Hiya! Long time people. Sooooo, yeah! It's finally the end of the semester and I've finally been able to get back to work on the story (P.s. don't take botany class, it's the devil. It's not about learning how to grow weed. I know, I know, who would have thought!!! IT's actually SCIENCE. I mean with formulas and math and cells and all that really hard ! Welp, I got a B so, I'm that .)

Actually the semester ended two weeks ago, but I have not been able to update because I just moved into my new apartment and for what ever reason, it took AT&T TWO WEEKS to get my internet to try working. I tried updating using my cell phone but things got all screwed which is why I had to withdraw the chapter. Anyways, it's here now. 

I decided to do a time jump into three weeks because it's been so long since the last update and it felt kinda weird not acknowledging that in the fictional universe as well, so this chapter is really much more of a catch up to what our leads have been up to, and to refamiliarize ourselves with them for those who haven't been re-reading previous chapters, but it does move the story along for their FIRST TIME next chapter and the HITS THE FAN BECAUSE AIM IS A ... also coming next chapter. SO, I guess you could say it's the quiet before the storm. 

Lastly, I've finally figured out the name for the novel when I publish it on Kindle. ALL ROADS LEAD TO YOU . PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Let me know in the comments section if it's lame, it's only taken me about six months to come up with it.Hehehe.  I also really need an artist to work on my cover. Yes, it will be paid, I just felt I should extend the opportunity to the readers before going on devantArt. I have an awesome concept that I'd like to see sketched out, so, again, comment if you're interested or shoot me a message and lets chat about you possibly having the honor of working on my future bestseller. No pressure or anything. Okay, es, here goes nothing.

Ignore all grammatical errors. Just pretend they aren't there! :'D

+++++

"You're not even dressed yet!" Kareena whined as she pushed past Ngern, walking into his suite.
"Dressed for... Oh, shoot." He'd totally blanked. Kareena had been looking forward to their night out since they started shooting, and she'd coaxed Ngern into accepting to come along with them. "What time is it?"
"Almost six." Kareena said, plopping onto the hotel suite couch which Ngern had just been laying on. "The show starts at seven."
"Yeah, yeah, I remember. I'm so sorry, I don't even know when I fell asleep." Ngern said hurrying to the bedroom. "Thirty-minutes." He said before closing the door.
***
They made their way down the hotel lobby in hasty strides, and tried to ignore the glances being shot their way. Malicious had been getting a great deal of press since its announcement and everyone with a cell or tv must have stumbled across their faces at some point in time during the past week. It didn't hurt that Kris was a mega superstar and since the press tour the studio had been pushing the previously scandalous topic of love between the two stars through the press.
Headlines like "KRIS WU, HEAD OVER HEELS FOR BOLLYWOOD SWEETHEART", or "KAREENA RAI, CHOOSES THAI HEARTTHROB OVER C-STAR" could be seen splayed across the front pages of every celebrity newspaper. Yellow journalism at its finest.
Needless to say, the paparazzi were having a field day with it. We're they together or not? Who will get the girl? Is it true love or just a moment of passion?
If Ngern wasn't in the center of it all, he might have even found himself intrigued by the supposed love affair between Kareena and her boys. And the studio couldn't be happier. It was getting free press out of its three stars, and had even agreed to give them each upwards seven-hundred thousand baht each time the are seen together in public.
The black limo was parked directly infront of the hotel building, and they were ushered in by a smartly dressed chauffeur. Ngern could just barely hear his and Kareena's names being shouted by the paparazzi whose cameras instantaneously went off as they had emerged from the building.
"This is insane." Ngern said, settling into the back seat of the limo, next to Kareena. "It's like they don't have homes or families to get back to."
The car rolled forward.
"This is nothing. The paps in Mumbai are ten times worse. But it's part of the business, you know? A smile here, a pose there, he lot them sell a few papers and they help update your status."
As they passed the hotel entrance gates even the darkly tinted windows couldn't fade out the blaring flashes of light coming from the cameras. The limo had to slow down tremendously, probably for safety reasons. The last thing anyone wanted was for the vehicle to run over one of the over zealous lot.
The drive around Beijing reminded Ngern, yet again, that he was far away from home. The signs, the futuristic buildings, the people, it was all so new and shiny and surprisingly depressing. He wondered if he'd have felt that way if August was there with him.
They made light chatter on their way to the event venue, and Ngern found out that the designer Kris was opening for was the same one that had dressed them for their announcement event weeks earlier. He also found out that the designer was a major contributor to the film as most of the clothing worn by the actors came from her various lines.
He inquired on why neither of them had shown up to set earlier that morning and Kareena explained that there was a red alert because of the Beijing smog, which Ngern reasoned explained why even most of the crew had been a no show.
He made a mental note to check the smog forecast daily.
Even then on their way to the venue, the air was thick with pollution, and it sickened Ngern to think that any government would allow their populace to suffer through such a state.
They barely made it a few minutes before the show begun and were ushered through the gathered press and into the hall. Two seats at the very front row had each of their names on it, and Ngern squirmed a little when he noticed that half the packed hall had turned to stare at them.
Less than a minute after they'd been sat, the lights dimmed and the crowd quieted. The runway shine bright, and an upbeat EDM beat filled the space. The show was about to start.
The first person to walk onto the stage was a familiar face. Kris. Gracefully, he made his way down the runway, adorned in a modern take of the ancient Chinese military wear. Shiny gold and rich reds caught the light and the heavy no doubt heavy get-up threatened to swallow his slim frame whole, but his star ego wrestled hard for the attention of the audience. He was a living embodiment of a showstopper.
It wasn't until Ngern heard Kareena exhale loudly after Kris walked past them that he realized he himself had forgotten to breathe.
On his way back up the ramp, Kris paused in front of them, and in a swift move, pulled out a golden pin that had been lodged into his now elongated hair and held it out for Kareena.
The cameras went wild. Flashes from every corner, paparazzi and spectators alike. Kareena reddened, for the first time since Ngern had known her and looked almost uncertain of what to do. She shot a glance towards Ngern as if asking for help. Instinctively, he reached out for the pin, taking it out of Kris' hand, even though it was clearly meant for Kareena.
The crowd went wild. Gasps and murmurs filled the room but as Ngern could barely understand a word in Chinese, it didn't matter what they were saying. He'd come to think of Kareena and Kris as his friends, so seeing both of them in such awkward positions had triggered his protectiveness. Now, he feared he might just have started a scandal.
The rest of the show went by in a blur of thin, tall beautiful people in yards worth of lush, vibrant fabrics. Kris came out once more in an even more outrageously flamboyant outfit than before, only, this time he didn't so much as look their way during the entirety of his strut. After him, the rest of the models came onto the runway, with Kris and a tiny, plump woman, dressed entirely in black lurking behind moments later to acknowledge the roaring applause of the spectators.

