Burden of Secrets

It took 45 minutes to get to their place. The house looks simple, the walls are painted grey with a traditional brick-style design, and complemented by a brown roof, and a big wall window. As they entered the house, Earth saw some luggage and immediately thought that this was for Sky, since he didn't see him with any. 

He showed Sky the place. It has 2 bedrooms close to each other, 1 bathroom, a decent-sized kitchen, a living room with 4 couches, a coffee table in the center, and a backyard with a patio.

Sky excused himself and went to the vacant room on the right side. He looked dead tired, so he didn't bother him and let him rest.

Earth went out into the backyard and got seated at the side of the pool. Yes, they also have a pool. Dipping his feet in the cold water, thinking about what he needs to do next. Should he just ask him? or get the answers from Gun, because clearly, his best man knows the answers? 

He decided that it was better to get the answers from Gun. He pulled out his phone from his right pocket, then pressed and held the number 1 express dial for his best friend’s number.

After the 3rd ring, Gun answered the call and asked, “What took you long enough to call me? I guess, since Sky is back, I’m no longer that important to you” he said, sounding hurt.

While Earth is listening to what Gun said, he was rolling his eyes thinking that Gun is being dramatic, and dares to play the victim when he is the one in the shadows and needs answers. 

“Nong” Earth said, interrupting Guns’ drama. Calling out Gun by this name means that he is serious.

This made Gun serious as well.

Earth is mixed-race, as his father is Japanese and his mom is Thai. In Thai, you address older and younger people differently.

There are two words you are likely to hear often while in Thailand, which is pee and nong.

Pee, which is also written as phi, means elder brother and sister. While nong means younger brother and sister.

“Alright,” Gun said in response and continued asking “What do you want to know?” 

“I want to know why Sky is here, and why does it seem like he never knew me?” Earth finally asked.

“First of all, he is here for work, which is the most obvious reason. Second is,” Gun paused for a while thinking about what he should say next, as there are things that are better left unspoken, in the meantime.

“There was an accident” he continued, and hearing this, Earth became more alert and interested in knowing the reason.

”During our junior year in college, halfway through the school year, we left university and went to China where we continued our studies at the University of Beijing”. Gun started explaining.

Earth, Sky, and Gun, together with the rest of the team in the office, meet at the University of Bangkok.

They are all on the faculty of I.T. During the freshman year, they all had to attend the faculty meeting to welcome the freshmen.

One of the traditions of this university is having a hazing team to mentor the junior seniors and for the juniors to build connections with the seniors.

Sky, being the free-spirited person who doesn’t like being ordered, especially to do things he doesn’t like, clashes with the Senior hazing leader.

Throughout their freshman year, Sky got closer to the Senior leader while opposing him, and by the end of the year, he officially became the Boyfriend of the Hazing leader.

Earth was the best friend of Sky. Sky, not knowing that he had special feelings towards him, was unaware that his best friend was hurting deep inside ever since he got closer to the hazing leader, and made it worse when they became a couple.

Earth isn’t the type of person who will confess his feelings, and would rather choose to remain beside the person he loves or cares for, as he is afraid of losing them. He was happy being friends with him, or so he thought. 

Earth became Sky's closest friend. They both studied together and suffered together while enjoying college. 

During their Sophomore years, it was when they met Gun in the Hardware Servicing 2 subject. Immediately they hit it off, and Gun becomes part of Skys’ and Earth’s circle of friends.

They have been known as the Golden Trio ever since then.

From others’ perspectives and understanding, this Golden Trio is perfect, but what they don’t know is that there is a Love Triangle between these guys.

While Sky is in a relationship with the hazing leader, Earth starts having deeper feelings towards him, and as Gun spends time with these two guys, especially Earth, he starts noticing that the way Earth looks at Sky is different.

Earth is more gentle and caring towards Sky and while Sky’s boyfriend is with them at some times, he was able to observe that Earth is treating the hazing leader colder, and the way his eyes looked and hurt was evident whenever the couple is sweet and intimate.

Knowing this with Guns’ keen observation, he treated Earth with special care just like how Earth treats Sky. 

At first, he felt pity for him, then, without knowing how or when it started, he began having feelings towards him.

It’s funny how these 3 guys developed. 

One day, Earth woke up late and was in a rush to go to his class.

Feeling the vibration of his phone ringing in his right back pocket, he went and pulled it out, then checked the person who was calling, just seeing the name Sky, immediately made him smile, and forgot that he was late for class.

