"Guys do you know the purpose I gathered all of you here for this emergency meeting?" asked P'Wad, the senior head hazer from their fourth year of engineering.

This meeting was for the hazers in sotus. Start from the second year till the last year of engineering.

P'Kongpob, the third-year head hazer, Forth, the second-year head hazer, and all of his men were there. The first year is not chosen as hazers yet.

All of the people gathered had a bit of an impression of what this meeting was. But they are not sure about the whole picture.

"Let me tell you something. We engineering students have enemies everywhere we go.

It doesn't matter if it is within our university faculties or with outside universities.

We can create a whole damn long list for that. We fight all the time, so this is not something that is not predictable.

But for the last few months, there have been fights around our faculties. Has any of you know about this?" P'Wad asked angrily.

One of the third-year hazers lifted his hands to talk.

"Say it, Nong Mork," ordered P'Wad.

"Phi, I heard it from a friend of mine from Ritya University that their head hazer has been ordering his men to be extra harsh on our kids in competitions.

At first, we thought it was common for engineering students because we have the spirit to win. But, during the last soccer game, they even purposely injured our kids.

After that game, they even tried to fight us outside the campus as revenge for us to win the match," he explained.

"That does not seem like something serious nong," stated the senior head hazer.

"No, P'Wad, It is serious. All of their revenge attacks happen during the end of our sotus training right in front of our campus.

We even had to make Forth change the sotus timing to avoid the junior nongs from being involved by mistake," added P'Kongpob.

"That is true, P'Wad. Even though we come up with different training times and spots, the fight seems to happen right at the ending time, like someone is leaking the news to them," explained another third-year hazer.

"Do you suspect anyone, Nong Forth?"

"It could not be someone from the second year till the last year, P'Wad. It's because they don't even know the sotus training time. It has to be someone in our new freshmen," Forth pointed out.

"How many days left before the sotus flag ceremony Nong Kongpob? Sorry, you are not in charge, am I right?

It's due to the ban of third and fourth-year involvement.

So Nong Forth, how many days left?" questioned P'Wad with his stern voice.

"We have exactly a week, P'Wad. Last week the moon and star competition had come to an end. Now, all we have left is the nongs to go through the flag ceremony and bring them to sea for the gear giving ritual," explained Forth.

"Okay, let's keep it down for now. Please, make sure that none of our men are involved in any fight, not even a quarrel between faen.

We don't know why they are targeting us.

Is it to stop our sotus ceremony or to take an act of serious revenge on certain someone?

Whoever that is, they are still one of us.

We have to protect them. We cannot leave our people behind.

Do you understand?" questioned P'Wad with his leader tone.

It is not a fight between universities anymore. Everything is a hell of serious.

"Nong Forth, make the freshmen go through the flag ceremony soon. I want both the flag ceremony and gear giving ceremony ended by this one week time," ordered the senior head hazer before ending the sudden meeting.

"Noted, P'Wad," replied forth with a nod.

The meeting ends with a few more warnings of does and doesn't to the hazing team and the rules to be followed by the other engineering students.

It was the hazing team's role to pass the news to them without making a fuss. Forth purposely made the freshmen an exception. If the so-called spy is in between the freshmen, then everything will go wasted.

For the next three days, the freshmen trained hard for the sotus flag ceremony. Forth and his gang come up with the competition for the flag ceremony.

Forth and his team scheduled the flag ceremony on Thursday. The freshmen will have the gear giving ceremony by the sea on Saturday afternoon, and they will reach the university by Sunday evening.

The misfortunes that fall upon them will be gone, If everything goes well as planned. If they are lucky, the hazing team can find the spy within them in this one-week time.

~

What you see is not always what it is, like the pain it may not seem visible, yet deep within is so much to take. Tears are a sign of strength. That no matter how hard or how painful everything is after crying, you still manage to stand up and hold on.

Things have been different since the last day of the moon and star competition. Kit managed to gather himself after crying his eyes out in the arms of his best friends.

Beam and Phana did not mention Ming to Kit, not even in a teasing way. Kit is known for being cold and closed. He could be sweet and kind at the same time could ignore you like you don't exist.

Since that day Kit heard the conversation between Ming and Yo, he decided to distance himself from the younger.

He avoided meeting him at all costs. If being with Ming spells that he has to be a replacement, then Kit would rather not be with him.

He was compared and used as a substitute since birth. So now is the time to stop helping and taking care of other people's feelings.

He needs to take care of himself first because, at last, all we have is ourselves.

~

Ming has been drained due to the continuous Sotus training and the catching up of the subjects when he was away for the moon and star competition.

But the nagging feeling he has in his chest is more tiring than the tiredness he felt due to workload. He remembers the chat with one of the moons from the competition a week ago.

"Oi campus moon, what's up?" asked Leo.

"Hye, Leo. What are you doing in our faculty?" questioned Ming when he crossed the path with the music faculty moon in their food court.

"I heard your faculty has the best Pad Thai. That is why," he replied as he did the fist bump with Ming.

"It is. Enjoy," replied Ming as he was about to walk away.

"Hoi meng, did P'Kit managed to find you that day? How was your dinner date? Did you get anything special for becoming the campus moon?" he teased Ming.

"Which day? What dinner date? What are you talking about?" Ming doesn't understand a thing.

"Owh, on the moon and star competition day. P'Kit was looking for you after the photoshoot. Then I told him that you are heading to the changing room.

Aren't you guys boyfriends? I thought P'Kit was courting you," answered Leo with his confused face now.

"What nonsense. P'Kit did not court me. Where do you get that idea from?" asked Ming, clueless.

It is not the first time someone mistook them as boyfriends, and he always declines it.