“So, what now?” Ngern had been to hundreds of fashion shows no doubt, but this was his first time not actually modeling in one. He wasn’t sure what the proper etiquette was for sneaking out a fashion show as soon quickly as possible. Did they have to wait and congratulate the designer for a show well done? Or could they just make a dash for the door, leaving behind the flashing lights as proof of their presence.

“Now, we smile and pose until our limbs fall off.” Aria said standing up, Ngern’s hand in hers.

“Uh… I think we should just make a run for it.” Ngern said, signaling with his head all the eyes they had on their backs.

“Nonsense! We can’t just kip out on the show of one of our movies biggest investors, you know.” Kareena said, pulling Ngern up and dragging him towards a blackened door being guarded by two security officers.

“Kareena, I don’t know where your mind has been the past ten minutes, but the show just ended.” Ngern whined, trying to disengage himself from Kareena.

“Yeah, but the after party is just beginning.” She turned to flash him a defiant smile before tugging even harder at his arm.

Ngern noticed the guards moving aside to make room for them to go through, and thought about asking how they knew who they were authorized personnel, but thought better of it.

“Krisss!!!” Kareena called out, finally relinquishing hold over Ngern’s hand and rushing towards Kris who was perched, legs and arms folded on a high chair.

“That walk was amazing! A+ showstopper stats!” Kareena said wrapping Kris into her arms, forcing his face directly into her cleavage. A few camera flashes later she pulled away.

“Thanks.” Kris spat by dryly, pushing himself off the chair. “Sorry, can’t stay and chat, press waiting.”

Before he turned away, he made sure to shoot Ngern a withering glare.

*****

The after party went by just as one would expect a high fashion soiree to go down. Lots of fashion talk, expensive bubbly and champagnes by the crates full, no-carb-no-sugar-no-salt-no-anything snack being passed around by the waiting staff, more crates of expensive booze and pictures. Lots and lots of pictures. By the time Ngern walked out of the event hall, and into the darkly tinted town car waiting for him, he was convinced the black spots that kept popping up in his vision were going to be permanent.

It didn’t help that he’d not particularly been shy with the liquor either. What else was he supposed to do? Kris literally only made eye contact with him twice the whole night, and when he did, it send icicles down Ngerns spine. And Kareena seemingly oblivious to the awkward tension was her usual chatty self, making sure to use coarse language only when the music was too loud so that anyone within ear shot couldn’t hear her. Heavens forbid her Bollywood sweetheart image gets discovered for the phony that it is.

And then there was that slim figured, roommate of his that kept creeping up into his mind. It’d been two weeks too long, and damn it, he missed the hell out of August.

“Move!” Kareena commanded, shoving Ngern playfully further into the vehicle, but before she even had the chance to climb in, someone yanked her away from the door. That someone was ofcourse non other than their co-star, Kris Wu.

He hurriedly climbed into the vehicle, forcefully pushing Ngern against the door on the other side to make room for Kareena.

“You coming in or what?” He called out to Kareena.

