WARNING: This chapter will be taking a dark and depressing turn....there is mention of Rape/Non-Con elements. If you don't like it, please don't read.

I will not accept any flaming...only constructive criticism is welcomed.

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Kongphop glanced at the cell phone resting innocently on his desk, few inches away from his hand, before he averted his eyes back to the papers in front of him. Though it was an early Saturday morning and even though he couldn't sleep well the previous night, Kongphop was in his office since 7 o'clock, burying himself with work in a desperate attempt to get his mind off the events of last night. Still, his hand was itching for him to grab his cell phone and make the call he had been dying to make for the past three hours.

Finally, he dropped his pen, taking a deep breath before grabbing the phone and dialled the number.

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Dear was in his garage, trying to fix his motorcycle when his phone rang. Picking it up, he was surprised to see Kongphop's name flashing on the screen.
"Hello," he answered.
"Hello, P'Dear," Kongphop's voice seemed hesitant for some reason. "I apologize for calling you at this hour."
"It's alright, Kongphop. How can I help you?"
"Umm ...I just wanted to ask you about P'Arthit. How is he doing?"
Dear let out a soft sigh, wondering how to answer this question. It was evident that Kongphop was very worried, but Dear wasn't sure how much he was allowed to tell the other man.
"P'Dear?"
The older man snapped out from his thoughts. "Um, he's in a stable condition," he replied.
"Did you see him?"
"No," Dear replied. "but Knott said that the doctor had reassured them that Arthit's condition is stable."
"P'Dear, may I impose on you a little further?"
"Sure, Kongphop, anything you want."
"Can you, please, keep me updated on P'Arthit's condition?" Kongphop asked. "I don't think I will be welcomed at the hospital."
At that, Dear sighed, remembering the scene that Knott created at the hospital's entrance.
"I will keep you updated," he replied. "But on one condition."
"What?"
"I want you to answer me honestly about something."
"Of course."
"Why did you and Arthit break up?"
"I don't know, P'Dear," Kongphop replied. "P'Arthit broke up with me one day, suddenly, without explaining."
"Didn't you ask him?"
"I did, but he refused to give me a straight answer," Kongphop responded.
"If Arthit was the one who broke up with you, then why did Knott said that you had hurt him?"
"I don't know."
Dear sighed deeply. "Kongphop, I know that you're already engaged to someone else, but are you still in love with Arthit?"

Dear smiled softly. "No need to say anything, Kongphop," he said. "I got my answer."
"P'Dear—"
"Listen, can you meet me this evening at Bright's bar?"
"I haven't been there for a year, and I doubt that my presence will be appreciated, P'Dear."
"Don't worry. You'll be with me. Meet me there at 8 pm sharp, okay? We will talk more then."
"Okay. See you then. Bye."
"Bye." Hanging up the phone, Dear sighed, shaking his head. Even after graduation, it seemed that he was still stuck with the role of the senior to his former juniors.

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Kongphop stared nervously at the entrance of 'FIN JUNG,' seriously doubting that going inside was a good idea. He didn't want to repeat the little episode of the hospital in case he ran into Knott again. It wasn't that he was afraid of the older man, but it was still embarrassing to cause another scene. However, he had an appointment with Dear, and the older man would surely back him up. Taking a deep breath, he braced himself and entered the bar. The bar was crowded since it was Saturday ... even the place where Arthit and his friends always sat was taken by others. His eyes scanned for his senior but couldn't see the man anywhere, so he walked up to the front bench and ordered a glass of beer.
"Kong!" Bright's voice was as cheerful and loud as ever. "It's been too long since you came here!" The older man draped one arm over his shoulder.
"Hello, P'Bright," He greeted. "Yeah, it's been a while. I'm meeting someone here."
The older man looked at him with a serious face that didn't suit him. "Meeting someone? Who?"
"P'Dear. He told me to meet him here," Kongphop replied.
Bright frowned upon hearing that. What would Dear want Kongphop for? He was about to ask when someone slapped his back.
"Hello, Bright," Dear said. "Kongphop, how are you?"
"Hello, P'Dear." Both men greeted back.
"Bright, I want a large glass of scotch and a private place so that I can talk to Kongphop."
"Will my office do?" asked Bright.
"Perfectly."
"Oi, Dear!" The three looked behind and saw Tum followed closely by Knott approaching them.
Kongphop looked at Knott uneasily, but the older man chose to ignore his presence altogether. After greeting each other, Tum looked at Dear.
"Are you ready?" He asked.
"Yes, Bright offered us his office."
"Good. I want a scotch, Bright," Tum said.
"Me too." Knott seconded.
With that, the four men headed back to Bright's office.

