Teaching Chay

Chapter 3

"Khun Kinn, Khun Porsche. Khun Kim," Chan announces after knocking on Kinn's door and Kim walks in behind Chan.

"Kim," Kinn says in greeting as Kim enters the living room of Kinn's quarters. It is bright and nicely decorated, though not exactly what Kim describes as comfortable or cosy. Kim has never been here before and wonders if Porsche has officially moved in or if he is staying with the minor family. Kim has been to Porsche and Porchay's house before and knows the cosy atmosphere, the photos everywhere, the beloved furniture, the fun and music everywhere. There is none of that here.

Porsche sits next to Kinn on the sofa, tense, his leg bouncing up and down, though he tries not to show how upset he is, trying to look friendly and open to Kim's presence. His eyes focus on Kim and he thinks it's possible that Porsche will be the first to attack him and not Kinn, who has always had a knack for it.

It's the first time Kim has seen Kinn since the funeral, and they only exchanged a quick hello there, not even looking at each other during the service, with Tankhun sitting between them, his head on Kim's shoulder as he sobbed for their bastard father. How Tankhun could see her father so clearly and still mourn him was something Kim didn't understand then and still doesn't. Kinn is the opposite: He's always been their father's puppet, but he didn't show any emotion at all during the funeral.

"Is there anything else?" Chan asks the two men on the sofa, snapping Kim out of his thoughts as he pretends to look around the room.

"No, thank you, Chan," Kinn dismisses him, and Chan leaves to go check on Porchay as ordered by Kim, not that anyone in the room beside Kim knows.

"What are you doing here?" Kinn asks his little brother as soon as the three of them are alone. His tone, that friendly but overbearing one, reminds Kim of their father and rubs him the wrong way. He hates the thought that Kinn might have become like their father.

"Chan said you wanted to see me. I can go," Kim turns to leave the room, and can't help but provoke his older brother. It's been like this for over a decade, ever since Kinn became heir and they mostly stopped talking to each other. He wonders if things will change now that their father is out of the way and no longer controls Kinn. It could both be better or much worse. Kinn might have Kim killed sooner, or not at all. Who knows?

"Stop!" Kinn commands and Kim stops in his tracks before slowly turning to face them, a challenging smile on his lips. The two brothers watch each other in silence for a while, Kim with all the arrogance he can muster just to annoy his brother and Kinn getting more and more angry, judging by the way he starts grinding his teeth. Kinn has always had a short fuse. He hates that Kim is playing dumb right now and making things difficult. Kinn wants Kim to just put all his cards on the table. But that's not how Kim works.

"What are you doing here in the compound and what were you doing with my brother in the gym?" Porsche is the one who ends the standoff between them by speaking up and repeating Kinn's question. It's better phrased and clearer. There's no hidden agenda in this question, but Kim is still unwilling to just tell them the truth. He doesn't trust them, neither of them, because of his own history with Kinn and Porchay's problems with Porsche. If they were better big brothers, Kim might feel differently.

"I let him punch me in the face." Kim points to his lip, the bloody towel with the now melted ice still in his hand. His lip has stopped bleeding for now, but Kim knows it won't last; the cut on the inside is too deep.

"Kim!" Kinn explodes, drawing his gun on him. Other people would smash a glass on the table or bang their fist against something, but no, his big brother has to go the extra mile when he loses his patience. It's all right, Kim knew it was coming and it amuses him how predictable his older brother is. Just as quickly, Kim has his own gun pointed at his brother and the safety off. Kinn is shaking with rage that Kim would shoot him before he could fire. Kim wins. And smiles. Not that Kim has any intention of actually shooting anyone in here. "You..." Kinn begins, and Kim raises his eyebrows.