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Tui left them with a mischievous grin, as if he knew exactly how uncomfortable this would be.
Est sat across from William, the condensation on his glass slipping under his restless fingertips. His leg bounced beneath the table, betraying nerves he couldn’t hide.
William, on the other hand, sat rigid, gaze fixed on the window as if the world outside held more interest than the boy sitting directly across from him. His jaw was tight, his lips pressed in a flat line. He looked every bit like someone unwilling to be the first to speak.
But Est had been the one to ask for this ridiculous favor. If anyone had to brave the awkwardness, it had to be him. He forced himself to swallow, clearing his throat. The sound came out too thin, breaking against the air, but he pushed through.
“So… umm…” He rubbed the back of his neck, fingers scraping against skin that suddenly felt too warm. His eyes darted up, catching William’s briefly before dropping again. “How far are you willing to go for this act?”
William’s head snapped toward him so fast it startled Est into a small flinch. His eyes widened, a flash of surprise breaking through his cool mask. “W–what? What do you mean?” The words tumbled out awkwardly, as if he hadn’t prepared for the question at all.
Panic surged in Est. “No! I don’t mean it like—” His hands flew up in protest, ears turning pink. “I just meant… are you willing to hold hands in public? Just to make it believable?”
The tension drained from William’s posture. His shoulders relaxed as he leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly. “Oh. That.” He scratched his temple, avoiding Est’s gaze. “Umm… I guess.”
“Okay. Holding hands is fine then.” Est nodded quickly, trying to disguise his own relief behind a businesslike tone. “What about lunch together?”
“Sure,” William replied, his voice casual again. “But with my friends.”
Est frowned, leaning forward a little. “How about we take turns? You eat with my friends sometimes too.”
A shadow of reluctance flickered across William’s face. He gave a half-scowl, the kind that looked more like a reflex than genuine annoyance. “Fine.”
“Good.” Est let out a quiet breath, extending his hand across the table. “Give me your phone. I’ll put my number in.”
William blinked at him for a beat before silently sliding the phone over. Est typed quickly, saving his contact and calling his own number to lock it in.
“I think we should only tell one or two people from our groups,” Est said, lowering his voice as though the café itself might be eavesdropping. “Safer that way.”
“Only Tui knows from my side,” William said.
“Dunk’s the only one from mine.” Est nodded, and for some reason, a flicker of pride stirred in his chest at how naturally they’d agreed. Like partners in something bigger than a scheme.
He hesitated, drumming his fingers against the tabletop. “We should probably show up at school events together too.”
“Okay,” William said simply, his expression unreadable.
Est chewed his lip, the weight of unasked questions pressing at him. Finally, in a voice barely above a whisper, he ventured, “And… do you think we should… uh… hug?”
William’s eyes flew wide again, incredulous. “What?!”
“Or not!” Est blurted, hands flailing in surrender. “No hugs. No kiss. Got it!” His face burned as the words left him.
But William didn’t laugh or shut it down. Instead, he went quiet, gaze darting away like he was suddenly too aware of his own words. “U-unless…” he muttered, almost tripping over the syllables, “if it really looks necessary. Then… maybe.” His voice cracked at the end, softer than usual, and he quickly cleared his throat as if that would fix it. He still wouldn’t look at Est, ears tinged pink as if admitting it out loud cost him more than he expected.
Est’s lips twitched before he could stop them. The tiniest smile broke through, quick and fragile. He’s cute. The thought slipped in uninvited, unwelcome, yet impossible to shake. He shook his head quickly, chasing it away before it showed.
“Alright,” Est said, his voice brisk again, though his chest still felt too tight. “I think we covered the basics.”
William leaned back, folding his arms, watching him closely. “How long do you think we’re doing this?”
Est’s shoulders slumped. “Not sure. As long as Joong leaves me alone? Is that okay?”
“Yeah.” William gave a slow nod. “Let’s go then?”
They stood, pushing past the lingering tension as they stepped outside.
William slipped his hands into his pockets, then glanced sideways. “Where’s your car?”
“At school. I rode with Tui here.”
“Hop on. I’ll drop you off.” William tilted his chin toward his motorcycle.
Est blinked, rooted in place. “Huh? No thanks. I don’t ride motorcycles.”
“Well, you better get used to it.” William smirked, pressing the helmet against Est’s chest a little too firmly. “If you’re going to be my boyfriend.”
Est scowled but accepted it half-heartedly. “Can you not shove things at me? Wouldn’t hurt to try being a little gentle for once.”
Something flickered in William’s eyes—gone too quickly to catch—but instead of snapping back, he took the helmet again. Without a word, he stepped closer. William slipped the helmet carefully onto Est’s head, adjusting it with precise hands before fastening the strap beneath his chin.
The sudden intimacy made Est freeze, heat crawling up his neck. “W–what are you doing?” His voice cracked, betraying him.
William’s lips curled into a smug half-smile. “Practicing how to be a gentleman. Like you wanted.”
Est’s chest tightened. Why is he so— He shook the thought away before it finished forming, biting the inside of his cheek. “Whatever,” he muttered, his tone sharper than he intended.
William strapped on his own helmet and swung onto the bike, glancing back with a smirk. “Come on.”
Moments later, Est found himself clinging to William’s waist. The roar of the engine swallowed his curses as the bike cut through traffic like a blade. Every curve, every acceleration forced him closer, his chest pressed against William’s back.
“C–can you slow down a bit?!” Est shouted over the rush of wind, but William only tilted his head in a smirk he didn’t bother hiding. Instead of easing up, he revved faster.
“Unbelievable,” Est growled under his breath, tightening his grip anyway.
