Chapter 4: Hidden Feelings

Joong scrubbed at the sides of the pool until his hands were red. Just as he had promised Daddy Off, he was pretty sure he could see his own reflection on the sides of the pool just like he could in any mirror.

By the time he was done picking up plastic cups and bits and pieces of soggy food from the water and…dear lord, was that a condom? He made sure to drain the water from the pool entirely and looked at the emptying pool with a miserable expression.

He didn't need anyone else to feel sorry for him…he felt plenty sorry for himself.

"What are you making that sour face for?"

Startled, he almost slipped on the water that had accumulated on the side of the lawn, before he found his footing and turned to look at his dad, who was standing with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Dad…" he gave a nervous laugh. "I wasn't slacking off…I swear…"

"Get inside." Off sighed, finally taking pity at his son's condition. "Your pa had made lunch for you lot. Go clean up and then you can eat."

Joong could've collapsed, he felt so relieved. He was tired, scratch that, he was exhausted to death and so hungry he could eat an entire horse. Skipping past the pool, he wrapped his arms around his dad tightly and placed a kiss to his cheek. "Thanks you, daddy! I love you!"

"I don't." Came Off's immediate answer, paired with his annoyed expression as he removed his son's arms from around his neck and wiped at his cheek. "I'll deduct the pool cleaning money from your next paycheck."

"Okay!" Joong all but ran inside the house, happy to be let off the hook finally. However, his happiness wasn't long lasting because he saw Love heading upstairs with a dustpan and a broom in her hands. "Diao! Diao! Love, diao!"

Joong called out as he ran up the stairs to catch up with his little sister, who looked at him with an annoyed expression. 

"What is it this time, Phi?" She narrowed her eyes at Joong. "I have to clean you room now. Move aside!"

"How about I do that instead?" Joong gave a nervous laugh, snatching the cleaning supplies from her hands. "You can just go to your room and take some rest."

"Huh." She huffed, puffing her cheeks and folding her arms across her chest. "Usually you hate cleaning your room. You're always ordering me to clean it whenever dad and papa aren't around! Now that you're in trouble, don't act like the good guy! Remember this…I'll never clean your room…ever again!"

With that, Love stomped her little feet on the ground and went back inside her room and slammed the door loud enough that Fourth and Papa Gun had to peak out of the kitchen to see that everything was alright.

Joong didn't wait another second. He rushed inside his own room and closed and locked the door, his heart beating so loud that his ears were buzzing from the sound of it.

Finally, he looked at his room properly since this morning.

It was a mess.

The bedsheets were wrinkled. The entire room felt turned upside down. The covers were half-on, half-off the bed and the books on his study table seemed to be all scattered on the ground.

Everything was a reminder of how badly he had screwed up last night.

"Shia!" He ran a hand through his hair as he took a step forward and stepped on something. Removing his foot, he found a torn up pack of condom, making his eyes widen in shock.

And it wasn't the only one. He could spot another five in plain sight. One of them was on the study table, on top of his lampshade…

"Fuck!"

He collapsed onto his bed with his head in his hands. How drunk had he been to not even remember the number of times he had had sex with Dunk? It wasn't supposed to be like this! Fuck it! This wasn't how it was supposed to be!

All he remembered was his friends challenging him and Dunk into a drinking competition and then the two of them had started drinking, shot after shot until he had lost count. And then there had been beer too.

"Fuck it! Why can't I remember!" 

Joong fell back on the bed, unable to think past the pounding headache he was having. He hadn't wanted it to be like this!

Vaguely…images flashed in his head of lips on his…soft and plump…a feeling he had never had before.

Milky white skin under his fingertips…him kissing his way up the body of the person under him…deep breath…the sound of skin hitting skin…low moans…breath coming in pants…

Joong sprang up from the bed instantly, horrified that just the thought about Dunk and the mere images from last night was causing his heart to race in his chest, making him feel turned on.

He shook his head to get the images out of his mind, but it felt nearly impossible. Why? Why couldn't he forget it?

It had been a drunken mistake right? Something that had happened under the influence of all the alcohol! It never would have happened if they had both been sober…right?

