15
Un recalled how Nan said he wanted to know more about him and Two before. That was really not a secret.
He wonders if Nan will ask why he is in the Allied Health Sciences department that day that they met each other.
Following Mork to the study room, Un notice how big it is with too much bookshelves. He wonders, what are the stories about them.
--
Nan watched the two guys walk out of the dining room till they're no longer in sight.
Pi looked at Nan who is blankly staring at where Mork and Un disappeared. Worry painted his face.
"Nan," Pi called his first love's attention. Pi doesn't feel the same way as he felt for Muang Nan before but their friendship took a better turn than before.
"Stop worrying, I'm sure Mork knows the limit Un have when it comes to times like this," Upon hearing Pi's voice, Nan rewarded him with a soft smile.
"I know, it's just I hope that this conversation between them. Un won't see me differently or treat me like a delicate thing,"
"I'm sure he'll understand," Pi isn't sure of Un will but he believes in them. The two of them can over come this.
"It's not that I don't trust you Pi, this is a part of me that I don't want to stay in your mind," Pi nod understanding Nan. Maybe he'll like it this way... Just to see the good things about his first love and not be tainted with anything else from the lad's past.
"I understand," Pi said as he drink his tea.
--
"P'Un, sit down please. Tell me what do you want to know," Mork said as he got a glass of water and place it in the coffee table, in the front of Un. Mork then sat in the opposite couch facing Un, the playful man is all in his business mode.
"Tell me about Tat," Oh, straight to the point.
"Hmm, he is one of my family's foundation scolar. My father adores the man. A brilliant, young mind they said," Mork said as he remember something and stood up, walking to that one bookshelf. Running his fingers to the book's spine, looking for a specific book. There it is, the yearbook that he is looking for and some of the photographs from the scholars of the foundation. He took it and placed it beside Un's glass of water. Un looked up at him and Mork notions for him to open the book.
"Page 32," Mork said, Un started flipping the pages and stops at 32. The whole page is for Tat Wang. All basic information about him is there. But he is staring at the pictures, yeah, it is the man they saw in the emergency room but older. He is a looker. He is finding similarities that him and Tat have in physical features, there's none. They are complete opposite.
"They met the day Nan decide to visit my father in the hospital while I was finishing a project, we're 17 years old that time," Un stares blankly at the page as Mork tell him the story of Tat on his side of the story.
"I knew Nan since we are six years old. I know all his flaws, emotions and all. I know the man falls way too easily in love with someone who showed him a love he thought will not exist. Nan felt it's destiny," Mork chuckle unhomorously.
"But with you, he tried to just stay away," Un looked at Mork who wears a smile remembering.
"Anyway, when Nan said he is having this relationship with a doctor. I immediately find who that guy is," Mork frown. Un took the glass of water sipping a little bit. He just hold the glass on his left hand while he slam the yearbook close with his right hand putting it back in the coffee table. Mork took the book.
"I found out a bit later that the bastard is engage," Oh, Un knows this part.
"I confront him, but then he asked me who am I in Muang Nan's life... Right, just his bestfriend. I have no say in Nan's life. We're 18 years old that time also. Technically, Nan is an adult," Mork sigh as he close his eyes, trying to remember all the details.
"After a few days, Nan found out about the engagement since there's a talk in the hospital that the couple is planning their marriage," Mork pause.
"Nan called me that day, he isn't crying. He just sound so... Done. Like he got no energy to even fight for what he thinks about his boyfriend. He asked me to go with him in the apartment that the doctor got for them to pack his stuff up and never see the cheating bastard again. He felt bad for the fiancee, he swear if he knew about her... He won't do it. Since he saw how his father took his mistress and their own son at home while his mother is there," Holy fuck, that information though, he didn't know anything about that. Un sucked in a harsh inhale of oxygen in his mouth, exhaling rush out of his nose. That hits very hard, seeing your father's old lover and now a mistress with his son on that very same woman?
Un gripped the glass of water hard. How fucked up is this? What can go more sinister than this?
"I wanted to go up there with Nan but he told me to wait for him at the parking lot. I should have-" Mork is like trying to catch his breath. He is telling his side of the story in a fast pace, like the memories flash in the front of him. And he is trying to give Un all the information that he need to know. Then Un saw it, Mork is also in trauma with what happen. The bestfriend share the same trauma in a different places. The victim and the witness.
"Mork, it's not your fault you didn't know-" Mork shook his head, regret painted his features.
"I should have push myself more that time to come with him upstairs. I know he is already upset that day. He is not thinking clearly. He's-"
"Mork, breath. What happen next," Mork looked at Un and gulp.
