THENEXTPRINCE, Chapter 16: Lives Hanging on a Thread.
By: CEO ft. Ennice.
Morning passed to noon and breakfast and lunch went and gone, Khanin sat up in bed to allow an old friend he hadn’t seen in some time to talk deeply.
His restful sleep was hindered by the accumulated stress in his body.
Khanin felt like he saw the image of himself and his father in a nightmare, there were good times… and the last moments before they parted ways. The image of Tattanai looking at the closed door disappeared gradually.
Khanin woke up suddenly from his deep sleep without knowing how long had passed. His body was quiet. He could feel the humidity around his eyes but didn’t think to wipe it away.
He sat up, breathing lightly with a melancholic feeling that was as heavy as a large cloud sitting in his chest. Khanin needed something to hold onto, so he grabbed a piece of caramel candy from his bag.
Caramel candy… He contemplated the candy for a while. He usually used this kind of candy as a support when he wasn’t feeling well emotionally. But this time, he hesitated.
He felt scared… Scared that the familiar sweetness would make him feel even more painful because he thought of… Tattanai.
The sound of the opening door snapped Khanin back to reality. He didn’t eat the candy; he put it back in his bag as before. Some people came in, but they didn’t talk to each other.
Khanin didn’t say anything, but Charan, who was very observant, moved closer and asked, “Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m just…”
“…having a nightmare.”
The young man didn’t say more. He remained silent and looked down, leaving the other person to ask what was wrong.
“Just what?”
“It’s nothing… Did you finish talking with Phii Itthi?”
Khanin changed the subject on purpose, and of course, Charan noticed something was wrong with him but didn’t ask any more questions.
“Go to bed, then.”
“Okay, good night.” The owner of the house, who didn’t pay much attention, didn’t say anything else. It was not strange for them to change to sleep at this time since they usually worked at night.
The person who came looking for conversation went back when he noticed
Khanin stood up, determined to flee to take a bath in the tub to feel refreshed.
Charan didn’t say anything; he just looked back at the backpack of the young man lying on the desk next to the bed.
The young man saw it all, the reddened eyes, the embarrassed posture, as he picked up a caramel candy to look at it. If he had to guess, the other side probably had some history with Tattanai in this matter, and for a moment, was being torn apart by memories and longing to do something.
He knew this because there were several caramel candies stuck in the backpack. If Tattanai brought that up, it must be important to Khanin. Charan did not think that the other side’s emotional instability was a weakness.
On the contrary… he felt like he understood the other side too much. There was nothing he could do except wait for it to subside gradually…
His eyes followed the bathroom door as it closed. A sigh escaped him as he realized there was nothing he could do for Khanin. However, even so, he chose to do something instead of just letting the situation pass by, even if he didn’t know if it would make a difference.
Khanin came out of the bathroom again after soaking himself in the water until he was limp. The tension still lingered, but at least it seemed better than before. The young man glanced at his roommate, who looked like a powerful businessman more than anything else.
In reality, Charan was just like everything else… except a guard
Khanin’s footsteps moved towards the bed, hesitatingly looking at someone else who was fidgeting with anxieties. Charan half-sat, half-lay on the bed, staring off into space. Meanwhile, the younger one acted no different from a cat playing with a string.
The cat didn’t care if its owner played with it or not.
The young man didn’t even realize how close he had gotten to Charan. Living together for many days and nights had dissolved the distance and walls that used to be there without them realizing it.
The smell of soap and shampoo from the younger one’s body invaded Charan’s senses, touching his nerves. He didn’t lift his face or eyes from what he was doing, but knew that the distance between them was small.
“I’m watching the train schedule.” said the older one without waiting for Khanin to ask. The younger one cocked his head slightly and sat closer, making room… for the wind to pass through.
“Is your wound better now?”
“Uh, it’s healed.” The answer made the younger one furrow his brows. Khanin wondered if the doctor was a superhero or something… how could he heal so quickly?
Khanin didn’t think he was weak, but he did remember one time when he was helping his father cook, and accidentally cut himself with a knife. He remembered how difficult it was as the wound took almost a week to heal, and it was smaller than Charan’s.
He didn’t want to think about what it would be like if he were the injured person this time, becoming a burden for others.
…
“The weather forecast says it won’t rain tomorrow. We’ll travel at night, and my influence will send us to the train station.” Charan still hadn’t forgotten about the sky, rain, and their journey to Emmaly. Khanin accepted the words in silence, sinking into his own thoughts about what would happen in the future.
He didn’t know.
