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Chapter Text

Prem and Dynamite were busy working on another of their many attempts to infuse Dy’s lightning chakra into a healing jutsu when Ten and Fire interrupted them. Prem was surprised by Fire's presence, but they both immediately explained that he was privy to the whole secret matter regarding the mysterious illness.

Part of his long mission was also a secret task of searching for a rare plant. Ten explained to them that he didn't understand why Fire was looking for this particular plant because its effect wouldn't help cure the illness, actually, it would have no effect.

"I questioned it too, but it was an order, and we also got a report from a reliable source that the plant would help," Fire explained.

"What source?" Prem asked.

"Doctor Coltsfoot, he always sends doctors and us, medicine specialists, procedures, and instructions for new medicines... wait... That's you, right? You were the one who sent us those scrolls all these years. Why didn't I think of that before? Damn, that explains the strange looks Metha was giving me, he definitely knew."

"He probably figured it out, but didn't have it confirmed. No one knew my identity. Actually, I only found out about my nickname recently. And I also have to tell you I've never sent anything about any plant," Ten said.

"We need to look at that scroll. Do you have it, Fire?" Prem asked.

"No, but I know who." Fire replied.

"Will it wait? I think I almost did it this time. I don't want to stop." Dynamite called for attention. He was right, this was more important now.

Prem realized that now, in front of his friend, they were talking openly about things they hadn't told Dynamite yet, although it was clear he had probably filled in the blanks when he didn't question anything.

"Ten told me about what you are trying to do. It's amazing if you can do it. Show me your progress," Fire said, and Dynamite smiled widely and blushed a little, which caused the same reaction from Fire.

Ten and Prem hid their smile and stepped back to give them space.

"What did Fire say about Dy?" Prem whispered and secretly did silencing seals around the two of them.

"I didn't expect that. I thought Dynamite would be the one asking questions about Fire," Ten chuckled.

"So now you know why Dy likes to go to hospitals?"

"Yes, it's for random encounters with Fire. They are funny," Ten pointed out.

"Dy won't ask you about Fire, even though it might be eating him alive. A few months ago, when Dy finally realized his feelings, he was even more overexcited and showered Fire with too much affection. Fortunately, he soon realized that it was too much and that he was pushing too hard and might scare Fire away. He learned to pull back and give Fire space, even if it doesn’t seem like it. One of the things Dy doesn't do is ask anyone about Fire," Prem explained.

"He is going directly to the source, right?"

"Yes, so what did Fire say?" Prem was curious.

"Do you mean with his words or what I understood between the lines?"

"Both," Prem got excited.

"Fire praised Dy a lot, like a lot. He said to be patient with Dy, that everyone thinks of him as just comic relief, but behind all his eccentric comic behavior is a great and hardworking ninja," Ten said.

"True, Metha and Dynamite are a little similar in this. Both are excellent comics. Although each is different, behind all that laughter and fun, there is a lot hidden. Dy might not hide so much pain as Metha, but some is hidden deep inside his heart."

"Aren’t we all hiding some pain, Prem? We just hide or express it differently," Ten sighed.

"True, and what did you hear between the lines of Fire’s words?"

"I don’t know why they’re not together yet, Prem. Their feelings are obvious."

"Time, they're too busy. We're ninjas, and our missions take precedence over love and personal life. Especially the capable ninjas that Fire and Dy are. It's not easy to have a relationship when one or both of them are on missions often," Prem explained.

"Yes, I know what you mean."

Ten said it so sadly that it forced Prem to look at him. He met Ten's eyes, and there was an awkward, silent moment when they were lost in each other's eyes.

"Are you done talking about us? Because if you are, you should take a look. I think Dy succeeded." Fire interrupted them, and it was clear from his expression that he couldn't decide whether to be offended that they were obviously talking about them, hence the silencing seals, or to be proud of Dy's success. The resulting expression was a bit comical.

Prem avoided his gaze and broke the silencing seals.

"Sorry, we didn't want to disturb you," Ten apologized.

"Sorry, show us the result," Prem joined in the apology.

Fire was right. Dy had actually succeeded, and they all cheered.

Chapter Text

Punn easily disrupted the signal sent to the main gate alarm system when Wave hacked the security. He just sent the signal back to trick it, and the main gate alarm remained intact. After contact, Punn discovered their original plan to completely disable it would be more complicated. The main gate alarm was connected to a remote location. Tampering with that would increase the risk of being caught. Punn informed Wave through Jack, who confirmed that he expected it.

Then they set off back to where they could climb the fence. It was in a place that no longer belonged directly to Supot’s property.