“Ofcourse I’m coming in. This car is ours, remember?” She huffed jumping into the car and slamming the door. “What, your chauffeur went for a midnight snack and forgot to come get you?”

“Uh, I sent him home already.” Kris said, looking at his feet. “I figured we should all drive in the same car. Carpooling is great for the—uh—the ozone layer, you know. Beijing has a lot of smog already, as it is.”

If Ngern were sober, this would have been the moment he restrained himself from bursting out laughing at that such a lousy excuse. But he wasn’t. Oh, boy, he wasn’t. And there he went, bawling out his eyes until they teared, his liquored mind completely oblivious to the death glares and bemused look coming from his fellow passengers. It was a miracle that Kareena with all her sharp wits, and pension for discernment had not yet figured out that Kris was head over heels for her. Anyone within a few meters of them could practically hear the buzzing oozing off the two like bees in heat.

If anything else was said throughout the length of the drive to their hotel, Ngern didn’t recall. Hell, how he made his way to his floor and unto his bed was the biggest mystery to him, when he woke up to the incessantly jingle of his cell phone the next morning.

“Hello?” Thankfully, the throbbing in his head wasn’t too bad. The insides of his mouth however, felt dry and rough, like it’d been filled with sand the night before.

“You sound like .” Ah, a healthy dose of Kim in the early morning.

“P’Kim. Goodmorning.”Ngern managed to mumble.

“Doesn’t seem like the morning is being too good to you, Ngern. Guess the party went well.”

“Yeah, the event went okay.”

“Good, listen. I saw what happened at the fashion show last night, and let me just tell you something, I want the name of the PR leech who came up with that whole idea so that I can skin them alive and ground their bones to dust to use as flavoring powder in my next bowl of spicy coconut chicken soup! How dare they try to pull a fast one over me? Just wait ‘till I dig my nails into their skull...”

“P’Kim, no one is trying to steal me.” Ngern felt like hurling, imaging the things Kim had just said. “It wasn’t planned… Or, atleast, I don’t think it was. It just kinda sorta happened, and I know I shouldn’t have involved myself but I---”

“Shouldn’t have happened?!” Kim cackled, now finally relaxed after hearing that no other publicist had organized the happenings. “Are you kidding me?! Ngern, that was single-handedly the best thing that could have happened for you in Beijing.

“W-whah?”

“The office is having a field day, reporters are calling in from all over Asia, and even Europe to get the scoop on the big love triangle. The pictures are all over the internet. Everyone is talking about it. Everyone is talking about YOU, the humble Thai boy who somehow managed to steal the love of Bollywood’s sweetheart right from under the nose of one of Asia’s biggest stars. Is it because he’s richer? Is his d*ck bigger? The fansites are going wild with speculations!”

By the time she said the last word Ngern was watching himself on the TV screen of his hotel room, after having raced out of bed to his living room to affirm for himself what she was saying. A few remote clicks later, and there it was. His, Kareena and Kris’ faces splayed in the green-screened background of a news room as a journalist panel consisting of five hosts rambled on and on in Chinese animatedly. Ngern didn’t have to understand a word, everything was clear enough.

“Hello?! Hello?!!”

“Uh, yeah, P’Kim.” Ngern wasn’t sure when he’d zoned out.

“So?!”

“Uh—so what, P’Kim?”

“So, when can you come back?”

“When can I… Come back to where?”

“Did you not hear anything I just said?!” Actually, not really. “I need you to come sign the papers with these guys before the heat off this extravaganza dies down. They’re offering premium price right now and we can’t afford to miss out on this! Especially not this Samson deal. I already had a sit down with their Thai rep earlier this morning and she assured me that this is just an introductory deal. If we keep the heat up, come next year when it’s time to renew the contract, they will be signing you up as a brand rep for their full electronics inventory lines. We’re talking TV, fridge, laptops, microwaves and everything in between.”

“Samson? As in Samson Electronics?” Ngern gawked.

“I guess I was really talking to myself this whole time.” Kim huffed, irritated.

“P’Kim that’s amazing!”

“I know! Which is I need you to fly down here on your next day off for the meet and greet and contract signing.” Kim said giddily on the other end of the line. “I checked your schedule but you don’t have a day off until next week Sunday...”

Knock! Knock! Went Ngern’s door.

“Uh, P’Kim, give me a sec, someone’s at the door.” Ngern said, getting off his couch and hurrying to the door, suddenly feeling more energized by the good news.

He looked through the peephole and saw the two most unlikely people. Kareena and Kris.

“Uh, P’Kim, can I call you back in a few minutes? I have to go.” HE muttered, sobering from the high he’d been feeling just minutes prior.

