Only Friends: Dream On.

Timmy and Tua teamed up to organise a production launch party at Tua's house. They insisted on bringing everyone together to have fun, considering it a way to break the ice so they wouldn't be awkward at work and could talk openly when problems arose, ensuring the theatre group's production ran smoothly.

 

Timmy was in charge of the entertainment area, setting up the sound system and TV in the front yard specifically for karaoke. Tua was in charge of the food, which included both barbecue and shabu-shabu. Dean was also helping with snacks and alcoholic drinks, and he was currently out shopping with his ex-boyfriend, Jack. Everyone was feeling a bit unsure if they would actually bring back any alcohol.

 

"Are they going to kill each other?" Tua muttered to himself all day. Arnold arrived one of the first; he was quite nervous and didn't know how to act. Although he wasn't very close to anyone, he was lucky to have a thousand-baht banknote handed to him while he was grilling meat for his friends who were coming to the party. He looked up at Arnold, his expression questioning. "What is that charge?"

 

"I wanted to help," said the lead actor of the theatre troupe. "Actually, I should have paid more. In fact, it's a way of thanking you for inviting me to the drama audition."

 

"No, no," Tua pushed the thick hand away from his face. "Put your money in your pocket and go sit and wait to eat. You've worked hard, you deserve to use your own money."

 

"It's alright. I'll get paid anyway, won't I?" Tua stammered, completely forgetting his lie.

 

"Yeah, that's true. But maybe treat me to a meal next time, okay?" Arnold nodded in agreement. He decided to help Tua grill the meat because he didn't want to sit around doing nothing while others started arriving. He was too nervous to make eye contact with anyone.

 

"I don't really know many people."

 

"Don't overthink it. We're all pretty chill," Tua thought, perhaps rephrasing it. "How about this... Actually, we're all pretty jerks, but at our core, we're not bad people. It wouldn't hurt to be friends with us."

 

"I'm afraid that if I don't know anyone, it'll cause problems during rehearsals. I might end up doing Jack (a Thai football game)."

 

"That's troublesome again. I heard Billy just withdrew, too, didn't he?"

 

"Ah, if that's true, but it's not a big deal. They've got a new person in charge of the sound system. But let me warn you, you have to be open-minded when working with Jack. He's quite demanding, but that's because he wants the job to be the best it can be." Arnold nodded in understanding, but that wasn't the only thing weighing on his mind.

 

"There's a kissing scene with Dean in the script."

 

"Uh-huh," Tua paused for a moment as well, before testing the waters.

 

"Have you never kissed a man before?"

 

"Never"

 

oh…

 

"But I've never kissed someone I'm not close to," Arnold's voice showed that this was a really troubling problem. "Especially having to act with Dean... do you understand?"

 

"Don't worry, Dean is a complete professional. Once we get to the workshop, we'll be able to play comfortably."

 

Tua's words miraculously eased the other's anxiety; Arnold visibly relaxed. He started a conversation with Tua to break the silence. "Speaking of which, do you remember your first kiss?" My hand trembled, and the piece of meat I was holding almost fell back onto the grill.

 

"What kind of question is that?"

 

"My first one was a one-night stand with a younger girl...but nothing came of it," Arnold recounted nonchalantly, showing no hesitation in sharing his experience. 

 

"What about you?"

 

Tua doesn't want to relive unpleasant memories, but if he doesn't say anything...

I was afraid of missing the opportunity to talk to the person in front of me.

 

"It was only last year. Actually, the kissing part felt good, but the ending was awful."

 

"In the end, that kiss came from a jerk."

 

"How so?"

 

Before Tua could answer, Jack's car, parked outside the gate, honked, signalling for them to open the gate, effectively ending their conversation. The black car backed up to make unloading the trunk easier. Timmy rushed to help first, but still grumbled when he saw Jack and Dean get out of the car at the same time. "Finally, we get to drink! I thought you two were going to kill each other!" The old flames exchanged glances. Dean simply smirked, but Jack grumbled in a murmuring, emotionless voice. "Who says it's not good?"

