"..."
We both fell silent and looked at each other for a moment. Before I could ask anything, Nao turned away and touched Mom's arm, who was busy with her phone.
"Mom, let's go. Find a seat. Jayden's match is about to start."
"Yeah," Mom replied without taking her eyes off her phone.
"Mom, who are you talking to?"
"With Nong Nitcha."
"North's mom?" Nao asked with interest. "What are you talking about?"
"Just usual stuff." Mom and North's mother had a LINE group that consisted of only the two of them. I didn't know why they needed a group if it was just the two of them.
They called it "Single Girls." Mom put her phone away and looked up. "Let's go."
We went outside to find seats. I wanted to ask Nao about this, but now wasn't the time. Besides, he wouldn't give me an easy answer anyway, so I saved it for later. We found seats in the middle row, not too close or too far from the ring, with a great view. Not long after, the announcer introduced the fighters. When Jay's name was called, the cheers echoed throughout the stadium. It wasn't just my imagination—he really had more fans now. He was the most talked-about rookie fighter.
However, the cheers for his opponent were just as loud, and the guy looked very skilled. I leaned toward Nao and asked if he knew him. Nao moved closer to whisper.
"He's famous too and really good. When I first heard about this, I thought, 'Wow, are they really matching him up with that guy?'"
"You think Jay can handle it?"
"Ryan and Uncle Jerd said it had to be him. If Jayden wins, his career will skyrocket. A promising rookie, winning by KO in his debut, then defeating a strong opponent in his second match. He'll rise fast."
"Isn't that too much pressure? He doesn't have that much experience yet," I started to worry.
"Both coaches agreed that Jayden had the edge."
"I see," I nodded. "Is there a game plan like last time?"
"I'm not sure."
"Alright," I focused my eyes on the ring. The rules allowed throws but banned elbows and knees. The bell rang, and the fighters touched gloves. Jay's opponent immediately lifted his leg for a kick. Jay caught it and delivered a powerful punch, knocking him down. The referee stepped in, and the crowd roared. I was stunned.
"That can't be a KO. It's too fast, not even ten seconds," Nao said, shocked. I sighed in relief when I saw the opponent get back up, though he looked hurt and disoriented. He managed to continue until the end of the first round, clearly at a disadvantage.
In the second round, about halfway through, Jay delivered another kick, sending his opponent crashing down again. This time, he didn't seem able to get up. The referee signaled the end of the fight. His opponent was carried out of the ring, and the referee raised Jayden McKay's hand, declaring him the winner by KO.
"Wow, seriously," Nao said to me. "I think his ribs are broken."
"Yeah," I nodded. His opponent looked like he was in serious pain, probably with fractured ribs and a broken nose. Jay was drenched in sweat, both from the effort and the water poured over him. I didn't see any visible injuries, but he had to be sore.
Mom and Nao wanted to watch other fights, so I went to the waiting room alone. Jay was sitting down, resting with a cold cloth over his eyes. I walked closer and slowly removed the cloth.
"How do you feel?"
"A little sore. The coach checked me, and there's nothing serious, just some bruises."
I nodded, letting out a relieved sigh. "That's good."
"Why do you look so pale?"
"I was shocked to see that guy get his ribs broken."
"Are you afraid of me?"
I shook my head. "No, not at all. Why would you ask that?"
"I was thinking about what I'd do if you were ever afraid of me," Jay said, his voice filled with worry. "If you ever looked at me with fear."
"Why?"
"I'm scared," he admitted. "Just thinking about it hurts."
"I would never see you like that," I said, gently ruffling his hair. "I was just surprised. This is only my second time watching a fight. I need time to get used to it. But you did really well."
"Don't forget my reward."
I pinched his cheek lightly. "I know. Later at home."
"Dan Nuea," I turned at the sound of my name and saw Ryan. "Can we talk for a second?"
"Sure. I'll be right back," I said to Jay before following Ryan. "What's up?"
"I know Jayden might not want this, but I think he should have a fan page or Instagram so his supporters can follow him. A lot of people are interested, mostly fans who want to know about him. There are also potential sponsors. This will be good for him—he can post promotional photos. The more followers he has, the more valuable he becomes. Our gym can promote him, but if he also helps, it'll be even better."
"Hmm," I thought for a moment. "Just promotional photos? Jay said he doesn't want to share his personal life or daily routine."
"That's fine. You can be his manager and handle everything. He doesn't have to do it himself."
"Alright. I'll talk to him again."
"Thanks."
I nodded, appreciating the suggestion, and went back to Jay, letting him rest a bit before he showered and changed. While waiting, I texted Mom and Nao that we were heading home. They left their seats.
"How were the other fights?"
