Extra Chapter 2: Nunew

​"Wow, who gave Nunew such high-quality flowers?"

​Janet had just finished calling to nag a friend, and upon returning, she was met with a poetic sight: "The youth amidst the sunflowers." She couldn't help but poke her friend’s soft cheek, her tone dripping with mischief.

​Nunew clung to the bouquet in his arms, giving her a gentle glare before replying.

​"Someone who was once very important to me."

​Tutor and Yim, standing nearby, exchanged a glance upon hearing this and mutually decided to keep their mouths shut. Today, their only mission was to provide backup for P’Tee and take photos for Nunew’s graduation. Everything else was beyond their jurisdiction.

​"Praew is here!"

​Janet was about to tease Nunew further when she spotted a figure in the distance. She called out loudly, waving her hand vigorously to catch the other's attention.

​"Praew, come over here and take a photo with Nunew, hurry!"

​Nunew followed Janet’s gaze, feeling a surge of emotion. Janet and Praew were part of his university friend group before the Kannika incident. Later, due to media harassment, he had to take a leave of absence to seek therapy in Australia. From then on, he had completely lost contact with this circle.

​By the time Nunew logged back into social media and resumed his studies, his friends had all graduated. He was the only one left.

​More than anyone, Nunew understood that his situation had been unavoidable. His friends had comforted him, saying they would have plenty of chances to take photos together later. Even so, he couldn't help but feel a mix of regret and isolation.

​Graduating together had been their group's promise, yet he was the one who had broken it.

​"Smile, Nunew."

​Seeing Janet hold up her phone for a selfie, Praew reminded him. Nunew snapped out of his daze and quickly struck a pose.

​"Post the photos to the group chat now," Praew urged, thinking of something.

​Janet went blank for two seconds before quickly complying. Then, she didn't forget to show her screen to Nu and Praew. It was flooded with messages, heart icons, and "crying" emojis.

​"The others are going to be so jealous of us."

​Except for Praew and Janet, whose families had already arranged local jobs for them, most of the other members had chosen to go abroad—some for work, others for graduate school. Generally, they had all gone their separate ways, but no one forgot to keep in touch and update each other.

​Nunew was the same.

He had never been forgotten by them.

​"Nunew, someone is looking for you."

​Yim suddenly nudged Nunew.

​Tutor, seeing the figure of the person he had messaged not long ago, signaled Yim to call Nunew over. As for him... Tutor looked at the flowers and gifts neatly tucked in a corner. He volunteered to be the flower-guardian and temporary cameraman.

​Nunew turned his head and immediately handed the bouquet in his arms to Yim before happily sprinting toward a familiar man.

​"P’Tee!"

​Nunew had intended to throw himself into Tee’s arms as usual, but halfway there, he decided to pull back. He remembered clearly that he was at school, not at home. Although he wanted to, public displays of affection weren't a habit for either of them.

​"I thought P’Tee was busy with the company and couldn't make it?"

​Over the past few years, the family business had prospered. His parents worked hard while worrying about the future. After half a lifetime of labor, they had built a comfortable life; it would be a lie to say they didn't hope their children would take over. However, seeing Tee’s devotion to his medical career and Nunew’s lack of interest in business, his parents wisely chose not to bring it up.

​As parents, they truly couldn't force their children to do something they didn't enjoy.

​Yet, somehow, Tee had noticed his parents' silent worries. After weighing his options, he eventually took the initiative to give up his job as a doctor and return home to take over the business. This decision seemed abrupt at first, but only Tee knew he had been considering it for a long time.

​Since Nunew was framed three years ago, Tee had realized the importance of power and money. He had started assisting with the family business to learn management experience from his parents. At the time, they thought Tee was just trying to manage everything because they hadn't yet overcome the shock of Nunew’s incident. They never guessed he truly intended to carry on the family legacy.

​More than that, Tee wanted to use this opportunity to build a stronghold for Nunew.

​"Today is my stubborn kid’s graduation, how could I possibly miss it?"

​Tee stroked Nunew’s head, speaking tenderly.

