𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟐

*Present year

I enrolled at Chulalongkorn University, and I never had a plan to follow him to Canada anymore since I couldn't reach him. I meet a lot of friends, and I interact with the people who approach me at my university.

No connection, no interactions, no calls, no messages, no emails, no letters I received from him It's been a long year without Gemini, and I think he already forgot about me, so I moved on too.

I admit that I've been in love with Gemini since childhood, which is why I can't get over everything about him.

I was walking down the staircase to get down as my mom immediately approached me and said, "Son, your auntie Nhai is back."

"Huh?!" I was stunned.

"They're on television now. Gemini has changed a lot." My mom said excitedly and pull me to the living room.

My heart skipped beating so fast when I saw Gemini on the television. My feelings for him bloom again, and forgets everything what I feel when we lost connection. All the pain I felt before was healed when Gemini came back.

"He's so popular now, Nhai told me it's all because of Gemini's girlfriend." My mom said.

The happiness and excitement were gone after I heard what my mom stated. I was too stunned to speak, "What? Gemini had a girlfriend."

"Yes, I'm sorry I forgot to tell you. Nhai already told me Gemini had a girlfriend in 5 years, I guess that girl is also an actress."

At first, I wasn't convincing what my mom said, but while I was watching Gemini in the television, the girl suddenly appeared and smacked his cheek.

All the pain I felt before brought it back, but this time it was more painful than before. My chest suddenly ached, and I felt someone hit me with a hammer in my head. I felt something heavy in my chest at that time. I can't imagine Gemini with someone else.

It's been a long month. I knew Gemini was here in Bangkok now, but I still feel so empty. Gemini is a good role model in this era, he and her girlfriend are popular artists now, and whenever I go, I always hear their names in social media, magazines, books, brochures, newspapers, and billboards. Even when I was on my school campus, wherever I went-classroom, library, hallway, and field, I heard about the two of them every minutes.

*Examination day

I had a midterm exam today, and my mom asked me to join her for dinner. After my class, I went directly to my parent's house for dinner, but I didn't expect Auntie Nhai, Uncle Uen, and Gemini to be there.

I was stunned when Gemini and I had eye contact for a few seconds. He had changed a lot, he is so handsome now, and he looks so presentable now. I couldn't focus on eating because my heartbeat was pumping when Gemini was near. Even though we weren't next to each other, I still felt so close because we were eating at the same table.

Not until my dad caught our attention with an announcement I didn't expect, Gemini and I would be arranged to marry by our parents.

I want to disagree because I respect his career and his girlfriend, but I choose to be silent. I was hurt when Gemini decided to disagree about marriage.

The following days, I was sitting on the school bench, and I couldn't help but think about what he said last night. He has changed so much that he is no longer the Gemini I knew.

"Looking so far, can you still see something?" Prom said, he sat next to me.

Ford added, "If you think we're going to get caught passing midterm answers-

"He's back." I gasped.

"Who?" Prom wondered.

"You remember when I told you about the childhood friend that I never saw for a long time." I stared at them both.

"Oh, what happened?" asked Ford.

"The one who made you cry because you couldn't contact him anymore." Prom tease me.

"He's Gemini." I answered that I was not in the mood.

"Mint's famous boyfriend? The handsome guy, when he walked you thought he was the owner of the road." Prom complained.

Prom stood up and faced the two of us while imitating Gemini's walk at the airport, Ford couldn't help but laugh because of Prom's teasing of Gemini's walk.

Even Gemini's waving to the media was mocking by him, the facial expression in front of people was imitated by him, "Sawadee khab.. Sawadee khab..."

Ford was having fun with what Prom was doing so he play along, Ford approached Prom and pretended to be a reporter as if Ford was also imitating the reporters.

"Mr. Gem! Mr. Gem!" Ford even imitated the voice of the reporters.

They realized that I was just looking at him seriously.

"Is it true? it's really Gemini?" Prom was surprised when he sat next to me again.

"Do I look like I'm kidding?" Fourth pointed it out with his fierce expression.

"Have you met?" Ford asked in confirmation.

"Last night, at our house." I answered in a sad voice.

"Huh?! what happened? did you talk? what were you talking about?" Prom asked many questions.

"Wait- It's like you're gossiping." I asked suspiciously.

I was about to go home while the three of them were walking at the field with Prom and Ford. Suddenly, I stopped from walking and also hold them stopped.

"N'Fourth." Nhai smiled as she approached me.