"G-good morning guys. What's up?"
"Morning." Kareena said pushing past Ngern as she's done the evening before, and into the room. "Sorry, did we wake you?"
"Nah, not really, my manager beat you guys to it." Ngern said, standing aside to allow Kris into his suite.
"You sound like ." Kris smirked, walking through the door.
Gee, thanks. Good morning to you too.
"Yeah, I guess I had a bit more to drink last night than I thought I did." Ngern explained as he motioned for Kris to join Kareena on the couch. ", I'm in trouble, right? I was so out of it last night that I must've slept through my alarm going off. P'Heard must be pretty mad if he sent you guys to come get me..."
"Well, considering filming has been cancelled until further notice, I'd say your off the hook this time." Kris said, arms folded.
"Whah? Again? Let me guess, another red alert?"
"Yup," Kareena chipped in. "Which wouldn't be so bad if we could actually do something on our days off. I'm tired of being cooked up in my suite day in and day out, and I can't even go out now because of all the paparazzi at every turn. I'm starting to feel like a princess from a Disney movie."
Ngern nodded, understanding all too well what that felt like. Even now as they sat in his suite their faces were still on display on his TV screen and he had a feeling the press wasn't letting up anytime soon.
"Well, Kris is a top star, I'm sure he could find us some event or party to go to through his connections." Yes, Ngern was kissing up to his costar as an attempt at the apology he never offered for stealing his sunshine the night before. He personally didn't feel like he'd done anything wrong, but for the sake of moving on, he figured it was a worthy effort.
"No. I wasn't talking about parties Sherlock. I really just want to go out and hang out and breath fresh air like everyone else every now and then and I thought coming to China would afford me that luxury that I couldn't have in India, you know, not being really popular here and all, but that obviously isn't going to happen. If it's not the paps the. It's this goddamn smog."
Again, Ngern could hear his own thoughts being verbalized by Kareena. Of Course on a business side of things, he could t have been any luckier to have been part of this fabricated love triangle, but on a more personal end it had robbed him of the opportunity to escape his reality in Bangkok for a few weeks. Hell if anything, what he was experiencing now was practically his reality on steroids.
Part of him yearned for the nonchalance of Araria Island. The sun, the war H of the sandy beaches. The warmth of the cast and crew. The warmth of August's body pressing against his on their queen sized bed.
Goodness, he missed August. Not just his physical presence, even his voice. They hadn't spoken in two days, and Ngern was making a very conscious effort not to be offended by the fact that August hadn't called like he'd promised to the last time they'd spoke. He was trying to be understanding. He really was. He knew how vital these next few months were for August and the future of his career, so he tried to overlook the fact that the text messages, now their only means of conversation, had gotten shorter and more spaces out. But try as he might be just couldn't get rid of that growing emptiness in his heart.
Long distance relationships .
Unless...
"Wait, Kareena, how long did you say filming was cancelled for?"
"I didn't. My temp PA did say the crew was setting up set in the mountains though, for the sky trip scenes. I guess they're moving those up to make up on the lost days of shooting because as my manager wrote in the contract, if filming lasts a second over my contracted scheduled availability, they'd have to pay a pretty penny to see my y self on that set. I'm scheduled to start filming a new historic drama with King Kahn two weeks after this shoot ends and was really hoping to get some sleep-in time in-between."
Half of everything she'd said had flown over Ngerns head, as his brain was too busy connecting the dots to his plan. It was simple, actually. They were all free, P'Kim wanted him back in Bangkok to sign the deal of a lifetime, Kareena and Kris wanted a break from the dreary smog, to breathe in some fresh air and to escape the oppressive eyes following their every moves, and Ngern wanted August--August who also just so happened to be in Bangkok.
"Guys, what do you say about a little day trip
Whoever said all roads led to Rome had obviously never heard of Bangkok.

