CHAPTER 16
---
Phuwin arrived at Gemini's apartment late that night.
He stood in front of the door for a moment before knocking.
Once.
Twice.
A pause.
Then the door finally opened.
Gemini blinked.
"Phuwin?"
Phuwin gave a small, tired smile.
"...Can I stay here for the night?"
Gemini's expression softened immediately.
"...You're always welcome," He said quietly.
Phuwin's shoulders eased slightly at that.
Gemini stepped aside.
"Come in. I was playing games. I've got snacks too."
Phuwin nodded and walked inside.
The door closed gently behind them.
They moved to the living room and sat on the floor.
Snacks scattered around them.
The soft glow of the TV filled the space while Gemini kept playing casually, like it was just another normal night.
Silence settled between them.
Not uncomfortable.
Just heavy.
Then Phuwin exhaled.
"...Gem."
Gemini didn't look away from the screen.
"Yeah?"
Phuwin hesitated.
Then asked quietly,
"...Why do you never ask me about the Pond issue? About that day we kissed?"
Gemini froze.
His fingers paused on the controller.
Slowly, he turned his head.
He exhaled.
"...Because I don't need to ask."
Phuwin blinked.
Gemini leaned back slightly.
"I already know, Phu."
Phuwin went quiet.
Gemini continued, voice calm but direct.
"Since you two got close... I could see it."
A pause.
Phuwin's fingers tightened slightly on his sleeve.
Gemini finally turned fully toward him.
"Don't tell me you're still confused about your feelings."
Phuwin let out a breath.
"...Gem."
"How many years have we've been friends?" He asked suddenly.
Gemini blinked.
"...Three years?"
Phuwin nodded.
"Exactly."
Then he looked at him.
"...Have you ever seen me date anyone?"
Gemini froze.
Then slowly shook his head.
"...No."
Phuwin exhaled softly.
"That's why I don't understand it."
A pause.
"I don't know what this feeling is."
Gemini stared at him for a moment, then muttered quietly,
"...It's called love."
Then-
"Fourth-"
Gemini stopped himself, eyes widening slightly.
Phuwin blinked instantly.
"...Fourth?"
He tilted his head.
"Pond's cousin?"
Gemini froze.
Completely.
Like his brain just short-circuited.
"...I- what- no-" he stammered, suddenly looking anywhere but at Phuwin.
He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, shifting his position.
"That just slipped out- like- random example- doesn't mean anything-"
Phuwin slowly narrowed his eyes.
"...Gemini."
Gemini laughed nervously.
Too fast.
Too fake.
"Why are you looking at me like that? I didn't say anything weird."
Phuwin leaned back slightly, still staring at him.
"You literally said 'Fourth.'"
Gemini blinked rapidly.
"...Did I?"
"Yes."
"...Huh."
Gemini nodded like he was convincing himself.
"Must've been the game. You know. Brain mixing things up. Very normal."
Phuwin's eyes narrowed even more.
"Gemini."
"Yeah?"
"...Why are you panicking?"
"I'm not panicking."
"You're panicking."
"I'm not."
"You are."
Gemini pressed his lips together, clearly trying to hold himself together.
"...Okay maybe a little," He muttered.
Phuwin crossed his arms slightly.
"...So?"
Gemini groaned quietly, dragging a hand down his face.
"...Can we not focus on me right now?"
Phuwin didn't answer.
Just stared.
Waiting.
Gemini sighed dramatically.
"...You're impossible."
But he still didn't explain.
Phuwin didn't let it go.
He leaned forward slightly, eyes still locked on Gemini.
"...Gemini."
Gemini groaned under his breath.
"Phuwin, seriously-"
"Tell me."
A beat.
Silence stretched.
Then Gemini snapped.
"Fine!"
He threw the controller down beside him, running a hand through his hair.
"...Fourth and I are... In a thing."
Phuwin blinked.
"A thing?"
Gemini exhaled sharply.
"...M.U."
Phuwin's eyes widened.
"...Mutual understanding?"
Gemini nodded once, frustrated.
"Yeah. That."
Phuwin stared at him.
Still processing.
Gemini leaned back, dragging his hands down his face.
"...I like him. A lot."
A pause.
"...Actually- no. I love him."
Phuwin's expression shifted- surprised, but listening.
"But it's complicated," Gemini added quickly. "We're not officially together. No labels. Just... Us."
He let out a tired breath.
"Sometimes it feels real. Sometimes it feels like I'm the only one taking it seriously."
Phuwin stayed quiet.
Gemini glanced at him.
"...So yeah. That's why his name slipped."
A small, bitter laugh.
"Now can we go back to YOUR situation instead of exposing mine?"
Phuwin immediately shook his head.
"No, no, no- hold on."
