Behind the Scenes

SCENE ONE: PRAN TALKS

Someone told me there are no secrets in this world. Once a secret is known by two or more people, it's no longer a secret. I don't like having secrets. I never feel like it's fun to hide something. It only keeps causing trouble.

Despite that, I've had this one secret ever since I was born. It's a secret known by more than two people, a secret that wasn't meant to exist but nonetheless, it's a secret I've been trying to keep hidden to the best of my ability.

Maybe I'm afraid... that if the secret is no longer a secret... something will be lost.

"Pran! Watch out!"

FWIP! THUD!

Wai shouts from behind and I dodge by instinct. Another guy lunges past where I was standing and tumbles on the ground, missing his target.

He turns his head and scowls at me before springing up. His clenched fist rises up, ready to break my jaw. I take the chance to bend down, tilt my head dodging his attack, and smack him back right under his chin.

I pant and take a step back, losing quite some energy with that movement.

"You!"

THUD!

"Ugh!"

"Pran!"

Taking a long time to pull myself together, I got attacked from behind, getting kicked in the back by someone, followed by a punch in the mouth. I fall down and twist in pain from the collision between my arm and the concrete ground.

Glancing up, I see Wai trying to hold those engineering students back by kicking them away. I spit out some blood, wipe the liquid on the corner of my mouth off carelessly, and get up on my feet with the help from my buddy.

"Wai, go help Ke first!" I tell him and signal him to go straight to our friend who is being beaten up by two guys. Wai nods and strikes one of the foes in his stomach, then he strides there with his long legs.

Even though I said that, I can barely swallow my saliva down my throat now that I'm facing with three dogs baring their fangs.

In a moment like this, where the hell are those kids who started this shit?!

"What the heck? I guess someone like Pran Parakul can go pale too?" one of them asks me in such an irritating manner. He moves closer to me, with a smirk at the corner of his lips, putting both hands in his pockets. I frown a little and narrow my eyes as if asking, 'What the hell do you want?'

"Did you go rigid?"

Huh.

I grin and scoff.

POW!

I throw my fist at his cheek without warning. His face jerks back from the force, an annoying smirk still plastered on his face.

"You son of a bitch!"

His minions behind him get flustered at my words directed at their leader. They bark like dogs getting ready to charge me but when they spot a tan arm raising before them, they all freeze, looking confused.

"What, Pat?"

"Leave him to me."

Saying those words, Pat gives me an evil grin, the familiar grin I've seen several times in the past fistfights. Our eyes meet and I smile back at him to accept his challenge. We hold each other's gaze until we hear bells ringing in our heads. We share one last glance before we rush toward one another.

The first punch lands on my stomach but it's not strong enough to hurt me. I seize the nape of his neck and slam my knee in his belly in return. Our faces are so close that they almost touch before he collapses, wrapping his arms around his abdomen.