By the time they screeched to a stop in front of Est’s car, his legs were jelly. He ripped off the helmet, hair a wild mess, and glared. “What happened to being a gentleman?!”
William pulled off his own helmet, tossing his hair back casually. His smirk never wavered. “You’re safe, aren’t you?”
Est rolled his eyes and shoved the helmet against his chest. “Barely.”
He straightened his hair in the car window’s reflection, then turned with sudden determination. “Oh, by the way—we should start this off properly. Let’s take a selfie. I’ll post it and tag you.”
William blinked, caught off guard. “I don’t do social media.”
Est smirked, mirroring his earlier tone. “Well, you better get used to it now, Teerak.”
William choked, his jaw dropping. “Teerak? Seriously?”
“Yup.” Est raised his phone. “Get used to it. Now smile.”
The shutter clicked. The photo wasn’t perfect—William’s glare cut sharp into the frame—but Est sighed, muttering, “We’ll work on your smile. For now, this’ll do.”
He pocketed the phone and turned, adopting a mock authority. “Text me tomorrow for lunch. Don’t forget.”
Without waiting for a reply, he opened his car door and slid in, only offering a curt nod instead of a goodbye.
William stood there, helmet in hand, watching the car roll away. His smirk lingered, softer this time, until his lips twitched into something dangerously close to a smile. “Bossy,” he muttered.
Minutes later, at home, his phone buzzed.
Est: home
William snorted and thumbed back a reply.
William: same
A new notification pinged.
est_rvp followed you.
Then another.
@est_rvp mentioned you in their story.
He tapped it open. Their selfie stared back at him, captioned: Thanks for the ride @williamjkp
Before he could roll his eyes, another message appeared.
Est: follow me back and repost the story.
William groaned, head tipping back against the couch. “Demanding,” he muttered. But his thumb moved anyway—first on the follow button, then on repost.
__
They had their rules, their boundaries, their first public photo. Yet in all their careful planning, one thing slipped through the cracks—the story of how they supposedly met.
So when Lego, Nut, and Hong leaned forward at lunch the next day, eyes bright with curiosity, both William and Est froze mid-bite.
Tui, already sensing the disaster brewing, dragged a palm down his face. “Let’s not. Maybe it’s better if it stays a mystery. What I really want to know is—”
“No way!” Lego cut him off, practically bouncing. “We have to know. Was it a meet-cute? Please tell me it was a meet-cute.”
Est scrambled, heat rushing to his ears. “Uh… not really. I just… bumped into him.”
William gave a derisive snort. “More like grabbed and hugged me.”
Gasps shot around the table—Nut’s eyebrows arched, Hong’s jaw dropped, Lego’s grin widened to dangerous proportions. Only Tui looked like he was choking back laughter.
“That’s not true!” Est blurted, scandalized, his voice cracking.
“Seriously? You’re denying it now?” William’s tone was lazy, but there was a sharp glint in his eyes—a dare, a game only the two of them were playing.
Nut leaned forward, grin sly. “Wow, Est. How long have you been hiding a crush on our William?”
“I don’t!” Est yelped so loudly heads from nearby tables turned.
“You must’ve,” Hong teased, eyes dancing. “Nobody else would even dare touch him. Everyone’s scared of William.”
“He does,” William said flatly, not missing a beat, as if stating an obvious fact.
Est nearly choked on his drink. “Shut up!” He shot William a glare so sharp it could cut steel.
“And what if I don’t?” William murmured, leaning in just close enough that Est could feel the warmth of his breath. His gaze locked on Est’s, steady, unflinching—and suddenly, it wasn’t just teasing anymore. It was a pull, a dangerous tug, like a current dragging them both under.
Est’s pulse stumbled. He wanted to look away, but something in William’s eyes held him there, dark and intent, as if daring him to move first.
The air around the table shifted, crackling with something unspoken. Nut and Hong exchanged wide-eyed looks, Lego shrank back nervously, and Tui muttered, “Here we go…” under his breath.
Neither moved. Neither blinked. It felt too much like standing on the edge of something sharp and thrilling.
Then Lego fidgeted, voice small. “Uhh… should we… leave you two alone or…?”
The spell broke. Both snapped their gazes away, Est coughing into his hand, his cheeks burning, while William casually reached for his drink like nothing had happened.
___
After lunch, William’s friends decided to head to the library.”I’ll follow,” William said with a casual nod.
But when they left, he didn’t move. Instead, he turned to Est. “Where’s your next class?”
“Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Building.”
“I’ll walk with you,” William said simply.
Est blinked. “You don’t have to.”
“I’ve got time. Our class isn’t for another hour.” His voice softened a fraction. “And in case Joong shows up.”
Est hadn’t expected the simple offer to mean so much, yet it settled in his chest like a gentle weight. “…Yeah. Good idea.”
They walked side by side, silence stretched between them. But it wasn’t empty—it was crowded with stares, whispers, the weight of curious eyes following them down every corridor. Est’s skin prickled, his throat tightening. He thought—maybe this was the perfect moment to hold hands, to sell the act. But how was he supposed to ask without sounding weird, without giving away too much?
Before he could decide, William’s fingers slipped into his.
Est jolted so hard he nearly tripped. “Woah—warn me next time!”
“You’re the one who said we should make it believable,” William replied, tone cool as ever—but the faint pink dusting his ears gave him away.
Est scowled, but he didn’t pull back. Instead, he laced their hands properly, fingers weaving together until the touch felt intentional. His face burned, but when he glanced sideways, he caught William turning his head, gaze fixed straight ahead, jaw tight, as if hiding something of his own.
The silence between them wasn’t heavy anymore. It was electric, alive, tugging at both of them.
And just like that, their careful rules didn’t feel so simple anymore.
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