Chapter 18: It’s called love?

Chapter 18: It’s called love?

His beautiful eyelashes slowly fluttered open. All that met his eyes was darkness. Someone who had just awoken from the effects of a sedative was still confused and disoriented, unaware of where they were. There was only the musty smell hitting his nose, mixed with the chilly coldness of the surrounding air.

When he shifted his gaze upwards, he saw only a dimly flickering neon light overhead, flickering as if it were about to die. An overwhelming heaviness now coursed through his body. The police officer tried to lift his arms, but found both wrists bound by thick rope.

“Where is this…?”

“Is anyone there?” He was met with silence.

Soon after, however, the *thud, thud* sound, as if of someone’s uniformed shoes, slowly began to approach until Mangkon felt it nearby. Even though he couldn’t see from behind, with the training he had with numerous police and military personnel, how could he not recognize that type of footwear?

“Well, you little rascal, you’re awake?” The tone of the greeting was icily different from what he was used to, and he knew immediately!

“Senior!”

The person whose name was called didn’t hesitate to move his tall and muscular body around to stand in front of him. Now, the face that had once been gentle was filled with a twisted smile, different from the norm.

“Why did you bring me here, Senior?” “Why don’t you try to guess, smart guy?” “What do you really want, Senior?” Damn rope!

While speaking, the smaller man struggled as hard as he could to loosen the rope binding his wrists. But since it didn’t work, he stopped struggling and regained his composure.

“Don’t struggle. It’s just you and me here.” “Senior isn’t like this.” Not at all.

“Hmm? And what kind of person do you think I am, hm?”

The sentence ended in a more polite tone. Even so, the Inspector of Lampang lowered himself so that his face was on par with his junior’s before giving him a smile that looked horrifying.

The round face tried to look away. Just seeing him at close range made his whole body almost shudder. This wasn’t the nice Senior he knew. Both his expression and eyes were as if he were a different person.

“Look, you’re sweating all over.” “Here, let me wipe it off for you.”

With that, a thick, rough thumb slowly rose to caress his delicate face presumptuously. Saming didn’t pay any attention to Mangkon’s expression, which clearly showed that he despised him.

The warm touch of his fingertips caressed his eyebrows, his lips. It didn’t make him feel good. Only a feeling of disgust that he wanted to shove away.

“Hmph, disgusted, are you? Why? Can’t anyone touch you if it’s not that bastard Thian?” “Senior, get a grip!”

“Grip? Hmm?”

“How much do you want me to get a grip, Mangkon!”

This time, his voice was icy cold as he roared. Saming’s face contorted like someone enraged, and seeing the younger man’s frightened face made him grin widely. He then stood up to his full height, picked up the gun from his pocket, and tapped it against his head like a criminal contemplating a crime.

“Senior, I think we shouldn’t let things get bigger than this. Let’s…”

Before the persuasion could be completed, the gun that Saming had been tapping against his head was moved, aiming at the center of Mangkon’s temple.

“Don’t talk as much as that Thian, Mangkon. It’s irritating as hell.” “Why him, Mangkon? What’s wrong with me?!”

“What’s better about him than me?!”

The more anger there was in a sentence, the more likely it was to be shouted. Mangkon shrank back, feeling scared. Even though he had encountered many types of criminals, he had never encountered one who was also a police officer. And now, it was Inspector Saming.

He hardly understood anything until now, just knowing that his Senior liked him. But what was the definite purpose of kidnapping him this time?

“I like Mangkon!” Saming continued to spit out the word like once more. “Is this what liking is?”

“Is this how people who like each other act?”

What the hell is going on? He almost cursed those words out loud. Where did this whole story start? If he had liked him for so long, then why did he only tell him now?

“I like Mangkon! How many times have I tried to approach you, helped you all the time? But what happens? In the end, you only look at him.” Him being Thian.

Now, the end of the gun pressed so close to his forehead that there was no way to escape. “Why isn’t it me, Mangkon? Why?!”

“Why do you always choose him? Always him?”

