The Manila Fan Meeting was beautifully conducted by Miss Mela. The Filipino hostess was fun and not invasive. The games played on the stage and the interaction with fans were very enthusiastic. Ohm was surprised by the warm welcome he received in that country. Nanon was already expecting that kind of positive energy though. He had been in the Philippines before, and RedGreens there showered him with love. He understood Ohm's nervousness, but he knew his ex had more fans than haters overseas.
The Fan Meeting followed the same MO of the previous ones. The couple performed a few songs together, they were interviewed by the local hostess, a few competitions took place, and there was also a high-touch moment that allowed fans to greet their idols face-to-face. The highlights of the event were the moments people in the crowd kept shouting 'I love yous' nonstop. Both Nanon and Ohm couldn't help smiling. Since Ohm seemed a bit shy to answer all the 'I love yous', Nanon never failed to answer even for him.
Nanon didn't say anything to the older actor, but he was proud to see him perform by himself on a stage surrounded by a wave of red and green light sticks that danced nonstop before him. Ohm sang "Unlovable", and while he listened to its lyrics, Nanon couldn't help thinking that each verse of the song fit their problematic situation perfectly. Their love was indeed complicated, forbidden, cursed, and just impossible.
He knew Ohm was seeing a therapist, and he knew the older actor was on meds. He was aware of all that because Perth told him about it. Nanon didn't see Ohm after that meeting with Aof at the company. He only laid eyes on his ex again at the airport, when they both had to greet fans before leaving for Manila. P'Kwang had informed them that P'Tha had instructed people on the staff to keep an eye on both of them during the trip, so they shouldn't interact much behind the cameras. They were always surrounded by GMM'S employees and the couple barely exchanged glances when they didn't have to.
Nanon and Ohm had 'bodyguards'. They followed them inside and out of the hotel. The singer was a bit alarmed when he heard that Ohm was still receiving a few death threats online, and the company had no idea of where they were coming from. They didn't know the nationality of those people nor their actual location, so whenever the older actor had to step out of his hotel room, he had security following him at a discreet distance.
The couple really stayed away from each other as much as possible off he stage. They were handling the work in their own way. Smiling was the key. Smiling to staff members and whoever asked them if they okay or if they needed something, helped them to play their parts professionally, even though they were coming undone inside. Specially Nanon, who at 2:40 AM tried to get a hold of his sister, but his phone was dead. He had forgotten to put his charger in his baggage before he left Thailand, and he didn't want to bother anyone in the staff to borrow a charger at that hour. He tried using his computer, but the Wi-Fi at the hotel was down. He could ask for a charger at the front desk of the hotel, but he didn't want to be recognized by anyone. So he went to the balcony on the 10th floor of the hotel with his lap top to see if he could get any open Wi-Fi signal near the hotel.
"Oh my god! It's Nanon Korapat!" The voice behind Nanon startled him a bit, but as soon as he recognized that fake feminine tone, he knew he hadn't been spotted by a Filipino fan.
"How did you escape your bodyguard?" The singer asked, without turning to him. Nanon became nervous all of a sudden. It was like he didn't know how to communicate with the older actor anymore. He just wished his ex would go back to his hotel room.
"He went to the bathroom. I guess he still thinks I am in the room." Ohm replied as he sat on the floor of the balcony, leaving a considerable space between him and Nanon.
"You shouldn't be here. We have a flight to catch tomorrow." The singer uttered, managing to keeping his vulnerable feelings in check.
"Really? And what are you doing up here with a lap top?" Ohm crossed his arms and glanced at him. The singer still wouldn't meet his gaze.
"Trying to compose, and I'd rather do it alone." Nanon sounded more unfriendly than he meant to.
"Sorry to bother you then." Ohm said a bit hurt as he moved to get up an leave. However Nanon's words stopped him.
"I need a phone charger. Do you have one I can borrow?" He asked suddenly. Ohm smiled internally.
"I promise you to lend you mine if you manage to have a civil chat with me here without getting angry."
