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William sat in the library, jaw tight, glaring at his phone screen. He’d been waiting an hour, but the table across from him stayed stubbornly empty.
William:Where are you @nnutdan @hongshihoshi? I’ve been waiting in the library for an hour.
The reply came quick.
Hong: Sorry Liam, change of plans.
William’s nose flared. His thumbs hit the screen harder than necessary.
William: What do you mean change of plans?
Hong: Nut explain it to him.
Nut: Why me?
Hong: You dragged me away in the first place.
Nut: You came willingly!
William: So, in short—you both ditched me. Am I right?
Hong: Sorry, Liam. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.
Nut: I’ll treat you tomorrow at lunch, bro.
William: You better.
A new message blinked in.
Lego: Seriously, Liam, you honestly believe those two will still show up? They’re always like that.
Nut: Heeey, not all the time.
Tui: @williamjkp I’m free. Let’s have dinner instead. Meet at our usual?
William: @m.tuiiiii Okay.
William shoved his phone back into his pocket, sourness sinking deeper. Helmet in hand, he strode out of the library. His expression was fiercer than usual—like a storm cloud drifting across the school hallway. Students caught the shift instantly. The moment he passed, they lowered their heads, voices dropping. Some even slipped to the side like they were dodging an incoming wave.
He didn’t blame them. Not really. They believed the rumors.
The truth?
William wasn’t dangerous. Never had been. He was loyal to the people he cared about. Protective. Honest to a fault. But he also had piercing eyes, a permanent scowl people mistook for rage, and the patience of someone allergic to nonsense. He looked like a fight waiting to happen—even when all he wanted was peace and quiet.
And the rumors? That was his friends’ fault.
Flashback – High School
The cafeteria buzzed, noisy as ever. William sat at his usual table, expression blank, stabbing at rice with the kind of focus reserved for enemies, not lunch.
Lego leaned in, grinning. “You know you look like you’ve killed a man in prison, right?”
Tui snorted. “For real. If I didn’t know you, I’d be terrified.”
Nut, voice low and theatrical, announced, “Breaking news: Local teen William Jakrapatr arrested for staring a man into a coma.”
Hong nearly choked on his drink. “No, no—better. Rumor has it, he fought a teacher. And won.”
They all laughed, clearly joking. William just kept eating, half-smiling, half-glowering like always. He rolled his eyes, hiding the faintest smirk.
“Shut up.”
But two tables away, a group of younger students froze mid-bite, ears wide open.
“Wait… he fought a teacher?” one whispered.
“And won??” another gasped. “I thought he was just quiet. He’s dangerous.”
“Yeah, he doesn’t even talk in class. That’s probably how he gets away with it.”
By the end of the week, the whispers had spread like wildfire.
“William? Don’t mess with him. He’s got anger issues.”
“I heard he broke someone’s nose.”
“No, it was a teacher. The school covered it up.”
At first, William didn’t notice. Then he realized students veered away from him in the halls. Teachers stopped calling on him. Even his lab partner once asked, half-jokingly, “Hey… is it true you were in juvie?”
William blinked. Deadpan. No denial, no confirmation. Classic resting bitch face. The poor guy nearly dropped his beaker.
He could’ve corrected them. But he didn’t. What was the point? Explaining would just make it weirder. And so the rumors grew legs, then wings.
By the time college rolled around, the legend was cemented.
“Wait, you’re William Jakrapatr? From Saint Gabriel’s?” his seatmate asked on the first day.
William raised a brow. “What guy?”
The classmate hesitated, nervous laugh bubbling out. “Y’know… that guy.”
William said nothing, letting the silence stretch. Sometimes, silence carried more weight than words ever could.
And just like that, the rumor stuck.
His friends had made him a legend without meaning to—born from a stupid, harmless joke over lunch.
And the strangest thing? Part of him liked it.
People didn’t mess with him. He could walk into a room and it would fall quiet—not out of respect, but out of fear. It wasn’t admiration he got, but it worked just the same.
No one cut him in line, because no one even stood in line if they saw him waiting behind them. Hallways seemed to part naturally, like water around stone. Teachers didn’t push him. No cold calls. No awkward pressure. Just a quiet, cautious, “You’re good, William?” and a nod.
He liked that he didn’t have to make small talk in class. No fake conversations. No pretending to laugh at jokes that weren’t funny. He could keep to himself and nobody questioned it.
It was… peaceful.
Tonight, though, peace was far from him.
His mood was already sour from Nut and Hong ditching him, irritation buzzing beneath his skin as he strode toward his motorcycle. Helmet in hand, jaw set, eyes sharp—he looked every bit the dangerous rumor that clung to his name. Students who passed gave him a wide berth, and for once, he didn’t mind. He just wanted to leave.
The last thing he expected was the sudden tug on his arm.
William stiffened instantly, instincts flaring, ready to shake the grip off—until a body pressed against his chest. Warm. Close. Too close. The hug was clumsy, unfamiliar, but the whisper that followed froze him in place.
“Please. Just go along with this. My stalker’s coming. Please help me.”
The voice was desperate, cracking around the edges, and against his better judgment, William didn’t shove him away. His muscles stayed taut, ready, but something about that plea—raw and unguarded—anchored him where he stood.
Then another voice cut the night.
“Est?”
William’s head snapped up. A boy was approaching, confusion etched on his face.
The stranger in his arms—Est, apparently—pulled back just enough to force a smile, though his fingers clung stubbornly to William’s. “Joong! What are you doing here?”
Joong’s eyes narrowed. “What are you doing hugging him?”
Before William could even process the bizarre situation, Est’s next words hit harder than a punch.
“Oh, him? He’s my boyfriend.”
