Refer to me as Karma.
Win wakes up to the sound of his phone ringing, he checks the time 7:15am. He answers and hears Deans voice, "Whatever it is, no." he ends the call but before he can even move the phone from his ear its ringing again. "What?"
"Dont what me you asshole, why did you cut the call? You know what I don't care. Did you see your messages?"
"Sum it up for me will you, I'm still asleep."
"There is a meeting today about the other day with the president, Win your father is going to be there."
Win shoots up to a sitting position, wide awake now. "What?" Shit, he didn't tell his parents about the problems with the university. This is bad for him because now it looks like he was trying to hide things. "Dean, I'm so screwed."
"I know, you deserve it. Why didn't you tell them?"
"I planned to, I just didn't have the time. Shit, I'm at home right now." He covers his head not looking forward to going down stairs.
"Good luck bro."
He hears the call end and immediately goes to check his messages, its a notice from the university letting them all know there will be a meeting regarding the issues brought forward previously, today at 11am. Damn. He wakes and showers as quick as he can so he can catch his dad before he leaves for work but by the time he gets down his father is already gone. He sees Wiew, "What time did dad leave? Is mum here?"
"No Hia, they both didn't come home yesterday. They stayed at the hotel." He happy continues eating his breakfast oblivious to Wins mood.
He tries to call his dad who doesn't pick up, same with his mom. He just gets a text as a reply,
Mom: We will see you later.
He accepts his fate, takes Wiew to school and the head to the university to face the parents.
******
Win is confused when he enters the office, he looks at Dean, "Where are your parents?"
"They didn't call them in." Dean looks at him and shrugs, also not knowing what is going on.
The only people here are the kid and his mother, who by the way looks at them like they murdered her dog, the president and Dean. What the hell? Why is he the only one being reprimanded? This doesn't improve his mood in the slightest, in fact he feels more annoyed. He just sits back with a 'fuck it' expression on his face making it known that he is not happy. He does however notice that the president refuses to meet his eyes. He finds this curious but doesn't say a word, not wanting to cause anymore trouble when his dad is on the way.
"We are just waiting for Wins guardian and then we can proceed."
The woman turns to the president who just spoke, "So his parents aren't joining us?"
"No ma'am, his guardian will come in their place. They called and arranged this."
Guardian? What guardian? He is so confused. He looks at Dean who is conveying the same expression he is.
"No wonder their son is like this, they cant even be bothered to attend a meeting." She snidely comments to her son whose face turns red in response.
Win has had enough of this witch. "And no wonder your son is a manipulative spoilt little brat who throws his toys out the cot when he doesn't get his way." He hears he gasp in response, he smiles sweetly at her, he swears he can see the steam coming out of her ears. "Do not ever insult my parents again, I don't care how old you are or who you are for that matter."
"Win, that's enough." The president rises from his chair trying to be intimidating.
Win just glare at him in response, he hears the door open and doesn't even bother turning around knowing its his parents, he closes his eyes and mentally prepares himself.
******
When Team enters the office the first place his eyes go is to his boo, who doesn't even turn around and look. What the heck? He notices the tension in the room when he looks around. Ah something must have happened. No doubt Win hadn't kept his mouth closed. He snickers to himself. "So I don't even get a hello anymore?"
Win hears Teams voice and turns around instantly, he wakes from his chair and goes to him. "What the hell are you doing here? Why didn't you tell me you would be back today?" He turns and sees Hia Waan, so this is the guardian. "Why are you here Hia?"
Waan ignores Win and walks past him to get to the president, he holds out his hand, "I'm Waan, I will be Wins guardian today as discussed." The president almost smiles looking at him. He knows he looks young and unthreatening which is exactly what he was going for. He shakes his hand. He turns and does the same to Mrs. Anant and her son. He looks at Team and nods, good they let their guard down thinking he will be a pushover. "Shall we begin?"
The president clears his throat, "I believe that you can go back to your class Team, this matter doesn't concern you."
"No. Team stays right here, he came here with me. I am his guardian too. Would you like to see the signed letter from his mother? And also, we are here to discuss my brothers conduct so if anyone should be excused it should be Mrs. Anant and her son as well as Dean." He sees the president look surprised at his words, not expecting him to fight back on anything he says, "One more thing sir, I don't see the coach or the representative from the university that were in the prior meeting, they are witnesses right? So when will they be joining us?
"Well they both have a lot to take care of so they couldn't make it. Me and Mrs. Anant were at the previous meeting so we will be more then enough to fill in the details of what happened."