His strained lips met each other’s in a shade of reddish-brown. Khanin fluttered his eyes open slightly, not realizing when the other person had gotten up from the bed and was standing in front of him with something in hand.
“Hmm.” Khanin glanced at the young man’s ice cream cup and stopped frowning slightly when he met the gaze of the tall person staring at him. Charan did not explain anything, and the other person continued to hold it still until his arm had to give in and reluctantly reached out to take it.
The important thing about the ice cream… is the orange flavor.
‘Next time, get the orange flavor.’
‘Hmm?’
‘I like orange-flavored ice cream more than coffee.’
‘I’ll remember that.’
The conversation from a few days ago flashed through Khanin’s mind again. He frowned again, but this time it wasn’t because he was stressed or lost in thought. He couldn’t quite classify what kind of feeling it was, but it was much more positive than negative.
“I remember that you like orange-flavored ice cream.” Charan spoke as he scooped a pastry straight into his mouth, letting the sweet and sour taste seep into his body.
“Why did you…” Khanin intended to ask why the person in front of him bought this thing for him, but he caught sight of the calm face and extended sentence that made the small person pause to catch his breath.
“I read in a book that when we eat sweets, it triggers the release of chemicals in the brain such as endorphins and serotonin, which help improve mood and make us feel calm.”
“Can you simplify that a bit?” The cool and sweet ice cream was sent into the small person’s mouth. Khanin waited for someone to speak for almost a minute.
Charan seemed like a robot processing something. He said a few words that seemed to make the sadness that had been swirling in Khanin’s emotions before subside.
“I bought this for you so you wouldn’t be stressed. Is that simple enough to understand?”
The outside scenery was green with a group of trees and mist hovering, meandering through the mountain range, along with the sound of the engine, which was a unique feature of the vehicle. However, these things did not bother the person looking out the window.
Khanin leaned his head against the large windowpane and thought of the intimate influence of Charan, who had now become his other older brother. He remembered when they said goodbye before; it was low, but if there was an opportunity to meet again or visit, he would take it. At that time, he himself was firm and appropriate. In reality, he wasn’t sure if there was another chance to meet again.
Sitting on the train for several hours didn’t exhaust him as much as he thought. Maybe because there were others around him to take care of each other. He looked at the farthest mountain, hidden behind the fog.
He was here now, but he didn’t feel even slightly excited.
“Don’t stare at the mirror too long.”
The sentence was like calling the white person out of the castle of thoughts. Khanin’s gaze shifted from the outside view to the tall person who hadn’t made any movements for several hours.
Charan was like a programmed computer, while the other person sat hugging his knees, often being warned to be careful by Charan.
“We are on a train, and the train is passing through the mountains…I don’t think anyone could shoot me right now.” The whispered sentence seemed to make Little B nervous, but Charan understood it well. This child’s world wasn’t the life hanging on a thread.
The boy was just an ordinary human being. Self-defense skills might not be his forte, as it wasn’t unusual.
“You should toughen up. Anything could happen now. Even if you jump into the water, no one can guarantee that you’ll be safe.”
Charan replied matter-of-factly. The conversation topic was nervewracking, but the speaker’s posture was no different from that of a debate. General topics, such as earth, sky, and air, asked for philosophical exchange about living.
Khanin took a breath. Although he wanted to argue, he knew fully that what Charan said wasn’t an exaggeration or real threat. He had already proven everything to himself. Being an Atsawathewathin wasn’t that simple, after all.
“Hm.” Khanin pretended to take a deep breath, sounding exhausted. But eventually, he retreated from the window and sat down to hug himself, replacing the conversational couple.
“We’re almost there. We need to prepare ourselves.”
In this situation, Charan began to figure out how to deal with it. He didn’t pay much attention to the child, but instead chose to stare at his watch to calculate the distance and position of the station that they would arrive in a few minutes. It was certain that Khanin guessed the way out, and the child knew that Charan didn’t want to prolong the tension in a potentially dangerous situation, but that was all that he saw and couldn’t help being uneasy.
“So what should we do?”
He wrinkled his nose, breathing out a light sigh, and raised his eyebrows to ask a question. This time, he didn’t want to harass them, but raised doubts because he wanted a genuine answer.
Since yesterday, when they boarded the train, Charan hadn’t told him anything about their plans. On the other hand, the other person arranged everything for him. It was the kind of management that the child had barely moved.
From finding food, arranging a bed, sitting and watching him fall asleep, Khanin still saw Charan staying in the same position, from Bangkok up until they arrived at their destination. He didn’t know if he had slept or not.
