Personal Manager

21. We love each other

 

During the initial stages of filming the series, the young model couldn't concentrate on anything because he was so preoccupied with worrying. He took advantage of every opportunity. He didn't go into the studio, but excused himself to call Tin. He knew it was inappropriate behaviour for a good actor, but he had no other choice. He was so worried about Kel. Knowing that Kel hadn't disobeyed his friend and had eaten as he'd promised relieved him somewhat, so he refocused on his work and continued filming without touching his phone again.

 

Ring!

Tin called just as filming was wrapping up. Kantapong bowed respectfully to the manager, the one the chairman's secretary had sent to look after him that day and then said goodbye to the director. And the entire team waved goodbye to their fellow actors before leaving. 

 

Actually, Darin invited him to dinner, but he had to decline because he had business at the modelling agency afterwards.

 

"Yes," he answered the call.

("Is your work finished yet? If so, hurry back now.") The tone sounded serious. Don't tell me Kel has caused some trouble.

 

"Why? What did he do?" Kant quickly asked back.

("He didn't do anything at all. He was very obedient. But now he's crying heavily because he feels sorry for his brother.")

 

"Crying?" The listener was puzzled.

("Yeah, you bastard. He saw your wife crying, so he started crying too.") The voice on the other end was even more agitated.

 

"I'll be there in twenty minutes."

 

The young model hung up the phone and hurried into his car. He didn't know why Kel was crying again. He'd already told him not to cry, but he wouldn't listen. He sighed heavily, wanting to punish Kel to teach him a lesson. It was as if she were ignoring everything he said. In less than twenty minutes, he arrived at his condo and rushed straight up to his room.

 

"How are you?" was the first question I asked my friend.

 

"Who are you asking about?" Tin was being very cheeky, causing Kant to glare at him.

 

"That's my wife."

 

"He cried himself to sleep. I'll take Toey back now," Tin said before turning to look at the small figure sitting on the sofa, whom he had just finished comforting, and the reason for crying was because he felt sorry for the person in the bedroom. 

 

An hour ago, Tin went to talk to Kel about Gun. He said something along the lines of his friend not usually being so emotional. The listener cried and readily admitted that he had been stubborn first, wanting to escape from an impossible love.

 

"Okay, I'll treat you to a meal sometime," the landlord replied.

 

"Take him with you," Tin said, raising an eyebrow and smiling.

 

"Of course." It's well understood that saying this implicitly means that Kant must resolve the problem and take Kel out to eat together.

 

"That's my friend. Let me know if you need anything."

 

"Thanks."

 

After Tim and Toey left, Gun turned his attention to the bedroom door. He stared at it for a moment before gently opening it. Even though Kel was still asleep, his slender arms were still handcuffed, though not behind his back like he had done before they left. A black chain still adorned his small ankles, contrasting sharply with his pale skin. The frail figure lay there, propping himself up with his hand—a sight that evoked pity in anyone who saw him.

 

Gun carefully sat down on the bed. Pain began to grip his heart just at the sight of the small figure, who was no different from a real prisoner who didn't want to coerce him, but Kel was being stubborn. His thick hand gently touched the smooth, soft skin around his ankle, and soon he bent down and kissed it, making Kel flinch. His eyelids, initially tightly closed, opened to the light.

 

"yeah..."

 

"Are you being well-behaved?" The handsome face looked up to ask, even though his friend had already reported that Kel hadn't caused any trouble. There was no answer, and he even moved away.

 

"Are you afraid of me now?"

 

"Can you please let me go?" his prisoner said in a weak, almost incomprehensible voice.

 

"Why are you crying?" Kant ignored the plea, continuing to ask until the listener pursed their lips tightly and their eyes trembled. The slender figure tried to turn to the other side, but Kant wouldn't allow it. He held their small shoulders firmly, staring intently at their face without speaking.

 

What came out? It was like an indirect reprimand in Kel's eyes, causing his slender lips to pout. How many more times must he cry before the tears stop? How much pain must he endure before the person in front of him would let him go?

 

"Are you hungry?" Kant asked again.

The short person shook their head slightly in response.

 

"You should take a shower so you can go to the modelling agency," because in your current state, you're definitely not ready to go outside.

