"If he ever asked—just once—
I would kneel between his knees and never rise again."
— Kao
Within the towering glass walls of Neptune Villa, all was silent save for the soft ticking of the clock and the faint rustle of wind moving through bamboo-lined eaves.
Outside, the night had already swallowed the sky whole.
Seated on the upper balcony of his private wing, Kao leaned back in a low, black lounge chair—bare arms crossed, a thin white vest stretched taut over the sculpted terrain of his chest. The silk clung to his skin, kissed by a breeze that could not cool the slow-burning ache inside.
His eyes—cool, distant—were fixed downward, where laughter had just faded, where Nil had smiled at everyone but him.
From this height, he could see everything.
But being able to see... did not mean he had been seen.
drip...
A single bead of condensation slid from the glass beside him, striking the wooden paneling with a soft sound. It echoed louder than it should have.
Kao's jaw tightened. His temples pulsed faintly.
thump...
His heartbeat, steady, unhurried—but heavy. Like something sinking.
He lowered his head slowly, fingers curling inward.
"Such a fool I am."
His voice was low. No one heard it. Not even himself. Only the night bore witness.
thump...
"I shouldn't have done this," he thought, gaze lost in the darkened garden below. "I shouldn't have let myself..."
The word seared.
He had built Neptune Villa with hands that never trembled. He had founded Neptune Music with ruthless clarity. Every step of his life had been carved in stone. Only one thing—only he—could make Kao Neptune hesitate.
Nil.
Meanwhile, soft footsteps padded across the polished floor—light, but purposeful.
Meanwhile, Achara stepped into the room.
She paused. Her brother stood motionless on the balcony, wind brushing past him, but his eyes fixed somewhere far beyond.
Without hesitation, she crossed the room and knelt beside him, her voice gentle, but steady.
"Brother... what's troubling you?"
Kao blinked, as though her voice had reached him from a distance. His lips parted, but no answer came. For a moment, he simply stared at her—his younger sister who had grown too quickly, too quietly—then looked away, expression unreadable.
He didn't want to lie.
But neither could he bear to speak the truth.
So instead, he shifted the weight in his voice, turning it toward a safer place.
"Is Ms. Nin asleep?" he asked quietly. "And how's your study going?"
A pause. "I'm sorry. I haven't been attentive these past few days."
It was deflection, and she knew it.
Achara's brows softened. Without speaking, she reached forward and gently took his hand into her own. Her fingers were small, but her grip was firm—rooted not in naivety, but in quiet resolve.
"Brother," she said, her voice calm and unwavering, "you don't have to worry about Mom, or about my studies. I'm not a child anymore. I can take care of everything."
Her gaze met his—clear, sincere. Like a lantern in fog.
rustle...
Kao let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. The knot in his chest loosened, if only slightly. For the first time that evening, a flicker of warmth passed through his eyes.
He smiled.
Not the polite smile of a CEO, nor the guarded one he wore before strangers—but a true, unadorned expression of relief.
"I'm proud of you, Achara."
But Achara could sense that something was not right.
She tilted her head, voice soft but certain. "Brother, do you believe me?"
Kao replied without hesitation, his tone smooth and assured. "I do. There's nothing to ask about."
Achara did not smile. "Then tell me."
Kao's fingers paused ever so slightly against the guitar strings. He lowered his gaze, a shadow crossing his features. He knew his sister—when she had questions, no silence could deceive her. So instead of answering, he changed the subject.
"Actually," he said lightly, as if recalling something meaningless, "a friend came to me this evening. Said he thinks he's in love... but he's not sure if it's love or just... attraction."
His tone was offhand, but his hands betrayed him—his fingers fumbled along the frets, stirring faint dissonance from the strings.
"I just ignored him," he added, not meeting her eyes. "You know me. Love and relationships... not my thing."
The night air trembled with something unsaid.
Achara laughed, her eyes bright like she had seen straight through him. "That's because love is too simple for people like you. But not in the way you think."
"Love is a strange thing. Sometimes it brings happiness, sometimes it carves out pain. But even the pain..." she smiled wistfully, "even that feels sweet, like the last note of a song you didn't want to end."
Kao looked at her.
She leaned back, arms folded, gaze steady. "When someone falls in love, there's a different kind of happiness in them. They smile without meaning to—suddenly, shamelessly. In the middle of a conference, a long queue, even while brushing their teeth—just remembering that person makes their lips curl."
Achara continued, her voice calm as water yet piercing as a blade,
"There is a kind of care that coils itself around a person. No matter the situation, no matter the distance, all you want is for them to smile. Even if you must burn like a candle—so long as their world is bright, you do not retreat."
From the beginning, Kao had carried this care for Nil.
He hadn't said it. He hadn't admitted it.
But now—every word Achara spoke struck bone.
Every line echoed his life.
He remained silent.
