The quickest one-stop flight from Hong Kong to Taipei proves challenging, as it nearly takes seven hours. Upon landing, the bandmates feel exhausted and drained, lacking the energy even to shift. Despite attempting to rest for a brief moment, their manager swiftly intervenes, emphasizing the importance of avoiding a potential crowd of fans or paparazzi at the airport.
Whimpering and struggling all the way, they reach the parking lot and quickly get into the arranged cars to drive to the nearby hotel. Everything is moving perfectly, but the whole ride is boring with their constant yawning. Neither of them is in the mood to start a chat because their bodies are begging for a proper rest before they can do anything they want.
After half an hour, they arrive at the hotel and are quickly escorted to their rooms by their manager. Jaran feels grateful that the unpredictable Pravat hasn't caused any trouble yet. He knows that if Pravat did, he would end up with a severe headache and body pain, something he definitely wants to avoid experiencing.
Sighing, he drops his bags at the door and glances around the room to make sure it is comfortable. Of course, it is. But it doesn't seem to be to his taste. The room is spacious and well-furnished, with a double bed, a cozy sitting area, and a beautiful view of the city skyline. He prefers a more minimalist, modern design without all the frills and fringes. It's just too cluttered for him.
He moves to the side, knocking into Tiwa, nearly causing him to fall. However, he catches him gently in his arms and leads him to one of the beds. "Take a rest. The room is more to your taste. You will enjoy it more than I do," he says as he strokes his little brother's hair gently with a smile on his face.
Tiwa nods gratefully, sinking into the soft bedding and closing his eyes.
Jaran watches over Tiwa for a moment, his heart filled with love and protectiveness for his little brother. He can't help but pat him on the cheek affectionately before going to the other bed and collapsing on it. The weight of the travel finally catches up to him as he closes his eyes and lets out a long, tired sigh, grateful for the chance to finally relax.
Tiwa opens his eyes slowly, staring up at the ceiling. His brain won't stop whirling, though, even after he clambers under the covers, determined to go to sleep if only to prevent the image of Pravat and Decha together.
He rolls over, pressing his face against the bed with a groan. Their moments play in a loop in his mind. Their talks and their secret hand gestures to each other haunt his memories. He sits up for a while, looking at Jaran, scratching uncomfortably at his forearm. "Damn it!" He groans, digging his fingers into his eyes. "I'm supposed to sleep now."
He encourages himself again to sleep and forget about how weird these couple of days have been, but he can't. It feels difficult, so he's actually not sure what he needs to know. Wait! There isn't any way there is anything to do with a need for this. He needs nothing. His face is pale and his thoughts are a jumbled mess. He wishes things were different.
Sighing, he gets up and hugs himself. He knows he can't get out of this situation, no matter how much he wants to, so he settles into the plush armchair by the window and stares at the sky. He has never thought of himself as someone who craves love, but now he finds himself feeling so weak that he can't say it out loud. Clenching his hands into fists, he doesn't say anything.
After a few hours, Jaran wakes up and stretches his arms out, feeling relieved. The peaceful nap has improved his mood and outlook. As he wants to shower, he notices his bags are still at the door. Upon grabbing them, he sees Tiwa sitting on the armchair, looking troubled by something. Jaran watches curiously as Tiwa still hasn't realized his presence. He refrains from asking what could be distracting Tiwa so much.
Instead, he approaches Tiwa and playfully ruffles his messy hair to signal his presence. Noticing the tiredness in him, he realizes that Tiwa hasn't taken a nap. Suspiciously, he looks at Tiwa, trying to catch what's going on.
Tiwa raises his head a little. "Do you need anything?"
Jaran shakes his head with a smile before disappearing into the bathroom with a set of clothes. Trying to distract himself, he showers, but his thoughts keep returning to Tiwa's strange behavior. He thinks of ways to lift the mood and lets the warm water relax him while thoroughly scrubbing his body. Suddenly, an idea strikes him, and he turns off the water before quickly leaving the bathroom and grabbing his phone to put his plan into action.
***
Tiwa is on his own, filled with thoughts and questions, as he sits on the armchair. Suddenly, there is a loud, obnoxious pounding on the door. He gives his head a little shake, trying to clear the rampant thoughts. He then tilts his head toward the door and gives it a dark look before shaking his head. He doesn't want to face anyone right now, so he ignores them and focuses back at the sky blankly.
"Jaran! Tiwa! Open the door!" Decha calls from the other side, banging on the door again. "This sh*t is heavy. Come on!"
Tiwa groans and ignores this time on purpose, hoping that Decha will eventually give up and go away.
But Decha continues shouting, growing more impatient with each passing moment. "Your neighbors are starting to complain about the noise! Open up!"
With a sigh, Tiwa finally pushes himself off the armchair and makes his way to the door. He yanks it open, glaring. It's only returned with a giant smile. "What the hell do you want?" He asks with a hiss, crossing his arms over his chest as the door rests against his shoulder. He doesn't move to let Decha in.
"Your cousins and I think it would be fun to hang out with some pizza and drinks and watch some movies. We haven't done it in a year, so we like to do it now," Decha explains, holding a couple of pizza boxes in his hands. He tosses his head to the side, revealing the two betas standing beside him with two large juice bottles.
Tiwa is still not interested, so he tries to close the door in their faces, but Jaran stops him. He shakes his head, steps to the side, and lets them in.
The three walk into the room and set their goods down on the table in the corner. It feels odd, but Tiwa tries to be okay with a minor distraction, hoping that he can adjust. The little fun doesn't help, however, as he tries to adjust, so he offers to join Kay, as the beta wants to visit his room to grab a few more items.
As they make their way down the hall, Tiwa barely feels his feet touching the floor. It's because he can't concentrate on his movements, only thinking about how weak he is, that he's spoiled his mind when the reason out there probably enjoys its life. Frowning, he takes another step and is stunned when he senses the familiar musk scent.
He looks up in surprise to see the great Pravat leaning against the wall with a sly grin playing on his lips. He takes a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. Pravat's presence always brings a mix of excitement and anxiety for Tiwa, as he never quite knows what to expect from him. The two engage in a silent staring contest that is likely full of unsaid words in their language for a minute before Tiwa blinks in his owlish way and grunts, walking away while grabbing Kay by the arm.
Kay shoots a curious glance but wisely keeps his questions to himself as they walk briskly down the dimly lit corridor.
Tiwa can still feel Pravat's gaze burning into his back, sending shivers down his spine. He knows that his heart belongs to Pravat, whether he likes it or not, and there's nothing he can do to change it. But for now, he doesn't want to confront him. He is a grown man with power over his own thoughts and strength of intellect to boot. He is going to focus and not let his personal feelings get in the way.