Only Friends: Dream On. 

After parting ways with Timmy, Tua finally realised just how drunk he was. He struggled to walk along the sidewalk, the music from the farewell party still drifting behind him. He considered going back into the party, at least to be sure his friends could help him get home, but ultimately changed his mind. He decided to pick up his phone and call a Grab taxi. The strong wind on the motorbike might help him sober up... or maybe he'd just fall backwards, hit his head on the road, and end it all.

 

"Tua"

 

The person whose name was called reacted quickly. He spun around, almost falling, but managed to regain his balance. The other person, who was walking towards him, almost rushed in to help support him.

 

"Are you okay?" the voice asked jokingly, as if affectionately.

 

"Oh, Arnold?" The difference in height forced him to look up, and his cheeks were flushed red, clearly indicating he'd been drinking heavily. Nevertheless, the other man asked politely. Arnold, wearing a tank top that revealed his well-defined muscles, was captivating. His kind eyes, framed by thick eyebrows and a prominent jawline, made him handsome. And it has its own unique characteristics, which are now being viewed with care.

 

"Are you leaving already?"

 

"Oh, I was just about to call a taxi. I was initially going to go back to work, but no."

 

"Okay, those guys are heavy drinkers. They'll probably stay up until dawn."

 

"I understand. I ran away too. They started force-feeding me alcohol at 6 PM. "I'm going to go crazy.”

 

They both burst into laughter at the same time, before their beautiful, thick eyebrows. Arnold frowned, having just realised something.

 

"Your house and my room are close together, aren't they? Want me to give you a ride?"

 

"Hey, it's alright. Don't worry about it. The car will be here soon."

 

"Why should we be so considerate of each other as friends?" Arnold said. "As if you've never ridden on the back of my motorcycle before."

Tua slipped away, and it was true what the other person said... this wasn't the first time after all.

 

"You're thinking for so long. Just cancel it. If you're so hesitant, just use the money you were going to pay."

 

"You can just use Grab to get it delivered."

 

Tua was about to give an answer, but it happened at the same moment that Arnold reached out and grabbed his arm. The words he had been thinking of in his head vanished instantly, and he ended up agreeing. The car owner took his special passenger to his motorcycle.

 

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I gave him a ride on the back of my motorcycle and took him home, just as I had promised. The restroom on the fifth floor near the theatre in the art building is usually the quietest, unless there's a theatrical performance by the acting students. It's usually unused. Raffy, who was looking for some solitude, took this opportunity. He called someone who could help him vent his troubled emotions.

 

"Do you live in a condo? Can I come over?"

 

[Are you drunk?] A woman's voice came from the other end of the line.

 

"I was drunk, so I thought of you and wanted to go see you."

 

"I'm really not available tonight. That's all." She hung up without a second thought, leaving Raffy annoyed. The young man looked at himself in the mirror, weary. The alcohol and the image of Jack at the bar made him feel hot all over. He probably wouldn't be able to sleep tonight if he didn't release the pent-up frustration that was about to overflow.

 

Suddenly, the door to one of the restrooms opened, and a woman walked out, calmly buttoning her rose-colored shirt to cover her bra as if it were no big deal. She walked past Raffy and out of the restroom, but before long, the man who had been in the restroom with her earlier called out, while zipping up his pants.

 

"Hey, can't find a place to land, huh?" Raffy felt a slight sense of familiarity with the other man, who had just relaxed. Not long ago, this person was a music major in the same class as me.

 

"What's wrong with you, Rome?" The young man, with a cunning, fox-like face, grinned. He straightened his dishevelled hair before glancing at them with the predatory gaze of a hunter.

 

"I overheard your phone conversation."

 

"You're done now. What are you going to choose between you and me?"

 

"That acting kid..." His flirtatious eyes gleamed in the light above the mirror.

 

"Is the sink as powerful as yours?"

 

"Do you have a problem with that?"

 

Problems are definitely coming, but the question is whether Raffy can handle them.

 

"If you're really horny, I can help," Rome said loudly and clearly. Raffy replied, startled, he still dared to ask the question despite the risk. "So you're into men too?"

 

"If he’s cute, then I'm interested," Rome shrugged, speaking as if he didn't see the point. "In the end, they all fit the same."

 

The blunt answer made Raffy automatically swallow hard. Suddenly, a burning sensation filled his chest, and his throat was parched. He craved water... at this moment, any kind of water, from whom... didn't matter.

 

"Will you even have any energy left?" Raffy approached the other man defiantly, only to be unexpectedly kissed by Rome. Before he could even get lost in the intoxicating sensation of the warm, passionate tongue, he was flipped over, his back facing his own reflection.

 

"My engine just started," Rome said, giving a look to the trembling person in the glass pane.

 

"You...you mustn't tell anyone."

 

"A guy like me never talks about who he gets."

"I got you! It's not the other way around!"

 

"You'll find out soon enough."

 

Rome slid his thick hand under the waistband of his trousers. Seeing the sensitive, trembling movements of the man in his grasp, he smiled with satisfaction. Then, using his slender fingers, he began to pave the way, obtaining his answer for the night without needing any further questioning.

 

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The drama festival is fast approaching, and it's tradition for students from all generations to vote for the script and director who will proudly represent the faculty. This year, the two finalists are 'Niniw' with her play 'Baan Sai Thong' and 'Jack', who brings his passionate vision with a reinterpretation of the legendary play 'Romeo & Romeo'.

 

"I'm going to dust off one of Shakesbeer's plays and give it a modern twist. The story is about the conflict between two generations, with the love of their children at stake..."