"Auntie Nhai." Fourth greeted as he put his two palms together and bowed slightly as a sign of respect.

"Sawadee khab." the two greet her with a sign of respect.

"Isn't she Gemini's mom?" Prom whispered and Fourth pinched him immediately.

"N' Fourth, can I talk to you?" Nhai asked calmly.

While they were eating at a restaurant near Fourth's school, the two of them couldn't help but notice each other, until Nhai was the one who voluntarily approached Fourth.

Nhai picked up a large paper bag and placed it on the table near Fourth, immediately Fourth was wondered when he saw the paper bag handed to him.

"This is my present for you, I didn't even congratulate you when you graduated from high school." said Nhia's voice.

"Thank you, Auntie Nhai."

"You know I treat you like a child. I miss you." Nhai smiled at him.

"I miss you too, Auntie Nhai." Fourth replied with a smile.

"Do you know? Gemini doesn't open his mouth to anything but you. It's always you. Even at the dinner table, he'll pick up his phone just to invite you to dinner. Even when he enters school, he'll update you. I asked Pan if you went to school because he said he wouldn't come if you didn't go to school." Nhai couldn't help but laugh while telling the story.

Fourth slightly smile as he joined Nhai in laughter while listening to the story, "Auntie Nhai."

He added, "I lost connection with Gemini for a few years, can I know what happened to him in the past years?"

"Gemini had a car accident." Auntie states.

Fourth dropped the spoon and fork he was holding after hearing the unexpected answer. He was stunned while looking at Nhai.

"He drove drunk from hanging out with his friends in college. He lost a lot of blood, and that's when he met his girlfriend, Mint." Nhai's story.

"What do you mean? Auntie Nhai." Fourth wondered.

"Mint is the one who donated blood to Gem, so we owe her a lot. Mint's manager hired Gem to become an actor. Mint became his girlfriend out of gratitude." Nhai replied,

Nhai added, "He doesn't love Mint. He only became Mint's girlfriend because of the manager and seeing Gem's debt."

"Why are you telling me that?" Fourth asked when he looked away from Nhai.

"Since you are the only one who knows Gem, you have known everything about him since childhood. He tried to love mint when we were in Canada, but he couldn't.

I told him, 'If you can't do it, leave it.' but he said, 'I don't want to be indebted to anyone.' That's why they are still together." Nhai replied disappointedly.

"Why are you making us reconcile when you know he already has a girlfriend?" Fourth asked confused.

"Didn't your dad tell you?" asked Nhai.

"Which one, Auntie Nhai?" he wondered.

Fourth came frantically from his parents' house to visit it and to talk to his dad formally. When he entered, he was greeted by their maid.

"Where's my dad?" asked Fourth.

"Resting at bedroom," answered their nanny.

Fourth go up stairs and walked directly to his father's room; when he entered, he saw his mom giving his dad a capsule medicine.

"Pa... Is it true?" The fourth was furious.

"Fourth, calm down." His mom calmed him down when he approached Fourth.

"Auntie Nhai has told me everything...

Do you have cancer?" Fourth asked calmly.

He added, "You asked Auntie Nhai and Uncle Uen for a favor to arrange my marriage with Gem, why?"

"Fourth." Quan approached him.

"Pa!" Fourth's voice saying that he was asking for the truth.

"I'm sorry, I'm just doing what's good for you. I did it because I wanted to take good care of you when I'm gone, and that's Gem." he answered.

"You didn't even think that you were selling your son! You don't have to do that, I can do live on my own. And you can't loss." Fourth's sobbing voice.

"Fourth, give it to me. I know only Gem can handle your behavior. When you're still young, I noticed how's Gemini cares for you." Quan touched Fourth's ros cheeks.

"Pa, everything has changed. He is no longer the Gemini he used to be, so please don't do this, Pa." Fourth cried, when he beg.

"You're the only ones we have, and I want you to be taken care of properly. I want you to end up with the right person.

Marry him, so that I can be reassured that someone will take care of you when I'm gone." Quan gave him a warm smile to enlighten Fourth's feelings.

In a few minutes, Quan held his chest because of the ache, he suddenly collapse and unconscious on the ground.

"Pa! Pa!" Fourth yelled,

Fourth's POV:

My knees suddenly bend down beside to my dad's waist and tries to shake his body to wake him up, my mom was panicking while talking to the ambulance over the phone.

"My husband suddenly collapse, please we need an ambulance over here!!" Her trembling voice.

