Chapter 23: Why did you come?

Chapter 23: Why did you come?

He’d finally returned to a familiar place, but it was as if his heart hadn’t come back with him. “Hmph, time to turn off the lights and sleep, Mangkon.”

A long sigh escaped his lips. The clock showed 11:30 PM, which was well past his bedtime, but his round eyes remained wide open, staring at the ceiling with tangled thoughts.

On wide bed, a large brown teddy bear placed against the wall still greeted its owner with an unfading smile. It seemed completely unaware of just how chaotic its owner’s emotions were.

“The person who gave you to me is very cruel, little bear. I don’t like playboys.” “That day, we were still raising our voices at each other.”

The words echoed in his head. His thoughts were drawn back to that day, the day that he was spoken harshly to with a stern voice.

The day he requested a divorce…

And on the actual day of the divorce, no words escaped the Inspector’s mouth. There was only being dropped off at the bus station before driving back to Mae Sai and ending the relationship.

His hand picked up his phone and went into the chat box. Messages from *that* person kept popping up first. There were hundreds of notifications from that person, but Mangkon never thought of opening it. He muted it since the day he came back. As for the phone number, there’s no need to talk about it. He rejected every call that tried.

“I don’t want to talk to two-timers.” Who was at fault in this equation?

Inspector Thian wasn’t wrong, and he wasn’t wrong either. If no one was wrong, then why did the feeling hurt so much?

That person had been openly flirting all along. He’d seen it with his own eyes, felt it in his heart. He had fallen into the trap of sweet words, actions that seemed meaningful, and in the end, he was the one who got hurt.

During this period, he cut off all means of contact, trying to heal himself as much as possible because he knew that he would eventually have to work together again in the future. He hoped that by then, these feelings would have faded, and he would be able to respect him as a respectable senior officer again.

He admitted that at first, he only wanted to help the Inspector. He didn’t think about feelings or a romantic relationship. It was almost impossible to imagine him getting emotionally involved or falling in love with someone like that, but it had come to this.

He shouldn’t have invested in this.

The way his hand raised to cover his forehead clearly indicated that he was extremely worried.

“It’ll pass, Mangkon.” Not everyone has the wish fulfilled relating to love. He understood that well.

But right now, he just wanted his heart to be strong enough to cope with the remaining feelings.

Even though it still stung deep inside.

A new morning arrived, but it did little to alleviate the gloomy atmosphere. Mangkon still got up and went about his daily routine as usual–showered, dressed, and went to work as he

had always done. However, the light in his eyes seemed tired, and what face that used to be with smiles now contains a glimmer of melancholy.

The police station this morning seemed calmer than usual. Everyone could feel the change in the young policeman, but no one said it directly.

“P’Phu, P’Mangkon isn’t his usual bright self. Plub isn’t okay with it,” Lukplub whispered to his husband. The senior officer who loved to tease and joke around, usually chatty as can be, was unusually quiet today. He couldn’t help but worry.

“I warned Thian already,” Phuwin said. His friend’s carelessness was what led to all of this. “And does Inspector Thian feel the way P’Phu feels right now?”

“Just trust me, Plub. That crazy dog will come around.” “What do you mean, P’Phu?”

“He’s been calling me non-stop.”

Phuwin still hadn’t told Thian that he knew everything. However, his best friend’s behavior was telling. If he wasn’t thinking about Mangkon, would he be calling three times a day after meals, wanting to know about Mangkon, but calling him of all people?

“Plub, go and keep Mangkon company. Take him out to do something outside.” “Yes, P’Phu.”

He loved and cared for Mangkon like a younger brother. Seeing him like this made him even more worried. The Mangkon he knew wasn’t like this.

What did Thian do to my Nong?

That afternoon, Lukplub and Fakfaeng took the gloomy police officer out to a change of scenery. The Mae Lai Police Station was left in silence, with only the sound of papers shuffling as Phuwin cleared documents.

However, that silence was soon broken when the door to the young Inspector’s office was knocked on. And before he could even give permission, the person outside boldly opened the door.

“Long time no see, I’ve missed you. “

Thian’s voice rang out, accompanied by a mischievous smile and a carefree attitude. But Phuwin, who was sitting behind his desk, only looked up, not surprised to see his best friend barging in.

So, the crazy dog has arrived.

“What brings you here?”

“Oh, I just wanted to come,” he replied, still looking nonchalant, before casually sitting down on the chair opposite him.

“Wherever you came from, go back there.”

The words were spoken in a flat tone, without a hint of emotion or anger, as if it were a simple statement.

“Why? I’m not here to flirt with someone’s wife or anything.” “You’re playing with my Nong’s heart.”

“I wanted to play, so what?”

One person spoke in a joking tone, but the other wasn’t playing along. The frustration that had been building up surged. Phuwin’s tall frame rose, yanking on his friend’s shirt, crumpling it, trying his best to suppress his emotions.

“Because you’re like this, Thian, you don’t even know what you’ve done to Mangkon.” “What’s wrong, Phu? Can’t even joke anymore?”

“Do you even know what your jokes are doing?” Phuwin said sternly, his eyes blazing. “Are you mad. What did I even do.”

“I didn’t kill anyone.”