After all, they were competitors. They were enemies from different faculties who competed in everything ever since they got into college. From Freshy Boy and Girl to exam results to the girls they went after…everything!

That's right…he was straight, wasn't he? He liked women…didn't he? Then why the fuck was he getting excited when he thought about Dunk?

Fuck! He was in a bigger mess than he thought he was!

Taking one of his pillows into his hands, he covered his mouth and screamed as loud as he could into it. 

His mind was all jumbled up. He was an utter mess! He needed to fix this! He needed to talk to Dunk! Only then will he be able to find a solution to the storm brewing inside him at that moment.

*

*

Gun and Fourth heard the scream from upstairs and looked at each other in concern. 

"Should I go check on him, Papa?" Fourth asked his dad, after he was done washing and separating the lettuce leaves and placing them in a bowl.

"Never mind." Dad Off walked in at that moment, after letting the cleaners know what to do with the pool. "He's probably just upset that the money for the cleaning with be deducted from his paycheck."

"Papii…isn't that a bit too harsh." Gun asked his husband in a soft voice. "I'm sure he regrets his actions already."

"You don't worry about it, na." Fourth noticed how soft Daddy Off's voice got when he spoke to Papa Gun, before it turned sarcastic again as he looked upstairs at Phi Joong's room. "If he can pay for all the booze, he can pay for the cleanup as well!"

"Okay, okay…stop being so mad. It's not good for your health." Gun told Off calmly. "Lunch is ready, why don't you go and take a shower first?"

"Why don't you join me?" Off told Gun with a smirk. "It'll save both time and water."

"Pappiiii." Gun's cheeks were red as he saw Fourth smiling at them from ear to ear. "Fourth, go set the table and call your brother Pond as well. The others will be here soon, but if Pond gets started on his new drawing, he'll forget to eat entirely."

"Khab, Pa." He gave his father's a salute as they headed down the other hallway to their bedroom.

Fourth took the opportunity to rush to P'Pond's room, making sure to knock lightly before entering, in case he was drawing, because if he got startled and ended up ruining his painting, he won't be able to do what he wanted.

"Come in." P'Pond's voice sounded from inside and Fourth opened the door slowly, already expecting to find him seated at his desk, with his head in his numerous sketchbooks.

"Phi…lunch is ready. Did you take a shower yet?" Fourth went to sit on the bed, waiting for P'Pond to turn to him.

"Hmmm." Pond closed his sketchbook carefully before turning to face Fourth. "What is it? What do you want?"

Because Pond knew that the only time Fourth decided to spend quality time with him or Joong was when he had something on his mind.

"Nothing…it's just…" Fourth hesitated a bit, before sighing and going for it. "Can you drive me somewhere this afternoon?"

"This afternoon?" Pond raised his eyebrows. "Where do you have to be that you're telling me last minute? Is it a club gig?"

"Meshai," he shook his head immediately. "It's somewhere else. A cooking workshop."

"Cooking workshop?" That had Pond raising his eyebrows further. "You help around Papa in the kitchen and you suddenly think you're a MasterChef? Fourth! That's not how this works!"

"I know!" Fourth pouted his lips at his Phi. "Don't worry, I just enrolled for one class. It's an entire session."

"And how much did this one class cost?" Pond sighed, reaching for his wallet on his study table, that was until Fourth said…

"Two thousand five hundred Baht."

"HUH?" Pond's eyes widened in horror as he stared at his Nong. "Arai wa? 2500Baht! For one class? Fourth? Where did you get that much money?"

"Well…I had some savings from my gigs and I save my pocket money." Fourth shrugged nonchalantly, watching his older brother slap a hand to his forehead. "So, are you driving me to the destination or not?"

"Seriously, Fourth!" He sighed, unable to say anything else. "Fine! Where is this stupid workshop of yours? Tell me. Now I'm curious as to which place charges 2500Baht for one cooking class workshop!"

"Nimtawat International Hotel at Thong Lor." 

And at that instant, Pond knew that no matter what happened…he was taking Fourth to his stupid cooking workshop…at all costs.