Achara glanced at him but didn't pause.
"And the most frightening sign," she added softly, "is jealousy."
She folded her hands across her knees, her tone laced with heat beneath the gentleness. "No matter who it is... if they touch your person, your heart burns. Even if you say nothing, pretend nothing—it's still there. Like a fire under your ribs. Unless it's someone truly blood-related, it never feels right."
Kao lowered his eyes, fingers frozen on the strings.
A breath dragged itself from his chest.
Kao let out a breath. Long. Measured.
But his mind had already gone ahead of him—
He had felt this.
He had burned.
Still, Achara's voice was relentless,
"So in the end, there are three signs and symptoms of love."
"One—unnecessary happiness."
"Two—unnecessary care."
"Three— Untamed jealousy."
She stared straight at him.
"Ask your friend," she said. "If he has these three, then he's already in love."
Kao didn't answer.
He couldn't.
Inside, something twisted.
I shouldn't have said anything to Achara.
No wonder how she would react.
Will she still look at me the same way she always did?
Will she still call me 'brother'?
Consequently, he said nothing.
He chose to bury it—the entire truth, like a secret scroll pressed flat beneath stone. He lacked the courage to place it in Achara's hands. To watch her eyes shift, her understanding change. To watch the word brother falter on her tongue.
So instead, he reached for safety.
"You should sleep now, Achara," he said gently.
Achara didn't question him. She never did when it mattered most. She only smiled and rose to her feet, her voice soft with warmth as she turned away.
"Keep laughing, Brother," she said. "I love to see you like this."
The words, spoken so simply, struck deep. As if he had already become someone else—and she was trying to hold onto him.
When she disappeared behind the door, silence returned.
Night grew heavy.
The lights outside the window were distant, like fallen stars scattered far across a black lake. The world had gone quiet, slipping into sleep.
Only Kao remained awake.
Alone, he sat by the guitar, unmoving.
A long time passed. He didn't play. He didn't speak.
Somewhere between breath and memory, a name surfaced again.
It came softly, but with the weight of a thousand storms.
Nil.
Nothing else came close.
Nil couldn't sleep.
No matter how many times he turned, how many times he adjusted the pillow, sleep refused to come. In the dim room, Techno was snoring like thunder. Mary, on the other hand, had shifted positions several times, her blanket half-kicked off. Through half-lidded eyes, she noticed Nil's open gaze—eyes wide, body still, but clearly not at rest.
She called softly, "Nil?"
No reply.
After a pause, she threw off her own blanket, padded over, and sat on the edge of his bed.
"Nil..."
He turned slightly. His voice was low, as if he were afraid to disturb something fragile.
"Mary... why did you wake up?"
Mary crossed her arms. "From the beginning you've been tossing and turning. Just tell me—what's bothering you?"
Nil hesitated.
Right now, in this quiet room, in this borrowed bed, he only had one person in the world who could truly listen—Mary.
So at last, he sat up. Shoulders drooping, he sighed, a long and heavy breath.
"Someone kissed me," he said quietly.
Mary blinked. Then answered without missing a beat.
"Kao."
Nil's head snapped toward her. "How... how did you know?"
Mary rolled her eyes, but there was tenderness in them. "Because he's Kao Neptune. That man is like ice to everyone—but to you? He was never cold."
"He helped you, protected you, smiled at you. That man doesn't even smile at reporters. But he looks at you like..."
She didn't finish.
Nil shook his head, gaze darkening. "I don't think so. I mean, why? He's elite. He's rich. He's... him. Why would someone like him ever look at someone like me—someone so far below?"
Mary didn't flinch.
"Love, feelings, emotions—they don't care about wealth or status. They just... come. They grow. Sometimes for someone you never expected."
Then she paused, watching him closely.
"Okay. Do you like boys?"
Nil looked away.
"I... even though I wanted to be a BL actor, I've never really felt something that strong for anyone."
"But when it comes to him... it's different."
His voice had softened now, like a confession falling gently into the night.
"Every time I see him, I feel this... jolt. Like something inside me is about to jump out. I don't even know what it is."
Mary said nothing.
Nil looked down at his fingers, clasped tightly in his lap.
"I don't know if I see him as a friend... or something else."
"But no matter where he is—even if he's far away—I want to see him. Always."
Mary smiled faintly. "That's what they call... the attraction of love."
"I'm not saying you should go and ask him if he loves you. Just... give it time. Maybe—just maybe—he'll be the one to tell you first."
Nil's eyes widened. "...I think you're imagining too far ahead."
And with that, he flopped down, pulling the blanket over his head.
Mary called his name again, teasing.
He didn't answer.
But beneath the blanket, Nil's ears were red.
The next morning, the three of them asked Uncle Tham for a day off.
Uncle Tham agreed without hesitation.