 

"Oh, so will everyone die at the end like in the original?" someone asked. The question was asked while Jack was presenting.

 

"I promise they'll both have a happy ending," Jack smiled proudly.

 

"The era of tragic separations by death is over. They loved each other...Although we may have to hold hands and overcome obstacles along the way, death will not be the end of this story."

 

Jack's heartfelt explanation drew enthusiastic cheers from his fellow cast members. Tua and Timmy, who had come to cheer him on, proudly gave him a thumbs-up. However, Dean, standing nearby, showed no emotion; he simply smiled inwardly, watching Jack, whose passion for theatre had always been unwavering, never changing.

 

Voting began after the candidates finished presenting themselves. Both candidates had voters, but Jack's popularity was clearly stronger than his competitor's.

 

"Jack!" the referee read the name from the paper.

 

"Jack!"

"Jack!"

 

"Niniw! Screaming!" Some people voted for the competitor, but in the end, the votes...It always comes back to the original name. "Jack!" 

 

Shortly afterwards, the verdict was finally announced. "This year's director of the theatre troupe is..." The person calling out the name created an atmosphere. In a moment of excitement, "Jack! With the play Romeo & Romeo!" The entire room cheered in unison. Even Niniw, his competitor, humbly applauded the unanimous decision. Jack thanked everyone, not forgetting to hug his close friends who had helped him from the beginning.

 

"I'll be the producer myself," Timmy offered. 

 

"Produced by Geng."

 

"Absolutely fabulous!"

 

Not wanting to be outdone, he offered to take on the role he was best at.

 

"I'll make the outfit for you."

 

"I'll do the sound myself," said another classmate named Billy, who was good at it. They've always raised their hands to volunteer. Despite the overwhelmingly positive response, the troupe's biggest worry wasn't the behind-the-scenes crew but the actors themselves. They all groaned at the thought that the outcome would likely be the same as before.

 

"Dean's going to be the lead again, huh? He gets roles every year. He probably doesn't even need to hold auditions."

 

"I'm tired of seeing his face. Everyone knows Dean is Jack's go-to actor," the rookie director glanced at the person being referred to. Dean, hiding quietly in the crowd, was smirking and crossing his arms while making eye contact with Jack, acting as if he was certain that what everyone was saying was true. Although that's how it has been in the past, this time will be different.

 

"We will have fair audition announcements. Those who frequently play leading roles shouldn't become overconfident about getting the part. Don't think you're better or more talented than others in the group."

Dean's face immediately fell. He was certain Jack was referring to him. Unlike Raffy, who had been observing the situation from the beginning, Jack's decisive declaration indicated that he, too, had a right to a leading role, just like everyone else. He glanced back and forth between Jack and Dean before smiling slyly and then squeezing past his friends, walking away from the conversation.

 

When the voting was over, Jack had some time to himself in the drama rehearsal room. He imagined what his troupe's play would look like, picturing his friends playing the characters he'd written himself. But when it came to the crucial role of Romeo, he could only see one face, a face he dreaded, the face of the person who dared to intrude on his private time.

 

"Opening the casting call is pointless. I'll get the role anyway," Dean appeared in the rehearsal room. His bright yet subtly mischievous face, combined with his well-proportioned, agile physique, neither too thin nor too frail, was perfectly suited for a stage actor requiring physical strength. He stood in the middle of the room, arms crossed, involuntarily drawing Jack's attention.

 

"I've acted in every play you've directed, don't forget," the face stretched into a smile as he tilted his head. "Just by looking into your eyes, I know what you want. What kind of scene, what kind of emotion do you desire? I've never disappointed you. Tell me. That's not true."

 

"That was before," Jack stomped his foot, leaning forward to stand face-to-face with the shorter man, his gaze unyielding. "Why should I be stuck in the past? Can't I try new things?"

 

"Hmph, all I see is you pacing around with a miserable face. I've never actually tried it. Something with someone."

 

Jack lowered his head, having been struck in the heart. This allowed Dean to turn the tables and gain the upper hand. As they say... no one understood Jack better than Dean, especially when it came to reading his mind and saying what he didn't want to hear. And that was entirely true.

 

"You're really interested in Phu, so interested that you're jealous of me and P'San at the farewell party."

 

"What are you talking about, Dean?"

 

"Or is that not true!"

Dean raised his chin, his mischievous eyes slowly scanning the other's belt buckle before using his long, slender fingers to hook it, pulling the taller man closer. Jack was so angry that he turned his face away.

 

"Why, Jack?" the voice whispered hoarsely, 

 

"Do you want me to pay attention to you? Alone?"

 

"You're still as self-centred as ever. Work is work; I don't mix it with personal matters."

 

"Let's mix everything up as you did." Dean pouted, mockingly feigning sadness, before letting go of the belt buckle, not wanting to play with it anymore. If Jack wanted to teach him how to be a professional actor, so be it. Although he had previously admitted to using connections from his 'ex-boyfriend’ to get leading roles in plays several times, that didn't mean he wasn't a professional.

 

"I'll show you that even if you make a big fuss about holding auditions, in the end, it will be me who gets the lead role in your drama, just like every time."

 

"If you're so confident you can find actors as good as me, go ahead. But let me tell you this: in the end, you'll always come back to me. No one will please you as much as I do."

 

His decisive words were accompanied by serious body language. Dean chuckled again and walked out of the rehearsal room indifferently, leaving Jack standing alone in the silent room, fuming.