I apologize in advance for the inaccuracies. My medical knowledge is very shallow.
CONTENT WARNING: mention of controversial topic/s
Arthit was advised by the doctor to stay in the hospital for a couple of days for observation. The possible explanation the doctor could give to the young male was that his excessive sleeping and loss of appetite might be a sign of extreme stress. If this continued, it could affect Arthit's health.
Despite the result, everyone was still worried even Bright's parents who came home just in time. They insisted that Arthit should stay in the hospital for a couple of days. Thinking about the cost of hospitalization, Arthit wanted to leave.
He was basically broke. He can't ask money from his parents. His mother basically wanted to disown him. He had no clue on his father's opinion.
"Can I just sign a waiver or something? I can't afford it." Arthit said to the doctor.
"Don't be silly. We'll pay for it. What's most important is your health." Bright's father stepped forward.
Arthit shook his head vehemently. "No. That's too much. You have already done so much for me."
Bright sighed and said one sentence that left every one of his friends speechless. "Our family is part owner of the hospital. Basically, there's nothing to pay for."
"And you're our son's friends. I'm sure that if you can, you'll also look out for Bright."
They won't take no for an answer.
In the end, Arthit accepted the offer. "Thank you for this." As he thought about it, accepting their help was the best thing right now. He promised himself that someday, he would repay their kindness.
Arthit can't fathom how lucky he was with his friends.
"My eyes are blinded at how rich Bright's family is." Toota couldn't help but comment. His boyfriend nodded in agreement while Knot looked embarrassed. Bright's parents were in the room and they could hear what they were saying. Knot has always been polite and well-mannered. His friends acting like this was... he would rather not say.
"Let's just be thankful for their help." Knot said to his friends.
Bright left with his parents and the rest of Arthit friends stayed with him. The first plan was to stay with him but then Arthit insisted to be left alone for that night.
As much as he enjoyed his friends' company, he needed some quiet time to himself to think. He need to process everything that has been going on in his life. Arthit had to admit he had been running away from his problems ever since that photo came out. He didn't want to deal with it and thus had him ending up in a hospital.
"I'm promise that I won't do anything stupid." He promised his friends, raising his right hand with his palm facing forward. He had forgotten how many times he made this promise today. He had to admit that he screwed up, but he's thinking more clearly now.
Toota and Prem crossed their arms, not liking the thought of leaving him alone. Knot on the other hand gave him a long hard look before letting out a deep long breath. "You better keep your word Arthit. If you need anything at all, we're just one call away."
"I will. Thanks again for being here. I don't know how I got lucky meeting you all."
It was so quiet when his friends left. For a moment, he thought that maybe being alone was a bad idea.
And then... his mother called.
He looked at the name on his ringing phone. These days all he got from his phone calls were disappointment and pain.
His eyes never left the object. His chest felt so heavy and his hands started to shake. He had the sudden urge to run but he tamped it down. He swallowed his fear and forced his body to move.
As soon as he answered the phone, his screaming mother greeted him with scathing words.
"You ungrateful child! Is this the respect I deserve?! I've been calling you for days and you had the nerve to ignore my calls?! "
He winced at the tone of her voice. His throat locked up. Arthit's mind blanked. He was so afraid to speak. He wanted to say the reason but it felt like no matter what he said, it would remain unheard by his furious mother.
"You shameless thing! I really regret letting you go to the capital. All the people around you are bad influences. But no matter, I know a conversion therapy-"
Arthit's world came crashing down at her words. He couldn't understand. What was so wrong about liking a man?
"What are y- give it back!" His mother's voice suddenly sounded far away from the phone.
"Arthit..." His father's voice came out from the speaker of his phone. Arthit's nose stung. He was so close to crying. His heart was in pieces. His mother's words replayed in loop in his head.
"Lie low for now and don't think too hard about your mom's words. She must have taken something bad and is suffering from an allergic reaction. I call you when she manages to calm down. We'll talk later. What's important right now is you must take care of yourself and stay with your friends if you have too. You have my support son. You will always be my son."
The call ended.
In a way he was relieved that his parents didn't know what happened. It was better this way.
He smiled and then broke into a cry, sobbing so hard that he couldn't see anything.
His father's words gave him a lot of comfort. It meant a lot to know that he was supported by his father. At least, there was one parent that accepted who he was.
Arthit cried for a long time. He cried so much that he couldn't recognize his face when he woke up.
When morning came and his friends returned to bring him breakfast, Bright had the shock of his life.
"Fuck Arthit! Is that you?!" He exclaimed as soon as he entered the room.
Toota also saw the shocking image of Arthit's eyes.
"Step aside Bright. Don't worry Arthit. I know just the thing to fix that." He didn't ask and simply sashayed into the room and helped his friend deal with his swollen eyes.
Toota was a lifesaver, giving him some ice and cloth to cover his swollen eyes with. Somehow within a half an hour, swelling receded.
Sunday morning and Kongpob still remained without a phone and heavily guarded by his management. Currently, he was at a product launch of a popular fashion brand.
He sat beside his fellow artists and luckily Tew was also invited to the event. His friend was sitting 2 rows away from him, and he couldn't approach him.
Kongpob smiled his first real one as soon as he saw Tew. Tew smiled a little but he didn't look too happy.
The event was ongoing. He couldn't get out of his seat and his phone was not with him. He had to be patient.
"Doing alright?" Phana, an actor he once worked with and was sitting beside him, asked.
"Not really." He admitted in a whisper. "You must have heard what happened."
Phana nodded without looking at him. They were trying not to get in trouble with Kongpob's strict management.
"Everyone knows Kongpob. I also heard from someone that your 'friend' is not doing too well."
