"Poom," Fourth whispered, slowly fainting in Phuwin’s arms.
"Phi Fourth! Phiii... aii, please wake up," Poom cried, his voice trembling.
"Calm down, Nong. Bring some water," Phuwin said, gently sprinkling water on Fourth's face until he blinked slowly, still resting in Phuwin’s arms.
"Phi Fourth!" Poom hugged him tightly, and Fourth tried not to flinch from the pain in his body.
Phuwin carefully laid Fourth on the couch, then went to warm some food for him. Poom sat nearby, tears running down his face, feeling helpless seeing his brother like this.
Phuwin brought the food and coaxed Fourth to eat, giving him some strength. Afterward, he helped Fourth to the bathroom, gently washing him with Dettol to clean his wounds and disinfect his body, then dressed him in fresh clothes.
He treated Fourth’s injuries without asking questions. He didn’t want to push for answers, not until Fourth was feeling better.
A couple of hours later, Fourth woke up, feeling a little more refreshed.
"Where’s Poom?" he asked, rubbing his eyes after the nap.
"Phi Fourth..." Poom hugged him again, clinging to him before finally letting go.
"Phu... I just want to say thank you. What would I do without you, huh?" Fourth’s voice cracked as tears slipped down his face. Phuwin pulled him into a tight embrace.
"That’s enough, Fourth. What matters is that you’re safe now, and that’s all we care about," Phuwin reassured him.
"Yes, Phi Fourth. We prayed and hoped for you to come back," Poom added, sniffling.
"Phi, did you go back to street fighting? Did someone kidnap you? Did they hurt you this much? Was it the loan sharks? Phi—"
"I’m fine. Nothing happened, okay? It was just some robbers," Fourth interrupted, trying to sound convincing.
"But what about the video? You hit that man in the video, Phi," Poom pressed.
"He was a bully, so I taught him a lesson," Fourth forced a smile.
"Really? Bullies look that handsome now? He’s so—"
Phuwin cut him off this time. "Nong, let your brother rest, hmm? Here, take my phone and go play a game in the bedroom."
"Phi Fourth, see? He’s treating me like a kid, and I’m turning 16 next month!" Poom pouted.
"It’s okay, Poom. I’ll play with you later, okay?" Fourth gave him a thumbs-up.
"Copy that, Phi!" Poom ran off with Phuwin’s phone to the bedroom.
Phuwin sat down next to Fourth, waiting patiently. Finally, Fourth opened up and explained everything that happened at the Club of Hearts, right up to being imprisoned in the castle and the condition he had been given.
"Is that guy insane?!" Phuwin shouted. "I’m going to kill him!"
"Don’t bother, Phu. He’s filthy rich, and I don’t just mean regular rich. This guy is very rich. If you so much as set foot on his property, he’ll do something nasty," Fourth explained, his voice resigned.
"So... you’re going to work as his slave?" Phuwin asked, his voice filled with frustration.
"What else can I do?" Fourth replied, defeated.
"But what about your hustles? You won’t make any money as his slave, which means no school for Poom, no rent, no food. What about the bills? Think about it," Phuwin said, his voice tight with worry.
