Chapter Text
The loud cheers that had echoed across the football field only moments ago had now been replaced by anxious whispers.
"Someone call a teacher!"
"They're fighting again!"
A group of students hurriedly gathered around the center of the field as two boys struggled to pull each other apart.
William Jakrapatr.
There wasn't a single student in the school who didn't know his name.
Whether it was because of another fight, another punishment, or another visit to the principal's office... William always managed to become the center of attention.
This time was no different.
His white school shirt was wrinkled, the corner of his lip was split, and fresh bruises had already begun forming along his knuckles. Even with three teammates holding him back, William still glared at the captain of the opposing football team.
"Let me go!" he shouted, struggling against their grip. "I'm not done with that jerk!"
"William! Stop already!" one of his teammates yelled, barely managing to hold him back.
After several minutes, the teachers finally arrived and separated everyone involved.
Instead of listening to another lecture, William walked away on his own and dropped onto the empty bleachers beside the football field.
His breathing was uneven.
His fists were still clenched.
The silence lasted only a few seconds before one of his teammates sighed helplessly.
"I'll call Phi Est."
The moment those words left his mouth, the others exchanged knowing glances.
Everyone on the football team knew one thing.
If there was anyone in the world who could calm William Jakrapatr down...
It was his older brother.
Without wasting another second, the teammate pulled out his phone and dialed the familiar number.
...
Meanwhile...
At the university across town, Est Supha had just finished his afternoon lecture.
He had barely stepped out of the classroom when his phone vibrated inside his pocket.
The screen displayed a familiar contact.
'Kong - William's Team'
Est's heart sank.
Calls from William's teammates almost never meant good news.
Taking a quiet breath, he answered immediately.
"Hello?"
On the other end came a panicked voice.
"Phi Est... can you come to school? William got into another fight."
Without asking for any more details, Est grabbed his backpack and started running.
He already knew exactly where he would find his troublesome younger brother.
Est hurried across the school campus, ignoring the curious stares from students who recognized him. His backpack bounced lightly against his shoulder as he made his way toward the football field.
Before he even reached the bleachers, he spotted the familiar figure.
William sat alone on the lowest row, elbows resting on his knees. His white school shirt was stained with dirt, one sleeve was torn, and fresh bruises colored his cheek and knuckles. A small cut on the corner of his lip had already dried into a thin streak of blood.
Even sitting still, he looked like an angry storm waiting to explode.
His jaw was clenched so tightly that the muscles twitched, and his eyes remained fixed on the ground, still burning with fury.
Est let out a quiet sigh.
"Again..."
He walked over and stopped in front of his younger brother.
"William."
No response.
William didn't even bother to look up, as if he already knew who had come.
Est crouched down until they were at eye level.
"I heard you got into another fight."
"..."
Still nothing.
Only the sound of William's heavy breathing filled the silence.
Est reached out, intending to inspect the cut on William's face.
The moment his fingers brushed against William's bruised cheek, William instinctively flinched away.
"I'm fine," he muttered through gritted teeth.
Est raised an eyebrow.
"Really? Because you don't look fine."
William clicked his tongue in annoyance and finally lifted his head.
His eyes were still red with anger.
"He started it."
"I didn't ask who started it."
"I finished it."
Despite the situation, Est couldn't help letting out a helpless sigh.
"You really are impossible."
William looked away again, crossing his arms like a sulking child.
The football team watched the two brothers from a distance.
None of them dared to interrupt.
Because they all knew...
The only person William would stay put for...
Was Est.
Est looked at the bruises scattered across William's face before letting out another quiet sigh.
"You are coming with me."
William frowned.
"Where?"
"The school rest room."
"I'm not going."
"You are."
"I said I'm fi—"
"No," Est cut him off gently but firmly. "You're not."
William clicked his tongue in annoyance and looked away.
"It's just a few bruises."
"A few?" Est raised an eyebrow. "Your lip is split, your cheek is swollen, and your knuckles are scraped. Who knows what else you injured during that fight?"
William shrugged as if none of it mattered.
"I've had worse."
"I know."
Est's voice softened.
"And that's exactly why I'm taking you to the rest room."
William stayed silent.
Est crouched in front of him again, trying to catch his gaze.
"Come on, Nong."
"..."
"I'll clean the wounds, put some medicine on them, and we'll be done in ten minutes."
"I don't need it."
"You do."
"I don't."
"You do."
William let out an irritated groan.
"Phi..."
