Rule One: Allow no harm to come to your Protectee.
"Why do you hate me?"
My father's voice boomed throughout my dorm room from my phone. It was so loud that I swore I saw soundwaves being emitted and the posters on my walls quiver.
Luckily, he wasn't here to smack me with the nearest object. His favorites included newspapers, his shoe, and the classic right hand. Gosh, there were too many times when I wanted to seize his arm and show him I couldn't be pushed around.
I sighed in the frigid seat at my desk, staring at the giant poster above it, and wondered when I'd have the chance to be someone great like the sniper from my favorite movie. He was more badass than my entire school combined. No one questioned his capabilities. They admired him.
"I don't hate you," I said calmly.
"Then why are you becoming the biggest failure in this family? You allowed someone to beat our family record again!"
Though I wasn't there, I could picture my father failing his arms in the air and screaming at the phone on the kitchen counter. The vein above his left eyebrow was probably bulging. My mom was likely shaking her head while looking at her Facebook feed.
I rolled my eyes. The Prachaya family was BU's longest line of generational students. I was attending. My older cousin had attended. My father attended and so on and so forth. Only Prachaya's were allowed to create new records for the school.
"Dad, I didn't allow anyone to do anything," I said.
"And why am I hearing from Porsché that you fought Kinn the other day?"
Porsché was my younger brother.
That fucking snitch.
"We didn't fight. We...grappled," I defended.
Technically, we did fight. At the very least, I had attempted to punch him. Hadn't he dodged, his pretty, smooth skin would've been cracked by now. I wished I hadn't missed. Imagine a potential scar on his face reminding him every day that I got to him. I smiled just thinking about it.
"I don't care what semantics you use. You're tarnishing the Prachaya name with your antics!"
"Last year, you said I was impressing you. I haven't done anything differently this year. I'm still breaking records," I tried to reason.
This conversation wouldn't even be happening if I hadn't called to tell him my achievement from yesterday. I was proud to have shot 40 rounds accurately with a semi-automatic shotgun in a minute. Instead of a "Congratulations," I got a lecture.
"Which I'm certain Kinn will defeat next year, right?"
With a clenched jaw, I fell silent. My cell phone vibrated in my tightening hand and shook the image of my father lit on screen. After working my ass off to make something of myself, I was overlooked because of Kinn.
"Porsche, you need to work harder. Perhaps, your cell phone is distracting you," my father said.
He wouldn't dare to take my phone away. How else would he call me every time I disappointed him?
"I'm doing my best," I said.
"I don't want your best! I want the best!"
I didn't respond to that. The red button underneath his chin was tempting to press, but if I hung up on him, I was afraid he'd actually come here to kick my ass.
"This Kinn character is too much of a threat...Do you think you could take him? Maybe, "accidentally" get him injured," he suggested.
"Enough! I'm not hurting anyone," I hissed. "Even if I wanted to, I can't now."
As much as I wanted to see that fucker littered with black and blue bruises, I'd have no chance of graduating if I was the cause of it. A bodyguard hurting his own Protectee was forbidden.
"Why not?"
I paused. "I'm his bodyguard," I murmured.
Cuss words that didn't belong together echoed in my father's raging voice.
"That bitch! I always knew Nattapol had it out for me!"
"I'm not happy about it either."
"Can you change it?"
Of course, I can. Did you know that the school lets us switch Proctees like we're preschoolers switching snacks? It's so convenient!
"I don't think so," I said.
Unless Kinn was dying or got expelled, there was no way I was getting out of this. Last time I checked, he was healthy, and he didn't have a reputation for mischief. Then again, he was still a person. An asshole like Kinn was definitely doing bad shit. Maybe, I should check into that.
"Check your handbook for a loophole."
Everyone was given a handbook outlying the point system, expectations, and rules of the Pairing Program. I had it almost memorized. A good bodyguard was a prepared one.
"Okay," I said. I'd do it later. It was almost 22:00.
"Now!"
What even is sleep?
Huffing, I rummaged through paper-filled pockets of my desk and slipped out the slender manual. Across my palm, I flopped it and skimmed useless sentences.
