The evening breeze at Kamala Beach carried the scent of salt and the promise of peace. The waves crashed softly in the distance, and the golden pink sky above them had begun to slip into hues of twilight. Joong and Dunk walked along the shore, their bare feet sinking lightly into the cool sand, their freshly changed clothes fluttering with every gust of wind.
There was no need for words—not yet. The silence between them wasn't awkward; it was comforting. Safe.
Joong kept glancing sideways, stealing glimpses of Dunk under the fading light. He noticed the difference—the way Dunk carried himself with more ease than he had in weeks. His shoulders weren't weighed down anymore. His eyes didn't carry that tired heaviness. The subtle lines of exhaustion that used to crease his face were now softer, less present. He was still healing, Joong knew that, but he looked more like himself now. It's more like the Dunk he missed.
Joong's fingers twitched at his side, and after a second of hesitation, he slowly reached over and took Dunk's hand, slipping his fingers between his with a sort of careful, shy intent. The warmth of Dunk's skin sent a flutter through his chest.
Dunk stopped walking.
Joong felt his breath catch as Dunk turned to look at him. Their eyes met. Dunk didn't look surprised—just curious, gentle.
Joong cleared his throat softly. "Is it okay… if I hold your hand?"
Dunk raised an eyebrow, a small smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "Joong… we've done way more than just holding hands. Why wouldn't it be okay?"
Joong smiled, a little embarrassed, but he didn't look away. "I know. But this time… it's different."
Dunk tilted his head. "Different how?"
Joong let out a slow breath. The waves rolled over their feet again before he found the words. "I want to cut to the chase," he said. "I've been holding it in for a while now. And I think if I don't say it soon, I'll just keep going in circles."
Joong took a shaky breath, his fingers still tangled with Dunk's as they stood on the soft, cool sand. The breeze ruffled their hair, carrying with it the scent of salt and fading warmth from the sunset. His heart thudded violently against his ribs, each beat loud enough that he was certain Dunk could hear it.
"I'm listening," Dunk said, his voice calm, almost reassuring. There was a softness in his eyes, the kind Joong had come to crave. It wasn't just affection—it was attention, curiosity, something deeper.
Joong looked down at their joined hands and then back at Dunk, forcing himself to breathe. "I know we had a rough start," he said slowly, his voice barely rising above the lull of the waves. "It was messy. Confusing. And I wasn't always sure what we were doing. What *I* was doing."
Dunk didn't say anything. He only nodded, giving Joong the space to continue.
"But," Joong went on, his gaze flickering nervously to Dunk's face, "in the last few weeks... the way I've looked at you—it's different. I've…changed."
Dunk tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable but patient.
Joong's throat tightened, and he hesitated. His fingers twitched in Dunk's grip, but he didn't pull away. He couldn't.
"I know this might sound weird," Joong said, the words sticking like glue to the roof of his mouth. "But I think that I may be…"
He trailed off.
Dunk's eyebrows lifted, waiting.
Joong opened his mouth to try again, but the words just wouldn't come. His mind went blank. Every version of the confession he'd rehearsed in his head vanished. All that was left was the pounding in his chest, the dry catch in his throat, and the sharp burn of embarrassment creeping up his neck.
"I—" Joong tried again, his voice cracking, "I mean, I think I..."
Still nothing.
He laughed nervously, shaking his head. "God, why can't I just say it?"
And then, without warning, Dunk moved.
In one swift motion, he tugged Joong forward by the hand and crashed their lips together. Joong gasped in surprise, his heart stalling in his chest as Dunk kissed him—firm and unyielding, not gentle, not shy, just *real*. The kind of kiss that silenced everything.
Joong's eyes widened at first, but then slowly fluttered shut as he gave in, melting into the warmth of Dunk's mouth, the pressure of his lips, the intensity of the moment. His hands found their way to Dunk's shoulders, pulling him closer.
The kiss deepened, growing messier, needier as if all the things they couldn't say had suddenly found a voice in this one act. Dunk's fingers slid into Joong's hair, holding him steady, anchoring them together under the dimming sky. Joong responded with equal urgency, his body pressing into Dunk's, chasing the closeness he didn't know he needed this badly.
When they finally came up for air, chests rising and falling in sync, their foreheads still resting against each other, Dunk let out a quiet laugh—barely more than a breath.
"I like you, Joong," he whispered, his voice soft, as if he was afraid to say it too loud. "I've been meaning to say it for a while now."
Joong's heart skipped. His lips curled into the kind of smile that lit up his entire face, the kind that made the world feel just a little bit easier to bear.
"Yeah?" he whispered back, eyes gleaming under the fading orange of the twilight.
Dunk nodded, a little shy now that the words were out in the open. "Yeah. What about you?"
Joong let out a soft chuckle and stepped back just slightly, enough to see Dunk's face clearly. "You really want to know?"
Dunk raised an eyebrow. "Well, yeah."
Joong ran a hand through his hair and exhaled slowly. "I've liked you since the first time I saw you. No lie."
Dunk blinked, surprised. "Seriously?"
"Dead serious," Joong said, his grin widening. "But I was too much of a coward to say anything. You were this... bright, confident, easy-going guy. I was afraid you'd never see me the same way."
Dunk's expression softened instantly. "Ai sat!" He murmured fondly. "You really think I wouldn't notice someone like you?"
Joong laughed again, a little breathless from the rush of finally admitting it. "Guess I do now."
"Good," Dunk said, his hands sliding around Joong's waist. "Because I've waited long enough."
And just like that, their lips met again.
This time, the kiss wasn't born from nerves or unsaid words. It was a promise. Warm, firm, and full of something far more certain than before. Joong's hands gripped the sides of Dunk's shirt as they pulled each other close again, no space between them, no hesitation.
The sound of the ocean faded, and the world narrowed to just them—two hearts syncing in the middle of a Phuket beach, under a darkening sky and the first twinkles of stars above.