The air in the dressing room was thick with tension.
Jack was still leaning into Kanya's embrace, his body trembling slightly as he fought to calm his emotions. Her hands ran comfortingly over his back, whispering soft reassurances, her presence a steady anchor for the broken boy.
Aran should have left.
He should have stepped away, ignored the way his stomach twisted and burned at the sight of her comforting another man.
Instead, he stood there, rigid, his hands clenched into fists at his sides, his entire body wound tight with something dangerous.
Something he refused to name.
Next to him, June shifted, his gaze flickering between Jack and Kanya before stepping forward.
"Kanya." His voice was quiet but firm. "Can you… give us a moment?"
Kanya blinked, looking up at him in question. "June—"
"I need to talk to him." June's expression was unreadable, his usual playful smirk absent. "Alone."
Kanya hesitated, glancing down at Jack, her concern evident. "Will you be okay?"
Jack swallowed, forcing a weak smile. "Yeah. I just… need a second."
She studied him for a moment longer before nodding reluctantly. "Alright. But if you need anything—"
"I know where to find you" Jack murmured.
With one last reassuring squeeze to his shoulder, Kanya stood, adjusting her posture as she turned towards the door.
And the second she stepped out—
Aran grabbed her wrist.
"What the—?!" Kanya barely had time to react before he pulled her down the hallway, his grip firm but not painful.
She stumbled slightly, forced to match his long strides as he stormed through the building, his expression unreadable, his jaw set in a hard line.
He was angry.
But why?
She didn't resist, too caught off guard by his sudden reaction, but as they neared his office, she found her voice.
"Aran, what the actual hell—"
He didn't answer.
Instead, he shoved open the heavy office door, practically dragging her inside before slamming it shut.
The loud thud echoed in the room, followed by a tense silence as Aran let go of her wrist, his back to her, his shoulders rising and falling with controlled breaths.
Kanya scowled, rubbing her wrist as she took a step back. "Are you out of your goddamn mind?"
No response.
His hands were braced on his desk, his head slightly lowered, as if trying to steady himself.
She crossed her arms, irritation sparking in her chest. "You wanna explain why you just dragged me in here like a caveman? Or are you finally embracing your neanderthal roots?"
Aran turned slowly, his dark eyes blazing.
"I should be the one asking questions" he said, his voice low, controlled—but barely. "What were you doing with Jack?"
Kanya stared at him, taken aback by the sheer audacity of the question.
"What?" she scoffed. "Are you serious?"
His jaw clenched. "I don't repeat myself."
She let out a humorless laugh. "No, but apparently, you do act like a jealous boyfriend."
His eyes narrowed. "Answer the damn question."
She threw up her hands, exasperated. "I was comforting him, Aran! You know, like a decent human being? He was upset—"
"Over what?"
Kanya faltered. She wasn't about to betray Jack's trust. "That's none of your business."
His expression darkened. "Everything that happens in my company is my business."
"Oh, fuck off." She rolled her eyes. "Since when do you give a shit about Jack's personal life? Or mine for that matter?"
His nostrils flared. "Since I walked in and saw you holding him."
She blinked.
Wait.
What?
He ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident in every line of his body. "You—" He exhaled sharply, taking a step forward. "You shouldn't be getting involved with him."
Kanya scoffed, crossing her arms. "Oh, and why the hell not?"
Aran hesitated for a fraction of a second—long enough for Kanya to notice.
Then, in typical Aran fashion, he recovered quickly, his mask slipping back into place. "Because you're here to work, not play emotional support."
Kanya let out a sharp laugh. "That's the dumbest excuse I've ever heard." She took a step closer, tilting her head. "You're jealous, aren't you?"
Silence.
For the first time since the conversation started, Aran froze.
It was only for a moment—a fraction of a second where his lips parted slightly, his eyes flickering with something unreadable.
And in that moment, Kanya thought she had won.
She thought she had caught him.
She thought—
Until he moved.
Onestep.
Two.
And suddenly, the air in the room shifted.
Kanya barely had time to process before Aran closed the space between them, his presence towering, overwhelming.
His gaze was locked onto hers, sharp and unwavering.
And then—
"What if I am?"
Her breath hitched.
