Only Friends: Dream On.

Jack took refuge in the house to escape the chaos of the drunkards and Timmy's unpleasant karaoke singing. Before he knew it, the noise outside gradually faded. He thought his friends must have started to leave. The young man was very familiar with this house, of course, because he had lived there when he was dating Dean. It was funny to think that their once-sweet relationship had become just a memory of the past, something no one wanted to talk about anymore. Jack still remembered everything in the house, the belongings and the memories they held for them.

 

He paused in front of Dean's bedroom door, scrutinising the torn-off stickers on it. He tried to recall what they had depicted, wondering if there was one with his name on it from his first day of enrollment. Jack regretted that Dean had carelessly discarded those good memories. Jack hesitated for a long time but finally decided to grab the doorknob. The room wasn't locked, so he easily stepped inside. Everything in the room was still the same as he could remember. Jack was glad that Dean hadn't taken down all the favourite movie posters they used to collect from the walls. At least the other person probably knew how rare and expensive it is?

 

The door to the room swung open suddenly, and Dean was shocked to find his ex-boyfriend in the room. He started by showing his own face with a sly smile, while Jack gave a stern look in response to his welcome.

 

"Oh, reminiscing about the old times, huh? Want to sleep with me?" said the owner of the room. It was a playful remark, but Jack wasn't fooled.

 

"I just wanted to see if my old posters were still there," he pointed to the wall. “If you ever stop using it, keep it for me."

 

Hearing that, Dean just chuckled and rolled his eyes before remembering something he needed to do. I'll tell the person right in front of me. Dean ran to the shelves, rummaging around for something before picking up a mysterious tube. Upon opening it, he found a vintage poster of a legendary film, which he then handed over.

 

"I remember you saying you wanted this movie poster. Here, take it."

 

"Give it to me," Jack said in surprise, "for free?"

 

"What kind of person do you think I am?" Dean's face was contorted with disgust before a wicked smirk played on his lips as he poked his ex-boyfriend's strong chest with the poster tube. "Why not? Want something in return?"

 

The thick hand mercilessly pushed away the head that was about to lunge forward, but Dean just laughed heartily. Jack quickly grabbed the poster and the securing tube for himself. How could he ignore such valuable items?

 

"Hey, let me say something. Treat Raffy better. At least he's someone from the same organisation."

 

Hearing that name completely ruined Dean's mood. "What did I do again?"

 

"Don't pretend you don't know. Anyone can see those symptoms."

 

"I just don't like him interfering with you," the shorter person said honestly. "I don't mind you trying to find someone to experiment with in order to move on, but that person can't be Raffy."

 

"But you have no right, and you and I will never get back together again. You understand, right?"

 

"How cruel! I gave you a rare poster for free, and you still want this?"

 

"That's sarcasm again. Completely unacceptable."

 

Dean acted like he was going to shed tears, pretending to blink and plead, but Jack had no intention of falling for the trick.

 

"How much is it? I'll transfer the money back to you."

 

"Can we change it to something else...?"

 

Jack was annoyed. He lightly tapped Dean on the head with the poster tube and walked away, leaving Dean alone in the room, clutching his head and groaning pitifully.

 

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Raffy was frustrated because he couldn't find Jack. He searched the house extensively but couldn't locate him. It was impossible for someone as important as the director to have gone home early. Or could Jack be with Din, since the latter had also disappeared? Staying at the event any longer would only lead to unnecessary worry, so he decided to go home.

 

"Are you that upset because you didn't get him?"

 

The familiar teasing tone... Rome, standing in front of the house smoking a cigarette, smirked mockingly at the other's utter disappointment. Raffy didn't care. He quickly texted the driver to pick him up so he could escape from this house, and from Rome as well. Rome tossed his cigarette butt on the ground before walking towards me, appearing to be quite a bit drunk.

 

"I know I'm not as good-looking or talented as Jack, but I can still be a good backup."

 

"What nonsense are you talking, Rome? Are you even aware that you're drunk?!"

 

"Listen first," Rome raised his hand to stop him. "If you're disappointed in me, then come and get my brother instead."

 

"I'm available too. Whenever you want, I'm always ready to satisfy you."

 

The invitation distracted Raffy. It came at just the right moment, when he needed something to help him forget his frustrating anxieties for a while. Raffy leaned closer and whispered, so only the two of them could hear.

 

"If I sleep with you again, you won't tell Jack, right?"

 

"How many times do I have to say it? I've never said a word about who I'm with."

 

That concluded the deal. Raffy wasted no time and reached in Under Rome's jeans, he immediately moved his wrist to help, playfully but intensely. Soon, he felt the erection harden, wet and dripping from the tip. Rome roared with a hoarse voice of satisfaction in the deserted street.