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Knott took a deep breath, trying to ease the heaviness he felt in his chest. Tum, Dear, Kongphop and he were sitting in a small sitting area in Bright's office, while Bright, who insisted on being present after learning the reason behind their meeting, was sitting behind his desk.

Knott wasn't sure why, but he felt like a first-year attending his first hazing session. He looked at Kongphop who was sitting opposite him, feeling that his upcoming task had gotten even harder. It was hard enough for him to be talking about Arthit's problem to his seniors in the first place, let alone in front of him.
Earlier when they were about to enter the bar, Tum informed him that Dear had invited Kongphop to their little meeting. He tried to object, but the older man wouldn't hear of it.
"Knott," Tum began. "I believe you have something to tell us."
Knott sighed, nodding slightly.
"Well, one Monday morning a year ago, my phone rang around 5:00 am," He began.

FLASHBACK
Knott groaned upon hearing the loud sound of his phone ringing. He reached out his hand to where his cell phone was without even bothering to open his eyes.
"Yes?" He asked, answering the phone.
"Knott," A hoarse whisper came from the other side of the line. "Help, please."
Raising up off his bed, Knott looked at the phone screen to see who it was. "Who is this?" he asked after seeing an unknown landline number on the screen.
"Arthit," came the harsh reply followed by a rough cough.
"Arthit!" Knott exclaimed, fully awake. "What happened? Are you okay?"
"Help me," Arthit's voice spoke of tremendous pain. "Please..."
"Where are you?"
END OF FLASHBACK

Knott paused to take a deep breath in an attempt to contain himself. Although a year had passed already, remembering that day still wasn't easy.
"I quickly rushed to where Arthit was," he continued. "and there..."

FLASHBACK
Knott climbed down his car and rushed towards the cabin's front door, taking the front stairs two at a time. He tried to open the door, but it was firmly locked. His eyes darted around the place, looking for a hint of light inside, but there wasn't any. The thought of breaking the front door did occur to him, but then he decided to look around the small building first.
Circling the cabin, he noticed that the door leading to the basement was slightly ajar.
"Arthit!" He called as he entered and climbed down the stairs.
"Arthit!" he called again, opening the glass door that separated the entrance from inside the cabin. The first thing that met him was darkness and an unpleasant smell of beer, weed, and cigarette. He grimaced and felt his stomach turning as the awful smell filled his nostrils.
He tried to focus his eyesight, but all his eyes could make out were the silhouettes of unidentified heaps in the very poorly lit place. He turned to the wall next to him, looking for the light switch. Soon a bright light filled the room. Knott scanned the room and what he saw made the blood froze in his veins.
His best friend was lying unconscious on the wooden floor among the trash and empty alcohol bottles, completely naked and shivering violently. A landline telephone was lying next to his head while the receiver was lying a few inches away from his hand.
"Arthit!' Knott rushed to his friend's side, gently raising his body and laying it on his lap.

Arthit's pale body was ice-cold and was covered with red and purple bruises. The unconscious man whimpered in pain and let out a soft "no," but his eyes remained closed.
"Arthit, wake up!" Knott called out agitatedly, but the other man didn't respond. Knott looked around him and saw a half-empty bottle of water, lying around. He carefully reached for it before pouring some water into his palm and spraying his friend's face with it until Arthit's eyes snapped open. A couple of minutes passed before Knott saw some recognition inside of them.
"Knott," Arthit whispered. He tried to raise his hand to touch Knott's face as if to make sure that he was really there, but he hadn't any strength left, so his hand fell midway.
"What happened in here?" Knott asked, noticing the red lines that surrounded his friend's wrists like bracelets.
Arthit shook his head weakly as a tear escaped his eyes; not wishing to offer an answer.
"Take me home," he pleaded softly instead.
Knott nodded in understanding. He looked around, trying to find something to cover his friend's nakedness before they leave this place.
The place they were in was a large hall, divided into different smaller areas to serve as entertainment and resting zones. Gently, Knott picked up his friend's body and laid him on a sofa before he roamed around the place.
While he was looking for clothes, Knott spotted a black cellphone very similar to Arthit's lying around. He picked it up and tried to open it, but it was out of battery. Knott wondered if he should take it, regardless. Turning it around, Knott smirked, noticing the small sun sticker on the back. It was indeed Arthit's.
Continuing his search, Knott managed to find his friend's wallet, thrown under the pool table. Finding no clothes, he took one of the couches' throws to cover his friend instead. Returning to his friend, Knott tenderly lifted his friend's body. His eyes blazed in anger when Arthit's legs accidentally parted, and he noticed blood stains on his friend's inner thighs. Biting his lower lip to calm himself down, Knott wrapped the throw around his friend and picked him up.
Arthit whimpered softly and unconsciously tried to push away the two strong arms that held him.
"It's alright, Arthit," Knott said reassuringly. "It's me, Knott."
Cradling his friend against his chest, Knott took Arthit out of the cabin and back home.
END OF FLASHBACK

