Autumn is a second spring

145. Envelope

Fluke didn't try to stop Ohm as he walked away. He didn't even glance in his direction.
Instead, he turned his attention toward the group of people scattered among the crowd—an unassuming mix of hospital staff, patients, and visitors. When their eyes met his, he gave a brief nod.

They responded in kind, then dispersed smoothly, blending back into the onlookers as though they had never been coordinated at all. Within minutes, soft murmurs began rippling through the crowd—snippets of the truth, or at least the version of truth Fluke wanted circulating.

"Doctor arrested... something about stalking..."
"Poor kid, that boy, right?"
"I heard she leaked their address."

Fluke stood still, arms folded, expression unreadable. Around him, confusion mixed with curiosity, but he wasn't interested in the chaos he had planted. He had learned long ago that silence and strategy could ruin someone more effectively than shouting ever could.

A hurried set of footsteps broke through the noise. The hospital director—Dr. Bhanditt, a man in his fifties—appeared, slightly out of breath. His polite smile faltered when he saw Fluke.

"Khun Natouch," he greeted with a nervous bow. "I... I just heard about what happened. Please accept my deepest apologies for the actions of one of our staff. I am ashamed something like this occurred under our roof."

Fluke gave a curt nod. "I hope you will handle the matter accordingly," he said coolly. "This isn't just an internal issue. It reflects on the Serene hospital's reputation as a whole."

Dr. Bhanditt's shoulders stiffened. "Of course. I will ensure that appropriate disciplinary measures are taken immediately."

"I am sure you will," Fluke said, tone polite but empty. He glanced at his watch. "You must be busy, Director. I won't take more of your time."

Relieved, Dr. Bhanditt, exhaled quietly. "Thank you, Khun Natouch. And again—my apologies." He gave another quick bow and hurried away, eager to escape the tension.

Fluke turned to leave, but before he could, two familiar voices called after him.

"Khun Natouch!" Atom's tone was pleading. "Wait—please."

He stopped, half-turning to face Atom and Poom. Both looked tense; Atom's eyes darted nervously, while Poom's jaw was tight with anger barely contained.

"Could you stop P'Ohm?" Atom asked, desperation creeping into his voice. "P' Lin... she didn't mean for it to go this far. Please. If anyone can talk to him, it's you."

Fluke regarded him quietly for a moment before replying. "P' Ohm is doing exactly what I would have done," he said. His tone was calm, measured—dangerously so. "I am not going to interfere."

Poom frowned. "And what was that about earlier?" he asked. "When you told the director to 'handle the matter accordingly'? You are not saying Lin's going to be punished by the hospital too, are you?"

Fluke's lips curved in the faintest trace of a smile. "Of course she will be. Having a doctor exposed for stalking a celebrity would be disastrous for the hospital's image. They will act quickly."

Atom shook his head. "But P' Lin isn't a stalker."

"Oh, I know she is not," Fluke said softly. "But that's not how we will paint her." His eyes darkened slightly. "She used her position as P' Ohm and P' Boun's friend to get personal information. She published it. A child was hurt because of her. Whether she meant to or not doesn't matter now. She will pay for that."

He started to move past them, but Poom stepped in his way.

"Wait," Poom said, his voice low. "What if we tell people the truth about Ohm's accident?"