Chapter 26: CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

The band’s house was a bit chaotic in the morning as they hurried to get ready for the MV shoot. Pepper was the one rallying everyone to move quickly.

“Hurry up, guys! We need to get to the shoot, or we’ll miss the release!”

Dylan, Nano, and Jun came out of the kitchen, packing their things and getting ready to leave.

“Where’s Thame?” Dylan asked.

“Did you check upstairs? He didn’t come back last night; he went to Po’s house!” Nano said and was about to head out when Thame came down from the second floor, leaving Jun, Pepper, and Nano stunned.

“Wait, did you come home?” Jun asked in surprise.

“Yeah. I finished watching the movie and came back.”

“You mean you didn’t…” Pepper pressed for details.

“Didn’t what? I went to watch the movie. I even stopped to get some coffee and sour candy to stay awake for the movie he wanted to watch.”

“And then?” Nano raised an eyebrow.

“And then what?” Thame asked back.

“Nong wants to know if you two hooked up,” Nano said bluntly.

“WHAT?!” Thame’s loud reaction gave everyone the answer they needed:

nothing happened. “I mean, come on. It was the first time I went to his place. I needed to respect him.”

Nano sighed and turned to Jun for backup. “Phi Jun, say something.”

“Respect is good, but you also need to consider if he wanted respect or something else,” Jun replied with a knowing tone.

“But I asked him to watch a movie. So, of course, we’d watch the movie.

What else could we do?”

“You seriously don’t know that inviting someone to watch a movie at home can mean something else?” Nano schooled him like someone who knew better despite being younger.

“So, basically, you should’ve just hooked up,” Dylan summarized bluntly.

Thame looked panicked. “Wait, do you think he knew about that meaning?”

Everyone nodded.

“So, by leaving early, I ruined the date last night?”

They all nodded again. Thame sighed heavily, looking adorably defeated.

—

Later, while everyone was busy shooting the MV, Thame sent a message to Po.

Thame:

Phi Po.

Thame:

I’m sorry about last night.

Po:

Huh? You mean leaving before the movie ended?

Thame:

Yeah.

Po:

It’s fine.

Thame:

But I want to make it up to you. Once things with the band settle down, can I come watch a movie at your place again?

Po:

You mean to finish the movie? Sure.

Thame:

I promise, I’ll make it better this time.

Po didn’t think much of it. He assumed Thame simply felt bad about not finishing the movie. As Jun had pointed out, Thame didn’t know much about romance, having lived by the rules his whole life. But Po, with his more experienced perspective, didn’t realize that Thame’s promise to “make it better” carried a deeper meaning.

—

Mars’s new song was finally complete. Po quickly called Baifern for advice on how to get it to the top of the charts. Baifern suggested that if the company wasn’t supportive, they’d need to rely on sponsors. Luckily, Mars had a supporter ready to help: Phi Kaem.

The first show where Mars promoted their song was sponsored by one of Phi Kaem’s products. After that, Kaem helped Mars secure appearances on other media outlets, allowing them to promote their song further. Mars worked tirelessly, performing on both small and large music shows, visiting radio stations, and utilizing all online platforms related to music. Their efforts were paying off as their song climbed the charts, rivaling that of Ice, Wanner’s top artist expected to achieve a Perfect All Kill (PAK).

The five members of Mars were relentless, running between media appearances and coming home to engage with fans online. They knew the stakes: if they succeeded, they’d remain together as five. The fan-driven call for OT5 would become a reality.

“If we win this trophy, our chances for a PAK are really high,” Pepper told the group before they went on stage.

“Let’s give it our all!” Nano cheered, hyping everyone up. Together, they jumped onto the stage, ready to perform.

Mars poured everything they had into this performance. They were determined to make every effort count. Thame had given up his Korean contract. Dylan had worked tirelessly on the song. Nano was finally getting opportunities beyond being the main dancer. Jun wanted to relieve Thame of his burdens. And Pepper was proving himself as a true All-rounder.

Po captured these precious moments on his camera. Perhaps the documentary about Mars’s concert wouldn’t be about saying goodbye after all. Maybe it would be about moving forward to the next chapter.

Through his camera lens, Po caught Thame glancing at him with a soft smile. In that moment, Po felt like he could hear Thame’s thoughts:

If it weren’t for you, my friends and I wouldn’t have made it this far. Thank you.

—

That night, Thame and Po went home together. Po suggested stopping at the sandwich shop, but Thame said he’d rather make something simple and eat together. They stopped by a small 24-hour supermarket, then returned to Po’s place. They cooked, ate, washed dishes, took turns showering, and settled in to watch the movie they hadn’t finished.

“So, you finally get to redeem yourself and finish the movie,” Po teased.

“It’s not about the movie,” Thame replied, rubbing his nose slightly. “I’m sorry I didn’t know anything before. But I understand now.”

Po blinked, confused. Thame didn’t elaborate, so they continued watching in silence.

Ten minutes into the movie, Thame leaned closer, their arms brushing. Skin touched skin. Thame reached over, interlacing his fingers with Po’s. He lifted Po’s hand, kissed it softly, and looked into his eyes.

“You’re not watching the movie?” Po asked.

“I still want to watch,” Thame said, but he wasn’t looking at the screen. He was looking at Po. He leaned closer, his hand resting on the back of the couch. Bit by bit, he closed the distance between them. Po glanced at him briefly as Thame moved closer.

“Thame…” This time, Thame didn’t answer. He kept leaning in until their breaths mingled, their lips only centimeters apart. Finally, Thame kissed Po lightly once before pulling back to gauge his reaction. Po didn’t look away, and that was all the confirmation Thame needed.

He kissed Po again, slower this time, with gentle care but overwhelming emotion. His hand moved to cradle the back of Po’s neck, easing him down onto the couch. Their breaths mingled, their heartbeats synced. Thame kissed Po’s forehead, the bridge of his nose, his lips, his chin, his neck. He removed Po’s shirt, then his own, and continued down.

The movie played on in the background, but neither of them cared anymore.

In that moment, they only needed each other.

TO BE CONTINUED.