To celebrate Nil's first project, they decided to visit MBK Center—the bustling heart of Bangkok's shopping scene. Nil, proud and a little stunned, had already received his two-day shoot salary in advance.
With careful hands and a nervous smile, Nil bought new clothes for himself, and then, quietly but thoughtfully, a few items for Mary and Techno.
Soon enough, hunger pulled them toward the food court. They sat down, ordering dishes that promised comfort and familiarity: stir-fried rice noodles with shrimp, tofu, egg, peanuts, and bean sprouts; sour shrimp soup with lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, and chili; green papaya salad with chili, lime, peanuts, dried shrimp, and fish sauce; and Thai-style fried rice, fragrant and warm.
When the food arrived, the air was filled with the mingling aromas of spice and sweetness.
Mary's eyes sparkled with mischief. She glanced at Nil, a teasing smile curling on her lips.
"You know, Nil," she said softly, "just imagine if Kao was here with us. It would be so much fun, don't you think?"
Nil's fork paused mid-air. He looked up, surprise flickering across his face. "Why are you bringing him up?" he asked quietly.
Mary's grin widened, playful and unabashed.
"Because," she said, "he's breathtakingly handsome. If you're not going to make a move, please tell him to consider dating me."
The words hung between them like a challenge.
Nil's expression shifted—serious, sharp. His voice lowered, almost warning.
"Mary... do you want me to leave right now?"
Techno's gaze sharpened as he leaned forward, voice calm but firm.
"Nil, calm down," he said.
Then he turned to Mary with a glance that carried equal parts amusement and warning.
"And Mary, you should stop bothering him."
Mary threw up her hands in mock surrender.
"Alright, fine," she said with a laugh. "But you can't deny it, guys. Stranger—or Kao, as you call him—is undeniably attractive."
Nil had just lifted his spoon when—
A passing breeze, a faint cologne, a flicker of movement in the corner of his eye.
Kao.
He passed their table accompanied by Shian and two older executives in navy suits, their conversation hushed, measured. Kao said nothing, eyes fixed ahead, every step crisp and deliberate.
It was clear he hadn't noticed them—or perhaps, chose not to.
But Nil noticed.
His shoulders stiffened. The spoon slipped slightly in his grip. A flush crept to his cheeks as if someone had reached inside him and turned something over.
Mary, ever the observer, caught it in an instant. She followed Nil's gaze and turned her head—
Just as Kao was about to disappear into the crowd.
"Mr. Kao!" she called out, voice bright and unapologetic.
Kao stopped.
He turned slowly, eyes brushing over the table—and landed on Nil.
A flicker passed between them. Barely a second. But it was enough to shift the air.
Mary grinned. "Come join us!"
Kao's lips curved faintly—not a smile, but something sharper.
"I will," he said, tone cool and poised, "if Nil invites me."
Silence.
All eyes shifted to Nil.
His throat tightened. He could feel the pulse in his fingertips. He hesitated. Then, awkwardly, as if forcing the words past the weight in his chest, he said—
"Umm... why not, Stranger?"
He motioned vaguely to the empty seat beside him, adding a quiet, "Sit."
But he turned his face away immediately after, gaze buried in his rice as though it might hide him.
Kao inclined his head slightly.
"Shian," he said without looking back, "you can go."
Shian stepped forward, frowning. "But Kao, you have a recording—"
"I'll manage," Kao interrupted, voice low and final. "Leave."
Shian said nothing more. With a bow, he disappeared into the crowd.
Kao sat.
His posture was perfect, as always—calm, unbothered. But the faint furrow between his brows betrayed the storm beneath.
Techno, determined as ever, nudged Nil's elbow. "Come on. Eat. It's all your favorites."
Nil picked at his food with less enthusiasm.
Kao noticed.
"He doesn't like Thai food," Kao said, voice casual, but laced with quiet precision. "Let me order Bangladeshi dishes for him."
Mary blinked.
"We've lived with him for months, and he never once said anything," she said, curious now. "He always says he's fine with Thai food."
Then she leaned in, eyes narrowing playfully.
"Kao... don't you think you know him a little too well?"
"Are you two... dating?"
Nil choked.
He coughed violently, turning away, ears red.
Kao reached out and gently patted his back once, then let his hand fall.
"I'm fine," Nil muttered, recovering.
Still coughing slightly, he added in a low voice, "Who said we're dating?"
Then, with a weak but sincere tone, he said, "Stranger is just... someone I respect a lot."
"We're friends. Good friends. That's all."
"And I do love Bangladeshi food," he added. "But... I've grown to like Thai cuisine recently."
With a self-conscious grimace, he picked up a piece of fried rice and finally began to eat.
Kao's eyes didn't move from him.
His voice softened, almost amused. "Good. At least you admit we're friends."
Nil gave a tiny nod, eyes fixed on his plate. "Mn."