A Vihokratana's tragedy

7. Memory of a rainy day

Drake was on his way to his oh-so-interesting classes, his eyes glued to his phone. Yeah, not the best choice, and-bang-he bumped into someone.

"Shit, sorry," Drake quickly apologized, but just then, another curse slipped from his mouth when he saw who he bumped into. Pluem? Wait, what was he doing in the medical building? The business administration building was some two blocks away. A smirk spread across Drake's face as a thought crossed his mind. 'Chimon.'

"Oh, it's not your fault," Pluem replied, his voice filled with politeness. "I just felt a bit dizzy all of a sudden." He bent down to pick up Drake's phone, which had fallen to the ground. "By the way, have we met before?" he asked, handing the phone back to Drake.

Of course they had. It was the day Frank rejected Drake, and he had been sitting on a bench in the rain, crying his eyes out. Pluem, the happiest person that day as Chimon had just said yes to him, had walked by and noticed the stranger sitting on the bench, upset. Drake had looked up through his puffy eyes when he realized the water overhead had stopped. There stood Pluem, holding an umbrella, offering him the most genuine smile. Drake didn't know who Pluem was at the time-just a stranger, but one he could tell anything to without being judged. A stranger with a beautiful smile, a little light that didn't remove the darkness but certainly helped him survive it. Later, Drake came to know who Pluem was through Frank's family photo, but they never met again until now.

"I'm the guy you helped on that rainy day. I don't know if you remember," Drake said, his smile reaching his eyes.

"Sorry, I don't seem to remember," Pluem said, looking a bit guilty for not recalling someone who had seemed so happy to see him.

"That's really fine. It wasn't an important incident to remember. I have class now, so maybe I'll see you around," Drake said, waving as they both went their separate ways.

Maybe it wasn't a big deal for Pluem to remember, but for Drake, it had been a significant moment.

....

"You've been staring at him since you stepped into the classroom," Drake remarked with a teasing smile.

"I saw him with Pluem again about an hour ago. What do you think he's like?" Frank quickly asked, his curiosity clear. So, Pluem was here for Chimon. Drake smirked again.

Drake tilted his head slightly, eyeing Chimon, who was happily chatting with some classmates, unaware of the two watching him.

"Friendly, talkative, handsome-though not as handsome as me, of course. And if you want to know more about him, why not try being friends with him?"

Drake noticed the brief spark in Frank's eyes. It was subtle, but it was there. Frank, always the quiet one, deserved to have more friends, and maybe Chimon could be the start of that. So, Drake shouted out.

"Hey, Chimon! A minute, please?"

Frank shot him a 'you're so dead' glare, which made Drake gulp, but he wasn't the kind of guy to back down easily. Heck, he'd been chasing Frank even after being rejected countless times.

....

Chimon was having trouble focusing on his classmates, distracted by the constant staring from his dear future brother-in-law. They had never talked before, and Chimon wasn't even sure if Frank knew his name. Yet, here Frank was, staring at him as though he'd committed a great sin. Just then, Frank's friend, Drake, shouted his name. Chimon flinched but quickly recovered, nodding with a smile as he walked toward their seats.

"My friend here wants to be friends with you," Drake said in his usual straightforward manner. Frank looked like he wanted to strangle him.

This was unexpected for Chimon, but he was eager to get to know Frank as well. After all, Frank was one of the top students in the class, even if he was the quietest.

"I'd love to be friends with you both, Frank and Drake," Chimon replied, smiling warmly while raising an eyebrow in amusement.

"Yo-you know our names!" Frank exclaimed, his surprise more apparent than he intended. He hadn't interacted with many people, let alone new classmates.

"Of course, we're classmates," Chimon replied, smiling and furrowing his brow slightly in confusion.

"He's kind of an introvert," Drake explained, always the one to save the day. "He's a bit awkward around strangers, so ignore his behavior. But hey, can we have lunch together during the break, if you're free?"

"Yeah, certainly," Chimon agreed, just as the professor walked in and the class quieted down.

....

"You think he's hiding something, right?" Gun asked Off, his voice tinged with concern. It was Gun's free time, and Off, well, was the master of his own time and job.

"I know he's hiding something, but trying to force it out of him might just make it worse. We don't know what's wrong, or if there's even anything wrong at all. Let's not be nosy. We'll wait until he's ready to talk. We just need to remind him we're here for him, no matter what," Off said, his gaze drifting to Win, who had taken the day off and was peacefully napping on the bed.

"I love you, Papi," Gun whispered, brushing his lips gently against Off's forehead.

"I love you more," Off replied, his heart full of warmth.

....

"Ohh! Look who's home! My sweet wife, Anong Chakrii Sukumpantanasan," Chakrii said sarcastically. "Have you really forgotten you have a son, or did you never consider him one? Such a terrible mother you are, Anong. Do you know how much your son yearns for you? He cries knowing he'll never be acknowledged by his other parent. You can give all your time to that Drake basta-"

"I dare you to finish that sentence, Chakrii," Anong interrupted, her voice low but icy, sharp enough to cut through steel. "The audacity you have, calling him names. Don't forget, if I start talking, even the words will never be enough for you."

Chakrii's grip on the files in his hand tightened, his knuckles going white. How he wished he could silence her forever.

Anong grabbed her laptop and left, leaving the monster behind. She wished she could help her son escape too, but she still felt powerless to do so.

....

A/N: Sorry for the short chapter! I've been quite busy this past week