"Times a Protectee can be replaced include a Protectee or bodyguard has an emergency that prohibits one from participating in the Pairing Program, expulsion, or when sexual misconduct occurs," I read aloud.
Silence.
"He's not gay, right?"
"Dad!" I slapped the book against the corner of my desk. A thin, milk-white line frayed its back.
"Forget it. My son can't be gay."
The implications of my homosexuality would ruin his image. Most of his colleagues believed gay men were too feminine to be a bodyguard. I remember one of his friends saying, "If he likes being pinned down by another man, then how can he protect anyone? While the perp's on top of him, he'd try to keep him on instead of off!"
I gulped. Thank God he hadn't checked the magazines under my bed at home. There were many hidden treasures I'd yet to remove before they could be pirated. I was praying my parents didn't consider taking apart paintings and checked in the toes of worn-out boots. If they scoured any of those places, they'd instantly drop to the floor with exploded hearts.
"I can't find any other way to fix this. I'm going to have to be his bodyguard," I said.
"If you hurt a hair on his head, I'll make sure you don't have one," he threatened.
Two minutes ago, he was asking me if I could hurt him. Now that it'd hurt his reputation, he wanted me to make sure no harm came to him. This is what I dealt with daily.
"Message received."
Click.
Checking my screen, I saw that he had hung up on me.
I ran my frustrated fingers through my hair and roared a heavy groan as I reclined into my chair.
Getting Kinn out of my life was now my main goal. There was no way I was going to bodyguard him. Tomorrow, I'd review my guidebook and try to find ways to trick the bastard. It took one outlier.
*****
Tian was a nice guy. That much I'd concluded from my walk with him and Phupha down a hallway of students. Many people that usually would've never spoken to each other were together. It was weird seeing so many juniors and seniors mingling. I was experiencing an alternate universe.
"Then, I-" A giant sneeze interrupted Tian. "Sorry."
Phupha frowned. I noticed that he was twitching his fingers, holding back from checking Tian's forehead, presumably. The guy wasn't dying. He just sneezed.
"Hey, Porsche!"
Curiously, I peered over the raven-black heads of people and honed in on a waving arm from my favorite gossiper. Techno approached us and cheerfully wai'd. We halted and swayed to the lockers to prevent blocking traffic.
"Do you know where Kinn is?" Techno asked with a glittery pink journal tucked under his armpit.
"No, I'm not his keeper," I said stiffly.
Confused, he cocked his head. "But...aren't you his bodyguard?"
"So?"
Techno smirked. "I can see why the school paired you."
Phupha chuckled. I lightly hit his shoulder in retaliation, though I would've preferred to have hit Techno's.
"Why do you need him, anyway?" I asked.
Knowing Techno, his intentions were anything but pure. The last thing I needed was more meddling between him and Kinn. His livestream and article, "KinnPorsche: Fighting from Sheets to Streets," was gaining way too much traction.
"I thought you weren't his keeper," Techno joked with a quirked eyebrow.
"That doesn't mean I can't be curious," I said.
"Curiosity killed the cat," he giggled.
He was enjoying this too much.
"And cats kill rats," I growled, referring to him as people that always rat out on others. Techno's Tea needed an exterminator, desperately.
Techno took his tucked book and clutched it against his chest. "I wouldn't be threatening me if I were you," he said softly.
Phupha grabbed my arm and shook his head. I knew this wasn't worth the fight. Techno's bodyguard was Type, and that guy's temper was hotter than the damn sun.
"I wouldn't dare," I said sardonically.
I glared at the newsreporter with a stupid fucking mushroom haircut and supressed the urge to say anything else. The hole I'd dug for myself was already well past two meters.
Who the fuck past the age of ten owned sparkly books, anyway?
Glancing at his phone, Phupha nudged me and showed the time. "Porsche, we have to get to class," he said.
I peered over and nodded. We still had twenty minutes.
"Yeah, Professor hates lateness," I added.
Techno smiled fakely. "I'm sure he does," he said, returning his journal to its original place.
The boy paraded away with sass in search of the missing Protectee.
Making sure he was out of sight, Phupha gave me a fatherly look. "You've got to chill out."
