The Last String

10

"No way you can play guitar that well" Dhan welcomes Noon as soon as he enters the dressing room.

"Yeah, you're a lifesaver!" Pay agrees checking the photos she took with the camera

"Look" she excitedly shows Noon a picture of him that she took.

"You look like a rockstar" she squeals.

"No, I'm not"

"Yes you are, oh my god! I think I'm going to start a new fanclub for you" Pay says and started blurting out random name ideas.

"Hey phi! How'd you know Noon can play the guitar?" Dhan asks Jake as soon as he enters the room.

Jake looks at Noon, trying to ask for help.

"I told him so, it was written in his resume" Kit interrupts. Now that's a real lifesaver.

"That's so dope, I'm glad you remember that or else we were doomed" Dhan fell into Kit's lie which was a big relief because first of all, who would put something like "Can play the guitar" in their resume?

//

The after party was messy, although Noon himself was sober, his mind is dizzy with all the noise. Good thing they booked some rooms in a nearby hotel in advance because Kit was sure that everyone will drink to death and it will be a pain to carry everyone one by one especially Ham who is turns into a crazy show when he's drunk.

"You can drink if you want to" Kit assures Noon but he declines, drinking only from a can of cola as he watches Pay and Ham dance in the middle of the dancefloor. Dhan was already knocked out and is sleeping soundly next to Kit and Jake is nowhere to be found.

"Was it fun?" Kit asks Noon out of the blue, Noon looks at him wondering what was the question all about.

"If you ask this after party, it was quite nice but I'm not really fond of these kinds of things" Noon replies.

"No, I meant performing on stage, was it fun?" The  manager clarifies. Noon thought for a while and smiles.

"I think it was fun, and I was glad I was given the opportunity to play again in front of many people. Although I was nervous since I can't remember the last time I played the guitar, I think I did great, all thanks to Jake"

"Jake is a good guy huh? I've never seen him so happy performing" Kit took a sip from his glass.

"Really? I'm glad I didn't make a mistake" Noon jokes earning a small giggle from the manager.

"Is he much different from the Jake in high school?" Noon froze in shock as Kit's question caught him off guard.

"Nah, I knew Jake since he transferred here in Bangkok, I always thought he was that cold rebellious kid, but as I grow to know him, I realized he wasn't that bad after all" Kit explains.

"Jake was an incredible kid, I'm just glad that he is living the life he had always wanted, and I'm so proud of him"

"Do you really think this is the life he always wanted?" There was a long silence after Kit dropped the question.

Noon was ready to answer the question, although he wasn't sure if he's gonna make any sense since he knows that he really don't know what's the answer.

Suddenly a guard appeared, trying his best not to drop a drunken Jake on the floor.

"Oh my gosh I'm so sorry, I didn't know he got wasted this much, I thought he was somewhere talking with other celebrities" Kit apologizes as he helps the guard in putting Jake in the couch.

"Thank you and sorry for the inconvenience" Kit apologizes again before the guard leaves.

"I think we need to leave, I'll just get Ham and Pay, call the driver to pick us up in front" Kit tells Noon and disappears in the sea of people trying to find their companions.

//

There was a loud knock on the door. Noon looks around and finds Dhan and Ham sleeping, so with no choice, he stands up and opens the door to a drunk Jake.

"Hear me out please"

Noon pushes him out and pulls Jake to his own room. There's no way Jake will make a scene right there.
The first thing Jake did was hug Noon tightly as they entered the room, his head buried into Noon's neck. Nobody spoke, but a few moments later, Noon can feel something wet on his shoulder.

Jake is crying?

Noon tries to push him but Jake's grip is strong.

"It's late, you still have to shoot tomorrow" Noon tries to warn him.

" Just take me back please. I'm sorry about everything. I just can't control myself when I see you. I know, I'm a jerk, I admit. But please"

Noon did not respond.

" I'll change myself, just give me a chance"

No you're not at fault in this mess Jake

Jake lifts his head up and looks at Noon's still blank face. He gently touches Noon's cheeks. Noon tries hard not to show him anything, even though he was on the verge of giving up his now crumbling walls.

"Why am I the only one who still feels this way? Why am I the only one who doesn't want to leave those times behind?x

Jake's tears won't stop, he looks at Noon with such desperation.

"Why do I keep choosing you even if I can see you've given me up?"

Noon closes his eyes, trying to fight the urge to do anything stupid because he knows in the end, he'll still end up getting hurt. He wasn't deserving enough for Jake. He wasn't deserving back then, he was definitely not deserving till now.

Just then, he opens his eyes in surprise when suddenly Jake kisses him aggressively. He pushes him, trying to tilt his head when he realizes he wasn't strong enough to stop Jake.
Jake then goes for his neck. Noon's most sensitive spot. And as much as Noon tries to stop him, he feels himself enjoying it for a while. But then he regains his composure and with one big push, he successfully releases himself from Jake.

And with one huge swing, he found himself slapping Jake hard.

Jake froze in shock as he tried to process everything. The slap suddenly sobers him up to see Noon crying, looking at him with much anger.

Jake nervously approaches Noon who takes a step back every time he steps forward.

"I-I'm sorry"

Jake never expected Noon to look like this. He never thought Noon would respond like this. As much as he hates being rejected, he hates it when he sees Noon crying like this.

Noon finds himself on the floor, he loses it. And now he doesn't even have the energy to get up and leave. Jake sits in front of him and held his hands, apologizing over and over as they both cried at the same time.

Noon suddenly feels lightheaded, the overwhelming feeling of Jake's touch makes him weak. And that's when he decides to show his vulnerable side. Fuck it, all he prays for now is for Jake to forget this the morning after. And he takes advantage of Jake's drunken state as he leans in and gives Jake a kiss, which the latter gladly responds.

Noon's gonna regret this later, but tonight, he's gonna follow his heart one last time. He's gonna surrender from his desire he longed for.

For now, let him love Jake freely, even if Jake won't remember anything of this.