KINN AND KIM:
"What are you talking about?" Kinn asked Kim, not understanding what bis younger brother is saying.
"I said I'll help you, both in business and in your love conquest." Kim answered, leaning against a chair in Kinn's room.
"Have you lost your mind?" Kinn said, finding it hard to believe his little brother who, all these years, seemed to have no interest in the business and what love conquest? Does he know Kinn likes Pete?
"I've done my research. There's a huge probability Vegas is the Supreme Leader's heir. If my analysis is correct, he's just trying to hide it for now, waiting for the meeting to announce it. If he does, allies will be swarming to his side, the frozen assets will be unlocked and granted to him, as well as the power and authority to check and balance the Minor and Major families.
In short, his assets and power will rise about ten times higher than the Major family's. I'm not a sucker for this business but you know where this is going, don't you? He hates us. He'll have what it takes to bring us all down. Why the hell wouldn't he? Of course, he'd probably do all that and then snatch Pete away. Unless...unless you can help it" Kim explains and Kinn thinks. He thinks hard about the things he's heard just now.
"What do you want me to do?" Kinn curiously asks.
"I have a plan." Kim's face switches to a triumphant expression.
PETE's POV:
Out of all the things Vegas will ask grandma to make me do...
I can't help but sigh as I lower the bait, waiting for a fish to bite while Vegas clumsily tries to follow what I do while bundled up in a life jacket and floaties on both of his arms, courtesy of grandma who just learned Vegas couldn't swim. He definitely looks like a curious kid right now. Sometimes I wonder what's in Vegas' mind all the time. He has way too many personalities that I cannot keep up. Most of the time I just leave it alone. I may not survive after knowing his real thoughts, the crazy asshole.
"I caught something!" He beamed. It's probably some seaweed or his fishing rod just got stuck on some debris under. There's no way he can catch a fish before me. I'm an expert at this.
"Look!" He pulled and I see it.
"Woah you really did catch one. Are you lying to me? You said you've never gone fishing before." I look at him feeling suspicious.
"No, I can't even swim. You think I like water so much?" He asks me while trying to remove the hook from the fish's mouth. I took over that for him because he was having some difficulty.
"That's right. Why do you always insist on boating with me when you can't swim? Aren't you afraid of drowning?" I've always felt curious, but I only get to ask him now.
"You'll probably save me anyway." He shrugs
"And what if I'm not able to? Like what if I get drifted far away by the waves? I swear." Vegas lifted a corner of his mouth in a smirk.
"That won't happen. And don't worry. I have a life vest, and floaters on. I won't drown" He assured.
"You should consider learning how to swim." I mumble
"Only if YOU teach me." Hmm. Should I? I used to be a swimming instructor in my teens before I became a bodyguard. I think I can
"But where will I teach you? You wouldn't want any of your cousins and their bodyguards knowing you can't swim, right? You should just go back to Bangkok as soon as possible and learn there."
"Without you?" He raises an eyebrow
"Yes. You should go and train as soon as possible. You're going to need it since you have that ring to protect. It's not like we're conjoined twins." I brush off his whining.
"We can be. Conjoined, that is. If you want we can be conjoined now. Just say the word and I'm your man" he licks his lips and teases me, the fucking pervert. I should just push you off this boat, how would you like being conjoined with the sea?
"I caught a fish!" Finally, I get to catch one. Shia, thank you for your sacrifice, fish! I needed the distraction.
"Or you can teach me how to swim in Lin's Island. It's fenced so there's privacy somehow and there's a pool there, too." He suggested. I have a bad feeling.
"Will Lin and Macau join us there?" I try not to look suspicious.
"No. Why would they?"
"Why not? It's weird to be there alone." I reason out
"Why? You're scared of being conjoined?" He asks like a kid.
"Stop. It's not funny anymore!" I almost swear at him but I hold it back.
"Oooh, stop being shy, Pete! Come here!" He pulls my face while making kissy faces and closing his eyes. Just when he got close enough I got an idea!
"Hmmpp ughhhkkk" he makes a sound and then abruptly open his eyes "*coughs. What the fuck?!" He continues to cough while trying to wipe his the fish's slime off his face. He glares at me and I taunt him with a stare.
"What? You looked like you were enjoying it before you opened your eyes." Huh that's what pervs like you deserve.
"Well I thought that was your mouth. It smelled really similar." What? No way!
"Haha, very funny."
"Didn't grandma teach you not to laugh at someone who isn't joking?" Is he kidding?
"No way. You didn't know? I thought people with halitosis knew they had it. Huh. What a surprise" he says nonchalantly.
"Halitosis? Isn't that chronic bad breath? I don't have it!" I continue to defend my honor.
He smirks and doesn't say anything else and just continues to fish. When our buckets were filled, we sail back home. Me, not daring to say anything, feeling extremely self-conscious about my breath that Vegas said stank like fish.
Third Person's POV:
Right now, Pete's grandma and him are gutting the fish he had caught with Vegas.
"Gradma, does my breath stink?" Pete asks.
"What?
Pete comes closer and leans in on his grandma's face.
"Hhhhaaaahh" Pete exhales with his mouth wide open onto his grandma's face. Her face shifts from worry to rage. The old woman grabbed her slipper and smacked his grandson on the head. Pete saw it coming before his grandma even pulled a slipper. His reflexes are pretty much enhanced to the maximum level but he figured he might bring him more trouble if he dodged it so he just took it like the champ that he was.
"Awww." He held his forehead. "So does it stink, grandma?" He asks and his grandma answered with a free-flow of profanities more emphasized by the fact that they were said in Southern language.