William blinked. Boyfriend? The word echoed in his head like a challenge.
He looked at Est properly for the first time. The streetlamps cast a soft glow over him, outlining sharp angles of jaw and cheekbone. The golden boy—he’d seen him on posters, from afar, always surrounded by admirers. But up close, Est was different. Nervous. Guarded. His hand clutching William’s as if it were the only thing keeping him from drowning.
William’s chest tightened unexpectedly. Magnetic—that was the only word for it.
Joong scoffed, breaking the moment. “Boyfriend? Him? No way. I’ve never seen him around you before.”
Est faltered, but before he could stumble over an excuse, William stepped forward. His grip tightened around Est’s hand. His voice dropped, low and deliberate, every syllable carrying weight.
“And why do you care?” His gaze locked on Joong, sharp enough to cut. “If I ever find out you’ve been following him without his permission, I’ll hunt you down.”
The silence that followed was heavy, suffocating. Even Est went still, caught in the gravity of William’s tone.
Joong shifted, thrown off. His bravado cracked, hands raising slightly in surrender. “Chill, man,” he muttered, though the quiver in his voice betrayed him. He flicked one last look at Est. “I’ll get to the bottom of this.”
And then he left, retreating into the night.
Est’s shoulders sagged as he exhaled. “He doesn’t know how to give up…”
William finally released his hand, the absence abrupt, and turned toward his motorcycle without a word.
Est blinked. Wait—that’s it? After all that? He hurried after him, sneakers scuffing against the pavement.
“William, wait!”
William stopped dead, shoulders tense, annoyance written in the sharp set of his spine. He turned, voice clipped. “What?!”
The glare hit harder than Est expected. His usual quick wit dried up on his tongue, leaving him fumbling. “…Uh.”
William’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t tell me you need a ride.”
“What? No. I—I have a car,” Est stammered.
“Good.” With a dismissive tone, William swung a leg over his motorcycle, movements fluid but edged with impatience.
Est lingered, gaze snagging on the bike. “…This is yours?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“Nothing.” Est pressed his lips together, forcing down a huff. Of course he has a motorcycle. Of course he’s the bad-boy type. But instead of walking off, the words slipped out before he could stop them. “I’m Est, by the way.”
“I know.”
Est blinked. “You… know me?”
William’s helmet tilted slightly, as if he found the question ridiculous. “Who doesn’t?” He jerked his chin toward the massive banner hanging by the school gate, Est’s face smiling down in swim team glory.
“Right. That.” Est grimaced, rubbing the back of his neck. The reminder of his polished, poster-boy image suddenly felt suffocating under William’s bluntness.
William adjusted his helmet with clipped movements, every flick of his wrist radiating impatience. “Is there anything else?”
Est hesitated. His voice cracked, but stubbornness gave it shape. “Yeah. Don’t you think we need to talk? What if Joong comes back and doesn’t believe us?”
William let out a dry, humorless snort. “Not my problem.”
With that, he revved the engine, the roar swallowing any chance at reply. In seconds, he was gone, taillight fading into the dark.
Est stood frozen in place, the night suddenly too quiet, his pulse still tripping over itself. He scowled at the empty road.
“Asshole,” he muttered. But even as he said it, his hand tingled faintly where William’s grip had been.
—
William arrived at their usual hangout spot tucked behind the busy main road. The place carried a rustic charm.
Tui spotted him the moment he walked in. He leaned back in his chair, one brow arched. “You look different.”
William slid into the seat across from him. “Different how?”
“Well…” Tui smirked. “You still look like you could strangle anyone who stepped in your way—but lighter. Like you’re… excited about something.” His eyes narrowed playfully. “What is it? What happened?”
“I don’t know what you mean,” William muttered, reaching for the glass of water.
“Seriously, William.” Tui leaned forward, elbows on the table. “We’ve been friends since we were kids. I know you too well.”
William sighed, rubbing his thumb along the rim of the glass. “Fine. You know Est?”
“Est from the swim team?” Tui sat up straighter. “Of course I know him. Who doesn’t?”
William hesitated. “He asked for my help.”
That made Tui blink. “Oh wow. Really? From what I’ve heard, Est isn’t the type to just go around asking for help. He’s not a show-off. No superstar attitude, no entitlement. If anything, he tries to keep to himself.”
The words stuck with William, heavier than he expected. He didn’t really know Est—only the polished version on banners, the golden boy everyone cheered for, the one who seemed untouchable. But what Tui said made him pause. Est wasn’t chasing the spotlight. He wasn’t entitled, wasn’t loud. He wanted to keep to himself.
Maybe they weren’t so different after all.
William thought back to earlier that night. The way Est’s voice had cracked, the way his grip had clung like he was holding on for dear life. That desperation hadn’t been just about pushing away a stalker. It had been about something quieter, deeper—wanting space to breathe. Wanting his peace back.
And for the first time, William realized he wanted to know more.
“William?” Tui’s voice cut through his thoughts. “So… what kind of help?”
“Huh?” William blinked, pulled back into the present. “Just… um.” He trailed off, mind drifting again to Est’s trembling whisper. Please. Just go along with this.
A question he hadn’t let himself ask tugged at him now. Should I help him, then?
After a long pause, William leaned closer, lowering his voice. He told Tui the story—about Joong, about Est’s sudden lie, about the desperate grip on his hand. When he was done, he fixed Tui with a firm look. “Keep this between us. Just us two.”
Tui nodded, lips pressing into a thin smile. “You’ve got it. But William…” He tilted his head, eyes sharp but amused. “You don’t usually go out of your way for anyone. So why him?”
William didn’t answer. His silence said enough.
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