"So…how's P'Dunk doing now?" Pond asked, sipping his juice.
Joong slouched back in his seat, still feeling the heat of embarrassment on his cheeks. The laughter in the room had quieted, and the boys waited as he finally sat upright with a long sigh.
"He's sober now. Mostly." He dropped the crust of his toast onto his plate and looked around. "And don't even dare ask what happened."
"Ooohhh….we don't need to." Fourth grinned wickedly. "The *purring and crying* explains everything."
Joong groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "Don't start."
But Pond chuckled. "Come on, it was funny."
Joong ignored them and looked straight at Pond and Fourth. "Listen, Dunk's not doing great. Like… not just tired or annoyed. I mean, properly exhausted. He mentioned he wanted to get away for a few days."
"Aww," Fourth said with a teasing lilt, "Are you gonna sponsor a getaway for your 'teerak'?"
Joong turned his head and stuck his tongue out, childishly defiant. "Shut up."
Pond raised a brow. "Where does he wanna go?"
Joong sat up straighter now, a flicker of seriousness returning. "He said Kamala Beach Resort. In Phuket. His parents own it…one of many."
"Yeah," Pond said slowly, tapping his chin, remembering something Phuwin had said earlier. "So why don't you go with him? Keep him company. He probably needs someone."
Before Joong could respond, a new voice joined them.
"I want all of you to come with."
Dunk stood at the foot of the staircase, dressed in a plain white T-shirt and navy shorts, his hair damp as if he'd just showered. His eyes were tired, but there was a hopeful spark in them.
"You all need a break too," Dunk said, stepping further into the dining room. "So let's go together. Just us, a couple days. No school, no drama, no pressure."
Pond perked up. "Wait, are you serious?"
"Dead serious."
Fourth grinned. "Don't tempt me with a beach and free vacation, P'Dunk. I'll say yes before you finish asking."
Joong stood up quickly and walked over to Dunk, lowering his voice. "Did N'Love see you coming down?"
Dunk shook his head. "Nope. She was still in her room. We're safe."
The sound of the cutlery wasn't the only thing filling the air now—it was the buzz of excitement building fast.
Fourth was the first to break the silence, sitting up straighter on his chair with a grin that stretched too wide to be innocent. "Okay, but seriously, we should go. It's just a couple of days. We can tell our dads we're sleeping over at a friend's house. Easy."
Pond looked at him, nodding with enthusiasm. "Right? It's not like we're disappearing for a week." Then he turned to P'Dunk. "Hey, would it be okay if Phuwin joined us too?"
Before Dunk could answer, Fourth piped up, "Wait—if P'Phuwin's coming, then Gemini *has* to come too. There's no way I'm leaving him behind while you get to have your little vacation romance."
Dunk chuckled, standing with his hands in his pockets, his damn hair sliding over his forehead. "You guys are slow. I already told Phuwin and Gem to pack. They should be here any minute."
There was a beat of stunned silence, and then Fourth and Pond both exploded into motion.
"No way!" Pond shouted, already scrambling to his feet.
Fourth slapped his shoulder. "Why didn't you lead with that?!"
"I wanted to see your reactions," Dunk said, grinning now.
"You evil genius," Fourth muttered, bolting toward his room with Pond hot on his heels.
"Gotta pack, gotta pack!" Pond called as they disappeared down the hallway.
"I call the bathroom first!" Fourth yelled behind him.
"No way, I need to organize my hair!" Pond shouted back.
Their voices faded into the distance, echoing with urgency and excitement.
Dunk shook his head, laughing softly. Joong came up beside him with a soda in one hand, sipping calmly. "You really know how to make an entrance."
Dunk smirked. "I figured it was better to let them find out once there was no way they could back out."
Joong gave him a look. "Like they were ever going to back out."
"True."
They stood side by side for a moment, watching the room erupt into a chaos of noises and motion, hoping that their excitement didn't wake up N'Love and spoil the whole trip.
"You sure about all this?" Joong asked quietly.
Dunk nodded. "Yeah. This—" he gestured toward the horizon, "—this is exactly what I needed. What we *all* needed."
Joong smiled faintly. "Then let's make it count."
With everyone else scrambling to pack, the house fell into a rare moment of quiet.
The table was still set, scattered with half-eaten toast, sliced fruit, and a pitcher of cold orange juice sweating onto a coaster. Dunk lingered at the edge of the dining space, arms loosely folded, watching the sunlight flicker like it was trying to reach him.
Joong walked back into the room, holding a fresh plate. He'd taken the liberty to fix Dunk a proper breakfast, arranging eggs, sausage, and toast with an almost ridiculous level of care. He placed it on the table with a quiet clink.
"Eat," he said simply, sliding a fork into Dunk's hand. "Or do you want chopsticks?"
Dunk raised an eyebrow. "You're not my butler."
"Nope," Joong said casually, then leaned in and pressed the back of his hand against Dunk's forehead. "I'm your *very* concerned friend."
Dunk jerked back slightly, frowning. "I don't have a fever."
"I'm checking just in case."
"I'm not that fragile," Dunk muttered, glancing down at the food instead of Joong.
Joong smirked. "You say that now, but *you* were the one who spiked a fever the last time we had sex, remember?"
Dunk choked slightly, immediately picking up a piece of toast to hide his face. "That's not something you casually bring up at the breakfast table."
"Why not? It's relevant to your health."
"You're unbelievable," Dunk mumbled, his cheeks burning as he focused intensely on his eggs.
Joong just laughed, dragging out the chair beside him and sitting down. He rested one arm lazily across the back of Dunk's chair, his body slightly turned toward him.
For a while, he didn't say anything. Just sat there, watching him. Like he was trying to memorize the way Dunk's lips pressed together when he chewed, the subtle twitch of his brows when he tasted something unexpected. His gaze was soft but unyielding.
Dunk finally set his fork down and sighed. "Okay, why do you keep staring at me like that?"
Joong shrugged, lips tilting up at the corners. "I feel like I'm getting to know you all over again."
Dunk blinked at him. "That's... weirdly sentimental."
"Maybe," Joong said. "But it's true."