"Get away from me before I smack you again! You've no respect for elders. Kids these days are mean, blowing stinky air on my face!" Oh so it is stinky, Pete thought. This makes him feel self-conscious. He was so confident talking to people. He even got so close to their faces not knowing they were suffering from his breath.
"Hey, Pete!" It was Porsche going closer to Pete and wrapping his arm around his shoulder while brushing his hair up with his other hand. He kept talking and the air from his mouth was hitting Pete's nose. Pete thought Porsche was so lucky. His breath didn't smell like fish at all. Why does it only have to be him who smelled bad?
PETE's POV:
"Where did you go so early in the morning? I wanted to jog with you" Porsche kept talking but I just wanted to get away from him. I didn't want him to smell my mouth.
"I wnt fshing" my words were not clear because I was barely opening my mouth to speak
"What?" Porsche put his ear closer to my face
"I wnt fshing with Vgas" I am aware I am not saying things right.
"What?!" He grabs my face with both of his hands, puts his thumbs on my lips, parting them open.
"Why are you talking like that? Did you knock your teeth off?" He said while he was examining my mouth. "Oh, you didn't. Why are you talking like that, then." I pull away from him and take a few steps back and sigh
"My breath stinks, okay? I think I have a condition. I need to get it checked." I tell him
"Who said that? Wait, let me check." He stepped closer to me but I kept backing away. To hold me still, he grabbed my face again and started sniffing like a police dog.
"You don't smell!" he exclaimed
"Really?"
"YEEAH!"
"So let go of me. You look like you want to kiss me, man." I say trying to push him off but he kept laughing while not letting me go.
"Ooooh. You wanna kiss huh?" Porsche kept making kissy gestures while holding my face. I can't stop myself from laughing. Porsche and I get along well because we're both a little silly sometimes.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Vegas suddenly appeared behind Porsche. I didn't even notice him there. Porsche got surprised. He was probably not used to Vegas looking mad. Vegas always acted nice in front of Porsche after all. Why is he acting mean now? Vegas rushed beside me and Porsche mouthed FUCKING BASTARD behind Vegas before leaving.
"What are you doing?" I ask him as he starts to grab me.
"Let's go. You said you were going to teach me how to swim."
"You meant to do it now?" I feel confused what's the rush?
"Yeah"
"What about lunch, Vegas?"
"We're not even hungry" He says and that's when I literally stood my ground. I wasn't getting dragged into anything without eating lunch first. How dare he assume I wasn't hungry.
I don't let Vegas join grandma and I for lunch because he annoyed me. I do wonder, though if he's serious about learning how to swim. He did say he was scared of learning how. Although, him coming with me on boat rides didn't really make sense, it was obvious he couldn't swim by the way he always drowned. I don't really know how Vegas' brain works. Whatever. Maybe I'll teach him how to swim. I'll consider it a charitable act.
It's been a few hours and I go outside for some air and Vegas again, appears out of nowhere. What a surprise. I roll my eyes as he came forward and wrap a hand around my waist.
"Why do you keep coming close? You said I stank!" I spat at him. He doesn't say anything and just smiles at me.
"Want to wait for the sunset together?" He uselessly acts because he drags me to the beach before I even get to answer.
When we get to the beach, Vegas kept eyeing the corners of the place like he was trying to make sure no one was around. He suddenly comes in front of me and pull me in for a hug.
"What the heck?" I ask but then I feel him relax his shoulders. "Is something wrong?" I ask him and he chuckles.
"Hmmm" He hummed in response.
"Thanks." He said
"For what?"
"For asking if anything was wrong, for always being good to me and Macau, and for always giving me the time of day" He looks into my eyes and he looks like he was going to cry.
"Vegas, are you sure you're ready to learn how to swim? I want you to learn how but I won't force you to. I just think you should learn because that's your only weakness at this point, isn't it?"
"Not anymore." he says
"Huh?"
"You always save me even when you don't mean to. I don't know why but thanks anyway, Pete." He looks at me straight in the eyes while his hands are on my waist.
"Hhaaahhh" I exhale out to lighten the mood somehow. He closes his eyes as air probably hit his eyes. He just smiles and kisses my cheek before wrapping his arms around my shoulder and embracing me again. This time I rest my chin on his shoulder
"I'm sorry I hurt you before but my feelings are real, Pete. I'll prove it no matter what. I know you're probably busy right now but when you find the time, can you love me back?"
Third Person's POV:
Two pairs of eyes stare at the two men at the beach.
"That could be you if you just put in the work and if you want to be the Supreme Leader, I'm willing to help you, Kinn" Kim says
"I don't want more responsibilities" Kinn said, not taking his eyes off Vegas and Pete
"I'm no sucker for this business either but this is Vegas we're talking about. What makes you so sure he won't kill us all? I'm saying I don't want your efforts from day 1 to go to waste."
"If you're so interested, why don't you try to become the Supreme Leader yourself, Kim?"
"I don't want it. And besides, no one is as capable as you. I just want to help you. I don't even trust Pa. If you say we shouldn't do this, I won't. I'd stop but just think of the people who rely on you. You think Vegas would spare them? Would spare any of us? And Pete? I'm confident Pete won't leak out information to the Minor clan but he'll probably be hurt by Vegas too. You like him, he'll probably like you too if you grab all the chances you could. Can you bear see your most trusted bodyguard, the person you like be thrown away like trash or even killed? Your choice, Kinn" Kim said as he turned around to walk away.
"Fine" he heard Kinn say and so he turns to face him again