Jaran looks at Tiwa the whole time and notices him glancing now and then from the corner of his eye. He knows something is going down. Of course, he knows something is going down. He sees things; he knows things; and he pays much more attention to Tiwa's matters than anyone thinks he does. He feels Tiwa is bothered by something but unwilling to share it with him. "Why? Is it about that lunatic Pravat or something?"
He shakes his head. "No, I shouldn't be thinking like that. I already made a mistake in my hometown by accusing Tiwa and hurting him without investigating the situation, so I don't want to repeat the same. It will not be good for our personal and professional lives."
As he thinks about it, he struggles to focus on rehearsal. He usually knows exactly what to say and where to push, understanding the weaknesses in his façade. But now, even as his fingers move over the fretboard, he can't bring the music to life.
Tiwa calls it a break and does not aggravate the music, which Jaran has been killing for quite some time now. He goes to Jaran and grabs him by the wrist, dragging him to their dressing room. Putting the chairs in the middle, they sit and face each other to sort out the bothersome things.
"What is bothering you?" Tiwa asks, placing his hand on Jaran's and expecting an answer.
Jaran looks at Tiwa in the eyes, then averts his gaze away, hesitating to tell what's going on in his mind. "I…" He stares up at the ceiling, counting the number of popcorn studs he can find until he reaches sixty, and then continues with a little more conviction. "I feel like you're hiding something from me."
Tiwa is quiet for a heartbeat. Then he tilts his head curiously to one side, looking suspiciously. "Do you think I am going to elope with Pravat?"
The silence is the only answer he needs, and it hurts him right in the heart. He wants to question whatever God makes these awful thoughts go through Jaran's mind. But he knows deep down that there may never be a satisfactory answer. Jaran's struggles with his inner demons are a battle that only he can fight.
Jaran shakes his head and looks back at the ceiling, trying not to show distrust. "I don't think so. I just…" He pauses, thinking for a long moment, and nods slowly. "Leave it." He halts the conversation when he doesn't want to continue it.
Tiwa is bewildered, though he stares and squeezes Jaran's hand gently. "Don't think about unnecessary things. I have no plan for elopement. You know I don't break promises." He reminds him of the promise that they made in childhood. He will be by Jaran's side forever, no matter what.
Jaran nods and pulls Tiwa into a hug, feeling relieved. His heartbeat goes back to normal and brings peace to his body. As he soothes Tiwa's back and breathes in the sweet scent, he realizes something is wrong. Inhaling the scent again, he notices a sudden change in the fragrance—it becomes unpleasant.
Locking eyes with Tiwa, Jaran searches for any signs of distress. He knows Tiwa so well that any discomfort would be impossible to hide. As expected, he detects a hint of unease. Reaching out to touch Tiwa's cheek, he quickly pulls back upon feeling its warmth. His suspicions are confirmed as he realizes Tiwa has neglected to take his medicine.
"Tiwa, you forgot to take your suppressant. Right?" He asks in a low voice, not wanting anyone else to hear.
"Ahh, I forgot." Tiwa bounces on his feet and rushes to his bag, where he kept it earlier. His bag is unzipped, but that's not what concerns him the most. His medicine is missing. He turns to look at Jaran with wide eyes and is already scared to his core. He doesn't know that this is something he must be careful with. "Who could do such a thing? What if it has gotten into someone outside my circle, and they find out I'm an omega hiding behind the beta mask?"
Fear overwhelms him and blinds his eyes, making him lose focus. All his rational behavior goes out the window. He can't see anything other than his own destruction. His chest feels like it's compressing in on itself, and he tries to breathe, but he can't. His breathing gets so terrible.
His hand flutters near his throat like he's being choked by some invisible entity, and he can't breathe. "Tiwa? Are you okay?" It registers in the back of his mind that the voice belongs to his brother, who can see the panic in his eyes just now and is apparently shouting to bring him back under control.
