Chapter 3
Three days passed and Duan heard nothing from Jet.
He wasn't even that surprised. The guy had sneaky written all over his face from the moment they met. He'd probably already forgotten about the whole thing.
It was a sunny Saturday afternoon and Duan decided to just go home. He rarely made the trip back but his parents hadn't seen him in a while so he figured it was as good a time as any. The drive was long and the moment he got through the door he went straight to his room and knocked out.
He woke up to his phone going off. It was already 7pm and his stomach was making its complaints known so he dragged himself downstairs.
His mother looked up from the kitchen and smiled the moment she saw him. "You're already awake. Come join us for dinner."
Being the youngest had its perks. His parents had always doted on him and honestly it probably had a lot to do with why he turned out the way he did — playful, a little spoiled, completely loveable. That was his charm and he knew it.
The table was already set. Sticky rice warm in its woven bamboo basket, the familiar scent filling the room. In the center sat a bowl of Gaeng Hang Lay, the northern pork curry his mother made thick and slow until the meat fell apart in the gravy. Ginger, garlic and tamarind hanging in the air. Small plates of fresh cucumber, cabbage and long beans on the side and a dish of Nam Prik Noom quietly holding its corner of the table.
Duan sat down and felt his whole body relax. This was his favourite part of coming home.
"You should visit more often," his father said.
"You know how far uni is. The commute alone would kill me. That's why I had to beg P'Kamin to let me use his condo."
His older brother Kamin was rarely around so Duan had talked him into letting him stay at his condo at the start of the semester. It had saved him from spending half his life on the road.
His phone went off mid conversation.
He looked down at the screen and went completely still.
Then he screamed.
His mother shot him a look sharp enough to cut glass.
It was a message from Jet. And attached to it was Jun's Instagram handle.
He fired back a string of heart emojis and put his phone face down before his mother could ask questions.
----
Back in his room that night he lay on his stomach and went through Jun's account with the focus of someone defusing a bomb.
There wasn't much. Jun didn't post often and when he did it was pictures of his projects or the ocean. Clean, quiet, no captions half the time. Exactly what Duan expected from him somehow.
He wanted to like every single photo.
He didn't like a single one.
It took everything he had.
---
"Don't mess this up," Jet said, giving him a firm pat on the back. "This might be your only real chance."
One of their seniors was hosting a party at their bar that weekend and Jet had casually mentioned that Jun would be there. Duan had spent the better part of two days rehearsing what he was going to say in front of his mirror. He just needed to not look like a complete clown.
That night Duan and his friends arrived to a packed bar. Drunk seniors everywhere, music loud, the air thick and warm. Duan's confidence, which had been doing fine up until this point, started quietly packing its bags.
What if Jun rejected him on the spot.
What if he just walked away without a word.
What if —
"You'll be fine," Fah said beside him, reading his face easily.
They spotted Jet across the room and he waved them over to a spot to sit. Duan's eyes found Jun immediately. His back was to them, pale shoulder peeking out from the collar of his shirt, completely unbothered by the noise around him.
"Look at him drooling," Dom said.
Fah smacked him without looking.
---
After the party they waited outside the bar. Duan was already pacing.
"Why isn't he out yet?"
"Relax. Jet will signal when he's coming," Dom said.
Five minutes later Jet came through the door followed by Jun and Chawin. Duan straightened up immediately.
"Is he ready?" Fah asked quietly.
Duan nodded.
As they got closer Jet leaned over and whispered something into Jun's ear. Duan's heart was going loud and stupid in his chest.
Thump.
Thump.
Then Jun walked straight past him.
Everyone's eyes snapped to Jet who looked just as confused as they felt. He had definitely told him.
Duan didn't think. He just moved. He caught up to Jun and grabbed his hand.
Jun stopped instantly.
Duan had not accounted for that. He walked straight into Jun's back, his face nearly meeting his shoulder.
Jun turned around slowly and looked at him. His expression was completely unreadable.
"I'm sorry." Duan took a small step back.
"....."
"Um. My name is Duan. I'm 20 years ol—"
Jun rolled his eyes and turned to leave. Duan scrambled around him and blocked his path.
Jun raised an eyebrow.
"Can I ask you out?"
Jun sighed and stepped to the side. Duan stepped with him.
"No — wait. I'm not asking you. I'm letting you know." He took a breath. "I'm going to pursue you."
Jun stared at him. "What?"
"I like you."
A beat.
"Do you even know me?" Jun asked. His voice was low and even and it did something completely unfair to Duan's stomach. "What exactly do you like about me?"
"You're handsome. And completely my type."
Jun scoffed.
"So I'm going to do everything I can for you to like me back." Duan held his gaze. "Make sure you're prepared."
Jun looked at him for a long moment.
"We'll see," he said and walked off.
Jet caught Duan's eye from behind Jun and winked before following after him.
Then Dom and Fah crashed into Duan from both sides and he nearly fell over from the impact of the hug. He laughed and let them squeeze him and smiled so hard his cheeks ached.
He didn't know how he got home that night. But he slept better than he had in weeks.