"I don't have time for games, Ohm. We both know we shouldn't be seen together, nor I want to be anywhere around you if it's not necessary-"
"Five minutes. That's all you have to bear with. Five minutes." Ohm cut him off, before the singer kicked him out of there for good. "Starting now." he added as he took his phone from his pocket and checked the time.
"Forget it, I don't need this." Nanon was about to stand up when Ohm made another offer.
"I can lend you my cell phone if it's so urgent."
"I need to call home." Nanon whispered in a defeated tone and went back to his corner of the balcony.
"4 minutes?" Ohm negotiated. The singer exhaled.
"Two minutes." A resigned Nanon said in defeat.
"Deal." Ohm smirked, but since Nanon never dared to look at him, he had no idea that the older actor was satisfied with that little victory. "You start the conversation. Ask away, and be kind."
"So I should pretend to be a good friend who cares about you? What kind of shit are you trying to pull-"
"Pretending is what we do best, Non. We're actors. Come on, play along." Ohm interrupted his ire again. The singer cursed under his breath, but he didn't have the courage to get up and leave. Deep down, he didn't want to.
"Are you okay? I mean, how are you doing? Afraid of our Filipino fans?" An unwilling Nanon asked, struggling to keep his tone casual.
"Nah, they're awesome. I feel safer here than in Thailand, to be honest. This fan meeting is indeed my first good memory of this year. I'll never forget what that hostess told us, 'You're not just actors. You're actually sources of inspiration. Thank you for being Ohm and Nanon.'" A proud Ohm commented honestly, and Nanon couldn't help wishing they had never stopped being friends. If they hadn't hurt each other so much, Nanon imagined that they would be friends till the day they died.
"It was a good event. And I'm sure no one will attempt on your life. I don't think we'll find any sasaeng in the Philippines, fans are overly too nice here." The singer almost joked with the serious subject. "I'm glad they managed to cheer you up." Nanon suddenly forgot about the two minutes they had established for that 'fake interaction', and so did Ohm.
"Well, my doctor provided me a few happy pills too." The older confessed.
"I remember how it feels like. Don't rely on them too much though. You've gotta keep in mind you'll have to live without them at some point. That's the scary part." Nanon advised him, suddenly not feeling so anxious about that call he had to make.
"I can imagine a few other things scarier than that." Ohm swallowed. He wanted to say 'losing you is scarier', but he couldn't bring himself to voice that sentence.
"Like what? Losing your good looks for example?" Nanon asked out of nowhere, and immediately regretted what he said. He definitely didn't know how to make and idle conversation with the older without making things awkward. And with the awkwardness, his anxiety returned. He was suddenly freaked out again about not being able to reach Nonnie. He always needed to know what was going on at home, and the fact that he didn't know if his mother was still alive, made him quite apprehensive. An oblivious Ohm almost smirked at his words, but quickly managed to keep a neutral expression.
"Do you still think I am handsome? Will you still think that after I get old and flaccid?" He dared to ask, cocking his head to the side. Nanon chewed on his lip. Ohm seemed to be really high on those pills. He wanted to ask him how many minutes had passed, but he didn't want to be left alone in that balcony.
"It doesn't matter what I think. Beauty is ephemeral. Even before you get old and flaccid, your handsomeness might fade away in the blink of an eye. Once you get sick and die, you handsomeness will be worth nothing." Nanon shook his head in frustration. The older actor gasped.
"That's dark." Ohm frowned, secretly alarmed by those words. "Have you been thinking about death a lot? Why are you really on this balcony at this hour, Nanon?"
"I need to call home." Nanon felt his eyes water as he looked up at the starry sky. He couldn't believe that after exchanging a few words with his ex, he was already confiding in him his deepest woes. "Mom has lung cancer. And my phone is dead. I've been so busy preparing for this fan meeting, and my new album and the series, that I still didn't have time to talk to her doctor. Nonnie says she'll schedule a meeting, but she keeps forgetting to call the clinic and I am freaking out because-"
"Nanon! What are you talking about? Your mom is ill?" A concerned Ohm finally came closer to him and kneeled in front of the singer. He had to touch him, he didn't know how to properly get his attention without touching him. So he grabbed him by the shoulders to make him face him. "Why didn't you tell me?!"
