Red Strings

Chapter Two

***

The night deepened, and the pulsing beats of the bar seemed to grow louder as the energy on the dance floor intensified. Marc had been pulled away by Poon, along with JJ and Tee, leaving Satang at the table—alone with Winny.

The air between them was quiet, a mix of awkwardness and an oddly comforting silence. Yet Satang's heart was anything but calm. His mind raced, bombarded by the sheer reality of sitting alone with his crush. It felt so surreal, so wrong, that he couldn't even bring himself to glance in Winny's direction.

He sighed deeply, trying to steady himself, before grabbing a glass of tequila and downing it in one swift motion.

"Woah, take it easy there, sir," Winny said with a soft chuckle, raising an eyebrow at Satang's sudden boldness. He slid a slice of lemon and a plate of fries toward him. "Here, squeeze this and eat something. You'll thank me later."

Satang muttered a faint "thanks," his cheeks burning as he obediently reached for the lemon.

"Calm down," Winny added with an easy smile. "We're not in a hurry."

The silence returned, heavier now but not entirely unbearable. Satang stole a quick glance at Winny, only to find him staring off into the crowd, seemingly relaxed. The contrast between their composure was stark.

Moments later, P'Don strolled back to their table, looking cheerful but slightly worn out. "Kids, I'm heading out," he announced. "Work calls in the morning."

He turned to Satang, offering him a kind smile. "Nice to meet you, Satang. You're a good one."

Satang made a clumsy attempt to stand, but his balance betrayed him, and he slumped back into his seat. His words came out slurred but surprisingly coherent. "N-nice to meet you too, P'Don."

P'Don chuckled at the sight, turning to Winny. "You good?"

Winny nodded with a grin. "All good here."

"Alright, keep your friend safe. And don't slack on cheering or school," P'Don said with a playful smirk.

"Copy that," Winny replied, watching P'Don leave before shifting his gaze back to Satang.

Satang, now thoroughly tipsy, was reaching for another pour of tequila when Winny sighed, stopping him. "Okay, that's enough," Winny said firmly, grabbing the bottle and the glass. Without hesitation, Winny downed the shot himself as if it were water, his expression calm and unfazed.

Satang blinked at him, his vision blurry but his surprise evident. "Oh..." he mumbled, recognizing the figure before him by voice more than sight.

"Stop drinking. You're too drunk already," Winny said, his voice softer now as he moved to sit closer.

Before another word could be spoken, Satang's body gave up, and he slumped forward, his head resting heavily against Winny's shoulder.

"Satang..." Winny called his name, gently shaking him, but there was no response.

Winny sighed, adjusting his position to let Satang's head rest on his lap instead. He leaned back in his chair, looking down at the sleeping figure. "You're really something," he murmured, brushing a stray strand of hair from Satang's face as the chaos of the bar continued around them.

He stayed like that, patiently waiting for Marc and the others to return, the weight of the moment oddly grounding despite the noise and lights around them.

***

The night was an exhausting blur as Winny guided Satang out of the car, his arms securely holding him as the group—Marc, Poon, Tee, and JJ—stumbled behind them, still caught up in their drunken antics. Winny, still sober and somewhat annoyed by the mess, couldn't help but wonder if bringing everyone to his dorm was the best decision. The chaos was evident the moment they stepped inside.

Marc, having nearly sobered up after the car ride, had been panicked when Poon started to gag in the backseat. He'd barely managed to stop Poon from throwing up all over Winny's car, only for the guy to be kicked out onto the side of the street. Meanwhile, Tee and JJ couldn't stop their teasing, poking fun at Winny for always acting so cool and distant, and yet not accepting the snacks his fans kept sending him.

As they arrived at Winny's dorm, Satang was still passed out beside him, blissfully unaware of the chaos happening around him.

Once inside, Marc unceremoniously tossed Poon, Tee, and JJ onto the living room sofa. They were too drunk to be of much help, so they collapsed onto the cushions, letting out a collective groan.

Winny, on the other hand, was focused on getting Satang into his room. He motioned for Marc to follow. Marc was about to protest, but instead, he sighed and followed, figuring he might as well be helpful, even though he thought it would be easier just to leave Satang with Winny.

Winny handed him a large mattress. "Here," he said simply. "Spread this in the living room. Share it with the others."

Marc blinked, confused. "Huh? Why me?"

Winny looked back at him, a little perplexed. "Why not?"

Before Marc could question him further, Satang began to stir in bed, squirming and gagging. Both Winny and Marc rushed to his side, guiding him to the bathroom where he could vomit in private. They didn't want him making a mess of Winny's room.

Once Satang was back in bed, looking much more comfortable, Marc sighed and went to spread the mattress in the living room, where he laid it out and gently nudged Poon, who was already snoring, to sleep on it with JJ. Tee was left to sleep on the sofa alone.

After setting everyone up, Marc returned to Winny's room and found him about to go to bed. Marc hesitated, then spoke up.

"Is it really okay for him to sleep here?" Marc asked, eyeing the bed with a hint of concern.

Winny gave him a confused look but nodded. "Of course. Why not?"

Marc didn't feel the need to argue further. "Okay then, I'll go sleep in the living room," he said, clearly still a little uncomfortable with the situation, but figuring it was best to let Winny handle things.

Winny turned off the lights and lay down beside Satang in the quiet room, trying to push away the thoughts swirling in his head. But just as he was starting to settle, he felt a familiar sensation—a pair of arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer.

Startled, Winny opened his eyes and glanced down, his heart skipping a beat as he realized it was Satang. His breath was warm against Winny's skin as he curled into him, still asleep. The moonlight shining through the window cast soft shadows across Satang's face, and even though the room was mostly dark, Winny could still make out his features—the way he looked so peaceful, the rise and fall of his chest with each breath.

Winny couldn't explain why, but a small, gentle smile crept onto his face. There was something comforting about having Satang so close to him, something that felt so natural, as if it was always meant to be this way.

Winny didn't overthink it. He simply closed his eyes, allowing the warmth of Satang's embrace to settle him into sleep. He let himself relax, knowing that no matter how chaotic the night had been, this moment felt right. And with that, he fell asleep, holding Satang through the night.

End of Chapter.