Secret Admirer

29. Dinner

The waiter carefully placed dish after dish onto the table, each one a testament to June's meticulous efforts to pick out Kayu's favorites. 

"Thank you, Khrab," June thanked the waiter with his usual cheerfulness, his bright smile never wavering as he gestured enthusiastically toward the food.

"Come on, eat! I ordered everything you love," June said, his voice tinged with a familiar warmth that once would have made Kayu feel at ease.

Kayu nodded, slowly picking up his utensils. "Thanks," he said quietly, avoiding June's expectant gaze as he focused on the plate in front of him.

June's smile faltered slightly, a shadow of unease crossing his features. This wasn't like the Kayu he remembered. 

Dinner with Kayu used to be lively and full of laughter. They would talk about everything and nothing, with Kayu occasionally interrupting their conversation to ask June to snap pictures of the dishes—or of Kayu himself holding up a plate with a playful grin.

But tonight, there was only silence.

June shifted uncomfortably in his seat, watching as Kayu ate mechanically, his movements precise but devoid of any enthusiasm. 

The sight was a painful reminder of how much had changed between them.

Desperate to fill the void, June forced himself to speak. "You know... things between Hia Buri and me are good now," he said with a strained attempt at cheer. "We worked things out, and we are dating again."

Kayu paused mid-bite, his eyes meeting June's for the first time all evening. He gave a small nod. "That is good to hear. Congratulations," he said, his tone sincere but flat.

June's heart sank. The Kayu he knew would have smiled brightly, maybe even clapped his hands in excitement. He would have teased June about finally getting his "happy ending" and asked endless questions about how things had worked out. 

But the person sitting across from him now felt like a stranger—distant, closed off.

He tried to brush it off, focusing on Kayu's sincere words instead of the lack of emotion behind them. But the memory of Kayu congratulating him over something as small as winning a piggy toy in a lucky draw stung. 

The joy Kayu had shown then was a stark contrast to the quiet indifference now.

It was not like he was expecting Kayu to be that eccentric that he had restarted dating his ex-boyfriend. But he did wish Kayu would have at least shown a smile.

The silence stretched on, awkward and heavy. 

June watched as Kayu ate in silence, his attention fixed solely on the food. It was unbearable. Summoning his courage, June tried again to make conversation.

"So... how are things between you and Khun Ciro?" June asked, keeping his tone light.

Kayu froze for a split second before setting his fork down. "Nothing is going on between me and Khun Ciro," he said firmly, his voice devoid of emotion.

June blinked in surprise. "Nothing? How can that be? I saw him at your place the other night. Don't try to hide it from me."

Kayu's jaw tightened. "You must have misunderstood it," he replied evenly. "Khun Ciro is my boss. That is the extent of our relationship—employee and employer. Nothing more."

He hadn't hidden the fact that he used to love Ciro in the past from June. But everything was the past, the past that he badly wanted to forget.

June leaned forward, his brows furrowed in disbelief. "But I saw him leaving your apartment. Kayu, come on. I have known you for years—don't act like this is normal."

Kayu sighed, his patience fraying. "June, may be it is because you are a freelancer. You probably don't get it, but it is not uncommon for coworkers to visit each other's places. There is nothing unusual about it."

June wasn't convinced. "But Khun Ciro doesn't just see you as a coworker. I can tell from the way he looks at you—"

"Enough," Kayu cut him off, his voice sharp. He set his utensils down, staring at June with a tired expression. "I don't want to talk about Khun Ciro. I am exhausted, June. I have had a long day at work, and I just want to eat and go home. So can we just get this over with?"

June's lips parted as if he wanted to argue, but the look on Kayu's face stopped him. He sank back in his chair, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "Alright," he said softly.

Kayu picked up his fork again, focusing on finishing his meal as quickly as possible. He was already regretting agreeing to this dinner. The food, while delicious, felt like lead in his stomach.

He had wanted to end things on a good note with June. He didn't want June to feel like he owed him anything and that was why he had said yes to the whole dinner plan. 

But the dinner was turning out to be more taxing than he thought. Each second he sat opposite June felt heavy and awkward, something that he clearly wasn't expecting to happen.

Just as June took another bite, he noticed someone approaching their table from the corner of his eye. The figure was tall and unmistakable. His heart sank as he looked up.

It was Buri—and with him, Ciro.

June noticed them too, his face lighting up with surprise and confusion. "Hia Buri?" he called out. "What are you doing here?"

Buri didn't answer right away. His sharp gaze flickered between June and Kayu before settling on Kayu. There was an intensity in his eyes that made Kayu shift uncomfortably in his seat.

Kayu quickly averted his gaze, his chest tightening with unease. The last thing he wanted was to deal with this. He set his fork down and pushed his chair back.

"I need to go," he said abruptly, his voice clipped.

June turned to him, his expression a mix of concern and surprise. "Kayu, wait—"

"Thank you for the meal, but I need to get home." Kayu said, cutting him off. 

Without waiting for a response, Kayu grabbed his bag and stood up, his movements hurried. He felt Buri's gaze following him, and from the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Ciro's unreadable expression.

Kayu's hands clenched around the strap of his bag as he turned and walked away, leaving the awkward scene behind.