With annoyance, Porchay says, "Did you hear all?"

It's Porsche who replies, "No, you're too far. Except for the slap and the 'We're over!', those were loud enough to be heard from here."

Porchay's eyes scold his Hia and then come back to Vegas, who doesn't look like anything but there's a layer of smile on his face. "This is because of you, you know!" he points out. Porsche looks bewildered and is about to ask for a reason to Vegas, but the other already tells him with ease, "The boy is jealous of me, for some reason."

"Why?"

Vegas shrugs while Porchay grows impatient looking at the older men. "I've told you to go straight home after we bought the glasses!"

"If he was thinking right, he should've thanked me instead for taking his boyfriend to eat."

"Well, he's still young. Immature. Unlike you who should've thought better."

"So you're going to defend him in front of me now? Young is not an excuse to be a moron, Porchay. He should've thought with his brain, not his dick!"

"I'm not talking about dicks!"

"You should!" Vegas stands up in heat, "Because it's sure not my fault that he can't get your dick up and hard!"

The talk is increasing in volume. Porsche knows better than to meddle. But it's fascinating to watch the usually cool and level-headed Vegas become an ordinary man who argues heatedly. Only with Porchay, he thinks, or about Porchay. Even Macau can't get under his skin like this. He smiles in secret.

"Alright, alright. Let's calm down!" he says, especially to the still gaping Porchay. "That's rude of you, V. Say sorry, please," he says to his best friend.

"Why should I say sorry? Did I say anything wrong?" Porsche looks like wants to smack Vegas right now.

"I don't need your sorry!" Porchay says as he walks away with attitude.

"Fine!" Vegas shouts.

"Fine!" Porchay says louder and after a moment the sound of the door being closed harshly is heard. Vegas sits down again.

"He makes you a teen again," Porsche says.

"He's irrational."

"He's a teenager, V."

Vegas wants to say something but holds it back. After all, Porsche is Porchay's brother.

"You did it deliberately, right? You've calculated it. I know you."

Vegas looks into Porsche's eyes and decides to tell the truth, not the whole thing but it's still the truth. "I don't like that kid," he says quietly, very different from the heated demeanor a few minutes ago. "Like I said, he's thinking with his dick and when someone is thinking with his dick, bad incidents happen. I just want to ... prevent it."

"Mm hm," Porsche says. He smiles wider when he says, "Anyway, you got my blessing. If anyone can treat my brother right, it's you."

Vegas is stunned, but he doesn't want to react like what Porsche expected. So he conceals his feeling better. "What are you talking about? He's like my brother!"

Porsche nods, side-eyeing him. "By the way, I haven't said anything to him about university, but I want the best for him. If you are sure you don't mind paying for him, I'll be really grateful."

"I don't mind. Like I said, he is to me the same as Macau. Macau wants to attend that university also and I already put on a good word for the both of them."

"I'm not sure he is willing to accept it, you know."

"Just say that this is from the company or something. I'll make Macau to persuade him also."

"Ok."

***

It's been five days now and the weekend has come. Macau is taking Porchay to a bar to 'mend' his broken heart. Porchay doesn't know whose heart needs mending, his or Macau.

Macau's relationship is not sailing very well. Because they are not lovers yet, so it's hard to call it a break-up. As Porchay, he doesn't feel sad too deeply, really. Maybe because his feelings for Nat aren't too deep either. But he said ok when Macau wants to 'accompany' him to drink.

Other friends came also, so it wasn't a surprise when an hour later Nat came. Porchay is ignoring him, even when Nat tries hard to raise his hair by being cozy with girls and boys. A girl, particularly. "Sofia," Macau says, "She has a crush on Nat forever. The girl just can't tell he's not interested," Cau rolls his eyes.

"He looks interested to me," Porchay says as he sips his beer calmly. Why doesn't he feel anything? Isn't that kinda sad for Nat? Should he act somewhat jealous or something? But that can create a problem and he doesn't want a problem.

"Yeah, to get laid. Nat is on a 'sexing' tour, for your information."

Porchay can't help but laugh. Ridiculous. Why the fuck would he do that? If he knows Porchay better, he will know he gets nothing out of that.

"Why laugh?"

He shakes his head. "I don't know. It's just ... Funny to me."

"Because the problem with you guys was that you don't want to have sex with him?"

"Some."

"Why, though? Why don't you want to have sex with him?" Porchay shrugs, "Just don't wanna."

"Is it because of my brother?"

