AGAINST THE RULES

Chapter 35

Bright enters the network building and heads straight to Studio A.

It's six in the evening now but he has one more photo shoot before he can call it a day.

He opens the doors and steps in, readying himself for smiles and photos and small talk. But there was nothing in the studio. No lights. No props. No people.

He scratches his head. Did he get the location wrong? Maybe it was Studio B?

But just as he's about to exit, he hears someone call out his name.

"Saetang?," Bright asks as he turns to face the voice.

And true enough, Saetang was approaching Bright, emerging from the shadows.

"What exactly is happening?"

"We really need to talk. You and Win have got to stop avoiding this discussion."

Bright lets out a frustrated sigh. "You lied about a shoot- " He breaks off. "Ohm, we have a plan. You know the plan. There's nothing left to talk about."

Just then a set man enters the doors but startles when he sees that the studio wasn't empty.

Seatang massages his forehead. "Bright, please. Let's talk in my office."

Bright was going to protest but more people were coming in. He gives all of them a smile and he quickly follows Saetang out of the studio and into the elevators.

They are pensive and quiet until they enter Saetang's office. He shuts the door and implores Bright to take a seat.

"Look," Saetang begins. "We need to go over the pros and cons."

"We don't. We understand what we are doing."

"On a general level, yes. But we need to talk about each project and each sponsor in detail because -"

"It's 2021. Why would we want to work with anyone who is still not open minded about sexuality?"

"It's not that black and white. There are certain - "

"Are you against us being together? Are we bad for your bottomline?"

Saetang reels. Anger makes him blurt out the first comeback that comes to mind. "We wouldn't be here if you could take care of a phone."

The words land on Bright like a blow.

Immediately, Saetang regrets what he said.

Saetang tries again. "This is not about money. This is about doing something with eyes wide open. We need to sit down about how this will affect your offers and current projects." Saetang gestures to a couple of folders on his desk.

"We're pushing through with the Live next week, no matter the pros and cons," Bright says, his voice cold as ice. "We are pushing through with coming clean."

"About the Live, we need to move it -"

"No. It's happening next week. We aren't moving it."

"We have to move it to - "

"No. It's happening next week."

"It cannot happen next week."
Saetang was about to explain himself further but his mobile phone begun ringing loudly. He glances at the name on the screen. Goddamnit it's Joshua from TNN.

"Bright, I have to take this. Please stay put and just listen to me for two minutes. Please."

Saetang exits his office, leaving Bright alone. It's only then that Bright let out a shaky breath.

They were doing the right thing, weren't they? Saetang was just being too cautious. Too much of a stick in the mud. Right?

The truth was Bright could not shake how this whole mess was his fault. The truth was he still couldn't sleep at night because of that phone and his fucking carelessness. He was solid and stoic on the outside but a man torn apart within.

Win has repeatedly told him there's nothing to worry about and Bright pretends to believe Win. Maybe if he pretended enough, he'd look as brave as Win actually was.

Bright walks over to Saetang's table and flips through the mess of papers, passing the time mindlessly until Saetang came back. He should apologize. Saetang had never chosen money over their welfare. Hell, Saetang could be in New York instead of Bangkok if it weren't for his sheer dedication to the job.

But Bright has to make it clear that he will stand by Win's decision to do the Live next week. He will not agree to a delay. He will not be the weakest link.

Bright's eyes fall on the two folders Saetang left on his desk. Curious, Bright picks them up and two photos fall out of the second folder. He picks them up and sees they're pictures of Win - handsome as ever in an all black suit as he stands in front of a green screen.

Bright smiles at the picture, his stress momentarily pushed away by how hot his boyfriend looked. The suit clinging to every muscle like second skin. But wait, he's pretty certain  he has never seen this outfit before. Come to think of it, nor does he remember Win being in a green screen studio recently.

'Maybe this was the screen test he mentioned? The one we never got to talk about,' Bright thought. He opens the folder and sees a film proposal. The movie title was redacted but it listed the main production team. Bright's mouth drops open when he reads the director's name.

'Chad Stahelski?,' Bright's mind goes to overdrive. 'Win wanted to tell me about this while I was in Japan.' He remembers the text message and how excited Win sounded. But why hasn't Win brought it up since?

Bright remembers the insistence of Saetang to go through the details. To discuss the cons. He remembers Win giving Saetang a look when they first found out about the missing phone.

Bright continues reading the proposal, color rapidly draining from his face.
The folder shifts in his hand and that's when he sees the studio logo watermark.
His whole body freezes.

Win was putting too much on the line. Giving up too much for Bright. And Bright doesn't think he was worth risking all of this.

He couldn't let Win risk all of this.

- - -

Saetang rushes back into his office, he was speaking a thousand words a minute.
"Sorry that took so long. As I said, we need to move the Live to tomorrow. Next week is too late and - "

He stops, realizing Bright was not in the room.

Saetang grabs his phone and starts calling Bright. He paces his office as the phone rings and rings without any response.  That's when his eyes fall on the two open folders on his desk.

"Fuck me," Saetang groans. He starts calling Win.