"I took him back to my apartment," Knott concluded his story. "He slept continuously for two days. When he finally woke up, I managed somehow to make him tell me what happened," —Knott inhaled sharply — "He—He was lured into the cabin where a gang of five men tied him up and...raped him repeatedly over the weekend" —Tum and Dear exchanged shocked looks — "He only managed to call me when he woke up that day and found himself unbound and the place empty."
"Who were those men? And how did they lure him into a cabin?" Tum asked heatedly. His former junior wasn't an idiot or a child, to be tricked or lured into a cabin by unknown men.
"I don't know, neither did Arthit," Knott replied nervously.
"It doesn't make any sense that Arthit would be lured into unknown places by people he doesn't know." Dear pointed out.
"This is what happened," replied Knott mysteriously, stealing a glance at Kongphop, who was paralyzed with utter shock at what he was hearing.
This stolen glance didn't go unnoticed by Dear who sensed that Knott didn't want to elaborate on the matter because of the presence of their young friend.
"Did you report what happened to the police?" He asked, trying to change the subject.
"No."
"Why not?" Dear almost yelled.
"Arthit refused to report what happened to the police," Knott replied. "He refused to even go to a hospital. I couldn't force him."
The two seniors wanted to smack both Knott and Arthit upon hearing this. Whatever their reasons were, they should have reported this to the authorities as soon as it happened.
"And the cabin?" Tum asked, trying to keep his rising anger at bay. "Didn't you at least tell the police about it? For all you know, it could be a den for a dangerous gang."
Knott shook his head, again stealing a glance at Kongphop.
"I can't believe this!" Tum exclaimed in frustration.
"What happened to Arthit later on?" Dear asked.
"He insisted on returning to his apartment," Knott replied. "I was anxious about him, but he swore that he was fine. I offered to stay with him for a week or two, but he refused."
"Typical I-Aoon!" Tum grumbled under his breath.
"Then what happened?" Dear asked.
Knott shook his head. "I kept an eye on him for the first week, and he seemed to be fine," Knott said. "I even was under the impression that he had returned to work, which he hadn't, as I have later discovered. The only major event that occurred was his break up with Kongphop," — Knott glanced at Kongphop — "I saw him several times after that and I did notice a decline in his physical health, but he always explained it as a result of working for long hours. No matter how much I pressed him, he wouldn't tell me what was bothering him. When I asked him why he had stopped coming to the bar and hang out with us, he simply said that he wasn't ready to face us all. I didn't want to pressure him, so I dropped the subject. Until one day, two months later, Prem and I were visiting him when we noticed that his apartment's door was open. We rushed in to find him in the bathroom, naked and unconscious in a puddle of his blood. He had slit his writs."
Tum inhaled sharply upon hearing this.
"And then?" Dear asked, placing a comforting hand on Tum's shoulder.
"Since I couldn't take him to the hospital, Prem and I bandaged his wounds and waited for him to regain consciousness when I confronted him about he had done," Knott said. "After much coaxing, persuading, pestering, and even threatening, Arthit confessed that one of those men had been coming to his apartment and assaulting him for the past two months. A—"
Knott was interrupted by the sound of someone choking. Everyone looked at Kongphop who looked very ill.
"Kongphop! Are you alright?" Dear asked.
Bright was the fastest to act, recognizing the signs of a man about to empty his stomach. He quickly jumped from behind his desk, rushed to Kongphop's side, pulling the younger man to his feet and leading him to the bathroom located in his office.
Kongphop barely made it to the toilet seat, before the contents of his stomach came pouring out of his mouth. His stomach turned and crunched painfully, as Knott's voice describing Arthit's plight kept echoing in his mind until there was nothing left inside his stomach. Tears trickled from his eyes, but he couldn't care less.
"Come, Kongphop," Bright said as soon as he stopped vomiting, helping him to his feet. "Wash your face."
Kongphop nodded and walked to the sink and splashed some water on his face. When he left the bathroom, Dear was standing nearby with a glass of cold water.
"Thank you," Kongphop said, accepting the glass.
"Kongphop, I think you should go home and rest," Dear said.
"But, P'Dear—"
"Don't argue and do as you're told," The older man said firmly. "Bright, make sure that he reach his house safely."
Nodding, Bright held Kongphop's arm and led him out of the office.
"I shouldn't have invited him here in the first place!" Dear said regrettably with a sigh as he returned to Tum and Knott.
"I can't blame him for his reaction," Tum remarked solemnly. "I'm feeling sick myself."
"So, Knott, I hope you're going to tell me that you reported the assault on Arthit to the police this time," Dear said, looking pointedly at his junior.
"No."
"Are you two out of your minds?!" Tum snapped. "You didn't take him to the hospital; you didn't report the assault to the police! What were you two thinking?"
"Knott," Dear said, trying his best to keep his anger in check. "Why didn't you report this?"
The young man took a deep breath. He was still hesitant to say anything, however, seeing that he had already spilled the hardest part of the story, an additional detail wouldn't make much of a difference. "Because that man had been blackmailing Arthit with some photos they had taken of him while they were in the cabin. The man threatened to send these photos to Arthit's co-workers, to his friends, acquaintances and most importantly to his father. Arthit couldn't let that happened."
"Wait for a second, you mean his father doesn't know? Until now?" Dear asked astonished.
Knott shook his head. "He thinks that Arthit is depressed only because of his break-up with Kongphop."
The two seniors let out a deep defeated sigh.
"Why didn't you report to the police what had happened in the cabin in the first place?" Tum asked. "You could've at least informed them about the cabin's place!"
"We couldn't report this either."
"Why not?"
"Because that cabin belongs to Kongphop's family."

