Chapter 16
Chapter 16
In the end, Nunew couldn't bring himself to relay Duangkamol's gratitude to Zee.
Nunew only gave a quick wave and a forced parting smile before pulling Tee, who was holding two drinks, out of the café. The last image he saw was Zee standing there, utterly stunned and confused, his feet seemingly rooted to the wooden floor. Despite the lingering attachment in his heart, Nunew did not linger.
Nunew didn't remember how long or how far they walked. By the time he regained his bearings, he was standing in front of the bustling Siam Paragon, with a strong, steady arm reserved just for him.
Tee looked at the clear but troubled eyes beside him and sighed softly, handing him a cup.
"Drink this," he said. "Something sweet will make you feel better."
It was an iced chocolate frappe with whipped cream on top, a drink Nunew had been quite fond of lately. He obediently took a long sip, draining more than half the cup. Tee was right; the cool, sweet flavor immediately quieted the turmoil inside him.
Nunew let out a satisfied breath, clutching the iced chocolate in one hand and holding Tee's hand with the other. His eyes darted around the people passing by the mall entrance before turning back to Tee with a pleading tone.
"Can we go to Ocean World, P'Tee?"
Tee looked into the sparkling eyes of the boy who was half a head shorter than him and wondered: Had he ever been able to say no to him?
The underground aquarium at Siam Paragon closed at 8:00 PM, giving them over two hours. Plus, they could grab dinner at the mall afterward before heading home. It wasn't a bad plan at all, so facing Nunew's expectant gaze, Tee gave a slow nod.
Ocean World had no rules against bringing outside food or drinks. This meant Nunew could happily continue enjoying his delicious iced chocolate inside the aquarium.
Compared to his first visit to Ocean World right after returning to the country, it was clear to the naked eye that Tee's 'stubborn kid' was much more lively and relaxed. Nunew spent his time sipping chocolate while curiously observing each tank and reading the information plaques nearby. Occasionally, he would linger at a spot for quite a while, like the ocean tunnel or the penguin exhibit. However, unlike his previous hollow-eyed daze, this time Tee could feel Nunew's genuine interest.
It was as if the image of those lifeless eyes flickering on the edge of survival in the past had been nothing more than Tee's own hallucination.
Tee truly loved the Nunew of the present.
When they reached the shark tank, designed to look like a shipwreck, Tee wasn't sure if he was overthinking, but it seemed the sparkle in Nunew's eyes was slowly being veiled by a dark, murky blue. Nunew pulled him to a spot that offered a panoramic view of the vast, silent ocean floor and then sat perfectly still. It was just like their first visit to this aquarium.
If there was a difference, it was that back then, Tee's shoulder hadn't yet become a resting place for a certain someone's small head.
"What's wrong, my stubborn kid?" Nunew's mood had visibly plummeted.
When asked, the boy only nuzzled his head against Tee's shoulder, refusing to speak for the longest time. Just as Tee thought Nunew had fallen asleep, he heard a soft voice, barely a whisper.
"Am I very petty, P'?"
Tee immediately looked down at the person beside him.
"Why would you say that?"
Nunew hugged Tee's arm tightly to his chest before slowly recounting every word of his conversation with Duangkamol.
From the girl's identity and the reason she was signed to DMD, to Zee's blatant interference in hopes of clearing his name. Normally, Nunew should have been happy to hear this news, yet all that remained within him was a sense of profound weariness.
"At first, I was a bit moved by his actions," Nunew smiled faintly.
"But in the end, I just feel like this whole gesture is a mockery."
A tear fell onto Tee's shoulder.
"Why do people always have to make mistakes before they frantically try to make amends?"
Nunew didn't dare look back at the hellish time he had endured. He didn't want to remember the day his sky collapsed when the people he trusted and loved turned their backs on him. He especially didn't want to recall the moment he learned what it felt like to have a knife plunged into his heart, particularly when the person holding the hilt was the one he loved most.
Without that conversation with Duangkamol, Nunew could have kept deceiving himself. Deceiving himself into thinking he was fine after all that hopelessness. Deceiving himself that it was his own fault for placing his trust in the wrong place, and so he had to reap what he sowed. Deceiving himself that the person he loved most had the right to hurt him because that person never truly loved him anyway.
But what was the truth?
The truth was that everyone was just playing the role of the victim to justify their own selfishness and guilt.
Nunew closed his eyes partway, feeling utterly humiliated. If only no one had shown regret, he could have moved on and saved some dignity for everyone. But now, all the bitter sorrow in his throat felt like nothing more than a silent comedy.
"Nunew, listen to me."
Tee gently ran his hand through the boy's hair.
"Sometimes, you should try to look at things a bit more lightly and with a little more forgiveness."
The hands clutching his arm instinctively tightened.
"You can't let the hurt someone caused completely erase the goodness and the feelings they had for you before."
His warm fingers traced from the strands of hair down to Nunew's face, catching a few hot tears along the way.
Nunew's eyes were beautiful; they shouldn't be clouded by dull dust.
"But P'Tee..."
Nunew turned his head slightly, hiding the resentment that was about to overflow behind Tee's shoulder.
"I also can't just act like the past pain never existed just because of his belated regret."
His sweet voice couldn't help but sob.
"Being like this..."
His lips trembled as he spoke, "Am I being very petty?"
In the end, the whimpers stifled in his chest couldn't stop the bitterness from flowing freely.
Tee lowered his eyes, tilting his head toward the person beside him to give him more support. He couldn't judge Nunew's actions. He had no right, no authority, and no intention of doing so, because he wasn't the one who had directly suffered those wounds.
All Tee could say was...
"As a brother, I don't want to see you carry this guilt for the rest of your life."
The crying grew quieter with every word that left his tongue.
"But as someone who has been secretly in love with you..."
His gaze turned pensive, drifting along the silent blue of the water.
"As long as you feel at ease, I don't care about anything else."
Tee would never tell Nunew that nothing was more important than his existence.
As long as he continued to be in this world. As long as every smile on his lips came from the bottom of his heart. As long as he didn't use a smile as a way to say a final goodbye, like that night two years ago. Whatever choice Nunew made, Tee thought he could accept it.
Tee's face was suddenly held firmly by a soft hand and turned back.
"So right now..."
Without realizing it, Nunew had lifted his head and rested his chin on Tee's shoulder.
"Who is the person sitting next to me?"
Eyes shimmering, blending with the ocean colors, magnified in Tee's mind.
"Is it my brother..."
A faint, ghost of a laugh accompanied a warm breath against his skin, "Or the person secretly in love with me?"
A sweet scent filled his nose. Long lashes within reach. The distance was heartbreakingly tempting.
For a moment, Tee felt as if a thousand butterflies were taking flight in his heart.
A suffocating flutter.
By the time he realized it, he found himself inching closer and closer to that small face.
"P'Tee..."
Nunew whispered, his eyes instinctively clamping shut, his breath trembling with panic.
The unfinished call was silenced in the quiet space.
The stubborn kid's nose received a kiss as soft as a sea breeze.
A deep voice poured into Nunew's ear, making him daze as he opened his eyes.
"It's your brother..."
Nunew looked at Tee blankly. It took a moment for him to realize Tee was answering his question.
Without giving Nunew a chance to react, Tee continued steadily.
"It's the brother who fell for you before he even realized it."
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