just been doom-scrolling through.
Book stopped there.
"I'll go now," He said quickly. "I need to check if Phi Phu is okay."
Force nodded.
For a second, Book hesitated- still restless, still worried.
Then he stepped forward and pulled Force into a quick hug.
It was brief, almost rushed, like he couldn't stay still for long.
"Text me later," Book said under his breath.
Force gave a small nod. "I will."
Book pulled away, turned immediately, and slipped through the gate.
He didn't look back as he disappeared inside.
---
The moment Book stepped inside the house, he dropped his bag right by the entrance and rushed upstairs without even taking his shoes off properly.
His footsteps were quick, almost panicked, as he reached Phuwin's room.
He slowed down at the door.
Then peeked inside.
"...Phi Phuwin?"
Phuwin was on the bed.
Completely covered by his blanket like he was trying to disappear from the entire world.
No movement.
No response.
Just silence.
Book hesitated at the doorway.
"...Can I come in?" He asked softly.
Still nothing.
He exhaled and pushed the door open anyway, stepping inside carefully like he didn't want to disturb anything.
He walked over slowly and sat down on the edge of the bed beside him.
For a moment, he just looked at the blanket mound.
Then spoke again, quieter this time.
"I heard what happened."
The blanket shifted slightly.
But Phuwin still didn't show his face.
Didn't answer.
Didn't move properly.
Just stayed hidden, like if he didn't react, the world outside wouldn't be real.
Book swallowed.
"...You don't have to talk," He said, voice softer now. "I just... Wanted to make sure you're okay."
He glanced down at the blanket again.
"Everyone's talking about it outside," He added carefully. "The video... The kiss... Everything."
Still no response.
Only the faintest tightening of the blanket around Phuwin, like he was holding himself in place.
Book lowered his voice even more.
"...Phi," He said gently. "I'm not here to judge you. I'm just here."
And he stayed sitting there beside him, not pushing, just waiting in the quiet.
Phuwin slowly lowered the blanket from his face.
His hair was slightly messy, eyes red-rimmed, blinking up at Book like he was still trying to process what was real.
"...I'm so confused," He said quietly.
His voice was small, strained.
"I don't understand myself."
He swallowed, fingers tightening around the edge of the blanket.
"I don't know why I did that," He admitted. "I don't know why I just- acted like that."
A shaky breath left him.
"It's like my head won't stop replaying it... And it hurts. It hurts so much."
He pressed a hand lightly to his temple, eyes lowering again.
"...I don't get it," He whispered. "I don't get any of it."
Book raised an eyebrow, watching Phuwin carefully as he kept speaking- words spilling out faster now, tangled with confusion about what he felt, what he did, and why everything suddenly felt so overwhelming.
Phuwin shook his head slightly, still holding the blanket close.
"I'm just confused," He repeated. "It's not like I planned it. I don't even understand why I reacted like that. It doesn't make sense."
Book stayed quiet for a second.
Then, very casually, he tilted his head.
"...Or maybe you're in love with Pond now."
Phuwin froze.
Completely.
His eyes widened.
"...I'm not gay," He said immediately, almost too fast.
Book blinked at him, unbothered.
"Did I say you were?" He replied. "I said you might be in love with Pond. That's different from labels."
He leaned back slightly, still watching him.
"You don't just kiss someone in front of a whole crowd because you're 'confused.' Something triggered that. Something you didn't expect."
Phuwin looked like he didn't know where to put his thoughts.
Book sighed softly, tone a little calmer now.
"I'm not saying you have to figure it out right now," He added. "I'm just saying... Stop panicking like it came from nowhere. Feelings don't usually come from nowhere."
Phuwin stayed silent.
Still frozen.
Still thinking.
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