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"Do you feel better now?" Bright asked.

Kongphop nodded in response; two faint tracks of tears were visible on his handsome face.
Instead of taking him directly home, Bright took Kongphop to a small park near the bar to breathe some air. The two sat in silence for a while, just breathing in the fresh air. It helped in keeping Kongphop's nausea down, but not the pain he felt in his heart.
"He didn't tell me why he wanted to break up with me," the younger man spoke suddenly. "No matter how much I asked, he refused to give me a straight answer."
Kongphop bit his lower lip, trying to chock down the sob threatening to tear itself from his mouth.
"What exactly happened between the two of you?" Bright asked.
"One weekend, I had to entertain some clients of the company. We were supposed to go to my family's cabin, just a few kilometers away from Bangkok, but, at the last moment, I decided to take them to Pattaya instead," Kongphop said. "We stayed there for three days. I missed him terribly during that time. I was so happy when I returned on Tuesday morning. I tried to call him, but his phone was switched off. It struck me as odd but then I decided to dismiss it and try his office. His co-worker, P'Todd, told me that he had taken sick leave. It made me worry too much that I rushed to his apartment, although I had just gotten home. When I reached there, I knocked but no one answered" —Kongphop let out a soft sigh— "I almost went crazy."
"Why didn't you come to us?" Bright asked.
"I did come to the bar," Kongphop replied. "I met P'Prem at the entrance, but he told me that you guys don't know anything about P'Arthit either."
"Then?"
"I kept calling and coming to his apartment without success until the following Sunday, he called me himself," Kong replied. "I was beside myself from happiness. I remember showering him with questions without giving him a chance to actually answer them until he yelled at me to shut up. He told me to come to his apartment as soon as possible."