"You were too busy ending our relationship. Too busy breaking my heart." Nanon's resentful gaze finally met his. It was Ohm's turn to look away. The older actor let go of the singer's shoulders, and immediately called Nonnie. He put it on speaker and it didn't take long for the girl to pick up his call.
"P'Ohm? Is anything wrong? Is it my brother? What's-"
"Just answer me, Nonnie. How bad is the cancer?" He asked straightforwardly.
"Oh, you heard it from P'Jimmy? Or maybe P'Chimon? Don't worry, Phi, my mother is fine."
"What do you mean? Was it a wrong diagnosis?" Ohm frowned as he watched Nanon's anguished expression turn into one of bewilderment.
"Listen to me, she was never ill. I lied to my brother, okay? And before you judge me, you must know that Phi was suicidal after he left your house. I didn't know how to help him through the break up. He kinda needed a purpose in life, and I just-"
"Are you for real!? An astonished Ohm asked, as he signalled a speechless Nanon to remain silent. He knew the girl would spill the bean if she believed her brother wasn't listening to that conversation." Nonnie, you went too far! How could you make you brother think that your mother has cancer just to-"
"Would you rather have me watch him swallow a bunch of pills and die!? Look, Perth and Chimon had to put out the fire you started in your own bedroom and save your life by locking you up in a bathroom. I had to tell Phi that mom was dying to keep him from losing his mind. It turns out you both are serious head cases! You've gotta understand something here, this break up might feel like a death sentence for you guys, but those around you, who really care about you two, are trying to help you carry this burden the best way they can. I did what I had to do. You're in no place to judge me, alright?"
"We'll have a serious talk when we get home, Pitchaporn." Nanon said suddenly and his sister gasped, recognizing his voice through the phone. She was about to start apologizing, but the singer took Ohm's phone from his hand and ended the call.
"Were you trying to end your life because of a break up?" Ohm's eyes looked mad now, as he yanked his phone back. "I thought you were stronger than that."
"Apparently, you were trying to do the same. Trying to set yourself on fire, doesn't sound like the act of a brave person to me." Nanon's vexed expression threatened to fall at any moment.
"It was an accident. I set fire to your guitar, and the flames spread through the walls." Ohm stood up abruptly and turned away from him. Nanon's eyes grew wide and he also got up from the floor angrily.
"You did what?! You ruined my guitar this time? What were you thinking-"
"I'd rather set you on fire! But you weren't there anymore!" The older actor hissed as he faced him again and towered over the singer.
"Well, look where we are now! Don't miss your chance. A fall from this balcony will certainly have the same effect on my body as burning it alive. Go ahead. Kill me, if it makes you feel less guilty! Because do not doubt, Ohm! If we're in this situation is because of you!" Nanon retorted as a tear dropped from the corner of his eye. Ohm balled his fists and walked out of that balcony without looking back. Nanon held his lap top to his chest and cried in relief as he realized that he had one less person to grieve for. He didn't ignore the fact that he only became aware of that, because of Ohm, who was always made his darkest nights a little less grim. Thanks to the man, who without lighting a single match scorched his very soul, his shoulders felt lighter, but his heart still shrivelled in his very chest. Nanon understood what his sister meant to do, and he knew that he had to become more dependable again if he had to stop people from lying and making up stories for his own sake. He intended to show his family and friends that he was not made of glass, and that he could handle himself.
A week later...
Ohm didn't know how to define what he was feeling during those strange days in Chiang Mai. He thought he could always read the singer through those beautiful cinnamon orbs of his, but now, Ohm wasn't sure if he really wanted to be right about his interpretation of his ex's moods. His Nanon was gone. Completely. The unusual body language, the foreign facial expression, the unfamiliar cadence in his voice, the atypical way of walking, and even his dimpled smile which turned into a caricature of someone else's grin indicated that the singer had borrowed a few fictional souls to do his different jobs right. The Jungle and Our Sky 2 were being filmed simultaneously, so Nanaam, Nanfah and Pran were inhabiting Nanon's body at the same time. Those characters could manifest their presence alternatively, and sometimes, mixed together, turning the singer into a whole different being.
