For days, Champ had only thought about Techno, but he couldn't send a message. And what to write? How are you? What are you doing? grrrrrr
He was sitting on campus hoping to see Type. Maybe he has some information.
Type was literally shining. His eyes sparkling, he had a beautiful wide smile, only his wings were missing.
- "Champ! Here you are! How did you get through these few free days after the exam? "
-"Type, you don't seem to live in Thailand. What days off? I know Tharn is ruthless, but he should let you go to class. What kind of President student council are you? "
Type was laughing ...
- "This time it's not Tharn's fault, it's my mom's. I spent a few days with her. You know, we weren't very close, but now we're trying to get closer."
-"Are you saying that your mom is the one to "blame" for that smile?"
Type nodded.
- "Mmmm, we even have our first selfie."
- "First selfie? You've never been photographed with your mom before?"
- "Nope."
Champ didn't know what to say but when he saw how much Type shining he was happy for him.
- "By the way, Champ, did you hang out with Techno?"
Champ jumped:
- "Me? No. Why would I hang out with him? He's your friend, not mine."
- "Maybeeee because you're acting so weird ?! What happened?"
- "What happened? Nothing happened?"
Type looking at Champ, yeeap definitely something happened.
- "Ok, if you won't say, I'll ask Techno."
Champ took Type's phone.
- "I'll tell you, curious cat. The night after Elysium, me and Techno slept at the hotel. It was getting late, we were drinking..and then .... and .... shit ... then Techno asked to have sex and I turned him down!"
Champ fell silent and stared at the floor.
- "May I ask why you turned him down? As far as I can see Techno is your type of guy, right?"
Champ nodded.
- "And what's the problem?"
"Techno was drunk, and it didn't matter if his partner was me or someone else."
Type was silent and looking at Champ. He used to think that feelings sometimes numb us.
- "Champ, I don't think Techno would ask anyone. Didn't you think he asked because it was - you. Because maybe
alcohol gave him the courage to ask?"
Champ thought about what Type said.
- "No, I never thought of that. Are you saying that, he likes me, and Techno took the initiative because I'm a jerk who probably didn't see the signals he sent to me?"
Type nodded and said:
- "You see how you know everything! I wouldn't explain it better."
Now they were both silent. Type was the first to speak.
- "So what are you going to do now?"
Champ took the phone from the table.
- "Now it's my turn, right? Sorry Type, I have to go."
Type was looking at Champ and laugh.... who would say - Type as a love adviser.
Techno was in total disarray. He convinced himself that he suggested to Champ that they have sex just because he was drunk. But he knew that wasn't the reason. Techno was in love. Champ was wonderful to him, protective, someone with whom Techno could talk about anything. But they could also remain silent for hours and Techno would enjoy every second. Now he didn't know what to do. Whether to pretend not to remember or blame alcohol for everything.
The phone ring moved him from thinking. But it wasn't Champ.
- "Yes, Mom."
- "Techno, when are you going to send us money for this month? You've completely neglected your family, who knows what you're doing there in Bangkok."
Techno just listened, he didn't have strength to argue with her. She kept talking, but Techno didn't really listen...
- "We'll have some more expenses this month, your younger sister has to start looking for a husband. Speaking of that topic, do you know our neighbor has a niece who would be the ideal wife for you?"
Techno was still not listening, he just mumbled- "mmmmm"
- "So I can say it's a done deal? You know, they have a restaurant and plenty of property."
Techno suddenly winced and asked:
- "Who owns the property?"
- "Techno! You're not listening to me! I say your future wife has!"
Techno was left shocked!
- "Whose wife Ma? What are you talking?"
- "I found you wife. It's time to return home."
Techno closed his eyes and answered in a calm voice.
- "Ma, I'll send you money for this month. But never mention wife again! Because if you do that , I will cut off all contact with you and I won't send money!"
Techno's mother was in shock.
- "All right, son, your mother just wants the best for you. Here, I'm not going to mention wife, but don't forget to send us money."
Techno was mentally and physically exhausted. He knew his mother would mention this topic again in the near future. But now he couldn't think of it...
