Autumn is a second spring

73. Search

Ohm's fist slammed onto the polished wooden table, sending a shudder through the room. 

The sound reverberated in the tense silence, causing his subordinates to flinch. They were used to Khun Ohm being composed, the picture of calm authority, but today, that image had shattered.

Ohm's chest heaved with barely restrained anger, his usually steady hands trembling slightly. He couldn't believe this was happening. 

Fluke was gone, and no one could find him. Not his trusted men, not the private investigators—no one. It was as if Fluke had vanished into thin air, leaving nothing behind but a gaping hole in Ohm's heart.

"Khun Ohm," one of his subordinates began cautiously, "we have searched everywhere, but there is no sign of Khun Fluke. No records of him leaving the city, no activity on his accounts. It's like he... disappeared."

Ohm's jaw clenched at the words, his frustration boiling over. 

Fluke had left him—just like that, without a word, without a reason. And now, he was gone, unreachable. 

But Ohm wasn't stupid. He knew Fluke's father, Thas, had never liked him. There had been tension between them from the start. 

Ohm had always sensed Thas's disapproval, the subtle disdain in his eyes whenever they met. It wasn't hard to guess that Thas might be behind this sudden disappearance.

"Ohm, please—" Singto's voice cut through the fog of anger in his mind. Singto was the only one who dared to speak to him so freely, especially in a moment like this.

Ohm turned to him, eyes flashing with a mix of desperation and fury. "They couldn't find anything, Singto. Nothing. How is that even possible?"

Singto's expression softened as he looked at his cousin. He knew how much Ohm loved Fluke—how deeply those feelings ran. But seeing Ohm like this, so uncharacteristically out of control, was jarring. It was as if Fluke's absence had turned the calm, collected man into someone else entirely.

"Look, I know you are upset, but getting angry won't bring Fluke back," Singto said gently, placing a hand on Ohm's shoulder. "You need to calm down and think. Fluke wouldn't just leave without a trace. Maybe he left something behind for you, a clue, anything."

Ohm took a shaky breath, trying to rein in his emotions. Singto was right. There had to be something—a sign, a message, something Fluke left behind. 

Fluke wasn't the type to disappear without reason, not unless he was forced to.

But the thought of Fluke being forced, of Thas being behind this, made his blood boil all over again. How dare Thas think he could take Fluke away from him? Ohm had fought so hard to build a life with Fluke, to protect him from the shadows of his past, and now this?

He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. "You think he left something behind?"

Singto nodded. "Fluke loves you. If he had to leave, he would have found a way to let you know why. You just have to figure out where to look."

Ohm exhaled slowly, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. Singto was right. There was no use raging at his men or smashing tables—he needed to think, to strategize. He had always prided himself on being one step ahead, on seeing the pieces of the puzzle before anyone else did.

But now, the puzzle was Fluke, and the stakes were higher than they had ever been.

"Alright," Ohm finally said, his voice steadier. "We will go over everything again. The apartment, his office, his studio, all his favorite places—there has to be something we missed."

Singto gave him an encouraging nod, relieved to see the fire in Ohm's eyes shifting from rage to determination. "And if we don't find anything?"

Ohm's gaze hardened, the resolve returning to his voice. "Then I will make Khun Thas tell me where he is."

Singto could see the old Ohm coming back—the one who was always in control, always with a plan. But beneath that steely exterior, Singto knew, was a man terrified of losing the person he loved most.

"Just remember, Ohm, Fluke's not the enemy here. Whatever happens, don't forget why you are doing this."

Ohm didn't need the reminder, but he appreciated Singto's concern. 

Fluke wasn't the enemy—he never could be. But that didn't mean Ohm wouldn't tear down every barrier, confront every threat, to bring him back. Even if it meant going up against Thas himself.

As his subordinates prepared to move out again, Ohm felt a flicker of hope amidst the storm of his emotions. 

Fluke had to be out there somewhere, waiting for him. And Ohm wasn't going to stop until he found him, no matter what it took.

But as he watched his men file out of the room, Singto's words lingered in his mind. 

What if there was something more to this? What if Fluke had left, not because he was forced, but because he wanted to? The thought gnawed at Ohm, but he pushed it aside. No, that couldn't be it. Fluke loved him, just as much as he loved Fluke. There had to be another reason.

And as Ohm sat down, trying to piece together the fragments of what he knew, one thing became painfully clear—this wasn't just about finding Fluke anymore. It was about finding the truth, whatever that truth might be.

Ohm clenched onto the hope of finding Fluke again.

In a world were everyone had made him feel unwanted, Fluke had been the one who embraced him. Fluke made him feel wanted, valuable. 

Until he met, Ohm had been like a puppet, acting out different roles both on screen and off screen. 

The role of someone's son, someone's brother, someone's grandson, someone's cousin, someone's cousin and so many roles, all of which he had played flawlessly, never giving anyone the chance to nitpick.

Yet, no one cared how he felt. He was never cared for as a human.

All his life he had lived in on the conscious effort of not making mistakes. He knew that the moment he made a mistake, he would be cast away by the people around him. They would point fingers at him and blame him.

But when Fluke came into his life, his consciousness dampened. He began showing his flaws to Fluke at times. He became himself with Fluke, not being worried that he might get casted away one day.

Fluke had made his life so enjoyable. Ohm felt that he was finally alive, after meeting Fluke.

Fluke had given him a new reason to live, a reason he had been looking for for years but never found.

Now that Fluke suddenly left him, Ohm felt the void. It was like a blackhole, sucking in everything within him, his soul, his will to live.

Ohm wanted Fluke. He wanted Fluke so bad.

Ohm started wondering if he had just pretended in front of Fluke, just like he pretended in front of others, Fluke might have never left him.