FLASHBACK
Kongphop smiled to himself as he arrived at his boyfriend's apartment, carrying a bouquet of flowers and a bag full of souvenirs from Pattaya. His heart was beating so fast that he feared it would burst out of his chest at any moment. Aside from his incurable longing for his adorable boyfriend, he was also worried about his sudden disappearance for the past few days.
Knocking on the door, he called for the older man eagerly.
The door opened, and Kongphop smiled widely at the sight of his boyfriend.
"Come in," Arthit flatly said before he turned around and entered the room, leaving the door opened for Kongphop.
Despite the slight heartache he felt from Arthit's cold greeting, Kongphop kept smiling and followed his boyfriend inside. After all, he was already used to the older man's moments of dark moods.
He frowned slightly upon seeing the state of Arthit's room, though. His boyfriend wasn't the neatest person he had ever met, and his place would be messy most of the time, but not THAT messy, not to mention dirty. It looked as if Arthit didn't even bother to clean it up, which was strange considering that the man always made a fuss whenever Kongphop visited unexpectedly and Arthit didn't have the time to tidy up the room.
Looking at the man, Kongphop's frown deepened. Arthit looked as if he hadn't slept for years; his face was sickly pale, there were dark areas under his eyes, his eyes looks listless, and he seemed to have lost too much weight during the short time they hadn't see other. His clothes were a mess as well. Kongphop watched as his boyfriend nervously stood in the middle of the room, breathing with difficulty. The tanned-skinned man felt an ominous darkness rising inside his heart.
Shaking his head, he placed the flowers and the bag on the bed, before he walked to his boyfriend.
"I reeeeaaallly missed you," he said, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend's waist from behind in an attempt to lighten up the atmosphere.
"Kongphop!" Arthit snapped, jerking away from the embrace. He turned around and glared coldly at the young man.
The other man's smile faltered, wondering what he had done wrong to be snapped at like this.
"I called you because I wanted to say something important to you," Arthit said in clear frustration. "I don't have time for your childish antics."
"Okay, I'm sorry," Kongphop said softly, trying to keep the pain he felt out of his tone.
"Sit down," The other man said, offering the small chair near the window.
They sat opposite to each other, but Arthit remained silent for a while, staring at everything except the man in front of him. He seemed to be gathering his courage for something.
"Let's break up."
Kongphop's eyes widened in shock at the sudden statement.
"What?" He asked.
"I said let's break up," Arthit repeated in an annoyed tone. "This relationship isn't working for me anymore."
He stood up, averting his face from the other man.
"Why?" Kongphop asked baffled, standing up as well. "Why do you want us to part ways after all these years?"
Arthit remained silent; giving his back to the other man.
"P'Arthit, what isn't working for you anymore?" Kongphop tried again. "If something was bothering you, we can talk about it. I'm sure we can solve whatever is troubling you together."

"P'Arthit?"
Arthit sighed, turning around to face the other man. "There is nothing to solve," he said coldly.
"P'Arthit, what is going on?" Kongphop asked, starting to feel irritated. His boyfriend's refusal to clearly say what was going in his mind and his refusal to face whatever obstacle that faced their love had always been a huge sore spot in their relationship. It had almost separated them once, and it seemed that it was about to do so once more. "Hadn't you promised that you would not hold any secrets from me? Why can't you tell me whatever you want?"
"I'm trying to tell you what I want," Arthit snapped, turning around to face the other man. "You're the one who's refusing to listen. . . !"
"Just like this? Without reason?"

"What's the matter?" Kongphop's voice tone was raising for the first time in his entire life. A volcano of anger was starting to erupt inside of him, and he couldn't control it. "What we had shared for almost five years means so little to you that you won't even dignify my question with a proper answer?"
"I don't want us to be together anymore! It's as simple as that!" Arthit said. "Why don't you just leave and forget all about us?!"
"You don't want us to be together anymore?!" Just as it rose so quickly, Kongphop's voice dropped and became suddenly as cold as ice; something that Arthit wasn't used to at all. He smiled bitterly at the older man. "Just forget all about us? Is our love and what we had shared this simple to you that it can be erased upon request?"
"Just get the hell out of here and forget about me!" Arthit yelled in frustration.
Kongphop walked up to Arthit until they were only an inch apart, locking their eyes together. "Who the hell do you think you are to order me around like this?" He asked darkly. "Do you still you think yourself a Head Hazer and I'm your freshman? Do you still think that you have the right to boss me around?" Kongphop snorted softly. "I hate to burst your bubble, Mr. Head Hazer, but I'm no longer the freshman who would shout 'I like men!' in the middle of the cafeteria upon your command. Forget you? I'll gladly do that, not because you ordered me to, but because I finally realize how self-centered and selfish you truly are, and I'm done chasing after you!" With that, Kongphop walked away, slamming the door of the apartment behind him.
END OF FLASHBACK