 

"..." The listener shook their head again.

 

"Please don't resist me. I don't want to be cruel."

 

"But that was already cruel," the easily offended man retorted immediately. He grumbled to himself that Kant was... the cruellest person ever.

 

"You wouldn't listen to me. Why were you so stubborn? How many times do I have to tell you that we can't let this slide? If we don't fight for this, who will? Who will protect our love if we don't do it ourselves? Listen to me one more time," Kantapong repeated the same words.

 

"..." The listener paused, deep in thought. "Or maybe you really don't love me anymore?" 

 

This time, he was the one feeling hurt.

 

"So, what do you say? Do you not love me, or have you never loved me?" Asking a question that hits you right in the heart hurts quite a bit.

 

"Love," a hoarse voice said.

 

"Then let's listen to each other. Let today be a day where we fight together. If in the end you're not with me, or I have to let you go, then...Let's give it a try first, for the sake of our love."

 

"And if we have to be apart, just like you've always wanted. I might have to move on without you." He said that to elicit sympathy from the smaller person. But how could he possibly move on without him? If he had to go through fire and water to win this love... he had to do it!

 

"Hic!" Just hearing the words that Kant would be without him made Kel sob again.

 

"Why? I thought this was what you wanted," a deep voice asked.

 

"no"

 

"I know," Kant carried Kel into the bathroom after removing all his restraints. He felt a warmth spread through his heart, relieved that at least Kel wasn't hurt.

 

Wanting distance, as you said, might seem like resistance because you're overthinking the inappropriate nature of the relationship, but in reality, you love them just as much.

 

The modelling studio wasn't very crowded in the afternoon. Two figures walked side-by-side into the towering building. Before coming out, Kant helped the smaller person get dressed in a formal outfit and found a baseball cap for them to wear, as they had requested. It was probably because they didn't want anyone to see their swollen eyes, which clearly showed they had been crying heavily. They looked like they were about to fall, but still refused to hold hands, not wanting to be in the news.

 

"If you fall, I'll carry you," he whispered. The small figure remained silent, not responding, as he tried to walk straight and maintain his balance. Kel was weak, tired, and had a headache. Upon entering the elevator, he was completely overwhelmed.

 

Kel slumped against the wall, exhausted. Seeing this, the tall man pulled him back so he could lean against him and put his arm around his shoulders tightly.

 

"Others will see," Kel countered, concerned about the model's reputation.

 

"It's just us in here."

 

"but…"

 

"Never mind that for now." Right now, his biggest concern is his wife's physical condition. He was very worried, but he had to bring him here to clear things up. 

 

The elevator opened on the executive floor, and Gun refused to let Kel go. A couple of employees were waiting to come in. Upon seeing this, they were all stunned and speechless because the famous model was hugging the person next to him. The smaller figure tried to pull away, and as expected, Gun let go but instead held their hand. The round eyes looked like they were going to resist a second time, but he wouldn't let go.

 

"Don't be stubborn," the tall figure deliberately said, making sure those who were scrutinising him could hear. What were they so curious about in other people's business? "Gun."

 

"You..." The whispers started to get louder.

 

"What are you planning to do?" Kel asked with a displeased expression.

 

"nothing"

 

"Nong Kant, Khun Kel," the president's secretary greeted, her eyes widening in surprise at the sight of the two holding hands.

 

"Hello," Kant greeted.

 

"Hello, Ms Mook," Kel said softly before quickly averting his gaze, not wanting anyone to see his face at this moment.

 

"Uh..." Anyone would be speechless. Just this morning, I said I didn't want Kant and Kel to go out together, but it seems that won't be the case. It can be prohibited.

 

"Can I come in?" the tall man asked.

 

"Please wait a moment," she said, raising the phone to her ear to contact someone inside.

 

After receiving the occupant's permission, the secretary opened the door. The CEO, who had been engrossed in reading documents, looked up. He had been informed earlier that guests would be arriving. 

 

The first guest was a busy model from his agency, and the other was his beloved nephew, who was standing with his head down, staring at the floor. As his gaze fell upon their clasped hands, a sense of suspicion immediately arose.

 

"Good morning, Mr Chairman," Kandapong greeted, without the usual wai; his hands were currently occupied.

