The following days passed quickly, maybe even too quickly, but that's how it is when you spend time in good company.  First felt as if he had been born again.  Thanks to Khaotung, he was bursting with energy again, got a good night's sleep, and even had his appetite back.  They cooked together in a small kitchen in First's apartment, together they walked around the city (always in disguises and make-up, thanks to which passers-by paid attention to them, but no one could see the famous Khaotung Thanawat, a Formula 1 driver, in a young, black-haired  a boy with blonde streaks and eyes lined with black eyeliner, and almost black lips, glasses, and lots of freckles), they would sit in the park together reading books, and they were happiest every morning when they woke up thinking they'd see each other again.  Thanawat didn't want to give it up.  And he couldn't even.

When he casually mentioned First to NuNew, NuNew immediately suspected that First Kanaphan might be one of the missing hybrids.  At the Institute, everyone knew the story of the two missing brothers who disappeared the day the younger one was born, but could it be that First, this handsome and funny young man who had been through so much in his life, was the one his mother had been looking for for 19 years and  never found?  How would his life have turned out had he never disappeared?  Would he be one of the Knights of the Light now, so they would have met much sooner?  And could that have made Khaotung win the F1 championship earlier?  Tung felt that if First had come into his life earlier, things would have been a little easier, though he didn't know what he was basing that belief on.

“I'll take you with me”  Khaotung was stubborn.  He played with the pen, looking at First, who was just drying his wet hair with a towel.  They had gotten to know each other a bit over the past few days, and First had been fine with Khaotung spending the last two nights before returning to work for him.  When he asked why he preferred sitting in a large but certainly less comfortable room than lounging on a comfortable bed in his hotel suite, he got the answer he might have expected.  Tung simply stated that there was nothing important in this suite, namely First himself.

“In what role?  You're not allowed to have a boyfriend” First replied sadly and was angry with himself for having the courage to imagine that someone so wonderful, funny, wonderful, charming and handsome would want him as a boyfriend, such a total zero without any  greater achievements.

„You're an idiot, First!” —He yelled at himself mentally. — „What are you even thinking?! To be HIS boyfriend? This Khaotung Thanawat?! Have I completely lost my mind?! How could someone like him fall in love with someone like me? I'm a zero, I have nothing to offer except my company, my stupidity and my open, though heavily trampled, broken and unwanted heart. What can I give him in return? I can only clean and cook, but  anyone can do that for him, besides...  And if his fans found out about my past, his career would be over... No, I can't let that happen, and anyway, I bet he doesn't feel anything for me,  I just imagined it all because I feel lonely”.

First really wanted to trust someone again, but a person who has been hurt so many times, who has always trusted everyone and that trust has been broken, can't trust anyone that easily anymore.  Deep down, First wanted Khaotung to be the one to help him, to heal him, to give him hope for a better future and to help him move forward, but he never had the courage to believe in his dreams.  He just had them.  He imagined things, sometimes he dreamed something beautiful, but his own life had taught him that dreams rarely come true.

Now he was staring at Khaotung with his eyes wide open, and though he didn't realize it yet, with his heart open to him as well.  He, a boy with scars, a boy with no future but with a very sad past, stood in front of a famous and well-liked celebrity, and although he wouldn't dare to beg him to love him, his own soul screamed loudly and desperately about it, and Khaotung as  the hybrid could hear that wordless cry, hear the despair and longing, the tones so familiar in First's soul.  His unique ability was that he could not only see the colors of people's souls (this applied to all humans, Magical and Non-Magical), but he could also hear them.  Often these were melodies that reflected a person's state of mind.  First's soul sang in a faint voice, but Khaotung heard pure kindness in it, and knew that First's only wish, which the boy himself considered selfish, was for someone to love him sincerely and forever.  However, his soul was very scared, it's a soul trapped in a suffering body, tortured for years.  When Khaotung focused the night before, he saw it fully.  Kanaphan's soul was almost snow-white, only slightly damaged in some places, charred in others, but mostly with almost as many wounds, many of which were still bleeding, as the youth's body.  Seeing this, Khao burst into tears then and was glad that his new friend happened to be dozing off and couldn't see his tears.  It was then that he decided that he would do anything to heal his wounds.

„Maybe we're each other's answers to all our questions and prayers” —  he thought the night before and settled himself on the floor so that he could freely stare at the sleeping First.

And now he had to explain it to him somehow.  It couldn't be difficult, so Khaotung grinned widely.  First's company gave him so much joy and smile that he couldn't give it up.  He felt comfortable and safe around him, and that was something new for him, always forced to be careful and wear a mask, to pretend to be someone he wasn't.  It was tiring, meeting First was a breath of fresh spring air.

“As a friend.  Why?  After all, I'm allowed to have friends” Thanawat explained calmly.  He put down the notebook First had been taking notes from the races for the past few months, and which Tung was now reading so carefully, and walked over to the boy, taking the towel from him.  “Your hair is dry now, lend me a towel.  I'm going to take a shower too”.

