March 22nd, Ohm's birthday
"My mom is not sure if she can make it. But she wished me happy birthday on the phone." Ohm said, less crestfallen than he sounded the last time he talked to Chimon on the phone. He was in his backyard watering his plants while Thai and Perth played VR games inside the house.
"Well, she's making an effort, isn't she?"
"I guess." Ohm sighed, not really sure if the relationship with his parents would ever be mended.
"Man, I am so sorry I have this stupid schedule on such an important date! I promise you that as soon as I am done here, I'll dedicate my whole evening to you, bro."
"Don't worry. My brother and Perth are here. It's not like I am spending my birthday all alone. You don't have to drive all the way here today. I know you must be tired. We can meet tomorrow. I'll save you a slice of cake if my giant little brother doesn't finish the whole thing tonight." Ohm chuckled as he put the hose aside and sat down on the grass just to appreciate the night sky.
"So, you and Perth are good again?"
"Well, I gave him a call like you told me to, and we talked things out. He was surprisingly cheerful when I invited him over." Ohm said softly, really thankful that he hadn't lost a friend like Perth.
"You see? I am always right."
"Yeah, you bet you are." Ohm said as he shook his head at his friend's words and lay down on the grass to have a better look at the sky. If he glimpsed a shooting star in that vast dark blue horizon, he knew exactly what he would be asking for his birthday. He knew he would be asking for someone's presence.
"I hear crickets. Are you outside?"
"Yeah, I've been neglecting the poor plants-"
A groan interrupted Ohm's sentence and made him sit up on the grass. Someone had jumped over the fence of his house and for some reason, the alarm of the place didn't work. He was ready to clock an inconvenient trespasser when a familiar shape was illuminated by the moonlight.
"I'll call you later." Ohm hung up the phone on Chimon and stood up, just to make sure he wasn't seeing things. "It can't be." He thought out loud. "Nanon?!"
"You look like you've seen a ghost." The man walked up to him and smiled. A smile that Ohm wasn't quite fond of. That face was right, but the curve on those lips was painfully wrong. Unbeknownst to him, Nanon was still getting used to being himself. The singer still had to peel off a few of the twins' body language traits he had mastered impeccably and used for too long on a daily basis.
"Naanfah." The older sighed and turned away, going back to his previous seat on the grass. "Please go away, I can smell the whiskey from here."
"Aren't you happy to see your lover boy? That's not the reaction I hoped to get from you." Nanon commented in a derisive way and sat beside him in a lazy manner. Letting Ohm think that he was still Tiger felt weird at that moment, yet he knew that his ex could keep a safe distance from him if he still believed that he was not himself. "What about a hug?" He opened his arms, but the older chose to scowl at him.
"How did you get in here? Why are you here?" Ohm groaned in displeasure.
"I disarmed the alarm of your front gate. I know the password, it's my birth date. I came through here because I know that Perth is inside. He wouldn't let me cross the entryway if I simply knocked on your door. That friend of yours is quite problematic and possessive. I tried to avoid the fuss since it's your special day. And I am here because I guess I kinda owe you that. We worked together for months, and you were quite cooperative. If it wasn't for your professionalism we wouldn't be able to finish all those fan meetings overseas. You were able to smile even though your heart was breaking. To express my gratitude, I came here to wish you a lovely happy birthday." Nanon said in a mocking tone, and Ohm couldn't help staring at him with infinite longing. But his gaze soon focused on somewhere else.
"Damn, it's worse to have you here than not having you here." Ohm shook his head in frustration. "And let me correct you about something, the alarm password is not your birth date, but Nanon's, and you're not him. I don't even remember inviting you over. Can't you just go back the way you came?"
A hurt Nanon became silent for a long second, and Ohm frowned at that sudden quietness. Naanfah was usually a chatterbox, especially when he knew he was annoying people.
"Cat got your tongue?" Ohm raised an eyebrow at him, and Nanon quickly regained his devil-may-care posture. He knew his ex was only being mean because the older actor thought he was still going through an identity crisis, but being kicked out so rudely still felt like a slap on the face.
