Part 20

                                    

                                          
Bright sipped his drink, but his eyes were focused on the table in the corner. Gulf wanted to speak with Ja alone, so Bright sat a few tables away from them.
"How are you, P?" Ja asked with a smile—a smile that used to put Gulf in a good mood.
"I'm doing fine," Gulf replied, sipping his drink. The smile no longer had any effect on him.
"You look different now, P. But still very pretty, just like in our school days," Ja said, trying to reach for Gulf’s hand, but Gulf pulled away.
"You mean when I chased you like a fool? Or when you rejected me for being annoying?" Gulf raised an eyebrow, maintaining a stoic expression.
"P, that's not what I meant," Ja said softly, attempting to coax Gulf.
"Look, I don’t have time for unnecessary talk. Just say what you want," Gulf said, crossing his arms.
Ja was surprised. He had never seen Gulf this cold, even back in their school days. Usually, his smiles would soften Gulf's heart, but the man in front of him was not the same.
"I was searching for you everywhere, P. I... I tried to call everyone I could. I was desperate to find you. I can’t live without you," Ja said, trying to reach Gulf’s hand again, but Gulf stepped back.
"If that’s all you wanted to say, then we're done. I have nothing more to say to you," Gulf said, standing up to leave. Ja grabbed his wrist.
"P, I still love you. I want us to be together again. Please... I told my dad I wanted to find you, but he asked me to leave you alone so you can move on but I don't want to let you move on, P" Ja tried to soften Gulf’s heart.
"Maybe you should listen to your dad. Leave me alone," Gulf said, pulling his hand away. Ja quickly stepped in front of him.
Ja tried to hold Gulf’s hand again, but Bright intervened. Bright asked Ja to leave Gulf alone, but Ja stubbornly insisted that he still loved Gulf and wanted to be together. Gulf clenched his fists, frustrated by Ja's persistence. He couldn’t believe he had once fallen for this pathetic person.
"If you loved me, you wouldn’t have cheated on me! Now leave me alone, or face the consequences!" Gulf shouted, leaving the place as quickly as he could.
Bright warned Ja to stay away and quickly caught up with Gulf. Seeing that Gulf was in tears, Bright immediately started his car and urged Gulf to get in. They drove to Gulf’s penthouse.
"Thank you for bringing me, Bright," Gulf said in a hoarse voice. Bright told him to call if he needed anything else, but he had a meeting with investors and could only drop Gulf off.
Gulf walked slowly toward his home, struggling to keep his tears in check. Suddenly, he bumped into someone and looked up.
"Khun..." Gulf’s tears fell unexpectedly, causing Kao to clench his fists.
"Come with me," Kao said, grabbing Gulf’s wrist, but Gulf stopped him.
"I’m not in the mood to go anywhere, Khun. Can I just go home?" Gulf said softly, wiping his tears.
"No, I don’t want you to be alone right now," Kao said, gently caressing Gulf’s knuckles.
"Whatever," Gulf replied, pulling his hand away and heading to his house with Kao following behind.
Kao had been in a meeting when he received a message from Bright saying Ja was with Gulf and that Gulf was crying. Kao left the meeting immediately and informed Bright he wouldn’t be attending. Clenching his fists in anger at the thought of Ja making Gulf cry, Kao put aside his curiosity about why Bright had texted him.
"Gulf..." Kao called softly when they were inside the penthouse. Gulf didn’t respond and went straight to his room.
Kao sighed, realizing it wasn’t the right time to talk. He noticed it was past lunchtime and assumed Gulf hadn’t eaten, so he headed to the kitchen to prepare some food.
Gulf sat on his bed, letting his tears finally fall. He thought he was strong after two years, but seeing Ja shamelessly declare his love again made his heart ache. For two years, Gulf had struggled to move on while Ja seemed to have suffered no such difficulties.
"Why am I crying?!" Gulf asked himself, wiping his tears in frustration. He had always reminded himself to be strong and hoped to meet Ja again in two years, but he hadn’t anticipated Ja moving on so easily. Gulf remained in his room for almost an hour until his stomach growled.
"He must have left by now," Gulf thought, cleaning his face before heading to the living room.
Kao was on the phone when he heard Gulf’s door open. He quickly ended the call and went to Gulf.
"Gulf? Are you hungry? I made some food for you," Kao said, guiding Gulf to the dining table.
Kao had prepared Pad Krapow with basil and warm milk. When Gulf saw the meal, he remembered how Kao had given him milk two years ago. Everything clicked: the food he had received over the past two years had always been accompanied by warm milk, and no one had ever given him that except Kao. Gulf turned to see Kao’s gentle smile.
"It was you all this time?" Gulf asked, making Kao raise an eyebrow.
"You... You like me?"
TBC