"There you go." Est smiled faintly. "At least you're talking to me now."
William rolled his eyes.
"You really never give up, do you?"
"Not when it comes to you."
Those five simple words instantly silenced him.
For a brief second, William forgot about the fight.
Forgot about the pain.
Forgot about everything.
All he could do was stare at the man in front of him.
Est smiled as if nothing had happened and stood up, extending his hand.
"Come on."
William glanced at the offered hand before looking away again, trying to hide the tiny smile threatening to appear on his lips.
"...You're so stubborn."
Est chuckled.
"I learned from someone."
William scoffed, but this time he didn't argue.
With a defeated sigh, he grabbed Est's hand and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet.
Watching from a distance, his teammates exchanged amused looks.
"Told you."
"What?"
"The only person in this school who can drag William away from a fight..."
"...is Phi Est."
The school rest room was unusually quiet.
William sat on one of the beds, arms crossed, while Est stood in front of him with a small first-aid kit.
After soaking a cotton pad with antiseptic, Est gently held William's chin.
"Look at me."
William obediently lifted his head.
The moment the antiseptic touched the cut on his lip, he flinched.
"Hiss..."
"It stings?" Est asked softly.
William muttered under his breath.
"A little."
"I know. Just bear with it."
Est carefully cleaned the dried blood from the corner of William's lips before moving to the bruise on his cheek. His movements were incredibly gentle, almost as if he was afraid of causing William even the slightest bit of pain.
After a long silence, Est finally spoke.
"Why do you always end up in fights, William?"
William looked away.
"He deserved it."
"Maybe he did."
Est sighed as he continued applying ointment to the bruise.
"But that doesn't mean you have to solve everything with your fists."
William remained silent.
"You've been making more and more enemies every day."
Est's voice was calm, but the worry in his eyes was impossible to miss.
"You're still so young, Nong."
He paused for a moment before gently brushing another cotton pad over William's scraped knuckles.
"What if one day someone hurts you even worse than this?"
"What if next time you come home with broken bones..."
"...or don't come home at all?"
William's expression softened slightly.
Est lowered his gaze, carefully wrapping a bandage around William's hand.
"I don't care how many fights you win."
"I only care that you come back home safely."
The room fell silent.
William stared at the older man in front of him.
The way Est's brows knitted together...
The way his fingers moved so carefully over every wound...
The way he worried over bruises that William himself didn't even care about...
To Est, it was nothing more than an older brother looking after his younger sibling.
But to William...
Every gentle touch made his heart fall even deeper.
He quietly looked down, hiding the faint smile that threatened to appear on his lips.
"...Sorry."
Est blinked in surprise before smiling warmly.
"Good."
"Next time, try talking before throwing punches."
William didn't answer.
Instead, he simply watched Est continue treating his wounds, secretly wishing...
...that this moment would never end.
Est finished wrapping the bandage around William's bruised hand before closing the first-aid kit with a quiet click.
"There."
He looked over William one last time to make sure there were no untreated injuries.
"Does anything else hurt?"
William shook his head.
"No."
"Good."
Est smiled faintly and slung his backpack over his shoulder before picking up William's school bag from the floor.
"Come on."
William frowned.
"Where?"
Est looked at him as if the answer were obvious.
"Home."
William let out a long, dramatic sigh.
"...Do we have to?"
Est chuckled.
"Of course we do."
He opened the door of the rest room and glanced back at his younger brother.
"Besides..."
A teasing smile appeared on his lips.
"You're going to get scolded today too."
William groaned, throwing his head back.
"Phi..."
"I've already received two calls from your homeroom teacher and one from the football coach."
Est tried to hold back his laughter.
"I think Mom and Dad have probably heard everything by now."
William buried his face in his hands.
"This is so annoying."
"You should've thought about that before starting a fight."
"I didn't start it."
"You still ended it with your fists."
William had no comeback.
Seeing his defeated expression, Est couldn't help but smile.
He reached over and gently ruffled William's messy hair.
"Come on, troublemaker."
"We shouldn't keep Mom and Dad waiting."
William glanced at Est before quietly following behind him.
"...You're lucky you're my Phi."
Est laughed softly.
"And you're lucky you're my Nong."
Neither of them noticed the small smile tugging at William's lips as they walked side by side toward the school gate, just like they always did.
The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the quiet streets as the two brothers walked home side by side.
For once, William wasn't complaining.
He simply shoved his hands into his pockets and walked beside Est in comfortable silence.
After a while, Est broke it.
