"Sometimes, you need to do what makes you uncomfortable because the answers you're seeking might be right in that discomfort."
You've probably never heard this concept before because I just made it up while thinking about where this story would go from here. But I'm curious: have you ever found something you were searching for so tirelessly right when you were doing something you were so reluctant to do? It's true, sometimes the secret of life is in what we think we don't want but actually need.
I'm not saying this because I'm a crazy person who likes to chat in the middle of a narrative; I'm not Wave.
I'm bringing this up because one of the main characters in this love story will realize that he doesn't know anything about what he really needs. He doesn't know what he was born to do, and he will finally experience the fire of life he's been longing for but has never truly felt.
What he doesn't know is that he will need someone else to ignite that fire within him. I'm talking about the fire of dreams, talent, and vitality.
That morning, Wave was more tired than usual because he had stayed up for two nights in a row watching various movies, series, and even reading novels that somehow represented the dynamic of the play he was helping to direct. He felt exhausted but confident that he now had all the material needed to draw out of the actors what he required to create the ideal Adrien.
Wave's eyes were heavy, and he blinked more than usual while pedaling his bike around the university region. Without realizing it, one of the stray dogs that lived in the area came into his line of sight. He wasn't sure if it was due to sleepiness, but he stared at the animal as if it were closer than it actually was and began to lose control of his bike.
"Damn it!" he yelled, trying to regain control of the handlebars, but his attention was completely focused on the dog, which was still meters away. This caused him to accidentally drift out of the bike lane.
As Wave left the designated area, he managed to stop, but the car coming up behind him clearly didn't have time to brake and avoid hitting his slim body. Before the vehicle could collide with the bike, Wave felt a firm hand pull him abruptly away from the handlebars. The force made him lose his balance and shift sideways. He barely turned his face, seeing the car approaching, and a look of panic overtook him. He shut his eyes and braced for the impact, but the only sound he heard was the crash of the car wrecking the bike's frame.
He hadn't fallen, but he kept his eyes closed while gripping his 'savior's' clothes. The person pressed against him had a woody, fresh scent that he remembered distinctly. Also, this was the third time this figure had prevented him from getting hurt. It seemed like he was always there, like a guardian angel. This made Wave feel strangely familiar with the body, stature, and touch, and a faint smile appeared on his lips. Without opening his eyes or moving, he simply whispered:This made Wave feel strangely familiar with the body, stature, and touch, and a faint smile appeared on his lips. Without opening his eyes or moving, he simply whispered:
"You saved me again." Wave was challenging himself, betting that he knew who was there.
"You really..." The other person was breathless, and there was desperation in their voice. "You really never get tired of being careless?"
"Maybe, deep down, I know I can be careless because you'll always be there to save me." He opened his eyes, his smile widening as he looked at his junior, whose face was almost touching his. "Thanks again, serious boy!"
Wave made no move to pull away; after all, it was safe and comfortable there, and he didn't feel awkward being so close to someone. Besides, he was sure that the younger guy would release him as quickly as he had helped, but that didn't happen. Dan continued close, with intense and worried eyes. They stayed like that for a few seconds that felt much longer, enjoying the comfort of their closeness. Everything was interrupted by a loud horn from the car in front of them.
"Damn it!" shouted the driver, causing both of them to pull apart and notice the damage. Wave's bike was completely wrecked, and the car had also sustained considerable damage. It was chaos.
For about thirty minutes, they dealt with the paperwork from the accident, with Wave apologizing repeatedly for his distraction. The driver was furious, and Wave's calm attitude only seemed to make him angrier. He would have been more aggressive if Dan hadn't stayed by Wave's side the whole time. Whenever the driver tried to yell, Dan stepped in between them, and his intimidating stare shut down any further outbursts.
Now, did Wave notice his junior's actions? Of course not. He hadn't even realized that the driver was about to commit violence against him. Our guy really lived in his own world, and it was much more colorful than reality.
