Feel Something (BounPrem FF)

Chapter 34: Jealousy Part 1

Aawut chose a fancy restaurant for dinner. He made sure the boys changed to look decent enough for it. The brothers felt weird about being there.
   
Sinn wanted to leave immediately and check on Chan. He didn’t like leaving things unspoken. He wanted to know exactly how Chan was feeling, and make the boy tell him everything.
   
Dee felt like he was living someone else's life. He didn’t feel comfortable in such restaurants anymore. He hated wearing a suit and acting proper. He always hated these things, but his tolerance was wearing thin. He wanted to rush over to Sook and stay with him in the dorm or go eat street food and snacks.
   
The atmosphere was elegant, but inside Dee was struggling. He was feeling tense, and his father didn’t help that. Aawut wanted Dee and Lee to sit next to each other and converse, but the two didn’t have anything to talk about. They had to talk about the weather and classes to make it look like they were getting along.
   
Lee leaned close and whispered. “Are you okay?”
   
“Yea…why?” Thankfully, the adults couldn’t hear from across the large, round table.
   
“You look angry.”
   
Dee was shocked to hear that. He usually kept his composure in front of his father at least. “Oh…sorry.” He relaxed his face and drank some water to calm himself down. All he could think about was Sook.
   
After dinner, Sinn excused himself to go to the restroom. On the way out, he ran into Mong. It was on purpose, because Mong stepped in front of Sinn to stop him from leaving. “Have you talked to him?”
   
Sinn was suddenly angry. He was typically calm and collected, but after seeing Chan so down, he was furious. “Why would he talk to you? You can’t even acknowledge your own son in public.”
   
Mong's face dropped. “It’s…complicated…”
   
“I won’t let him talk to you until you un-complicate things.” He tried to step away but Mong stopped him once more.
   
“Let him? Who are you to him?”
   
Sinn didn’t like how Mong tried to intimidate him, so he stepped forward with his head held high. “I’m his boyfriend. Who do you think he’ll listen to?”
  
Mong was in shock. He didn’t realize how much he didn’t know Chan. He wasn’t mad about it, just simply stunned.
   
Before Sinn made it out the door, he stopped but didn’t turn to face Mong as he spoke. “Oh, and don’t tell Aawut about us. Chan would really never forgive you.” Sinn took a gamble on telling the man about them, but he knew the desperate look on Mong's face. The man would surely keep the secret to save his relationship with his son.
   

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Khem took Chan and Sook to a food stall of their choice. They all sat and ate and talked about how college and work were going. Around his Pho, Chan was comfortable and his mind was at ease.
   
Khem knew something was off with Chan. Anyone who knew the boy knew that something was wrong. Khem pretended as if everything was okay, as if he didn’t notice, to make Chan feel better.
   
“You played great, today! We’ll have to bring Lin and Korn next time.”
   
“Really?” Chan perked up right away. His family knew how to make him feel better. He loved the idea of them being at the game. “I’ll have to show more skills next time.”
   
“Oho! I’m impressed already. My boy is on a college team.” Khem playfully shook Chan's shoulder, forcing a big smile from the boy.
   
“One day I'll win a trophy for you. Just wait and see.”
   
“Mmm. I believe you.” Khem smiled as he took a sip of his drink.
   
They all cleaned up after themselves and started walking back to the car. “Are you two going back to the dorms or coming home?”
   
“Dorms. We have some homework we need to finish this weekend. We can walk ourselves from here, Pho.”
   
“Okay, suit yourselves. I’ll see you sometime next week.”

   
As the boys made their way to the dorms, a smiling face greeted them at the entrance. “Mon? Why are you here so late?” Sook looked between the two. He had never met Mon, but surely if Chan had dated someone he would’ve told his cousin.
   
“I was in the area. One of my old friends goes here. Another prodigy, if you will.”
   
“Ahhh. So how’d your game go?”
   
“Good, but they were tough. We won 1-0. How did your game go?”
   
“We won 3-0. I think I was slacking a bit, but nothing I can’t fix.”
   
“Is he on the team, too?” Mon motioned towards Sook.
  
*Oh, no, I’m a team manager.”
   
“This is my cousin, Sook. Sook, this is my friend, Mon.”
   
“Nice to meet you. I’m going to head to my room already, I’ll see you later?” Chan nodded and watched his cousin leave.
   
“What happened?”
   
“What do you mean?” Chan was confused by the question.
   
“You never slack in a game. Is something going on?” Mon couldn’t help but wonder if something was bothering the boy, like trouble with Sinn.
   
“Just…some stuff. Nothing too serious.” It was serious to Chan, but he downplayed it all.
   
“If you want to talk, I’m here.”
   
“Thanks. I think I’ll be okay.” The boy thought of his Pho, Sinn, and Sook. No matter what happened, those three would always make him feel better.
   
“Are you sure? Does it have to do with Sinn?”
   
“What?” It dawned on Chan that it could seem that way. He quickly raised his hands and waved in the air. “No! Not at all, we’re doing great!”
   
“Are you sure? He can be…distant sometimes.”
   
Chan was stunned by Mon's words. Distant? How would he know that? “Oh…were you friends?” The boy could’ve sworn Mon said the two weren’t close, but wanted to be sure.
   
“That was a long time ago, when we were young. He doesn’t seem like he’s changed, though.” Chan didn’t like Mon's sudden change in tone. He began to think there was something neither of them were telling him. He pictured the two holding hands and kissing, only making himself worry. “Chan?” Mon waved a hand in the boy's face.
   
“Oh…sorry. We’re fine…really.”
   
“Chan!” Dee's voice rang out in the distance.
   
The boy turned around to find Dee, Han, and Sinn. “Uhhh…hey…” His focus was on Han. Another person who was on his mind as of lately.
   
Mon saw Han and a sarcastic smile broke out on his face. He thought how unbelievable Sinn was to still be around that horrible person. Han looked annoyed, and parted from the brothers.
   
Dee watched him walk away but shrugged it off. Han wasn’t important to him. “Where's Sook?”
   
“He already went up to his room.”
   
“Alright I’ll see you later!” Dee was off, and left Sinn next to Chan while Mon was still there watching his movements.
   
Mon studied the way Sinn was with Chan, just to see if it seemed genuine. He wasn’t sure what Sinn was doing, but Mon didn’t trust him with the boy, especially after seeing that Sinn still associated with Han. He didn’t trust Sinn in general after that day when they were young.
   
“Chan, I’ll see you next time?” Chan nodded and watched his boyfriend and Mon stare at each other until Mon left.
   
“What was that about?”
   
Chan sensed jealousy in Sinn's voice. *Aren’t I supposed to be the jealous one?!* He stared at his boyfriend in shock.
   
“Oh, he was visiting with a friend and just happened to be here.”
   
“We should go up, it’s getting late.” With a hand on Chan's back, he guided the boy up to the dorm.
   
Sinn wasn’t sure what was going on, but he knew it would end badly if he kept things from Chan. He surely didn’t trust Mon to not try and break them up. The fact that Chan knew Mon for a longer time made Sinn a little insecure.