...

It's easier to find a job after graduation than Techno expected it would be.

With Kengkla's manipulative intervention, he was ready for weeks of searching, of wading through phone calls and interviews and endless rejections before he found a position requiring any skills he obtained as a football captain of a mediocre team and his mostly D's and C's college diploma. He tells himself he's ready for this, that he's braced himself for weeks and months. But Techno only makes it through one brief interview and subsequent rejection before the second location he interviews for offers him a job.

Techno is sure at first there must be some mistake, tries to explain that he has no experience running a gym, much less the exercising the business makes their money on; but the man on the other side of the table just smiles and waves aside Techno's protests with promises of training and patience. He even questions the owner's business connections to make sure he's not somehow connected to Kengkla, but after the man ensures him he doesn't know the high schooler, Techno leaves with a folded uniform shirt under his arm and a training schedule that begins the next day.

Techno had hoped, during the walk back home and relaying the good news to Tharn and Type that he might turn out to have some untapped skills with exercising and managing a gym. Type even tries to convince him that managing a gym isn't much different than being a captain, which Techno points out is something Type criticized him for over the years, and Tharn takes him to work out that night, which Techno ends up quitting out of boredom within an hour.

Techno's more than half-expecting to be fired every hour of his first day, as his lack of ability becomes abundantly clear to both himself and his supervisor, but he's told to come back the next day, and the next. He wants to keep the job, so he spends more time researching management and fitness than he ever did in college.

He finds the whole situation difficult, even after he doesn't get fired the next week when he ordered the wrong equipment. By the time a month has come and gone, Techno starts to wonder if his fear of intervention. This job has been a comfort of sorts, even if Techno can't figure out why he remains employed. It's given him something to do with the hours of his day rather than feel miserable and heartbroken.

After he found out about Kengkla's lying and deceit, Techno immediately blocked him from contacting him in any way, whether it was through LINE or in-person by warning Technic. Maybe he went overboard with his threats, but realizing your own brother sold you out to his friend wasn't exactly easy to accept. So when Technic signed up for international school and left for England a week ago, Techno didn't even bother showing up at the airport to say goodbye. He needed to cut off one of Kengkla's connections to him and also teach Technic a lesson.

But just because he was angry with Kengkla and his brother didn't mean it hurt less. After Techno broke up with him, it was finals week for Techno, and he somehow managed to study through tear-stained eyes (and even graduate). He knew it was never meant to last. Techno knew that then, knows it now. He's the one who wanted to end things first, but that was before he knew he wasn't eh guilty one. Kengkla was.

Techno wasn't proud of how much he cried after, but he only stopped because he started interviewing and applying for jobs at that time, then his new job started soon after. Not wanting Type to find out, Techno hid in his room for most of the time while recovering from his heartbreak. Thankfully, Tharn and Type were letting him stay at their place, essentially moving into the spare room, at least until he saved up enough from his new job.

But it wasn't as if he was over Kengkla, didn't know if he ever would be. Kengkla was the first person Techno loved, despite how much it pained him to admit. If he put aside all the lies, Kengkla treated him like royalty, but it didn't make up for what he did. It makes Techno wonder if anyone would ever love him without some sort of catch or if he was doomed for heartbreak.

These kinds of thoughts keep him up at night and make him thankful for the times at work when he can lose himself to fixing fitness equipment, to making training schedules, and filling out budget paperwork. Techno finds himself falling into a rhythm of thought to match his actions during the long hours of his shifts.

He's in the middle of a quiet period right now. Early afternoon is always peaceful, with a lul in trainings and fewer customers on the equipment, except for the few housewives who walk the track or run on the treadmill. There's no one at the customer service desk right now, sent his employee on a quick break, and Techno is free from his just-finished paperwork to man the desk for a few minutes.

Paperwork is soothing, in a way, an easy distraction that frees his mind from running through far more familiar routes, to backtrack to lying in bed with Kengkla wrapped around his waist and legs tangled up with his own, to call up the cut of Kengkla's smile and the edge on his soft laugh. It makes his chest ache, makes his heart pound faster in the chest, and he's standing up from his desk, rushing from the back office to the front counter. He commands his mind to stop bringing those thoughts up. Techno's been trying for almost two months.

