Chapter Text
“Red is such a strange colour”, thought little Gulf as he watched blood trickle down from his knee to his shin.
He was playing football with his kindergarten friends and tripped over the mean feet of an opponent and landed quite harshly on the wet hard ground. The shrill noise of a whistle could be heard and loud voices as the trainer berated the cause of his laying on the ground.
His ever watchful Mae came running from the sidelines, fussing and checking out his knee. It was not even hurting much, no serious injuries were obtained. Yet Gulf felt the strange sensation of warm tickling down his leg.
This was the first time young Gulf thought actively about the colour red.
Sure, he saw a lot of red coloured things, like the plump chillies his aunt liked to eat, or his big sister Grace’s favourite cap. He saw big red signs at the side of the street when his Mae walked him to kindergarten. Yet red never really was this omnipresent on his mind.
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Primary school student Gulf watched the red hair bobbles of his home room teacher whipped up and down while she was busy explaining the eager willing to learn young minds how to count to 30.
The bobbles where shiny and reflected the overhead lights. Gulf stared at the two tiny balls sitting on top of his teachers head mesmerised.
Counting to 30 was easy, even for him and his not so loved relationship with mathematics. He could do it without thinking much. Gulf hoped his day at school would be over soon, since he could not wait to go out on the field and play some passes with Tong, his best friend.
Nong Gulf’s attention snapped back on his teacher, when she enthusiastically nodded her head to Peng’s answer. The red bobbles looked strange against her orange hair. “Red is such a weird colour”, young Gulf did not think for the first time.
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His Mae said it is a good opportunity for him. 12 year old Gulf could only shrug. He apparently was allowed to play football all day long and on the cherry on top was that he was going to get feed his favourite chicken in the brown red bag with the smiling old man printed on it.
Gulf liked this fried chicken especially. His aunt sometimes bought it for his big sister Grace and himself when his Mae and Por had to work for long hours. It was all a young growing boy could want, salted, greasy heaven.
Gulf watched as many not familiar people set up strange equipment and cameras all around them.
Beam, a boy he knew briefly because he was in his sister’s class said that they will shoot a commercial for KFC, the brand of the red buckets full of chicken. Gulf let the three letters roll over his tongue. Well, his Mae was happy that he had the opportunity to be here, ever since that chubby looking man said Gulf was a promising and talented boy. Gulf could care less but being happy his Mae was happy and he got to do the thing he loved most.
After 10 hours of running around without actually playing any football for more than 10 seconds before someone shouted “cut” or “back to the start” Gulf had quite enough. He had to wait constantly to actually be able to move and he got nothing of the delicious chicken since it was “not good for him anyways”.
“Red is such a disappointing colour”, twelve year old Gulf thought while staring at the greasy, cold and untouched red buckets.
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Sixteen year old Gulf stared that the box of chocolate hearts, wrapped in red aluminium paper, which a trembling Dawn who lived down the street was holding in front of her body. She had her eyes casted towards the ground and Gulf needed, much to his own dismay, more than 30 seconds to understand what was going on.
Being on an all boy school did not mean he never met or encountered any girls. He was aware of what was being talked about between lessons or while they should quietly do their homework.
His sister, his ever cursing and annoying sister lately has been so busy with her own groups of shrilly gossiping friends that yes, he felt like he did not get the attention he deserved. There were giggling meetings in her room and constant chatter on the phone. Was that really better than a good screaming match with her one and only brother?
He wanted to get his missing attention, even if he would caught dead before loudly admitting it. Gulf’s way to ensure he got it from his friends was to be the bit more cool, having to change into the extra shorts away from his parents peering eyes.
Back to poor trembling Dawn as Gulf heard her confessing that she thought he was the coolest boy in the neighbourhood and that she liked him.
“Strange”, thought Gulf. He knew his friends would be cheering and hollering right know if they could witness it. Chanting about their cool broest of bro’s Gulf.
Staring at the red wrapped chocolate hearts Gulf questioned why they even were red in the first place. Was it because the actual human heart was red? Wasn’t it a rather morbid thought, giving hearts the colour of blood and raw flesh?
Gulf came back to his senses and mutters “okay” to a anxiously waiting Dawn and she beamed at him like she got all the new clothes she desperately wanted to have.
3 weeks later the same Dawn came to talk to him, complaining that Gulf would not give her enough attention or any of these cute stuffed animals she hinted to want to be given. Over she said.
