The morning after the chaos at the hotel, Shin goes to Jeng's house to do his job as usual. When he arrives, he says good morning to the other bodyguards, and still dressed in a white shirt, jacket and black pants, he goes inside the politician's huge house, as that day he was supposed to be in charge of an internal area, near Jeng's office. As soon as he gets to his post, he starts thinking about what had happened the day before. He really couldn't believe that Saint had protected him and taken that blow for him. Shin was extremely convinced that Saint hated him, and yet, why had he acted that way? Even in the days before, he almost seemed to be acting with interest towards him. Just think of when he brought him breakfast that he threw on the floor, or even just the fact that he still had the red string bracelet they had in common on his wrist. Why hadn't he taken it off? Why hadn't he cut it? Shin thought about it constantly. He had cut it seven years earlier, the very day they argued and put an end to their friendship, or rather, that Saint had put an end to.

7 years ago...

Shin, during one of those sunny days, decides to visit Saint and suggest that they go play soccer at the field not too far from their house. When he arrives, he realizes that his father has already gone out to sell noodles. He takes off his shoes and enters the house, after years he hasn't even knocked anymore.

"Saint?" he calls him, but gets no answer. Then he decides to go to his room, and sees Saint sitting on the bed staring at a fixed point outside the window, as if the world around him doesn't exist.

"Saint?" he calls him again after getting closer to him. His best friend suddenly jumps because he hadn't heard Shin arrive.

"What's going on? You seem strange today." Shin adds. He realizes that his eyes are quite dull and not bright and enthusiastic as usual.

Saint doesn't answer. Shin really doesn't understand what's happening to him at that moment and why he's so silent.

"What's wrong?" he insists again touching his shoulder.

Saint struggles to free himself from her touch, as if he were annoyed. Shin didn't have much patience, or rather, he did, but when he lost it he got really angry.

"Tell me what the fuck is going on with you?" he asks, raising his voice.

Saint stands up with a menacing look, Shin had never seen him like that, and says to him: "what's happening is that I hate you, Shin."

Shin with a strange look asks him: "what are you saying?"

"Do I have to say it again? Are you deaf by any chance?" asks Saint, looking him in the face with that look that Shin doesn't know.

"Come on, say it again if you dare." Shin urges him, who was increasingly confused.

"I hate you and I never want to see you again." Saint replies with an angry voice.

Shin, after those words, understands that he had heard correctly before, and that Saint had really said those words.

"Why? What have I done? What are you raving about?" Shin at that point was on the verge of tears.

"Get out of my house and never look for me again." Saint orders him.

"Tell me what your fucking problem is?" Shin pushes him with a tear rolling down his cheek.

"You are the problem, now go away." Saint points to the door with his index finger.

"I don't understand Saint, why are you doing this to me?" Shin grabs him by the shirt in the hope of understanding the reason for his words towards him, his voice angry and at the same time with tears in his eyes.

Saint removes both hands from Shin's grip on his shirt and looks at him impassively, with a vacant look that seems devoid of feelings.

"Go away." he only says, pushing him.

Shin thinks back to the phrase said a few moments before "you are the problem" that phrase definitively destroys his feelings, and now, without replying he goes out of those walls that have been so familiar to him for years, with his heart completely broken.

When he returns home, he doesn't even notice his mother, who immediately goes to lock herself in the bathroom and lets out a desperate scream, accompanied by a valley of tears. His mother immediately rushes to the bathroom door and asks him what happened, frightened by Shin's scream. However, he doesn't answer her and leans against the door, continuing to cry. He stays there for almost three hours and continues to think and mull over what happened, and he feels like crying again and again.

"What did I do to deserve this, Saint?" he says to himself as he looks at his phone's lock screen, which features a photo of him and Saint at a soccer match Shin played a few months ago.

When he finally comes out of the bathroom, his mother immediately goes to him to ask what happened, she caresses his cheeks worriedly and notices his red eyes. He tells her that he doesn't want to talk about it, so he locks himself in his room, and asks his mother to leave him alone. From that moment on, Shin's life undergoes a strong change, and unfortunately, not in a positive way. There were entire days when he didn't eat and didn't want to know anything about anyone, days when he didn't go to school and pretended to be sick to his teachers, days when he spent the whole day locked in his room crying, thinking about those words. When he talked about it with his mother, she got very angry and told him that she would prevent Saint from being his friend again, if he had even thought of trying.

