The Price of a Kick? - Prize!!

Sad Puppy

Getting there

Tan sat alone, his mind replaying everything that had happened in the last few days. His heart felt heavy, his mind full of anger, disappointment, and guilt. Peem's fainting, Q's words, Phum's betrayal—it all swirled in his head like a storm. He'd known Peem was kind to a fault, but he never imagined it would lead to something like this. And now, knowing that his close friend had been suffering all this time under his nose made him sick to his stomach.

He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice Fang approaching until he was standing right in front of him.

"Tan," Fang called out hesitantly, his voice soft and shaky.

Tan looked up, his eyes narrowing as soon as he saw Fang. Without a word, he stood up and turned to leave.

"Tan, please," Fang pleaded, reaching out to grab Tan's arm. "Just hear me out."

Tan's body stiffened at the touch, and he pulled his arm away roughly. "I don't want to talk to you, Fang," he said, his voice cold. It didn't matter that he was in love with Fang; his anger was stronger than any affection he felt right now. "I don't want to hear anything you have to say."

"Please," Fang tried again, his eyes wide with desperation. "I didn't know—about what Phum was doing. I swear, I only found out when Peem was in the clinic."

Tan stopped and turned back to face him, hurt and frustrated. "You expect me to believe that?" he snapped. "You're his brother, Fang. How could you not know?"

Fang flinched at Tan's words; guilt clearly etched on his face. "I'm sorry," he said quietly, his eyes downcast. "I know I should have known. But Phum only told me when Peem was already in the clinic. I had no idea he'd gone that far. If I'd known earlier, I would have stopped him. I swear."

Tan stared at him; his jaw clenched tightly. For a moment, he said nothing, his chest heaving with anger. "Peem has always been there for me," he finally said, his voice trembling with emotion. "He's always been there for all of us. He's the kindest person I know, and he didn't deserve any of this. Can you imagine how humiliating this might have been for him?"

Fang nodded; his face twisted with shame. "I know," he whispered. "I know my brother did something terrible, and I'm ashamed of him for it. Peem didn't deserve it."

Tan let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. "You know, I always teased Q for being so protective of Peem," he said, his voice tinged with regret. "I used to think he was overreacting. But I guess I was wrong. Maybe if I'd been more like Q, this wouldn't have happened."

Fang looked at him, his eyes filled with regret. "Tan, I'm sorry. I really am. I wish I could change what happened."

Tan sighed, his shoulders sagging. "I guess technically, you're not at fault," he muttered, his anger slowly giving way to exhaustion. "But your brother is a real piece of work, Fang. He will go to hell for this"

With that, Tan turned and walked away, leaving Fang standing there, feeling helpless and heartbroken. He watched as Tan disappeared around the corner, the weight of his words settling heavily on his shoulders. He knew Tan was right and thought even if he hadn't known, he should have done more. He should have been a better brother—and a better friend.

---

Back at home, Fang found Phum on the couch, looking just as miserable as he felt. Phum looked up as his brother entered, his eyes red and puffy from crying.

"Phum," Fang said sternly, crossing his arms over his chest. "You need to apologize to Peem. Properly. Not just some half-hearted sorry. You need to make this right."

Phum's eyes filled with fresh tears, and he lowered his head, his voice breaking. "I know," he whispered, his shoulders trembling. "I know I was wrong, Fang. I feel horrible about it. I—I don't know why I let it go this far. I just... I don't know what to do to fix it."

Fang's expression softened slightly, but his voice remained firm. "Your tears are useless if you don't do anything about it," he said. "You think feeling sorry is enough? It's not. You need to show Peem—and everyone—that you actually mean it. You know your intention wasn't good. Show them that you understand how much you hurt him."

Phum nodded, his face a mess of guilt and regret. "I will," he promised, his voice choked with emotion. "I'll do whatever it takes to make it right. I swear."

Fang sighed, his expression softening just a little. "You better mean that, Phum," he said quietly. "Because this is more than just about you now. You hurt Peem, and you hurt everyone who cares about him. If you really want to make up for it, you need to start by fixing yourself."

Phum nodded again, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. "I will, Fang," he said. "I promise."

Fang hoped his brother was sincere. Because right now, he wasn't sure how many more chances Phum had left. And if he couldn't make this right, he feared they might lose more than just a friend.