Only Friends: Dream On.

When Raffy needed to be alone, he would often escape to the university swimming pool. He wouldn't talk to anyone, wouldn't think or feel anything, just would swim until he was exhausted. The disappointment of not being selected for the drama troupe led him to vent his frustration at the swimming pool once again. 

 

He had been in the water for almost an hour and showed no sign of getting out anytime soon. The young man swam freestyle along the marked lanes, and whenever he touched a tile, he would roll back to the other side and repeat the process. When he felt tired, he would rest for a while, but then return to swimming again, as if he had no intention of stopping. But even the human body has its limits. 

 

Raffy's arms were too tired to push any further. He decided to rest when his hands touched the tile, but when he looked up from the water, he saw a tall figure standing imposingly at the edge of the pool. Raffy quickly removed his goggles, only to see that it was Rome, grinning mischievously.

 

"It's you again," the voice was hoarse and weary. It left him breathless. "What else do you want from me?"

 

"Of course I do. What do you owe me? Have you forgotten?"

 

Raffy sighed in weariness, steadied himself on the ladder, and climbed onto the edge of the pool, revealing a lean, muscular body. Rome was very pleased to see the skin beneath the clothes of the man he had once slept with.

 

"I haven't forgotten. I told you I would take responsibility."

 

"Then take responsibility now."

 

"Now?" The person wearing only tiny swimming trunks looked startled, thinking Rome was talking about something inappropriate, but in reality, he didn't want that... not now.

 

"Put on your clothes and let's go buy some DJ equipment now."

 

Raffy's face showed clear relief, but he still didn't understand. "Why should I go with you? Take my money and handle it yourself!"

 

"But you've prevented me from earning a living for days. I think it makes more sense if we go together," Rome snarled. "Or are you just saying that and don't really want to take responsibility for me?"

"I'm serious!" Raffy refused to be insulted. He tried to find reasons to deny it, but ultimately realised it was pointless. He had nothing else to do anyway.

 

"How is it going?" Raffy wiped the water from his face, accepting his inevitable fate.

"Wait for me here for a moment."

 

"Hey, let me ask you something. Why are you so annoyed that you didn't get to perform in the play?" Rome asked as they were in a music store. Raffy froze. After a moment, he replied in a rather indifferent tone, "What are you choosing? Can't I be annoyed at all?"

 

"What the hell is wrong with you? I was just trying to talk to you."

 

Raffy was rather annoyed, but he still blurted out what...To disturb or upset the other person. "I'm just annoyed. Failing the main role in the audition was bad enough, but Jack still offered me a supporting role again."

 

"But at least we still got to play, right? Why are you being so serious?"

 

"Hurry up and finish this." Raffy couldn't take it anymore and turned to confront him.

 

"All DJ equipment sounds the same. They're just wasting time. I need to do something else. They're a waste of my time." Despite being insulted, Rome remained unfazed. He shrugged indifferently. He was pretending to touch this and that, but didn't seem to be in any hurry.

 

"You choose for me. If it were you, which one would you buy?"

 

"How would I know?" Raffy lost his patience. "What a mess."

 

"Just pick one. Go ahead and get the most expensive one. I can afford it." Rome nodded, taking the statement as a decision. He beckoned with his hand to the Employees who requested to test the equipment. It was a new, more expensive and modern DJ setup than the one Raffy had broken before. 

 

Rome skillfully helped the staff set up the system. Once it was in place, he began pressing buttons, creating music. The young DJ showed off his skills with a relaxed demeanour, which impressed Raffy so much that he raised an eyebrow and nodded in admiration.

 

"Wow, you're good. Who would believe it? All I see you doing is acting all cool all the time," Rome chuckled, unintentionally making eye contact with the other man. Raffy's genuine admiration made him feel strangely proud of himself. "I'll take this one," Raffy concluded. 

 

"Excuse me, sir, I'll take this."

 

"This is the machine, please... Do you accept cards?" The shop owner, an elderly woman with a kind demeanour, quickly came over to assist them. She was about to answer the customer when the familiar feeling of seeing Raffy's face made her gasp in surprise, then cry out in delight.

 

"Are you Ms Ranchalee's son?" the shop owner asked, her voice trembling, one hand clutching her cell phone with the camera app open, ready for action. Raffy's face turned pale, but he chose to give a polite smile. "yes"

 

"He’s a celebrity's son, you know!" She turned and snapped at her subordinate, who was standing beside her with her hands clasped. 

 

"Oh my goodness! I'm a fan of your mom, Nune! Since the days of the drama 'Rak Leh Talay Dao'! Probably before you were even born!"

 

"I'll tell my mother."

 

"Can I take a picture with you, please?" The shop owner didn't just talk; she handed her cell phone to an employee before hugging Raffy as if he were a close nephew. The young man felt quite uncomfortable, but eventually had to accept his fate. To make matters worse, he was also secretly filmed by Rome, who was laughing at the scene in front of him.

 

"I'll give you a fifteen per cent discount, okay? Tell them that you bought it from our shop."

 

"Yes, thank you," Raffy replied simply and then excused himself.