"Thanks for staying with me, but you really didn't have to," Wave said, sitting on the sidewalk after sorting things out with the driver and tossing the remnants of the bike into the nearest trash bin. Dan was by his side.
"..."
Dan didn't say anything but pulled out his phone and started typing something that soon arrived as a notification for Wave.
"When are you finally going to stop texting me?" Wave found it amusing and then grabbed his own phone to read the conversation with his junior.
[Dan Zanon]
What happened to you? Why did you push your bike off the bike lane?"
"Oh, you saw everything?" Wave asked, and Dan nodded. "Well, then you must have seen the huge dog that appeared right in front of me."
Dan began typing on his phone again, and Wave waited for the message:
[Dan Zanon]
I saw the dog, but it was far away and harmless.
"It doesn't matter if it's harmless or not..." Wave sighed, looking down. "I have a fear of dogs. I can't stay calm just seeing anything that barks. There was even a time when I jumped into a canal to escape one." He laughed, recalling the craziness. "I ended up in the hospital for a while."
"So it was because..." Dan sighed to himself and trailed off.
"What did you say?" Wave asked, curious. Dan just looked away and shook his head slightly, his lips pressing into a thin line. "Okay... Normally, I wouldn't get so worked up if a monster like that was far away, but today I was a bit tired and I guess I lost some of my awareness."
"Why were you tired?" Dan asked quietly, and Wave smiled slightly at the sound of his voice.
"Because I spent all night watching that movie I showed you when you were at my place, remember? It's really good! And it gave me a great idea of how to portray Adrien to the actors now. The couple's dynamic is amazing. Plus, I watched other shows with the same kind of relationship yesterday." He was quite excited. "By the way, I found a series where the main character is afraid of dogs, just like me. And the other main character reminds me a bit of you! It makes me think... We'd make a great couple, serious boy!" he said jokingly, laughing a bit.
Dan didn't respond; his eyes narrowed slightly, and his jaw tensed as if holding back words he didn't want to say. Something seemed to be bothering him, but Wave didn't notice.
"Joking aside, thanks again!" Wave looked at him with bright eyes. "Now we're both late for the theater. I'll need to call a taxi. Can you come with me and put the bike in the trunk?"
Dan stared at him for a few seconds, then took out his phone, typed quickly, and showed the screen to Wave, rather than letting him grab the phone himself:
[Dan Zanon]
You can ride with me on my bike if you want.
"Seriously?" Wave asked, excited. "You're really going to give your senior a ride? That's so not like you."
Dan rolled his eyes and got on his bike, nodding his head to signal that Wave should follow. Wave, unable to contain his excitement, eagerly followed him to the designated spot. Dan led the way to the theater in silence. They both enjoyed the view and the breeze as it passed between them. Occasionally, Wave's hand would drift away, and Dan would pull it back closer to his torso, signaling that Wave could hold on tighter.
If you've noticed, scenes with bicycles are almost a staple in love stories, especially those set in Thailand. I'll be honest with you: Wave and Dan were just enjoying the peace and comfort of the moment, with no real romance involved—at least that's what they thought. Little did they know, feeling peace and comfort with someone was just the first step in most of the beautiful love stories we see.
"Thanks, serious boy!" Wave said as he got off the bike when they arrived at their destination. "Unfortunately, starting tomorrow, I'll have to drive to and from the university..." He sighed wistfully. "Only I know how much I hate that!"
"I..." Dan began, looking like he was gathering courage as he secured the bike. "I can give you a ride like this every day if you want."
He said it so quickly that it was almost unintelligible, and then he turned and entered the theater before Wave could react to the offer. Wave just laughed at his junior's behavior.
"Did he really mean that? He really can be surprising sometimes."
When they arrived at the theater, Wave heard some complaints from Marco, which were quickly resolved once he explained the accident and everything that had happened. They discussed everything Wave had noticed and discovered about Adrien, and Marco was excited about the insights. New directions were then given to the cast, and some of them auditioned for Adrien that same day.
But things didn't go as planned. As the auditions continued, something still seemed off, as if something was missing.
