Chapter 8: Family Conflicts

Tay looked beside him to his secretary, beckoning him with a tilt of his head. The man rushed to him at once.

"How many classes is the boy registered for?" He asked, unable to hide the harshness from his voice.

New waited patiently, keeping a hand on Tay's shoulder to make sure he didn't do anything rash while the secretary went through his tablet to get the information. He was glad that their boys were all at different places at the moment. Dunk was waiting at the bottom of the stage with the staff in case Gemini needed anything on stage while hosting and he vaguely remembered seeing Phuwin with another boy. They had been talking a second ago…probably someone he knew from college or somewhere else. 

"Just one, sir."Khun Kim said in a low voice. "Only the current program."

"Good. Get me his application form." Tay commented, his eyes burning with hate as he looked at the boy smiling on the stage. "I don't want any Jirawatthanakul men to taint my hotels…ever again."

*

The event went by smoothly and by the time everyone left, it was almost midnight.

The Nimtawat family went to have a nice and quiet family dinner at the banquet they had arranged for the VIP guests after the workshops ended. Gemini had hardly been able to say goodbye to Fourth after the workshop as he was escorted away and the tables cleared for the new round of contestants. The show had been running a little late and they had needed to speed things up, but Gemini didn't really buy that explanation. 

However, the reason eluded him. Was it because he had paid for only one workshop while the other participants had registered for at least three? He didn't think this father's were the kind of people for whom money mattered, because they themselves had started from nothing. But today…something felt off. Maybe his dad was still upset about Hia Dunk?

Or maybe Gemini was just overthinking because he didn't get to say a proper goodbye to his boyfriend? But that was alright. He could always meet him tomorrow, at the University. Because tomorrow, he didn't have to come to work at the hotel anymore and neither did any of his brothers. Once the event started, just a visit from his father's was enough. The rest would happen smoothly.

"Gemini."

The call from his Dad Tay startled him, especially when he had been lost in thought and hadn't expected the call.

"Yes, dad." He offered him a smile, even though he felt dead tired and ready to collapse at any moment.

"That boy… Nattawat Jirawatthanakul? The one who participated for one round only?" Tay asked, watching his son's reaction closely.

"Khab?" Gemini looked at his dad cluelessly, not because he was trying his best to pretend not to know him…but because he truly was clueless as to why his father was asking about Fourth in the first place.

"He goes to the same university as you?"

Gemini's eyes widened in shock. "Khab?" How did his dad even know about it? Did he see the application forms himself?

"You didn't know that he went to your University?" Tay raised his eyebrows as New let out a sigh beside him.

Phuwin watched his brother's expression from the corner of his eyes, noticing how he opened and closed his mouth several times, unable to speak. The memory of his brother holding hands with that boy that their dad just mentioned, letting go the instant they got caught…it painted an entire different picture in his mind.

"Dad…how can he know?" Phuwin finally came to his rescue, nudging Gem with his foot from under the table. "It's such a big university with so many faculties. Did he say he was in the Faculty of Medicine?"

New sighed audibly, giving his husband a not-so-subtle nudge as he shook his head. "Nevermind your dad." He told the kids. "Let's finish dinner so we can get home and get some rest. You all have classes tomorrow."

Tay didn't say anything else and they all went back to having their dinner, however, the notion didn't go unnoticed by Dunk and Phuwin. Gemini didn't pay much attention to his brothers because he was drowsy, and his brothers didn't want to bother him so they kept the information to themselves until they reached home.

Everyone went to their rooms as soon as they entered their mansion, to shower, get changed and get to sleep. However, Dunk went to Phuwin's room right after he was done with his shower.

"Hia…I was about to come get you myself." Phuwin opened the door wide so his brother could enter, before he closed the door behind him. "Have a seat."

"You have morning classes, so does Gemini." Dunk said as he plopped down on Phuwin bed. "So I thought it was better to talk tonight than wait till tomorrow evening."

"Yeah, you did the right thing." Phuwin sat opposite to him, folding his legs as he ran a towel through his still damp hair. "Noticed it too, didn't you? Dad's unusual behavior about that kid in the second round?"

Dunk nodded his head with a frown. "He not only went through the application form…but also asked Gemini if he knew him? What's up with that?"