Then just as he brings up the customer system on the computer, there's a voice, "P'No, what the hell?" so loudly that Techno would recognize the tone if he was blindfolded and high.

His head jerks up at once, would never mistake anyone else's voice for Can's, and there he is in a pair of sweatpants and a workout shirt, standing next to a familiar-looking taller student with a frown and glare that sends a chill up Techno's spine.

"Ai' Can, greet your elder properly," Techno blurts, crossing his arms over his chest. "What are you doing here?"

Can's smile tugs wider at the corner of his mouth, and he swears the tall kid frowns harder if possible. "What are you doing here?" He asks instead of bowing to him. "It's been almost two months, and you never texted or called the team. You never told us where you were going! How can you leave us hanging like this?"

"I work here now, Ai' idiot. I'm the gym manager," Techno brags, holding out the nametag on his lanyard around his neck for Can to see. He ignores the rudeness of the other. "Shouldn't you be in school?"

"We're on break. Damn, I forgot how stupid you were, P'No," Can tells him with the shake of his head then gets slapped in the back of the head by his companion. Techno's eyes widen, and he lets out a laugh, glancing up at the other.

Can lets out a loud whine, and Techno gets embarrassed for a moment but remembers there are only a few other customers here. "Oi', Ai' Tin. Why did you do that? I have a very delicate skull!" He shouts at the taller.

Tin rolls his eyes. "Thick skull," He mumbles then wais to Techno politely. "Swadee, P. I'm Tin, Can's boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?" Holy shit. Techno did not see this one coming. He looks from one to the other, his eyes wide and innocent, mouth curving on a smile. Then he remembers why Tin looks so familiar. He's the IC kid who - "Didn't Ai' Can punch you?" He blurts.

There's a flush across Can's cheeks. "Yeah," He admits then clears his throat, all the hesitancy in his voice gone. "I should do it again, huh? Ai' Tin? You know that's why I'm here. So I can get stronger and bigger than you. That way, my punch knocks you on your ass next time!"

Tin snorts at Can, but Techno can see the slight smile in the way his lips curl up.

"Anyway," Can says, bracing a hand against the edge of the counter as he looks up at Techno wtih a frown. "Do you have a problem with Ai' Tin being my boyfriend, P'No?" His gaze slides away from Techno's face again to Can at his side.

Techno can feel his shoulders tense at this reminder of his recent breakup. "Uh, no," He says, putting his hands up in a defensive motion. "But I do have a problem with you bugging me while I'm on the damn job. Do you guys have memberships or not?

Can shakes his head. "No, P'No. Is there any way you can get me a discount?" He stares at Techno with a grin and a tone that says he's begging for something. "Please, please, please? I need to work out more to kick Tin's ass."

He can feel the smile at his lips before it appears and rolls his eyes, trying to hold back laughter. Then Tin steps forward and reaches over Can with a credit card, meeting Techno's eyes with a cold stare. "I'll pay."

"Ai' Tin, no," Can pouts, dragging the last word into a whine, glancing over his shoulder at Tin behind him. But Tin doesn't budge and shakes the card at Techno rudely, who offers him an awkward smile and takes it from Tin. "You can't pay for everything. Dammit!"

Tin and Can argue while Techno fills out their membership forms on the computer, occasionally glancing up in amusement at the two. Can does most of the talking while Tin offers a few choice words to try and shut the other up. When Techno reaches for the blank membership cards under the desk, he lets out a sigh and tries to ignore the pressure in his chest, a slight twinge of jealousy. Six months ago, Techno wouldn't know what it's like to be like Tin and Can. But now that he knows, Techno wonders if he was indeed better off before.

He has his head down, his attention lost in the spin of his own thoughts; he's so distracted that he doesn't notice how long it's been until Can speaks up. "P'No, what's taking so long? Are you as terrible at this as you are as captain?"

