Chapter 16

Jes woke up the next morning to a notification from Ngern.

Ngern: Morning. Busy today?

Jes frowned at the screen, still groggy. He hadn't even gotten out of bed yet, and this guy was already messaging him.

Jes: Why?

Ngern's reply came too fast.

Ngern: You free?

Jes sighed, rubbing his face before typing back.

Jes: I have a shift at the café in the afternoon. Why?

There was a brief pause before Ngern answered.

Ngern: Come with me somewhere before that.

Jes squinted at the message.

Jes: Where?

Ngern: Just get ready. I'll pick you up in 30.

Jes groaned into his pillow.

What was this guy up to now?

Thirty minutes later, Jes stood outside his apartment, arms crossed as he watched Ngern pull up in a black car with tinted windows. The window rolled down, revealing Ngern in a cap and sunglasses, grinning like he was up to something.

"Get in."

Jes opened the door and slid into the passenger seat, eyeing him suspiciously. "You're being weird. Where are we going?"

"You'll see."

Jes sighed but let it go, letting Ngern drive while he looked out the window. The streets of Bangkok passed by, familiar yet blurred in the quiet of the early morning.

It wasn't until Ngern pulled into a quiet, hidden street lined with small shops that Jes started getting suspicious.

Ngern parked the car and turned to him. "Come on."

Jes followed him down the street, glancing at the signs until his eyes landed on a familiar one.

A camera shop.

Jes stopped in his tracks. "No way."

Ngern turned, raising a brow. "What?"

Jes narrowed his eyes. "Tell me you didn't drag me all the way here for my camera. You already got me one!"

Ngern shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets. "But you said you didn't think I'd find the exact same one. I took that as a challenge."

Jes stared at him, speechless.

"You really—?"

Ngern grinned, grabbing his wrist and tugging him forward. "Come on, let's go see."

Jes let himself be pulled into the shop, his heart doing something weird in his chest.

This guy.

Jes wasn't sure what Ngern was doing, but the more he let him in, the harder it was to ignore the warmth that came with it.

The scent of polished wood and aged leather filled the small camera shop, a quiet haven tucked away from the city's relentless pace. Rows of vintage and modern cameras lined the shelves, gleaming under the soft lighting.

Jes took a slow breath, his fingers twitching with instinct.

"You're really serious about this?" he asked, glancing at Ngern, who had already wandered over to the counter.

Ngern hummed in response, taking off his sunglasses. "You don't believe me?"

Jes scoffed, crossing his arms. "I just didn't think you'd actually put in the effort."

Ngern turned to him, tilting his head with a smirk. "You don't know me well enough, then."

Jes hated how that made something flutter in his chest.

The shop owner, an older man with glasses perched on the tip of his nose, looked up from his work. "Ah, you're back."

Jes raised a brow. "Back?"

Ngern shot him a sheepish glance before turning back to the owner. "Yeah, I brought my friend with me this time. Did you manage to find it?"

Jes blinked. "Wait, you've been here before?"

Ngern rubbed the back of his neck, looking oddly shy for someone who was usually so confident. "Yeah... a few times."

Jes didn't know what to say to that.

The shop owner nodded and disappeared into the backroom, returning a moment later with a sleek black camera in his hands.

Jes's breath hitched.

It was the exact same model as the one that had broken.

He swallowed, stepping forward as the shop owner placed it on the counter. His fingers hovered over it before he finally picked it up, feeling the familiar weight in his hands.

It was real.

Jes took a deep breath, his throat tightening. He looked at Ngern, who was watching him carefully, a small smile on his lips.

"You really—" Jes stopped, shaking his head. "You actually found it."

"Told you I would."

Jes exhaled sharply, running his fingers over the buttons. His voice was quieter when he spoke again. "How much did it cost?"

"Don't worry about it."

Jes's head snapped up. "Ngern—"

"It's fine." Ngern cut him off smoothly, waving a hand. "Just think of it as an investment in my photography lessons."

Jes narrowed his eyes. "That's not how that works."

Ngern grinned. "It is if I say so."

Jes opened his mouth to argue but stopped. There was something about the way Ngern was looking at him—warm, a little playful, but serious in a way that made Jes feel unsteady.

Jes sighed, looking back down at the camera.

He should refuse. He should push it back and tell Ngern he didn't need to do this.

But holding it in his hands, feeling the familiar comfort of it...

Jes caved.

"Fine," he muttered. "But I'm paying you back for this."

Ngern just chuckled. "Sure, Jes. Whatever you say."

Jes knew he wouldn't let it go that easily.

But for now, he let himself hold onto the camera—and maybe, just maybe, onto the warmth of the moment too.