They were cautious not to get their clothes caught on the ornamental fence with many sharp spikes. It looked like a beautiful mosaic, but as they climbed over it, Punn realized it was very well thought out to deter intruders. There was a high probability that something would get caught. Luckily for them, they were careful and expected it. Everyone had the right, tight clothing.

As they walked a little further from the main road, it was confirmed that the grounds were separated only as far as was visible from the fences, and then it was just one large area. When they successfully penetrated enemy territory, they began their exploration.

They snooped around the premises, while both groups kept in sight, or rather at such a distance that they could feel each other's presence. Punn and Ohm hid them all in the void space, making them invisible, to be sure.

Punn and Jack found many cameras, but only one was live. When Punn touched it, he could not determine how many other live cameras there were. He could only do that through the computer, but he was sure they were all connected to one computer.

"Punn, a little further on, there is a strange part of the lawn. Can we take a closer look?" Krathing whispered.

Punn looked in the direction he was pointing. It was a bit further from their agreed route and would take them away from the other group.

“Okay, but we need to alert the rest. Jack?”

“I’m on it,” Jack said, making the agreed-upon bird sound.

Punn then made them visible for a split second and pointed to the spot Krathing had found. The second group also became visible for a tiny moment, and Pang nodded. They gathered on the lawn with the suspicious terrain. They still couldn’t see each other, but now they could hear each other. They all carefully looked around until Mon stepped on something that made a hollow sound. Upon closer inspection, it was a trapdoor.

“I noticed that you only made us invisible when we climbed over the fence, and Punn was also visible when he was working on that box by the main gate. Does that mean you can’t touch anything solid while hidden? Btw, it’s a weird feeling to be invisible,” Krathing asked.

“Yes and no. When we are hidden, whatever we touch is automatically hidden too, but it can be controlled. It’s just exhausting, and the bigger the object, the worse. With the ground, it’s a little different. Although if someone knows we are hidden and looks at the ground very, very carefully, they will be able to notice a little shimmer in the places where the feet touch the ground.” Ohm tried to explain.

Punn was proud that he was, for once, being serious.

“Human eyes would hardly notice it, and it would be difficult for many vampires. It’s something we learned automatically, and we cut ourselves off from the ground without thinking about it. At the beginning, we were lost in this void world, it was difficult to control where we would send hidden things or when they would become visible again. I’m sure we were hiding a lot of ground before we even knew the details. We just never noticed it. This is where our enhanced gut feeling and self-preservation instinct came into play. Think about it, the ground is a large solid object, we would already be dead from exhaustion if we hid that,” Punn explained.

“Sorry to be impatient, but it’s enough of an explanation. We have a bigger issue. We found two live cameras, and one is pointing this way, and I feel that there is another one somewhere nearby,” Pang said.

“Yes, in a tree.” Punn pointed to the camera on the branch.

"So we need to risk being caught to get in?" Krathing asked.

"Not if we're quick and clever," Punn said confidently.

Chapter Text

Tam wanted to hurry and discuss their notes, so he was happy when Thawin said, "Let's return to our megalith and Naga business."

Tam's joy increased even more when he discovered their notes were almost identical, except that Thawin's included the possible glass colors and the minimum size.

"You look happy," Thawin remarked.

"I am. I know people say that business should not be mixed with pleasure, but magical business is my pleasure. I love it."

“Business?” Thawin asked, looking confused.

"You said it, that we need to return to our Naga and megalith business," Tam explained.

"Oh, right, not sure why I said it. It's just a figure of speech. I don't take what I do as a business, and before you say it, I don't think of it as a calling either." Thawin said.

Tam really was thinking about what Thawin was doing as a calling, but he didn't want to say it out loud. He already knew that Thawin didn’t see it that way, or wouldn’t accept it.

“So, how do you take it?” Tam was curious.

“I don’t know, just a life that I partly didn’t choose, but I accepted and made the most of it.”

“Wow, that’s surprisingly realistic yet awesome and cool.”

“Don’t exaggerate,” Thawin said and turned away from Tam.

Tam swore he saw a hint of blush on Thawin’s cheeks. It warmed his heart, which burned more and more for the handsome immortal Phi.

“What now?” Tam asked, trying to get back to their main topic.

“Now comes the measurement I mentioned.” Thawin winked.

Tam had to control himself so that he didn’t start jumping for joy. He was eager to learn more magical procedures.

Surprisingly, they stayed in Thawin’s study. He just pulled out a pendulum scale. Tam was surprised that the measurement involved actual weighing. He looked at Thawin questioningly.

