Shadows

47

The next few days passed in a blur, each one blending into the next with the same routine. School, practice, and their duties to Dunk and his brothers occupied most of Pond's time. But through it all, Phuwin's presence seemed to linger in his thoughts. Despite the growing confusion, Pond had tried his best to focus on his responsibilities, as Joong and Fourth had reminded him. But it wasn't easy when Phuwin kept finding ways to draw him in, with those lingering glances and playful words.

It was a Friday afternoon when everything changed. Pond had just finished a piano lesson with Phuwin and was walking out of the music room, his mind still preoccupied with the way Phuwin had smiled at him. He had just started to make his way toward the school courtyard when he heard laughter in the hallway—a sound he immediately recognized.

Phuwin.

Curious, Pond slowed his pace, trying to stay out of sight. His eyes instinctively searched for the source of the sound. There, near the stairwell, he saw Phuwin leaning against the wall, talking to a girl—one Pond didn't recognize. They were laughing, their conversation lighthearted, and Phuwin's charming smile never faltered.

Pond's heart skipped a beat, but it wasn't from excitement. No, it was something colder, something that gnawed at him deep inside. He watched as Phuwin reached out and brushed a strand of hair from the girl's face. The simple touch felt intimate, and Pond felt his stomach twist in a way he couldn't explain.

Then, Phuwin did something that made Pond's breath catch in his throat. He leaned in slowly, his hand gently cupping the girl's face before he kissed her—softly at first, but then deeper as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Pond froze, his eyes wide, his heart pounding painfully in his chest. He didn't know how long he stood there, but it felt like hours. Every second that passed only made the weight of what he had just seen sink deeper into him.

Phuwin, the same person who had been so kind to him, who had flirted with him and made him feel special, was now kissing someone else, like it meant nothing. Like it was just a game.

Pond felt a wave of nausea wash over him. He quickly turned away, pressing his back against the wall as he tried to steady his breath. His thoughts were a blur—angry, confused, betrayed. He wanted to turn back and confront Phuwin, but what would he even say? He couldn't ignore the fact that they were never on the same level. Pond was nothing more than a servant, a protector, nothing close to someone Phuwin would ever care about.

Pond's heart ached as he finally gathered the strength to move away, his feet carrying him away from the scene that had shattered everything he had thought was real. He didn't look back. He couldn't. The last thing he needed was to see Phuwin with that girl again, making it all the more clear that whatever feelings Pond had for him were nothing more than a fantasy.

By the time he reached the gates of the school, Pond's head was spinning. His brothers had already left, so he had a moment to himself to collect his thoughts. But it didn't help. He was filled with questions—questions he couldn't answer and didn't know how to ask. Why had Phuwin flirted with him? Why had he given him hope, only to turn around and kiss someone else?

He wanted to talk to Joong about it, but part of him feared what Joong would say. The last thing he needed was to be told, "I told you so." Pond already knew Joong was right—that he was just a servant, and people like Phuwin didn't look at people like him. But it still hurt. It still felt like a betrayal.

As Pond walked home, the world felt a little colder, a little more distant. His thoughts kept returning to Phuwin and the kiss, like an image burned into his brain. He had to forget. He had to move on. But the deeper part of him, the part that had let himself hope, couldn't help but feel like he had lost something precious.

When Pond arrived at the mansion, he found his brothers sitting in the living room, talking as they usually did after school. Joong looked up first, his expression softening when he saw the look on Pond's face.

"What's wrong?" Joong asked, sensing something was off.

Pond opened his mouth to answer, but the words got caught in his throat. He couldn't say it. He couldn't explain the hurt he felt, the confusion, the pain of realizing he'd been nothing more than a passing distraction for Phuwin. So instead, he just shook his head.

"Nothing," Pond said quietly, forcing a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Just tired."

Joong seemed to buy it for now, but Fourth, ever perceptive, narrowed his eyes. He knew something was off, but he didn't push it. They had all learned by now that Pond would talk when he was ready.

For now, Pond stayed silent, his thoughts still swirling. The truth was, he didn't know what to do next. How could he keep pretending that things were fine when everything had changed?

That night, as he lay in bed, Pond found himself unable to sleep. The image of Phuwin kissing the other girl kept replaying in his mind, each time making him feel smaller, less important, and more foolish.

As the moonlight filtered through the window, Pond's thoughts turned to his family, to Dunk and his brothers. He knew they had their own burdens, their own secrets, and maybe it was better for him to stay out of it all. He had enough to deal with on his own.

But even as he tried to push the thoughts of Phuwin away, he couldn't shake the feeling that his heart was still tangled in a web he had no idea how to untangle.

And so, as the night stretched on, Pond lay awake, his mind filled with questions he wasn't sure he could ever answer.