“It won't work”.

“What won't work?  Won't you let me take a shower?  Because I already have your towel”.  Khaotung was in an excellent mood.  He waved First's own towel, and First only thought, "Gosh, I wish I didn't fall in love with that idiot!" because while he respected him as a racing driver and admired his achievements, during those five days together, he saw something more in him, saw  in him the same ordinary boy he was, only more witty, brave and open.

“I was talking about me going to Italy with you”  First grabbed his cheek as a joke and squeezed it.  “Could you stop trying to be cute for a moment and get serious for a moment?”

“I don't want.  Serious I have to be at work, with you I prefer to be myself”.

“Beautifully!  Ah!!!”  Kanaphan sighed amusedly, letting go of Thanawat and wandering off to bed.  “We all thought you were a cute little angel, and you're the devil from hell”.

“Well, you should be glad, from now on you belong to a very small and elite group of people who have been able to see my real face”.

“Okay, cool, I get it, so I'm supposed to feel honored?”

First didn't understand where it came from and why he was becoming so brave with Khaotung.  Before they met, when he thought about how he would act in such a situation, he always imagined himself stammering, trembling with emotion and making embarrassing gaffes.  It would never have occurred to him in his life that their acquaintance would be so surprisingly normal, ordinary and that it would bring him so much smile, happiness and joy.  He was afraid to believe that it was true, that he had a chance to go to his first ever Formula 1 race and that he would be part of a team with such a rich history.  He didn't want to get his hopes up too high lest he feel the same disappointment again when something didn't work out.  Khaotung saw a quick change in First's mood.

“Why are you so skeptical? Let's try at least and only then we will know for sure if it will work”.

“You bloody stubborn bastard, are you even listening to what I'm saying to you?”

“Yes, and I still believe you can accompany me as my friend.  I can always say I know you from school”.

“We went to different schools”  First pointed out a hole in his near-perfect plan.  “I don't want to part with you either, it's been the best week of my life, but understand that we can't do this, I don't want you to risk losing the chance to fulfill your dreams because of me”.

“Don't you understand that you taught me to dream again? That I haven't had any dreams in over five years?  What's the use of my dreams if I don't have you around to share them with you?”

“Woah!  Don't tell me you fell in love with me in just a week?!”  First exclaimed surprised.

“And if so, what's wrong with that?”

First, usually so talkative, having something to say on every subject, fell silent, unable to give him an answer.  Khaotung saw that he had gone a little too far and quickly retracted his confession.

“Relax, I was joking.  Don't worry, you've just shown me what I'm really missing this week and I feel like if you're not around I'm never going to win a title”.

“Oh, so you want to take me with you to help you win?”

“Exactly”.

“Then I accept your offer. And you can tell your team the same so they don't chase me away”.

“They won't chase you away”.

“Where do you get that confidence?”

“You'll get a job as my assistant.  Does it suits?”  Khaotung walked over to First, grabbed his chin, forcing him to look him in the eye.  “You'll only have one job”.

“What job?”

“Be a good friend to me. You'll stay with me in hotels, you'll show up at the races wearing our official uniform.  If I need it, you will take me for a walk around the city even in the middle of the night.  My team will pay you for this”.

“Okay, I agree, now tell me, but quite honestly, no more fuss, why do you care so much?”

Khaotung sighed deeply.  He sat on the bed, dragging First's hand with him, who after a moment took the place next to him in such a way that their knees and shoulders touched each other.  First felt a shiver run through his body from where their bodies touched, and he suddenly wished he had worn long pajama bottoms to bed.  Without taking his eyes off his new friend, Khaotung began to talk.

“I became a racing driver because I have always enjoyed competition, hard work has never scared me and challenges have tempted me.  I've loved adrenaline since I was a child, and when I was a teenager, I got a chance that anyone would say is a dream come true: I met Lewis Hamilton, he doesn't remember it because to him I was just one of the millions of kids he meets, but for  for me it was the most important meeting in my life.  I remember that he was talking about his passion and the difficulties he had to overcome to get into Formula 1. Then the teachers from my school told him about me.  I was an exchange student at a school in London at the time.  According to my teachers, I had a talent for racing.  I was always the best when they took us to go karting, I was good at other sports too, but racing was something else entirely.  Then Lewis said that he would get me a place at the academy that trained kids like me so that one of them would even take a place in Formula 1 in the future. I took it as a chance, I worked hard for many years, I trained, I learned, I met  the world of motorsport is getting better and you know what?  Over time, my passion began to disappear.  You see Formula 1 just as racing, our goofy challenges, interviews, you see fame, successes and failures on the race track, but Formula 1 is much more than that.  For a long time, I did everything I could to win the world championship, but it never happened.  Last year, before I signed a contract extension with my team, I was told that this was my last chance, that if I didn't win, they would end their cooperation with me and look for someone better.  So you see, I have to win.  Because even though I don't love the sport as much as I used to, I still want to race.  I don't know, I guess it's in my blood.  And I feel like I can't do it without you by my side.  At times I hate this world, and you... You are such a ray of sunshine for me, warming me pleasantly after a long, cold winter”.