"It's not an ordinary scale. It doesn't measure weight but the amount of magic. Look, one bowl is dirty, and the other is shiny. If you suspect good magic, you put it on a shiny one and vice versa," Thawin explained.

"What if I don't know if it's evil or good magic?"

Thawin took a ring from the drawer and handed it to Tam.

"What do you feel?" Thawin asked.

"I feel warm and good, actually amazing. It's good magic, right?"

"Yes, now put it on the dirty bowl."

Tam did so, but nothing happened.

"See? If you put an object on the wrong side of the scale, the scale won't move. Every object has some magic or something that affects what category it's in. Even those ordinary pipes would cause some movement. Put the ring on the other side of the scale."

When Tam did, the shiny bowl moved downward. Tam nodded in understanding.

"But what happens when something has both good and evil magic? Is that even possible?" Tam asked.

"Excellent question, yes, it is possible, and it will work the same way except that neither side will move. There is a different, more complicated measurement for these cases, but it is easier to demonstrate. We will definitely get to that sometime, but we have no time now, and I don't have anything to measure. One more thing I should mention. All this only applies to objects. People with magic in them only rarely have pure evil or good, it's mostly a mix."

“Because emotions and experiences affect us," Tam added.

"Yes, there is a certain spell to measure the levels of good and evil in people, but it's complicated and I don't like to use it. The preparations are long, so by the time I get to the spell itself, I wouldn't even need it."

Tam nodded in understanding, hoping that someday Thawin would find time to show him how to weigh objects mixed with good and evil, and maybe even that spell for people.

Then, they finally turned to the remains of Naga. Thawin dumped the dust and gravel onto the dirty bowl, which had moved much lower than the ring had moved before.

"Look at the lines in the middle. There are degrees or levels – that's a better word. The scale goes from 0 to 10. What number do you see?"

"It's still flickering. It's on the border of seven and eight, more towards seven," Tam reported.

"That's good, I was afraid it would be toward nine."

"And what now?" There asked.

"Now, we finally rest. I need my strength to prepare for sealing and purifying."

"Can I assist?" Tam asked shyly.

"Of course," Thawin said, pinching Tam's cheek before leaving for his bedroom.

Tam smiled and did the same, only he went to his bedroom. Sadly...

Chapter Text

They immediately heard Film's desperate cries when they arrived at the ER. Gun didn't ask anyone and rushed towards the screams. When he burst into the examination room, he scared almost everyone, except Jane, who looked at him with gratitude and relief, and Film, who kept crying. Gun quickly checked the situation. Two nurses were trying to distract and comfort Film, and a doctor was trying to treat Jane. He was unsuccessful, mainly because Film was blocking him.

Gun guessed that she feared the doctor would hurt her mother. She was too worried to understand and unable to hear Jane's explanation. Film's childish eyes only saw scary instruments in the hands of an unknown man. Gun could tell the doctor was an alpha, which didn't help the whole situation either. Although she didn’t have a gene, she might have sensed it, after all, she was a kid of two wolves. In her short life, she had mostly only had bad experiences with male alphas, led by her father.

Gun passed Mix to Off and took Film in his arms. She was startled at first, but she was relieved when she realized who was holding her.

"Please, proceed with the treatment," Gun told the doctor.

"Thank you, P'Gun," Jane said.

Gun nodded and tried to soothe Film. Off approached them with Mix in his arms and let their son pet Film, who finally stopped crying when she saw her brother. Gun explained to her what was happening, and it seemed she understood a little.

Before the doctor was finished, Gun and Off put the children on the next empty bed. The children moved too much in their arms and wanted to play together. Gun was grateful to Arm because he cleverly grabbed a few toys when they were leaving. He and Tay moved to the kids and played with them. They properly introduced themselves to Film, and Mix confirmed they were their 'Uncas'.

Gun and Off meanwhile inquired about Jane's health and what to watch out for. Gun had already planned for Jane and Film to stay with them for at least a few days, and was pleased Off had the same thought.

"No, P’Gun, we will be fine," Jane protested.

"We'll discuss it later, but since you don't need to stay here for observation, at least you'll come with us today. You need to rest, and Film will feel better with her brother," Gun explained, and one look at the kids convinced Jane.

The doctor said goodbye to them and that he would prepare a discharge report.

Gun was about to introduce Arm and Tay to Jane when he was interrupted by a new person. It was an older nurse who brought new stress to the room.

"Which one of you is the husband? Seriously, how could you let your wife be alone with the distressed child for so long?" She yelled at them.