 

"Yes, yes, thank you very much!" Rome quickly chimed in with a teasing remark, "See, Privileges for children of celebrities"

 

"Shut up!" Suddenly, Raffy's cell phone vibrated. Someone had sent him a message, one that instantly erased his stern expression. Rome craned his neck to see who was on the screen, but was disappointed to find the other person had a privacy screen protector. Raffy looked up just then. He quickly put his phone back in his pocket before going back to being the grumpy guy again.

"Are you done yet? So I can leave."

 

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Jack worked hard to prepare for directing the play. He often spent his free time rereading the script to understand the context and personality traits of the various characters. Everyone in the acting department knew that lately, Jack needed the rehearsal room more than anyone else because there was nowhere quieter and more private than here. 

 

The young man highlighted the important parts of the script in green. Almost every page he held was filled with scribbles, leaving hardly any space blank. But while Jack was concentrating intently, someone knocked on the door, then pushed it open and entered the room. Jack raised an eyebrow when he saw it was Billy, his classmate, who had volunteered to do it. The sound engineer provided the music for the theatre troupe he directed.

 

"Can I talk to you for a moment?"

 

"Hey man, I'm just breaking up a scene. There's plenty of room for you to play along," Jack grinned, but was surprised to see the nervousness and anxiety on Billy's face. 

 

"What's wrong?"

 

Billy hesitated at first. "Um... I have something to tell you, Phu. I'm dropping out of school."

 

"Hey, what?"

 

"I'm going to seriously pursue a band," Billy said. "The band's work has gotten way heavier lately. I don't have time to study; I've failed several subjects, so I think it's better to drop out for now. I want to dedicate my time to it. I'm serious about this band."

 

"But you'll graduate in just one more year."

 

"But I'm really done with it," Billy reiterated. "The opportunity has come, and I don't want to regret it later."

 

There was another knock on the door. This time, it was Raffy waiting outside, choosing not to interrupt. Jack didn't want to keep him waiting, but he still wanted to talk to his friend and clear things up. Billy spoke, sounding guilty. "I'm sorry I messed up your work."

 

"You didn't do it. We haven't even started," Jack said bluntly, but still wanted to change the other person's mind. "Can you please think about it? The play is another matter, but I want you to graduate with your friends."

 

Billy's eyes flickered with a fleeting thought, but ultimately, nothing happened. That would stop his intention. "I really have to go. Good luck!"

 

Billy walked out of the room. Shortly after, Raffy, who had been waiting, pushed through the door and looked at the director with a curious expression.

 

"What's going on, Jack?"

 

Jack rubbed his temples gently, as if it would relieve his headache, but it didn't. He sighed deeply, deciding it was time to communicate directly.

 

"You got my message, right? Let me be frank. I'm about to lose the best sound engineer of my generation, and I don't want to lose you, too. I really need you to play the role of Mercusio."

 

Raffy's eyes widened. Jack's seemingly important words made His heart beat unexpectedly fast.

 

"but...."

 

"Why are you hesitating because it's a supporting role?" Jack's voice was stern and serious, befitting a director. "Not just anyone can play this role. In my work, no character is unimportant. I really want you to play this role, and in the audition, you proved you can do it. Be confident in yourself. Trust me, you won't be disappointed playing in a play I'm directing."

 

Raffy hesitated. The anger from missing out on the role of Romeo began to fade. He assessed Jack as he deliberated, before finally giving his answer. "Okay, I'll play."

 

Jack breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't ready to receive bad news a second time.

 

"Thank you so much, Xie. I thought I'd have to pester you more."

 

"It's because of your sincere words. Thank you for believing me."

"It's inside me," Raffy forced an awkward smile. The door to the rehearsal room burst open abruptly, and Dean appeared, glancing at the two with a blank, emotionless face. Raffy sighed, not wanting to get into a fight with the Prince of Commerce.

 

"What's so serious about it? It's good that he chose to drop out rather than get fired and lose credibility. I'll text him to wish him well."

 

"I chose the best people to make my play, do you understand?"

 

"I understand," Dean rolled his eyes. "But Billy made his choice. He wants to pursue his dreams. How can you stop him? Stop moping and go find someone new. Let's do it. It's super easy."

 

"You can say that, but where am I supposed to find it?" Jack was at a loss.

 

"If you try to open your mind, you'll see that the faculty is full of talented people. You just need to trust them." 

 

He chuckled softly that night, crossed his arms, and pondered over the possible solutions. It didn't take long before a name emerged as the solution.

 

"It's Rome."

 

"Rome, your younger brother," the shorter one suggested, "he's really talented. He's a musical genius, has great taste, and has all the qualities to work with a perfectionist like you."

 

Jack was slightly annoyed by Dean's lengthy praise of Rome, but it was all true. Rome was skilled at what he did, even if his image was that of an incompetent.

 

"I don't really want to work with him. Rome is too close to me. I don't want any problems."

 

Suddenly, Dean burst into laughter, startling Jack as his soon-to-be Romeo approached. Dean clicked his tongue, shook his head, and grinned, a mischievous look in his eyes. 

 

"Didn't you say we needed to separate work from personal life?"

 

Those words left the young director speechless. Dean opened his inhaler and took a deep breath before turning and walking away, leaving Jack alone in the rehearsal room.