I crossed my arms. "Like Techo's innocent!"
"I'm not saying that, but he has influence here. Do you want him to make your life hell?" Phupha asked.
What kind of Hollywood bullshit was this? I didn't realize I had to kiss ass to paparrazi now. I was under the impression that we were at a university.
"I have a feeling he'll do that regardless of what I do," I retorted.
"Try to reason with him, maybe?" Tian spoke up cautiously.
I forgot the part where I asked for his opinion.
"Is that what you did when he wrote about your incident with the class president last week?"
Tian frowned and was about to speak when Phupha stepped in front of him. Umbrage flickered across Phupha's face.
"Apologize," he said sternly.
I scoffed. "No."
Why wasC everyone attacking me today? All I did was exist, and people were choosing battles with me.
"He doesn't have to," Tian said.
Phupha ignored Tian's comment and fixated on me, waiting for my response.
Shifting between the quiet boy sheltered from his steely giant and my offended friend, I eased my crossness and gave a surrendering smile. "Sorry."
"It's fine, really." He grinned sweetly. Holy crap did that guy have some white teeth. As sugary as his smile was, I doubted he ever had a cavity.
Pleased with my apology, Phupha marched ahead of us in an unfamiliar direction.
"Where are you going?" I inquired.
"To Chemistry," he answered.
"We don't have Chemistry."
"No, but Tian does."
Tian caught up to his right side and looked up at Phupha with starry eyes.
"You go on ahead. I'll save your spot in Weaponry," I said.
I began making my way to class. As I turned a corner, I crashed into a warm pole. The sound of fluttering papers sifted at two pairs of shoes. Without bothering to see who I ran into, I knelt down to gather a heavy pile of notes and homework. A pale hand brushed against my contrastingly caramel one lightly. I jerked my hand to other papers and stood up as soon as the mountain was collected.
"Here," I said. Extending the stack to a perfectly ironed shirt, I glimpsed up at a cunning face. Kinn. I scowled and shoved them against his popped chest. The impact against my fingers told me that underneath those papers were hard pecs.
Kinn stumbled slightly and accepted them with a short chuckle.
"I didn't know you had manners," he teased.
He was making me regret picking up those fucking papers.
"You don't know many things," I said. Tugging on my backpack strap, I considered walking away right then and there, but my feet were cemented to the ground.
He straightened his pile and slipped them into his folder. "Do enlighten me, oh wise one," Kinn said with an amused smile.
Unzipping the top of his bag, he exposed two binders and a thick wallet inside. I was surprised to see that it was so neat inside. Mine was always a chaos of pencils and wrinkled paper. Noticing my stare, he promptly zipped it back up.
"I'd rather not waste my time," I replied.
"I know of a better use of your time," he said with a lick of his lips. His gaze traveled down my body and returned to my eyes.
Warmth found its way to my face. I didn't know exactly what he was implying, yet there was a dance of excitement in my stomach.
"Did you talk to Techno yet?"
Kinn's heavy brows furrowed. "Is there a reason why I should've?"
Of course, he hadn't, but for some reason, I wasn't thinking straight.
"He's been looking for you," I said.
A slight glint in his eyes told me he was as happy to hear about that as I was.
"Why?"
That was the million dollar question.
I shrugged my shoulders. "Fuck if I know."
He scratched the back of his neck and grimaced. "Is he this desperate for scandals?"
I shrugged. Internally, I was sighing in relief that Kinn had no intentions of colluding with that asshat. Kinn and Techno working against me separately was its own beast. Together, I'd be destroyed. Better yet, my name would be annihilated.
"Beats me, but let's not give him one," I said. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
Kinn titled his head and scanned me intensely. His perplexed expression was replaced by a smug one. "Right," he said as he began to walk away.
That wasn't a good sign. "Where're you going?" I asked anxiously.
Rather than a response, I viewed Kinn's backside. Broad shoulders hung over his masculine waist. Tight, inky-black pants hugged his plump ass and strong legs.
Fuck him.
******
Things are starting to heat up between Kinn and Porsche. Porsche really should stop checking Kinn out, haha. What're you thoughts? 🤭