Then and Now [INDEFINITE HIATUS]

8 || bruises and letting go

TW: mentions of violence
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Present

Namtan read from a pile of drinking game cards for everyone in the project development team to hear, "Favorite ice cream flavor?"

Were they drinking booze in broad daylight during office hours, may you ask? Nope, they weren't. They're currently working hard per usual, whilst answering the deck of a drinking card game that Phukong fearlessly brought out. Yes, the one with questions and dares.

Now, one might presume that a boss would right-down prohibit such unprofessional activity in a workplace, to abide by the rules of HR and any traditional professional setting. Lo and behold, it was Tay who snatched the deck from the junior architect and appointed Namtan to moderate. 

So much for a professional setting, ain't it? How they also manage to multi-task? Kinda-mind boggling. 

And so the team answered the questions (and completed the simple dares) from the cards one by one in this particular order: Tay, Namtan, New, Luke, Earn, Phukong, and Metawin. 

"Mint."
"Caramel."
"Vanilla."
"Strawberry."
"I hate ice cream."
"Chocolate for life!"
"Matcha."

Earn irked, "Mint? Really, P'Tay? That's just ughh! Blegh!" Making Tay defend his preference, "Hey! It's an acquired taste, very much like N'Win's matcha!"

"Next card!" Phukong cried out as it was also an established rule that they can only comment on one answer, particularly the oddest of the bunch. 

"Describe your high school experience in one word."

"Wild!"
"Fun."
"Chaotic."
"Rebellious."
"Meh. Average."
"Batshit crazy!" 

"Short."

Phukong took it upon himself to ask, finding every answer similar except for the last one, "Alai? What do you mean by short, Win?" 

"I was homeschooled til 10th grade. So I only got to attend actual high school for two years..." Win pushed up his specs, engrossed in his work as he distractedly responded.

"Shiaaa! Is that how hi-sos do it?" said Earn in awe.

"Oh Mai chai, Phi," Win got pulled out of his focus, scrambling off to explain. "I--- Uhh had some health problems til my early teens, that's why..."

Earn instantly made an apologetic expression.

"Like what?" Phukong chirped. 

"Ai Phukong, be a little sensitive here won't you? You're so frank!"

"Issokay... I was just born with a poor immune system that miraculously got it shit together at 16." Win chuckled, going back to his work to avoid anyone's stare, not wanting to see if any of it would turn into pity. He had received enough of such glances to last him a lifetime, after all.

Don't get him wrong though, he had long made peace with his past, of his old self. He's not keeping his past---his truth as a secret, but he's also not making it a conversation starter for sure. Since college, he had learned to make a light out of it. And besides, he had never been the one to let others' opinion get to him, unless it was from his family and close friends. 

"Next card," said New, reading the room and saving Win from any further questions.

"Stand up for 10 minutes if you have ever been in a fistfight."

Luke and Phukong stood up, followed by a reluctant Metawin, coloring everyone shocked.

"You've been in a fistfight, kiddo? Really?" asked New in disbelief. The male head architect seemed harmless and liked by many after all, regardless of his physique and considering his social status. In addition, him being home-schooled kinda supported his gentle giant narrative.