Porchay is surprised, but he doesn't need to deny it. He knows that Macau knows him best among all his friends and he is in the front seat to watch how he interacted with Vegas all of these years. He must've known all of these years but keep quiet, not wanting to bother Porchay. Because that is the kind of people Macau is.

Macau nods, acknowledging the quiet yes. "Are you going to pursue him, my Hia?"

Porchay sadly shakes his head. "It will be like an owl yearning for the moon."

Macau smiles. "You never know, maybe the moon is also yearning for the owl."

Porchay looks at his friend thoroughly, but it looks like his best friend is on the verge of being wasted. So maybe he is talking nonsense. Porchay sips his beer quietly while looking around. Certainly not looking at Nat and Sofia making out. That's beneath him.

A guy in the bar area catches his eye. He looks clean and cut with high cheeks and deep big eyes. He looks good. To be honest, maybe he has a preference for high cheekbones humans?

The guy seems to notice because in seconds his deep eyes are on him. Porchay diverts his gaze in an instant and now paying extra interest on his phone.

That man, even from this distance Porchay knows he is not the kind that he wants to mess with or afford to mess with. That kind of man will lure you and then break your heart into a million pieces while keeping a smile on their faces.

Same kind as Vegas. Same kind as his Hia.

Porchay suddenly feels like he wants to pee, so he tells one of his friends to keep an eye on Macau and not let him drink another drop of alcohol before he goes. The bathroom is full, so he has no choice but to keep walking to the back alley.

The alley is not completely dark. There is a dim soft orange light and a red light in a deeper part of the alley. Porchay is doing his business fast but when he is done and zipping back his jeans, his body is turned around by someone harshly.

He is now facing Nat. Fuck his life!

"Porchay!" his ex says, clearly intoxicated. "Let's talk." He is grabbing both parts of his shoulder in a tight grip. Porchay is trying to undo it, dodging Nat to the left. "Even if I want to, I'm not sure we can talk with your current state, Nat."

"I'm not drunk! Stop moving around!"

Drunk and angry is never a good combination. So Porchay stays still with both hands in front of his body, creating a distance and giving Nat the illusion that he means no harm. "What do you want to talk about?"

"There's nothing between me and Sophia. We're just ...," he stops, probably unable to explain all that tongue fighting.

Porchay just nods. "You can do whatever you want and don't have to explain to me, Nat. We've broken up."

"That is the problem! I don't want to break up with you. I can wait. I can wait however long you want."

Porchay thinks Nat's face looks pathetic after all that he did with Sofia inside. But he doesn't want to prolong the problem. "I can't, Nat. Sorry," he says as gently as possible.

He begins to walk away, but Nat grabs him again and this time he drags him further back and shoves Porchay to the wall. His head hit the brick wall. Porchay's breath knocks up with the pain.

Nat begins to kiss him harshly and Porchay tries all his might to push him. Nat won't relent and keeps bulldozing his way to Porchay's body. Porchay bites his lips and when Nat is screaming his pain, he runs.

But he can't get far. Nat knocks him again. This time to the concrete street. Nat is an athlete, but Porchay is nowhere near his match. The bite makes him twice angry and bites whatever part of Porchay's skin he can get, while his hands roam Chay's body.

Porchay knows he is about to get raped.

So he screams for help, but can only do it once as Nat closes his mouth with his hand.

Porchay is helpless and can only cry out all his fear and anger as he can feel Nat undoing his zipper now.

It's only been five minutes but it seems forever for Porchay.

That is when a strong leg kicks Nat to the side, off Porchay's body.

"Only the lowest scumbag rapes people, you know."

The voice is melodious, but it's toneless and hollow. Like the man who speaks it is bored out of his mind.

Porchay is rolling his body off the street when a thud is heard.

It's the guy from the bar.

The guy smacks Nat to the street again and kicks his gut before he gets up. Nat angrily retaliates, but all his efforts are in vain as the guy can easily outmaneuver him and smack him left and right effortlessly.

Porchay cannot even keep up as his head is hurting so bad that his eyes are getting blurred. He touches his head. It feels tender and wet. When he looks up his hand, he sees blood.

The guy comes rushing to him when he sees the blood in his hand. "Hey, don't close your eyes. Stay up, buddy," he says in a hurry.

"Thanks for saving me," Porchay says. It takes a lot of effort to just say that. "What's your name, Sir?"

The guy laughs a little. "You're about to get stitches in your head, but still asking for my name? Should've braven yourself in the bar."

He mocks him, Porchay knows. So he clicks his tongue in annoyance. "Just trying to be polite, so I can give you a fruit basket as a thank you later."

"Kimhan. My name is Kimhan."