 

As the crowd grew larger, the atmosphere became lively. Timmy sang a compilation of Bowky Lion's greatest hits all by himself, refusing to share with anyone. This made Tua uncomfortable, fearing the neighbours would call the police and that everyone would be taken to the police station, leaving no one to continue the play.

 

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Raffy arrived later than everyone else because he was busy at home. He parked his car on the sidewalk next to the house wall, as the parking lot at the owner's house was full. The young man got out of the car with a bottle of fine, expensive wine. He was excited to appear at the event as one of the actors directed by the talented Jack.

 

"Oh, are you the child of a celebrity?"

 

That sentence sent shivers down Raffy's spine. He flinched before turning to look, and then he was shocked again to see that it was the same Rome who never lost his composure.

 

"It's you again? Why are you following me so much? What do you want from me this time?"

 

"I already bought you a DJ set, didn't I?"

 

"What are you rambling about?" Rome laughed. "I'm here for this party just like you."

 

Raffy was even more confused, but before he could ask, the other person explained. "I'm also part of the production team for the play, just like you. Jack asked me to do the music. We'll probably be seeing each other more often from now on, Mr Actor."

 

"What did you say?!"

 

Rome was amused by the other's agitation. He calmly walked over to the front door and pressed the doorbell, as if completely unconcerned. The homeowner himself opened the door to welcome them both, shouting to everyone that two family members had finally arrived at the event. Raffy remained persistent. He lunged forward and grabbed Rome's arm, hoping to restrain him. He explained, but Timmy's voice through the microphone interrupted him.

 

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"Okay, okay, everyone's here. Director, please say something." Everyone at the event applauded Jack. The director took the microphone from the producer. He was practically the only one still sober, having not touched alcohol like the others.

 

"Welcome, everyone. We'll be spending many months together, and working with me might be tiring, but I'm confident I have talented people on my team. I believe you'll all work hard to make our play a perfect success." 

 

Jack turned and saw Raffy. He quickly pointed and beckoned him over. Raffy, ignoring Rome, obediently walked closer. "And we also have to thank Raffy... Thanks a lot for coming. Play my play."

 

Dean, sitting nearby with his arms crossed, blew a bubble of chewing gum, making a loud popping sound! Everyone at the party turned to look in unison, but sensing the ominous aura, they cautiously turned their attention back to Jack and Raffy, not wanting to die. The director paid no attention; he handed the microphone to Raffy to say a few words.

 

"Thanks for the welcome, but I should thank you more for coming and asking me to play this role."

 

...." The speaker glanced at Dean with a victorious look in his eyes. "I guess I'll get it. I've learned a lot from you, Jack."

 

The smell was getting bad, and Timmy quickly tried to break the tension. Otherwise, it could escalate into a third world war.

 

"Cheers, everyone! Our drama is going to be a huge hit! Woohoo!" Timmy suddenly changed his mind. "Hmm, maybe we shouldn't get too carried away. Don't forget the first fitting tomorrow!! Anyone late will be fined!"

After Timmy finished speaking, he continued singing, and Jack took the opportunity to thank Raffy once again. "I'm serious, really. Thank you so much for putting on this act for me," Raffy said, trying to hide his embarrassment. The young man's face turned red before he spoke in a tone that pleaded with "I don't know. I'm happy to help you, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to do it well or not."

 

Jack grabbed the other person's shoulders and repeated the same thing he had told them before. "You're really talented, man. I have faith in you, and you should have faith in me, too. It's already capable of doing things on its own."

 

"Okay," Raffy smiled, full of encouragement, "I'll do my best not to let you get away with it.

 

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The sight of Raffy and Jack made Rome feel uneasy, and he chose to distance himself. He grabbed a bottle of beer he could find before sitting down in an empty chair next to Dean, who was in a similarly bad mood. The Prince of Sin glanced at the person next to him once before turning back to stare intently at the two of them, but still engaged Rome in conversation.