That was the end of his patience. A heavy punch landed on his best friend’s chin, almost knocking him off the chair. And without waiting for the exclamations, Phuwin came around the desk and slammed his fist into the handsome face.

“The first mistake was playing too much, and then hiding the story beforehand.” “The second mistake was playing with Mangkon’s heart.”

“What the hell is wrong with you, Phu?” Thian blurted out, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth.

“You’re the one who’s crazy!” Phuwin retorted.

“You never think before you act! Do you even know what your games have caused?”

“Why did Mangkon have to agree to marry someone like you?” Phuwin’s voice boomed with tightened fist and raised it for a third time. His sharp eyes blazed with anger. He thought he was so clever, that sly Inspector.

“You know now?”

“Yeah, I know everything! You’re playing with my Nong’s heart, you think it’s so much fun, Thian?!”

“I wasn’t playing! I didn’t mean for it to be like this!”

“I… I just wanted to protect Mangkon. I didn’t want him to get hurt again,” Thian tried to explain, but who could understand his feelings as well as he could?

“Protect? Is that what you call protecting him? You married him because you needed to resolve the issue, but you’re playing with his feelings. Do you love him, Thian? Or do you just not want to lose him?”

The two young inspector’s arguments echoed far outside. Lukplub, who had just returned, rushed inside anxiously, afraid that things would escalate even further. Fakfaeng, who followed caught up was equally concerned.

“P’Phu! Inspector Thian, stop it!” Fakfaeng tried to push Thian, but she was tossed side.

Lukplub stepped in between them, his white hands trying to push Phuwin away, while Fakfaeng rushed to support Thian, whose face was bloody around the corner of his mouth.

Mangkon, who was standing not far away, was stunned by the scene before him. His round eyes flickered with shock. It was something he never thought about the two reasonable Inspectors to happen.

Confused thoughts swirled in his head, but in that moment, the visitor’s sharp eyes looked up and met his round eyes. Mangkon’s heart suddenly twitched throughout his body.

“Mangkon…” The tone of his voice when called was mixed with longing and concern, and his eyes were so gentle and tender that Mangkon didn’t dare to hold his gaze for long.

Why? Why did you come here?

Why did you come? He didn’t want to face this person the most.

Without waiting for his brain to command, his legs were already running away from there. But having seen his face for just a moment, the effort he had built up crumbled in an instant.

“Mangkon! Mangkon! Wait for me!” Thian called out after him, trying to get up, but was stopped by Phuwin’s tightening grip.

“Just go back, Thian,” Phuwin said, still angry, his thick hands gripping his friend’s arms tightly.

“Phu, let me go!” Thian was angry, only able to watch as the younger one ran and disappeared from sight.

Heartbreaking… it’s so heartbreaking. “I won’t let go.”

“Let me go, Phu! I’m going to find Mangkon!”

“Stop, both of you!” A stern and authoritative voice sounded from behind. Jetsada, the commander of Mae Sai Police Station, walked into the room with sharp eyes.

“Both of you, come talk to me in my office now!”

That voice made both Inspectors falter. Though unwilling, they couldn’t deny Jetsada’s authority. Thian sighed deeply before shaking off Phuwin’s grip, standing up first. Phuwin watched his friend with frustration, but eventually followed him in silence.

The atmosphere in the director’s office was so tense it was almost suffocating. Jetsada looked at the two men standing before him with a grim expression. With his thick hands, kept tapping a pen on the desk to a slow rhythm, as if waiting for a reasonable explanation from both sides.

“You’re all grown men, so why are you arguing like children?” Jetsada asked in a calm voice. “I’m sorry, sir,” Phuwin said first, his tone tinged with a little remorse.

“I apologize too, sir,” Thian said, following suit.

Jetsada looked back and forth between them before putting the pen down on the table. “Now, Inspector Phu, Inspector Thian, tell me what exactly happened.”

“I came to see Mangkon, sir. I wanted to see Mangkon.” “That’s not answering the question again.”

“Someone like you doesn’t deserve Mangkon, Thian. Didn’t you say you didn’t like dating someone in the same profession?”

Upon hearing that sentence, Thian was struck and felt as if a jab went directly into his heart. He really said that, no arguments, but anything can change, right ?

“People can change all the time.” And he wanted to change.

“So, you’re fighting about Mangkon?”

“Change? Change because of what? Because you played around until he got hurt and now you want to come back and fix things again?”

Jetsada sighed heavily. He had received a report from Lasin that Thian was coming here, and also knew why.

“Sir, I request that you order Inspector Thian to return to Chiang Mai,” Phuwin said, so angry that he didn’t even want to look at him.

“No, sir. I’m staying.”

“And why are you staying?”

“I’ll stay until Mangkon forgives me.” He wasn’t going anywhere. Something told him that if he let this opportunity slip away, he would never get Mangkon back into his arms.

“Do you think Mangkon will forgive you so easily?” “It’s none of your business, Phu.”

“Then you go ahead and try. If you hurt Mangkon again, don’t ever set foot here again and get your head out of the gutter.”

Those words were like a command, but Thian didn’t flinch. No matter what he had to do or what method he needed to use, he would ask his ex-wife for another chance.

Please give me a chance I’m sorry.