"Pa! Pa!!" I screamed with a growl.

I can't help to cry when I saw my dad pick up by ambulance, my mom hop inside the ambulance to accompany my dad. When the ambulance drove away, I hurry up hop on to my car and go after the ambulance.

When I arrived in the hospital, I was panicking and worrying while walking at the hallway of hospital. I'm in a distance when I saw my mom sitting at the bench in front of E.R.

My body was shaking and weakening the closer I stepped to my mom. I held the tears that accumulated in my eyes, even though my vision was getting blurry because of the tears that blocked the pupil of my eyes.

Author's POV:

The next day, Fourth was in a hospital, resting on a couch to look after his dad. When his auntie Nhai and uncle Uen pay a visit to his dad, Fourth immediately approaches them and invites them to sit down.

"Sawadee khab. Auntie Nhai, Uncle Uen." Fourth faced them to pay respect.

"How's your dad, N' Fourth?" Uen said, full of worry.

"His condition is stable now, but his cancer..." Fourth couldn't help but sob.

Uen pats his shoulder and squeezes so tight just to give Fourth strength, "It's okay, everything will be fine."

Fourth, bending down his head slightly after Uen patted his shoulder and he pinching his nose to hold his tears, A few seconds later, Fourth lifted his head and faced them with a joyful face.

"I'm sorry." Fourth apology with a warm smile.

"Where's your mom?" Nhai looks out for his mom.

"She picked up some clothes for dad, she'll be back." Fourth, talk to them politely.

A few minutes later, Fourth realized that his phone was vibrating in his pocket. He immediately answered the phone call when Prom's name appeared on his phone screen.

"Hello." Fourth, answer the call when he puts his phone in his ear.

"Where are you? We have a mid-term exam today. This is the last day of the exam." Prom informed him over the phone.

"I don't think I can take an exam. My dad was hospitalized." Fourth whispered,

"HUH?!!" Prom screamed over the phone call,

Fourth was shocked to hear Prom's scream as he removed his phone from his ear, "Ai' shia Prom!"

"I'm sorry, I'm carried away." Prom apologize.

"Don't worry, we will excuse your exams for our subject professors." Ford inferring to Prom's.

"Thank you, bro." Fourth overwhelming voice.

"Fourth, please send your answer-

Prom was still speaking, but Fourth hung up the call, as if he already knew that Prom would piss him off.

"It's your exam day." Nhai ask,

"Khab." Fourth polite voice.

"You can take your exam today... Your uncle Uen and I will look after your dad." Nhai spoke up.

"It's okay, Auntie Nhai. I can take an exam next day. My friend has already excused me." Fourth refused Nhai's suggestion.

"Fourth, take an exam. We will take care of your dad." Uen insists on him going.

"Uncle...

Uen wouldn't speak at all but shook his head to assure Fourth that he would not refuse Nhai's suggestion and make sure that Fourth could go to school for his exam.

"Thank you." Fourth beam, when he put his palms together and bowed a little to pay respect to them.

Fourth immediately run off and leave the hospital to catch the time before the exam starts because there are only 30 minutes left.

He drove away and went directly to the university for an exam. Fourth arrived at school on time and caught his professor and classmate's attention when he opened the door. Ford and Prom were waving at the back to catch Fourth's attention .

"I'm sorry." Fourth, apologize to everyone before stepping in.After the exam, the three of them decided to go to the cafeteria for lunch.

"I thought you couldn't take an exam today." Ford asked,

"Gemini's parents insist I take an exam when they pay a visit to my dad." Fourth answer while eating.

"Huh?! Will Gemini's parents pay a visit to Uncle Quan?" Prom was stunned.

"Why? There's anything wrong?" Fourth wondering voice.

"No, I just can't imagine that you and Gemini were really close before." Prom's hesitating voice

Ford's hand was too fast to hit Prom's head so hard. "Stop talking nonsense, just eat."

He can't help but stunned and overthink something, and he also can't help but compare his closeness to Gemini before and now.

And when his dad's plans for marriage suddenly appear in his mind, he can't help but think about getting married to Gemini just because of his dad's reassurance.

"I don't think he will marry me." Fourth said,

"Huh? Who's getting married?" Prom heard it, he look so clueless.

Fourth was stunned to speak when he realized that he was speaking on his mind, but it came out of his mouth.

"Nothing, you're just hallucinating." Fourth deny, he avoid Prom's eye contact.