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Est’s phone buzzed.
William: I’m downstairs.
Grabbing his bag, Est jogged out of the apartment building—already picturing William straddling that black motorcycle. But when he stepped into the driveway, the spot was empty. He frowned, scanning the driveway.
Est: Where are you?
A sharp honk split the air. Est turned, startled. A sleek car idled at the curb, window sliding down to reveal William inside. One arm draped casually over the wheel, the other tapping lightly, he gave Est a small wave.
Est blinked, thrown off balance, before slipping into the passenger seat. The faint scent of leather and William’s cologne made the air suddenly close. “Whose car is this?”
“Mine.” William’s tone was flat, almost bored, like the answer should’ve been obvious.
Est stared at him. “Wait—you have a car? Then why do you always take the motorcycle?”
“Because it’s faster,” William replied without missing a beat. “Bangkok traffic’s hell. Bike cuts through. Parking’s easier too.”
Est’s brows furrowed. “Then why didn’t we use it today? Saturday traffic is worse.”
William finally turned his head, giving Est a look that said are you serious right now? “You’re the one who said you hate riding motorcycles. Unsafe. Uncomfortable. So I used my car.”
The words hit Est more deeply than he anticipated. Thoughtfulness, quiet and deliberate, tucked inside William’s bluntness. Est’s irritation faltered, warmth pushing through in its place.
“You don’t really have to… accommodate me all the time,” Est said softly, trying to mask how much it meant to him.
William’s eyes stayed fixed on the road, but his mouth twitched, somewhere between dismissive and teasing. “Yeah, I don’t. But if I don’t, you’ll complain again.”
“I don’t complain,” Est muttered, defensive and a little too quick.
William snorted, the sound low, rough—half disbelief, half amusement. It shouldn’t have made Est’s chest tighten the way it did, but it did.
____
The theater lobby buzzed with chatter, laughter, and the smell of buttered popcorn as they arrived.
The moment William’s group of friends spotted them, Lego practically bounced with excitement.
“Est Supha in the flesh!” Lego shouted, bouncing on his heels. “Our school’s golden boy—finally in our circle!” His grin was so wide it looked like it hurt.
Est groaned, dragging a hand over his face. “Can you not?”
Tui, ever the peacemaker, smoothed the tension with a gentle smile. “Ignore him, Est. Let’s head in—it’s almost time.”
William nudged Est lightly. “I’m grabbing popcorn and drinks. What flavor do you want?”
Est thought a moment. “White cheddar. And iced tea, if that’s okay.”
“Got it.” William said casually. Nut, Hong, and Lego followed him toward the concession stand, already teasing him about something along the way.
That left Est alone with Tui.
“So…” Tui leaned against the wall, hands in his pockets, studying Est with quiet curiosity. “How’s it been? He’s not giving you a hard time, right? He’s… not great at talking to some people. But he’s a good friend. One of the best.”
Est’s expression softened. “I think I know what you mean. He’s… surprisingly nice. Accommodating. Thoughtful. Dunk even said so.”
“Ah.” Tui chuckled knowingly. “It’s because of the rumors, isn’t it?”
Est tilted his head, intrigued. “So they’re not true?”
“Not at all.” Tui’s smile was wry, almost resigned. “They started as some dumb inside joke between us. But it spread, people repeated it, twisted it. He never bothered correcting them. Said it’s less hassle that way.”
Est followed Tui’s gaze to the snack queue. William stood with Nut and Hong and Lego, smirking faintly as Hong elbowed him about something. His posture was loose, his face lighter than Est usually saw. Relaxed. Not the untouchable figure the school painted him to be.
Tui leaned closer, his voice dropping like he was sharing a secret. “Want to know something? He’s actually a total softie with his parents. You should see him when he’s home.”
Est blinked, startled, then laughed. “Seriously?”
“Dead serious.” Tui grinned. “I hope you get to meet them one day. Even if…” He trailed off, then said it plainly: “Even if your little pretend ends.”
The word pretend hit Est like a stone dropped in water—sending ripples through his chest. The reminder weighed heavy, muddling the warmth he’d been feeling. His smile faltered without him meaning it to.
And that’s exactly when William reappeared.