 

"Go to your car, I'll sit in it," Raffy ordered.

 

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Tua was still troubled by the kiss that Dean had suggested. He kept sipping soju while occasionally glancing at Arnold from a distance, eventually getting drunk just like Arnold. But that, in turn, allowed him to gather the courage to talk to the other man without feeling awkward.

 

"Everyone seems to like you today. Are you feeling less nervous now?"

"I have to thank you for that," Arnold said with a sleepy smile. "For the past four years, I've barely had any friends because I've been so busy with work. Actually, you're practically my only friend in my faculty."

 

"Hey, about that kissing thing you're worried about," Tua swallowed hard, gathering his courage again, "Do you want to try kissing? That way you'll know what it's like to kiss a guy while acting in a play."

 

Arnold still didn't understand, so the Tua walked closer and crouched down to his level. "You could try kissing me."

 

"Huh?" Although puzzled, Arnold didn't move away. He waited. Tua leaned closer, his lips meeting the other's. He kissed the other man tenderly, savouring the moment for a long time before pulling back, his eyes filled with anticipation. He asked a question, hoping for an answer that would satisfy him.

 

"Do you feel anything?"

 

Arnold touched his lips, deep in thought and confused, causing Tuo's heart to race. However, Arnold chuckled softly before finally giving his answer.

 

"I think..." Before he could finish his sentence, the doorbell rang, interrupting him. He wondered who would be there at this hour, or perhaps someone had left and forgotten something important.

 

Jack, Dean, and Timmy all came out of the house to see who the visitor was. When Tua opened the door and saw the person standing there, he was instantly terrified. The tall man, holding a bottle of imported liquor, greeted them with a smile.

 

"Jack told me to come to the party here."

 

"Hey! You're here, American boy!" Jack shouted from a distance.

 

"Everyone, this is Boston. He’s  here to shoot posters for our play." The host stepped aside to let the guests go and greet their old friend. Of course, Tua knew this visitor very well, because this was the jerk who stole his first kiss.

10 - "I must stand on my own two feet."

Based on the play: A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen.

 

Tua tried to convince himself to be professional enough, but having to work with someone he had a past with turned out to be anything but easy. He didn't know who to be angry at: Jack for hiring the wrong person without consulting him, or himself for being so stupid that day to lose his first kiss. Or should I be angry at Dean for constantly acting suspicious and teasing me nonstop throughout the fitting process?

 

"We've reminisced about the old times," the Prince of Fine Arts said with a chuckle. He went in to change clothes with his best friend after the first set of photos was finished.

 

"What kind of 'backstory' are you talking about? We only kissed; we never actually did anything."

 

"So, can I have him?"

 

"Disgusting. Choose someone better," Tua said, making a face like he was going to vomit. "You and Jack were the ones who introduced him to me when we were still dating. If you go with him, you'll get in trouble with Jack."

 

"I'll kill you."

 

"What can I do? Jack's not interested in me today," Dean pouted, thinking about it. Today, Jack was in strict director mode, overseeing the fitting session with the actors and cameraman, Boston, scolding them like dogs that hadn't had dinner.

 

"Which outfit do I need to change into next?"

 

Arnold walked in just then. He asked the costume designer a question while unbuttoning his shirt, revealing his chest as he approached. Dean glanced at Tua, winked, and quickly stepped aside with a parting remark.

 

"The real you're here. Next time you change your clothes, don't forget to tell me about the kiss. How was last night?"

 

Tua intended to hit his best friend on the shoulder, but missed. Luckily, Arnold didn't hear anything. The lead actor from the theatre troupe stepped in to replace Dean. The silence was so awkward that Tua's hands and feet tensed up as he picked out a new costume for the actor. He observed the other person's reaction for a while before speaking hesitantly.

 

"Um, about last night."

 

"It's okay, I know you'were drunk, I was drunk too," Arnold blurted out, 

 

"It's just a kiss, you don't have to overthink it," Arnold said as if it were a perfectly normal and insignificant matter. But it was the complete opposite of what Tua was thinking. He felt terrible, and his face fell, making him want to disappear into the ground. He forced a smile, pretending everything was normal.

 

"I wasn't thinking anything either. I was just teasing you," he lied. 

 

"Good. Now acting will be easy."

 

Upon hearing this, Arnold smiled slightly and nodded gently. The tall man turned around so the other could help him put on his clothes from behind, while Tua tried hard to hide his sensitive emotions.

 

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Boston happily allowed the theatre crew to use their private studio for photoshoots and fittings, and even offered to act as photographers without any charge. Producer Timmy was beaming all day because this was a cost-effective opportunity. Although he had to pay a small fee for drinks and lunch, it was still better than paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for production. Jack was really lucky to know Boston.

