Ms. Nin's anxiety coiled tighter than she could bear. "Achara, call Kao."
Achara's thumb hovered over her phone, frozen. She knew exactly where her brother was—because the idea had been hers to plant in the first place.
With practiced restraint, she lifted her gaze. "He's busy with office work. I'll try later."
Uncle Tham mirrored the same restlessness.
It was 4:55 a.m.
Outside, night yielded gradually. Rain had stopped. The air smelled of wet earth and salt, heavy with silence.
Inside the car, Nil pressed against Kao's lean frame, skin sliding over skin. Kao's chest rose under him, steady, restrained. Damp hair clung to his forehead. Lips swollen, bitten raw, still glistening from the night.
Nil's eyes roamed shamelessly, drinking in every curve, every movement. Long fingers traced from hair to neck, brushing over the slope of his chest. Palm pressed firm against the beat of his heart. "First morning together..."
A low smirk curved Nil's lips. "Sleeping all innocent-like... think he's mine now, do you?" He pressed closer, feeling Kao shift subtly beneath him. Nil's hand tangled in his hair, claiming, possessively.
"I wish I could see this face every day..."
Nil's body molded tighter against him. Fingers crossed, "—I wish..."
Nil's hand fumbled, searching until his fingers closed around the cold shape of his phone. The screen flared in the dim interior. His eyes caught the time—then widened. In a sharp motion, he bolted upright.
"Stranger..." His words clipped, low.
Across from him, Kao stirred, startled, hair falling in soft disarray over his forehead. "Nil!"
"What happened?"
Nil's gaze tightened, features taut as if carved by tension. "How far are we from Bangkok?"
Kao tilted toward the window, expression lazy. "Seventeen kilometers, maybe."
"What happened?" Nil pressed again, brows knitting, "Stranger, I need to be at my shooting location before six o'clock."
Kao replied with the unhurried certainty of someone unconcerned. "It's fine. I'll talk to Kim, cancel today's shoot—"
"No." Nil cut through the words, sharp and heavy, leaving no room for argument. "Stranger, I told you before—our professional and personal lives are not the same."
"This is my work. I waited a long time for it. I will not set it aside for personal reasons."
Kao fell silent, shadow darkening his expression. He lowered his gaze. "...Sorry."
"I should have understood what this project means to you."
Nil's lips curved. "Director Kim trusts me," Sharp and certain. "I don't want to break that trust. I want to work as a professional. And—" His eyes met Kao's, holding him for a moment. "I don't want to gain anything in my career because of personal ties."
"...Alright." His lips shifted, almost a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. "You'll be there on time." Kao paused, then inclined his head.
Nil nodded. They dressed quickly, fabric brushing over skin. Soon, like a comet cutting through the pale breath of dawn, the car slid into the awakening streets.
Kao's hand gripped the wheel, fingers long, moving with purpose.
Nil sat still, eyes sliding over Kao's profile—sharp, defined, frost-edged—then to the window where morning light fractured into thin ribbons.
Finally, he spoke, "I'm sorry..."
Kao's lips curved slightly. "For what?"
"I shouldn't have spoken to you like that."
Kao reached, "Nil..."
Nil pressed on. "Stranger, now that we're together..."
"Even so, we're still different."
His hands hovered over Kao's. "Like the earth and the sky."
Nil exhaled sharply, forcing the words out. "I just..."
"Just... want to stand high in my own right, so that when you call me yours..."
"...Y... you can do it proudly."
Kao's eyes softened, but his words carried certainty. "When I fell for you, I already knew where my heart would lead me. I don't care about anything."
He reached over, palm closing firmly around Nil's—warm, solid.
"And any difference between us..." He shook his head slightly. "That no longer exists."
"What I have is yours."
His fingers tightened, anchoring him in place.
"I'm already proud of you..."
"...Never ashamed."
But Kao caught the faint tension in Nil's expression—the kind that could pin someone in place—and with effortless ease, shifted the conversation.
"You matched me perfectly last night." Satisfaction laced his tone. "In fact..."
His eyes swept over Nil, "Your performance... was good."
Nil tilted his head, pretending exasperation, though a faint flush crept across his ears. "You're shameless... no wonder I fell in love with you."
Kao's smile deepened—"Then, Mr. No Wonder..."
His hand tightened on the wheel, just enough. "...you'd better be ready to spend your whole life with this Mr. No Wonder."
Nil's laughter slipped out, "I never imagined," he drawled, lazy and dangerous, "that the cold, untouchable superstar—The Kao Neptune himself—could turn out this romantic."
"...So annoyingly romantic." His eyes gleamed.
A beat. Then, with a faint tilt of his lips—"And a bully."
Kao's brow arched. "Bully?"
"Mn," Nil replied, as if the accusation were self-evident.
"You're bullying me." His tone stayed light, but his stare burned straight through him.
His eyes dragged down, slow and shameless. "Looking this damn handsome..." His words dropped, rough. "...makes me want to be ruined."
He leaned closer, "Again." Breath brushed Kao's jaw.
