As evening approaches, Tiwa slips a bag over his shoulder and walks down the hallway to find his brother. He knows his brother is waiting for him outside, ensuring everything is going well. Suddenly, a thought crosses his mind, reminding him of the suppressants. He realizes he should buy them before reaching the hotel, or he will go into the heat.
He bites his lip worriedly, looks up, and stumbles slightly because his head is spinning. He leans against the wall and moans softly in pain. His head pounds, his stomach churns, and his ears lose their hearing. Uncertain of where he's standing, the world spins at an off-angle, and all he wants to do is lie down.
He goes to move and trips over his own feet. Instead of falling to the floor, he stumbles into someone, at which point everything becomes hazy. Arms wrap around him and draw him gently into a warm chest. "Woah, baby deer, you always faint at the sight of your tiger." The voice chuckles.
Tiwa mumbles something as he feels his stomach and lower cramps solidify. His brain alerts him when he realizes what's going on. He blinks and stares into the dark brown eyes, drowning in them. His heart leaps into his chest as Pravat moves to nuzzle his neck. He is afraid he will get into serious trouble if Pravat smells him now. Hurriedly, he pushes him away and runs outside.
Capturing the sight of his brother, Tiwa nods and walks over to him, but Faisol interrupts and takes Jaran away to discuss something. Stomping his foot frustratedly, Tiwa waits and hopes whatever is going on there will break down. But it doesn't happen. His head is aching.
As seconds turn into several minutes, Jaran beckons Tiwa to get a ride with their cousins. Tiwa is trying to argue, but their cousins approach and forcibly take him to their car. "Hey, what's going on? Why is my brother left out?" He asks, panicked.
Kay replies, "Jaran needs to stay and check out everything for our tour."
Tiwa shakes his head. "Let me stick around until he arrives."
"We can't hear his scoldings," Kiat says, ignoring Tiwa's protests and pushing him into the backseat.
During the half-ride, Tiwa remains quiet and stares out the window, trying to find a way to buy suppressants. The suppressants are almost gone from his body. He's scared each time, and he adjusts to the seat whenever the slick comes out.
His brain halts along with the car. He looks up at Kiat as the beta informs him that he's going to the store to buy snacks and drinks for them. Ruffling his hair frustratedly, Tiwa watches outside and notices a small store across the road.
Without having another thought, he exits the car and walks toward the store, savoring the cold weather. His beanie scrunches over his ears, and the scarf almost covers his face. He breathes out a puff of air, then opens the door to the store, his eyes blinded by the bright neon sign.
A young woman with dark hair and tattoos stretched over her arms is behind the counter, ringing up female omegas; no doubt they're buying suppressants. She looks up briefly when the bell over the door chimes but says nothing.
Giving her a small nod, Tiwa begins to stroll through the aisles, not actively seeking anything specific. However, his gaze eventually settles on a bottle of suppressor pills, and he feels a wave of relief wash over him as he grasps it tightly, staring at it intently.
He turns to move, but his eyes land on a spinning rack of hard candy packs in the middle of the store. He spins it lazily; nothing appeals to him. He shuts his eyes and takes a candy pack at random after a minute or two, slipping it into his pocket. Then, he grabs a bottle of juice from the freezer, not caring about the brand or flavor. He needs something to drink.
After walking around for a couple more minutes, he finally heads to check out. He sets the drink down and reaches into his pocket, pulling out a candy pack that turns out to be a Haoliyuan. He smiles slightly, remembering how he and his brother had eaten the candy one day the summer before, and puts it next to the juice. Scratching his neck for a minute, he pulls out the bottle of suppressor pills and places it with the other items.
"Is it for Decha or…?" The woman, whose name tag reads 'Dao', asks.
Trying not to wince, Tiwa replies immediately, getting out his wallet to pay out the bills. "It's for Decha." He adjusts the scarf and makes sure to cover his face clearly. He should be more careful while wandering around in public alone.
She nods and rings up the drink, Haoliyuan, and suppressor pills, the price flashing on the screen. Tiwa trades the driving license for a few baht bills, setting them down on the counter. When he attempts to shove the license back into his wallet, she is smiling. "You must be a little out of it."
"Huh?" Tiwa looks at her confusedly, not knowing what she's saying.
She gestures to the counter. "You're missing a baht."
"Sorry." Tiwa fishes out another baht bill, handing it over with shaking fingers.
She takes it and smiles sympathetically, then says as Tiwa picks up the items and leaves, "Good night, and please visit us again."
Tiwa grunts in reply, partly due to his sour mood and partly because he doesn't want to drop the juice bottle while closing the door. He assumes everything will be fine now. But no, nothing is fine in his life as he struggles to make changes.
His eyes keep widening when he realizes that his cousin's car is not on the road. The air hits his face almost hard enough that his hair falls over his eyes, but he doesn't care. All he cares about is that he's standing alone at the store with none of his relatives near him.