'Wait, What? If P'Kit was searching for me, then why didn't he wait for me?'

Ming was confused. He was already anxious about being ignored by P'Kit for a whole week, and now this.

WAIT A MINUTE!!!

"What was the time when he looks for me? Was it around ten or something?" Ming panicked this time.

"No, more like 5 to 10 pm. Why?"

"Shi-ya," cursed Ming with both hands on his head.

His conversation with Yo ends by 10:30 or something. If P'Kit was looking for him before that, then he could have heard everything.

What if he deems I used him as a replacement?

What if P'Kit had feelings for him, and he hurt him unintentionally?

Or

Did he felt uncomfortable being seen as gay by others because of him?

Does he leave this place because he doesn't like being rumors like that?

Ming has been trying to approach P'Kit Kat in their faculty since that day. But it seems the dimple guy decided to avoid him at all costs.

After waiting for him by the canteen and his lab room for several days, he decided to give him the peace of mind he wanted.

P'Kit must have been so disturbed that he wants to avoid him like this. So Ming let him be and tried to avert his mind by focusing on the sotus, yet he could not take his mind away from him.

He thinks of him whenever he had Pad Thai in his canteen.

He remembers how his P'Kit Kat will whine about him finishing his meal, nevertheless will feed it all to him.

He remembers the warm hug he had all night during their stay at the hotel throughout the photo shoot for the competition. The small guys even abounded his revision to comfort him.

In return, all he did was made him discomfort with his words due to his carelessness. It is the first time he felt guilty and empty due to someone else apart from his P'San.

His day went by slowly for him without the dimpled guy by his side. Those couple of weeks felt sweet and memorable that he can't even remember how his life was before he met his P'Kit Kat.

He genuinely misses his P'Kit Kat.

~

Wayo's POV

I have been watching P'Kit for a while now. He is not the same P'Kit that I know during the moon and star completion. He felt like a stranger.

His comments are short, and most of the time, he does not even talk. If the old P'Kit was the warm sun, this P'Kit is the cold mountain.

He doesn't even talk to others apart from P'Pha and P'Beam. Even though I was there to have lunch with P'Pha, he would only focus on his meal or the lecture note.

It feels like he avoids talking to others. He will excuse himself if he saw Ming joining us to have lunch in their food court.

What could have changed since the last day of the competition?

By any chance, did Ming fight with P'Kit due to the conversation he had with me before going out with P'Kit that night?

I have my own worries, and yet again, I worry about my best friend's relationship issues.

Courting P'Pha was exciting and thrilling, but now that he belongs to me, I am scared. I am the soft boy he sees now. These all an act, that, I am forced to play together with Ming under our parents' order.

One day in the future, I have to reveal my true identity.

Will P'Pha still love me if he knows I have gangster blood in me and my family is not running the ordinary business as it seems for the world and somehow related to the underground, dark market?

Will he hate me?

What if he thinks that I deceived him?

Why do things get weird every time I tried to be a typical boy with love and dreams?

"Nong Yo, what are you thinking?" asked Phana gently as he saw him playing with the food.

"Huh? Nothing much, P'Pha. Why? Did you ask me something?"

"No. You were frowning so hard. That's why. Is something bothering you?" Phana questioned again.

"Ohh. P'Pha, May I ask you something, phi?" questioned back Wayo, a bit reluctant.

"What is it, nong Yo?" asked Phana with a sweet smile.

His smile patterned, especially for Wayo. You can't find this kind of smile anywhere else.

"P'Pha, if someday you find out that I am not as you expected, will you break up with me, phi?" He looks too scared for Phana at the moment.

"Yo, we have been couples for a month now. Can't you feel my love for you? Why do you question like that?" Phana got a little hurt with the question, but he has a nong to console first.

"Tell me, phi, if someday you find that I am not the sweet boy you love anymore or if I have hidden something important from you, will you hate me and leave me phi?" Wayo's voice was so slow that it sound's like whispers.

"Let me ask the same thing to you. Will you leave me if I do that?"

"No phi. I can never hate you. Maybe I will leave if that is what you want, but I will never hate you. Whatever the reason is, phi," answered Wayo with the same sad look.

Phana smiled and ruffled Wayo's hair.

"I will do the same too. I believe that love happens without any reason. So love cannot end for any reason too. Am I right? If something like that happens, I will wait for you to explain before deciding everything. I promise that I won't jump to the conclusion," answered Phana calmly with a gentle smile.

"Thank you, P'Pha. It means a lot to me. I promise phi, I will explain everything until you accept me back," replied Wayo thankfully. That boy finally smiles.

"Where are P'Beam and P'Kit, phi? Are they not joining us today?" asked Wayo to change the atmosphere from its tense state.

"Ohh, Beam is out with Forth for a lunch date while Kit when to meet our professor. He will be here soon," answered Phana.

"P'Pha, may I know why P'Kit is moody nowadays? Or is that normal?" Phana was quiet.

Phana looked sad though he does not open his mouth to comment on anything. Maybe he made the atmosphere more tensed now.

Phana wanted to say that it was all because of your stupid friend. Then again, he could do better. So he stayed seated and silent.

"If it is personal, you don't have to explain to me phi. I understand. It's between friends, right?" Wayo stated, which only received a nod from Phana.

"Hmmm. Thank you," replied Phana as he ruffled Wayo's head before they continued to eat their lunch while waiting for Kit to show up.

Wayo just returned that smile and continued to have the meal. But he knew that he needs to do something.

Because somehow he could know the cause why P'Kit is pensive here, and Ming is lost there. Somehow he felt that all of this is related to the discussion he had with Ming on the competition day, and if his guess is correct, P'Kit could have heard them.

_____________

End of Chap 15.

TBC.

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