******
Their journey was made much more feasible by Kris' revelation that he had his own jet. Well, he had a leased jet. An Embraer Legacy 650 contracted to him upon joining fellow actor Jackie Chan as a brand ambassador a few months back. As if giving him his own plan wasn't enough, the company also provided all upkeep services for the plane, leaving Kris only his pilots salaries and gas bills to take care off. Ngern couldn't imagine a day that such a sweet deal would be offered to him.
They landed thirty minutes earlier than projected, and the car service provided by the small regional airport at the outskirts of the city was their ride into it. Ngern wasn't so surprised that the staff recognized him immediately, however seeing them almost faint at the site of Kareena and Kris proved that he'd underestimated their reach. Kris was a former member record breaking K-pop group, and his movies did fairly well in Thailand, so that we to be expected--but Kareena? Was Bollywood that big in Thailand as well, or did news of their love triangle top the news rooms and blog-o-spheres in His country too?
And if that was the case what did August have to say about it? For the first time, Ngern reasoned that perhaps August's distance wasn't due to a busy schedule, but rather... A broken heart.
No, no way that's it. If that was the case August would have said something to him by now, right? Or was his silence actually a silent treatment? Was he overthinking everything or wasn't he thinking it through enough?
"What's with the face?" Kareena elbowed him jovially.
"Uh, nothing. Just thinking."
"About?" She pestered.
"How much you two' e gotten me in." Ngern said.turning in his seat to scowl at them both, even though he knee the blame was in no way theirs.
"Dude, what are you even talking about?" Kris said from the back seat, kicking Ngerns lightly in irritation
"Ugh, it's nothing. Never mind."
"Ooohhh!" Kareena said, eyeing him mysteriously.
"Share." Kris leaned in eagerly like a child, most likely more out of a desire to irk Ngern than from sheer curiosity.
"Sherlock over there has a girlfriend waiting for him at home." Kareena said with a sly smile. Something in Ngern's expression must have fully given him away as she snapped her fingers and cocked her eye-brows triumphantly in response. "Aha! See?! I knew I was unto something."
"I--I don't know what you're talking about." Ngern managed.
"Sure you don't." Kareena teased. "Matter of fact, I bet this girl of yours is not in the industry, or if she is, she must not be very popular yet. Why do I say so, you ask? Because that's the only thing explaining why you would have hidden your relationship from the world. Two top stars make for great PR, a top star and a nobody make for angry fangirls and death threats on fan sites."
It was official, Kareena was the second most insightful person Ngern had ever met. She's practically decoded his whole romantic scenario in a minute. He thought to refute the idea of August not being famous enough, but held himself back for fear of giving her even more information than intended.
"See? You're not denying it. It's true! I'm right! You do have someone waiting for you at home!"
"Shhh!" Ngern motioned to her, before nodding towards the driver. P'Kim had not forced him to sign any confidentiality clauses to protect His privacy so he was weary having such a discussion in his car. From the way his eyes had widened when he'd seen them, he clearly knew one if not all in the group.
The rest of the ride went smoothly, with Kareena trying to coax the truth out of Ngern, but once she saw that he wasn't giving in, she changed her tune and pretended she didn't care. That is, until the vehicle pulled into the Bright Sukhumvit building that Ngern realized that Kareena might just be getting her wish after all. She'd insisted the car service dropped Ngern off first at his complex before taking them on their way to a five star hotel she'd googled on her phone. It wasn't until her feet touched the pavement in front of the glass walled entrance of the Bright Sukhimvit pavement that Ngern realized he should have never agreed to be dropped off first, all things considered.
"Aye, what are you doing? Your ride to the hotel is that way," Ngern said, blocking her off with his hand and nodding towards the parked vehicle.
"I know, I know. Kareena said sneaking under his arms and hurrying towards the door which was now being held wide open by the door man. "But I really need to use the bathroom, I drank too much water on the jet and now my bladder is about to burst. Aren't you going to let me into your building to ease myself? Please, Sherlock. Please!"
She'd the whole thing planned the whole time, Ngern reasoned, and though he and Kris were well aware of Kareena's dubious nature, the three other service men who'd stepped out of the building, upon seeing the airport van pull up to, to help carry luggage bought the act like it was on a 90% off sale. Ngern was screwed. He couldn't say no to her now, could he? Not with all eyes watching him. What kind of a douchebag says no to a girl who needs to ease herself?
"I, uh, we, uh... Sure, you can use my bathroom." You conniving .
"Aww, you're such a gentleman, Sherlock! Lead the way."
Ngern waved off the servicemen, as all he and Kareena had brought with them had been small traveling bags with some essentials. Kris had hopped on the plane completely empty handed, claiming that everything he'd need would be provided by the hotel, or at least be found for sale in the lobby, which was true of most establishments. Even though they hadn't discussed departure time, they all knew they only had a day, at most two, before their presence was requested in Beijing.
Ngern led the way through the lobby--making a conscious effort to ignore the ogling eyes of the staff--and to the elevator leading up to the penthouse floor. The whole time he played over worst case scenarios, should in case August be home at the moment. He'd refrained from alerting him of his arrival so as to surprise him, but he was starting to feel it was a mistake on his end. What if they walked in on August strolling around the duplex ? What if Kareena's sixth sense kicked in and she found out there was more to the story of them living together? How would they react to the idea of their new friend being in a gay love affair?
Ngern paused at his unlocked door to take in two very deep breaths before pushing it open to allow his guests in. They both had the expected reaction.
"Woah! Not bad, Sherlock, nice digs." Kareena said looking around. Kris nodded in agreement looking around the parlor. Nothing seemed to have changed in the two weeks that he was gone, which Ngern only forced himself to notice to keep from dashing up the stairs four steps at a time and racing to his room to check if August was in. Now that he was in their space, he could barely contain himself anymore. The longing to see August was just entirely too great for the young man to bear.
"This is quite a huge place for a single guy," Kareena said admiring the glass walls. They were dimmed enough to protect from harsh glares, but sufficiently enough to still fill the room with sunlight. "No parents or siblings?"
"My family lives in another city, Chiang Mai to be more precise."
"Ah, so you're here all by yourself." She drew out the words so that they sounded more like an accusation than a statement. Ngern could practically here here brain churning, coming up with some new theory which he feared might hit too close to home. He'd know Kareena long enough to know that nothing flew over her head.

