The blazing afternoon sun was unrelenting, but Wave was smiling from ear to ear. Sitting on the grass beneath the gentle breeze of the tree overhead, he felt completely free. This was his ideal setting. If it were up to him, he’d live right here, outdoors, without a house, a couch, appliances, or doors. River baths and wild fruits would be his sustenance.

Utopia? Absolutely. But Wave cherished this dream dearly. He pictured himself living in harmony with nature, free from the constraints of modern society.

It was a distant dream, for sure. But with each day spent outdoors, Wave felt closer to making it a reality. The feeling of freedom was intoxicating, and he wouldn’t trade it for anything.

The theater group’s meeting that day was at King Rama Park, and all the members were sitting in a large circle on the vibrant grass. This was after Wave had been thoroughly scolded by Marco for being late to the meeting. He would have been even later if Dan hadn’t noticed his trick of circling around to reach the destination.

But now, the scoldings were a thing of the past, even though they had happened just ten minutes earlier. His mind was light and calm as he listened to the sound of the wind and the birds, just before Marco began speaking:

“Well, now that everyone’s finally here,” Marco glanced briefly at Wave, who was leaning back with his arms crossed and a relaxed smile, his eyes sparkling with a hint of amusement. “We can start today’s work.”

“When will the auditions be?” Sandee asked anxiously, her hands nervously fidgeting with the edge of her skirt as her eyes darted around at the other participants, examining each one as if trying to guess the role she might get. Despite her enthusiasm, her gaze betrayed a visible impatience, an almost palpable desire to stand out.

“Now that Wave isn’t going to be acting, who will be our leading man?” another girl asked.

“Will it be a romance? A drama? A comedy?” The questions kept coming.

“You’re all getting ahead of yourselves; calm down,” Marco said with a smile, clearly enjoying the excitement. “First of all, ‘Seven Warriors’ is a fantasy play, but with a focus on romance.”

“Yes! I’ll get to be the leading lady and live out a great love story!” Sandee stood up in celebration like a dreamer, momentarily forgetting everyone around her.

“Um, not exactly…” Marco observed the scene and seemed to search for the right words. “You might be a heroine, but perhaps not the lead.”

“What?” She was quite confused.

“So, it turns out we’re working with a somewhat unconventional script… the main couple in ‘Seven Warriors’ will be two men!” he said, his face showing a nervous smile.

Upon this announcement, a burst of murmurs and a somewhat scandalized protest came from Sandee. Wave remained in place, his expression calm, as he had already seen the script a few days ago thanks to Marco’s email. After all, being an Assistant Director had its perks. It didn’t change anything for him whether it was two men, a woman and a man, or two women; what mattered was the performance. He glanced discreetly to his side and found Dan, who, surprisingly, was paying attention to his uncle’s words. Dan’s face showed a hint of surprise, and upon noticing Wave’s gaze, he quickly looked away, staring at the grass below him.

After a few minutes of confusion, complaints, and a dramatic moment where Sandee threatened to throw herself into the lake, everyone finally calmed down and refocused on Marco:

"Anyway, getting back to it... the main reason I called this meeting at the park is to break the ice in a more relaxed setting. So, we’re going to do a simple activity to help you get to know each other better, especially since we have some new members this season."

As Marco said this, Sandee stood up:

"I can start! My name is Sandee, but you can call me San. I’m a sophomore in the art school, and I..."

"Not like that, San," Marco interrupted, clearing his throat slightly. The girl was taken aback and, feeling a bit awkward, sat back down. "Alright, we’re going to do an exercise to get to know each other in a different way... without using words!"

Murmurs swept through the group again. Wave, who already knew exactly what type of exercise Marco was referring to, stood up to calm everyone down:

"Alright, everyone, pick a partner to start the exercise and sit in front of them. For example, I’ll choose Dan and sit right here in front of him," he said, positioning himself in front of the tattooed guy, who looked surprised and started to move away, only to be stopped by Wave, who held his legs and whispered, "You have to do the exercise. It’s better with me, since you’ve at least exchanged a few nods, than with someone else you don’t know, right?"

Dan looked at him seriously. He seemed to stop avoiding eye contact with Wave and relaxed into his position. Wave continued with the explanation while everyone had already taken their spots:

"Now, without speaking a word, you need to look into the eyes of the person in front of you for three full minutes. After that, you’ll write on this board Marco is handing out" — the director was walking around distributing boards and pens — "a word that captures something you feel about the person in front of you, the first thing that comes to mind. But remember, no talking, okay?"

"I’ll start the countdown now," Marco announced.

"This exercise should be pretty easy for you, right?" Wave whispered to the guy in front of him, who looked a bit confused. But Wave knew that a silent activity would be the most comfortable zone for the guy at the moment.

"Well... you can start!"

With the director's command, silence began to take over the area. The only sounds were the chirping of birds and a few kids playing in the distance. Wave took a deep breath and, without realizing it, kept his hands resting on Dan’s knee, who remained still, shoulders relaxed, and eyes fixed ahead, as if concentrating on a distant point. Occasionally, Dan would slightly shift his gaze and meet Wave’s face. The tattooed guy stared at his senior with an initially enigmatic expression, as if he were trying to shield himself from the exercise. He would frequently look away for a few seconds and then, likely realizing he had broken the exercise, return to meet the curious eyes in front of him.

Wave was intrigued, eager to understand and unravel the look before him. In the first few minutes, it seemed aggressive and imposing, but he soon noticed a growing sense of vulnerability, almost like a silent request. Without realizing it, he began to lean slightly forward, trying to get closer to uncover the mystery.

Wave’s gaze started to wander, first moving to Dan’s dark, neatly styled hair, which perfectly matched the guy’s firm posture. Then his attention shifted to Dan’s slender nose, which complemented his well-defined jawline. Finally, he focused on Dan’s mouth, which was slightly parted and had a hint of pink on his lips, adding the finishing touch to his striking and unique appearance.

Realizing he was drifting, Wave looked back into Dan’s eyes and was surprised to see they were completely different from just moments before. It seemed that Wave’s simple act of observing every feature had left Dan completely exposed, now looking almost desperate, unsure of how to act. But there was something deeper that was even more intriguing. Unknowingly, Dan had revealed a characteristic he had likely been trying to hide until now.

"Time’s up, everyone!" Marco announced, startling both Wave and Dan, who immediately looked away. "Now, write down on the board a feeling you found in your partner."

Without hesitation, Wave took the board and wrote down what he had seen in the depths of his partner’s eyes. As Dan, with a concentrated expression, began to write without hesitation, Wave felt his hands trembling slightly. His eyes were fixed on the board, his heart racing as if expecting a secret revelation. He bit his lower lip, trying to contain the anxiety bubbling in his chest.

"Alright, now show your boards and let’s read them. Remember, it’s just for reading, not for judging, okay?"

As he said this, all the boards were turned over, revealing that Wave had written the word 'loneliness' on his board, as that was the feeling he had sensed in Dan’s eyes. There was a profound loneliness there, a feeling that made him want to simply hug the guy and not let go. He usually did that with friends without issue, but he felt he might be quickly attacked if he tried it with his junior.

To his surprise, Dan’s board showed the word 'nuisance' which made some people laugh when they read it. Wave’s gaze fixed on Dan with an almost tangible intensity, his jaw clenched and eyebrows furrowed, while Dan, oblivious to the storm of emotions he had caused, continued to watch the birds with a disinterested smile, his eyes locked on the sky as if it were the most fascinating spectacle in the world.