 

"..." The other person didn't dare say anything, trying to pull their hand back, but the person beside them wouldn't let go.

 

"Kel," the chairman called out his nephew's name. His suspicion remained when he witnessed the model's actions; it was so different from what he had heard.

 

It was said that Kel liked Kant unilaterally, but now Kel’s hand is being held tightly. The person whose name was called remained silent.

 

"I've come to talk about that video," Kant stated immediately, causing the smaller hand to squeeze him.

 

It's a clip, but I'm just repeating what Kel said.

"People who overthink things need to deal with themselves, right?"

 

"What do you mean?" Kant was even more confused.

 

"If I hadn't pressed him... I wouldn't have known. What reason would the chairman have for only telling him when I was also in that video?" (Still haven't seen it.)

 

"Look at Uncle, Kel," the older man turned back to speak to his nephew again.

 

"..." Hearing that, he slowly looked up and met his gaze. Fear and sorrow overwhelmed him simultaneously. He felt guilty for not following his uncle's orders, despite having promised to stop associating with Kandapong. Yet he still showed up at the modelling agency and displayed inappropriate behaviour.

 

"Crying?" his uncle asked, frowning.

 

"Yes, Kel cried all night," the tall man answered on his behalf.

 

"Didn't you say you could handle it yourself? Didn't you say you'd let Kant go? Then why are you crying?" Because my nephew said he would deal with these feelings, giving him time to sort everything out.

 

"I was the one who wouldn't let him go."

 

"What?" the chairman asked, confused.

 

"I will never let go of my boyfriend, no matter what the reason," the model declared emphatically.

 

"But wasn't Kel the only one who liked and tried to get close to Gun? He himself said that he pursued him so persistently that Gun pranked him, which is why that video leaked. A personal manager who has inappropriate feelings for the model they manage should deal with those feelings themselves, right? Or am I misunderstanding something?"

 

"Huh? He's the one who secretly likes me and has been trying to approach me, trying to pester me?" Kantapong frowned.

 

"Isn't that right?"

 

"No, let me tell you right now that I liked him before he liked me. I was interested in him from the first day we met. The guy who ran into the conference room because he was afraid of being late, the guy who flashed charming smiles everywhere he went, even though he didn't know anyone, the guy who just sat there yawning while Don, Khun Muk, and P' Bim explained the scope of the work." He witnessed all of their actions.

 

"Kant..."

 

"Yes, from the first day we met at the modelling agency, I was interested in you," the young model admitted frankly. Memories of the past replayed in his mind. Kel hurried up the building, afraid others would be waiting. He had to meet this model and his former manager.

 

That day, his uncle and his secretary were there as well. It was his first day at work after graduating. His parents were both overjoyed and beaming. When Kel met Gun, he could only think to himself, "Why doesn't this handsome guy smile much? He's so quiet even when I try to talk to him." 

 

Kel didn't like Gun from the first sight. At that time, he was just struck by his looks because he thought he resembled his ex-boyfriend, and he was going to tell his friends. Kel and Gun had even argued about who liked whom first. In the end, it was Gun.

 

"What's going on? Why did Kel tell Uncle back then that he had a one-sided crush on Gun?"

 

"I'm afraid my Gun will get in trouble," the petite boy confessed.

 

"Go ahead and spoil it until it causes you a headache."

 

"So, to summarise, you asked him to resign because you wanted him to stop having feelings for me, right?"

 

"yes"

 

"Even if he could do it, I still couldn't. I love him so much," the tall figure declared emphatically.

 

"How long have you two been secretly having an affair? If it weren't for this video, do you think you could have kept it a secret for much longer?" The chairman was very displeased.

That's the point.

 

"I was planning on asking him to be my boyfriend anyway; I didn't want to hide it from anyone." The fleeting moment happened so quickly that before we knew it, we were together. But he never wanted to hide this relationship. As time went on, it became clearer that he wanted to reveal to the media that Kel was the man he loved.

 

"Actually, Gun asked him, but Kel refused because he was afraid it would become news." Now, the petite boy blamed himself for being too cowardly.

 

"Well, I was being careful, but just not careful enough. The point is, a model shouldn't be secretly having an affair with his personal manager." That statement left the listener stunned.