He leaned closer, eyes wide now.
"Why are you and Fourth in an M.U? How did that even happen?"
Gemini blinked, caught off guard.
"And- wait," Phuwin added, pointing at him slightly, realization hitting all at once, "so that's why you're always looking at him whenever he walks past?!"
Gemini opened his mouth.
Closed it.
"...I hate you."
Phuwin ignored that completely.
"Gemini- Fourth is Pond's cousin."
His brows furrowed in concern now.
"I'm serious- you might actually get your skin torn off if Pond sees you even touching him."
Gemini groaned, dropping his head back.
"Can you not make it sound like I'm gonna die?"
Phuwin crossed his arms slightly.
"I'm not joking. Pond is protective. Like- really protective."
Gemini turned his head, giving him a look.
"...Yeah, I know."
Phuwin frowned.
"So you still did it anyway?"
Gemini rolled his eyes.
"It's not like I planned it."
Phuwin stared at him, unconvinced.
Gemini sighed, softer now.
"...It just happened, okay?"
A pause.
"...We got close."
Phuwin watched him carefully.
Still a little shocked.
Still trying to connect everything.
"...You're insane," Phuwin muttered.
Gemini smirked faintly.
"Takes one to know one."
Phuwin blinked.
"...What does that mean?"
Gemini just gave him a look.
One that clearly said:
You kissed Pond. In front of everyone.
And suddenly-
They were both quiet again.
Gemini watched him for a moment.
Really watched him this time.
The tension in Phuwin's shoulders. The way his hands kept fidgeting slightly. The confusion still sitting in his eyes.
Gemini exhaled.
"...Phu."
Phuwin looked at him.
"You don't have to figure everything out right now," Gemini said, voice softer than before. "You're allowed to be confused."
A small pause.
"...Especially if it's your first time feeling something like this."
Phuwin didn't answer.
But his gaze dropped slightly.
Gemini nudged a bag of snacks toward him.
"Just don't overthink it until you suffocate yourself, okay?"
Then he picked up another controller and tossed it lightly to Phuwin.
"Here."
Phuwin caught it instinctively.
Blinking.
Gemini leaned back, grabbing his own controller again.
"Come on. Play with me."
Phuwin looked at the controller in his hands.
Then at Gemini.
"...You're seriously making me play games right now?"
Gemini smirked a little.
"Yeah."
A pause.
"...Because if I let you sit there and think, you're gonna spiral again."
Phuwin let out a quiet breath.
Not quite a laugh- but close.
"...Fine."
Gemini grinned slightly.
"That's the spirit."
The game resumed.
Buttons clicking.
Small sounds filling the room.
And for the first time in a while-
Phuwin's mind wasn't completely drowning in thoughts.
---
The next two days felt like they never ended for Phuwin.
Everything piled up.
His father's words.
The hallway whispers.
The looks.
The pressure.
And on top of all that-
His own feelings.
Still confusing.
Still unfamiliar.
Still heavy.
So he did the only thing he knew how to do.
He buried himself in something else.
Writing.
Notes.
Pages and pages of them.
Anything to keep his mind from drifting back.
Anything to stay in control.
---
Then one morning-
Phuwin walked through the hallway again.
A notebook in his hands.
Eyes down.
Writing as he walked.
His pen moved quickly across the page.
Like if he stopped-
Everything would catch up to him.
Around him, voices filled the air.
Same as always.
"Is that him again?"
"Yeah..."
"He's still acting like nothing happened."
"Writing while walking? Seriously?"
"Trying too hard to look perfect again."
"Perfect Phuwin is back, huh?"
"After everything? That's embarrassing."
"Doesn't he get tired?"
Phuwin didn't look up.
Didn't react.
His pen kept moving.
Line after line.
Word after word.
But his grip tightened slightly.
Just enough to show-
He could still hear everything.
And even if he was writing-
He couldn't write those voices away.
---
Later, in the lecture hall-
Phuwin sat alone.
Everyone else had already gone for lunch.
Chairs empty.
Room quiet.
But not in his head.
His pen kept moving.
Fast.
Relentless.
Line after line.
Page after page.
He didn't even notice how long it had been.
His vision started to blur.
The words on the paper losing shape.
But he didn't stop.
His fingers tightened around the pen.
Too tight.
A sting.
Sharp.
But ignored.
His grip only pressed harder as he kept writing.
Voices started creeping in.
Not from the room.
From inside.
"You're embarrassing this family."
"Disgusting."
"Fake."
His father's voice.
The crowd's voices.
Everyone.
All at once.
Phuwin's breathing grew uneven.
But his hand didn't stop.
Ink dragged across the page-
messier now.
Shakier.
His fingers trembled, skin rubbed raw from the constant pressure and movement.
The edge of the pen digging in too harshly.