Shin slowly started to withdraw into himself, to be more introverted and taciturn, to trust people less and less. In fact, after a few months he only managed to make one new friend, Chadjen, a boy in the class next to his. He rarely spoke to his classmates, he hadn't established any relationship with them, but he didn't care that much, because knowing that Saint was by his side was enough for him, but evidently he didn't think the same of him. A few days after their friendship ended, Shin had decided to cut the red string bracelet that Saint had given him for his birthday, out of anger. Over the years he had learned to leave the past behind, it had been difficult for him to put Saint aside, because he thought about it all the time, but in the end he had succeeded, to file it away in a part of his head that he had forced himself to keep closed.

Shin comes back to reality and sees Jeng coming out of his office, while he is talking on the phone with someone to whom he says: "we'll try again another time." Shin didn't understand the meaning of that sentence, after all Jeng was a reserved type and didn't let anything that was going through his mind slip out. He only spoke about it with his trusted bodyguard, who had been working for him for years. He also trusted Shin but not enough to confess his plans to him. And it had taken Shin a long time to gain his trust, but in the end he had succeeded.

When Jeng ends the call, he stops in front of him to say something. "Do you know this guy?" he asks, showing a photo on his phone. It was a photo of Saint.

"I know him, we used to be friends, but not anymore." he answers sincerely.

"I understand." Jeng replies with a smile.

"Why do you want to know?" Shin asks.

"I heard that during the fight in the hotel he protected you." he adds.

Shin nods without saying anything else and Jeng then asks him: "How about I write to him and ask him to come to lunch with me today? You know, I really want to repay him for protecting one of my bodyguards."

"Do you really think this is a good idea?" Shin asks.

"Why not?" Jeng asks curiously.

"I don't trust him." Shin replies.

"Don't worry, invite him here like I said. If he does anything strange we'll take care of it." Jeng concludes and then leaves.

Shin just nods, he can't do anything but follow his order and write to Saint, even if it was the last thing he wanted to do.

Saint is in the kitchen at Sung's house, he was doing as he pleased, and together with Ken he was having a mid-morning snack with some toast and an orange juice. At a certain point, he hears his phone ring, he had received a text. When he picks it up he almost chokes and Ken is forced to pat him on the shoulder a few times to make him recover. Shin had sent him a text.

Shin: Jeng wants you to show up at his villa for lunch at 1:00 PM, he wants to thank you for helping me at the hotel. Make sure you show up and don't be such a jerk as usual.

Saint answers:😁👍

At that point, he goes to Sung who was in the living room and tells him about Shin's message.

"This is a great opportunity to find out something." says the man.

"I'll see what I can do." Saint replies determined.

"Be careful, Jeng will have guards scattered throughout the house, at the first misstep you're dead." adds Sung.

"This doesn't console me at all, thank you very much for the support." Saint gives him a sarcastic smile.

At that point Saint, as soon as the time comes, changes and decides to put on a slightly more casual outfit to appear as natural as possible, the one he had brought with him to Sung's house to change into once he had finished work, consisting of a black sweatshirt and baggy jeans, with sneakers. After changing, he leaves Sung's house and with his scooter heads towards Jeng's house, of which he already knew the road. As soon as he arrives and takes off his helmet, in front of him he sees a really large building.

Jeng's residence stands as a symbol of power and prestige, surrounded by a large private estate that guarantees maximum security and privacy. The house, designed by a renowned local architect, combines elements of traditional Thai design with a modern and sophisticated style. A long tree-lined driveway leads to a large wrought-iron gate adorned with intricate gold patterns. At the entrance, security guards constantly monitor every movement via cameras and checkpoints. The estate is home to an immense, well-kept garden. The villa is spread over three levels and is distinguished by its sloping red tile roof, typical of Thai architecture, and large glass windows that reflect the surrounding greenery. The entrance porch is supported by white marble columns. Not even Sung's villa was this large.

Saint approaches the entrance, and the guards, recognizing him, let him in and have other guards accompany him to Jeng, who was inside the house and who had already set the table, where only he and Saint would sit. When the latter arrives, he also sees Shin standing next to Jeng. He approaches the politician and greets him with a handshake.

"Thank you for the invitation, I'm honored." he forces a smile.

"You're welcome, go ahead, sit down." he invites him to sit at the table.

