Chapter 15

Nunew had always known that the day would come when he’d have to see Zee again, sooner or later. After all, the world is round; he couldn't avoid Zee forever. He just hadn't expected to meet him under these circumstances: while he was walking hand-in-hand with Tee, and Zee was sitting across from a young woman in a cozy café.

​Following the stunned gaze of the person beside him, Tee noticed Zee’s presence in the room. He whispered into Nunew’s ear, his grip on Nunew’s hand loosening slightly.

​"Do you want to talk to him?"

​Coming to his senses, Nunew turned to look into Tee’s eyes, a forced smile playing on his lips.

​"What else is there left for us to say?"

​He squeezed Tee’s hand tightly and took a deep breath.

​"Can we go somewhere else?"

​Nunew’s eyelashes trembled, reflecting his inner turmoil. Memories he thought were long buried suddenly flickered in his mind, leaving him unsure of how to react. He pulled Tee’s hand, trying to turn away from that blindingly painful sight. The warmth currently enveloping him gave him yet another reason to loathe himself even more.

​"I’m sorry," Nunew murmured as they neared the exit.

​It’s a paradox, but sometimes, humans love the very thing that causes them the most suffering.

​"Khun Nunew!"

​A clear voice pierced through the quiet space. Nunew flinched, instinctively scanning the surroundings. Fortunately, the café was sparse, and the service counter—where a staff member should have been—was empty. Nunew swallowed hard and turned toward the source of the voice.

​The one calling him was the girl sitting with Zee.

​Nunew’s heart skipped a beat. He stood frozen as his eyes met Zee’s from across the room. The awkwardness of the situation left him in a dilemma. He couldn't leave, yet approaching them felt impossible. The tension was so thick that Nunew didn't even realize his palms were drenched in sweat.

​"Be a good boy, Nunew. Just breathe." Tee’s face happened to shield the panic clearly visible in Nunew’s expression.

​Nunew snapped out of his daze. On one hand, he followed Tee’s advice to regulate his breathing; on the other, he held Tee’s hand in a vice grip, refusing to let go.

​Once Tee saw he had stabilized, he stepped aside, no longer blocking Nunew's view. Recognizing the gesture, Nunew gave a reassuring smile. He tugged at Tee’s hand, and together they walked toward the small table in a secluded corner.

​"Hello, P’... and... P'Zee," he spoke softly and politely.

​In contrast to Zee’s shattered expression, the girl at the table seemed completely oblivious to the stifling atmosphere. She gracefully pressed her palms together in a wai to greet Nunew and Tee behind him.

​"Don't call me P’, Khun Nunew. I’m about the same age as you," she said, her tone exceptionally cheerful.

"My name is Duangkamol. I’m a new artist who just signed with DMD."

​Nunew paused for a moment. Truthfully, since the incident two years ago, it had been a long time since he’d heard anyone address him as 'Khun Nunew.' It made sense; his life no longer revolved around interviews, commercial shoots, or TV shows that required such formal etiquette.

​Nunew offered a sincere smile.

​"Then, congratulations to you on joining the DMD family."

​As soon as he finished, everyone except Duangkamol was visibly stunned.

​Seeing Zee’s expression, Nunew knew he had slipped up. He covered his mouth, his body leaning slightly toward Tee. Tee, in turn, instinctively moved to shield him.

​Duangkamol didn't care for such minor details; she just squinted her eyes and smiled brightly at Nunew’s congratulations.

​"By the way, wouldn't you and this gentleman like to order something?"

Duangkamol said, intentionally shifting over and patting the seat cushion, clearly inviting Nunew to sit.

​Seeing how outgoing she was, Nunew couldn't find a way to refuse. He asked Tee to go to the counter to buy him a drink before slowly sitting down beside her. He avoided eye contact with the man sitting opposite them.

​"Aren't the snacks P'Zee ordered still not out yet?" Duangkamol waved her hand.

"Go check with the staff please. I have something I want to discuss privately with Khun Nunew."

​Zee was initially reluctant, but for some reason, after being stared down by Duangkamol for a moment, he finally nodded. He lingered for a long time before standing up, every step filled with a longing to stay.

​Hearing how intimately Duangkamol referred to Zee as 'P',' Nunew felt a pang of bitterness. But then again, what use was bitterness now?