"Maybe the problem isn't us, after all," Marco said after the last audition. Wave was slumped in his chair, his head buried in the seat in front of him.
"What do you mean? How could the problem not be us?" Wave complained, his voice muffled by the leather chair.
"I think... Wave, it's time for you to learn something." Marco adopted a serious tone, making Wave sit up and pay attention.
"What?"
"There are some characters that are just meant to be played by certain people. No matter how talented the actors we have here, I feel like none of them were born to play Adrien. He needs to come alive through the eyes, the voice, and the actions of only a few people in the world."
"I've never seen anything like that."
"Of course, you have!" Marco paused for a moment, thinking before he continued. "You once told me that your favorite story is Pride and Prejudice, right?"
It wasn't common for someone of Wave's age to like that kind of story, especially since it's from another era, but he had no problem admitting it.
"That's right!"
"Who's your favorite character in the movie?"
"What kind of question is that? Obviously, it's Darcy!" he said, pretending to be offended.
"There are two famous versions of Pride and Prejudice: the 1995 series and the 2005 movie. I bet you've seen both, haven't you?"
"Yes! I love the series; it's a masterpiece. But I don't like the movie—it feels like something's missing." Wave recalled both productions but still couldn't understand Marco's point.
"Obviously, your favorite character in both is Mr. Darcy, right?" Marco asked, and Wave just nodded. "Now, who plays Mr. Darcy in the 1995 series?"
"Colin Firth! He was amazing!"
"And now… who plays Mr. Darcy in the 2005 movie?" Marco was looking at him with a knowing expression.
"I can't remember the actor's name…"
"You said you didn't like the 2005 movie because it felt like something was missing, right? What if what was missing was…"
"Colin Firth?" Wave interrupted, startled.
"Exactly! The reason Darcy is such a great character and touches your heart in a period piece like Pride and Prejudice is because Colin Firth was absolutely perfect for him," Marco began. "Mr. Darcy is a great character in the books, but, from your point of view, the actor in the movie, even though he's a great actor, didn't bring the character to life like Colin Firth did in the first version."
"That… that makes total sense." Wave was lost in thought, staring off into space as if multiple dots were connecting. "But the problem now is: how do we find our Colin Firth in this case?"
"Well, we need to first analyze the character..." Marco started, but Wave's attention was somewhat diverted when Dan walked onto the stage to adjust some parts of the set that had been put up for the audition. He had taken off his university shirt and was wearing something that exposed his arms and other tattoos.
"Let's analyze Adrien…" Wave agreed, still looking at the stage.
"Yes, he's a very reserved and quiet man," Marco noted. Wave heard him but kept his eyes on his junior on the stage.
"Yeah…"
"He's a character who can express all his emotions just through his eyes; his eyes convey everything in his heart." As Marco made this observation, Dan cast a subtle glance at Wave before quickly looking away.
"He doesn't even need to say anything," Wave had caught Dan's quick look, and a slight smile formed on his lips as he realized that Dan had become slightly shy about being caught in the act.
"It's a dynamic where what isn't said is just as important as what is actually spoken out loud," Marco continued.
"That's exactly it," Wave said, while a new and intense feeling washed over him. It was as if Marco's words were turning into images right before his eyes as he watched Dan. Everything seemed to fit now, clear and obvious.
"It's someone who, despite speaking little, says exactly what needs to be said at the right moment."
"Yes, always." Wave's breathing was heavy, and he knew he wasn't thinking about Adrien anymore as he answered.
"And it's also someone who's willing, throughout the entire story, to…"
"To help the other protagonist, like they're always there whenever they're most needed!" Wave said this without taking his eyes off the tattooed guy on the upper part of the stage. His heart was beating so fast he felt a little short of breath. It was like everything made sense.
"Exactly!" Marco agreed. However, Wave stood up and quickly sorted through some pages of the script, leaving Marco confused. "What's going on?"
"Marco, I need to… uh… take care of something right now, okay? I just need a few minutes. I'll be right back."