 

"Do you like this kind of vibe?" the cameraman asked the director. "This one's fair-skinned."

 

"It's already like this. I don't want to adjust the lights to be any brighter; it'll look fake." Jack walked over to the monitor to see the image for himself. It was true, just as Boston had said. Wow... the photos turned out really beautiful!

 

"Great job! The pictures are so lively. I'm tired of photographers who just take pretty pictures, but they come out dry and lifeless," Jack said. "But what can I complain about? You let me use the studio and even helped me shoot for free. All I can do in return is buy you dinner and drinks."

 

"Hey, no problem. But as we agreed, whenever you use the photos, please promote them for me. If I get more clients to use the studio, that's profit for me," Raffy, the character's older brother, stood nearby, ready for his turn to shoot. Jack checked the previous person's photos to his satisfaction, and it was finally his turn. But before he could even step onto the set, Timmy's voice rang out. "Let's take a break and have lunch, everyone!!"

 

"Hey! Why not? Raffy's been waiting for ages! Can't we take a picture first?" Jack shouted back at the producer. Timmy then quickly whispered the truth to him. "No way, the welfare team has to leave before 3 PM, otherwise they'll get paid overtime."

 

Jack understood the typical producer's greediness, so when Timmy brought up the budget issue, he had no choice but to agree. The director quickly apologised to the waiting actors, who felt guilty. "Sorry, Raffy."

 

"It's alright, you can rest first. The others are probably hungry," Raffy smiled brightly. 

 

"Don't forget to eat, too. You've been drinking nonstop since morning, haven't you? It'll be troublesome if you pass out."

 

"Thanks, man." Jack gratefully accepted Timmy's kindness with a smile. The director put his arm around the honorary cameraman and went to have a meal with the rest of the crew. Raffy felt good about catching up, unaware that his main rival had been watching him from the start.

 

"Why not go live at Wat Rong Khun if you want to be a saint? Why become an actor?

 

Raffy was extremely pleased. "Jack asked me to play it for him. What could I do?"

 

"Why don't you think he might feel sorry for you? Didn't you study interpretation?" Dean refused to give up.

 

"I have my own way of dealing with people, which is better than you, who are putting yourself at risk... Hmm..." Raffy pretended to think. "What's it called?”

 

“That's called the privilege of being an ex-boyfriend. I can sleep with him as many times as I want because we're used to it. I understand it hurts you that you can't use this method anymore, or maybe you actually were planning to use it, but he didn't want to, right?" Raffy clenched his fists in anger until his hands ached.

 

"Don't fall, okay? When that day comes, I'll stomp on you," Dean laughed as if the other man's words were utterly ridiculous. "I won't fall. Worry about your feet instead, wearing those thick-soled Dr Martens that look like butcher's chopping boards." The lead actor looked him up and down with a contemptuous gaze. "So much 2011."

 

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As the sound designer for the play, Rome needed to be on set for fittings and photos for the program booklet. Even though he didn't have any work to do, he wasn't idle; he made himself useful by helping other teams with small tasks if needed. While the crew was having a lunch break, a phone call came in. Rome's face fell when he saw the name displayed on the screen.

 

"Hello, P'Joe."

 

[Hey, Rome, you absolutely cannot back out of the job you accepted tonight. The client is tonight.]

 

[Go ahead and make your request.]

 

Rome took a deep breath and replied calmly, with a hint of humour in his tone. "I won't back out, sir. How could I? I promised!" 

 

[Good! Actually, the customer was also asking for another person. Your friend, the one named James... James something, the two-syllable name. Where did he go? He's disappeared.]

 

Rome knew exactly who the other person was talking about… "Uh, I don't know, sir. We haven't seen each other in a long time." 

 

[That's a shame. Anyway, if you see him, please tell him that the customer misses him.]

 

"Okay, P'Joe, see you tonight."

 

Rome hung up the phone, letting out a long sigh of relief that the conversation was finally over. Just then, a voice called out from behind, "Taking a job, huh?"

 

Raffy's question automatically made Rome's face fall. He was about to try to defend himself, but the other person burst into laughter first.

 

"What the hell? I was just joking. I know it's probably a DJ gig."

 

"Oh.."

 

The young DJ breathed a sigh of relief, only to be surprised again when Raffy sat down opposite him at the same table. Raffy opened the lunchbox he was carrying and looked disappointed to see it contained stir-fried shrimp with basil.

 

"Aren't you going to eat?" Rome asked.

 

"I'm allergic to seafood... I'll order something for myself."