"So..."
He glanced at William with a small smile.
"Have you decided which university you're going to enroll in?"
William shrugged.
"Not yet."
"I thought you wanted to study in Bangkok."
"I do."
Est nodded thoughtfully.
"There are a lot of good universities there."
A grin slowly spread across William's face.
"What about you?"
"I've already decided."
"Oh?" William raised an eyebrow. "Which one?"
"I'm planning to continue my master's in Bangkok after I graduate."
William's eyes lit up for a brief moment.
"Really?"
"Mhm."
Before William could get too excited, Est let out a helpless sigh.
"But Mom and Dad don't seem very convinced."
William couldn't help but laugh.
"They never let you go."
Est scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.
"I know."
"They keep saying I'm their reliable son and that the house would feel empty without me."
William smirked.
"They're overprotective."
"They're just worried."
"They worry too much."
Est laughed softly.
"Maybe."
William looked ahead, pretending not to care.
"...I still think you should go."
Est turned to him in surprise.
"You do?"
William nodded.
"You've always wanted to study in Bangkok."
"So go."
"Don't give up on your dream just because they're worried."
For a moment, Est simply stared at his younger brother before smiling warmly.
"When did my troublesome little brother become so mature?"
William clicked his tongue.
"Don't get used to it."
Est laughed, the sound light and genuine.
"Thank you, Nong."
William looked away, hiding the small smile forming on his lips.
"...Don't thank me."
"I'll just miss having you around."
Est's smile softened.
"I'll miss you too."
Neither of them knew...
Those simple words would carry a completely different meaning in the years to come.
The moment the front door opened, a familiar voice echoed through the house.
"Aii, Liam!"
William had barely stepped inside when his mother stormed into the living room with her hands on her hips.
"You fought again, didn't you?"
William quietly slipped off his shoes, not daring to answer.
"How many times have your father and I told you not to use your fists to solve everything?"
She walked closer, glaring at him.
"Every other week it's the same thing! A call from your homeroom teacher... another complaint from the principal... another fight!"
Before William could respond, his father appeared from the dining room.
His expression was no less serious.
"Liam."
William looked up.
His father crossed his arms.
"Do you remember what happened in junior high school?"
William lowered his head.
"...Yes."
"They were ready to expel you."
The house fell silent.
"If it hadn't been for your brother going to the principal's office, apologizing on your behalf and promising that you would change..."
His father sighed deeply.
"...they wouldn't have given you another chance."
William's fingers tightened around the strap of his school bag.
His mother looked at the fresh bruises on his face before letting out a frustrated sigh.
"You scared us every single time."
"What if one day you come home with injuries much worse than these?"
"What if someone decides to take revenge?"
Her voice gradually softened, replacing anger with worry.
"We're not scolding you because we hate you, Liam."
"We're scolding you because we're terrified something will happen to you."
William remained silent.
He simply stood there, accepting every word without defending himself.
Seeing the tense atmosphere, Est quietly stepped between them.
"Mom... Dad..."
He smiled gently.
"The wounds have already been treated."
"I've talked to William."
"He knows he was wrong."
William instinctively glanced at Est.
His older brother was once again standing in front of him, shielding him from the storm.
His father looked at Est before sighing.
"You always protect him."
Est smiled helplessly.
"He's my little brother."
His mother pinched the bridge of her nose before shaking her head.
"Both of you..."
One is too stubborn...
"And the other is too soft."
The couple exchanged a helpless look.
No matter how many times they got angry...
In the end...
They could never stay angry at either of their sons for very long.
A few minutes later, Est knocked gently on William's bedroom door.
"Can I come in?"
Without waiting for an answer, he slowly pushed the door open.
William was lying on his bed with one arm resting over his forehead, still wearing a sullen expression from the lecture downstairs.
Est chuckled softly.
"Agh... you got scolded again, huh?"
William let out a dramatic sigh.
"They're acting like I committed a crime."
"They're worried about you."
"I know..."
Est walked over and sat on the edge of the bed.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
His eyes wandered around the room before a nostalgic smile appeared on his face.
"By the way..."
William turned to look at him.
"Hm?"
Est tilted his head.
"Why did you insist on changing our bedrooms?"
William froze for a second.
"You remember?"
"Of course I do."
Est laughed quietly.
"We used to share one room ever since we were little."
"You suddenly said you wanted your own room."
"I was so surprised."
He looked around William's room before sighing dramatically.
"You know..."
"It feels lonely sleeping alone now."
