I Am Here [COMPLETED]

Part 30

Gulf remembered what had happened the day before. The date had been everything he had wanted. He wasn't fond of active outings; instead, he preferred peaceful dates where it was just the two of them enjoying each other's company. Kao made a good decision by planning such a date.

Leaving his room, Gulf headed to the office for a meeting. However, upon arrival, he was greeted by a swarm of paparazzi, causing him to feel uneasy. Quickly deciding against using the front entrance, Gulf opted for the back door, relieved to find no reporters in sight.

"P'Best," Gulf called out to his manager.

"Gulf? What are you doing here?" P'Best hurriedly pulled Gulf into his office.

"I'm here for the meeting," Gulf stated.

"Didn't you read my message?" P'Best asked, looking visibly stressed.

"I was driving," Gulf replied, pulling out his phone and realizing that P'Best had told him to stay home.

"What's wrong, P?" Gulf inquired, sensing the tension in the air.

"...Open your Twitter," P'Best said dejectedly.

Gulf opened his Twitter app, and to his dismay, he saw pictures of himself and Kao plastered all over the internet. Some claimed to have witnessed Kao declaring himself as Gulf's boyfriend at the restaurant. The posts also mentioned Mew being present, likely referring to the incident when Kao had confronted Mew.

As a result, P'Best's phone was incessantly ringing with calls.

"How...?" Gulf looked up at P'Best, searching for answers. P'Best let out a heavy sigh.

"I know you wanted to keep it a secret, but you have to remember that there are eyes everywhere," P'Best stated, clearly burdened by the situation.

"What should I do, P?" Gulf asked, feeling overwhelmed.

"Maybe you should talk to Kao about it. People have been attacking him, accusing him of stealing you from Mew," P'Best replied before leaving the office to attend to his incessantly ringing phone.

Just as Gulf contemplated calling Kao, his phone lit up with Kao's name on the caller ID.

"Hello?" Gulf's hands shook slightly as he answered.

"Where are you, Gulf?" Kao's voice came through urgently.

"I'm at P'Best's office. Why, P?" Gulf inquired.

"Just stay there. I'm on my way," Kao responded before ending the call.

Gulf let out a sigh, feeling a mix of emotions. He had never been scared before, but now he worried about the potential threats against Kao. All he wanted was to hold Kao close at that moment.

Less than 10 minutes later, the office door swung open, revealing a visibly concerned Kao.

"Gulf..." Kao didn't want to let go, holding onto him tightly.

On his way there, all Kao could think about was the possibility of the company forcing Gulf to break up with him. He feared that Gulf might leave him. Though he usually kept his emotions in check, whenever it came to Gulf, he felt a range of emotions, including fear. But whenever Gulf was in front of him, all his fears vanished.

"Are you okay? Did the reporters hurt you?" Kao checked for any signs of injury on Gulf.

"I'm fine, P. I managed to avoid them," Gulf assured him.

"I was so scared," Kao said, planting a gentle kiss on Gulf's forehead.

"Me too, P. I was scared that you would be affected by what people said about you," Gulf confessed, feeling his trembling subside. Kao made him feel safe.