"Wow...that Ai'Arthit surely knows how to make others lose their temper when he wants to!' Bright remarked softly, gaining a nod of agreement from Kongphop. "After that, did you try to contact him?"
"I went again to his apartment a week later," Kongphop replied. "It bugged me that he wouldn't give me a clear reason, so I went, and there I saw a man coming out of the apartment, zipping up his pants, and I thought that he had already found another."
"A man? Wait, you don't suppose that the man you've seen was—"
"His rapist, most likely," Kongphop completed, feeling his tears stinging his eyes. "But at that time, I never thought that P'Arthit could be in trouble. When P'Knott said that the man kept coming to his apartment, my stomach crunched painfully when I realized that I had turned my back and walked away from P'Arthit in his hour of need."
"Hey, don't overthink it," Bright said, placing a comforting hand on Kongphop's shoulder. "You didn't know."
"I should've known something was amiss."
"Hey, Listen! If Arthit managed to hide everything from Knott for two whole months, then no one would've known anything," Bright said, trying to comfort the distressed man.
"And that's another matter altogether," Kongphop whispered. "He had been suffering alone for two months without anyone noticing anything...how could he do that?"
"That's not the right question to ask, N'Kong," Bright looked at him with a meaningful gaze.
"What do you mean?"
"The right question to ask is why? And there are several of them," Bright took a deep breath. "Arthit isn't by any means a stupid person to be lured into a cabin by strangers, so why did he go to that cabin in the first place?"
At that Kongphop shook his head in response.
"And he isn't a weakling either, and can defend himself when necessary, but we can safely assume that while in the cabin, Arthit was outnumbered by his assaulters, but why didn't he report the incident after Knott had rescued him?"
"I don't know."
"And when that man came to his apartment, why didn't Arthit defend himself or report this to the police?"
"I don't know."
"Arthit's father is a detective, he could've found his son's rapists in no time, so why didn't Arthit seek his father's help?"
"This isn't something you can tell your father," Kongphop commented. "Perhaps, that's why P'Arthit didn't want to report to the police."
"No, that's not it," Bright said. "There is much more at stake here if Arthit had gone to such lengths to hide everything happened to him." Bright took a deep breath. "There is no need for me to tell you that Arthit is a person who is very possessive and protective of all those whom he loved, and he would take desperate measures to protect them even if it was at his expense." The older man looked at Kongphop. "Arthit suffered in silence for the sake of something that it is precious to him..." Bright sighed before he stood up. "Come, let's take you back home."
"No, I want to sit by myself a little more," Kongphop said. "You can return to your bar, P'Bright. I will be fine."
The older man studied him for a while before nodding his head. "Don't stay too long."
With Bright walked away, leaving Kongphop alone.

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Tum leaned on the metal railings overlooking the river. Next to him stood Dear taking out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket.

"May I have one?" Tum asked.
"Sure," Dear replied, offering one to his senior. "But I didn't know that you smoke."
"I only smoke when I'm angry and need a release," Tum said as Dear lit the cigarette for him.
The two stood next to each other in silence, seemingly enjoying their cigarettes, however, in reality, they were lost in thoughts about one particular former junior.
After hearing the rest of Knott's story, the two understood the complicity of Arthit's situation, though it didn't make it any better, and they were still upset that their juniors hadn't sought their help earlier.
"What should we do now?" Tum asked after a while. "There must be a way to help that fool I-Aoon."
Dear couldn't help chuckling. "I understand that you are upset at him, P'Tum," he said. "But aren't you a little hard on him?"
"Why? Don't you think he's a fool?"
"I do," Dear admitted. "I confirmed that when he actually ran 54 laps after completing 100 push-ups, 100 stands and sits, and 100 squats during his third year."
"I heard about that from N'Pern," Tum said with a soft chuckle. "But wasn't that what you've ordered him to do?"
"We only wanted to set an example for the freshmen," Dear protested. "And we had agreed that he would do only 20 laps, but he had to go all the way, just to prove his point! And thanks to that, I got scolded by the teacher and was called a heartless barbarian by the entire student body for the rest of the year."
Tum laughed lightly at that.
"We should find a way to help him," He said solemnly after a moment of silence. He turned his face to Dear. "Those bastards should be punished for what they did."
"I don't think that it's too late to file a report to the police," Dear said. "I have a relative on the police force, I could ask him."
"What about I-Aoon's father?" Tum asked.
"He's bound to find out, sooner or later."
"And Kongphop?"
Dear shrugged, taking another drag from his cigarette. "The notion that someone in Kongphop's family was involved in what happened to Arthit is merely a speculation on Arthit and Knott's side; there is no solid proof. The only one who's connected to Kongphop is the company's aide."
"An aide who could be acting under someone's orders."
"For what purpose?"
"Breaking up I-Aoon and Kongphop, which they had achieved."
"Isn't it a bit extreme to go to such lengths just to break up the two?" Dear questioned. "And how can you explain why that bastard kept haunting Arthit even after his break up? I don't think that breaking them up is a good reason for whoever behind this to do such a thing."
"Well, there is no good reason for anyone to do such thing to anybody," Tum muttered heatedly.
"That's true."
"Anyhow, how do you explain the way they lured I-Aoon into the cabin?"
"I don't know, P'Tum," Dear said with a deep sigh. "I will talk to my relative and see what he would say."
Tum nodded, looking unconvinced.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