 

"Other people don't know you're allergic. If you order separate food to eat alone, they'll think badly of you," the DJ pushed the box of garlic chicken towards the other person.

 

"Take mine. I haven't touched it yet. Answer the call first, and don't forget to tell Timmy so he can prepare it for you next time."

 

Raffy paused to think. Everything Rome said was true. He didn't want to be criticised for being a spoiled, pampered celebrity kid. In the end, he willingly exchanged lunch boxes with the person in front of him.

 

"You didn't put an aphrodisiac in my drink, did you?"

 

"You watch too much drama," Rome was going crazy. "Just eat your food, don't think about it."

 

Raffy smirked to himself before taking a bite of the garlic chicken. It tasted good. Amazing! I don't know if it was because it was genuinely delicious or because I was just really hungry.

 

"Thanks, man. Today was full of annoying things. At least I got to eat something delicious."

 

"What's wrong now? Is it Dean or Jack this time?"

 

"First," Raffy snorted, "but there's something else too. The pool is closed today. I'm improving. I initially planned to do some stretching after this."

 

"Wow, as if you don't have a pool at home."

 

"It's not the same. The pool at the university is big, the pool at home is tiny," Raffy explained, before his eyes widened as he realised something. "You have work tonight, right? Can I come with you?"

"How are you going to kill me?" Rome almost choked on his basil chicken. "You're going with me?"

 

"Hey, are you going to listen to some music, have a drink, or do you have a date with some girl?" 

 

When the topic came up, the young DJ quickly denied it. "No, but it might not be the job you think it is."

 

"So, you're really taking this job, aren't you? Tell me the truth, I can handle it."

 

"I said no!" Rome denied again. "But I'm going to work. It's not fun for you."

 

Raffy was fed up with Rome's words, so he lightly tapped the other's crotch with his foot, playfully teasing him until his penis became erect in an instant. Rome could hardly believe his eyes, but he didn't make a fuss because, well, it was already like this. The golden opportunity has arrived.

 

"Follow me to the bathroom," Raffy said, and then got up and left. Rome clutched his crotch, unwilling to let anyone see his erection. The young DJ had already changed his mind and let Raffy go to the party with him before he even got up from the table and hunched over, following the other man to the restroom.

 

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Tua had to eat faster than everyone else because he needed to prepare the clothes for the next photoshoot. He arranged the clothes racks neatly so that the actors could easily and quickly grab their clothes. Someone walked into the dressing room. At first, I thought it was an actor, but it turned out to be Boston, standing there looking thoughtful. He pretended not to see me and turned back to his work.

 

"Every outfit is beautiful. You finally became a stylist, I'm so happy for you!"

 

"Thanks," Tua replied indifferently, still pretending to pick up this and that. Even though everything was fine from the start.

 

"Are you still angry about that?"

 

"No, but I forgot."

 

"Looks like there's someone new now."

"Do I have to answer you about this?" Tua turned around, facing Boston with displeasure. Boston smirked and walked closer, showing no fear. "Let the past be the past. Now I want to start anew. And it would be good to start with you."

 

"…"

"Get ready to be flirted with again," Boston said, and that was all. He glanced at Tua with a mischievous look for a moment. Just then, Arnold entered the dressing room. The tall man paused, noticing the two's unusual behaviour.

 

"Is something wrong?"

 

"No, just stopped by to chat. Time to get back to work," Boston replied with a smile before turning around. As he walked out of the room, he spoke to Arnold. "You look great in clothes. You have a good physique; you could be a professional model. Have you ever had a profile photo shoot?"

 

"Never. How do they do it?" Arnold asked, in his usual clueless way.

 

"I can help you. Come do a photoshoot with me sometime when you're free. Maybe you'll use the ideas later."

 

"You can continue," Boston said as he walked out of the room. Arnold was surprised to see Tua still standing motionless.

 

"What's wrong? You don't look well."

 

"No," the stylist quickly denied. He rubbed his face and tried to compose himself.

 

"You've run out of clothes, haven't you? Change into my clothes and bring them to me."

 

"Where should I put my clothes after I'm done today?"

 

"In the storage room at my house."

 

"Do you want me to help you carry this? There's so much, you can't carry it all by yourself." Arnold volunteered his help. Tua smiled, forgetting all his earlier frustration. He nodded and accepted the offer without hesitation. "Thank you."

 

"I don't have anything to do anyway. Want to watch a movie at your place tonight? "I connected the sound system from yesterday, and the sound is incredibly powerful! It really impressed me."

 

Tua was so cheap, I almost pinched myself, thinking I was dreaming. Suddenly, I'd get to spend time with Arnold alone, without anyone disturbing us. What good fortune! More than half are probably gone.

 

"Sure," the stylist agreed.