The car didn't slow.
Kao's grip on the wheel tightened just slightly — knuckles white, eyes forward, jaw locked.
A long pause. The hum of the road filled it.
Then, quietly, too steady, "Do you ever stop talking nonsense?"
Nil smirked, leaning closer. "You didn't think it was nonsense last time."
Kao's eyes met his—once. Heat flickered beneath the restraint.
"Keep talking," he warned.
"...and you'll find out exactly what ruin means."
But Nil only smiled—shameless. He reached across the console, fingers sliding over Kao's until their hands locked, knuckles pressing tight. Then he turned his face to the rain-streaked window, saying nothing.
Kao didn't meet his eyes again. The corners of his mouth tugged upward, a silent curve as he exhaled.
"So audacious."
The car came to a stop in front of the studio. Nil's hand hovered over the handle.
"Did you forget something?" Kao's words brushed against him from the side.
Nil froze, mid-motion. "...I don't think so."
"One kiss," Kao added, eyes bright.
Nil's gaze flicked to the street. Passersby angled their heads, curiosity sharp and obvious. "No... too many eyes already."
Kao lowered his lashes, lips twitching faintly. Nil grinned, pressed a quick, daring kiss to his cheek, and slipped out. The door clicked softly behind him.
Inside the studio, Nil's pulse still thumped, uneven.
...
Elsewhere, Kao stepped into his home after a long shower, hair damp, shirt sleeves casually rolled. He went to find Achara, only to discover her slumped over her desk, pen still in hand. He started to leave without waking her — but she spoke, drowsy yet quick to tease:
"Brother, this is your sister's room. Your door's on the other side. Have you forgotten?"
Kao stopped, a faint smile forming, mock-solemn. "Angry?"
"You didn't even answer my calls." She lifted her head, narrowing her eyes.
Kao crossed the room and settled on the edge of her bed, reaching into his pocket. "I'm sorry, Achara." He placed his debit card on the table. "I wanted to give you this. If you're angry, use it later."
Achara snatched it up instantly, laughing. "Brother, I was joking." Her eyes sharpened. "So? How was the date? Did P. Nil finally give in?"
Kao lowered his lashes, lips curving with calm triumph. "He did."
Achara clapped once, eyes sparkling. "Congratulations! No one can resist my handsome brother." She leaned back, mischief flickering across her smile. "Then you must bring him to dinner. Tonight."
"Not tonight." Kao paused briefly, "But soon. I'll make sure of it."
Mrs. Nin, having caught fragments of their earlier exchange, quietly contacted Lava, arranging to meet at the restaurant. Lava agreed without hesitation.
Under the harsh studio lights, Nil stood at the center of the set with Than, cameras rotating like predators. Kim's instructions sliced through the air, adjusting the tilt of his chin, the fall of his lashes, the movement of his hands. Each motion, every angle, was refined with meticulous precision.
By 3:58, Nil retreated to the makeup room. Cooler air brushed his skin, scented faintly with powder and stage perfume. His phone lit up.
Kao. A small, private smile tugged at Nil's lips as he pressed the screen.
"How's it going, Boyfriend ?" Kao's voice came low.
"Tired," Nil replied, leaning back into the chair, the curve of his neck catching the light. "But satisfied."
"Missed me?" Kao asked.
Nil's lashes lowered, his smile thinning into something unreadable. "No. I had no time."
"..." Kao's silence was weighty, almost physical, as if he were leaning closer through the line. "...Really?"
Nil's lips curled, "Must I say every little thing aloud?"
"Can't you figure it out yourself...''
''Stranger."
The noise of the set swelled—footsteps, shifting tripods, voices calling for him. Someone knocked, someone laughed; a dozen hands reaching for his time.
Nil's lashes lowered. Without warning, he ended the call.
In that sudden absence, Kao's fingers tightened around his phone. He could almost see it—the tilt of Nil's head, the faint press of lips trying not to curve, the soft defiance of someone who knew exactly how to leave a man starving.
A trace of shyness?
No.
It was far worse.
It was deliberate.
On the other hand, the restaurant's lights gleamed off polished wood, casting a warm sheen over the table where Mrs. Nin sat as if she owned not just the seat, but the air itself. Lava entered, brow furrowed with unease. "Why did you call me, ma'am?"
Mrs. Nin's gaze pierced. "Do you love Kao?"
A bitter edge flickered across Lava's expression as he hesitated. "Yeah."
"But he's obsessed with that waiter—Nil, that nobody..."
"That filth from Bangladesh."
Mrs. Nin's smile thinned, "Love? Don't be naive. They only chase the idea of each other."
Lava let out a dark laugh, curling along his lips. "Whatever... I know Kao is mad for him."
"Then don't retreat." Her eyes glinted like steel. "Kao will invite Nil to dinner. You'll go. And you'll act."
A crease formed between Lava's brows, doubt flashing briefly. "What if he refuses me?"
Her expression didn't waver. "He won't. I'll see to it."
"Fine. I'll play." A sly twist tugged at Lava's lips.