 

"Mr Chairman, what do you want me to do when we're in love? I won't let him leave me."

 

"Let me ask, what kind of launch will this be? This clip is from when Kel was still Gun’s personal manager. If it's released..."That means the model and his manager are having an affair. I don't see how they can ever come out without a scandal."

 

"How much of this press conference can I actually attend?" Kantapong asked anxiously.

 

"Are you sure about this? It'll affect the work. The feedback is likely to be more negative than positive." Anyone could predict that. This isn't the first time something like this has happened. Society will definitely condemn it.

 

"Is it impossible for us to do it right?"

 

"As you know, our modelling agency doesn't prohibit having a romantic relationship, as long as it doesn't cause any scandals. But about this..." The chairman paused before letting out a heavy sigh.

 

"Who sent this video? I want to know their motive."

 

"They haven't been found yet, but we think it's related to conflicts of interest, probably from a different group."

 

"If I get caught and the clip isn't released, can I still publicly announce that I like Kel and am pursuing him?"

 

Seeing a way out, he asked, "How about a press conference that won't cause any damage?"

 

"But they know deep down that their relationship is secretly deep. They can deceive others, but they can't deceive themselves," he chuckled softly, shaking his head.

 

"Do I really need to announce to everyone when and where we first had sex?"

 

"Where? I didn't think anyone would dig into my personal life to this extent. Some things we can keep private, we should. I'm just a model, I don't need to talk to the media about everything."

 

"Today, we're not here to ask for permission to be in a relationship, but we're here to inform the Chairman that we will continue to move forward together no matter what. Whatever happens, I just wanted to ask for your opinion on the press conference because I'm still signed with this agency. Please don't laugh at our relationship. I don't see anything funny about it."

 

"Yes," Kel agreed, this time.

 

"I'll try not to be involved in any scandals. It's not that I'm worried about my reputation or the modelling agency's profits, but I'm only worried about PKel..."

 

"Only him."

That day's hand

 

The older person remained silent, not responding, a lump forming in their throat.

 

"Leave the matter of who filmed the clip to me. If everything is in order, I only ask that you hold a press conference and schedule a meeting with the press."

 

"What do you think you'll do if you find the person who leaked the video?" His tone softened as he saw the model's determination.

 

"We need to discuss what he wants first. Can I see that video?" After that, he watched the entire video. His confidence grew even stronger, as he had the right person in mind: the younger model standing and washing up.

 

"How was it?"

 

"I don't think it should be difficult to track him down," he replied.

 

"In the meantime, avoid doing anything conspicuous in public because it hasn't been officially launched yet."

 

"yes"

 

"And if we were to really date, Kel would be in the position of being a boyfriend outside the entertainment industry."

 

"Of course." If I don't have Kel as my personal manager, I'll find someone else, but the boyfriend position has to be reserved exclusively for him.

 

"I'll just watch from afar. If you decide to handle it yourself, I hope you succeed." There's nothing Donny can do anyway; if Gun wants to do it for love, then so be it. I recommend letting them do it.

 

"Thank you for listening to us," the tall figure said.

 

"Passing this stage doesn't guarantee a smooth process. You haven't talked to your parents yet, have you?" He addressed the first sentence to Gun, but then turned to ask his nephew the second.

 

"Not yet," the slender figure replied.

 

"I think my mom's already against this model."

 

"I've never met her before," Kant said, bewildered. He hadn't even met his future mother-in-law yet, and he was already losing points.

 

"The father is especially difficult to deal with. He would never agree to having a famous son-in-law because he dislikes the commotion."

 

"Even if it's difficult to talk to them, I have to. I really want their son." No matter what, I have to prove it to them.

 

"When you get home today, tell your mother so she won't worry," his uncle said, concerned for his sister, especially since she was such an overthinker.

 

"I don't think so. He has to stay with me tonight. Tomorrow I'll take him back home and talk to his parents."

 

"I'm going back to my own condo tonight," Kel said softly. "But you're still my prisoner. I will punish you," the tall figure leaned down and whispered.

 

"No," the small figure shuddered. Images of that morning flashed through his mind—the dildo, the vibrating egg, and the black cat tail that Kant had threatened him with.

That's for tonight.