Chapter 3

Nunew didn't feel well at all; a cold shiver ran down his spine despite the lively laughter surrounding him. The noisy atmosphere made his head spin and his heart grow heavy. He pressed his lips tight beneath his mask, his lashes fluttering down as if trying to evade something. But what was there to avoid? Even he didn't know.

"Nunew, are you alright?"

Nunew looked up at the call, meeting the worried eyes of his family. Forcing himself to ignore the churning in his stomach and the tightness in his chest, he offered a habitual smile, momentarily forgetting he was wearing a mask. However, Nunew likely didn't realize that in his family's eyes, his face was currently as pale as a sheet of paper.

P'Tee seemed to notice Nunew’s trembling hands hidden behind his back. He said nothing, only quietly took off his jacket and draped it over Nunew’s shoulders. He then intentionally asked their parents to head down to the basement of Siam Paragon first to buy tickets for Ocean World, giving Nunew a little more time to adjust.

Once their parents had left, Tee insisted that Nunew show him his hands. He gently touched the hands that were once so beautiful but were now freezing and shaking uncontrollably. After a long moment, Tee silently lifted the jacket and helped Nunew put it on properly. While Nunew was still dazed, unsure of how to react, he heard his brother speak.

"My jacket has wide sleeves; if you wear it, our parents won’t notice.'

Nunew paused for a second, then obediently followed his brother’s lead. He made sure to hide his hands deep within the sleeves, leaving just enough of his fingertips out to tightly clutch the hem of Tee’s shirt.

Since returning to Bangkok, the frequency of Nunew’s tremors had increased. Initially, he thought it was just a side effect of the medication, but it seemed he was wrong.

The shaking came from within his own body.

Nunew walked slowly down to the Siam basement, head bowed, huddling behind Tee’s back. His already frail frame looked pitifully small. If Tee hadn't felt the boy's firm grip on his shirt, he would have feared Nunew might vanish into the crowd at any moment.

From the ground floor to the underground aquarium was only a short escalator ride. By the time Tee led Nunew to the entrance of Ocean World, their parents had just finished buying the tickets.

Siam Ocean World had held the title of Thailand's largest underground aquarium for years, thanks to its scale and explosive media presence. This was the first place their parents and Tee wanted to take Nunew.

A place that was peaceful, yet not silent.

Nunew clung tightly to Tee, but the moment they stepped inside, his eyes couldn't hide his awe. The long, arched glass tunnels, the blue light of the water reflecting on the path, and countless creatures drifting with the current. Nunew looked up as beams of light pierced through the water, enveloping him. All that remained in his mind was the feeling of his heart overflowing with the breath of life.

It was breathtakingly beautiful.

If not for Tee’s reminder, Nunew almost forgot reality entirely. His parents walked ahead, sharing stories of his childhood. Nunew only listened fitfully; how could he focus when his soul had drifted away with the atmosphere here? Calm, yet unceasingly stirring.

Later on, Ocean World truly became a safe haven for Nunew’s soul.

As Tee explained it, at the aquarium, Nunew was just Nunew. There was no tangled past, no precarious present, and no blurred future. Only him and absolute stillness.

When they neared the exit, Nunew lingered, reluctant to move on. Seeing their youngest son like this for once, their parents naturally wanted him to stay a bit longer. So, Nunew spent another thirty minutes at the aquarium with Tee, while their parents went up to the fourth floor to find a place for lunch.

Tee had assumed Nunew wanted to wander around, but he didn't. The boy simply pulled him to the shark tank modeled after a shipwreck and sat there in a daze until time was up. The two brothers watched the sharks circling before them, no sound except for their faint breathing. Yes, just that.

Tee would never forget his brother's eyes at that moment.

No one knew what Nunew thought about during those thirty minutes, but as they stepped out of Ocean World, it was visible to the naked eye that he was much more stable. Or so Tee thought.

Nunew still clutched his brother's shirt tightly, but he no longer looked so intensely strained.