"So, uh, the bathroom is right that way, and once you ease yourself I can call another trans service to drop you guys off at the hotel of your choice." Ngern said quickly, trying to move things along. If August wasn't already upstairs taking a nap, nothing said he couldn't be walking in at any moment.
"What's the rush, Sherlock, if I didnt know any better I'd think you were kicking us, your friends, out of your house."
"He wouldn't do something like that, not after all the hours he's spent at your penthouse and my pad." Kris said, joining Kareena on the couch. Oh great! Now you decide to speak up.
He did have a point though Ngern had spent a considerable amount of time hanging out in both their living spaces. Whereas they had barely ever stepped foot in his, probably because his was much smaller than either of theirs. They'd watched movies and talked about random . If anything he always did feel like a third wheel around them, because they would go off on those tangent ramblings that only involved long time friends, and he'd be left behind trying to keep up. Eventually, he'd just given up and allowed himself to seamlessly assimilate into their weird chemistry. And considering they always invited him to their top secret, back door, private gatherings--especially those not involving other members of the cast and crew--Ngern was sure they felt the friendly chemistry too.
Ngern was stuck between a lover and and a friendly place.
"Fine, you win. There is somebody in my life, and yes, we're keeping it low key, and no, I don't think it's a great idea to introduce you guys. Our relationship is a bit--complicated." Ngern said. "So, please, try to be understanding and give me some time. This is not a part of my life that I've opened up to anybody."
Kareena sulked, but Ngern knew she understood the feeling.
"Okay, okay. I'll drop it, but when you're ready to talk I better be the first one to know. If I find out from some website or blog..."
Ngern nodded, even though he wondered if they'd still keep in touch after their final week of filming. Promotion for the film were still months away, and Ngern knew it would reunite them once more, but they might be different people by then. Ngern had seen it happen a million times already.
"Hey, I thought you wanted to take us out and show us around. If I knew I was going to be confined in yet another hotel all day, then I might as well have just stayed in my penthouse suite and played Rapunzel."
Ngern had no idea who or what Rapunzel was, but he got the point. Though he'd made the short trip to Bangkok mainly to see August, he couldn't just ditch his friends like that.
"Uh, give me one sec to make a quick call to my manager." He said, hurrying up the stairs and down the hallway to his bedroom. Closing the door behind him, he pulled out his phone and dialed.
"Hello, P'Kim."

*****
The crowd goes wild as the wrong up their set with his biggest hit, Loved Me Back To Life. He was the second of the three performing acts called in to commemorate the Chulangkorn-Thamasat annual football match which had quickly become a staple for Bangkok society. The annual friendlymatch between Chulangkorn And Thamasat university was one of the most festive periods in Bangkok as it combined two hugely favored Thai cultural staples.Football and Music. Ofcourse, this meant kids from universities all over the country flew in for the festive weekend, and for those three days, Bangkok was the ultimate hub of all things young, hip, and hormone infused.
Not to say it wasn't already, anyways, but with the out of town college kids, and the broadcasted football and music festival, to say it was a huge deal to be one of the three musical acts chosen to perform during the halftime was a privilege only the hottest artists of that moment could boast of.
So, August couldn't believe his ears when Kim had personally called to tell him the good news herself. Perhaps he should give himself some credit, he did have two top ten singles on the charts after all.
It had been over three weeks since both his songs Unbreak My Heart and Loved Me Back to Life had been released, and though they'd started off strong, they had only been on the up and up since then. Loved Me Back To Life had peaked at number nine, for two days before dropping down to number ten earlier in the week, whereas Unbreak My Heart was still going strong, perched on its number four position on the charts. This came as a major surprise to everyone, as they'd expected the bluesy jam to be too slow and mature for the pop-rock fanbase that made most of Thai's musical scene. And though he'd promoted the hell out of both records for the past month, all bets had been on Loved Me Back to Life breaking into the top ten, if at all.
Even now as he sang the last few melodic words of Unbreak My Heart, he was surprised to find that they received a much more animated roar from the crowd than they had from the other singles he'd performed. The set list had consisted of consisted of five songs in total. Against August's initial wishes, they had started with Back to Life, then delved into his newly recorded single, Only Human, followed by a cover of the Coldplay song Viva La Vida, followed by another unreleased single Tonight, We Are Young, before ending with Unbreak My Heart.
August had originally thought the song was too slow for an arena filled with hormonal, semi drunk youths, but Kim had reminded him the best should always be saved for last, and judging by the chart performances, the decision was made clear.
Either way, it had been a hell of a show, and now as they all walked to the center of the stage, held hands, and bowed to their roaring audience, August was once again glad he'd listened to Kim.