"What do you mean?" Kongpob furrowed his eyebrows.
Phana did not elaborate. "This is not the time and place to tell you. You should wait for your friend to tell you the news." After that, Phana concentrated on the event, not planning on speaking to the male star anymore.
Kongpob tried hard to be patient and put all his effort on paying attention to the launch, but Phana's words worried him.
The event that lasted 2 hours felt like forever. As soon as it ended, Kongpob stood up and ignored the approaching staff from his company. He was heading straight for Tew and when he reached his friend, a reporter suddenly showed up with cameras.
"Nong' Kongpob I just received news that the man in the photo with you from last week's news has been hospitalized. Do you have any comment about that?" The reporter asked, hungry for any reaction from the celebrity.
The smile that Kongpob was known for when facing the public fell apart. More flashes came when they saw the change on the man's face. They knew that they got a big scoop.
"I-" Kongpob's heart dropped. He feared the worse for Arthit. All he could think about was the condition of his boyfriend.
Just in time before the young celebrity could make a blunder, Jane, his manager swooped in and immediately brought him to their van. When the door of the vehicle closed, that was the time that Kongpob snapped out of his shock.
His lips went pale. "I need to see him P'Jane. I need to see if he's okay." He begged his manager. He pleaded as if his life depended on it.
"Do you know what you're risking if people saw you with him? You are well aware that those reporters are looking for a small slip from you just so they can publish it. They don't care if you lose your career, but I care.
"Right now, seeing Arthit is not possible. I know it's hurting you. I know it's hurting him. But this is the only way I can protect you both.
"The company is not very happy with you right now. There are a lot of brands that we have signed with that are having second thoughts about you. If you lose those deals, your career will be over. It would get worse if that happened. So please Kong... don't do anything. Don't speak. Don't move."
For the first time, Kongpob cried in front of Jane. He was beyond frustrated and angry. He punched his seat, expressing all the feelings he has been bottling up since the incident happened. He knew that his manager's words made sense. He understood, but it hurt so much.
Arthit was playing video games with Prem. Apparently, game consoles are not prohibited in the hospital as long as you are in a VIP room, which Arthit was currently occupying. Bright brought it from his house and attached it to the large flat screen in the room.
Everyone forgot about their problems. It was as if nothing changed.
"Doofus! Don't turn there! The killer is on that side!" Bright screamed at Prem. Prem glared back and was stopped by Toota from saying anything.
"Arthit! Watch your back."
Arthit was caught by the killer. He screamed and almost threw the controller. He caught it just in time and smacked Bright with a pillow.
"Stop shouting! I can't concentrate with your loud mouth."
While the four were busy with the game, Knot's phone rang. No one else noticed.
Knot answered the phone and it only lasted a couple of minutes.
Arthit's side of the screen became gray, a sign that he died in the game. Arthit looked annoyed.
"You lose Arthit." The game ended with Prem winning.
Prem had a big smile that you just want to punch. It was so annoying that Arthit thought about punching his friend. He managed to stop himself and changed the topic.
"Hey Knot! It's your turn." Arthit turned to look at his friend and saw his face not looking good. "What's wrong?"
Knot pursed his lips and then replied. "I just got off the phone. Tew said that Kongpob's situation was not looking too good. His management is strictly monitoring him. His phone has been taken away and he can't go out on his own."
Arthit's good mood was dampened by the news, but at the same time he was relieved. Kongpob did not ignore him. This was a great thing.
"I see. It's okay Knot. At least I know that he did not abandon me." He smiled to assure his friend.
"Can we help Kongpob sneak out to see Arthit?" Bright asked.
Knot shook his head. "I don't think that's good idea. You forget. Kongpob is a celebrity. People's eyes are on him."
"Tell me again why you're dating Kongpob? It seemed like everything is a disadvantage." Prem sighed. Seeing his friend suffering, he was feeling tired.
"Love, my idiot boyfriend. It's because they love each other. I wouldn't be dating you if I didn't love you." Toota leaned his head on Prem's shoulder.
Arthit left the hospital around Tuesday. His professors were already informed of what happened and gave him extra time to complete his projects. This time he returned to his dorm room. People's attention to entertainment news are short so it was no surprise to see no one waiting around the dorms.
When he got to his floor, Arthit was surprised to see Kongpob's manager. "P' Jane?"
"Hello nong." Jane smiled politely. "Do you have time to talk?"
Arthit opened the door to his room and invited him inside.
The room was small so Jane had to sit at the chair Arthit used for studying. The young male offered him some water and waited for him to speak.
So many things were running over Arthit's thoughts. He had a feeling that whatever the older man was going to say, he wouldn't like it.
It was quiet for a while.
"To be honest, I don't want to sound like a villain, but I want you and Kongpob to think real hard about your decisions. Right now being together is simply destructive for both sides."
Arthit clasped his hands together and admitted. "I know." He was hoping hard that he and Kongpob could somehow get through this. He was definitely clueless on how to do that, but he hoped it was possible.
He listened as Jane spoke again. "Do you know what the company is thinking for Kongpob's future? They want to ban him and let him bear the penalties of all the contracts they have for him. They have the right to do it and they can. Those penalties are enough to bury a person for a lifetime.
"Trust me Arthit when I say this. Kongpob's career would be ruined and his savings wouldn't be enough to cover the costs. Will your love last when a big financial burden is on your shoulders? Would you be able to bear the responsibility of destroying his career? What about yours? You haven't even started and if this continues, I don't know about your future. People are fickle. There are a lot of stupid people in this world. They will try to hurt you just because you love a man.
"Think carefully Arthit. Maybe you can save yourself and Kongpob. Make your choice and I hope you don't regret it."
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30E2021
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