Ephemeral: Love, Pleasure and Hidden Pains

Fifteen

Kinn slowly pacing across the parking lot of their apartment. His mouth non stop counting the number of each step he takes. It was almost two hundred, he chuckled. Tong was late. If it reaches three hundred and Tong did not materialize in front of his eyes. Kinn swore he'll not hold back whatever shit he is thinking. He scanned the entrances of the parking lot, "289," Kinn absentmindedly said, smirks slowly forming, he covered it with his hands that were covered with black leather gloves, trying to subtly the fears and simple excitement. His eyes gazing unceremoniously at his ankle area, the knife was nicely tucked between his boots.

Kinn stopped pacing, his eyes looking at the phone, the red dot on the tracker had stopped a minute ago, they took a good 10 minutes in that area before starting driving again now. His heart drummed at the things that hurt him, Apo safety and the too familiar road they take. The memory rang in his ears.

"Mile, there is a high chance Apo is hurt now. I'll do anything to protect him. Like I once protected us. I know, you'd do the same. The method I choose might be a little extreme. Apo is all you need. I'm sorry for what you'll see," Kinn mumbled to himself, both of them. He holds the phone tight, looking at the red dot driving to the area that is familiar to his core. The time had exceeded three hundred, Kinn knew he had wasted too much time waiting for anyone. If he did things faster, so many things could be avoided.

Kinn took a step to Mile black Mercedes Benz before a schrick of tire and a car break just beside him. The door opened abruptly, "P'Mile!" the familiar yet far away voice called. Kinn turned to the source. The long haired man with a frantic face. The other man walked out of the car, he was the one that had been driving recklessly earlier, there was a visible tire print on the once clean spot on the floor.

Who is he again? Kinn works his mind. Nothing seems to click. Not that he cares about people other than Apo.

The man walks to Mile's personal space, and Kinn takes one step back. Eyeing the man who was catching his breath, "P'Mile, I don't know if you are already aware. But we arrived at Apo's apartment but he is nowhere to be seen. We can't reach him either. Do you by any chance know his whereabouts?" he said in one breath, hair swaying and hands moving back and forth as he tried to explain, eyes rounded with clear worry. A nice man around Apo.

"Jeff! You probably shocked him," the other man warned. He walked from the other side of the car and placed a soft hand on Jeff's shoulder. He looked at Kinn apologically. Bible, Kinn knows him. He had a googly eyes on Apo during his university days until the time Apo had kindfully given him a place to rent. Kinn used to hate him. Until he confessed to Mile, unknowingly Kinn, that Mile did not have to be angry or insecure with him, he had a crush on Jeff not Apo. Kinn looked at Jeff. The young man looks different, he used to cut his hair short when Kinn suddenly emerged when Mile fools around with Apo. It is also close to the time of their secret date in Mile's rented apartment for the three best friends.

Kinn stopped, his mouth felt heavy with rock. He never interacts nicely with any humans other than Apo and Mile's mother. This sudden unplanned interaction rendered him speechless and a little shy. "Uh–," Kinn held the phone close to his chest, "Apo missing," he mumbled, he had so many things to say but that is the only sentence out. It almost causes a blush to appear, Kinn had killed men! If not for Tong's car suddenly emerging from the sea of their car, Kinn had almost forced Mile to play this game. Jeff looked at him sceptical, his eyes narrowed before it landed on Tong.

Tong walked out of his car with his fiancé, Pong, he did not even close his car and walk to Kinn. Pong had dutifully closed the door. Tong's face was full of traces of tears, his under eyes bloated. His trembling lips take a long breath, he looks at Kinn, while ignoring the other. Slowly he holds the soft businessman's hands and he moves down on his knees. His head dug downward, temple on both of Kinn's hands, pressing it lightly, "I'm sorry Mile! I promise to protect Apo when he starts working with me! It is my fault that I did not notice anything. You're busy and place the burden in me, which I take with ease. It is not your fault! Remember that! It's my fault!"