Saint sits down, Jeng then asks Shin to come closer and asks him something in his ear and then thanks him by giving him a squeeze on the side that makes him jump, before going away to another room. Saint had followed all his movements. He gives him a threatening look as if to incinerate him for what he had done a few moments before. After a few minutes Shin returns with a bottle in his hand, which he uncorks and places on the table. Jeng fills his glass with red wine, and does the same with Saint's.

"Tell me, have you known Shin for a long time?" he asks, sipping wine, waiting for lunch to arrive.

"I've known Shin for many years, why do you ask?" asks Saint.

"I was just curious, the fact that you took a hit for him is really a kindhearted gesture." Jeng smiles, but Saint knows that it was a fake smile.

"Thank you." Saint simply replies.

"From what I've heard, you're a very good guy, have you been doing this job for a long time?" asks Jeng.

Meanwhile, lunch arrives, made of different bowls placed on the table, so that both could take what they wanted.

"Not too long, actually, five years now." Saint replies.

"Really? Shin has also been working for me for five years. He is also very good." Jeng tells him.

"I know." Maybe Saint should have given a different answer, but it came naturally to him because he really meant it.

Jeng gives another of his fake smiles and continues eating, Saint does the same. Then the politician asks him: "why did you choose to be Sung's bodyguard?"

"I met Sung after I lost my father, he was a reference figure for me since my father passed away and when I discovered that we had common goals with him I chose to become his bodyguard." he tells him.

"Like what?" Jeng asks, and it seems like he was teasing him on purpose.

"The explosion that happened five years ago at Phraya Grand Mall, my father died in the explosion." he replies.

"Really? I had no idea, Shin's mother also died in that accident, what a coincidence." Jeng admits.

"I don't think it was an accident, I think it was premeditated by someone." Saint speaks to him frankly.

"Really? If you think so, do you already have a possible culprit in mind?" asks the politician.

"Actually, no, but Sung thought that perhaps one of his former colleagues in the secret service could be involved in the plan. I don't know if you know this, but Sung also lost a loved one in the explosion, his sister." Saint is implementing the plan he had devised with Sung before coming to Jeng's house, just in case Jeng asked him something.

"And what could be the motive? Why would these people have it in for Sung? He seems like a good person." Jeng almost sounds sorry.

"I think a lot of his colleagues were jealous of Sung's achievements, plus he himself had some very heated arguments with some of the organization's members, sometimes they even fought. Maybe they wanted to get back at him after he left the agency, who knows." Saint shrugs.

"I see." he nods.

"Instead of the person who tried to kill you? Did you find out his identity?" Saint asks to increase the tension.

"My men are still looking for him. Why are you interested?" Jeng also increases the tension.

"When I was fighting the man who tried to kill Sung I noticed that they both knew each other and they ran away together. Maybe the same people are trying to hurt them both. Maybe Sung because he made that statement on live TV and you...well I don't know why, I don't know you that well." Saint jokes.

Jeng also laughs and says: "Unfortunately, each of us has haters who can pop up when we least expect it."

Saint nods and after a while, after finishing lunch and drinking only one glass of wine, since he had to work afterwards, he asks him where the bathroom is. Jeng then asks one of his guards to accompany him and show him the way. Saint walks down a long corridor, but before turning onto the path that was indicated for him to get to the bathroom, he stops and hears someone talking on the phone, who he hears say these words: "We'll think of a new plan, don't worry, Prime Minister."

Saint memorizes those words well and then actually heads for the bathroom. Once back, Jeng had ordered a dessert, a chocolate cake of which he eats a slice in a few minutes.

Afterwards they say goodbye and the politician says to him: "I hope to see you again on other occasions, Saint." It seemed a bit like a challenge.

"I hope so anyway." he gives him a polite smile.

"Shin escorts Saint out." Jeng orders Shin.

The boy nods and together with Saint leaves the politician's house. As they walk along the avenue of trees in silence, Saint decides to break the silence and says to him: "I was pleased to receive a message from you."

Shin stops and frowns. "Jeng asked me to do this, otherwise you could have stayed where you were."

Saint nods with a smile without saying a word and Shin really doesn't understand why he's acting that way, however finding out that his father also died in that explosion had shocked him a bit, he had no idea and didn't expect it at all.

When Saint leaves, he heads to Sung's house ready to work the night shift to make up for the lost hours. He tells him about the lunch with Jeng in great detail, but what he can't help but think about is having the chance to spend time with Shin...