***
"Whoop whoop Whoop!" Pew hollered, throwing his fists in the air as they walked into their spacious waiting room. He one of the three new members of August's band, and the only one who had not been selected directly through the audition process. One of the underlings in Kim's firm had been managing a high school punk rock band that had been on the verge of breaking up due to internal conflicts, so when she'd heard of the search for new talent for Augusts back up band, she'd offered his name. Though he was the youngest in the band, at just the tender age of sixteen, he was a monster on the drums. And though unlike the others his singing voice was crap, and he couldn't play any other instruments, apparently when his solo had been played infront of Kim, she'd immediately asked for him to be added to the band. Yes, he was that good.
Then there was Will who played the percussion, harmonica, or any kind of blowing instruments. Guy was on the piano, and provided backing vocals with Palm who was on the guitars.
August couldn't have been happier. It made a world of a difference having these guys along with him during performances because not only did they support him on stage, but they also did so off it. Palm for one was reintroducing him to guitar playing and Guy was teaching him the bare basics of the piano. But beyond all that, it felt amazing having someone to share all these spectacular moments with, and as someone who'd been through this rise before, August knew not to take these moments for granted. Especially considering it was another week, yet, before Ngern flew back in from China. Nothing beat those first few months of the climb. Nothing. And his only regret was the most important people in his life were not there to share in his glory.
Well, not entirely. His grandparents still called every week to check up on him, and offer words of wisdom and encouragement.
"Did you hear them? They were cheering for me. They were all cheering for me!" Pew rambled on animatedly, and no one else in the band made much of an effort to correct him that August was actually the star of the show. They'd all come to learn that in his teenage brain, he was the actual front runner and they were all his backup, and that was fine with them.
"You know, I have to say, even I am surprised by the turn up this year, and I've been coming to these match religiously for the past five years." Will, the appointed "cool guy" of the band said, taking a seat on one of the armless chairs in the room. "You know this is the first time the match is being held at Raj Stadium."
August nodded, thinking back on the two times he and Aim had attended the festivities while dating. This was the first time the match had been hosted at Rajamangala stadium which served as Thailands biggest and most prestigious national stadium. It sat over seventy thousand people, and on this particular night it was clearly overflowing, as the steps were also being occupied as seats for the thousands of spectators. August could practically hear the coins dropping into his account within the next week due to the sales increase and radio plays of his records.
"Great show guys! That was one of the best performances you guys have ever given. And Palm, you killed that Solo, I could practically hear the dropping off the girls I was standing next to." Korn said, walking into to the room, and tucking his cell into his jeans.
"Hey, watch what you say, we have a minor in the room." August teased, roughing up Pew's hair in the process. They all knew how much he hated being the youngest in the group, and because of that, they all made a conscious effort to remind him of that every single chance they got.
"What the , P'" Pew protested, fixing his hair, "if I'm old enough to have hair on my d*ck, I'm old enough for anything."
"Yeah, hair covering all two inches of it." Guy churned in, causing everyone to burst out laughing.
"Okay, okay. Enough with you guys picking on our nong Pew. " Korn said a minute later, when he was finally able to subdue his laughter. "Besides, with the way he played today, don't be surprised if you find he ends up taking one of the young cheerleaders to his dorm tonight." He added, winking at Korn.
"Wah, P', does that mean we can stay for the rest of the festivities?" Pew asked, animatedly. This was a surprising turn of events, considering they had an early birds interview at eight in the morning, and were scheduled to rehearse for two outs this evening before they officially disbanded for the night. Afterward the morning interview, August was scheduled to have another interview with Chulangkorn University's official news paper and a small photo op for the front cover. It was part of the deal Kim had agreed on for his being booked to perform in the show.
"Of Course, you guys can stay, your schedules are cleared for the rest of the night." Korn answered, received cheerful hollers in turn.
"Hey, don't burst my ear drums you losers. Go on, get out of here. Go have some fun." He stepped aside to let them pass through, all except August, who was the last in line. "All except you. You've got somewhere else you need to be tonight."
"Uh, me? Alone?" August asked, worried. He'd figured something was up the second Korn permitted them to go have fun instead of going to rehearsals. Usually, he stuck very very strictly to the books.
"Yeah, P'Kim called earlier before you went on stage and asked me to cancel rehearsals tonight. She says she has some very important things she needs to address with you right after the event at the office."
"August gulped. He'd already been to Kim's office a few times, but he still always felt nervous walking in there. Partly because he always bumped into some superstar that made him feel too small to be there, or because he just felt like a child being summoned to his parent's home office for doing something bad.
"Uh, P', do you know what this is about?" August asked nervously as he was led through the hallways of the resting rooms, and out through one of the back doors leading outside.
"Not at all, I'm afraid." Korn replied earnestly. August could hear in his voice that he was also a bit bothered by it.
His guys twisted into a knot.
"Okay, here's your ride there." Korn said bringing August to the passenger side of a black car service.
