Secret Admirer

10. Inn

"This can't be happening!" Ciro muttered, slamming his hand on the dashboard in frustration. He cursed under his breath, gripping the steering wheel as he tried the ignition again, but the car remained stubbornly silent.

 He glanced at Kayu, sitting in the passenger seat, his face pale under the dim light of the car's interior.

Kayu shifted uncomfortably, his eyes flicking nervously between Ciro and the dark road ahead. "What do we do now? There's no way we can call a mechanic out here, not at this hour."

Ciro sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You are right. We will have to find somewhere to stay until morning."

With no other options, they grabbed their belongings and set off on foot, the cold night air biting at their skin as they walked. After what felt like an eternity, they finally spotted a run-down inn, its flickering sign barely visible in the gloom.

The inn was old and decrepit. The lobby was empty, save for a sleepy receptionist who barely looked up as they approached the desk.

"We need a room for the night," Ciro said, his voice tight with exhaustion. He was tired from the 'man-hunt' he went on with Buri to locate June and Kayu and the traveling.

The receptionist yawned, glancing at the register before nodding. "Only got one room left. Take it or leave it."

Ciro glanced at Kayu, who looked uneasy but nodded in agreement. "We'll take it," He said, handing over the payment.

The room was small and sparsely furnished, with a single bed that took up most of the space. The walls were faded, and the air had a musty scent that made Kayu's nose wrinkle. 

He stared at the bed, his heart pounding in his chest. Sharing a bed with Ciro, the man he'd been trying so hard to forget, felt like stepping into dangerous territory. It made his anxiety shoot to its peak.

Ciro tossed his bag onto a chair and turned to Kayu. "I know this isn't ideal, but it's just for one night. We'll be out of here as soon as the sun's up."

Kayu nodded, swallowing hard. "Yeah... right."

As they both settled into the room, the silence between them grew heavier, charged with unspoken thoughts. Kayu couldn't help but steal glances at the phone, waiting for a call or text from June.

His emotions were a tangled mess of longing, guilt, and confusion. He had said yes to June, and yet here he was, unable to ignore the pull he still felt towards Ciro.

Ciro, oblivious to the turmoil in Kayu's mind, finally broke the silence. "Are you worried that June might misunderstand you if he got to know that you are sharing a room with me?" He asked seeing his secretary staring at his phone.

Kayu tensed, not liking the serious tone in Ciro's voice. " June is not someone like that, Khrab Khun Ciro."

Ciro felt his buzzing continuously in his pocket. He pulled it out and the lock screen showed the number of messages from Buri. He didn't have to unlock the phone and read all the messages to know its content.

The last message which was a smiling emoji was enough for him to know what his best friend had to say to him- mission accomplished.

"Khun Ciro, can you lend me your charger? My phone is almost dead," Kayu stared at him.

Ciro felt an unsettling sense of guilt as he met Kayu's gaze. He had lured away Kayu from June so that Buri could approach June. He knew that it was not right for Kayu.

He could see Kayu's devotion towards June and their engagement. Kayu had always been like that, sincere and the kind that gave a hundred percent to everything he did. Kayu had been one of his most trusted and efficient employees. He felt guilty for being part of the reason why Kayu's engagement might fall through.

"Khun Ciro?" Kayu called out as he got no response from the taller.

"Oh?" Ciro snapped out of the daze. "The charger is in my bag. You can take it if you want."

"Thank you, Khrab." Kayu opened Ciro's bag with familiarity. 

Ciro hesitated for a moment, choosing his words carefully. "Are you still mad at me?"

"Why would I be?" Kayu acted normal though he was internally upset about how Ciro had ridiculed his will to marry June.

"I am sorry, Kayu. I didn't mean it like that." Ciro started by apologizing.

Kayu hummed in reply without uttering a word. 

"But I will still say that June is not the right guy for you," Ciro leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. 

Kayu felt a flush of anger mixed with panic rising in his chest. "You don't know anything about June or my relationship with him. It is not your place to judge."

Ciro's expression hardened. "I'm not judging, Kayu. I'm just concerned. You deserve to be with someone who truly sees you, and who makes you feel loved and wanted for who you are. I'm not sure June is that person."

The words cut deep, hitting too close to the truth that Kayu had been trying to avoid. "Khun Ciro, as I have said before, my relationship is my personal affair. Please refrain from making any more of such comments."

Ciro's gaze softened, a mix of frustration and something more tender in his eyes. "I care about you, Kayu. More than I should, probably. I just hate to see you settling for less than you deserve."

Kayu's heart raced, the unspoken emotions between them finally bubbling to the surface. He couldn't deny the attraction he felt for Ciro, but the guilt of betraying June gnawed at him, making him lash out. "I am not settling! I love June, and he loves me!"

It sounded more like he was telling that to himself than to Ciro.

The tension in the room reached a breaking point, both men standing only a few feet apart, yet feeling worlds away. Ciro's jaw clenched as he fought to control his emotions. "Fine. Maybe it is not my business. But don't lie to yourself, Kayu. You deserve to be happy, and I am not sure you are."

"There is no reason for me to be unhappy now, Khun Ciro. Please stop being so prejudiced about my fiancé. " Kayu couldn't understand why Ciro was unhappy with June when they hadn't even met each other before.

He walked over to the small table in the corner of the room, where his phone charger lay tangled. He needed a distraction, something to take his mind off the emotional storm brewing inside him. 

As he reached out to plug the charger into the wall socket, he barely noticed the faint flicker of a loose wire.

The moment his fingers brushed against the plug, a sudden jolt of electricity surged through his hand. "Ah!" Kayu yelped in pain, instinctively jerking back, the charger slipping from his grasp. His heart raced, and he stumbled, the force of the shock knocking him off balance.

Before he could hit the ground, strong arms wrapped around him, steadying him. "Kayu!" Ciro's voice was filled with concern as he pulled Kayu close, his grip firm but gentle.

Kayu clung to Ciro, his breath coming in quick, shallow gasps. The shock had been brief but terrifying, and the sudden rush of adrenaline left him shaken. "I-I'm okay," he stammered, his voice trembling.

But just as he tried to steady himself, a loud crack echoed through the room. The faulty socket sparked violently, and within seconds, the room was plunged into complete darkness. The hum of electricity died out, leaving only the sound of their breathing in the pitch black