Chapter 19: CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Pepper noticed that Thame had been acting strangely since the group decided to revisit Dylan’s song, polish it, and aim for a Perfect All Kill -topping every chart. Thame seemed unusually focused on Jun, especially whenever Jun said something noteworthy, such as:

“So, have you talked to the company yet to make this our wager with them?” Jun asked, looking Thame directly in the eye. “Not that I’m worried or anything. I just don’t want us wasting our time and effort finishing the song, only for the company to turn around, thank us for boosting Thame’s popularity, and leave the rest of us to rot.”

“You’re expecting them to sign a new contract or something?” Thame replied.

“I’m not, just being cautious.”

“If it works, the company will see for themselves that Mars can still generate income as a group. Negotiating will be easier,” Thame reasoned.

“I agree with Thame,” Dylan added. “If we walk in and tell the company our plan, they’ll figure it out, rush a competing song, and kill us. They have way more resources - media, staff, you name it. It’s just the five of us.”

“Six, actually. Aren’t you counting Phi Po? He’s helped us so much,” Jun chimed in.

“True, I agree with Phi Jun on this,” Nano said with a lighthearted smile.

But Pepper noticed an odd tension in the room. When he glanced at Thame, it was clear Thame was not happy.

—

“You’re acting weird,” Pepper said, approaching Thame as he pulled a drink from the fridge.

“Weird how?”

“You’ve been acting strange about Jun since before the camping trip.”

“Me? Acting strange? It’s Jun who’s acting strange.”

“Huh?” Pepper was intrigued.

“Has he ever been this eager about work before? And now he’s what?

Organizing everything? Using Phi Po?”

The moment Thame mentioned “Phi Po,” something seemed to click in Pepper’s mind.

“What gives him the right to use him like that?”

“Oh, I see.”

“You see what?”

“I think I’m starting to understand.”

“What’s up with Jun, then?”

“It’s not Jun I’ve figured out. It’s you.”

“Me?” Thame raised an eyebrow, confused.

“What about me?”

“You don’t realize you’re jealous of Phi Po.”

“What?”

“You’re not upset about Jun doing or not doing something. Jun’s just being himself. He’s helping to get the band back together, doing this and that - it’s all for you, right? You brought him in first because you knew he’d help. But now you’re upset because of one thing - he’s getting close to Phi Po.”

Thame opened his mouth to retort but seemed to lose his words. Pepper could tell he’d hit the nail on the head.

“You don’t even realize you’re showing it.”

“But how could I be jealous? Don’t you have to like someone to be jealous?”

“Are you saying you don’t like him?” Pepper pressed. “You, who talks to him all the time, tells him everything, and gets annoyed when others get close to him - are you seriously saying you don’t like him?”

“Well…” “Fine, say you don’t like him. But if you don’t, what you’re doing is leading him on, which makes you the bad guy.”

“What?”

“You need to figure yourself out. If you like him, that’s one thing. If you don’t, that’s another.”

“So, if I like him, I’m not hurting him, right?”

“No.”

“How do I even know if I like him or not?”

“Then do what I tell you.”

—

That night, Thame left the house under the cover of darkness. He knew Phi Po would likely still be at Uncle Choi’s shop, tidying up before heading home. Thame needed to know how he truly felt about Po. It mattered to him. He didn’t want to hurt Po or make him feel bad.

When Thame arrived outside the shop, Po was just locking up. Po turned, surprised to see him.

“What are you doing here?”

“Can you stay still for a moment? I need to test something,” Thame said.

Po tilted his head slightly, puzzled.

Thame slowly approached Po, following Pepper’s instructions. Pepper had told him to get as close to Po as possible, touch him anywhere, and listen to his own heartbeat. If it skipped or raced, that would be the signal - he liked Po.

Step by step, Thame closed the distance, moving from meters to mere centimeters. His eyes locked on Po’s, unwavering. Po swallowed nervously, unsure of what was happening.

Thame didn’t stop when he reached Po; he reached out to take Po’s hand, but even that wasn’t close enough for him.

Thame stepped closer, leaving less than a ruler’s length between their chests. His gaze flicked to Po’s lips, then back to his eyes. As his face drew nearer, he bit his own lip lightly. But instead of going for Po’s lips, Thame rested his forehead against Po’s, one hand moving to the back of Po’s neck as their eyes met.

It was then that Thame heard it - his heartbeat, erratic and loud.

Not the steady rhythm of an ordinary person, but the beat of someone in love.

TO BE CONTINUED.