He immediately answered the call and said, “Hey” in a casual manner while smiling like a fool.

“Where are you? I told you to sleep early but you wouldn’t listen and kept playing games.” Sky said, lecturing him for being late.

”I don’t know what kind of luck you have, bro, as this is the first time that you have been late, and our professor miraculously got sick. That saved us from the practical exam. You know how our exams are, it’s always done in a group and you being the leader, we need you.”Sky explained and this made Earth realize that he no longer had to rush going to the class.

He said,” That’s great! See? I’m your lucky charm”. 

“That’s right, I’ve become luckier ever since we met,” Sky said, agreeing with what he said about being his lucky charm. 

Earth thought that he may have a bit of good luck but was not lucky enough to be Skys’ boyfriend.

“Alright, Gun and I are heading out to the cafeteria. Bro, I’m hungry, knowing you, you’re in a rush and forgot to grab something to eat, so what do you want to eat?” Sky asked in consideration.

When he was about to reply, he saw a guy holding hands with a girl in a rush. He knows this guy well, as he is the hazing leader.

What caught his attention was how these two looked suspicious, looking around the place as if they were trying to hide something while holding hands.

From this time around, all the students were in the class, the place at the back building entrance was deserted, and he realized that he was not seen by these 2 people.

He followed them both to the back alley of the faculty building.

This place is not well known by the students, it’s a perfect place to hide, and is out of sight.

As he followed them behind, he made a sudden stop and went into hiding when he heard the girl speak and said,

“Finally! We are alone, and I can have you by myself”, followed by Chris, the hazing leader's reply that made Earth's back sweat, and his body started trembling in shock and anger, and Chris said,

“Baby, you have been busy lately and barely had enough time for me, and now that we are alone, I’ll make you scream in satisfaction”. Hearing this, the girl felt elated and excited.

“Really? But you have your boy toy with you, and aren’t you being served well enough? I let you be with him since I am busy with the upcoming graduation, as I am part of the university’s Student-faculty”. 

Earth was rooted in its place, unable to move an inch, afraid of being discovered. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

From this moment he changed, and he wasn’t even aware of it.

He didn’t know what to do, and while being around Sky, he became distant, afraid of what he knew. If given a choice, he wouldn’t want to know what he discovered.

He wants to tell the truth about what he heard but is afraid that this will break Sky’s heart, and not knowing what he will do when that happens scares him. Just the thought that he was the cause of it gave him nightmares.

Earth kept this secret for almost a year. Tormented and burdened, due to this, creating a gap between the Golden Trio.

He became distant and Sky tried asking him the reason for his changes and all he could only say was that “It’s nothing, I need to study more, My parents are just pressuring me” and all the other lies he could think of.

On a Friday night, Sky saw him at a bar drinking, alone, noticing that he was already wasted, he approached him.

Due to being intoxicated from the alcohol, Earth can no longer control himself and when Sky approaches him, that’s when all hell breaks loose. 

“Ma Men!” Earth said excitedly to Sky. 

”Come! Come! Drink for your brother” as he invites Sky to a drink.

He poured a drink into an empty glass and gave it to Sky.

“Drink, you must drink it in one shot, or else our friendship is over” Sky gladly took the glass and straight-up drank all of it, not wasting even a single drip, and this made him giddy.

But Sky only took that drink so he could take him back to the apartment. He tries to convince him to leave so they can go home, but he is declined and is even ignored.

Thinking that his best man was drunk, he broadened his understanding and took this chance to get the answers to the changes that happened.

He has been feeling guilty for no reason, thinking that he was the one who did something wrong and he misses him dearly. 

“OK, I will not ask you to leave anymore, but you have to answer my questions,” he said, then Earth looked him in the eyes and it was then he felt a chill. 

“You wanna know why? Do you really wanna know?” he asked straightforwardly and seriously.

He can no longer keep it as it is slowly eating him alive with guilt and anger. He didn’t wait for Skys’ answer and said,

“Your good-for-nothing boyfriend is a cheater. Do you know that? Did you know that he has been in a relationship with a girl from the student body since their freshman year? It was only a secret, and they are still together while you’re with him. God knows what they are doing when you’re not around. God damn it.” he was shaking while telling this to Sky without looking him in the face, afraid that once he looks at him and sees him broke, he would lose the courage to tell everything, so he told him everything he knew while his back was facing Sky.