Chapter 9

The next few days passed in a blur, and Jes definitely didn't spend any of them thinking about Ngern.

Not at all.

Not about his easy grin, or the way he held Mali like it was second nature, or the way he kept slipping past Jes's defenses like it was the easiest thing in the world.

Jes threw himself into work, into late-night editing sessions, into anything that would distract him.

And yet, every time his phone buzzed, he found himself checking.

Ngern didn't text often, but when he did, it was always something simple.

Ngern: Took some photos today. They were bad.

Ngern: You free this weekend? No babies this time, I swear.

Ngern: Jes.

Jes had ignored the last one for an hour before finally caving.

Jes: What?

Ngern: Just making sure you're alive.

Jes had almost smiled at that. Almost.

But now, three days later, Jes found himself standing outside a very public coffee shop, wondering how in the world he ended up here.

He should have suggested somewhere quieter. Somewhere with fewer people, fewer chances of being seen with Ngern and getting dragged into the mess of his celebrity world.

Instead, he'd let Ngern choose.

And now, Jes had to deal with it.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped inside, scanning the café until he spotted Ngern in the corner booth, lazily scrolling on his phone.

Jes had barely made it two steps before Ngern looked up and immediately grinned.

Jes scowled. "Don't smile like that."

Ngern tilted his head. "Like what?"

"Like you won something."

Ngern laughed. "But I did. You actually showed up."

Jes slid into the seat across from him, pointedly ignoring how stupidly pleased Ngern looked. "I said I would."

"You did," Ngern admitted, leaning forward. "I'm just surprised you actually followed through."

Jes huffed, crossing his arms. "If you keep talking, I'll leave."

Ngern smirked. "You won't."

Jes opened his mouth to argue but—annoyingly—realized Ngern was right. He was already here, already seated, already invested in whatever this was.

And that was the worst part.

Because this—the easy conversation, the casual teasing, the way Ngern acted like Jes was someone worth knowing—felt dangerously close to something Jes had long stopped allowing himself to have.

Jes sighed, rubbing his temples. "Let's just get this over with. Where's your camera?"

Ngern grinned, sliding it across the table. "Teach me, master."

Jes groaned. "I hate you."

Ngern just laughed, and—for some ridiculous reason—Jes couldn't help but feel like he'd already lost whatever battle this was.

...........................................................................

Jes had expected this to be a waste of time.

He had expected Ngern to get bored after five minutes, to treat this like some casual, half-hearted activity—something to entertain himself before he moved on to something else.

But he hadn't expected this.

Ngern sat across from him, eyes fixed on the camera like it held the meaning of life itself. His brows were furrowed in concentration, lips slightly parted as he adjusted the settings. And, to Jes's absolute shock, he had a notebook open on the table, neatly scribbling down every word Jes said.

Jes stared. "Are you seriously taking notes?"

"Obviously." Ngern didn't even look up. "How else am I supposed to remember all this?"

Jes blinked.

He hadn't expected that either.

Shaking his head, he exhaled and leaned forward, watching as Ngern fiddled with the dials. "Alright, try adjusting the aperture. You want a shallower depth of field for portraits, but if you're shooting a wider scene, you'll need a smaller aperture to keep more in focus."

Ngern nodded, fingers moving over the controls—but Jes immediately saw the issue.

"Wait, you're twisting it the wrong way," Jes said instinctively, reaching over. "Here, let me—"

Without thinking, he slid into the seat beside Ngern, his hands covering Ngern's as he gently turned the dial.

Ngern stilled.

Jes did too.

His fingers rested lightly over Ngern's, guiding him through the motion. The warmth of Ngern's skin against his own sent a strange, unexpected jolt up his arm.

Jes cleared his throat. Focused. He needed to focus.

"See?" Jes said, forcing himself to keep his voice steady. "Turn it this way, and the background blurs more. Turn it the other way, and more details stay in focus."

Ngern hummed, watching intently. "Like this?"

Jes nodded, ignoring the way their hands were still touching. "Yeah. That's it."

For a moment, they just sat there, Jes guiding Ngern's fingers over the camera controls, their shoulders brushing slightly in the close space of the booth.

And Jes should have pulled away by now.

But he didn't.

Because, for some reason, it didn't feel as strange as it should.

Ngern tilted his head toward him. "You're actually a really good teacher."

Jes scoffed, finally pulling his hand back. "That's because you're actually paying attention."

"Of course I am," Ngern said simply, smiling at him. "I told you—I'm serious about learning."

Jes studied him, almost searching for something. A joke. A smirk. Anything to make this feel less real.

But Ngern just looked at him, sincere and steady.

And for the first time, Jes realized—maybe this wasn't just some passing interest for Ngern.