"And you both wouldn't lie to frame my brother and Dean in a bad light would you?" He smiles sarcastically at the man who looks ready to strangle him. He sits back in the chair and crosses his legs and interlocks his fingers. "Lets begin." He is in control of this meeting and these two idiots are just now starting to understand that.
The president speaks first, he apologizes stating he didn't know who Wins family was at the previous meeting, if he had he would have handled it in a more subtle way. He then goes on to explain that Wins conduct during the meeting towards him and the kids mom was unacceptable stating that he has no respect for authority and therefore will be punished by the university, he will be dropped form the honor roll as punishment and will lose merits on his portfolio. Also enticing students to leave the swim club, basically accusing Win of using intimidation on the swim club students because he is seen as powerful within the club, adding the punishment for this is his records will be removed from the swim club. Waan just nods his head as if agreeing with everything the president is saying. He looks at Win who is sending death glares to the back of his brothers head, probably thinking Waan is accepting this. He looks at the woman and sees a satisfied look on her face. The president finishes with saying that should Win commit anther offense even as small as throwing a piece of paper on the floor he will expelled. He can feel Win start to lose his temper again before he can ay anything he places his hand on his and shakes his head, letting him know not to interject. He looks annoyed but gives in anyway.
"I agree Mr. President, everyone should pay for their crimes. Right Win? Wait does it matter if you if you lose honor status and and have a minus on your portfolio? I don't know, it might make you the second favorite son but I don't see anything happening to you beyond that point, I mean you are super rich and have a guaranteed job after university." He turns and winks at his brother who is now trying but failing to keep a straight face.
"What is this nonsense? I demand your parents get here now. This is not appropriate." The president takes out his phone and makes a call to the university switch board. "put me through to Mr. Wins father immediately." He holds the line for a minute before someone respond, "Understood." He ends the call and we can actually see his cheek twitching, "I apologize for my unprofessional outburst. Please continue."
Waan smiles a devilish grin, "Where was I? Ah yes accountability. If you so strongly want people to be punished lets do that." He wakes up and walks to the door, a policeman enters. "Officer this is Dean, he is a student here. Recently he was harassed by that kid over there. He touched his crotch without permission. Can he be charged for harassment?" He looks at the officer who says yes if they have evidence, Waan nods his head and takes out a USB drive from his pocket, "This is video evidence from the cameras in the university, would you please go and check if this is enough?" He agrees and takes the USB and heads out. He turns and looks in the direction of the woman and notices both she and her son lost the color in their faces.
"You cant do this, he is only a boy. You will ruin his life."
"As apposed to you trying to ruin Wins life with all the shit that you are spilling? Accusing him of using intimidation. Are you serious lady? You and your friendly president want people to take accountability right? So what is the problem? Or are you a hypocrite and expect that you and your son are an exception to this rule?" Waan promised himself he would not get angry but he hates these kinds of people more then anymore. The lying, scheming, manipulative, holier than thou idiots who think the world revolves around them. Waan opens his briefcase and takes out a stack of letters and throws them across the table at the president, "I have hand written statements from every member of the swim club as to the reason they left, you sat there and lied to my face that Win intimidated them to get his way. Dont worry these are just photocopies, the original is already with the universities board of directors." He watches and the man also pales. He raises his chin defiantly at the older man, "I also have statements from the coach and the university representative as to what actually took place in that meeting, not the nonsense you just spewed at me, they has all the time in the world to write those letters, wonder how they suddenly had no time for this meeting."
Win is not going to lie, he is kind of freaked out by this version of Hia Waan. He looks at Team who is just smiling and nodding like he is on the last episode of one of his anime shows and the hero shows up to fight alongside the crew and save the day. He realizes that Team was privy to the whole plan all along. He looks at Dean who is just as shocked as he is. The thing with Hia Waan is, all their lives he has been the reserved one who keeps away from everyone. Yes he was always kind of cold but never has anyone seen this side of him. He is glad that he is family or he would be terrified of this person in front of him.
"This is absurd. It was just a small incident, why are you making this into such a mess? We can all just forget this surely." She cant hide the panic on her face anymore. She fucked up and over played her role this time.
Waan turns his dead stare to the woman, "You, I almost forgot about you. You're a big socialite, should be one the cast if they ever introduce 'The real housewives of Bangkok'. Then again, you will probably have to work a 9-5 job after today, so you don't have your rich status anymore."
"What do you mean?" Her voice is shaky but she pushes the words out anyway.
