Chapter 20: CHAPTER NINETEEN

So, it really couldn’t be called anything else

-love .

In that brief moment, Thame reflected on when this feeling might have begun. Was it when Po made him question whether he truly wanted to revive the group? Or perhaps when Po decided to help him? Or was it during the moments he feared that Jun might trouble Po?

Thame couldn’t pinpoint an exact moment. Sometimes, love weaves itself subtly from the threads of friendship, care, comfort, and attention. It’s like the incubation of a virus - its exact entry point is unknown, but when you realize it, it’s already blossomed into a full-blown condition called love.

But whether love begins with a clear moment or not, it remains valuable and beautiful in its own way.

Thame looked into Po’s eyes again. He could no longer see him as just a colleague or an ally. He didn’t want to pull away from this closeness - not even an inch - until Po broke the silence.

“What are you doing…?”

“Uh…” Thame stepped back slightly. “Just…trying to figure something out.”

“Figure something out? Like what?”

“Well…” Thame hesitated, feeling shy, “Something.”

Po tilted his head in curiosity. Thame quickly followed up, keeping his tone casual.

Let me walk you home.”

Po smiled and started walking, with Thame following close behind. Down the quiet street, Thame couldn’t take his eyes off Po. Every time their hands came close, he wanted to reach out and hold his - but he held back. Not yet.

—

“Hey, Pepper,” Thame said, coming down from his room to find Pepper sipping coffee quietly. “I want to ask Po to go see a movie.”

Pepper squinted slightly, noticing the two movie vouchers in Thame’s hand.

“Is this because of what I said yesterday?”

Thame nodded. “Yeah, it made me understand things better.”

Pepper opened his mouth to reply, but before he could, Jun’s sharp voice echoed through the room.

“Who called me to a meeting? You’re disrupting my morning!”

“Where have you been this early?” Dylan asked, cutting Jun off. Pepper pulled Thame aside so they could talk while listening in on Jun’s explanation.

“I’ve been dealing with Po, obviously,” Jun declared with a smirk.

Thame froze and turned to face him.

“I even volunteered myself as the fall guy. I told him to go, confess to the higher-ups that I was the one who manipulated everything - how I orchestrated the Mars reunion. That way, if someone’s going to get in trouble, it’s me, not him.

Anyway, Khun Pemika isn’t going to punish us.”

“You’re relentless with your schemes,” Dylan commented dryly.

“Scheming? Please! I’m the self-sacrificing hero here. So noble.”

“I’m not sure anyone’s ever called you noble, Phi Jun,” Nano interrupted, unimpressed.

“Well, someone has to say it, so I’m saying it myself.”

“Alright, enough about that,” Pepper clapped his hands, steering everyone back to the topic.

“Let’s focus on the plan. We’ll finish Dylan’s song, release it, and hit the charts hard. Once we do, we’ll have leverage to negotiate with the company to keep Mars going. Thame, Dylan, you two handle the song. Once it’s shaping up, pass it to Nano to work on choreography. As for the MV…” “Not me,” Jun interrupted. “I’d rather come up with plans to mess with the company - it’s way more fun.”

“Fine. But if any MV ideas come up while we’re working on the song or choreography, we’ll discuss them then,” Thame suggested.

“What about you, Pepper?” Dylan asked.

“I’ll manage the timeline and make sure everything stays on track,” Jun answered on Pepper’s behalf. He grinned knowingly, aware that Pepper was always the one organizing and solving problems for the group.

“Fair enough,” Dylan conceded.

“Alright, let’s stick to the plan. I’m heading out.”

“To scheme against the company?” Nano asked.

“To sleep,” Jun replied casually, heading up to his room.

“I’ll get to the studio,” Dylan announced.

“Nano, want the demo first? It’s ready enough for some choreography.”

“Sure thing,” Nano replied as they left for the studio. Thame glanced at the schedule Pepper had written for him and sighed quietly. The packed timetable left him no room to invite Po to a movie.

“No time for the movie?” Pepper asked.

Thame nodded. “What should I do, Pepper?”

Pepper smiled faintly. He didn’t answer the question but instead asked, “Feel like shooting some hoops with me?”

—

They hadn’t played basketball together in a long time - the last time might’ve been before Thame’s solo debut. Pepper grabbed a ball from the basket and headed to the court. Thame pulled off his hoodie, leaving only a T-shirt, and followed him.

Thame wasn't sure why Pepper had decided to play basketball at that moment. There was so much work to be done, and Pepper hadn't even answered his question about Po. But when Pepper started dribbling the ball, everything else just disappeared.

The game lasted 15 minutes. In the past, these games were when they’d discussed the group’s issues. Pepper would update Thame on any member’s concerns or feelings, and Thame would use that insight to address problems with the company. For Thame, Pepper was like a vice-captain of Mars.

As Thame sipped water on the sidelines, he turned to Pepper and asked directly, “Is there someone in the group I need to worry about?”

Pepper hesitated before answering, “Yeah.”

“Who?” Thame guessed it might be Nano or Dylan, but Pepper’s response shocked him.

“Me.”

Thame froze, hardly believing what he’d heard. Pepper had never been the one with problems - not with the group, not with the company.

“Actually,” Pepper began with a faint smile, “I came back to help you gather everyone because I can’t be a part of Mars anymore.”

“What do you mean you can’t be a part of Mars?” Thame asked, confused.

“Remember when I told you to figure out your feelings for Po?”

Thame nodded.

“Well, I wasn’t hoping you’d come back and tell me you loved him.

Because if you do, everything we’re doing here will be impossible.”

Pepper’s words hit Thame like a wake-up call.

“Because you know as well as I do - idols can’t fall in love.” Pepper looked Thame in the eye and revealed his secret.

“I can’t be an idol anymore because…I already have a girlfriend.”

TO BE CONTINUED.