”Red is such an overrated colour”, Gulf mumbled as he threw the red wrapped chocolate hearts in the trash. He never liked chocolate anyways.
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Seventeen year old Gulf could not help but feeling lost when he stood in front of the KAMUT entrance building to have his final interview. He loved his baby blue and pink colours that gave him security whilst growing up. He is going to miss his old school terribly.
“Luk, what an exciting next step in your life, adulthood is going to start soon. My little boy is becoming a man”, his father would say, teary eyed as Gulf proceeded to exit their family car that drove them to his hopefully new university.
Gulf could only nod and vanish in the masses of people on campus. As he looked around he saw all these boards and screens, reminding the students that this was the foundation of the life they were building.
As Gulf watched the red flags blowing in Bangkok’s sweet and sticky air he could just feel overwhelmed.
“Red is such an imposing colour” Gulf could not help but feel.
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“Nong, I think we should plan to mold you in new directions” Bermb, Gulf’s long term manager said to a freshly 22 turned year old Gulf. “I am aware you were very busy with the latest year at university and you did some great achievements there, becoming Freshy of the year is not an easy task. You did great in the guest role in Ch3 so I would suggest breaching more into acting. What does Nong think?”
Gulf could only stare at the red button down P’Bermb was wearing. He looked over to P’Best, who gave him an encouraging nod.
”Do you think I am ready for it Phi?” Gulf asked his trusted manager.
“Yes Nong, we must move forward. A bit of Modeling will not secure you a top spot in the industry” P’Bermb eagerly nodded and shuffled around some papers.
Gulf continuously was busy observing P’Bermb’s bright red shirt. Was he ready to try acting? Good enough?
Gulf had no illusions that he was not a socially active person. Gathering and interacting with people tired him out. Hence he preferred taking pictures. He did not need to talk and needed to be in the zone for a short amount of time.
“Nong, it will be good for your family too, think about the potential extra income. You want to lessen the burden of your parents right?” Bester was asking him. Bermb nodded eagerly, the tips of the collar of his shirt moving up and down.
”Whatever Phis think is right for me I will do my best.” Gulf said two his two trusted companions while still watching the tips of Bermb’s shirt collar moving with every breath he took as if mocking him to try to be an actor.
“Red is such a daunting colour” Gulf couldn’t help but think.
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Gulf could feel his face hot and flushed. Who even was this guy breathing against a sheet of paper that separated his lips from the handsome man’s face one?
Gulf, like a good boy he was, nodded along P’Bermb when he told him to go to the casting of TharnTypeTheSeries.
“Sure, why not”, Gulf thought to himself when he was briefed about his potential character. A football playing university student? Looked like Type’s role was written for him.
He had no fear getting romantic with a man. It was a role he had to play and guy’s would most likely not getting shy about boners (why was he even thinking about boners) or accidentally groping something. He could do it, he was at an all boys school for gods sake.
So here he was, testing out chemistry with a bunch of strangers with no particularly high hopes of getting any real feelings across.
”Phi Mew will be next Nong Gulf” he heard the author say. P’Mew. Gulf looked up to see the dashing looking guy who came in yesterday with a bunch of fans and one twirl that would let little 3 year old Patcha, who adored ballet and was his only cousin left with an open mouth.
Needless to say Gulf did his research.
So P’Mew, as an experienced actor as Gulf now knew, took the initiative and took the sheet of paper to mimic a kiss between Tharn and Type.
Later, after the announcement that both Tharn and Type choose each other, Gulf was left alone in the bathroom.
He stared into the mirror and his reflection stared back at him. His ears were really red.
“Look at these tiny ears going all red for me, it is so cute Nong.” He still heard the whispered words P’Mew would mumble under his breath when Mame said cut.
“Red is such a confusing colour” Gulf thought whilst staring at his still flushed ears. He knew he was doomed.
—————
“Red is such an ugly colour” went again and again through Gulf’s mind as he watched the big red stain on his living room wallpaper.
He knew things with his girlfriend of three years were heading into the vast of nothingness.
She has been sweet und tried to support him as best as she could but different goals in life as well as many new lessons drew the trench between them wider and wider.
This evening she came by, bubbly talking about her promising job perspectives and while Gulf stared at her red painted mouth he knew it was unavoidably and completely over. They worked well for quite a time however time also made them different, incomparable persons.
”I think I should take the offer” she said at the same time as a quiet “We should break up” could be heard buy Gulf.