"I mean ma'am, you really should not bribe tax officials." She gasps, her son gasps, the president gasps, if he wasn't so immersed in his role he would have laughed. "I emailed all the documents to the authorities, no doubt they are getting ready for a financial raid on your food chain businesses. This is besides all the law suits you will face for theft of intellectual property. Hiring people from rural provinces to create dishes, promising them a cut in the earnings and then making the patent under your name and leaving them empty handed. Mind you, I had 3 days and this is all the information I got, imagine what an investigation will find with unlimited resources and time. But don't worry I will rescue your business after the stocks drop, I'll buy it out and give it to Team as a wedding present for joining the family."
"P'Waan." Team feels his cheeks blushing, getting embarrassed by the sudden attack. He looks at Win who just shakes his head, clearly shit scared of Waan and opting to stay silent.
"One more thing President, you might want to consider looking for another job, clearly you have no morals or values as a person seeing as you have been accepting donations for the university from rich parents to cover up the acts committed by their children, getting 10% of every transaction. This is also well documented in the paperwork that the board is reviewing at this moment." He stands up and pats down his jacket, "There's a saying that has become popular recently, 'Don't come for me unless I call for you' I hope you two heard and understood it because you don't go around messing with other people the way you did. I feel ashamed of you and I don't even know you. How many other kids lives were ruined because of you both?" He walks to the door, "I think you should forget my name is Waan, just refer to me as Karma." He turns and walks out.
Team watches the door not sure whether to move or say something, he sees P'Waan pop his head back in, "Team, you coming?" He springs up, "Yes P." He power walks out of there leaving Win and Dean. He follows behind silently.
"Was I cool?" Waan smiles at Team.
Wow, how is this even possible? A second ago he looked like a grim reaper but now all he can see is P'Waan. "Have you considered acting P?" The words leave his mouth faster then he can control them. Luckily he laughs about it, relieved Team lets out a breath.
"No, but thank you for the vote of confidence. There's one more thing we have to do before I go back. Are you sure you want to be there?" He sobers his expression, knowing this might be tough for Team.
Team thinks for a minute, "I will be okay P'Waan, I need to do this. I think if I explain it will be received better." He watches as Waan calculates in his head all the options and finally decides to agree. He puts his hand around Waans shoulders, "Lets go P, I will buy you lunch at my favorite Shabu-shabu place across the road."
******
Win watches his brother and his boyfriend from the stairs, he blinks a few times and rubs his eyes but no, he is still seeing what he is seeing. Hia Waan is being affectionate to Team? Affectionate? What the fuck is happening? Did he go to sleep and wake up in a different universe. "Is this a dream?" He feels a sharp pain on his arm, "Ouch, what the fuck Dean?"
"Just proving this is not a dream." He smiles. "What just happened in there? Since when is P'Waan that kind of person? Shit I was scared he would start taking out all my baggage too." Dean sounds bewildered, he has known the brothers for a longtime and he is pretty sure Win is the loose cannon. Clearly he was so wrong about that.
"I don't know what's gotten into him, I wish it was my father who showed up instead. He destroyed those people in a way that their lives will be affected." Win is conflicted, on one hand they needed it but on the other hand, its their lives that will take a toll here.
"They deserved it Win, you cant cheat people, make them suffer and then expect to live a good life. I would have exactly what P'Waan did so I personally have no sympathy for them. Stop being so considerate of people, that's why you are in the position you are in." Dean is stern hoping that finally Win will stop being so nice to everyone. "Forget them, lets follow Team and P'Waan. We never say no to free food."
Win smiles feeling exhausted, he pats his best friend on the back, "Come, lets go spend Hia Waans money after all the stress he made us endure in there." He really has to thank his brother for this one, maybe more actually. Team seems so much more comfortable and free around his brother, not just that though, Team seems more okay on the whole. Something inside him changed while he was in Chonburi. He knows he had a heart to heart with Tons mother but that doesn't seem to be it. He can almost sense that Hia Waan had something to with it judging by the way Team looked at him, genuine respect and trust. Its the same look Wiew gives him all the time. How did he manage that in 3 days? Brainwashing, yes that's what it must be. They enter the restaurant and he immediately spots his man, walking over to him in a hurry, needing to be near him after what feels like a lifetime but was actually 3 days. He grabs a seat next to Team, he pulls him closer squeezing him until Team is red in the face, "I missed you Team, don't leave me again."
Teams eyes go soft, "Never again Hia, I promise."
******