"Thai thinks I should at least finish this right. Tell you that it's over. Finish that talk we left unfinished on the boat. I don't want to leave you hanging. So, out of the goodness of my heart, I am here to tell you that we're over. Consider it a birthday gift. You're free to move on. Find someone else to love." The singer spoke in a voice too detached, too different from the character Tiger, or his twin, and that made Ohm inhale.
"Listen, stop trying to mimic him. I'll be glad to hear whatever my ex has to say to me when he decides to come out." A tense Ohm retorted, closing his eyes for a second just to open them quickly, and glue them to the sky. Ohm would abhor to look at that face again and not see who he wanted to see. "And since when have you been talking to my brother?"
"I bumped on him the other day." Nanon lied. "Your brother is good at keeping secrets, you know. Months ago, he found out I was paying for Ananda's silence before everyone else did, but I told him to keep his mouth shut, otherwise, I would tell you that he told me about the bullied kids in middle school."
"What?! Why are you telling me this now? Are you trying to come between me and my brother?!" Ohm was shocked. He abhorred the way Naanfah played with people's feelings. "It's my goddamn birthday, and he is the only family I have left. Don't you have anything better to do than mess with people's heads?"
"That's not what I am doing. I just thought that you and your dear Nanon shouldn't hide anything from each other anymore. And if he blackmailed your little brother before, you have a right to know about it!" Nanon explained, but Ohm wasn't in the mood to listen.
"Well, guess what? I don't wanna hear any 'confession' that comes out my boyfriend's mouth when he's being possessed by a damn character." Ohm retorted, and folded his arms, missing Nanon's presence more than ever.
"You and him are not boyfriends anymore!" Nanon stated carelessly, and Ohm clicked his tongue. The singer suddenly didn't know what he was doing there. "Alright! Let's change the subject for a minute-"
"No! That's enough. I don't wanna chat with you about anything! I need you to leave! Now!" Ohm almost begged.
"Shouldn't you at least consider the fact that you can talk to him through me? I came all the way here-"
"Get the fuck out! I mean it this time." Ohm hissed as he glared at him. Nanon sighed in frustration.
"I will. But you should at least take this." Nanon said as he took a box out of his pocket and placed it on a spot on the grass beside Ohm.
"I don't want it. Whatever it is, take it with you." Ohm said sternly without bothering to look at the younger.
"But it's a gift. And it's neither from Tiger nor from Viper." Nanon spoke softly.
"Stop fucking with my head. I'm done playing games with you. We'll have to work again for the LOL fan concert, I get that, but until then, we don't have to see each other, right?" Ohm's anguish was palpable. He raked a nervous hand through his hair and clicked his tongue. "You'd better go before I ask Perth to walk you out."
The singer was perplexed. "You of all people...You can't really tell, can you? Wow, I got really good at this, didn't I?" Nanon huffed and got on his knee just to get closer to Ohm and place a kiss on his cheek. He just felt like doing it, and he hoped that Ohm would get the hint. It would be easier than saying, 'hey, it's me again, don't freak out, because I still don't know what to do about us, can you give me a bit more time?' A kiss on the cheek was just a way to tease Ohm back when they were still just friends. And Nanon expected the older to remember that.
Ohm immediately pushed him away though, and stood up irritated. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?!"
Nanon quickly got up too, a bit disconcerted, and gave him an apologetic look. "I was just making sure of something. Relax, no need to use your fists. Remember, it's your ex's pretty face you're thinking of smashing." He joked, without much enthusiasm. Ohm picked the box from the floor and handed it to him.
"Here, give it to one of the countless ladies you've been courting at GMM. They wouldn't know who is giving it to them anyways. All they see when they look at you is P'Tha's golden boy, not the real Nanon Korapat." Ohm sneered at him.
"You keep it. You might need it more than they do." Nanon insisted, without wasting his time trying to convince Ohm that he wasn't flirting with anyone at the company.
"What the hell is this anyway?" Ohm demanded impatiently.
"It's called hope." Nanon winked at him in his most perfect Naanfah impersonation and walked away.
A confused Ohm didn't know what to think at first. But he did open the box in his hand, just to find a big seashell inside. His heart gave somersaults as he took the shell out of the box to examine it closer. His eyes watered when a silver chain slipped out of it. Besides the initial of their names the words JUST THE 2 OF US' was engraved on the bracelet with the year they first met. Ohm felt a lump in his throat, and although his first impulse was to chase Naanfah down and ask him about the meaning of that gift, his legs didn't move. Why would Tiger give him that? Was it a message from Nanon? Who was that beside him on the grass all that time? Could that possibly be...?
