Chapter 6

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At Phuket airport just before dawn, four large, white,  heavily tinted SUVs circled the main entrance. Finally, they stop at a side door at the very end of the arrivals bay and a team of twenty people very quickly and very quietly enter the SUVs. 

As the vehicles enter the main highway, the passengers of each one slump down and as if choreographed, they all yawn.

In SUV number 2, Win fishes out his travel pillow from his fanny pack and wraps it snug against his neck. He removes his large sunglasses and only when he leans back and lets out a loud sigh of relief does he notice who is seated beside him - it's Bright. Win lets out a small surprised yelp before he could stop himself.

Bright doesn't hear or pretends not to and instead is determined to keep looking out the vehicle's window.

Win hesitates, wondering if he should at the very least say hello. But it was five in the morning and he did not have enough working brain cells to force a conversation. So he allows his neck to sink in to the soft travel pillow and he closes his eyes forcing every cell in his body to bloody sleep. If he's lucky he will dream of Tokyo and planets made of beef and cheese and...

BRAKE!

Win pitches forward as the SUV violently stops. He is 100% certain he will hit the headrest in front of him and land on the floor. He braces for the impact that does not come.

Instead, his chest hits an arm that appears across him from out of nowhere. Bright broke his fall.
Win breathes.

He hears their driver repeatedly apologizing. Hears the production manager sternly tell the driver to be more careful. He hears himself laugh. Awkward situations have always made Win laugh.

"Not funny," Bright says, his eyes dark and cloudy.
Win thinks to explain but Bright continues. "Wear your seatbelt."

Bright looks so pissed but Win cannot help but think there is concern mixed in with that angry tone. He is about to thank Bright but the latter brusquely pulls down the seatbelt beside Win and clicks it in for him. Bright's anger seems to radiate heat. Win is wondering if he's about to burst into flames but the seatbelt is fixed in a millisecond and so no one gets burned. Bright makes a show of putting his earphones back on and is once again staring out the window.

The production manager turns around to apologize and make sure the two of them were okay. Win smiles his megawatt smile and assures her that everything was a-ok. He continues conversing with her and the two other set men with them while Bright remains quiet and aloof.

Win glances at him one last time before he laughs at the set man's jokes.

The sun breaks through the clouds and hits Win's eyes. How many more minutes before they arrive at the pier?

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