SWITCHED|VegasPete|

3: VENICE

..

I quickly turned around and left the glasses on a vacant table. I walked away fast as I pushed my way to the bathroom where the backdoor was. I don't know how I knew that there was a backdoor but my body just dragged me out.

The smell of cigarette quickly hit my nose as I got out. Thankfully the air out here is cooler compared inside, just what I need to be sober.

"Hey! You're that chick's man right!?" A familiar guy asked as he puffed cigar on my face.

I quickly pushed him away but he just scoffed before throwing his cigar on the side. I looked through the alley and no one's around, what should I do?

"I'm fucking talking here!" I heard him exclaim before pushing me by the chest.

Maybe it's because I drank too fast that I easily lost my balance and fell to the ground. I tried to get up but my vision started going fuzzy.

"Hyung! What the fuck are doing!?" A voice suddenly exclaimed before pushing the guy so hard that he landed on the piled trash bags.

"Hyung, are you okay?" A familiar voice called out and helped me get up.

I looked as his face and I can't be wrong. It's definitely Macau.

"Let's go inside hyung." He said as I held unto his shoulder for balance.

I pressed my temple with my fingers before taking a deep breath and looked at him, it really is him. Then, as we were about to leave, I saw the guy get up before pulling out a knife from his back.

"You fucker!!!" He shouted as he ran towards us, the knife aiming at Macau.

"Hyung!!!"

Before the knife could reach Macau, I pulled to turn him away from it making me get stabbed instead. I fell to the ground and tried to press the wound to stop if from bleeding.

"You fucking asshole!!!" Macau suddenly exclaimed as he ran to the guy and punched him on the face.

The guy fell on the ground but Macau got over him and landed more punches. I could hear the latter scream in pain, begging him to stop.

"S-stop... That's enough---" I groaned as I felt the pain, making me somehow sober.

I need to stop Macau before he kills him.

"Macau!!!" I screamed as I saw him stop before turning to look at me.

"Pete!" I heard Jay called out as he kneeled beside me.

"Th-that's enough... Stop... You'll kill him..." I tried to tell Macau before everything went to a total blur.

..

"Where the fuck do you think you're going?"

"Oh shi--- seriously!? Are you my guard or something!?" I exclaimed in surprise and panic as I saw a huge man as soon as I opened the door to leave.

Jay sighed before holding my shoulders and pushed me back in the hospital room until I sat on the bed.

"Don't even think about leaving. Stay here for the night." Jay commanded as he sat on the stool chair infront of me and placed a bag of fruits on the desk beside the bed.

"I told you I'm okay. You're over reacting!" I said as he glared back at me.

"Five stitches. You think that's not deep? I won't be home tonight so no one would watch out for you so this is the safest place I can leave you in. What if you get a fever or an infection? You think I can fly my way from work just to check on you!?" He said furious, brows furrowed and eyes glaring at me like daggers.

"Ugh! Fine!" I gave up and angrily got to bed before turning against him with my hands crossed and eyes tightly shut in annoyance.

I heard him sigh, as if relieved that I gave up. Well it's not like it's senseless. It's true that I might get after effects because of the wound I got. I don't want to die like that.

"Oh. How about Macau? Is he okay?" I asked as I remembered, my back still against him.

"He's fine. He's at the police station to report that bastard." He said as I felt relieved since he wasn't hurt.

"Get some rest. I'll be back by lunch to pick you up. Don't be stubborn and stay still." Jay nagged as I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, yeah." I answered without looking at him.

"I'm serious Pete. Please don't get into trouble." He said in a different tone, he sounded serious and worried at the same time.

"Tsk. I get it." I answered softly before I heard him leave.

..

"Thank you." I thanked the nurse after she changed my bandage.

"Not at all Mr. Saengtham. It's an honor to treat someone like you." She said as she smiled sweetly.

"Haha. Still, thank you." I repeated as she blushed pink.

I knew Pete was good looking, like really good looking. I just didn't expect it to reach a point that everywhere I go, this face can't help but attract attention.