The older actor was the first to notice all the alarming signs by just watching Nanon interact with other people on the set. Ohm missed his former lover, but he knew that he should not try to bring his soulmate back to him during such a crisis. Nanon's soul should stay asleep, at least until those shared schedules were over. Perhaps, it was the environment they were in, far from the city lights, secured by the nature brights, and the effort that they made to thoroughly drown in their roles, but filming went smoothly. No fights, or disagreements took place there. Aof was bewildered by their 'professional strategy', but he dared not to question their choices. The ghost of their real recently defunct relationship was never brought up, or conjured up. And the couple seemed to allow themselves to just be Pat and Pran when they had to. Ohm could easily snap out of his character in the past. He was similar to Pat, but he was not Pat, and he knew how to break out of that character effortlessly just like many others he played before. It was Nanon who had trouble with shedding the skin of Pran in the past. This time around, though, they both seemed to choose the same strategy to make that partnership work, they both had to pretend that Ohm and Nanon's issues were not theirs, so they immersed themselves in Pat and Pran's silly issues in order to finish those 2 episodes of Our Sky. When they had to discuss a scene, or rehearse their lines, they had to forget about their personal problems. Ohm didn't allow himself to let go of Pat, so he wouldn't feel too guilty towards the singer, and Nanon was too far gone into the 3 characters he was working on at the same time, but he still became Pran when he needed to be around his ex, otherwise, he would have a meltdown every time he laid his eyes on Ohm. Nanon could successfully shift to the three borrowed souls that alternatively jumped into his body, but his own soul was somewhere Ohm could not reach. And maybe, for both their sakes, Ohm imagined that it would be better this way, since their dynamic in real life was no good lately. Ohm just hoped that those three characters could go away swiftly, once Nanon was done with them. It was becoming weird to interact with Pran while they were working, but then having to deal with those other personalities as soon as they separated. During a lunch break, for example, those twins would take over suddenly, and at those moments, Ohm did worry about Nanon's reputation. Nanaam and Nanfah were great liers, and womanizers. Ohm could bear to see Nannam pretending to be a gentleman in front of everyone. What really bothered Ohm though, was when Nanfah descended on his ex's flesh out of nowhere.
"Hey, wanna go check that waterfall after lunch?"
Ohm heard Mix approach an absent-minded Nanon, and quickly, a smile crawled into the singer's lips.
"If I get those two babes to join us, I'll meet you there for sure." Nanon replied with a smirk as he winked at two make-up artist assistants who were a few meters away from them. Mix rolled his eyes and sighed. The older actor thought the singer was just rehearsing Nanfah's personality for fun, and he couldn't even imagine what Nanon was doing was simply out of his control.
"Look, we're not on the set of The Jungle, kid. I'm not Hunter, you're not Nanfah, and this is not a bar where wild animals pick up their prey. We'll be back in Bangkok soon to resume this other project, so save your energy for that." An amused Mix raised an eyebrow at him and continued. "You can go back being our cute Nong Non for now, okay? This other guy is scary." He chuckled and patted the singer's back as he started to walk away.
"And who are you now? Just Tian's Chief?" Nanon asked him nonchalantly, before the actor left him to ponder those brief observations.
"I'm Mix Sahaphap Wongratch, former member of a boy band, and currently a vet student, who ventures into the acting universe sometimes." Mix answered simply, without much effort. Nanon didn't seem pleased to hear that. For a moment, he thought that he was the only one in that cast having some sort of identity crisis, but before a familiar bitterness washed over him, he eyed the now blushing assistants again, and decided to invite them for a waterfall date. He only took two steps towards the ladies, and Aof appeared in front of him.
"Come with me." The director said as he grabbed Nanon's wrist and dragged the singer to a more private location away from the crew.