Before he managed to solve all those equations in his head, Perth appeared behind him.
"Hey, are you okay? Mon called, and said you sounded weird on the phone before hanging up on him."
"My battery was dying." Ohm lied. He had no intention of letting his Nong know that Nanon/Naanfah was there seconds ago.
"Never mind that. He's on his way here. We've gotta protect that cake till P'Mon arrives. N'Thai can't be around that thing before it's time for you to blow all your 23 candles. It's getting chilly out here. Let's go inside." An excited Perth suggested playfully.
A still disquieted Ohm quickly hid the seashell and the bracelet in one of the pockets of his shorts and tried to pull himself together. He couldn't find any excuse to leave the house and go after Naanfah, so he just played it cool and told himself not to imagine things. Naanfah was just screwing with his head, wasn't he? Nanon was letting himself be played by his characters and not the other way around, right? Ohm felt a pull in his heart when he shoved one hand in his pocket again and felt 'hope' brush against his fingers. Fuck, why was Nanon giving him the bracelet he once claimed he had flushed down the toilet? What did that gift mean? Was it just proof that they were over, or indeed a hidden message of hope? Could Ohm ever have the chance to put that jewel around the singer's wrist one more time? Ohm decided to sleep on that, and perhaps, try to figure out what that visit meant the next morning. At that moment, his chest was swelling too fast, with a dangerous feeling, one similar to a flickering spark of joy. The fleeting taste of happiness couldn't be knocking on his door so soon, could it? Why would he even deserve to have a chunk of contentment after letting Nanon slip from his fingers so pathetically? But then again, wasn't it Nanon himself who gave him hope?
"Sure, let's go in." He forced a smile at Perth and followed him inside the house.
Outside the backyard, an anxious Nanon waited at the gate. He didn't know what, but he waited.
"Did you guys have a good chat?" Thailand appeared beside him, startling the singer.
"How did you know I was here?"
"I saw you through the window. I distracted Perth long enough until you decided to leave." The youngest Chittsawangdee grinned. "I have your back brother-in-law."
"Don't call me that." Nanon warned him briskly. "Ohm and I are not back together."
"Whatever. Why are you here then?" Thai furrowed his brows.
"To give him proper closure." Nanon said in a conflicted tone.
If you say so..." The younger shook his head in frustration. "I guess I'll have to break the news to you myself. I just thought that if you guys were together, it would be easier to-"
"What news?" Nanon narrowed his eyes.
"Mark is not in an induced coma anymore. The swelling in his brain is miraculously gone, and now it's up to him to come back to the world of the living. He's not waking up, but he might, sooner or later." Thai blurted out. The singer went mute for a long second.
"Lovely news!" Nanon exclaimed, hating his own bad luck. "What am I supposed to do with this information? Should I start going crazy, or what?"
"Please, do not lose your shit. His brain is better, not his whole body. Plus, doctors say that even if he wakes up, he might take a while to be himself again. They can only know if all the surgeries he went through were successful once he opens his eyes. This might take a day, weeks, or even months. And even if he wakes up, it's not like he's gonna get out of that hospital and hunt you guys down. His cousin already got his revenge, right?"
"That's Ananda. Mark is a whole different story. Do you think he will not retaliate after realizing that he was chased off that road?" Nanon hated the way his hand started shaking. That was Mark's effect on his mind. He knew he needed his prescribed pills now. He needed to rely on something. He hated being himself again.
"You actually didn't do anything to him. Neither did Ohm. None of you drove his car against that lamppost. He did it himself. After all the shit he did to the both of you, you should be the one wanting revenge." Thai argued, knowing that Nanon would need help to deal with Pakin if the man eventually woke up.
"Have you told any of this to your brother?" A jittery Nanon asked suddenly.
"Of course. Ohm was the first person I called when I heard about Mark's improvement. Phi was the one who told me to keep him updated after all. Ananda forbade him to visit his cousin since last year."
"How come you were able to see him and get all this information?" The singer was flabbergasted.