"About five minutes I saw Tat's car in the parking and I know something is wrong. So I run to the building but when I got to the elevators they are all going up. I had to run to the stairs. They're in 9th floor," Mork clasped his hands as he jogged back into his memories.
"As I was running up the stairs, I forgot what floor it was but my phone ring. I answered it while running... I run faster when I heard Muang Nan screaming my name for help," Mork eyes watered. Burying his face in his hands. Un gripped the glass that he have in hand tigther, bracing himself for a way of story that Mork will tell about that night.
"I can still remember the screams, god-" Mork swallowed.
"I heard that he-he punch Nan, t-th-then he said to Nan, I'll ruin you for someone else," Un clenched his fist hard. Jaw clenched.
"When I got there, several neighbors are knocking the door and someone is already calling the police," Un is in rage, god, he didn't know he can think of killing someone in his mind. Un looked at Mork and saw that the man is looking back at him, seething eyes of Mork. His lips are pale.
"I'm not sure if you should know about the next part, I can say that I carried Nan to the hos-"
"Tell me," Un is ready to hear it, he was ready since the day he knew about it.
"His-his on the top of Nan after I kicked the door open. Ahm left hand on Nan's neck the other hand is pulling Nan's pants down- already in his thighs," Mork took inhale shakily.
"Nan's face almost violet cause, lack of oxygen. He is crying-," Mork slam his hands on the coffee table.
"Fuck, I almost killed Tat, I pull him off Nan and just throw punches on him. A neighbor, a good guy, he cover Nan with a blanket to hide Nan's skin. He stopped me also from killing Tat and told me to carry Nan to a hospital. I get him a private room on our hospital, called a lawyer to do paper works. NDA for a doctor and two nurses," God, Un thought he'll hate the guy in Nan's story because of his nightmares. Un dispise the guy, how can someone do that to his sweet, warm and loving Muang Nan. How can someone like Nan experience that situation? He forgot he have a glass on his hand and it broke as he clenched it hard. He open his hand and drop some of the pieces of glasses. Some cut through his palm. It didn't hurt. His heart hurt more for his boyfriend.
"Shit! P'Un!" Mork yelled in panic as he saw the bloody hand. Mork gave him a handkerchief, he is about to walk away from the older man to call a doctor to the house but Un grabbed him. He looked at Un's eyes to see it with so much hate, but he knows it wasn't for him.
"There's more to it isn't it Mork?" Mork looked away.
"Trust me that shit is not what you want to see, it's-"
"Show me," Mork looked at him and sigh.
"Those are photos of Nan's injuries as evidence and medical records,"
"Show it to me,"
"Fuck," Mork knew, it will cut Un deep. Those photos are hard too look at. God, help him.
--
"Call doctor Krit, please Pha. Tell him, emergency," Mork said to a housekeeper while stopping in the threshold of the living room. Pi and Nan looked at his way as Nan stood up fast hearing Mork's words.
"I think you need to see him, I tried to-" Nan smile and nod. Mork looks regretful and in pain. Those memories. Nan understands. He walk towards Mork, tiptoed and hug him, his bestfriend is shocked but hug Nan back tighter as his eyes gave up on him. Mork sob. Nan is shaking, he is trying to hold his tears in. This person was the strongest human he knows, never showed him weakness or pity when that happened to him.
"Thank you Mork for being strong for the both of us. It wasn't your fault. You are there, that's important," Nan whispered to him.
"I thought I'll lost you that day," Nan smile and pat Mork's back.
"I know, but you were there to prevent that. Thank you,"
"You have no idea, you in my arms in that state-"
"Shh, shh... Pi, Meen and Prin is here. Let's not put this on their minds," Mork nod and let Nan go. Nan looked at Pi who is confuse but crying also.
"Get your boyfriend here, he'll need you tonight," Nan said to Pi because he knows, what happened to him took a pretty big chunk of Mork's soul too.
Nan walk towards the study room. The door is open. Un's looking down the coffee table, there are photographs. His arms resting in his thighs. His left hand is in view when Nan stood by the door, Un's hand is bleeding. His blood is dropping on the carpet but the pieces of glasses are no longer in the carpet. Mork already clean his hand it seems but Un clenching his hand hard draw more blood out.
He stepped inside the room and close it.
"How can a human do this to another human?" Un said still looking at the pictures in the table. Nan swallowed hard and took all photos off the table and put it again in a brown envelope.
Nan stood beside Un's side and run his fingers to his boyfriend's hair. Un's left arm, snake on Nan's thighs and put his head on Nan's hips. Resting his head there.
Un cried. All Nan can do is stood there and let Un cry for him. Let Un cried for the ugly parts of his past. This time he needs to be stonger for the both of them. This might be in the past but for Un it's his first time hearing and seeing about it. It will be fresh for him.