Only Friends: Dream On.

After wrapping up filming, Jack treated Boston to a meal as promised. The two sat and chatted, catching up on each other's lives while sipping fine wine. Boston shared his experiences and anecdotes from New York with Jack, and also spoke of his frustration with the difficult-to-please New Yorkers he had worked with, which led him to decide to return to Thailand to open a studio and take on photography assignments.

 

When the time came, they parted ways. He only had time to check his phone while going up the condo elevator, seeing numerous message notifications and dozens of missed calls from Dean. The young director sighed. He was too tired to hear his ex's voices or read anything he considered nonsensical or insignificant. But when he opened the door to the room, Jack sensed something was wrong. He quickly turned on the light and was shocked to see the person he had been complaining about earlier sitting cross-legged on the sofa, sipping wine.

 

"That bastard Dean! How did he get in here!" the director yelled angrily. "You broke in!"

 

"Are you coming into my room?"

 

"Calm down," the Prince of Finance rolled his eyes. "I was just acting, crying to the building management that you kicked me out of the room, but I needed to come back for important things. They felt sorry for me and opened the door for me, and then they cursed you out, calling you heartless."

 

"Dean, I'm not playing anymore. You have to stop doing this. I don't like it."

 

"Okay," Dean put down his wine glass. He crossed his arms as he walked towards the other man, smiling. "I just wanted to talk to you because you've been ignoring me all day. Remember?"

 

"About what!"

 

"Boston," he said, "Have you forgotten that he and Tua used to have problems? Before you start, do you want the theatre troupe to collapse?"

 

Those words made Jack forget his anger for a moment before he sighed. He massaged his temples; he had completely forgotten about it.

 

"Damn it, I want Boston to come and take behind-the-scenes photos and photos from the actual performance. I've already set it up. What should I do?"

 

"Don't do anything. I understand you called him for help because it's free, but I want you to be careful. Even though he's professional enough not to complain, you should still consider his feelings. Don't forget you're the one who introduced Boston to me that day."

 

"So you're going to blame me for everything, huh?"

 

"I don't want to be blunt, but yeah," Dean shrugged.

 

"I'll find a chance to sort out Tua myself. Thanks a lot."

 

"Wow, it's rare that you say that to me. I'm so happy!"

 

"Now you're done. Go home," Jack tried to walk away in another direction, but Dean hugged him from behind instead.

 

"Actually, I came here because I wanted to reconcile with you."

 

"Dean!"

 

"You didn't go to see Raffy, did you?"

 

The simmering, rumbling sound of the earth made Jack think, but he was still uneasy.

"No, I went drinking with Boston."

 

"Then go." The Prince of Mercy let go, but it was Jack who remained standing. It's like I've forgotten what I was going to do in the first place.

 

"Dean, how many times have I told you it's pointless? We're not getting back together. It cannot be prevented."

 

"Is that the only thing?" Dean asked. "You're angry because I broke up with you."

 

"It's because of that. The fact that I have to work to earn money, but you don't like it."

 

"Not entirely, but yes...that's part of it."

 

"But I did that because..."

 

"This isn't the time for explanations, Dean. We're over a long time ago. I'm tired."

"Not ready to listen to anything."

 

Dean pursed his lips, but finally nodded in understanding. He seemed about to say something... a long, detailed explanation, but then changed his mind. The Prince of Fine Arts decided to go home, leaving the man before him to wallow in the unforgivable anger of the past.

════[changbins_delulu_wife]════

Rome agreed to let Raffy come along to work as per the agreement, in exchange for the thrilling, passionate kisses they shared in the studio bathroom at Boston’s studio. Raffy helped Rome set up a DJ station. The party was held at a large house with expansive views of the sunset and a huge, opulent whirlpool pool. The hosts were a group of wealthy men, and it seemed like someone in the group was celebrating their birthday. 

 

Each man was accompanied by handsome young men, both slender and muscular, to entertain them. Some couples were intertwined like vines, dancing and grinding together in suggestive and somewhat sexual ways, not just for the sake of enjoying the atmosphere.

 

"So this is what your job is like?" Raffy remarked, but without showing any reaction.

What to decide? Rome looked at the other person hesitantly, afraid of spoiling the mood.

 

"Want to try playing?"

 

"Really?" Raffy looked at the DJ equipment.

 

"Yeah, just don't spill any water on my machine."

 

Rome stepped aside to let Raffy in before standing behind him. Raffy, in Rome's arms, watched as Rome explained the various mechanisms on the ride, feeling a headache coming on from its complexity. He tried pressing the buttons Rome instructed, but the timing was off, causing boos from the crowd. Finally, he gave up, choosing to simply remain a spectator.

 

"Wow, you're good! I thought you just tried to look cool."

 

"Is it just because I’m handsome that you think that?"

 

Raffy neither denied it nor commented on it.