"Good, but not as good as Jayden's," Nao said proudly. "He deserves to be my student."
Not long after, Jay finished showering and changing. We headed home while Nao bombarded Jay with questions about his fight. I didn't find the right moment to bring up Nao's earlier comment until we got home. I pulled him aside to talk.
"No."
"What?"
"Explain that to me."
"What do you mean?"
"What you said about the kiss."
Nao was thinking. "I don't remember saying anything."
"Should I ask North?"
"Wow, if you ask North, he's definitely going to exaggerate," Nao frowned in annoyance, then handed me his phone. "Here, look. It was unintentional." I took his phone and saw that they were doing a group video call around ten in the morning.
I assumed it was just between North and Jay since Nao was still sleeping. I thought they were teaching him how to ask for something sweetly. Reading through the chat, I saw Jay start by saying that he wanted to be my boyfriend so he could kiss my cheek several times a day. I couldn't help but smile.
I handed the phone back to Nao, who looked at me suspiciously.
"What?"
"Aren't you mad?"
"No," I replied. "It makes sense that Nao said that. I thought he was giving instructions, but it turned out it was just a comment, and North told him to look up information. It's nothing."
Nao sighed in relief and took his phone back.
"I'm safe."
"I'm glad you didn't send a link. You always send links for everything."
"They say anyone who sends links all the time goes straight to heaven. Ever heard that?"
"I've never heard of it," I shook my head.
"I thought you'd be nervous, but you handled it better than I expected."
"That's true," I bit my lip. "A bit awkward, but..."
"Wow, my 27-year-old older sibling is about to have their first kiss," Nao covered his mouth excitedly. I gently pinched his arm, pretending to be annoyed.
Nao went to sleep, while Mom stayed awake watching TV. Jay and I went back to the room.
"And the reward?"
"You always ask for it," I smiled. "Is it that important?"
"Yes."
"Ah," I leaned forward slightly before Jay came closer and kissed me on the cheek, holding it there for a moment before pulling away.
"And?"
"What?"
"Can you kiss me too?" Jay began to plead. "You let me kiss your cheek once a day, but I'll let you kiss me as much as you want."
"Seriously? Can I kiss you until your cheek hurts?"
"Yes."
"Haha," I couldn't hold back a small laugh. I leaned forward and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. Jay pouted.
"Is that all?"
"Yes."
"Can't I ask for another one?"
"If I want to kiss, I have to ask you."
"I give up."
"It's enough for now."
"Seriously, I give up," he said again, making me feel touched. I bent down and gave him another kiss on the cheek.
"That's enough," I said before sitting on the bed. "Come here, I have something I want to talk about."
Jay obediently sat down, and I explained about opening an Instagram account.
"This is my Instagram. No, wait, you've already seen it. Just look at Nao's." I handed him my phone. "Nao has a lot of followers. He posts whatever he likes, but he also promotes things for sponsors, like food."
Jay asked about sponsors, and I explained.
"Ah, I see. Why are there so many photos of Tiger here?"
"Maybe to show off."
"What?"
"Nao said he wants to show off because his husband is handsome. That's how he shows love and ownership, so people know he's his and won't approach him."
"Ah, I get it," Jay nodded.
"So, do you want me to make an Instagram for you?"
"Okay."
"Okay," I created an Instagram account for Jay using a photo from the gym's page as his profile picture. Then I sent it to Ryan. Not long after, the gym's page posted Jay's Instagram so fans could follow him. In no time, he had tens of thousands of followers.
"Look, you've got a lot of followers. You need to post a photo."
"..." Jay stared at the screen silently. "What should I do?"
"Tap the plus sign here, choose a photo, write a caption, then upload," I showed him how. I took my phone and started following Jay's Instagram account. Soon, I got a notification that Jay had posted a new photo. I looked at it, a little confused, before seeing the photo.
It was of me, taken suddenly, with the caption: 'Mine.'
"Can I post your photo?"
I partially covered my face. "Don't post it and ask first. Also, I already said only promotional photos, right?"
"Yeah."
"How does this count as promotion?"
"I'm promoting you. You're cute, and you're mine."
I lowered my head, embarrassed. "Am I yours?"
"Yeah, you said so."
"When did I say that?"
"In the chat with Tee. You said the person called Tg was no, but the other one said yes. So I took that to mean I have you. Am I wrong? Dan?"
"No, you're not wrong," I answered quietly. "But how did you see my chat with Tee?"
"I asked him when I took him to the hospital," Jay said. "I wanted to know what you two were talking about."
"You asked him and he showed it to you?"
"Yeah."
"Why did you want to know?"
"Hmm?" He looked confused, as if not understanding why I was asking. "Because I was jealous."
"Ah... I understand."
Oh my God, why did I ask that?