MIDNIGHT DAYDREAM

Chapter 6

Thankhun finds Kim in his room, sitting down with his face in his hands. He brings a bottle of old Irish whiskey and two glasses with him. The older pours some into the glasses and slides one to Kim.

After a good gulp, he looks at his little brother with worry attached to his face. "Just tell me you love him."

Kim sighs. He doesn't answer it immediately, but when he does his voice is heavy, "So much that sometimes I feel like dying every day without him."

Khun nods to that. He can recognize the truth. Kim is anything and everything people say he is to be, but he is also the same boy who holds Khun in his arms every time Khun breaks down crying. Kim is the same brother who shoulders responsibility at such a young age because Khun can't, without a word, without an ounce of hatred toward his incapable older brother.

"You left him," Khun pushes. "You made him cry, heartbroken. There were days he couldn't sleep, and wouldn't eat. Couldn't function. That was why I agreed when Pete proposed to let them study in London. I said no way to Porsche, of course, giving him a theatrical fuss, because I know that will only make him more sure to do it."

Kim looks at him with a little heat in his eyes now. Khun acknowledges his brother's anger and disapproval. "It was necessary. It would only take a little tip more to make him crazy, Kim. You should know better. Not anyone is as strong as you or Annakinn."

Thankhun refers to himself. He certainly knows firsthand what kidnapping can do to a man.

"I did it because I thought keeping him away from me would make him safer. But I know better now." Kim laments.

"And agreeing to the contract?"

"Pa knows." Kim only needs to say that and Khun understands that their father was dangling Porchay in front of Kim's face as leverage. His brother, as smart as he is, took it to his advantage by making his request written so their father couldn't bail out on it in the future.

Their dad certainly underestimated what Kim could do when he was determined to succeed.

"You are turning into him, has anyone ever told you that?" Khun pours another golden liquid into his glass and Kim's.

"Annakinn," answers Kim before downing his drink in one go. Khun laughs. They are indeed brothers.

After a good moment of silence, Khun gets up from his seat. "I'll see what I can do," he says, making Kim bestow him with a sincere smile, the one that makes his face softer and crazily more beautiful.

Khun chuckles. This is no easy task. Chay is not stupid. But there is almost nothing Khun can't do when he really puts his mind to it. After all, that's what an older brother should do.

***

Porchay can't sleep.

He's tossing and turning, but his eyes just won't close down. He looks at the clock. 5 a.m.

His mind keeps coming back to the previous event.

After Kim left, his brother hurriedly hugged him and tried to soothe him with his hand on Chay's back. "I'll try to get around this and get you out of this, Chay. Just hold on for a moment."

What Porsche said only cemented his thought that they couldn't get out of this, whatever it is because Chay doesn't know anything as the elders just love to keep him in the dark. At least not without heavy consequences. Logically speaking, the heaviest consequence is for Porchay to be killed because of the threats.

Chay doesn't want to leave Porsche alone in this world. Sure, there is Kinn, but knowing how Porsche is, him being dead will at least make his brother clinically crazy out of guilt.