TO SHOU WITH LOVE

110 - CRY

The vast music festival venue was silent, appearing expansive and desolate, a stark contrast to the lively scene from the last visit.

The main gate was tightly shut, and a fence surrounded the venue.

Approaching the gate, Thanapon took out a remote key and pressed it, causing the sliding door to slowly move aside.

Sailub didn't know why Thanapon had the key to this place, but he didn't ask any questions, he just followed Thanapon inside.

It was half-past five in the morning, and the snow was still falling.

The sky was dim, presenting a chaotic state between darkness and dawn.

After walking for a while towards the stage, Sailub could finally see that the surroundings had completely changed since his last visit, as if it had been recently renovated and redecorated.

About seven or eight meters away from the stage, they reached the tree against which he had leaned last time. Thanapon's footsteps came to a halt.

Sailub stopped as well. "Why did you bring me here?"

Thanapon didn't answer his question, instead, he turned his head to look at him. "Do you want to go on stage?"

Sailub stared at the stage in the distance without saying a word.

Even he couldn't clearly explain whether he wanted to go up there or not.

Perhaps because he had just reminisced too much about that concert on the way here, just looking in that direction from a distance, he could already feel the emotions of approaching the center of the stage back then-a mixture of anticipation, unease, and anxiety.

Then his hand was suddenly held.

Thanapon's palm was warm and dry, gently enveloping his fingers.

"Don't be afraid," Thanapon said as he led him towards the stage.

This time, his voice didn't sound cold, it was deep and, in the dim light of dawn, sounded quite gentle "I'll accompany you on the way."

They walked hand in hand, covering the distance to the front of the stage together, climbed the stairs together, and gradually approached the center of the stage.

Thanapon guided Sailub to stand in front of a standing microphone.

Then, he let go of his hand. "Wait for me here for a moment."

The stage and the audience area regained their tranquility.

After a while, Thanapon spoke again, "Are you really not going to sing something for me?"

"The day we had an argument, I actually had a dream," Sailub's Adam's apple bobbed, "In the dream, it was the same. You were waiting for me to sing, but in the end, I didn't."

"What happened next?"

"You left with disappointment, and I chased after you, but I couldn't find you anymore."

Sailub closed his eyes, furrowing his brows slightly, looking somewhat uncomfortable. "These days, I've been thinking about this dream non-stop, including just now. I'm especially afraid that you'll leave like in the dream, without even looking back. So, Pon, it's not that I don't want to sing, it's just that standing here, I really can't bring myself to sing."

Thanapon didn't say anything more, just looked at Sailub, and when he spoke again, his voice became very gentle, "Don't be afraid, I'm not leaving."

A few seconds later, Sailub's lowered gaze lifted to meet Thanapon's.