"Why are you in such a hurry so early?" Gin asked his partner when they were practically running down a hallway.
"To see our newbie. I don't remember asking you to come with me, don't you dare to complain." Joan glared at him.
"Your alarm woke me up and I got nothing better to do. But why are we going to see him? I thought you didn't want to be involved any further with him." Gin couldn't follow his logic.
"I should really ask for a new partner and a roommate." Joan sighed and rolled his eyes. "That guy attempted to attack our boss and is still alive. He's special. We might gain some privileges if associating with him. It's a golden opportunity that I won't let anyone else take away from me."
Gin only nodded and continued following his partner. Joan was the smarter one and this plan didn't seem so bad.
Once they reached infirmary they had in the headquarters, a crowd in the entrance stopped them from getting inside. All of the people were wearing the same clothes, dress code given by Kongpop, a black suit with a red shirt.
"What the fuck?" Joan couldn't believed that so many had the same idea as him.
"Seems like you're not the only smartass here." Gin ridiculed him only to hide his own irritation.
"Heh, let me teach you how it's done." He smirked, already having a plan in his mind.
"THE BOSS IS COMING!!!" Joan yelled from the top of his lungs and pretended to panic.
The crowd dissolved in seconds and the hallway which was packed just moment ago became empty. Gin nodded like he was approving of his behavior and they both finally entered the small health center.
Finding Arthit wasn't an issue as there was only one big, shared room. The beds were separated by a thin, white curtain so no real privacy was provided. It was for a good reason since the nurses were able to detect any issue or emergency with the patient easier.
Arthit was placed the furthest away, near a wall with a small window. He had a bandage around his neck and was currently sitting with a spaced-off expression.
"Move aside, you can't stand in the door!" Joan and Gin heard from behind and instinctively moved forward. Two nurses with a man on stretchers rushed in. May, the head doctor, followed them.
"Will I survive? I have to, I'm too young and handsome... my face is still too precious!" The man cried and demanded an answer from May.
"Of course you'll live, idiots don't die so easily." She smacked his head and the three of them transferred him on the bed.
"It seems very serious this time! In any case, call my mom and tell her that her favorite son died in an accident, while saving someone. I'll make you proud, mom!!" The man yelled with his hand raised in the air.
"Shut it, will you? Isn't that your injured hand?" May smacked him again and looked on his hand that was dripping blood everywhere.
"Bright!! Where is he? Did he finally die?!" More people rushed in the room and pushed observing Joan and Gin aside.
"Who said that? Prem?! Just you wait, you bastard, you're the dead one here!" Bright jumped on his bed and yelled, which resulted in him getting smacked more.
"False emergency, he ain't cold. I hope you haven't opened the champagne yet, Tutah!" Knot joked around and the room echoed with laughter. Even Arthit turned his attention to the drama happening in front of him.
"You didn't listen to my advice." Joan finally got the chance to approach him. Arthit ignored him completely and lied down.
"Oy, I don't like silent treatment. We haven't even introduced ourselves, so let me do it now. I'm Joan and this scary looking bro is Gin. Let's get along since we're family now." Joan extended his hand but quickly backed away. Arthit's look was so terrifying it could be compared to Kongpop's.
"My family is dead. Your boss killed it." He gritted through his teeth and clenched his fists together.
Silence and tension spread around the room as other people also started paying attention to the conversation.
"I'll make him pay for it." He whispered and shut his eyes to fight back emotions. This all seemed like a horrible nightmare to him, or a very, very bad joke.
"I won't pretend I don't know what happened. I knew your father, he wasn't a bad man, but this is reality. You are one of us now and you have to act according to it. Saying stuff like this will get you in trouble." Gin talked for the first time since they came to the infirmary.
"And why the fuck should I do it?! I don't remember signing up for being kidnapped and imprisoned in this place. The tattoo and my cut hair tops it all!! Do you even realize my basic human rights were violated, multiple times?!" Arthit barked back, letting all his built up anger take over.
"Because you want to survive. Because dead cannot take revenge. You can turn this situation around and take advantage of it, if you do it wisely." Bright sit up and made eye contact with Arthit. "At least that's what I think." He shrugged his shoulders.
For the first time, Arthit's eyes sparkled. He went silent for a while, rethinking his options. Few words from a stranger shook his entire point of view. He isn't wrong. Arthit thought while biting his nail.
"I'm Arthit, Arthit Perawat." He broke the silence and introduced himself to a handful of people in the room, ignoring the fact they all must have known him already.
"I'm Bright. This one over here, currently crushing my leg, is Prem. The one with that dumb look is Knot and over there, with that opened champagne, is Tutah." The injured man introduced all of his friends.
Arthit nodded and for the first time since his kidnapping and coming to that dangerous place, he smiled.
"And you already know us." Joan joined in again, not wanting to be left out.
"I would rather not." Arthit muttered to himself but his smile only widened. The environment seemed weirdly familiar and welcoming to him.
"Leave at once, all of you!" May, who left the room meanwhile, came back with medical supplies to treat Bright. "Kongpop is almost here."
Everyone exchanged their looks before emptying the room in a matter of nanoseconds. Even Bright got up from his bed but one of the nursed pushed him back to make him stay.
When the boss entered the room, the air became tenser and heavier. Arthit felt like his troubles with breathing returned.
"I see that you're doing okay." Kongpop approached him with a neutral expression. Arthit decided to remain silent for the moment. His body lightly shook, like he had PSTD.
"Is ignoring people your hobby? I came all the way here to check on you and you can't even greet me?" He sat down on the bed next to Arhit. "I don't like it." He flinched upon receiving that red flag.
"You killed my father. You're a murderer, the lowest of the low. Expecting a greeting from me is rather stupid, don't you think?" Arthit took all the courage he had and looked him in the eyes. He didn't want to be attacked again, although response like that only increased the chances.
"Since our first meeting and impression weren't the best, I tried to put in some effort and start again. Seems like you won't give in so easily." Kongpop sighed and leaned closer. "That's good. Breaking you from the beginning would be no fun." He smirked and grabbed Arthit's chin.
"I'll kill you, I swear." Arthit started at him for a second before Kong let go.
"You shouldn't promise things you can't fulfill." He smiled and stood up. Staying longer would only force him to cause more wounds on Arthit's body.
"I'll surely kill you."
"If that's the case, I'll be looking forward to it. I just hope you won't be disappointed once you realize you can't do it. You're mine after all." Kongpop grinned and waved him off as he left the room.
I like that look. He thought. Arthit's cheeks were all red from heating up and there were countless sparkles in his eyes. It seemed like Kong was worried over nothing.
I really like it.
Double update! More interaction with other people like Bright, Knot, Prem, etc. will happen in next chapter with some explanation! The start has to be slow since this is hate-to-love relationship.
I came up with two characters (as you've already noticed), Joan and Gin, since I didn't want to have purely sotus cast. I hope you don't mind!
Thank you for your constant support, votes, reads and comments! Let me know what you think about the story so far, I really don't want to disappoint you!