Tin was once an energetic child, he was like any child there is, full of dreams, hope, happiness and he was always smiling. He was the happy pill of everyone around him, especially her.
His mother.
But everything had changed when she died, the next moment, he found out that his father had been unfaithful to his mother and in came the second family of his father, Pete and with his mother.
He never liked her. Pete's mother. She's beautiful, nice, she always treats Tin like he's her own son— she's perfect but she's not his mother so he never accepted her.
Pete's okay though. Back when they were children, Pete's shy, innocent, big doe-eyed and vulnerable to everything and everyone. He cried easily so Tin had the urge to protect him and he's glad he did. Pete grew up to be the badass he is now disguised in his nerdy glasses.
Tin protected Pete from every bully. He fell into the role of being the protective brother but it made him look like the bully and ice-cold asshole to everyone.
But he's never that.
Ice Prince. It's a stupid name.
He just went with it because it made everyone fear him. It made him powerful and it made him protect everyone he loves.
Tin blinks his thoughts away when he sees Tum coming from outside.
Tin sees Tum smiling and it irritates him. Why is he smiling? Why does he have to smile so wide and with all his teeth? It's fucking irritating. So much.
Plus, Tum acts all nice and friendly with everyone, it's annoying Tin.
"Where were you from?"
Tum smiles even more. Shit. That smile again. Honestly, will he ever be tired of smiling?
"With Can."
Tin knows. Of course, he sees them but he has to know why. Why would Tum even bother when they both know who he's after to?
"Why?"
"I comforted him. You made him cry Tin."
"He deserves it."
"Getting bullied?"
Tin frowns. What he did is not bullying. It's revenge because Can embarrassed him. There's a difference. He did not do it just for fun. Can was the first one to attack. Can should be the bully if they are talking about bullies.
"I'm not bullying him, okay? He crossed me, he should know there's a consequence from that."
Tum sighs and shakes his head as he sits beside Tin and pats him on his shoulder. "This isn't like you Tin, stop acting like an entitled king."
Tin hates that word. King. Tum knows he hates it, that must why he used it.
It's hierarchical, he doesn't want to be like that although he's beginning to be like that.
"I'm just trying to get back what he got from me. My pride and my reputation."
From across the room, Pond laughs. "Who needs pride and reputation when you have porn?"
Tin rolls his eyes and throws a pillow at Pond's way. "All you care about is porn. You should change so Cha'Aim will like you."
"My friend, I don't need to change. If she really loves me, she will accept my flaws and perfections."
Ae snorts. "Whatever perfections are you saying? You just have flaws."
"As if you don't have flaws yourself Ae. You're full of secrets."
They are always like that— Pond and Ae, they know things just the both of them know. Tin won't be shocked if one day, they confessed they murdered someone. They're always mysterious, always stopping talking about something very serious whenever they see Tin coming their way.
Tin raises his eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
Ae pales and punches Pond's arm. "Nothing. It's nothing. He's just joking."
Pond smiles, "Yeah. I'm just joking."
Months ago, Tin notices Ae flinching away from him every time he speaks of anything he's doubting especially when he speaks about Pete— Ae just always always has to say something when it involves Pete.
Tin isn't an idiot, he knows there's up to Ae and Pete, what is it specifically, that he doesn't know yet but he will know, soon. But not now. He has a problem of his own.
"Why don't you say sorry to him, Tin? You really hurt him." It's Tum again.
Tin scoffs. Hurt? He didn't hurt Can. It's just water. It won't hurt anyone. Can's just overreacting.
"What is it to you anyway? Are you friends?"
"Yes. We are friends."
Tin frowns even more.
Something about Tum's confidence over the word 'friends' puts a heavy feeling inside him. He doesn't like that word mixed up with Tum and Can.
"Why are you even friends with him? I already told you, right? Don't befriend him. Do not befriend Can."
"What is it to you Tin? You hate him. I like him, he's cool. I want to befriend him. Why don't you want me to be friends with him? Are you threatened?"
"Please. Why will I be threatened?"
"Maybe because he likes me and he hates you."
"He doesn't like you."
"Maybe not yet. But I'm sure he hates you."
Tin clenches his fists. He doesn't know why he's triggered but he wants to punch the living daylights out of Tum just to wipe that smile from his face.
"I don't care if he hates me and I don't care if he gets to like you, just don't be friends with him. It's a rule."
Kengkla, for the first time ever, snorts. "Dude, this isn't an organization. What rules are you saying?"
"From now on, we have a pact, that is, to torment Can."
"You are out of your mind if you think I'll accept that. Can didn't do anything to you. Can's my friend now and I won't heed any of your command against him. I'm out. Just call me if you pull your head out of your ass."
