Monday morning came wet and gray. It had been drizzling since before dawn, casting the entire campus in a washed-out palette like someone had applied a soft grey filter over the world. The buildings looked damp, and umbrellas in every color bloomed across the grounds like flowers after rain.

Among the crowd, one pair stood out more than any bright umbrella.

Phaayu and Thee — sharing one bold red umbrella.

Phaayu was the one holding it, while Thee casually reached out to loosely grasp his wrist as they crossed the wide courtyard together. The sight was oddly cinematic, enough that more than a few students instinctively reached for their phones to film it instead of reviewing their lecture notes.

“Do couples kiss each other on the forehead before class?” Phaayu teased with a lopsided grin, sticking out his lips dramatically.

Thee turned to him, calm as ever. But his eyes weren’t cold like usual — they were focused, almost like he was reading Phaayu’s thoughts.

He leaned in so close their noses nearly touched. “I don’t know,” he said, “But if you wanna try, I won’t stop you.”

Phaayu blinked rapidly, then immediately turned his face away. His cheeks burned uncontrollably, and his heart pounded like a marching band was practicing in his chest.

“You’re playing the part a bit too well…” he muttered under his breath — though deep down, he already knew this wasn’t just playacting anymore.

…

At lunch, the two were dragged into a hotpot outing with their group of friends. The restaurant was lively, filled with the sounds of boiling broth and laughter.

“Thee! Truth or Dare?” Palm, one of the loudest in the group, shouted while dropping a slice of pork belly into the pot.

“Truth,” Thee replied, stirring the meat without looking up.

“Have you ever liked a guy before?”

The whole table fell silent. It was like someone had hit a mute button.

Phaayu, in the middle of eating a fishball, froze.

Thee paused for a second, then answered calmly, clearly.

“I have… and I think I’m starting to like one right now.”

Then he looked straight at Phaayu — saying nothing more, but also saying everything.

Phaayu nearly dropped his chopsticks into the soup. He blinked hard, not sure if he heard right.

“Uh… the pot’s boiling, guys,” he said awkwardly, trying to shift attention elsewhere. A few chuckles from their friends helped ease the tension, but in his head… everything was spinning.

…

That night, Phaayu lay in bed, rolling around under the covers. His phone buzzed repeatedly with messages from his friends:

“Dude, that was basically a confession!”
“I got secondhand butterflies just watching!”
“I’m posting the clip on Reels. Prepare yourself, lol.”

He rolled his eyes at first… but couldn’t stop smiling. A grin curled up at the corner of his lips like it had a mind of its own.

And then the room went quiet again.

He sighed, rolled to his side, and hugged his body pillow tightly.

“I think I’m starting to like one right now…”

Thee’s voice echoed in his mind — calm, unwavering, and a little too real. It had only been hours since he heard it, but it kept looping like a song stuck in his head.

Was it really about him?

Was Thee serious? Or was it just part of the game — part of this fake boyfriend contract they’d agreed to?

He flipped over again, restless. His body pillow was squished beyond recognition. He pressed the back of his hand to his forehead, as if trying to physically suppress his racing thoughts.

But the more he tried to forget… the louder his heart got.

It wasn’t just confusion anymore. It wasn’t just butterflies.

It was something deeper. Stronger.

He liked Thee.
Really liked him.

He thought back to every moment — the looks, the touches, the soft comments that felt more like secrets than lines.

And one question kept haunting him:

“Thee… are you still acting? Or are you feeling this too?”

He never dared to ask.

Because he was scared of the answer.

Scared that once the truth came out…
nothing would ever be the same again.

(Next chapter: Can’t Stop, Even If I Try — coming soon in the next canvas)