"Shut up, Ai' Can," Techno snaps, looking up to glare frustration at the other. He shakes his head and taps submit on the computer without looking, and the membership cards he stuck in a slot in the printer underneath the desk pop out with a new barcode. When he holds them out, Techno frowns while he fixes Can with scowl who sticks his tongue out at him, reaching out.

Tin beats Techno to it and swipes the cards from Techno. "Thank you," He mumbles so soft that Techno almost doesn't hear it, doesn't even look at Techno either. It's incredibly rude, Techno thinks, but he lets it go because Tin grabs the back of Can's shirt and begins to walk away.

He's dragging the smaller boy away from the desk while Can fails to rip himself from Tin's grip. "Ai' Tin, Ai' Asshole!" Can yells. "P'No, help me! This is domestic abuse!"

Techno can see the flicker of Tin's smirk, and he can't help but smile too, waving at Can from the desk. "Sorry, Ai' Can! I'm terrible at my job, remember?"

He smiles until the end of his shirt for the first time since he began.

....

Sometimes Techno wakes from dreams so clear of Kengkla that he's left in a haze of unwanted memories for the whole morning. He'll try to combat it by picking up his phone and scrolling through his Instagram page, almost subconsciously looking for someone else to think about, like he's weighing a thumb against the psychological bruise of nostalgia in the back of his mind.

There are dozens of friends, hundreds of acquaintances he follows, but Techno never comments or likes a single post. There's something soothing about scrolling through them, about cycling past names as his memory skips from one recollection to the next.

When he falls asleep during his nap after work, Techno falls into this pattern once more, lying on his bed. He's still in his uniform, doesn't care enough to change, especially when he's home alone. It's peaceful until his gaze catches on one name too familiar to skip, and Techno is dragged to a halt by "Nong Kengkla" in the photo caption. His breath catches before he scrolls back up to see the entire photo: Kengkla with his back to the camera in a pair of beach shorts. He recognizes him, even from behind, instantly.

Techno ought to scroll past. He knows that. This is what he was trying to avoid. By his own logic, he should continue on to the end of his follower list and let his mouth curve onto the bittersweet smile that always comes with these minor indulgences. Or he should turn off his phone before going to get dinner, to the peace of a life that he is still trying to fit himself into. But his thumb is scrolling up, and Techno's mouth falls open at the screen name: Dawn92018.

Dawn is taking a photo of Kengkla? Techno's heart is pounding unreasonably fast, his skin prickling at just the idea of Kengkla with Dawn. It's enough to overtake the burst of happiness he acquired earlier after spending time with Tin and Can. Instead, his memory is skidding over the past interactions between Dawn and Kengkla, scrambling for traction against this new piece of information.

Techno can feel his throat tighten, his stomach twists, and he clicks on her profile to scroll through previous photos. There's a range of photos of them or Kengkla, a chain of them going back over the last six weeks. A few of them are Kengkla and Dawn taking a selfie, standing close together, or his arm around her in a restaurant, the movies; some are just photos of Kengkla when he isn't looking or ones of him smiling at the camera.

He stares at the collection of photos for long moments, working over when this started. The calculation isn't hard to do. The first photo of Kengkla is almost exactly six weeks back, plus an extra day or two. Techno remembers it without thinking, unconsciously working over the time since he last heard Kengkla's voice as he stares at the first photo.

Techno takes a breath, feels the weight of the air against his tongue and filling the inside of his chest, and then he closes out of the app to open up his contacts. Thankfully, it's alphabetical, and he doesn't have to scroll through Kengkla's name. He finds Dawn's number, and his hand completes the last step of the action without conscious thought and presses the button to Call before he's made the decision to do so.

He nearly hangs up as soon as his phone starts ringing. This is a mistake, he can feel it in the rush of adrenaline in his veins and can taste it in the catch of panic in his breathing; he should hang up, he should turn his phone off, he should let this go. But his hand is closed tight around his phone, and he then the ring at his ear cuts off sharply, and there's a breath of an inhale, and: "P'No?"

"Ai' Dawn, uh, what's up?" He laughs awkwardly, sitting up in bed so fast that it makes his head spin momentarily.

Dawn simply laughs, the sound bright and cheerful. "P'No, you called me."

