TWISTED THREAD

Part 1: Welcome to the Mess

The thing about friendships? They're only as stable as the people in them. And well... this group? A ticking time bomb.

Perth: The Overworked Corporate Slave

Perth swore he wasn't gonna end up like one of those 9-to-5 office zombies, yet here he was—staring at his laptop screen at 10:47 PM, brain cells fried.

"Dude, go home," Joong sighed, leaning back in his chair, scrolling through his phone. "You literally look like death."

Perth ran a hand through his hair. "I can't, bro. Ohm's gonna kill me if I don't finish this by tomorrow."

Ohm, his wonderful boss, was basically Satan in a suit. The man had a talent for piling work onto his employees at the worst times.

"You chose this life, my guy," Dunk chimed in from across the office. Unlike Joong, Dunk was actually working—or at least pretending to. "Could've been an artist or something."

"Art doesn't pay the bills."

Dunk snorted. "Neither does this job if you're dead."

Perth sighed, rubbing his temples. He needed sleep. He needed peace. What he didn't need? The walking headache that was about to barge into his office.

Boom.

"Babes!" Boom grinned, strutting in like he owned the place. "Still here? You should let me take you out. De-stress a little."

Joong and Dunk exchanged looks. Oh boy. Here we go.

"No, thanks," Perth replied, eyes still on his screen. "Kinda busy."

Boom pouted. "You're always busy. When's the last time you had fun?"

Perth didn't answer.

Because the truth? He didn't remember.

🪡

Santa: The Pretty Boy Barista

Across town, Santa was thriving. By thriving, he meant barely surviving his shift.

"Santa, table six is waiting," Aou called out from behind the counter. "And don't forget to smile. You look miserable."

Santa rolled his eyes, grabbing the tray of drinks. "I am miserable."

"You chose this job," Aou reminded him.

Yeah. He did. Being a barista wasn't the dream, but it was way better than being stuck in an office like Perth. Besides, working at Bean There, Done That had its perks. The main one? Pond.

"Looking good today, Tata," Pond teased as Santa passed by his table.

Santa ignored the way his heart did a dumb little flip. "Shut up."

Pond laughed, nudging Phuwin beside him. "See? He loves me."

Phuwin raised an eyebrow. "You say that about everyone."

Santa sighed. This. This is why he was suffering.

Because Pond? He was too much. Too flirty, too loud, too... him. And Santa was too weak to do anything about it.

🪡

Pond & Phuwin: The Chaotic Engineering Duo

If Perth was suffering at work, Pond and Phuwin were thriving in their own version of hell—also known as engineering school.

"Bro, we are so failing this project," Pond groaned, staring at the mess of wires on their table.

Phuwin, ever the responsible one, was already fixing it. "We wouldn't be failing if you actually did something."

"I am doing something."

"Talking is not doing something."

Pond grinned. "Then why are you still here? You love listening to me talk."

Phuwin deadpanned. "I have no choice."

Their dynamic was simple: Pond was chaos, and Phuwin was the only thing keeping him alive.

"Santa was cute today," Pond added casually, watching as Phuwin's hands paused for half a second.

Phuwin didn't react. "Santa's cute every day."

Huh. Interesting.

🪡

Joong & Dunk: The Stable Ones (For Now)

Unlike the rest of their friends, Joong and Dunk were actually in a normal, functioning relationship. No drama, no unnecessary flirting with other people, just vibes.

And yet, somehow, they still got dragged into everyone's mess.

"So, Santa still simping over Pond?" Dunk asked as he scrolled through his phone.

Joong nodded. "And Boom's still simping over Perth."

Dunk made a face. "Ugh."

They were so tired of watching their friends be disasters.

🪡

Aou & Boom: The Messy Situationship™

Boom was a problem. Aou knew that. Everyone knew that.

And yet, here he was.

"You're ignoring me again," Boom said, crossing his arms.

Aou sighed. "No, I'm just tired."

Boom pouted, stepping closer. "You're always tired when it comes to me."

Because you're exhausting, Aou wanted to say. But he didn't. Instead, he let Boom wrap an arm around him, let him pretend that they were something real.

Because for some reason, Aou still hoped.

Hoped that Boom would stop chasing Perth. Hoped that one day, he'd be enough.

Even though deep down? He knew better.

And So It Begins...

A group of friends. A mix of love, lies, and way too many unresolved feelings.

It was only a matter of time before everything fell apart.

To be continued...