"I wasn't able to see him, but I regularly stopped by the hospital. Just to make sure that my brother's mortal enemy was still asleep. The truth is I got all my intel from a nurse who was a fan of my Phi. I even think she fell for me a bit, and-"
"Thailand, how did he take it?" The singer asked curiously.
"It's hard to tell. P'Ohm sounded pretty calm. If you want my opinion, no matter what the doctors say, I think he believes Mark will never wake up."
"Or maybe he's already thinking of something to guarantee that the scumbag never gets up from that bed." Nanon shook his head in despair.
"Well, if that's the case, I support his idea." The youngest Chittswangdee commented.
"Don't even think like that. We should've learned our lesson by now. If we mess with one Kuunavit, we mess with two of them. I am sure you don't wanna have to take part in one of Annanda's deranged challenges one more time, and neither do I. You almost lost your life! And I lost my mental health and a boyfriend. I don't know about you, but I'm tired of losing to them." Nanon warned Thai.
"You might've lost your peace of mind, but you haven't lost my brother. My Phi doesn't get why you insist on saying that the guy got his revenge. He says that the fucker can only get what he wants if you allow him to." Thailand commented and shrugged. Nanon scoffed.
"Ohm doesn't get it because he's not me. Sometimes your brother is just incapable of putting himself in people's shoes. And when he tries, he messes up." Nanon complained and huffed. "When did you tell him about Mark's improvement?"
"A few weeks ago. He said he would tell you about it, but I wasn't sure if he really would. That's why I decided to tell you. I know he means well. And I bet he's just trying to protect your state of mind. But no matter how much this news sucks, you shouldn't be left in the dark."
"Goddammit!" The singer kicked the gate and cursed under his breath.
"We can do this, P'Non." Thai put a hand on the singer's shoulder and squeezed it a little.
"Do what, kid?" Nanon cocked his head to the side with a puzzled look on his face.
"Attack is the best form of defense. Why should we wait for him to wake up? Let's put the son of a bitch down before it's too late! No one is gonna miss that garbage! We would be doing a favor to the world. He wouldn't get the chance to harm anyone anymore. Come on! The guy assaulted you, he practically kidnapped you, blackmailed you, and messed with your head for months! And let's not even mention what he and his cousin did to your relationship!"
"Are we talking about murder, Tanat Chittsawangdee?!" Nanon gave him a censoring look.
"Why shouldn't we? I almost overdosed because of Ananda! That man tried to take my life, and on top of that, he even took advantage of my brother's vulnerable state of mind and used him as a fuck toy, God Knows how many times! He made Ohm his private bitch! I don't know about you, P'Non, but I was not born to be a victim. I'm ready to take back the pride those motherfuckers took from us. Aren't you thirsty for vengeance yourself? Why should we just lie down and take it?! I am not afraid of them! And you wanna know what else? To be honest, I think Viper and Tiger are pretty cool. I bet they could handle those Kunaanuwit cousins. And I also believe that we could work well together. We can take care of Mark first, and once he's out of the picture, his cousin becomes vulnerable. That's when we strike." Thailand said at once, as he stared deep into the singer's eyes.
"You want me to rely on my characters' personalities like I've been doing for months?! I barely managed to get a hold of-"
"You're too weak when you're yourself! What kind of boyfriend does nothing when he finds out that his lover was manipulated into laying on some other guy's bed?! Stop feeling sorry for yourself, man! Ohm chased Mark off that road when he learned that fucker assaulted you. But what did you do when you learned about his deed with Ananda? You ran away and branded him as a cheater! You called him a man slut you refused to marry! I'm not saying you should take my brother back, but you should at least show him some gratitude. If Mark hadn't hit that lamppost, maybe you wouldn't be here now." Thai stated without ceremony. The singer took a deep breath and crossed his arms. That speech hit him hard. Now he regretted giving Ohm that birthday gift. He shouldn't have called that 'hope' but 'goodbye'. He did feel like a coward for ignoring the fact that Ohm was a victim too. He did feel like he didn't do right by him. He couldn't keep blaming his ex for things he couldn't control. He felt like he had to make it up for him somehow and redeem himself.