The phone rang again but Techno didn't even look who was calling.
Champ persistently called Techno. At first it gave him a signal that Techno was talking to someone and now it was ringing and ringing but no one answering. Champ didn't know exactly where Techno living, spinning around the block, but unsure what to do next. So, he sat down in a cafe with chairs almost on the street, from where he could see if Techno was heading to town. He kept dialing the Techno number.
Tharn has been visibly nervous the last few days. He left Type and Satin in the apartment and slept in the hotel. He went to the apartment for lunch and dinner but that was all. He hasn't touched Type in days. Tharn had a crazy need to kiss Type, to fuck him... He knew its right decision to give Type space to get closer to mother, but this was one hellish torture. How does Type withstand all this? Does he miss kisses and touches too? Maybe he could come to the hotel for a few hours after class. Because if this continues Tharn will get seriously ill. He missed Type so much that he had a morning wood this morning, like some horny teenager.
At the other end of the town, two men had been inseparable for days. After Elysium, Alex took Tum to the resort. When they returned to Bangkok instead of going home, Alex drove them to Tum's apartment. Thum explained that his parents lived in America and here, he lived alone in a two-storey house. Downstairs was a studio and upstairs was Tum's apartment. The apartment was minimalist equipped. And at first glance, no one seemed to live here.
- "Come on in, it's not very guest-friendly, I spend more time in the studio anyway."
Alex walked in slowly. He didn't exactly expect a star like Tum to live such a humble life.
- "Are you for a beer? I have nothing else for drink."
Alex politely declined, who knows how old that beer is.
- "Well Alex, that's it, welcome to Tum's humble home. I know what do you want to say, it looks almost like those huts at the resort."
Alex laughed, and sat down. Tum took a beer and sat on the armchair a little farther from Alex.
Alex wasn't curious by nature, but Tum was special. He wanted to know everything about him, every little thing. He wanted to know his past and present so they could have a peaceful future. Yes, Alex had planned this far.
- "Tum, if yours are in America and you are no longer engaged in showbiz, why are you not with them? What keeps you here?"
Tum looked down at his hands, squeezing a beer bottle.
- "It doesn't hold me anything at all. Let's say this is my Purgatory."
Alex didn't respond, hoping Tum would go on with the story.
- "When I was at the height of glory, I was also at the worst possible bottom of my life. I was spinning in a vicious circle. Music-drug-music-drug. I thought I could not make music without drugs. When I was clean, all I could thought it was a drug, and when I was drugged I didn't think anything. So my career and my family suffered.
The last song Heart of glass I wrote after a horrible event, I was... well, almost clean. It sucks. I didn't want to record it. But the record company put pressure on me. I hated that song because it shows all my weaknesses and all my misery. Years and years of unrequited love can it be described in words and music? A few months after the song was released, the record label asked me to write and publish something else ... but ... I was blank.
Neither drugged nor clean I couldn't write a word. Then I started drugging again so much that they found me unconscious several times. I even ended up in Emergency once. What do you look at me for? Celebrities manage to hide something from the public. And then one day Tharn came. We are friends for a long time, but because of his job and my career, we did not meet much during that period. So, he showed up one day, got a bunch of drugs and said:
~~What are you waiting for? Do it. Come on, take it all and kill yourself. Why bother little by little? Finish it all at once. And then I'll follow you.~~
And while he was saying it Tharn was crying. Can you imagine him crying? Those tears kind of sobered me up, as if some cloud that I had over my head suddenly blew up. Those tears have washed away all the misery that has plagued me for years. We didn't say anything anymore, we just cried. After that I applied for treatment, posted a retreat from the show business, bought this house. Tharn also helped me to solve the issue with the record label, not to take all my money for breach of contract. He arranged royalties. And that's it. That's my story. "
Alex couldn't find the right words to comfort Tum, he knew he was ruthless, but he had to ask another question…
- "Is Tharn your unrequited love?"
Tum lifted his head and laughed.
- "Oh no god !! No Tharn !! Ha ha ha ha ha .... Oh, my stomach hurts from laughing."
Alex looked at Tum holding his stomach and laughing, but nothing was funny to him.