 

"What's going on between you and Raffy? You're staring at him like your eyes are going to pop out."

 

"What do you mean, young master?"

 

The person who heard it was extremely pleased with the nickname, but quickly changed the subject. "Do you like him?"

 

Rome turned to look at the person who asked the question. Dean's demeanour and tone of voice indicated that he clearly disliked the person being talked about.

 

"So what? He’s cute and fun to tease."

 

"Seriously," Dean couldn't help but laugh, "but you saw, didn't you, that he likes Jack?"

 

"Hmm," he said, taking a sip of beer, hoping to cool his temper. "That Jack...What's so good about him? Why does everyone like him?"

 

"There are quite a few, you know. Do you want me to list them for you?"

"So you've gotten back together?"

 

"That's a matter for the future," the Prince of Fine Arts deflected, "but don't want anyone else to have him. Do you understand?"

 

"That's just his nature," Rome smirked. Even though the other man was dark-skinned, he liked him for who he was. Dean blew the gum apart with a loud bang again before turning to ask Rome, who is now in a de facto ally position.

 

"What should we do about them?"

 

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As it got later, the crowd thinned out. Many waved goodbye and went home, having been force-fed alcohol by the hosts until they could barely walk. Arnold was one of those affected. Timmy plied him with a mix of liquor, beer, and soju until his head felt like it was going to explode. He just sat there, forcing himself to stay awake so he could at least sober up and drive his motorbike home. Tua, who was clearing away the trash and dishes, couldn't help but see the scene, trying not to be worried.

 

"If you're drunk, why don't you just sleep here? Judging by your condition, you can't drive back," Arnold struggled to open his eyes and force himself to stay awake.

 

"I'm not that drunk. I'll rest for a bit, and then I can drive home. If I can't manage, I'll call a taxi. Don't worry. I just need to go to the bathroom to wash my face." His voice, slurred and almost falling over, contradicted his words completely. Tu sighed wearily at his stubbornness. He intended to help the tall man to the bathroom, but Arnold refused, proving he wasn't drunk by staggering into the house. The sight made Tua shake his head, but a smile also crept onto his face. He had no idea that Everything that happened was witnessed by close friends from the beginning.

 

"Wow, why don't you just jump up and straddle his lap?"

 

"Dean! You scared me!" Tua exclaimed, startled. His friend had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

 

"Wow, you look so innocent, but you're quite the ladies' man! Inviting a guy to sleep over at his house."

 

"He's drunk, didn't you see? You and Jack, I saw you both acting up. That's strange. Are you back together again?"

"No."

 

"Good, I don't want to get tired anymore. Every time you guys have a problem, Timmy and I are always the bad guys. We don't know who to side with." After saying that, Tua turned away and went back to cleaning up the place.

 

"Can you please stop acting like Snow White cleaning the dwarves' house and listen to me first? If you like him, just confess your feelings. What's so difficult about that?"

 

"I don't just pick whoever I like, as you do," he said without turning around. "I expect a long-term relationship, not just a short, fleeting one that ends in heartbreak. Do you understand?"

 

"Okay, now let's play Rapunzel," the Prince of Sin rolled his eyes. "If that's what you want, then make it clear. Otherwise, how are we going to move forward? Show it clearly. Let's start with a kiss."

 

When Tua heard his friend's suggestion, he paused, then thought it over. He inadvertently abandoned his volunteer housekeeping duties. Seeing his awkwardness, Dean became even more emboldened.

 

"Are you...going to kiss me?"

 

"Yes, a kiss," Dean said, his face serious and businesslike. "You have to start with a kiss. Trust me, if he kisses you back, it means he likes you too." Once Tua started to give in, Dean didn't waste any time. He knew what he had to do.

 

"What are we doing? We should add more fuel before the fire dies out," said the seasoned Prince of Entertainment, a master of acting, sex, and relationships. He pulled a brand-new, untouched bottle of soju from the crate beside him and handed it to his best friend, not forgetting to offer some encouraging words.

 

"Get drunk and keep up with them, then go for it!"