"Okay." Nanon whispered. He knew he could only find peace that way after all. That nightmare had to stop. Dirtying his hands now could mean a path of no return, but he could not bring himself to care about morals at that point. If Mark woke up, their lives would be in danger. Thailand was right. He had to stand up for himself for once in his life.
"Okay what?!" Thai needed to be sure that he could count on the older. He had to know that Nanon wouldn't back down from that idea.
"We're gonna do this." The singer spoke in a fiercer tone.
"What are we going to do exactly, P'Nanon?" Thai asked him firmly.
"We're gonna end the Kunaanuwits once and for all, Nong." The singer spoke in a completely solid tone. He was already drawing the confidence and determination he needed from the twins' personalities. He had spent so much time with them that even though he wouldn't let their identity overwhelm his, it was easy to dive into their psyche and borrow whatever he needed from the texture of those two characters.
"How?" Thai pressed.
"We'll wipe out their toxic existence from our lives." Nanon replied without hesitancy.
"That's more like it. Here." He took a syringe out of his pocket and gave it to him. "There's enough here to kill an elephant. Inject this in his IV drip. He will never wake up again."
"Where did you buy this? And how long have you been planning this?" Nanon furrowed his brow.
"Does it matter?" Thai raised an eyebrow at him.
"Not at all. But if we're going to break the law, we should be careful." Nanon stated, putting the syringe in one of his pockets.
"Don't worry, I'm not an amateur. It's not like it's my first time buying drugs." Thailand reassured him.
"What's the plan?" The singer nodded, silently trying to convince himself that he wouldn't regret making that decision.
"I distract whoever is in the room with him. I bring this person outside, and you finish him off." Thai explained his plan carefully.
"When exactly are we doing this, Tanat Chittsawangdee?" Nanon barely sounded like himself when he asked the question.
"Tomorrow." Thai replied, and the singer made no complaints about it.
"Alright. I'll text you first thing in the morning."
Nanon turned around, shoved his hands in his pockets, and brushed his fingers along the syringe there. He walked away from Ohm's house without looking back. He didn't want to take a last look at that place, he already had a goodbye within his grasp. He knew that his resolution would have consequences. Ohm and Nanon's future together would be annihilated once the deed was done. A dirty slut and a cold murderer could sound like a pretty good relationship in a TV drama, but not in real life. Nanon knew that they would keep chastising each other until there was nothing left of their love.
Nanon got into a taxi. He wasn't going to wait until tomorrow. He wasn't going to let Thai get involved in his retribution plan. The singer had decided that Mark was going to die that same night. He even thought how poetic it was going to be to have Pakin gone on the same date of Ohm's birthday. Nanon remembered playing a character that would sever people's legs to give them to the one he loved. Many viewers called Ton a psychopath, but only a few could see beyond his acts and admire his tenacity to do whatever was necessary for his only companion, Anne. Nanon wondered if he could tap into that mindset and borrow from that character a few mental tools to fulfil such a desperate mission. The twins weren't murderers after all.
During the whole cab ride, Nanon silently reviewed Ton's personality and drives. Nanon needed to incorporate a killer, and he was looking deep into all the borrowed souls at his disposal in order to draw strength from the one who could perfectly fit that role.
By the time his cab reached the hospital, a connection had been made, and when Nanon stepped out of the car, he was already limping.
"Hey, did you hurt your leg? Do you need help getting into the hospital? I hadn't noticed the limping when you got into the car." The taxi driver commented, but all Nanon did was pay the man and dismiss his kind offer. Nanon did not need help. He was already being helped. At that moment, his body was just like a mannequin, moved by one single purpose, to make his lover feel like a normal person again. Perhaps, once those cousins were gone, Ohm would stop feeling like a monster and regain his humanity again.
Ton's mannerisms were so unlike Nanon that no one recognized the GMMTV actor in that hospital. He went to the front desk, asked about visiting hours and which room Mark Pakin was in. He got the information he needed and got into the elevator.
He slowly walked through the corridor in the direction of his target's room. He had no hurry, just an unyielding goal that blinded his morals. However, as soon as he stopped in front of Mark's half-opened door, he saw a scene that made his determination waver. Nanon prayed that Ton stayed with him at that moment, but that character's will was already slipping out of him.