When Bright returned to the bar, he saw Knott sitting in their usual place, drinking by himself; his eyes fixed on the photos set up opposite to him on the wall.
"Where are P'Tum and P'Dear?"
"Gone," Knott replied.
Bright sighed and sat next to his friend. He ordered a drink for himself and started to drink.
"Knott, why did you tell Prem what happened to Arthit and not us?" He asked suddenly.
"Prem only knew by coincidence. Besides, this isn't something you would tell anyone," Knott replied tonelessly.
"We are not anyone, Ai'Knott. We are Arthit's friends for nearly eight years!" Bright growled.
Knott sighed deeply. He knew that Bright had every right to be upset for not being trusted with their friend's problems; however, this wasn't a common problem that one could easily rely on anyone, friends or not, with. He was sure that Arthit wouldn't have called him if he could have gotten out of the cabin by himself.
Knott looked at Bright, who was still glaring at him. "Don't be angry, Bright," he said. "You wouldn't want to tell anyone if such a thing happened to you."
He poured himself another drink.
"You told P'Tum and P'Dear pretty easily," Bright commented.
"You know them," Knott said with a sigh. "They wouldn't have stopped pestering me until they've wrenched the truth out of me. Of course, the fact that they forced me to talk in front of Kongphop did add insult to injury," He added the last sentence with evident resentment before gulping his drink in one go.
"Why are you angry at Kongphop?" Bright asked. "He has nothing to do with what happened to Arthit."
"Don't ask too many questions, Bright. Some things are better left unsaid."
"Well, speaking of Kongphop," Bright said. "Do you know that Kongphop might have seen that bastard who raped Arthit?"
"What?" Knott snapped, looking disturbed suddenly. "He recognizes him?"
"No, I don't think so," Bright replied, surprised at his friend's reaction. "Why would he?"
Knott just shrugged, seemingly relieved upon hearing that.
"Ai'Knott, why did Arthit break up with Kongphop?" Bright asked, eyeing his friend suspiciously.
"What did I say about asking too many questions?" Knott asked, glaring at his friend.
"Well, I only heard half of the story," Bright replied. "And I want to hear the rest."
"Ai'Bright, will you please leave me alone?" Knott asked impatiently. "I'm not in the mood to talk to anyone."
Bright could've pestered the other man for answers, but he knew his friend when he was in a melancholy mood. Despite his usually mild temper, Knott could be violent when provoked enough. Deciding that he wouldn't get more information than he had already obtained, Bright nodded his head and left.
Knott's eyes stared ahead, and soon he was lost in deep thoughts.