"It's lunch time, Phi, can you please not be a cockblocker now?" Nanon huffed, as he made a face at the livid director.
"Snap out of it!" Aof told him in a mix of concern and vexation. He shook the singer by the shoulders a little and stared hard at him. "Repeat with me, I am Nanon Korapat, I'm an actor who plays characters, but my characters do not play me."
Nanon started laughing at his face. Aof let go of him and shook his head in frustration.
"Don't fret, old man. I am doing what you want me to do. I'm your perfectly introverted Pran when the cameras are rolling, but you don't get to dictate my goddamn behavior when I am not him!" A cold and unusually disrespectful Nanon spat, shocking the speechless director.
"I'll fix this. Give us a moment, will you?" Ohm, who had followed them from a distance, decided to interfere. He quickly noticed Nanon looking away as he approached them.
"He never talked to me this way." Aof was still astonished. "Should we get him help? Maybe a professional who can help him through this process? I've never seen him so absorbed in a character before. I still don't know what's going on between you two but it's clearly affecting who he is and-"
"Phi, let me handle this." Ohm cut him off more assertively. "Give us a minute, please."
"Okay." Aof looked a bit uncertain as his eyes travelled from one actor to the other. "Just do not start fighting. That's the last thing we need right now." The director added, and walked away.
"Look at me." Ohm told Nanon, as soon as they were by themselves. It was the first time the pair was completely alone, with no member of the crew around. Only trees and the sounds of nature surrounded them. "I said, look at me." Ohm repeated when Nanon closed his eyes and hesitated to face him.
"What is it, asshole?" Nanon finally met his gaze, and at that moment, Ohm saw Pran's emotive stare flicker in his ex's eyes. That was automatic. The older grimaced. He refused to play Pat in that situation.
"I wanna talk to Nanon. He's in there somewhere. I know he is."
"He doesn't wanna talk to you." Nanon replied calmly as he crossed his arms. "And believe me, it's better this way."
That was not Pran or Nanon, but Viper. Ohm's eyes widened. Since when did Nanon let his characters speak for him? That was seriously fucked up. Did Nanon just talk about himself using the third person? Was he dissociating that badly?
"Non, please..."
"Sorry. He just needs to gain enough psychological distance from his own experiences to regulate his emotions. Now, deal with it." A cold Nanon moved to turn around and walk away, but Ohm grabbed his wrist.
"Was this your solution to make this job work, Non? Mimic Parakul Siridechawat's withdrawn behavior in real life when I'm trying to have a frank conversation with my co-star? Or use Viper's indifferent demeanour just to give me the cold shoulder? That's so cowardly of you." Ohm commented sourly as he held that delicate wrist that once carried a shiny silver bracelet around it.
"You say you want to talk to him. But the truth is you don't. That would be too much of a hassle. Nothing good would come out of it. There's no need for rehearsing the same pain over and over again, Pawat. I get why you're apprehensive now, but don't worry, I will not allow any distractions to affect our work here. We're bound by a contract. We must make a lot of money with this project to pay P'Tha back. We both owe a little fortune to that GMM, so we'll both cooperate with each other and get this job done. Mutual benefits, that's what binds us together now, not love, or friendship. We've got to pay our debts, and I don't dare to forget about that fact, not even for a second. You shouldn't forget that either." Nanon spoke emotionlessly, and Ohm immediately let go of his arm. That one was still Viper, and his icy stare made Ohm take a step backward.
The frustrated older actor gritted his teeth as he watched the singer walk away. He wanted to go after him and expel all those personalities out of that body just to have a moment with the real Nanon, yet, he didn't really know how his ex would react if he insisted on 'bringing him back'. He paced back and forth through the myriad of threes for a while and then decided to go back to the filming set.
"Alright, it's time to go. Let's take shelter and wait it out. We cannot stay out here when this rainstorm starts." Ohm heard Aof announce among the crew as soon as he stepped out of the woods. The sky had changed colours suddenly, and it was about to rain. The clouds became heavy and dark, turning the welcoming vivid green scenery of the forest into a gloomy, dangerous, hostile woodland. A sunny day bled into night quite fast.