“Everything okay?” His hands full of popcorn tub and drinks, but his eyes went straight to Est’s face. Too perceptive.
Est’s heart kicked. He forced a smile. “Yeah.”
“You sure? You want to leave or something?” William’s voice was steady, but his gaze lingered, like he wasn’t buying it.
“What?! No way! I love horror films. I need to watch this.” Est said it a little too quickly, but the spark of genuine excitement slipped through.
For the first time that night, William laughed. Not the practiced chuckle people forced out of him—but a real, unguarded sound, low and warm.
Est froze mid-step, caught off guard. “…Wait. You can laugh?” His grin spread, teasing but fond.
William shot him a glare sharp enough to cut glass. “I’m not sharing my popcorn with you.”
He started walking toward the theater doors, but Est darted forward, plucking the tub from his hand like it was his right. He popped a piece in his mouth with a mischievous grin. “Too late. Thanks.”
William sighed through his nose, still glaring—but he didn’t take it back.
__
Meanwhile, across the city—
Joong stepped into Navori, the quiet hum of the restaurant brushing past him like background noise. Dunk was already there, waving with that trademark grin.
“Glad you made it!” Dunk beamed. “I reserved the best seat for you.”
Joong raised a brow. “I thought you said your friends were coming. Where’s Est?”
Dunk gave a casual shrug, but the flash in his eyes betrayed the act. “I lied. I just wanted time with you.”
Joong blinked, caught off guard. A dozen reactions came to him—disapproval, annoyance, maybe even the urge to walk out. He should’ve said something sharp, created distance, reminded Dunk of boundaries.
But he didn’t.
Instead, he let Dunk’s hand curl lightly around his wrist, guiding him toward the table like it was the most natural thing in the world.
And maybe that was the problem.
Because now, as they sat down and Dunk’s smile settled into something quieter—something closer—Joong’s thoughts tangled, his feelings pulling in opposite directions. He didn’t know what he wanted, not really. But he was starting to realize that whatever this was with Dunk… it wasn’t simple.
__
The movie ended in a blur of screams and laughter, the theater lights flickering back to life. William’s friends spilled out into the lobby, buzzing with adrenaline. Lego’s eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.
“Night market!” he cheered. “Perfect way to end the night.”
William didn’t even hesitate. “No. Not the night market. Est’s with us.” His tone was sharp, firm, final.
The group froze. Est’s head whipped toward him, eyes narrowing. “And so? What’s that supposed to mean?” His voice came low and sharp, cutting through the noise of the crowd.
William turned to face him fully, meeting his glare with maddening calm. His lips curved into the faintest smirk. “It’s hot there. Crowded. Not for you.”
The words lit a fuse in Est. He stepped closer, heat sparking in his eyes. “Excuse me? I go to night markets all the time. What do you think I am, some delicate flower?”
The air thickened instantly. William didn’t flinch, didn’t back down—if anything, he leaned into the storm. Est’s pulse jumped, irritation and something else tangled too tightly together.
The group shifted awkwardly, caught in the charged silence. Tui rubbed the back of his neck. Lego looked between them like he was watching a boxing match.
“…Sooo,” Hong finally said, drawing the word out as he glanced at the others, “should we just… wait until you two finish this flirting or…?”
Est sputtered, “Flirting?!” just as William coughed, shoving his hands deep into his pockets.
“Fine,” William muttered, cutting off the moment. His voice was rougher than usual, betraying more than he probably intended. “Let’s go.”
The tension broke, but the spark between them lingered—hot, unspoken, impossible to ignore.
___
The night market was chaos—blinding lights, sizzling sounds, aromas clashing in the humid air. They ate their way through stalls like a pack of hungry wolves: crispy fried chicken skewers, grilled pork, steaming bowls of boat noodles, roti slathered with condensed milk, even a plate of bright mango sticky rice they shared between them.
By the time the edge of hunger dulled, Nut and Hong were already waving off. “Couple time now!” Nut shouted, dragging Hong away with a grin.
Tui and Lego headed out too, Lego shouting, “Bye, lovebirds!”
That left only the two of them, weaving their way through the thinning crowd, the neon glow painting their faces in shifting colors.
William was the one to break the quiet, his voice low, almost hesitant. “Can I say something… and you not get weird about it?”