Still-
He didn't stop.
The notebook beneath his hand began to stain.
Faint marks spreading where his grip had been too rough for too long.
But Phuwin just kept writing.
Like if he stopped-
Everything would crash into him at once.
His head lowered slightly.
Eyes glossy.
Unfocused.
The room stayed silent.
Except for the scratch of his pen-
And the chaos he couldn't shut out anymore.
His pen kept moving-
Until it didn't feel like writing anymore.
Just scratching.
Dragging.
Too rough.
Too much.
His fingers hurt.
Badly now.
Warm blood slowly staining the edge of the paper, spreading into the notes he had been trying to fill.
But even then-
He didn't stop.
Like his body had forgotten how.
Then-
Footsteps.
Soft.
Approaching.
Someone sat beside him.
A quiet voice broke through the noise in his head.
"...Phuwin."
His hand froze.
Completely.
That voice.
Phuwin's breath stopped for a second.
Slowly-
He turned his head.
Pond.
Sitting right next to him.
Watching him.
Quiet.
Unreadable.
Something inside Phuwin cracked instantly.
His eyes welled up.
And then-
The tears finally fell.
Silently.
No sound.
No sob.
Just tears sliding down his face while his expression stayed blank, almost disconnected.
Pond blinked once.
Then, without hesitation, he reached out.
And gently wiped one of Phuwin's tears away with his thumb.
"...Are you tired?" Pond asked softly.
A pause.
"...You can rest."
Phuwin didn't answer.
He couldn't.
Pond shifted slightly, pulling out a handkerchief.
Careful.
Quiet.
He took Phuwin's injured hand gently.
No force.
Just steady support.
Phuwin stared at him blankly, still crying without sound, like his body had finally given up on holding everything inside.
Pond didn't rush him.
Didn't question him.
Just slowly began wiping the blood from his fingers.
Careful around the wounds.
Precise.
Like he was afraid to hurt him more.
The room stayed silent.
Except for the soft movement of cloth against skin.
And Phuwin-
Still crying quietly.
Still staring.
Not moving away.
Pond slowly let go of Phuwin's hand.
Carefully.
Like he didn't want to break the fragile silence between them.
He stood up first.
Just for a moment, he looked down at Phuwin- silent, unreadable, eyes soft in a way he rarely showed anyone.
Then he took off his jacket.
Without a word, he stepped closer and draped it over Phuwin's shoulders.
Phuwin blinked.
Tears still falling.
But he didn't move away.
Didn't resist.
Just sat there as the warmth settled around him.
Pond crouched slightly and guided his arms into the sleeves, adjusting it properly so it wouldn't slip off.
Careful. Patient.
Phuwin stayed quiet the whole time.
Watching him through blurred vision.
Once it was on properly, Pond gently pulled him up from the chair.
Phuwin stood slowly, a little unsteady.
Pond lifted the hood of the jacket and pulled it over Phuwin's head, covering part of his face.
Not hiding him.
Just shielding him.
Then he reached down and picked up Phuwin's bag.
Slung it over his own shoulder without hesitation.
Phuwin blinked again, still crying silently.
Pond gently took his wrist.
Not tight.
Just enough to guide him.
And together, they walked down the steps.
Out of the lecture hall.
Away from the empty room.
Phuwin stayed close behind him, wrapped in Pond's jacket, hood up, tears still falling quietly-
But for the first time in a while,
He wasn't alone in it.
---
They stepped out of the lecture hall.
The hallway outside was brighter, noisier- like the world didn't care what had just happened inside that room.
And then-
Pond's group was there.
Fourth, Louis, and a few others standing near the corridor like they were waiting.
They all paused the moment they saw them.
Phuwin, wrapped in Pond's jacket, hood up, eyes red.
Pond holding his wrist, standing close.
A silence fell instantly.
Pond didn't stop walking.
He just passed them.
Cold.
Controlled.
But as he walked by, his voice dropped- low enough only they could hear.
"...If anyone says a word about him," He said flatly, "beat them up."
No emotion.
No hesitation.
Just a command.
Fourth blinked slightly, caught off guard.
Louis straightened, exchanging a glance with the others.
No one said anything back.
Pond didn't wait for a response anyway.
He pulled Phuwin closer to his chest.
Not rough.
Protective.
Like he was blocking the world from reaching him.
Phuwin stumbled slightly but stayed close, his face still hidden under the hood.
And Pond kept walking.
Straight ahead.
Through the hallway.
And behind them-
Pond's group followed.
Quiet.
Alert.
Then a voice cut through the tension.
"...So it's true? You guys are actually-"
A pause.
A sneer.
"...disgusting."
Everything stopped for half a second.
Before anyone could react-
One of Pond's group moved instantly.