William's heart skipped a beat.
Est continued without noticing the slight change in William's expression.
"I still wake up sometimes thinking you're sleeping on the bed beside mine."
He smiled to himself.
"Old habits really don't disappear that easily."
William looked away, swallowing the lump forming in his throat.
"...I just wanted my own space."
Est nodded slowly.
"I figured."
"You've grown up."
"I guess every younger brother eventually wants his own room."
A faint smile tugged at Est's lips.
"But..."
"I do miss those days."
William clenched the bedsheet beneath his hand.
If only you knew...
The reason I wanted my own room...
...was because sleeping beside you every night was becoming harder and harder.
Every time you smiled at me...
Every time you wished me goodnight...
Every time you fell asleep without realizing how close you were...
It became another reason for my heart to betray me.
So I ran.
Not because I wanted distance from you...
But because I was afraid of the feelings growing inside me.
"...William?"
Est's voice pulled him back to reality.
"Hm?"
"You've been awfully quiet today."
William forced a small smile.
"I'm just tired."
Est smiled warmly.
"Then get some rest."
"I'll call you when dinner's ready."
As Est stood up and walked toward the door, William quietly watched his back.
"...Phi."
Est turned around.
"Yeah?"
William hesitated for a moment before shaking his head.
"...Nothing."
"Okay."
Est smiled one last time before leaving the room.
The door clicked shut.
William slowly closed his eyes.
"...Liar."
"It was never the room that felt lonely."
"It was me."
Est's POV
As soon as I stepped into my room, I quietly closed the door behind me.
The room was exactly the same as always.
Neat.
Quiet.
Peaceful.
Yet...
It somehow felt emptier than it used to.
I let out a small sigh before dropping onto my bed.
"...Why do I miss having him around so much?"
A faint smile escaped my lips as I stared at the empty space beside my bed.
Just a few years ago, that side had always been occupied by William.
Every night before sleeping, he'd either complain about homework, tell me some ridiculous story from school, or ask me to stay awake just a little longer because he "wasn't sleepy yet."
The room had never been this quiet.
I shook my head, letting out a helpless chuckle.
"He's eighteen now, Est."
"It's normal."
"Siblings don't stay in the same room forever."
Growing up meant wanting your own space.
Your own privacy.
Your own room.
There was nothing strange about it.
"...So why did I even ask him such a meaningless question?"
I buried my face in the pillow with another sigh.
"Honestly..."
"I'm such an idiot."
If William heard me, he'd probably tease me for being overly sentimental again.
A small smile found its way onto my face.
"...I just..."
"I guess I miss my little brother."
Maybe...
I simply wasn't used to the silence yet.
That evening, the family gathered around the dining table as usual.
The aroma of freshly cooked dishes filled the room, but unlike every other night, the atmosphere was unusually quiet.
William silently picked at his rice while Est served soup for their parents.
After taking a sip of water, their father looked at William.
"So..."
"It's only two months until your final examinations."
William looked up.
His father continued calmly.
"I know you're a capable student, Liam."
"You've always had the potential."
He smiled faintly.
"You may not study as diligently as your brother, but I know you're smart."
William scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.
"I'll try my best."
His father nodded before turning to Est.
"Est."
"Yes, Dad?"
"I have a favor to ask."
Est put down his spoon.
"What is it?"
"I want you to help William with his studies until his finals."
The dining table fell silent.
"There are only two months left."
"If Liam wants to get into a good university in Bangkok, he'll need every bit of preparation he can get."
His mother nodded in agreement.
"Universities in Bangkok are much more competitive."
"They're not as easy to get into as the ones here."
Their father continued,
"I know you've always been good at explaining things."
"And William listens to you better than anyone else."
He smiled knowingly.
"So..."
"Will you tutor your little brother for these last two months?"
Est didn't hesitate for even a second.
"Of course."
He turned toward William with a warm smile.
"We'll start tomorrow after school."
William, who had been quietly eating the entire time, nearly choked on his food.
"...Tomorrow?"
Est laughed.
"Yes."
"We only have two months."
"So no more slacking off."
William let out an exaggerated groan.
"I knew agreeing to come home today was a bad idea."
His parents exchanged amused glances while Est simply smiled.
None of them noticed...
William wasn't actually upset.
If anything...
The thought of spending every afternoon alone with Est for the next two months made his heart race far more than the upcoming examinations ever could....
(Hope you enjoy the first chapter...❤️🤏
love you westies)
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