The five-hour plane ride to Phitsanulok is mostly uneventful, consisting mostly of the siblings joking around and recounting old stories from their childhood. Despite the light chitchat, Jaran's firm grip on Tiwa's hand shows how much he cares to protect his little brother. Tiwa appreciates that being an omega can be advantageous at times, but not always!
As they land, Tiwa's eyes light up with anticipation as he yearns to reach their home. Despite any hardships he may face, he finds solace in the fact that his heart is where his home is. As long as he is with his brother and sister, he can endure anything in order to cherish their time together. The absence of Pravat brings a sense of relief, as his constant tricks always dampen the mood.
In a rush, they reach their home, and Phaibun greets her son with a hug while Tiwa is standing at the door awkwardly. He gets nervous under her gaze. He looks down, and she glares at him over her son's shoulder. From the atmosphere, he can guess his sister is still not arriving from her husband's house.
Not wanting to be suffocated by emotions, Tiwa takes a quick greeting from his adoptive mother and moves to rush up the stairs to where his old bedroom is, but Jaran grabs him by the wrist and gives him a concerned look. He knows what it means. It's tough. Forcing a smile on his face, Tiwa nods and pulls his hand away before going to his room.
He doesn't want to look back. But as he looks back, is this the worst he has gone through? His adoptive mother never likes him. He is taken in by the Buathong family, yet he never belongs. His adoptive father, Suppasit Buathong, his parents' old friend who found him on the streets and took him in, always asks if he's fine but never confronts his wife about her treatment of him. Not that Suppasit needs to, anyway. Tiwa is not his family. This might be Tiwa's punishment for being presented as an omega, as his adoptive mother always says.
Tiwa gets in his room and turns the light on to take in what he's missed those days. On the walls are a combination of flower and animal posters. In one corner sits his bed, a twin-sized mattress with a green and white plaid comforter and matching sheets. A tall bookshelf stands against the opposite wall of his bed. On it sit famous singers' figures and various comic books.
Everything seems to have its place but is a little dusty. He smiles, not letting anything bother him and feeling the previous awkwardness melt away. He walks to the shelf and trails his fingers over it until the carving of a couple kissing appears from the dust. It was his artwork when he was twelve. His fingers trace over the figures and recall the exact moment, which happened a long time ago.
Suddenly, fear grips him, and he quickly pulls his hand away. His throat feels dry as his fingers brush over his lips, trying to stop the tingling sensation. Even in this calm moment, his heart pounds as he searches for someone he wishes to forget forever. "Is this just a way to convince myself? Do I really want to forget him?" He hears nothing, his mind so overwhelmed that he gets no response.
"Tiwa." He jerks around at the gentle, chiding voice of his sister, Achara, as she enters the room, where he is definitely not hiding out.
"You have so much to think about other than greeting your sister," she scolds, her tone stern but with a slight smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. Despite her morning sickness making her move slower, she still reaches out to hug Tiwa, confessing, "I missed you."
"Sorry," Tiwa mutters, feeling a sense of guilt. As he takes in her sweet scent with a deep breath, he smiles gently and steps back. "I missed you too." This moment is something he loves and will always treasure. His eyes drift to her stomach, which is now round with a five-month-old pup inside. He can't help but feel a surge of excitement and anticipation running through him.
Wanting to feel the tiny kicks and movements of the growing pup, Tiwa reaches out his hand with shaking fingers and hums sweetly. It is when Phaibun grabs his wrist and stops him from making his wish. He glances at her, not knowing what he's done wrong this time.
"I don't want my grandchild to become a pathetic omega like you!" She growls, glaring at Tiwa and squeezing his hand tightly so that he can feel pain.
Tiwa nods and pulls his hand away before offering a forced smile. Unable to control his emotions, tears prick in his eyes as he leaves the room, ignoring his sister's call. Her voice is gentle and lilting, reminding him of better days and happier times.
Stepping out onto the street, he ponders his life, which feels meaningless. Every time he stays home, it feels like bugs are crawling under his skin, making him uncomfortable. Is his guess of 'heart is where the home is' wrong, or is it 'home is where the heart is'? If it is, where is his heart now? What is his true home? It all seems so trivial to him, leaving him wondering why he's even thinking about it and what the point of it all is.
His feet come to a stop where a bakery is having a busy time. Turning to look at it, a small smile curls on his lips when his favorite pastries are neatly arranged on the display. He walks over and slaps the counter to gain the attention of the owner so he can buy it. Before the words come out of his mouth, the man who seems to be married and in his mid-thirties approaches.
"A chocolate chip cookie, a mud cake… Holy crap, you are pretty!" The man compliments Tiwa, causing him to shriek. Despite being praised on a daily basis by most people, Tiwa has never met a person who releases their scent at the sight of him. He's certain that his scent blocker is still intact, so how…
With no time to dwell on it, he manages to reply, "Thank you." He turns to leave but is stopped by a hand on his arm. He panics and pulls away, slowly inching back from the man.
"Calm down, pretty boy. I will leave after I get a quick peck." The man leans in but is dodged by Tiwa, who takes a step back, his heart racing.
"I'm not interested," Tiwa says firmly, his voice trembling slightly.
The man raises an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips. "Come on, just one little kiss," he insists, taking a step closer.
Tiwa's mind races as he tries to think of a way to escape the situation. His cheeks turn blood red, and his forehead starts sweating profusely from the bitter scent present all over the bakery. As the man steps nearer, Tiwa pushes him away and gets behind the screen, clutching onto his pocket, which holds a pepper spray ready to be used any time soon. He remembers what his sister told him the other day—if somebody tries to touch him, he will spray this on their faces.
He waits for ten minutes or so until he feels a presence near him. Getting into the action quickly, he pulls the pepper spray out and gets off the screen to spray it on the alpha's face until screaming erupts. The spray bottle gets loosened in his grip when he puts it down. He feels all the blood drain out of his face when he realizes what he's done and to whom he's done!!