"Hey, have you seen Nanon?" Ohm approached Earth, who was already walking beside Mix to the shelter they were supposed to stay until the bad weather dissipated.
"Maybe he already left with the first group. Since P'Aof wanted Mix and I still to shoot a few scenes before the storm became a problem, we stayed back with just half of the crew." Earth replied and an almost relieved Ohm nodded.
"Thanks!" He said and walked in the direction of a group of camera operators who were already packing their equipment. Aof was there too, still getting ready to leave the set and telling people to hurry up. As soon as Ohm approached the director, the latter furrowed his brows.
"Where is he?" Aof asked curiously. "Why isn't Nanon with you?"
Ohm's heart almost stopped at that moment. "What do you mean? Isn't he back yet? I thought he got back before I did."
The director's expression turned into one of controlled panic. "I'm gonna call the rescue team. He can't be out there in this weather! The whole ground will become slippery, some areas might get flooded...I don't even want to think...Why did you leave him there?!" The man's voice became more urgent as he grabbed his phone and started scrolling down its screen.
"Don't do it. I will find him." A guilty Ohm grabbed the director's wrist and signalled him to put his phone away. Aof shook his head in utter disagreement as tiny droplets of rain started to fall from the sky.
"Is that your brilliant idea?" Sarcasm gushed out of his question, and Ohm couldn't help but flinch. "Now you want me to lose 2 actors in a rainstorm? There's no way I will let you-"
"Please, Phi!" Ohm begged. "He can't be too far. He was my responsibility, and I'm not about to let my mistake bother a bunch of forest rangers. They must have their hands full with this storm coming and-"
"Listen to me kid, the more we waste our time here deciding when to call them, the more we put Nanon's safety at risk. Do you even-"
Ohm didn't let him finish his argument. He ran into the forest, trying to remember the same spot where he saw Nanon walk away from him earlier. He ignored the director's shouting and just trusted his instincts. He had to find his soulmate.
Aof called the rescue team, and although he feared for the two out there in the middle of a rainstorm, he obeyed the rangers when they told him to take shelter as fast as possible. He had the shock of his life though, when he got into one of the shelters and saw an asleep Nanon sitting on a chair.
"Non?! Nanon?" An exasperated Aof ran to him and woke him up. "Hey, are you okay?"
"Phi, why wouldn't I be?" The singer rubbed his hands over his eyes and tried to keep them open.
"Why didn't you pick up your phone?"
"There's no signal here, Phi. What is it? Is the storm over? Are we about to go back to the shooting location?" The singer was completely unaware of the chaos surrounding them. Aof immediately turned around and walked towards a ranger who had a walkie talkie in his hand.
"There was a mistake. One of the boys is here already. We just have to find the other one now."
Nanon, who was still half-asleep, immediately stood up after hearing that. Only now, he noticed the look of extreme concern on the director's face, the number of people that had doubled inside that shelter and the damage the rainstorm was causing in the area. Rainwater and wind seemed to fiercely battle each other outside.
"Have we lost someone from the crew? Who's the other one?" An alarmed Nanon approached Aof and the latter swallowed.
"Hey, Non!" A distressed Earth interrupted them and patted the singer's back. "I knew you were in the first group. We just had a hard time contacting you, or anyone here in this shelter. Don't worry about Ohm, they'll find him."
"What?!" The singer's voice choked. The director let out a deep sigh. He regretted the way he talked to Ohm earlier. He unconsciously made the actor think that Nanon's 'disappearance' was his fault. And now, if something happened to Ohm, he would never forgive himself.
"Although I told him you were probably here already, he went out into the forest to look for you." Earth clarified with a confused look on his face. "Didn't you know that?"