She stared at him, not comprehending what a Gulf was saying. After processing she screamed and cried but in the end she felt they both lost each other. She threw her strawberry milkshake at him just to see it explore on his white wall.
After, a loud banging noise of the door, the only sound could be heard was heavy breathing. Gulf stared at his now not so white wall. He never really liked red anyways.
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Gulf never knew red could be so enticing. He watched the by his hand red painted lips of P’Mew talking about some ampoules. Gulf could just stare. So very nice lips he knew how they felt like, pillowed against his own.
The Missha live was a bit of a disaster. Usually Gulf was good with memorising texts but today everything was off. From Mew’s fitted red trousers to the lipsticks they would be paint on the others lips. Gulf felt like floating in the air for months now.
As it turned out, having one P’Mew as your on screen partner was the single best thing that could have happened to Gulf, besides maybe getting hired by Chelsea FC.
Gulf could only nod while still staring mesmerised at his Phi’s red painted lips, enticing beyond words.
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Red was an anguishing colour, especially when it tickled out of Phi Mew’s nose.
Gulf could only press his fingers under the bloody nose. He knew Mew worked beyond a one man energy pool but his Phi was just not taking proper care of himself.
Gulf watched the drops falling from his fingers onto the floor. What could he do to stop the sea of running red from falling? Gulf felt his chest tighten. Not knowing how he could help his Mew.
—————
The colour of P’Mew’s face was scary. Red flushed skin and red rimmed eyes in anger. They were shouting at each other for about 30 minutes and non was ready to give in.
After seeing Phi Mew with a nosebleed and laying curled up in a hospital bed Gulf has had enough. His stubborn Phi would listen to him, he thought in his whole stubborn self.
Well, what do you expect of two hot headed men, they were not budging one inch during their argument.
”I will not take any so called advice from an immature boy who sleeps at like 6 in the morning and his highest accomplishment is to sleep his problems away” Mew screamed at Gulf.
Red is indeed a scary colour, especially when you see it bleeding out of a person and letting behind a pale face.
“This is how you see me?” a quiet Gulf whispered into the room. “Okay, I will leave you and your so much better self alone, free from immature and good for nothing me” Gulf said as he walked out of the room.
When he watched his reflection on the bus twenty minutes later he saw his grief stricken face and red cried eyes. “Red is such a hurtful colour”…
—————
Gulf did not process the amounts of red roses that were in his sight. He did not comprehend what it all meant.
Mew and him did not talk for four days now, four days of red rage filled days and blood deep desperation.
After coming home to his condo from a long and tiring photo shoot Gulf opened the door just to see countless of red roses and amidst of them a shy looking Mew.
”Nong, I am so sorry beyond words of what I said to you. I was stupid and in denial and desperate. You know my past and demons and I tried, I really tried to fight it all but Nong, you are so important to me so please let Phi say it out for once, let Phi be a love sick fool for one night and tomorrow Phi will be back to protecting you, even from Phi’s own heart. Phi loves you very much, I am sorry I could not fight it”, Mew said under tears.
For Gulf, in his whole 23 years of living, red never looked this full of hope.
—————
Red never looked this beautiful as painted on Phi Mew’s cheeks while he laid down on Gulf’s football themed bed sheets in the middle of the night. Gulf curled his toes against his Mew’s legs and snuggled closer to his sculptured chest. While Mew brushed a tender kiss against his full chestnut lips Gulf could not be happier.
—————
Gulf looked at his teary eyed Mae and sister. It was a lovely autumnal day in the forest somewhere in Switzerland.
Gulf was clad in a dashing 3 piece suit. As he stared at the red leaves that surrounded the cottage his whole family and friends stayed to celebrate his most happiest days he could not help but smile. Red is such a hopeful colour in the end, whispering to a happy future.
Gulf felt strong arms hugging him from behind, the familiar scent soothing all his senses. He was suddenly turned around in said strong arms and stared into his husband to be deep brown eyes.
“Ready to start the rest of our life together?” Mew asked him with eyes full of happiness and content. He then presented Gulf the most beautiful sunflower bouquet he had ever seen and boy, Gulf had seen plenty over the years.
“Yellow is your colour”, Mew whispered into his red tinted ear. “But I will take the breathtaking red blush every second of our life” Mew, the ever romantic could not help to add.
Red is such a rich colour, and Gulf could not wait for the rest of his life to discover them all with his P’Mew.
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The end.