Johan POV

"Tonight?"
The voice on the other end of the line practically purred.
I stared blankly at the dark sky above the track, the muffled sound of engines in the background.

"No. Not today."
Click. Call ended.

I tossed the phone onto the table beside me and leaned back, the weight of the day pressing harder than usual. My temples throbbed. My jaw clenched.

Loud cheers echoed from the stands as a couple of rich kids took their rental bikes for a spin like they owned the goddamn place. I didn’t care enough to look. I wasn’t in the mood.

“Jo,” Arthit’s voice cut through the air as he approached, “did you check on Nong? Is he okay?”

I didn’t even look at him. Just reached for my wine and took a long, slow sip.

"How the hell am I supposed to know?"

There was a pause.

Then three synchronized sighs from the group like I was the villain in a bad drama.

I put the glass down, a little too hard. The clink echoed louder than it should have.

“He’s dumb,” I muttered.

“What?” Tonfah blinked at me.

“I said, he’s dumb. As dumb as a deer. The way he acts—sweet-faced and stupid—he was bound to run into shit like that eventually.”

“Hey,” Tonfah said sharply. “You’re being too rude.”

“I’m being honest.” I picked up my glass again, swirling the red liquid before taking another sip. “He’s got one brain cell left. One. Right there behind that ridiculous cute face.”

Hill raised a brow, tone amused. “You sound invested.”

I ignored him.

“Any sane person would’ve backed off after the way I humiliated him in front of everyone at the cafeteria. But what did he do? He kept chasing me like I was some prize in a fucking romcom.”

“He was just confessing that day,” Hill said, arms folded. “You slammed him hard. It felt… off. Even for you.”

“Yeah,” Arthit added. “You usually just ignore people. Why go out of your way to destroy him like that?”

I exhaled, rubbing my temple. The headache was worsening now. Throbbing behind my eyes.

“That day…” I paused, eyes narrowing on the glass. “There was damage on the track. Customers being reckless, father yelling at me over sponsorship losses, staff quitting left and right. Everything was already a shitshow.”

“And then he shows up. With that stupid smile. That ridiculous voice. Like he hadn’t just annoyed the fuck out of me.”

My voice was flat. Cold. But beneath it, something was fraying.

“I snapped,” I admitted.

They looked at me. Really looked this time. But they didn’t say anything. Not right away.

“I don’t get why you let him bother you so much if he’s just some annoying kid,” Hill finally said.

I clenched my jaw.

“I don’t know either,” I muttered.

Silence.

Then Hill smirked. “Is he really that dumb? Or are you just mad he’s not scared of you?”

I shot him a look sharp enough to kill a lesser man.

Arthit stepped in before I could reply. “He messaged you, didn’t he?”

I didn’t answer.

“North messaged you, Jo. I know that face.”

Still, I stayed quiet. But my fingers tapped once on the armrest. Just once. Out of rhythm.

“What did he say?” Tonfah asked quietly.

I gritted my teeth.

“‘Thank you for helping me.’ That’s all.”

“Did you reply?” Arthit asked.

I looked away. “No.”

The group fell quiet again.

Hill exhaled. “You’re such a dick sometimes.”

“Good,” I snapped. “That’s exactly what I want to be.”

But even as I said it, I could feel it. The weight in my chest. The irritation that had no real direction. The way his voice had cracked in the dorm stairwell. The way his stupid fingers had trembled as he wiped his face, refusing to look at me.

He’d cried. Not just because of Pran. Because of me too.

Because I couldn’t just shut up and sit still. I had to yell. I had to scold him. I had to push.

He was utterly stupid.

I drained the rest of my wine and slammed the glass down.

He was safe.

That should’ve been enough.

So why did I feel like I was the one being choked?

I stood up abruptly. “I’m heading out.”

“Jo—” Tonfah called, but I was already moving.

If I stayed here any longer, I’d punch something.

Or worse…

I’d reply to that message from little brat.

And I couldn’t afford that.

Not yet.

He was a nuisance.