Everlasting (PONDPHUWIN)

Chapter 12: The Breaking Point

The days that followed were a blur of tension and unspoken fears. Nueng and Palm continued to meet in secret, their moments together filled with the bittersweet knowledge that their time might be running out. Every glance, every touch, was tinged with a sense of urgency, as if they were both trying to hold on to something that was slipping through their fingers.

At school, the rumors showed no sign of dying down. If anything, they seemed to gain momentum, fueled by Chopper's subtle but relentless manipulations. Nueng could feel the weight of those rumors pressing down on him, the stares of his classmates like a constant reminder of the precariousness of his situation.

He was exhausted—mentally, emotionally, physically. The pressure from his family, the strain of maintaining a facade at school, and the fear of losing Palm had all taken their toll. He could see the same weariness in Palm's eyes, the way he forced a smile whenever they were together, even though Nueng knew he was struggling too.

It was all becoming too much.

One afternoon, as Nueng and Palm walked through the school courtyard after class, the tension between them finally reached its breaking point. The courtyard was mostly empty, the other students having already left for the day, but the air was thick with the unspoken words that had been building between them.

Nueng had barely slept the night before, his mind racing with thoughts of the arranged marriage his parents were pushing for and the suffocating expectations that seemed to grow heavier with each passing day. He had tried to stay strong, tried to keep going for Palm's sake, but the cracks in his resolve were beginning to show.

As they reached a secluded corner of the courtyard, Palm turned to Nueng, his expression filled with concern. "Nueng, you haven't said much today. What's going on?"

Nueng let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "I don't know, Palm," he admitted, his voice strained. "Everything just feels so... overwhelming. The rumors, my parents, school... all of it. I don't know how much more of this I can take."

Palm's eyes softened, and he reached out to place a comforting hand on Nueng's arm. "I know it's hard, Nueng. But we'll get through this. We just have to stay strong."

Nueng shook his head, his frustration bubbling to the surface. "But what if we can't? What if this is all too much? I'm so tired of pretending, of hiding. I don't know how to keep going like this."

Palm's expression turned pained, and he stepped closer, his voice gentle but firm. "Nueng, you don't have to do this alone. We're in this together. I'm here for you."

But instead of feeling reassured, Nueng felt the frustration inside him reach a boiling point. He pulled away from Palm, his voice rising with a mix of anger and desperation. "But what if that's not enough, Palm? What if we're just fooling ourselves, thinking we can make this work? Maybe... maybe it would be better if we just... stopped."

Palm's eyes widened in shock, and he took a step back, as if Nueng's words had physically struck him. "Nueng... what are you saying?"

Nueng's heart ached at the look on Palm's face, but the words kept coming, driven by the fear and frustration that had been building inside him for weeks. "Maybe we should end this before it gets worse. Before we get hurt even more."

Palm's face paled, and he shook his head, disbelief and pain written all over his expression. "You don't mean that, Nueng. I know you don't."

Nueng looked away, his chest tight with emotion. "I don't want to mean it, Palm. But I don't know what else to do. Everything is falling apart, and I feel like I'm drowning."

Palm reached out, his hand trembling as he took Nueng's in his. "Nueng, please. Don't do this. We can figure it out. We can find a way."

Nueng looked down at their joined hands, his heart breaking at the sight. He wanted so badly to believe that they could find a way through this, but the weight of everything pressing down on him was suffocating.