“But talk is cheap….even the face of God still looks too perfect. Above and beyond two standards.”
“Get ready. The next station is the final one…we’ll get off there.”
It didn’t take long for them to arrive at the last station. It wasn’t different or impressive than many stations they passed before. There were snacks, ticket booths, and people strolling around to wait for their trains.
Khanin followed behind the tall figure, observing how he handled everything with ease, unable to admire him internally. Since he knew him, he had never seen Charan unable to handle anything. Whatever it was, he was always careful, cautious, and appropriate.
“Do you want to drink water? Or do you want to go to the bathroom first?”
Because he was sneaking glances at the face of God, Little B’s gaze slipped away from the tall figure. He paused for a moment before quickly dodging his gaze and nodded.
“Um, I want to go to the bathroom.”
Sure, here is the translation of the provided text in English:
In fact, Khanin wanted to go to the restroom since before reaching the final station to take a break. However, because he saw that the other party was confused about the route, he did not say anything. In this situation, he didn’t know what he could do.
As soon as his feet stepped onto the Emmaly country area, Khanin felt his own trembling, as if his confidence had disappeared.
“If so, let’s hurry to the meeting point.” The young man did not continue the conversation, knowing that he should do everything quickly. Charan pointed out that the boy chose to enter a large bathroom outside with him standing guard.
His eyes scanned the surrounding area for possible dangers, and when he didn’t see anything unusual, he decided to use the phone. Last night, Charan typed an important message to inform some people about the rough schedule.
He only hoped that everything would go according to plan from now on…
“Shall we go?” The soft voice from Charan began to become familiar to the young man who raised his head.
At this time, Khanin’s face was white and wet, with water droplets scattered around his face. His hair was slightly drooping, indicating his urgency. It made him feel no different from looking at a white fluffy cat trapped, forced to take a bath.
“Why don’t you use a tissue to dry your face before coming out?” He asked, handing over his hand to gently wipe away the drops on the smooth cheeks of the other party. It seemed like an inexplicable action that happened spontaneously.
Charan wasn’t sure what commanded him to act like that, perhaps his brain, soul, or something else… Something that the tall man didn’t want to think about anymore.
“I’ll see that you’re in a hurry… no need, I’ll wipe it myself.” Khanin seemed to have some reactions to these things. The other party hesitated before quickly moving away, allowing Charan to step back.
They traveled again after Charan signaled to continue walking. The young man chose to use the path behind, walking cautiously between buildings to reach the meeting point, which was less than five hundred meters from the station.
Firstly, because they didn’t want Young-Prince to be noticed, and secondly, they feared that someone with ill intentions might be lurking among the passengers who walked around the station.
Charan’s long, thin legs stepped on the path confidently, knowing that someone taller would be waiting at the destination as scheduled. Because of this, everything had to be done faster than usual.
“Why so much hurry?” The childlike complaint sounded when Khanin tried to speed up his steps to follow the person who was taller than him. This made Charan have to support him by pushing his back to help move forward more quickly.
“The driver has been waiting for a while. We’ll arrive at the meeting point after passing the building in front of us.”
“My legs are only this long, where do you want me to hurry?” He grumbled to himself, like something he couldn’t solve. Charan shook his head, trying to focus on observing the surroundings, but his ears still had to listen to complaints from the person next to him.
“And because there were many things to focus on, the hands of the grownups were more likely to accidentally slide from pushing the back to gripping the thin waist of the white person and squeezing in close to smell the faint fragrance of their body, especially when they turned to meet the face of the young person who was so close that they could almost touch them.”
“You… we have to… “
The soft sound from the slender person’s nose touched lightly against each other. Charan took a step back as his hot-headedness was due to his poor eyesight, which stopped at the red lips shimmering in front of him.
‘It’s just a game, Charan.’
‘…’
‘Just a game.’
The memory that he had tried to forget came flooding back into his mind. Charan felt the warmth of his cheek and both sides blushed when the important person rushed to brush off the matter.
The young man swallowed hard, suppressing the strange, peculiar feeling that had arisen, and turned his attention back to the present situation.
The two men did not continue their conversation any further. The murmurs from the young person seemed to have subsided. The situation seemed calm and safe, but something caught Charan’s peripheral vision, indicating that something abnormal was happening.
Charan’s nerves were suddenly awakened, and he quickly slid his thick hand out of the thin waist, changing to clasp the other side’s hand instead. Soon they would arrive at the rendezvous point, but luck seemed to be against them.
“Run!” Charan jerked his hand, commanding the younger person to follow, and they both ran forward quickly. However, they didn’t get too far before they encountered the remaining group of mysterious people who were waiting for them.