"No." A terrified Nanon shook his head in disbelief, after his eyes travelled from Earth to Aof. "No." He whispered this time, his chest tightened, and he suddenly lost his ability to breathe properly. "Is this some kind of sick joke? Are you trying to do some sort of acting experiment here? I read the script, okay? There's a scene in which Pat and Mix get lost in the forest and Pran and Chief-"
"Non, this has nothing to do with the series, are you insane? Do you really think we would-"
Nanon didn't let Earth finish his sentence, he took a hold of Aof's arm and struggled to control his breathing. He knew he was going to hyperventilate soon. "Phi, I-I know I was a disrespectful asshole to you earlier, but this is cruel. Tell me this is not true." He started crying, as he gripped the man's sleeve. "You can't do this to me, please, this is too much, you should not-"
"This is far from being a joke, Non." A conflicted Aof told him. "You know I would never joke about something like that. We're all worried about him. I'm sorry."
Nanon's vision blurred with tears and despair. He didn't think twice before running to the exit of the shelter with the intent of looking for Ohm himself. However, as soon as he was about to leave the shelter, rangers kept him from getting out of there. He started screaming and thrashing around, and although Aof, and other members of the filming crew tried to calm him down, the singer only relented when a nurse, who was also in the shelter, was asked to inject him with some sort of sedative. Nanon didn't want to be drugged, and he gave people a hard time when they had to hold him down and keep him still until the medication made him pass out.
Hours later....
"It's okay, Non, I'm here. You're still groggy aren't you? The drug will take a few more hours to wear off. Those idiots gave you a huge dose unnecessarily. Go back to sleep. I'll be here when you wake up."
"Ohm?" Nanon managed to mumble, as he struggled to take a better look at the person who was talking to him and holding his hand. He knew that voice, but he couldn't tell if he was dreaming or hallucinating. His head was on the man's lap, and he had no strength to get up or just move away from that very spot.
"Yeah, the one and only." A small chuckle left the older's lips. "The same guy you desperately wanted to rescue yesterday in the middle of a rainstorm. Seriously, what were you thinking?"
"Ohm, is that you?" Nanon repeated, still unable to discern what was real and what was not.
"Yes, babe. I'm back. Some rangers found me and told me my friend was in the shelter. You have no idea how happy I was to hear that. I was so relieved to know that you were safe. I'm so sorry for worrying you last night. Can you forgive me?" Ohm asked tenderly as he stroke his hair.
"You died in the rainstorm, didn't you? Are you a ghost?" Nanon whispered, still struggling to keep his eyes open.
The older actor shook his head in disbelief. "Geez, Non. What did they give you? I've never seen you like this, not even on the many occasions you were drunk as a skunk."
"I want to die. I wanna be with Ohm. I wanna...be with you, please." Nanon's slurred speech didn't keep Ohm from understanding his words. The older felt his heart swell when he heard those honest words spoken without any vestige of resentment. That was his Nanon, no doubt.
"I'm not dead, Meung. And you're not allowed to die. Stop saying nonsense." A teary-eyed Ohm whispered back and kissed his forehead. He missed Nanon's scent like crazy, and he couldn't help lamenting the moment the singer finally sobered up and started incorporating all those fictional personalities again in order to avoid him.
"Is this real? You're okay?" Nanon's eyes opened and closed. He was forcing himself to stay awake. "How come?"
"Of course this is real. I am fine, and I'm here with you. I refused to die while thinking that you could be alive somewhere out there in the forest." Ohm replied softly as he kept caressing the younger's hair. Each time he buried his fingers in Nanon's silky black strands, the yearning in his soul lessened, quieted a little.
"Don't leave me. I beg you. Please, stay with me." Nanon pleaded, as one of his arms lazily circled Ohm's waist. His hands weren't able to squeeze the man in his embrace, but he tried. "Love you." He muttered almost inaudibly as he blacked out again.
Ohm stared at his unconscious face as his tears fell on the singer's peaceful form. He brought his hands to each of Nanon's cheeks and let out the sob he was imprisoning for a while. "I love you too." He cried hard as he leaned on the younger one a little and held him tightly to himself. He couldn't resist burying his nose in his neck and whispering a painful 'I love you so much more' next to his ear.