"You're not coming with me?" August asked, his eyes widening as a cold breeze ran down his back.
"No, she said only you were to come tonight. Besides, you know I have to stay back since I have to take Nong Pew home."
August nodded. It was one of the agreements they'd come to with Pew's parents before they gave their consent to him joining the band. Because he was a minor and their gigs required them to travel so much and stay up so late into the night sometimes for rehearsals and paid shows, Korn had promised to personal make sure Pew got to his dorm every night after every event since his parents lived in another province and couldn't make sure of his safety themselves.
"Okay, well, you guys have fun." August said dryly, climbing into the back of the town car. "Well, you know who to accuse for murder if I don't show up tomorrow morning."
Korn half giggled, before closing the door. HALF!
August tried to make light conversation with the taxi driver while they were on their way, but either the man was too tired, or just plain uninterested. Though the distance wasn't that far, the weekend evening traffic made it so that they didn't get home until much later than they should have.
August's dread only rose when the driver pulled up to the front of the massive, towering building in a much more upscale neighborhood in town.
"Uh, I'm sorry, I think you've got the wrong address, sir. We were supposed to be heading to Central." August said peeking out the window. On the guarded, long glass doors of the facility was written ST. REGIS.
"No, this is where the lady told me to drop you off. She also told me tell you the password is "First name Kim, last name You will never know.'"
"Whah??"
"That's all the lady said." The old man said, shrugging, clearly perplexed by his orders as well. "First name Kim, last name you will never know."
After a minute of back and forth light protests, August climbed out of the black car and walked through the opened doors into the lobby of the hotel. The two smiling hostesses in the lobby eyed him suspiciously, as it was evident he did not know what to do.
"Welcome to St. Regis, Bangkok, how may I be of service to you tonight, sir." One of the ladies asked.
"I--uh, Iim here to meet someone, I guess. My manager."
"Okay, I can check if your name is on our visitors list and from there direct you to where your manager is waiting. Can I please get your full name?"
"Vachiravit, August Vachiravit." August stuttered.
He wasn't too worried about giving his real name, as his singles had been released under the nickname. Auggie V. He'd always liked when Aim called him that, and though he'd had ores some resentment towards it after their break up, that felt like a lifetime ago, and he saw no reason to pass it up. Besides, Gust felt too personal and August sounded too long and unhip. So, Auggie V. it was.
He wondered if Aim had figured out who the mysterious new act was, burning up the charts and radio waves. Surely she had. She made sure to keep herself informed on all things trending, and he was definitely that. His fan meet video trended for two weeks alone, if anything. There was no way the Aim he knew, and used to love didn't know of his reincarnation.
"Sorry,Mr. Vachiravit, I don't see any request here for you. Maybe there's another name you'd like to try?"
"Uh-no, that's all I have--wait--this might sound silly, but could it be a code or something?"
"Ah, yes. Sometimes our high class or celebrity clientele use code words or numbers to preserve their privacy." The receptionist said whispering.
"Oh, okay, then could you please check under--God, this is going to sound silly--'First name Kim, last name you will never k-know?'" August asked, scratching the back of his neck.
The receptionist didn't even have to check her monitor, she smiled brightly, and sighed.
"Ah, Penguin, we've been expecting you. This was left here for you. Feel free to go right on up." The receptionist stepped from behind her desk, ushering him towards the elevators. August followed the smiling woman into the elevator, and waited silently, patiently, as she pressed the buttons for one of the higher floors. When the elevator opened, he waited for the lady to lead the way but she only presented him a key card. The number of the room was printed onto the key card.
"August climbed in and pressed the keycard against the slot and the doors automatically closed. August was now familiar with such high tech security systems after living at the Bright Sukhumvit building and being led through one security clearance or another for interviews or performances.
He waited patiently as the elevator carried him up, and all but fainted when it dinged and the doors opened. August felt like the dumb character in horror movies who should be running the other way but his curiosity wouldn't allow his legs turn away.
August walked down the hallway to the door, raised his hand to knock, but then realized he had a key card in his possession, so, instead, he swiped it against the lock and heard the door click open.
His fingers wrapped around the knob and he pushed the door open.
The room was luxuriously decorated, albeit dimmed. The main source of light seemed to be pouring in from an open set of double sided French Windows, slightly off centered from where August was standing.
"Hello?" August swallowed the lump in his throat as he walked towards the French Windows. It was the only logical thing to do in this illogical setting, and a part of him had already figured it out. A part of his brain was screaming the obvious answer, that he refused to accept for fear that it might not be who he thought it should be, and he would end up living in the next week in misery of a dream broken. He wanted to know for sure. He needed to.
As he emerged into the light, his breath caught in his chest. His eyes moistened. The figure stood by the railing, facing the city-scape beyond. Dressed in a tan suit, hair neatly coiffed, August knew who it was the second he laid eyes on his well built body. Broad shoulders laced in fabric, overhead bulb highlighting a silhouette. He was just as August remembered. Three weeks, no touch, three weeks no long kiss goodnight. August wanted Ngern now. He wanted all of him. And he knew it, within every fiber of his being, he knew it. Tonight was the night they made the stars dance.