Saming was spewing out his feelings and words, and unconsciously gave himself a small mocking smile. Why did he hate Thian so much? It was just one event out of many, but on that day, the day he remembered so clearly…

He remembered almost every detail….

Flashback…

The whistling sound of wind passing through the tall jump tower. The sound of water hitting the shore echoed from the large pond below. Mangkon stood clinging to the edge of the jump tower, his legs shaking. His eyes were staring at the cable that stretched across the water to the other side. One side of him wanted to jump, but fear held him back.

“Are you going to stand like a pillar all day or what?!” The voice of Thian, in the position of Captain, rang out, along with a hand that slapped the shoulder of the police trainee until he almost lost his balance.

“I think i-it’s a bit too high.”

“You’re going to be a police officer and you’re afraid of heights? If you’re so afraid, then go down. No need to waste time training!”

“Thian! Take it easy, he’s just starting.” The voice of Saming, who walked in, retorted. His face also showed displeasure.

“Don’t interfere. If you’re such a coward, you shouldn’t be a police officer.”

Mangkon clenched tightly. The the fear was great, but he wanted to overcome it. When his round eyes met the eyes of Captain Thian, those eyes were full of challenge and expectation.

“I’ll jump,” Mangkon said loudly. “Are you sure?”

Saming asked, checking the safety equipment again while squinting at the cable that stretched from the top of the high tower to the other side. Its weight did not seem balanced as usual. Something was clearly wrong, the rope was lower than it should be.

“Hey! This rope is weird. It looks like it’s loose.”

His right hand pointed to the rope that was swaying slightly in the wind. As a result, the police trainee standing on the diving platform stopped immediately. Light brown eyes turned in that direction, but before he could respond, Thian interrupted.

“It’s just a pond, Saming. What are you so afraid of? If you fall, you’ll just get wet.”

A soft chuckle arose. He wasn’t unconcerned about safety, but in real-life situations, there was hardly time to check such things. So, being a police officer meant knowing how to survive.

The one standing listening swallowed hard again. Fear surged, gnawing at his mind, and he began to feel cold sweat soaking his palms. But at the same time, the tone in Thian’s voice was like a deliberate challenge.

“Are you brave enough to jump, Officer?” Brave enough, huh?

Mangkon took a deep breath. If he was still afraid, when would he ever be brave? Finally, his round eyes looked back towards the cable again before slowly nodding in agreement.

“Yes, I’m brave enough to jump.” “That’s the spirit.”

“I’ll be waiting for you down below.”

Wide round eyes looked up and met the inky black eyes again. The calmness in the other man’s gaze seemed to reflect a confidence that he had never possessed, and he could read, “I believe in you.”

“Yes.”

The young captain quickly left the jump tower and crossed over to the other side. Leaving the rookie policeman and Saming still on the platform. Saming could only sigh as he painstakingly checked every point of the safety equipment that Mangkon was wearing, before glancing at the round face that still betrayed a considerable amount of hesitation.

“Are you sure you want to jump?” Saming asked in a soft voice, yet full of concern. “I’m sure.”

Now that he had made up his mind, he couldn’t say anything to object. He felt proud that the junior he had mentored with his own hands was trying to overcome his fear.

After standing and composing himself for a long time, Mangkon slowly climbed back onto the jumping platform. Excitement rushed in, his heart beating so fast it felt like it would burst out of his chest.

Slender hands gripped the rope tightly until his knuckles turned white. Fear appeared in his mind, but in that moment, he suddenly thought of Captain Thian’s gaze…a gaze that seemed to say that he could do it.

“I can do it,” the clear voice murmured to himself before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath into his lungs.

Quick, come on! Jump! The numbers one, two, three were counted in his head before the small body hurtled through the air with the whistling sound of the wind was all around him. Both hands gripped the cable tightly. The thrill from the height and speed made his breath catch, but Mangkon tried to pull himself back together until he reached the middle of the way.

As his body slid down the cable, he suddenly felt a strange vibration. The rope began to sway back and forth erratically. Wide round eyes opened wide, a cold shiver ran up his spine.

Crap, it looks like the rope is going to come loose!