"I have no idea." Phuwin sighed. "This is the first time I have seen him this interested in just a participant for a workshop, that too a teenage boy who we know nothing about. He literally came with his brother, probably to learn to make something to impress his lover."

"I thought so too. He's a kid." Dunk shrugged. "What importance could he have to make dad enquire Gemini like that? He doesn't even know the kid!"

And that's when Phuwin gave Dunk a secret smile. "Well…you see, when I told dad that even though they were in the same Uni, there was no way for them to know each other?"

"Yeah…" Dunk frowned, before his eyes widened in surprise. "Wait…don't tell me…"

"Gem know him, Hia." Phuwin smiled. "And I think there's more going on here than he let on."

"No way!" Dunk felt like he was on the edge of the seat during a thriller movie. "Seriously? Are they friends…? No! Boyfriends?"

Phuwin laughed out loud at his brother's enthusiasm. "I don't know to be honest, but this evening, when I went out to get him…I saw them holding hands secretly."

"Shia! That's adorable!" Dunk couldn't help but laugh as well. "I can't believe Gem, out of the three of us, has a faen first!"

  "I know right," Phuwin shook his head, happy that his much-too-serious-for-his-age Nong had someone by his side that he cherished. "Do you think dad knows about this?"

"Dad was never against us having lovers, he was against it affecting our studies and progress." Dunk reminded his younger brother. "But this…I think this is different. Do you think our family has some kind of conflict with theirs?"

Phuwin sure as hell hopes they did not. But instead, he shook his head. "I have no idea either. I know just as much about this as you do."

"Oh well." Dunk sighed, finally getting out of bed. "We should get some sleep. As much as I would love to sit and chit chat with you, you have class in the morning and you should get some rest."

"Right." Phuwin nodded, settling down into his bed. "Close the door on your way out, please."

"Sur-hey…" Phuwin sprang up in bed at the surprise in Dunk's voice, his eyes widening in horror as he saw his brother looking at the photo on his vanity. "Wow! Someone drew this, didn't they? It's really awesome!"

Dunk picked up the photo frame and examined its contents in awe, looking at the details in that little painting that was so life-like that it made him speechless. "Who drew this?"

"A…friend!" Phuwin said in haste, laughing awkwardly. "A friend…drew it for me."

"A friend who clearly has feelings for you." Dunk smirked at his Nong's flustered expression. "No one draws someone with this much patience and precision, unless they feel something deeper than friendship. Looks like this person is also a secret admirer."

With that, Dunk handed his brother the photo frame and left his room, closing the door on his way out.

Phuwin exhaled a deep breath in relief. He placed a hand over his racing heart, almost in a gesture to calm himself down, and to reassure himself that everything was alright.

Once he was sure that Dunk wasn't coming back, he locked the door and stood with his back leaning against the closed door. Finally, he looked down at the picture in his hand…a picture that hadn't actually been given to him, but he had somewhat stolen.

But can it be considered stealing if the person in question hadn't even known that he had dropped the picture? He had left in such a hurry that Phuwin hadn't been able to return it to him…and once he had seen the picture, he hadn't had any intention of returning it either.

And after that incident, during his first year Moon and Star contest…he had seen that person around him almost every single day. No matter where he went…he was there too, watching him from the shadows, his sketchbook and pencil in hand, always painting his pictures in secret. Always the elusive stalker. But not someone that made Phuwin feel threatened in any way.

And today…he had met him face to face…finally.

When their eyes had met, it had felt like a connection that branded his soul. When his hand had wrapped around his waist, pulling his out of harm's way…the heat of his body felt branded into his skin…the way his larger hand had felt on his waist like it belonged there…the way he had fit right into the curve of his taller frame…

The depth of his reaction startled Phuwin, in a good way. And unknowingly…he felt himself smiling at the photo of himself. Because in that photo…he didn't just see himself, he saw the dedication of the artist…the hard work he put into it…and his wide brown eyes furrowed in concentration as he jotted down every single detail, down to the moles on his ears.

"How long are you going to stay in the shadows, Pond?" Phuwin whispered to the picture, his voice soft with longing. "How long are you going to make me wait?"