A sharp punch landed.
The impact echoed down the corridor.
Gasps erupted immediately.
"-WHAT-"
"Hey!!"
"Stop it!"
"Are you insane?!"
Students backed away in shock, the hallway suddenly breaking into panic.
The person who spoke stumbled back, holding his face.
But Pond didn't turn around.
Not even once.
He kept walking.
Phuwin still beside him.
His grip steady.
His expression unchanged.
Cold.
Unbothered.
Like the chaos behind him didn't exist at all.
The group behind them stayed in line too, but the tension was sharp- ready, controlled.
No one spoke again.
Not after that.
The hallway slowly fell into a heavy silence again.
Only footsteps remained.
And no one dared to say another word as Pond continued forward, pulling Phuwin with him like the rest of the world had already stopped mattering.
---
Later at the café, the atmosphere was quieter- softer than the university halls.
Phuwin sat across from Pond at a small corner table, the light from the window falling gently between them.
Pond carefully held Phuwin's hand.
Slowly, he wrapped a clean bandage around his fingers, making sure not to press too hard on the wounds.
Phuwin stayed still, watching him in silence.
Behind the counter, Sammy glanced over at them for a moment.
She shook her head slightly, like she had seen enough drama for one week already, then turned back to her work.
At a table further back-
Pond's group sat together.
Fourth, Louis, and the others leaned in slightly, trying not to be obvious.
But failing.
"Bro... That's really Pond?" One of them whispered.
"He's literally bandaging him like that..."
"Since when did he become like this?"
Fourth leaned forward a little, lowering his voice.
"...He's serious."
Louis exhaled quietly.
"Yeah. I've never seen him like that before."
One of them glanced again at Pond and Phuwin.
"...He didn't even react back there at the hall. Just walked away like nothing happened."
Fourth nodded slowly.
"That's what makes it worse."
A pause.
"...He only reacts when it's Phuwin."
They went quiet after that.
Back at the other table, Pond finished wrapping the bandage and gently secured it.
Phuwin looked down at his hands for a moment, then back at him.
Still quiet.
Still exhausted.
And behind them, the group kept watching-
Whispering less now.
Because even they could tell-
This wasn't something Pond was just "passing through."
It was something different.
Pond stayed seated across from him, checking Phuwin's fingers once more like he was making sure it was secure enough.
Then his voice came out softer than before.
"...How have you been?"
A pause.
His eyes stayed on Phuwin.
"I haven't seen you for over a month."
Phuwin didn't answer at first.
His gaze dropped to his bandaged hands.
His shoulders tensed.
Then something inside him cracked.
"...You're right."
Pond blinked slightly.
Phuwin's voice shook as he continued.
"You're right, okay?"
His breathing hitched.
"I let people use me. I always do."
His hands curled slightly on the table, careful not to reopen the wounds.
But his voice kept going, rising in emotion he had been holding in for too long.
"I smile, I work, I do everything they want-" he broke off, swallowing hard. "And I still get called disgusting, I still get judged like I'm nothing-"
His eyes burned.
"And I don't even know what I'm supposed to be anymore."
A tear slipped down.
Then another.
"I don't understand myself," He whispered, voice cracking now. "I don't understand anything. Not you, not me, not what I did that day- nothing."
His breath trembled as he looked up at Pond through blurred vision.
"...I'm tired."
The café noise around them faded into the background.
Even Sammy's movements behind the counter felt distant.
Even the whispers at the other table stopped.
Pond didn't interrupt.
Didn't speak.
Didn't move.
He just sat there, completely still.
Listening.
Silent.
His expression unreadable- but his eyes didn't leave Phuwin for even a second.
He stayed silent for a moment longer, watching Phuwin as he struggled to breathe through everything he had just said.
Then, without turning his head fully, his eyes shifted.
A quick glance toward the back of the café.
Sharp. Controlled.
A silent signal.
His group understood immediately.
Fourth stood up first.
"...Let's go."
Louis followed, and the rest scrambled slightly, catching on fast.
Chairs scraped quietly as they hurried toward the exit, throwing one last confused look back at the table.
Sammy, noticing the shift in atmosphere, blinked.
She looked between them, then exhaled.
"...Uh."
She rubbed the back of her neck.
"I think you guys can have the café for a few minutes."
A pause.
"I... Need to go buy something outside."
She nodded once to herself like she had already decided, then quickly walked out as well.
The bell above the door jingled softly as she left.
And just like that-
The café emptied out.
The door clicked shut.
Silence settled over the space.
No whispers.
No background noise.
Just the faint hum of the refrigerator and the soft light over their table.
Pond turned his attention back to Phuwin.
Completely.
Fully.
The world felt smaller now.
Just the two of them sitting across from each other in the quiet café.
—————————————————————————