Counting Stars ✓

eight

[warning: mild cursing ahead.]

"You've been in contact with that useless man?" His sister asked, crossing her arms while giving him a disapproved look.

He nodded meekly, "Yes, Khun Kaew."

She sighed, "Why are you doing something so pointless? He made it clear what we were to him the moment he chose that whore over us."

King clenched his fists, trying not to let himself fall into his anger and sorrow. He knew she was right. He knew that the father he so desperately tried to obtain would never see him as a son. Especially after he decided to divorce King's mother, and get together with another woman he had a secret family with.

"He'll never truly value us, Khemkhaeng," Kaew stated, her words stinging him,"He never has. Why do you think he always was away for months at a time? It was so he could spoil his rotten son - who's not much older than me - all the while fucking that easy woman. Cut off ties immediately if you don't want to get more hurt."

"Why?" King choked out, "why did he choose to get married to mother if he already had a family elsewhere?"

She scoffed, "Greed, Khemkhaeng. This world is full of greedy people. And look at what his actions caused. A mother that no longer believes in any form of love, and children who grew up too busy and full of responsibility to properly interact with one another."

She took in his tense form, biting her lower lips slightly. "I know I'm not a good person. I know I'm cold and selfish, but I'm not completely heartless. That's why I'm giving you this advice now. Take it as a sister giving her brother advice rather than our usual business interaction. Goodbye, King. Good luck with Mother. You know how she is when it comes to that man."

She got up and left, leaving King to think to himself just seconds before he got called into his mother's office.

~

Life felt suffocating. Heaving a tired sigh as hiccups escaped his throat, King sat in the corner of his room, letting himself cry out his pain.

'Calm down,' he thought to himself desperately. 'Everything will be okay.'

He wasn't sure how long it'd been since he began to start crying in the emptiness of his apartment - simply unable to stop himself from feeling the loneliness and hurt.

His phone started ringing, temporarily stopping him from crying. Realizing it was an unknown number that was calling, he contemplated on answering - knowing the rasping of his voice might throw the individual off. But yet again, he could easily lie and say he had just taken a nap if by chance they did pick up on his voice. It wasn't as though he hadn't done that in the past with his therapist.

"Hello?" He answered softly.

"Ah, N'King? It's Rune. I got your number from my grandmother. Sorry to bother you but by chance do you have my guitar pick? I know it's really late to ask for it since it's been nearly a month since the volunteer..." Rune asked sheepishly.

"Yeah," King replied quietly, making sure he wasn't obvious. He had forgotten about the guitar pick he picked up. He had been so busy afterwards that despite being in the same club as the senior, and practicing with him, he forgot about the guitar pick he tucked away into his drawer.

His mother would've surely lectured him once more if she were to find out his memory was already "failing" him.

"Awesome! Then can you send me your address so I can pick it up?"