Their parents had sent a message on LINE with the name of the restaurant. Tee considered it for a moment, and finally, the two decided to take the escalator to the fourth floor to give Nunew another chance to reacquaint himself with the panoramic view of Siam Paragon.

To Nunew, escalators or elevators made little difference; he wasn't hungry anyway. However, it was almost time for his medication; if he didn't eat before taking it, he would be uncomfortable later. Furthermore, since his return to Bangkok, his parents and P’Tee seemed desperate to help him gain weight. So, Nunew simply went along with them.

Even though Siam Paragon was known as one of Thailand’s grandest malls, Nunew had little interest. He only needed to focus on following his brother. Where Tee pulled, he followed. If Tee introduced something, he would obediently look and nod as a sign of acknowledgment. That way, both he and his brother felt more at ease.

The only thing that caught Nunew’s eye was a stage being prepared in the central hall, complete with rows of seating. Watching the staff move items and arrange the set, he couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity. However, he immediately pushed that feeling to the back of his mind. Probably a large brand event being prepared, he told himself.

Overall, by the time lunch ended, the first outing his family had planned was considered a resounding success. At least, compared to the sight of him being aimless and too terrified to step out of the house every day, the image of a somewhat timid Nunew at Siam Paragon was much more promising.

According to the original plan, the family was supposed to see a movie and have dinner before going home. However, after eating, his parents changed their minds and wanted to take Nunew shopping for new clothes, with Tee naturally becoming the designated bag carrier. Nunew wasn't very keen; he just wanted to go home. But under Tee's persuasion, he had no choice but to go.

Nunew had grown so thin that he had almost nothing left that fit.

Nunew's style had always been simple, mostly oversized t-shirts and jeans. In his wardrobe at home, there were many brand-new shirts he hadn't even worn once before going to Australia. Yet now, he couldn't wear them even if he wanted to. As his family joked, those shirts could now serve as spare blankets for him.

Finally, after three hours, every member of the Perdpiriyawong family was lugging paper shopping bags. Despite this, Nunew saw that his parents and P’Tee were all very happy, and that made him feel at peace too.

Nunew stood timidly close to his brother as they took the escalator down, quietly listening to their parents discuss tonight’s menu. It seemed they wanted to take him and P’Tee to try a newly opened restaurant near Siam Paragon. Nunew offered no opinion; he felt he was doing well enough just by not 'shutting down' yet.

"P’Zee is here!"

A scream pierced through Nunew’s ears, tearing through the silence in his mind. Instinctively, he turned toward the sound and froze on the spot.

The stage area in the central hall that Nunew had noticed earlier was now teeming with people, filled with cheers and the rhythmic clicking of cameras. On stage, at the center of the spotlight, stood a man with his hands pressed together in a polite greeting, a smile on his face.

A smile that felt like a stab to Nunew’s heart.

Nunew’s ears rang. Suddenly, a name flashed in his mind, it was...

"Nunew, look at me!"

Nunew snapped out of his daze. Only then did he realize that not just Tee, but his parents were also watching him with deep concern. He parted his lips to say something, but it only came out as a few silent trembles.

"It’s okay, Nunew."

Nunew couldn't distinguish whose voice it was. He could only focus on controlling his breathing, despite the fact that his body felt like it was about to collapse right there.

He was supported into a hidden corner near the escalator; his legs were so weak he couldn't move any further. Fortunately, the crowd was focused on the stage, so no one noticed him.

"Our brand is very honored to invite Khun Zee Pruk Panich to today’s event."

The announcer’s shrill voice echoed through the floor.

"I am honored as well."

Nunew heard that deep, warm voice utter just a few words before it was instantly swallowed by the roar of the crowd. He placed his trembling hand over his chest, slowly stroking it. His vision blurred.

It turned out there was something more painful than a sickly body.

"Don't cry. Let's go home."

Nunew couldn't remember how he left Siam Paragon. But he knew he must have looked like a wreck.

However, if Nunew could have been just a little bit calmer, he would have realized that the man he wanted to flee from had accidentally found him already.