Est blinked, startled at hearing his own words thrown back at him. A laugh bubbled out, soft and genuine. “Go on.”
William’s gaze stayed ahead, but there was a quiet weight to his tone. “You’re not really… high-maintenance. Not like I thought you were. You don’t care about appearances. Don’t expect special treatment.”
Something in Est loosened at that, though his smile turned softer, more fragile. “True. But no matter what I do to seem normal, people still treat me differently. Their expectations… it’s heavy sometimes. Too heavy.”
William slowed, his shoulder brushing Est’s as the noise of the market thinned behind them. His voice gentled in a way Est hadn’t heard before. “Sorry. If I ever made you feel like that earlier.”
Est shook his head quickly. “It’s okay. We’re still figuring each other out.”
A beat of silence stretched, then William’s lips tugged into something that wasn’t his usual smirk. “Didn’t know you liked horror films. I love them too.”
Est turned his head—and froze. Because William was smiling. Really smiling. No edge, no mockery, just a quiet curve of warmth that made his face look younger, freer, almost soft.
Before he could stop himself, Est blurted, “You should smile more.”
The words hung between them. William’s steps faltered, his eyes flicking to Est in surprise.
Est panicked, scrambling. “I mean—not that you don’t already, just—sometimes you look kind of… intimidating. Scary. Ugh, forget it.” He waved a hand, flustered, clearly regretting saying anything at all.
But William only shook his head, still faintly smiling, like Est had unknowingly peeled back a layer no one else ever touched. He didn’t say anything more, just shoved his hands in his pockets and started walking again.
Est followed, but the image of that smile burned stubbornly in his chest, impossible to shake.
__
They drove back in comfortable silence. The soft hum of the engine filled the space, broken only by the faint rattle of traffic outside.
When the car pulled up in front of Est’s building, neither moved immediately. Est fiddled with his bag strap, his pulse quickening at the thought of ending the night.
“Maybe we should do this again,” he said lightly, as if it were casual. But the way his fingers drummed nervously against his knee betrayed him. “I’ve got tons of horror films I want to watch, but… too scared to watch alone. And my friends hate them.”
William’s lips twitched in the faintest smile, his voice low, steady. “You live alone?”
“Yeah. My family’s back in Phetchabun.”
There was a pause, then William tilted his head slightly, eyes flicking toward him before returning to the windshield. “Then let me know. We’ll watch together.”
Est’s lips twitched into a reluctant smile. “I won’t keep you, you still need to drive home.”
William shook his head. “It’s okay. I’m not that far from here anyway.”
“Drive safe,” Est murmured as he reached for the door handle.
William’s gaze lingered on him a beat longer than necessary. “Good night,” he said, voice quieter, almost warm.
Est gave a small wave and turned toward the apartment building, heart pounding louder than it had any right to. He didn’t look back, but he could feel William’s eyes on him the whole way.
He stepped into the dimly lit lobby and only glanced back once—just enough to see the car still idling by the curb. William hadn’t left.
Not until Est was inside.
__
Later that night—
William’s phone buzzed.
@est_rvp mentioned you in their story.
He unlocked Instagram with half a thought, expecting something mundane. Instead, a grainy shot filled his screen: their popcorn tub, two hands reaching in at once.
Caption: “Screamed more at @williamjkp stealing my popcorn than at the ghost.“
A soft laugh slipped out before he could stop it. He hadn’t even realized Est was taking pictures. The memory came flooding back—the way Est had smacked his hand playfully when he’d grabbed too much popcorn.
His phone buzzed again.
@est_rvp mentioned you in their story.
This time, it was a photo of his back—William walking ahead through the night market, lights flickering shadows across his frame. No caption. Just the image.
William froze, thumb hovering over the screen. There was something quiet and intimate about it, like Est had caught a side of him no one else saw.
He stared longer than he meant to, warmth blossoming in his chest—soft, steady, undeniable. A small, almost shy smile tugged at his lips, one he didn’t bother to hide or push away this time.
Because when Est looked at him… it was different. Not just a glance, but something quieter, more intense—like Est was seeing right through the surface. And for the first time, William didn’t just welcome it—he found himself wanting it. Or maybe wanting more than he was willing to admit.
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