Extra Chapter 3: Tee

​In front of the gates of a high-end nursing home tucked away in a rare, quiet corner of Bangkok, a middle-aged man stepped slowly out of a sleek car. Eyes lined with deep crow’s feet glanced indifferently at the scenery behind the iron gates; he waved to the driver and proceeded inside with a steady pace.

​Tee followed a familiar path to the office near the entrance. He had registered for a visitation recently, so he needed to check in with the management first, despite being on the facility’s list of frequent guests.

​The manager receiving Tee knew exactly who he was looking for. After a few minutes of hollow small talk to pass the time, a nurse was finally arranged to lead him in.

​By the time Tee reached the familiar room, Zee had only been awake for about an hour. Tee wasn't surprised; he had rarely visited without catching the man in a dazed, disoriented state. The nurse, having fulfilled her duty as a guide, tactfully made her exit.

​"Dreaming of Nunew again?"

​Seeing that the nurse was gone, Tee sat composedly on the sofa placed right by the bed, his face a mask of indifference. Zee gave a weary nod, remaining silent. Tee had no intention of prying; whenever Zee felt like talking, he would speak of his own accord.

​Sure enough, by the time Tee was finishing his third cup of tea, Zee finally reached his limit and opened his mouth.

​"I dreamed of the incident back then."

​Tee’s hand, which had been toyed with the teacup, faltered for a fraction of a second, but he lowered his head and brought the cup back to his lips. A flicker of agitation in the depths of his eyes was hidden by the movement.

​"The only difference was... he didn't succeed in taking his own life."

​In that dream, his Nunew had been fortunately saved just in time. However, even though his life was out of danger, the psychological trauma remained. Back then, Kannika and her backers still held total power. Everyone in the Perdpiriyawong family feared that if Nunew stayed in Bangkok, he would never find peace—or worse, he might try again.

​As luck would have it, Nunew’s eldest uncle lived in Australia, so his parents decisively sent him there. It was a move to shield him from external attacks and facilitate his psychological recovery. Though his parents were heartbroken, they didn't dare gamble with his life a second time.

​And they were right.

​Once the storm passed, Nunew returned to Bangkok with a radiant smile and a scarred heart. He had forgotten many things—both the joys and the sorrows. In return, he no longer dared to open his heart to anyone, especially those he had once loved and trusted. It seemed that aside from his family, he truly didn't allow anyone into his world anymore.

​It wasn't until the truth was exposed that Nunew slowly began to lower his guard. It was all thanks to one person—someone who had walked beside him through every high and low, witnessing his moments of greatest joy and utter collapse. Yet, that person had been content to stay by his side in silence, providing a sense of peace. Perhaps Nunew had eventually fallen for him.

​Except, that person wasn't Zee.

​"Nunew was truly happy being with you."

​Zee’s sigh of admiration made Tee glance up. He saw Zee immersed in his own emotions—not with jealousy or possessiveness, but with sincere blessing. It was as if what Zee was describing wasn't just a simple dream. On the contrary, it felt more like...

​A nostalgia for something that could never be.

​Tee remained silent, turning his head to gaze at the view outside Zee’s window. The sky was blue and the sunlight warm, reminiscent of someone’s eyes filled with laughter. A lingering melancholy was suppressed in his heart, unable to be voiced.

​It had been thirty-eight years since that day.

​The day the little angel returned to heaven without a trace of lingering attachment.

​With wings woven from dozens of sedatives.

​"Tee."

​The sudden call caught the attention of the man who had been lost in the view of the sky. Zee seemed to have calmed down after the emotional surge of the night’s dream. The elderly man looked at his quiet, frequent guest, hesitated for a moment, and finally voiced a long-held question.

​"Why do you keep coming to visit me?"

​More than anyone, Zee knew Tee would never visit him out of sentimentality or friendship. Since Nunew’s incident, the entire Perdpiriyawong family—especially Tee—had suffered through a long period of psychological trauma. Relations with Zee specifically, and the DMD brothers in general, had grown cold. Or rather, the family wanted nothing to do with those who had hurt their youngest son.

​It wasn't until the video exonerating Nunew was found, and Kannika was seen being hauled off to prison, that the grief enveloping the family began to fade. Even so, they steadfastly refused to see the DMD members again, even for a meaningless apology. After repeated attempts at contact, Tee eventually met them once on his parents' behalf to end it all.

​Zee still remembered Tee’s attitude that year. The man, five years his junior, had sat in silence, listening to every apology and justification with an expressionless face. He wasn't even thirty, yet his soul was parched and cynical.

​"I don't need your apologies," Tee had said, his gaze indifferent, his breath heavy with sorrow.

"Just give Nunew back to my family."

​It wasn't until later that Zee learned Tee wasn't the biological son of the Perdpiriyawong family. From Tee’s actions over the years, Zee had also dimly realized that Tee’s feelings for Nunew went far beyond kinship or brotherhood. Because of that, he was certain Tee must have hated him to the bone.

​Yet, strangely, at the nursing home where Zee resided, Tee had become his most regular visitor over the last three years.

​Hearing Zee’s question, Tee fell into a pensive silence. He casually set his teacup on the table, his hands clasped neatly on his lap. After a long pause, he spoke in a flat, steady voice.

​"Because aside from you..."

​His eyes, lined with age, stared blankly into the void.

​"Who else is left to remember him with me?"

​Sometimes, being forgotten is more terrifying than death itself.

​People often say that time is the best healer. Time can close all scars and wash away all love, hate, and grudges. But Tee didn't think so.

​Because not a single day went by that he didn't miss his little angel.

​The monthly visit usually didn't last long. Tee was a busy man, always in a state of having things to do. Therefore, he typically only stayed with Zee for about an hour before having to leave.

​As he said his goodbyes, Tee’s gaze accidentally brushed against a yellowed envelope placed prominently on the nightstand. His breath hitched slightly; his mind searched for a frame from some past film. However, in the end, Tee chose to leave in silence. Only the sound of his footsteps in the hallway suddenly grew heavy.

​After seeing Tee off at the elevator, Zee slowly returned to his room. As the door opened, the man was momentarily stunned by the sight before him. Without him noticing, a burning sunset had taken over the window, setting the room owner’s heart ablaze.

​Out of habit, Zee turned toward the nightstand. The envelope, covered in the dust of years, caught the fading rays of the setting sun, unintentionally revealing the gentle handwriting. It was as if the phantom of the person who wrote it was still lingering nearby.

​"Nu..."

​He whispered, his eyes soft, reflecting the orange fire of the sun.

​"Hia did it."

​His mind seemed to drift back in time to a sunset many years ago—when Zee was still a man in his thirties, receiving a belated letter from his beloved.

​"To my Hia,

​By the time you read this letter, I may no longer be able to be by your side. I’m sorry for choosing this way to say goodbye, but I absolutely do not regret it.

​You know, Hia, I’ve been thinking about many things lately. About you, about Kannika, about my family, and about everything that has passed. Each time I thought about it, I tried to find a reason to keep existing. Unfortunately, in the end, I only saw a world so small there was no place left for me to belong.

​Perhaps those people were right—I shouldn't have been born into this world in the first place.

​Thank you for appearing in my life when I was nineteen. I was truly happy to have known you and to have been your 'Nu.' So, Hia, please don't be sad or blame yourself; it would break my heart.

​After I’m gone, you must live well. Live for my part too.

​I’m sorry, and thank you, Hia."

​"Hia did it," the old man repeated softly.

​Hia followed your instructions.