Wave smiled at the director and climbed up to the stage using the side stairs, holding some script pages in his hand. He approached Dan, who was distractedly arranging some props, and grabbed his arm, pulling him backstage.
"I need your help. Please, come with me," Wave said, guiding him. Dan hesitated a bit but eventually followed.
They walked to a more secluded area backstage, where most of the costumes from previous plays were stored. Wave carefully sorted through the pages he had and handed half of them to the confused guy in front of him, who took them with a hesitant expression.
"I need your help. I've got this scene…" He tried to find the right words to make Dan agree to the task. "And I need you to help me act it out."
Dan's eyes showed complete confusion, evident in his expression. He handed the pages back to Wave and made a move to leave. But a firm hand grabbed his wrist, stopping him from going any further:
"Please, Dan. I... I need you, okay? I can't tell you why, but I need to check something in the... in the script." He was nervous, and his eyes carried a nearly desperate look. "I swear, you'll only have to read two lines, okay? I'll handle the rest."
"Why don't you ask one of the actors?" Even in this situation, Wave felt a flutter in his stomach whenever he heard his junior's serious voice.
"I can't, that's exactly why... it's something I need to test before I talk to any of the actors or Marco. I need... I need you."
There was something in Wave's gentle voice and his pleading eyes, so sincere and without any hint of malice, that made Dan relax. He took a deep breath, turned back to Wave, and took the script pages again.
"You're gonna help me?" Wave asked, excited. Dan just gave him a serious look, holding the script in front of him as if that was answer enough. "Okay! So... here." Wave pointed out the correct spot in the script. "It's this little scene right here. I'm Arthur, and you're Adrien. This is the scene where Arthur finds out that Adrien erased his memory. Adrien feels guilty and, at the same time, scared of losing the person he loves most in the world."
Dan simply nodded, and Wave took a deep breath, feeling his heart pound with nervousness. Then he began:
"You… you did this?" Wave's expressions completely changed, showing pain and disappointment in his eyes. He was a great actor. "I never thought you could do this to me! You took away everything that mattered to me, you took my life, my story… I don't remember how I learned the things I know, I don't remember my first friend, my first fight, the first time I fell in love… How could you do this?"
Dan relaxed his muscles and looked at Wave with an intensity as if their gazes were connected by an invisible line. His breathing was steady, as if each inhale and exhale could convey a feeling. Then Wave continued:
"You came into my life like I could trust you! And guess what? I really did trust you! And why? When you were the one who caused the biggest pain I've ever felt!"
"I'm sorry…" Dan began, his voice soft and his eyes so genuine that the guilt could be felt striking him. It made Wave's heart beat even faster in his chest, and his whole body shivered involuntarily. "I thought I was doing what was best for you."
"And how do you know what's best or worst for me?" Wave regained his composure and returned to his lines, slowly stepping closer to Dan. "Who do you think you are to decide what's good or bad for me, Adrien?"
"I'm someone who knows you better than you know yourself," Dan said, his voice soft yet determined. As he spoke, his eyes shone with a sincerity that went beyond just conversation, showing a deep feeling and understanding that transcended words. His body was relaxed, but his stance was firm; he kept his shoulders squared and his head slightly tilted, as if he was bearing the weight of his own emotions with calm determination. His fingers, though still at his sides, were slightly tensed, as if holding back a contained energy, showing deep commitment and a determination born from his own emotional surrender.
It was a simple line, a common phrase in many movies, plays, or books. But there, in that context, that line had to be delivered in a very specific way; it needed to carry all the feelings of someone who felt guilty but knew they had done what was best for the person they loved, even if it didn't seem right.
Every feeling needed to be conveyed through the voice, the eyes, and body language, and for the first time, everything was there. It was as if the character had come to life, like a newborn baby taking its first breath as it sees the light of the real world for the first time. It was all there, fully present and vividly illuminated by this young half-Thai guy, covered in tattoos, who had zero interest in theater.
"I finally found you."