Tum leaves.
Well, that turned out well.
"Dude, just talk to Can." Ae.
"Yeah. Because your whining is already irritating me." Kengkla.
"Invite him to your bed maybe then that'll resolve all your tensions for him. It's all sexual tensions Tin." Pond.
"Shut up!"
/
"Say sorry to him, Tin."
Tin groans. Even at his own house, someone is still urging him to apologize to Can when in the first place he didn't do anything wrong.
What is he going to apologize for?
"I didn't do anything to him."
"You hurt him."
"He's just overreacting. I'm sure he experienced worse from what I did, there's nothing hurting about being spilled with water."
"It's not spilled Tin. You poured a water. And, even though he already felt it from someone else, it probably hurt him more coming from you. He trusted you with his secret but you still did it to him. Nice one."
"Stop making me look like the bad guy here."
"You are the bad guy Tin. Just apologize to him. Can's a good friend."
Tin knows Can is a good friend. Pete has a good judgment with people's character and with Can being Pete's first friend, Can must really be special.
But for Tin, something about Can alarms the red bell inside him and warns him to get the hell away from him. He admits, Can is a force to be reckoned with. Can is mysterious yet transparent, Tin is having a hard time reading Can.
"Just get the hell out of here. I'm busy."
"Bye asshole!" Pete stands but stops when he's on the doorway. "By the way, Por wants to remind you of his party next week."
It's the annual party of their father's company.
"Tell him I'm not going."
"Oh but dear Phee, he already said you are going whether you like it or not."
Tin grumbles. He can't do anything about it anymore if his father says it.
"Oh, and Tin, he's expecting someone to be with you."
"What? Who am I going to bring? My friends? Ae? He knows I don't have someone to accompany me."
"I suggest Can."
"Why will I bring him?"
"Because he looks cute and Por will like him so you better apologize to him now because let's be honest, Can is the most suitable person for you. You know yourself Tin, you won't find a girl just to accompany you. You hate women."
"I don't hate them. I just don't like them."
"Gay."
/
Tin doesn't know what he's doing.
He really really doesn't know what he's doing.
He rings the doorbell and the second the door doesn't open. He turns back and is about to walk away when he hears the front door opening.
"Oh, hello. Who are you?"
It's a teenage girl close to his age. She has glasses and she has a similarity with Can. Tin reckons she's his sister.
"Is Can there?"
Oh goodness. Why is Tin nervous?
"Yes, he's here. Wait, I'll call him... P'Can! Someone's looking for you! It's your boyfriend!"
"Wait I'm not his-"
The girl winks at him. "I know. Can doesn't do boyfriends. Just teasing him."
Wait, what does she mean by Can doesn't do boyfriends?
Tin is about to ask what she meant by that but Can already appears with an unimpressed look directed at him.
"Oh. It's just you."
The girl excuses herself and leaves the two of them.
"Yeah. Just me."
Can leans on the doorway and crosses his arms. "Why are you here?"
"Because I want to say..."
Tin stops, he doesn't say that word to anyone yet. Except for his mother. Even to his Por, he doesn't say that word to him. He has too much pride to say that one golden word and this is the first time he's saying it again to someone.
Can raises his eyebrow. "What? Want to say what?"
"Sorry?"
"Is that a question or are you apologizing?"
"I already said it. Don't make me repeat it."
Can snorts. "You didn't even say it. You asked me. It's not an apology. I deserve a better apology than that half baked one."
Tin grits his teeth. He won't say sorry again.
"You're testing your luck."
"Fine. Why did you bother apologizing? Is it because Pete and Tum asked you to?"
"Just Pete. Why would Tum ask me that?"
Okay. Why is he doing this? He's a bad friend.
"Because-"
"He doesn't care about you."
A really really bad friend.
Can rolls his eyes. "Are you really here to say sorry or make me feel bad even more?"
Why would that make Can feel bad? It's just Tum.
"Probably both."
"Okay. Leave."
"Wait-"
"Leave! And you can bring with you your half-hearted apology-"
"Can you be my date next week?"
"What the hell?"
Also Tin's question. Why the hell did he say that?
"So?"
"No Tin!"
"But-"
"I said no! Now leave!"
Can shuts the door on his face.
Tin blinks. He's not sure what the hell just happened.
Was he rejected?
By Can?
The same guy who embarrassed him?
Wait. Rejected?
He hasn't been rejected by anyone. No one. And then Can just did it like saying the weather?
Can's going to get it.
Not only Can rejected his apology, but he also rejected his date offer, also the first time and probably the last time Tin's going to do it.
If Tum doesn't want to help him, he's fine on his own but he'll make sure that Can will regret everything he said today.
//