His voice sounded sad, his eyes glazed dangerously, as if he was about to cry, but he endured it all and only at the end of his speech looked away, as if he did not want his companion to see his moment of weakness.

“But you said yourself that you don't enjoy racing anymore?”

First didn't understand why someone who no longer felt a connection to his former passion still clung to it so strongly.

“You will understand it if you love something or someone as much as I love sport”.  He said, as if he was not going to explain it to him, then after a moment he smiled sadly and began to explain.  “It's just that I want to feel again what I used to feel when I was just starting my adventure with this sport.  I want to enjoy it again, I want to find what I lost somewhere along the way and I don't know why, but I have a feeling that you are the one who can help me with this”.

“Me? How?”

“You are a Formula 1 fan, right?”

“Yes but...”

“There's no but. You still love the sport. Watching you this week, I've noticed that you have what I'm missing and I want to believe that you can teach me that”.

“What if I disappoint you?  If I don't live up to your expectations?”

“You already fulfill them in every way.  As long as you are completely honest with me, you will not be able to disappoint me”.

First turned his head to the side feeling slightly embarrassed.  So far, his life has been a series of failures, failed relationships, struggles with depression, panic attacks and fears.  He still wondered if he had developed schizophrenia and made it all up: it didn't seem possible that such a famous Formula 1 driver would want to be friends with a loser like him.

“But I don't know anything about winning...” He whispered softly, hiding his face in his hands.  “I'm afraid I'll bring you bad luck, that not only won't you win, but you'll lose everything because of me.  Please don't put your hopes in me, I usually disappoint the people I care about”.

Suddenly, he felt someone hug him and hug him.  He knew it couldn't be anyone but Khaotung.  At first he tried to push it away, but then gave in, feeling that this was what he needed most at that moment: the embrace of someone who believed in him.

“You don't disappoint me.  On the contrary, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me”.

“How can I be the best?  I'm nobody, I don't even have a job”.

“You already have a job, remember? You are my assistant now.  And don't worry, we'll teach you everything.  I'm sure you'll do just fine.  Besides, your job is mostly spending time with me, it can be difficult, but I have a feeling you'll manage.  I just have one request: don't treat me like your idol, keep acting like you've always been, it's cute”.

“Huh?!  I'm not cute”.

“NO?  Is it?  Then look at you, you look adorable in my blouse and with your hair still slightly wet”.

“You're cute, I'm handsome”  First joked with Khaotung, feeling all the tension slowly leaving his body and his mind becoming calmer.

“Oh, do you know?  I think we're both cute and handsome at the same time, don't you think?”

“You're crazy”. First slapped his forehead with his hand, then sat down at his desk, opening his laptop and, as usual, starting to scroll through social media, looking for any news about the world of motorsport.  He was a little apprehensive that someone might recognize Khaotung after all, but he reassured himself when he couldn't find the slightest mention of it anywhere.

Half an hour later, Tung stood beside him, leaning forward slightly and eyeing First carefully.  One thing from the beginning caught his attention and interested him.

Khao ran a finger over the scars on First's left arm.

“How much must someone suffer who decides to hurt himself?”  He asked without taking his eyes off the boy's forearm.

“This someone feels guilty that he wasted his own life, wasted all the chances that were given to him and disappointed and let down the people he loved”.

“Promise me you'll never do that again”.

“When it helps me...”

  Khaotung stared at him with a stern, unobjectionable gaze.

“Okay, I swear I won't reach for a knife or razor again and hurt myself”.

“Good boy”  Khao brought First's scarred hand to his lips and kissed it.  “From now on, you have me to talk about everything, whatever happens, together we will deal with everything and overcome all difficulties”.

“You're so sure of that... I'm sorry I still can't trust you completely, I want to do it, but... Only my past is holding me back”.

“Don't worry, it's okay, I understand you and I don't require you to trust me completely, we've only known each other for a short time.  Remember that you can count on me.  And I believe that one day you will trust me”.

“What if I trust you and you hurt me?”

“I'll do my best to make sure that doesn't happen” Khaotung assured.  He picked up the F1 driver cards that First had scattered a few hours earlier from the floor, put them in a neat pile on the desk and laid down on his bed.   “Can you hug me?  Please?”

First was not asked twice.  Dressed in pajamas, showered and fragrant, he lay down next to his new friend, thinking about everything at once: his own past, Khaotung's history, the books he had picked out for him, his "business proposal" for their friendship and their journey together  to Italy, to the headquarters of Ferrari.