​Nunew asked calmly, "What did you want to say to me, Khun Duangkamol?"

​Duangkamol didn't answer immediately. She picked up her juice and took a leisurely sip.

​"Don't you find it strange that I was signed by DMD?"

​In recent years, DMD had grown continuously, but one thing remained unchanged: they only trained male artists, never females. This had been the case since Nunew was an artist there—no, perhaps even since Zee’s time. As far as Nunew remembered, DMD primarily invested in producing films to promote male-male pairings, with some minor investment in music.

​Now that Duangkamol asked, it piqued Nunew’s curiosity. She calmly swirled the drink in her hand, emphasizing every word.

​"I am the one who witnessed the incident where Kannika framed you two years ago."

​Nunew’s entire body gave an involuntary shiver. Instinctively, he shifted away from the woman, his spine turning cold. His lips moved to speak, but no sound came out.

​After a long while, Nunew finally found his voice.

​"You..." he spoke hoarsely.

"What do you mean?"

​Duangkamol smiled serenely.

​"I don't mean anything by it." Her sharp eyes intentionally feigned innocence.

"I just wanted to let you know that Kannika’s "good days" won't last much longer."

​Duangkamol turned her head toward the two tall figures at the counter, but she didn't take her eyes off Nunew for a single second. It was almost amusing. Oh well, consider this helping the boss out.

​"To be honest, I didn't intend to help you at first," she said, crossing her legs. "You've seen the backing Kannika has."

​Her voice was clear, yet chillingly cold.

​"I didn't want my entire family to suffer just for helping a stranger."

​Catching sight of Zee and Nunew's companion returning to the table, Duangkamol spoke pointedly.

​"Who would have thought someone would go to such great lengths to find me just to have me be your witness?" She let out a soft chuckle.

"They even broke DMD’s years-long rule just to sign me."

​Duangkamol looked at the pale, dazed boy beside her; it was hard to connect him to the 'Little Sun' of two years ago.

​She still remembered the first time she heard the name 'Nunew.' At that time, she was just an insignificant staff member working for Kannika. She had to sell her singing voice to Kannika to afford her mother's lung cancer treatment, while running errands and enduring the woman’s volatile temper for a few coins of pocket money. Yet, through those days, Duangkamol came to know Nunew—mostly through Kannika’s venomous tongue.

​Effeminate, half-man-half-woman, acting weak, fake, calculating... Duangkamol couldn't count the words Kannika used to describe him. And not a single one was true.

​The truth was...

​Kannika was simply jealous because the person she wanted to possess had fallen for Nunew.

​The outdoor light filtered into the secluded café, reflecting off the boy’s nearly translucent skin. Duangkamol observed every soft feature of the person beside her and had to admit that Kannika’s jealousy was not without reason.

​How could a wicked nature ever endure the goodness of another?

​Duangkamol smiled sadly; she wasn't much different from that woman.

​"Khun Nunew, I’ll be honest," she said, her gaze dropping to Nunew’s clenched fists resting on his lap.

Her tone was full of regret.

​"A personality like yours should never have been stained by this den of vice."

​Duangkamol didn't deny being envious of Nunew. He had found a management company that, while small, could provide him with the resources to become famous from his very first role. He had found a senior acting partner who was older and experienced enough to guide him through a career path full of temptation. Most enviable of all, Nunew could still retain his purity and passion—things so many others had lost to fame and fortune, including herself.

​Nunew’s life was the dream Duangkamol could never reach in this lifetime.

​In a world of lies and selfishness, being too beautiful or radiant is also a sin.

​Duangkamol stretched and stood up, grabbing her cheap handbag from beneath the chair.

​"I have things to attend to, so I’ll take my leave now." She glanced at the tall man hovering anxiously nearby and opened her mouth.

"Please pass a message to P'Zee for me."

​Nunew seemed to freeze at the mention of Zee’s name from her.

​"Tell him I’m very grateful for the "fat" resources he gave me."

​By the time Nunew could react, Duangkamol had already left in her worn-out shoes. The golden-orange sunlight dappled every footstep on the wooden floor, brushing away some of the stains of the past. He silently lifted his eyes, only to see the two tall figures standing not far away.

​And it seemed that all the murky yearning suddenly vanished.