 

"Why did you take on this kind of job? Are you in financial trouble?"

 

"No, I just wanted to use this opportunity to hone my skills. This kind of work gives me a glimpse of big festivals," Rome said, raising an eyebrow. "Someday I'll play at Tomorrow Land."

 

"That's a big dream."

 

"It's not a big deal. Just you wait. Someday I'll achieve it."

 

"You and Jack are so similar, aren't you? Ambition is in it...Is it blood ties?" Raffy was teasing, but Rome got upset and responded angrily.

 

"He and I are blood relatives, don't even think about comparing us."

 

"Hey, if you ever get to play at Tomorrow Land, don't forget to invite me along."

“Okay then."

 

The loud music quickened the tempo, keeping the night of fun going on and on. Flashing lights reflected off the crowd as it moved to the rhythm. Young men at the party took turns requesting songs, some taking the opportunity to greet the two handsome men with sweet smiles, subtly flirting. Rome and Raffy handled the compliments skillfully, sometimes nodding politely in acknowledgement, other times clinking glasses with guests in a friendly manner that kept the atmosphere pleasant. Whispers of admiration for the DJs spread throughout the area, pleasing Joe, the employer, who pushed through the crowd to thank them in person. But upon reaching the DJ booth, he found only Raffy standing alone.

 

"Where's Rome?" Joe asked, trying to be heard over the music. "Are you a gig kid?"

 

"No, I'm just here to keep Rome company. He just went to the restroom."

 

"Yes, probably not long now."

 

Joe openly assessed Raffy's physique. "If you're interested in working, contact me. Wow, Rome's friends are all so handsome," the speaker suddenly thought. "And do you know James Dean? He's also Rome's friend."

 

"No..." Raffy frowned, trying to remember, but a name popped into his head. "I only know someone named Dean. He's just a friend from the same circle."

 

"Is it the same boy? The one with fair skin and a pretty face?" Raffy became intrigued, sensing he was about to discover something unexpected. The young man secretly smiled, pretending to be curious about the matter.

 

"Do you happen to have a picture of someone named James Dean?"

 

"Looks like there is. Wait a minute," Joe, who was getting tipsy, fell for the trick. He opened his phone and scrolled through his photo album to find the evidence. Soon, he found a video of the person in question. In the clip, 'James Dean' was wearing a white shirt, dancing and entertaining a wealthy-looking young customer.

 

Raffy's eyes widened, and when the other person handed him the phone, it became clear that the James Dean in the video was the same Dean, the lead actor in the play Romeo & Romeo, his own sworn enemy.

Dean, the young entertainer, and Raffy, his older brother, smirked with pity in his heart.

 

"Oh, Joe!" Rome returned just in time, causing Joe to inadvertently leave his cell phone with Raffy. The young DJ chatted with his client for a long time, giving Raffy the opportunity to quickly send the clip via AirDrop to his own phone before returning it to its owner just in time.

 

"What are you smiling about?" Rome asked Raffy after Joe had walked away.

 

"Nothing," the man said, picking up a bottle of beer and taking a sip to celebrate. "I'm just having fun. It's only about work."

 

Rome didn't ask any further questions. He put on his headphones and continued his duties professionally, with Raffy happily dancing to the rhythm beside him. 

 

Timmy had set up the rehearsal area early in the morning, so that everyone in production could read the script together before starting work. Several chairs were arranged in appropriate positions. The actors sat together with the director in the center, surrounded by seats for all the equally important behind-the-scenes crew members. The talented producer clapped to himself, admiring his own work. Dean, who walked into the rehearsal room with Tua, and Jack, seeing him, thought his friend had gone crazy from studying so hard. Once everyone had arrived, Timmy let Jack get to work.

 

"Are you all ready? Shall we begin?"

 

"Turn off your phones, everyone. If you hear a notification, you'll be fined," Timmy threatened ruthlessly, as the theater troupe desperately needed money. But before he could finish his sentence, a notification sound from one of the crew members' phones interrupted. Jack looked up from his script, ready to yell, but another notification rang out, followed by a flurry of vibrating and alert sounds throughout the room. Several crew members picked up their phones, reading what appeared on the screens. Their faces changed color before their gaze shifted from Jack, then slowly turned to Dean with a suspicious look.

 

Timmy couldn't take it anymore, so he grabbed his cell phone and looked at the screen. Before her face turned pale like everyone else's.

 

"Jack...I think we should split up for now," Tua said, starting to feel uneasy. He quickly checked his phone and saw that something was going on in the art students' Discord group. The whole group was discussing a video that had just been released by someone unnamed. The person in the video had become the hot topic, with everyone relentlessly attacking them. Tua quickly clicked to watch. When the video started playing, he was stunned...because the person in the video was none other than the person sitting next to him.

 

"Hey...Dean, did you see that...?"