Techno huffs a forced laugh. "Oh yeah, I was calling because I - okay, this is going to sound crazy, Ai' Dawn. I swear, but I was on Instagram and-" He pauses to laugh again. "Well, uh, I saw you were hanging out with Ai' Kla."

"Oh," Dawn says then clears her throat. Techno's heart races. "Yeah, I kind of reached out to him...to get to know him and - I'm sorry, P'No. I should have asked you first since you're friends."

Techno's throat closes up on self-consciousness. "What?" He chokes out. "No. It's fine, it's fine. Just that I wanted to let you know he isn't what he seems." Fuck, he feels awful saying that and instantly regrets it. He huffs the very beginning of a laugh; it's the best he can muster under the circumstances. "I mean maybe I'm wrong but -"

Dawn sighs, and Techno closes his mouth to stop the words from slipping out his lips."I know," Dawn says, her words echoing distantly behind the roaring of Techno's heart beating too-fast and too-loud in his ears.

His skin flushes hot, his whole body responding immediately. She can't possibly mean what Techno thinks.

"I asked him out on a date," She explains. "Ai' Kla was very charming and handsome." Techno nods even though she can't see it. "At first, I thought that I was so lucky. Even though you rejected me, which is okay, by the way, I was able to go on a date with Ai' Kla who took all my worries away."

Techno painfully remembers how Kengkla did the same to him and lies back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling while she continues. Something awful twists in Techno's chest, a knot of tension between his ribs, and he takes a deep breath. "So, so...you guys are dating now?" His voice wobbles in the back of his throat to undo his attempt at a casual tone.

"Not exactly," Dawn answers.

His heart skips. "So you," He starts and then has to pause to find his voice again from around the rising pressure against his chest. "You're not going out with Ai' Kla?"

"No, I thought we were or that we would go out, you know? As in boyfriend and girlfriend? But after a few dates, I noticed that he was always looking at his phone or like he was only half-listening. So I asked him when was the last he dated someone, and he said a few weeks ago. I asked him if he was over it, and Ai' Kla said that he would never be over it."

Techno's mouth falls open. He goes through so many emotions at once that all he can manage is a soft gasped, "What?"

Dawn hums softly. "Yeah, I'm guessing you didn't know he was dating anyone then." Techno doesn't respond, doesn't feel like lying to her. "I was kind of hurt because I thought we would be good together, but at the same time, I'm glad he told me the truth before we ended things."

There's no way Kengkla would tell Dawn, right? "The truth?" Techno's croaks as his chest tightens. He hopes he sounds normal and not as overwhelmed as he feels.

"Yeah, Ai' Kla said he still loves them, and it was a mistake to try and move on because he will love them forever. Then he apologized for wasting my time."

"Shit," Techno blurts, his reaction falling somewhere between the weight of shock and relief. But Techno's not sure if the comfort stems from the fact that Kengkla didn't disclose their relationship to Dawn or that Kengkla still claims he loves Techno.

He shouldn't be happy about it, Techno thinks to himself and pinches the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut. Kengkla lied to him and manipulated him. But when he's honest with himself, Techno knows that he hasn't moved on either, which is the reason he knows this whole call was a mistake in the first place. All it did was make things worse.

Honestly, he's grateful for the silence from Dawn so he can organize his thoughts, but then he clears his throat, feeling guilty. "Are you okay, Ai' Dawn? I'm sorry things didn't work out with Kengkla." Techno pauses a moment and sits back up in his bed. "You're too good for him anyway, huh?"

"Whatever you say, P'No," Dawn chuckles, some of his her usual cheerfulness audible under his voice again. "But it's pretty bad when two guys reject me in a row. Is there really no one who will date me?"

He flinches from Dawn's question, but even though the tone sounds like she's teasing, there's still a flash of guilt at the back of Techno's thoughts for not only rejecting her but unintentionally sending Kengkla her way. Not to mention, he rejected Dawn for Kengka. He takes a moment to respond, racking his mind for a solution, something to ease his guilt. Then it hits him.

"Actually, there's this freshman - well, I guess he's a sophomore now. His name is Ai' Good. He's kind of slow but also smart at the same - "