​"Mom and Dad said they’ll be a little late."

​He didn't forget to explain their parents' absence to prevent Nunew from feeling disappointed.

Nunew nodded in understanding; his parents had already warned him. A relative on his mother’s side lived near the hospital where he had been hospitalized a few days prior. Since that relative was being discharged this morning and it was on the way, his parents went to assist them before coming to the university.

​"Since P’Tee is here, come over and take a photo with this 'excellent' new graduate."

​Nunew excitedly pulled Tee’s hand, but after only a few steps, he was pulled back. He turned his head, about to ask why Tee wasn't moving, when a vibrant bouquet suddenly appeared before his eyes. The bouquet wasn't large, but the recipient could feel the sophistication within. The pink carnations interlaced with the pale blue of forget-me-nots created a fresh visual effect, balanced perfectly by the pure white of hawthorn blossoms.

​Nunew mechanically took the flowers, his consciousness not yet catching up to the situation.

​Tee saw his reaction and chuckled.

​"Does my stubborn kid remember what I once promised you?"

​Nunew’s clear eyes showed obvious confusion, but Tee wasn't surprised. He tucked his hands behind his back, mimicking the gentlemanly pose of a male lead in a romance film.

​"I once said..." Tee whispered, "If by the time you graduate, you haven't fallen for anyone else..."

​A soft feather of memory suddenly brushed against Nunew’s heart.

​"I would confess my feelings to you."

​Nunew lifted his eyes to the man before him, his cheeks tinged with a faint blush. His hands involuntarily tightened around the flowers in his arms, his heart racing. Anyone close to him would have recognized the anticipation behind his shy expression.

​Seeing that the people around them weren't paying attention, Tee took a small step back, his eyes slowly tracing every line of the boy’s face.

​"My little angel."

​Tee began his confession with the title he had cherished for so long but never dared to say aloud.

​"I’ve been by your side for over twenty years, haven't I?"

​Tee’s tone couldn't hide a hint of poignancy, snapping Nunew out of his daze.

​"In those twenty years, I’ve played many roles."

​Nunew moved slightly closer, as if narrowing the gap would help him feel the man more clearly.

​"Being your older brother..."

​Tee’s voice grew hoarse, his shoulders trembling slightly.

​"Being the one who loved you in secret..."

​He took a deep breath, trying to stabilize his inner turmoil.

​"And being your soulmate."

​With all his courage, Tee finally looked directly into Nunew’s eyes to pour out his heart.

​"I am truly happy to have met you."

​Thank you for appearing in my life.

​The first tear fell from Nunew’s curved lashes onto a delicate carnation petal, silent and gentle. Nunew didn't care about the curious eyes directed at them. All he did was smile and obediently wait for the other to continue.

​"Little angel."

​Tee murmured, moving toward him without hesitation. Out of habit, he wiped the tears from the boy’s cheeks.

​"Am I qualified enough to keep you all to myself?"

​As if by magic, the moment his large hand opened, a necklace suddenly appeared before the boy’s eyes.

​Nunew was stunned, blinking his lashes. He gently touched the pendant, his fingertips trembling.

​It was an angel wing.

​Nunew looked into the man’s deep eyes in shock. Before Tee could say anything else, Nunew lunged straight into his strong embrace.

​Only when the emotions threatening to burst in his chest had calmed did Nunew hear himself whisper.

​"P’Tee..."

​The man’s body tensed at the call. Nunew buried his face in Tee’s shoulder, the murmurs of the surrounding crowd echoing in his ears. Finally, he took a deep breath and quickly pulled back from the hug.
​He took a step back, holding the bouquet with both hands, his lips moving to form five words.

​Many years later, whenever Tee saw the necklace around Nunew’s neck, he couldn't help but remember that graduation day.

​Under the shimmering sunlight and amidst the bustling crowd, a mischievous little angel had smiled brightly and used silent lip movements to respond to him.

​Tee still remembered the answer he read from those full lips...

​"I won't fly away anymore."

​That’s right—now, the little angel was by his side.