Two men in black suits ran and stood in front of Charan, grabbing Khanin’s arm tightly until he fell forward, but the person beside him grabbed his hand even tighter with a look of horror and panic on their face. The young man made a quick decision to pull and twist so that his body turned around.
Before the fight of small proportions began, Charan turned to receive a blow from someone before using all parts of his body to fend off an attack from one of the men.
He kicked out at the person who was trying to encroach upon him, causing Khanin to fall down. The thin waist of the person next to him bent low as they fought back against the onslaught of attacks coming from all directions, but no matter how strong they were, they could not resist the ferocity of the swarm of attackers.
“Oof!” Charan paused for a moment, realizing that he had missed a movement, and was kicked by the man in black, causing him to fall and hit his chin on the ground. The slender hand that had been holding onto him let go and he felt dizzy, but his spirit remained.
He rolled over to avoid the heavy foot falling from above and looked around for another person, but it seemed that they had disappeared.
“Stop now, don’t move.” A scream in EMM emerged clearly and forcefully from the person who had locked Young-Prince’s neck. Charan’s face turned tense and anxious when he saw the muzzle of the gun pressed against YoungPrince’s temple, combined with the almost breathless expression of Khanin.
“Stop right there, or I’ll shoot.”
If for just one person to escape there were many options, now the safety of Khanin is more important than anything else. Charan decided to surrender without any choice.
They arrived in Emmaly’s territory. Charan didn’t know who the opponent was, but he couldn’t do anything because it also involved Khanin’s safety.
“Make it easy.”
Some heard only the sound of a strong kick on his leg, causing Charan to be held down with his hands behind his back. At the same time, he saw Young-Prince looking at him with no difference.
The slender figure was forced to lie face down on the cute ground and could not move. He saw two-layered eyes hiding in the place he had once looked at stubbornly. Now they were wet with tears, full of anger and resentment.
“Hey! Don’t move or I’ll kill that kid now.”
The voice on his head increased with a heavy footstep. Charan could do nothing but lie down and watch as Khanin was dragged away, his head shaken as a result of being pulled by someone stronger.
The young man gritted his teeth when he saw the white figure disappear into the distance. He thought about how angry he was, but did not dare to do anything, fearing that the other party would suffer more. Everything seemed suspended in time. Charan saw someone walking away from their sight.
In his nervous system, he heard a sound like the owner of the feet walking away from that area, talking to someone on the phone. He guessed that it must be the boss.
In the mind of someone who was praised for his intelligence, he thought of ways to quickly find a way out of this disadvantageous situation. He thought that the best way out was that Khanin had to go to the meeting point.
If the other party could escape from this arrest, they would have more time.
This meant that in this situation, someone had to sacrifice themselves…
Charan was confident that he could survive because it was the duty of the defenders of the Atsawathewathin-family to protect their own people.
Therefore, his life was not important at this time.
Sending Khanin to the opposite shore was the best option. Charan planned step by step in his head before turning to face someone. It seemed that
Khanin could read his mind and moved silently, avoiding making any noise. “No.”
The red lips trembled and the young man’s face was no different from an animal that had just woken up, afraid. However, something inside him was resilient and unwavering…
“Together.”
The pleading words in English told them to go together. Charan admired Khanin’s special ability to read people’s minds, but now they had no choice.
Delaying the decision meant reducing the percentage of surviving.
Charan still looked at the person who stepped on his shoulder. He used a short moment to manage to grab its ankle before using all his strength to pull the bad guy down to the ground.
“Go!” Khanin had no choice. Charan was the same. Both pairs of eyes trembled in fear, but in the end… the owner of the white body did not make a decision, turned and ran away, but chose to grab the dropped gun while a man in black stood up, holding a gun aimed at Charan. “You!”
Bang!
“Run first!” One of the gangsters on the other side shouted, causing the new group to divide their duties into two parts. One group chased after the criminals while the other surrounded and approached both Khanin and Charan.
Khanin stood up. Charan did the same. Khanin looked puzzled as he swept his gaze around before stopping in position next to the four or five sleek black SUVs that had just arrived in the area.
Another group of fully armed men in black appeared and walked straight towards them. Among them was one who appeared to be the team leader leading a younger member towards Charan, and he said with a gentle but firm voice filled with respect.
“Sorry for being late, sir.”
TBCLINE.
Can we make this like a TV series cliffhanger please? Lol!
Actually, I’d like to continue to the next episode, but let’s end it here for now!!
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