"Hyung!" I heard from the door as it opened with a loud bang.

"M-Macau?" I asked as I saw him storm his way in.

"Hyung!!!" He shouted and quickly hugged me.

The nurse looked at me in surprise as I just smiled awkwardly and signaled her to leave. I tapped Macau's back as he hugged me tighter, too tight that I felt my wound opened a bit.

"C-can't breathe." I managed to say as Macau quickly stepped back.

"S-sorry hyung. I was just so worried. I wanted to come last night but Jay hyung scolded me and said you needed to rest. It's my fault that you got stabbed. I would've killed that bastard if it weren't for you." He continuously said as I stared at him.

It really is Macau. He was 18 before I died, making him 20 now. I wasn't close to him in my past life but I did hear a few things about him studying in Korea. We saw each other in the mansion sometimes but we never actually talked. He looked cold and always had a blank expression so I never wanted to approach him, the same way he never approached me. Seeing this side of him now makes my heart flutter.

"I'm okay, Macau. And it's not your fault." I corrected him as his eyes got teary.

"H-hey! Don't cry!" I exclaimed in surprise as he quickly wiped his eyes.

"O-okay. I won't." He said with a pout as I chuckled in response.

I can't believe that he can be this cute.

"Ah, hyung. Jay hyung told me that you lost your memory. How did you remember my name?" He suddenly asked as I paused.

"U-uhm... I'm not sure. Maybe because I panicked...?" I tried to reason and he stared at me.

"Maybe... I was so important that you remembered me?" He suddenly said as I burst into laughing.

"Hey hyung! I'm serious here!" He ranted as he slapped the bed.

"Hahaha okay, okay. Let's just say you are important and that I remembered you because you were significant to me." I said as he smiled widely.

That morning, Macau told me how we met. It was two years ago when he got into a fight with some gangsters. I was passing by and saved him against those kids which made him follow me around. He was 18 at that time and didn't have much friends in Korea. That's when I got him to work part time at the studio and helped him adjust to a new lifestyle.

"I wanted to live with you before, hyung." He suddenly remember with a smile while peeling an orange that Jay got for me.

"Really? Why didn't you? I lived alone at the house." I said as he looked back.

"Well... You actually hated it when people barge into your house. You're a party-goer but you were also very sensitive about your privacy." He said with sad tone as he ate the orange on his hand.

"Oh..." was all I can say in response.

Come to think of it, Jay also said it was the first time he got into my house. He's Pete's best friend but he never called him over, seems like Pete has this side of him too.

"Hey, why don't you come with me and Jay later? He's actually staying with me while I regain my memory." I proposed to make him feel a little better which definitely worked.

"Really? I can finally come to your house hyung!?" He beamed as if it's the greatest thing he's heard.

"Yeah, really. Jay will be here to pick me up. You can come with us." I said with a smile as I rubbed his head but his expression suddenly changed.

"Hm? Are you okay?" I asked Macau as he suddenly went quiet.

"A-ah... It's just... You used to compliment me like this when I do good in coaching. I just realized how I missed you hyung." He said as he looked at me with sad eyes.

"Missed me? Didn't you work for me?" I asked in confusion.

"Well, it's been three months since you left the studio under Bam's care. You said you had things to take care of and I never saw you again. When Jay hyung called and said what happened, I was scared that you'd act cold again. I was scared that you wouldn't want to see me." He confessed as I looked at him in confusion.

I don't know why but something about the way he talked made me feel sad inside.

"Was I... mean to you?" I asked to confirm my suspicion.

"U-uhm... never mind hyung! It's in the past and we should look forward so... here have an orange." He said trying to change the topic.

I wanted to know more but Macau obviously doesn't want to talk about it. It's my first time seeing Macau be this caring. He would always have arguments with Vegas in the past and I never meddled with their problem. If I remember correctly, they even fought about him coming to Korea to study. Seeing Macau here probably means Vegas allowed him to do what he wanted.