 

Dean leaned in to look at his friend's phone screen, but the moment he saw the video playing, a shiver ran down his spine. He quickly grabbed his friend's phone and read everything himself. The comments were heated and showed no sign of stopping.

 

Is Prince Sin Kam a male escort? Oh my!

Wow, a white dress with pink milk.

Life must be tough, huh?

That kid is such a talented performer, truly living up to his reputation. And he's not the only one, trust me.

That's why my ex-husband broke up with me, right? 5555555424442

Everyone commented softly. He's in the group. 

 

Dean's eyes welled up with tears. Instinctively, he looked up at Jack for help. The young director's face was expressionless and cold, but the look in his eyes was a mixture of anger and sorrow. He gave an order. The tone of voice was icy.

 

"We'll have to postpone the Read Through session. That's all for today."

 

"I'll reschedule," Timmy told everyone. "I'm really sorry." Jack immediately stood up and walked out of the room without looking back. Dean raised his hand to stop him but it was too late. He rushed after him anxiously. Tua and Timmy watched him go before exchanging worried glances. They decided to follow them as well, to comfort their two friends. But while the rest of the crew began packing up and openly gossiping about Dean, Raffy sat quietly. He neatly and slowly put his script into a folder, unhurried and showing no signs of distress. This made Rome, who was sitting not far away, suddenly understand everything clearly.

════[changbins_delulu_wife]════

Arnold was cleaning up the rehearsal room, restoring everything to its original state. Tables were in place, trash was neatly piled up. After the dramatic events, everyone had left everything behind as if it weren't anyone's responsibility. In the end, it was him who had to clean up. Since he'd already taken time off from Aunt Pink's shop, he couldn't go back now out of respect for the elders. So he chose to use his time to do something instead of letting it pass by meaninglessly. He happened to see me when I returned to the rehearsal room. Guilt was evident in my eyes.

 

"Sorry, man, for leaving you to do it all alone," the tall man smiled, not considering it important. He was more worried about other things.

 

"How was drinking with Jack?"

 

"The first one wanted to be alone, and the other one disappeared somewhere. The fortune teller hung up," Tua said. "Sorry, I already wasted your time, and now you have to help us clean up the room."

 

"No problem, I understand. If I were Jack, I'd stop it too. But you have to get Pim to make a law fining people who litter. Trust me, you'll get rich."

 

"Ati," he finally managed to laugh, "Where are you going after this? Are you taking time off work?"

 

"Didn't you come?"

 

"I don't know where to start, maybe I should just practice my thesis."

 

"Didn't it load? You're doing too many things at once."

 

"No way. You're still diligently working on costumes every day, how could I let you get away with that?" Arnold grinned, his eyes crinkling. "Want to try dancing sometime?"

 

"Huh? Me?" Tua pointed to himself in disbelief. "I'm not comfortable with my own body. It's not that bad. Otherwise, why would I be a stylist?"

 

"Come on, everyone can dance. Let's start by filming a TikTok with me."

 

"Huh?" Tua was so stunned his mouth dropped open, but before he knew it, he was being dragged away to practice for a challenge. The young dancer taught him how to count to the beat. Tua followed awkwardly, but Arnold patiently guided him. In the end, they managed to film it all for their TikTok.

 

"Wow, you have a lot of followers!" Tua exclaimed when he saw the number on the screen. The other person's profile says, "Is that a TikTok star?"

 

"That's crazy, but if I posted a video with you, I might actually get it. You're cute."

 

"Lots of people scrolling past will definitely stop and click 'like'."

 

As Arnold was about to post the clip, he suddenly had an idea.

 

"Boston just followed me the other day. He even DM'd me." Upon hearing that, Tua's eyes widened, and he froze for a moment.

 

"What did it say?"

 

"Just a casual message. Probably keeping in touch about that profile photo shoot," Arnold noticed something was off. "Are you two hooked? Don't you like him?"

 

"Why do you ask"

 

"I've noticed it since yesterday. You can tell me if there's anything."

 

At this point, there was no point in hiding it, so he decided to confess.

 

"Do you remember my first kiss...?"

 

"Don't tell me," Arnold began to piece things together, "that's the one who stole it. Was that your first kiss? Did he do something awful to you?"

 

"It's my fault," Tua quickly interrupted, even though he didn't understand why the other person was so agitated. "After that kiss, I got too into it. I tried to build a relationship, but he didn't feel the same way, so I cut off all contact. Boston disappeared for a long time until we recently ran into each other again at this drama project."

 

"If you can't handle it, just tell me. I'll be your bodyguard," Arnold said simply, but genuinely out of good intentions. "Don't worry too much about that. A lovely person like you will find someone good who likes you. Trust me."

 

Arnold's words were incredibly reassuring, but unfortunately, the other party didn't know that he himself was the one who was already in love with someone.

 

Some people have a secret crush on someone.