Tiwa struggles to keep his panic under control. He can't recall how to breathe properly, let alone speak. He remains silent, small gasps escaping him like hiccups. His eyes widen in confusion and fear as he grapples with the unknown situation, unsure of how to regain control.
"Tiwa?" Jaran drops the bag after checking it on himself and goes into Tiwa's line of vision with concern etched across his face. He understands what is going on. His tone shifts into something more authoritative but, at the same time, impossibly calming. "Tiwa, look at me."
That's the only thing Tiwa can do right now, and he slowly shifts his gaze until his eyes lock with Jaran's.
Jaran takes one of Tiwa's hands and places it on his chest, right over his heart. His warm hand subtly provides comforting pressure. "I want you to breathe, okay? Breathe for me. Like this," he demonstrates, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, allowing Tiwa to feel the rhythm of his chest rising and falling.
Tiwa wants to yell, but he can't. Breathing is painful, but he forces himself to do it, trying to mimic Jaran. It feels like an eternity before it gets easier to breathe. The pressure on his chest slowly fades, but he still trembles and isn't sure if he can speak.
"Come on," Jaran says, turning abruptly, dropping Tiwa's hand from his chest, and startling him by lacing their fingers together. His expression changes to disgust and confusion—with whom, we wait to know.
"Where are we going?" Tiwa asks as Jaran starts pulling him along, half-hidden, like a shadow.
"To get your thing back," Jaran growls.
Tiwa realizes a second too late that they're heading for Pravat, who is oblivious, humming a song under his breath while checking his phone. Tiwa struggles to get away, his heart beating loudly in his ears as he guesses what will happen next. He should do something to control Jaran because there's a misunderstanding. "B-Brother, forget it," he mumbles incoherently. "We can buy another suppressant."
Ignoring the mumbling, Jaran slaps the phone from Pravat's hand and makes it fall to the floor. In one quick stride, he grabs Pravat by the collar and shoves him into the wall. "You're crossing your limits. Where is Tiwa's suppressant?" He barks, his eyes blazing with anger.
"Shh." Tiwa presses the index finger of his free hand to his lips in a shushing motion, not wanting anyone else to hear their conversation. Even though there seems to be no one near them, apart from anything, if someone eavesdrops on them, he will be surprised.
Pravat's expression remains unchanged as he glances at Tiwa and gently grips Jaran's wrist. He can decipher what is happening just by looking at Tiwa. He shakes his head, lets out a groan, and pushes Jaran away. "How would I know? Look, I don't engage in that type of dirty trick to seek revenge on you," he asserts, making his point clear.
Jaran laughs in response, clearly not buying a single word. "I'll kill you," he threatens as he tries to attack Pravat, but Tiwa grabs his hand.
"You must be mistaken, brother. He wouldn't do such a thing." Tiwa mutters, turning his attention from Jaran to Pravat and staring at him. He believes Pravat wouldn't do such a dirty trick, even if he wants revenge.
Tiwa feels suffocated when Jaran releases a bitter pheromone at his words to reflect the unpleasantness and frighten him. He feels giddy and shaky. He waits for the wave of dizziness to pass. His free hand reaches out to brace against the wall, but Pravat grabs it and shouts to get his attention.
Jaran pushes Pravat away and makes sure not to let him near Tiwa. "Don't pretend to care for him. I know you better than anyone, Pravat. You're a snake in the grass. Trying to act innocent when we both know you're nothing but trouble. Stay away from Tiwa before I make you regret it. Do you think you can fool us all with your fake concern? Think again, you conniving bastard."
Light brown orbs close unwillingly due to panic, and Tiwa leans against Jaran's shoulder while hearing his brother's final warning to Pravat in a more aggressive tone. Unconsciously, he shudders as if he is personally witnessing the argument going on, as if he can hear every word. Whatever, he hopes their grudge against each other won't give way to an unknown enemy to harm the upcoming concert.