Mangkon turned his head back to look at the jump tower behind him. The sight he saw almost made his heart stop. Saming and the other police officers looked like they were in a flurry, with faces of panic as if a real problem was occurring.

Am I going to die?

The voice shouted at himself in his mind, and fear exploded at the same time. His gaze began to turn back to the other side, or the finish line, where Thian was standing and waiting. The young captain’s strong arms were open wide, and his inky black eyes were fixed on Mangkon without wavering.

“You trust me!” The low, deep voice shouted loudly.

Here goes nothing! Mangkon gritted his teeth and turned back to face his goal, moving his body towards the finish line. And in the last second before he reached the ground, the cable swung violently again as if it would come loose from its anchor. But Mangkon didn’t stop.

Suddenly, the young captain’s strong arms wrapped around him. Both of their bodies crashed to the ground with such force that there was a ringing sound in the training officer’s ears as they fell.

“Are…are you hurt?” The small person asked with a loud voice, as he tried to push himself up, but was held back from moving anywhere, along with a soft laugh.

“You’re heavy, Mangkon.”

“Gee, Captain, someone’s showing concern.”

“Then let me hug you a little longer.”

The sharp face was covered with smiles, still holding the smaller person without letting go. Mangkon himself felt a relief that was hard to describe, and said thank you.

“Thank you, Captain.” “See? You can do it.”

Both of them ignored everyone’s gazes, forgetting that there was someone else on the other side…

On the high jump tower, Saming was still holding the cable tightly. His breath was heavy, both of his wrists were full of red marks from the force used to secure the thick rope.

However, the junior police officer standing next to Saming looked at him with admiration.

“Captain, you were so cool just now!” The excited voice of the young policeman rang out. Saming turned to look at him steadily before letting go of the rope and replying in a flat voice.

“So what…”

He still didn’t get to hug Mangkon anyway.

The young captain’s face didn’t have a smile like Thian’s, and his sharp eyes were full of shame and sadness. The image of the two of them lying in an embrace and laughing still echoed in his mind. Even though he was the one who helped the most, he didn’t receive a single glance back. Suddenly, a feeling arose that made the man’s fist clench tightly and turn red…

Present..

The eyes of the police inspector from Lampang flashed fiercely as he thought of the past. His emotions were boiling, and the gun in his hand was pointed at Mangkon’s forehead.

“You married him because you like him, didn’t you?” Saming asked in a harsh voice, his tone full of the pain that had been transformed into anger.

“Senior… please calm down,” If the owner of the voice himself couldn’t control the trembling in his tone.

“Calm down, huh?”

However, the situation in front of him was being watched by someone who had been hiding. Thian had been hiding behind a crate from the beginning. He heard every word Saming said and didn’t think he would dare to do something like this.

But before he could think of a way forward, two burly men suddenly appeared from the shadows and charged at him. Suddenly, Thian staggered, and he missed and was caught by them.

“Boss, we got him!” One of the subordinates shouted to Saming. Saming turned back.

“Thian, I knew you’d follow. Bring him here.” “I… Inspector!”

As soon as Mangkon knew who it was, he shouted out in shock. Why was the inspector here? Why?

“Someone as smart as you, I knew you’d come,” He had been tricking him from the very beginning. Someone as smart as him would definitely realize it, but just to lure him out alone and get rid of him.

“What are you going to do to Mangkon?”

Thian didn’t panic at the arrest. His inky black eyes gazed at his wife, who was tied up and unable to move.

“If he didn’t have you, would Mangkon love me?” “Se-Senior…”

“Do you really think that doing this will make Mangkon love you?” Thian used this opportunity to speak with a calm voice, even though his body was being held captive.

Those words were like a fuse being lit. Saming turned to look at his classmate with blazing eyes. His thick lips twitched slightly as if trying to say something, but in the end, he remained silent.

Mangkon looked back and forth between Thian and Saming. His heart was beating with pressure. He didn’t know what he should do at this moment.

“Someone like you should die by my hand,” Someone like him who has always lost to him. “If it wasn’t for you, Mangkon would only have me!”