"What?" she whispered, not trusting her voice.
He took another step forward. "What if I am jealous."
The words sent shockwaves through her body.
This couldn't be happening.
She must have misheard.
Aran Narongsak? Jealous?
No.
No, it didn't make sense.
Because five years ago—he had rejected her.
Because he had hated her.
Because he had never wanted her.
And yet, standing here, looking at the man who had crushed her, who had torn her heart apart—
He was saying this?
Her mind screamed.
Her heart pounded.
And before she could think—before she could stop herself—
She ran.
She turned on her heel and bolted for the door, slamming it open, ignoring the way Aran called after her, ignoring the way her vision blurred at the edges.
Her chest ached.
Her throat felt tight.
This wasn't happening.
This wasn't real.
She wasn't ready for this.
Not now.
Not after everything.
Not after five goddamn years.
And in his office, watching her flee, Aran cursed under his breath.
He had wanted to bite his tongue.
To take it back.
To bury the words that had escaped before he could stop them.
But it was too late.
Because Kanya had heard them.
And for the first time in his life, Aran Narongsak had no idea what to do next.
_
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_
_
The dressing room was uncomfortably silent after Kanya left. The absence of her warmth made the air feel colder, and Jack was still sitting on the couch, staring at the floor, his hands gripping the fabric of his pants.
June stood near the door, arms crossed, his expression unreadable.
Jack knew he should say something.
Anything.
But he couldn't.
Not when his mind was still reeling from the weight of his emotions, from the near-breakdown he had just had in front of Kanya.
And now, June was here.
Jack swallowed hard, forcing himself to take a steadying breath. "You… needed something?"
June sighed and walked over, sitting on the couch next to him but keeping a bit of distance between them. His eyes flickered with something Jack couldn't quite place. "I could ask you the same thing, Jack."
Jack let out a dry laugh, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know what you're talking about."
June raised a brow. "You were crying."
Jack tensed. "...Was not."
June's lips pressed into a thin line. "Jack."
Jack groaned, throwing his head back against the couch. "Fine, maybe I was, a little."
June tilted his head, watching him closely. "And Kanya was here because…?"
Jack hesitated.
He couldn't tell June the truth.
Not now.
Not when he still hadn't figured out what to do with the mess inside his own heart.
"She just… happened to walk by," Jack lied, forcing a small smile. "You know how she is—couldn't resist sticking her nose into things."
June didn't look convinced. "She looked pretty worried for someone who just 'walked by.'"
Jack shifted uncomfortably, avoiding June's gaze. "It's nothing serious."
June was silent for a moment, studying him. "Jack…"
Jack clenched his jaw. "It's nothing, June."
But even as the words left his lips, they felt wrong.
Because it was something.
It was everything.
He wanted to tell June.
He wanted to scream I love you, you idiot at the top of his lungs.
But he couldn't.
Because Jack knew what they were.
They were Jack and June.
They were co-stars, friends, a BL pairing that the fans loved.
And nothing more.
At least, that was what he had been telling himself.
June exhaled through his nose. "You know you can talk to me, right?"
Jack's stomach twisted.
That was the problem.
He couldn't.
Not about this.
Not when June might not feel the same way.
Not when saying it out loud would make it real.
So instead, Jack forced another grin and lightly punched June's shoulder. "You worry too much, man. I'm fine. Just stressed about work, you know?"
June didn't return the smile. "Jack—"
"Seriously, it's nothing."
June stared at him, his eyes filled with something Jack couldn't decipher.
Doubt?
Hurt?
Jack didn't know.
And he hated it.
June opened his mouth as if to say something else, but then—
He closed it.
Jack watched as something flickered across June's face—something hesitant, something uncertain.
And in that moment, Jack wondered.
Was June hiding something too?
Did he also—?
No.
No, Jack couldn't think like that.
Because if he let himself hope—if he let himself believe—
Then the fall would be unbearable.
So he laughed.
He smiled.
And he pretended he wasn't falling apart inside.
"Anyway, shouldn't we get back to our home?" Jack said, standing up and stretching as if nothing had happened.
June watched him carefully before nodding slowly.
But still neither of them moved to go their separate way. What did move was the distance between them.