FLASHBACK
His phone rang suddenly. Knott frowned, noticing the name flashing on his screen. Excusing himself from the company of his girlfriend, he went to the balcony to take the call.
"Arthit, what's wrong?"
"Knott, can you come over?" Arthit's voice was hoarse and croaky as if he was crying for some time.
"Of course," Knott said. "But tell me what's wrong?"
He heard his friend release a deep sigh before he spoke. "I don't want to stay alone tonight. Please, I think I'll go mad all by myself."
"I'm coming right away," Knott reassured before he hung up.
Re-entering his apartment, Knott apologized to his girlfriend for having to cut their date short, then drove her home before he hurried to Arthit's apartment.
When Arthit opened the door for him, it was clear that he had been indeed crying.
"What happened?" Knott asked worriedly as the door was closed and locked behind him.
"I broke up with Kongphop," though Arthit's voice might sound neutral to others, Knott could clearly hear the pain in it. He watched as his friend sat on the messy bed, trying his best to stop tears from flowing from his eyes.
Knott sighed deeply. He knew this would happen eventually, but he was hoping that Arthit would postpone the matter of Kongphop until he was emotionally stable after his ordeal.
Sitting next to his friend, Knott pulled the other man to his embrace, ignoring the way Arthit's body tensed under his touch. However, as soon as Arthit's face rested against his shoulder, his friend burst into tears.
Knott noted with a heavy heart that his friend hadn't cried after his trial, not even once, but now he was crying his heart out over his lover.
He waited patiently until the other man stopped crying.
"I'm sorry, Knott," Arthit whispered, pulling away and wiping his tears. "for troubling you so much."
"We are friends, Arthit," Knott replied. "I'll always be by your side."
Arthit gave his friend a tiny smile but said nothing.
"Arthit, why did you break up with Kongphop if it would cause you so much pain?" Though Knott knew the answer, he asked anyway, wanting his friend to unload his troubles from his chest.
"You know why," Arthit answered, sighing deeply.
"But it may not be true," Knott reasoned. "and even if it was, Kongphop has the right to know."
"No, Ai'Knott!" Arthit exclaimed, standing up and starting pace back and fro. "I can't risk it. Kongphop is very attached to his family; I can't put him in a position where he must choose between his family and me."
"There is no evidence to support your theory that someone in his family was involved in your incident."
"I saw that aide in Kongphop's house during the few times I've been there," Arthit explained agitatedly. "He's not only an employee in Kongphop's family's company, but he's also part of their household. He's very close to that family!"
"But, Arthit—"
"How would you explain the use of the cabin, then? And the message sent to me from Kongphop's phone, inviting me to that place? And how about sending the company's car? No, Knott. Someone in that family doesn't want me to be with Kongphop, and I don't want to destroy Kongphop's family. It is for the best."
Silent tears never stopped sliding down Arthit's pale cheeks throughout his speech. It was apparent that the man was trying to convince himself that he made the right decision rather than convincing his friend.
"So, you chose to destroy the love that had grown between the two of you for the past four years, instead," Knott simply stated.
Arthit stopped his pacing and gave him a hurt look. "It's for the best," he repeated.
Knott sighed. Again, he already knew what his friend's response would be, to what he was about to say but still, he had to try, hoping against everything that the other man would listen to reason for once.
"Arthit, instead of torturing yourself like this, there is a way to be sure," he began. "Let's report this to the police and let them investigate. They will find out for sure whether Kongphop's family was truly involved or not. Or better yet, let's talk to your father!"
"Ai'Knott, I said NO!" Arthit exclaimed.
Knott frowned, feeling Arthit was hiding something else from him. He could understand why his friend would wish not to probe into the real connection between what happened to him and his boyfriend's family; but, Knott had a feeling that Arthit had broken up with Kongphop for more than this reason.
"Arthit," he said with a solemn voice. "is this only the reason why you've ended your relationship with Kongphop, or there is something else you're not telling me?"
Arthit's eyes shifted around restlessly to escape his friend's piercing eyes.
"Ai'Arthit?" Knott called.
The former head hazer closed his eyes causing his unshed tears to slide down his cheeks while his head hung down shamefully. "It's for the best, Knott," he whispered. "He deserves to be with someone else...someone better...someone undamaged, untainted."
SLAP!
Upon hearing Arthit's last words, Knott stood up, and his hand unconsciously rose and slapped the other man across his cheek.
Arthit stared at his friend with utter shock as an angry red mark appeared on his pale skin. Knott, on the other, stared back with a blank face and cold eyes.
The two men stared at each other for a while in complete silence until Arthit averted his gaze, rubbing his cheek.
Knott watched with the same cold glare as his friend sat back on the bed; eyes downcast.
"Aren't you going to apologize?" He finally asked.
"Who should apologize to whom?" Arthit asked, looking up at him with slight resentment inside his eyes. "You're the one who slapped me."
"You deserve it," Knott said emotionlessly. "Honestly, Arthit! Damaged? Tainted? Is that how you see yourself?" He asked heatedly, feeling his ire rising again within his chest.
Arthit closed his eyes, inhaling sharply. His hands clenched tightly on the sheets underneath them.
"Answer me, Ai'Arthit!" Knott snapped. "Is that how you see yourself?"
"How else would I see myself?" the other man snapped back. "How else would anyone see a grown-up man who got kidnapped and has been used like a whore?!"
For the second time this day Knott lost his temper and pulled Arthit up to his feet by the collar. He glared furiously into his friend's eyes before he suddenly let go and pulled Arthit into a tight embrace.
"You're not damaged, Arthit," he whispered into his friend's ear. "or tainted. And you're certainly not a whore."
Arthit's body was shaking violently in his arms, and Knott knew his friend was crying again.
END OF FLASHBACK

Knott smiled bitterly to himself. He had naïvely thought that he had gotten through Arthit that night and made him open his heart. He had thought that he managed to comfort his friend and help him to overcome his plight, only to discover how wrong he was when it was too late. He had tried to support his friend through his ordeal the best way he could, but it seemed that all his efforts weren't enough. Ultimately, he was forced to watch helplessly as Arthit sank into a vortex of despair and self-destruction until he was beyond any help; even having the support of Prem and Arthit's father hadn't helped at all.
Knott inhaled sharply, wondering if they were all fated to lose Arthit forever.
"Hey, Ai'Knott..."
Knott snapped out from his thoughts and looked up at Bright.
"I think you should call it a night, buddy," Bright said. "You drank a bottle and half all by yourself."
Knott opened his mouth to reply but then decided otherwise and closed it. He placed down his glass and stood up. Swaying slightly, Knott had to hold the edge of the couch for support.
Seeing the state his friend was in, Bright sighed deeply. "Come, buddy. I'll drive you home."

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To Be Continued...