Her look and her whole personality were obnoxious and unpleasant. Even if she was an elder, she shouldn't speak like that. Before any of the men present could react, Jane spoke.

"None of them is my husband, because none exist. I'm a single parent, and you are very rude."

"What? How could you? What about your child?" The nurse was shocked and annoyed.

"That is none of your business, lady. She has plenty of support from her friends, better than some alpha who thinks infidelity is perfectly fine or even desirable," Gun spoke, positioning himself between two women.

"But she is an omega with a child. A little infidelity is understandable and excusable for alphas. Get over yourself. She needs protection!"

"I don’t need anyone's protection. I can take care of myself and my daughter just fine, and if I need help, I know where to ask."

"What she needs is you away from her. You are stressing the kids," Off said, joining Gun in separating the nurse from the others.

That she was stressing the kids wasn't entirely true. Film was a bit stressed, but less than a few minutes ago and Mix was guarding his sister and frowning unfriendly at the nurse.

"It's time for you to leave. You have no idea who you're messing with, so I recommend you not say another word," Arm spoke sternly and angrily, surprising Gun.

"And, I would like to inform you we will be making a formal complaint," Tay added.

The nurse's eyes widened, understanding they were serious and that she was messing with dangerous opponents. She quickly left, almost bumping into New, who had appeared.

"She's an old school beta. I don't excuse her, but that's how her generation was raised – to support alpha and omega union at all costs, forgiving many things. Alpha's infidelity is nothing serious in her eyes, as she said," New explained, sighing.

"How did you get here, P'New?" Jane asked.

"Tay called me. Why didn’t you call me, Jane?”

“Oh, so Tay is the mysterious boyfriend. Sorry, Phi, I know you are busy, and Film was too stressed.”

"Film needed her brother," Gun said, pointing at the kids.

Now that the annoying nurse was away, they were happily playing and talking in their child language that no adult understood.

Chapter Text

Jira was quite happy that he surprised and froze Koh like that. The whole time in the bar, he was the one who had to control himself and face the piercing gaze of the unknown man, who attracted him but at the same time gave him a kind of fear. Jira couldn't name it properly, he had never experienced it. It was different than with his father or brothers, who could be crazy scary when they wanted to. That was also why he thought Koh was sent to watch Jira by someone from the family.

Now, when he stood in front of him and stared into space, even though he was looking directly at Jira, he didn't exude any threat. All that was missing was an open mouth with astonishment. He already knew one thing about his future fake husband: he had an analytical mind. Koh's brain was processing everything and thinking through all the pros and cons. But the processing took too long for Jira's taste.

“So did your computer brain process all the data?” Jira asked.

“You know what I do?”

“No, even though your response gave me a clue. I don’t care what you do, we’ve already established that. What’s bothering me is that you’re overthinking my proposal. It’s either yes or no.”

“It’s not that simple, your family is dangerous. If I say yes and our charade collapses, I’ll be the one in danger. Not cute, favorite of the family.”

“You don’t really know much about our family, do you? Your decision depends on how much and how close you need to get to my family. Ask yourself, will you have a better chance?”

‘Cute, favorite of the family, my ass’ Jira thought. Maybe it seemed that way because the rest of the family was paying him so much attention, but that attention was only because Jira was the only one who wanted out.

“Wouldn’t it be suspicious? If you suddenly showed up with a husband? Wouldn’t it be less suspicious if I were a boyfriend who soon turned fiancé? That’s the proper course of action, right?”

“A proper course of action would be suspicious in my case. They don’t know what I do, yet. They think I’m just playing around. I can tell them the truth, that I got hired to play roles. You hired me for something and we fell madly in love, fucked through the night and decided we can’t be apart. So we eloped.”

“You are crazy, Jira.”

“My family turned me crazy. So what’s your answer?”

“My answer is yes. However, even if your plan won’t be suspicious to your family because that’s just how they know you, it will be suspicious about me. I don’t have anyone close who would find it suspicious. I don’t get along with people and hate dealing with them, but as you noted, I’m analytical and I can’t and don’t want to change that. When your family gets to know me a little, they’ll be suspicious that I jumped on your bandwagon so easily. I agree with the way our fake relationship should be told, that started, but before the elopement, we need a few dates.”

“Okay, take me to dinner. I’m hungry, and don’t have a place to sleep tonight. So it’s a win-win for me.” Jira said, taking Koh by the arm and forcing him out of the slightly smelly alley.

Koh chuckled quietly, and Jira saw a smile on his face for the first time. His smile was also a bit weird. Most people would say it was a smirk that suggested mocking. But Jira could tell it was pure enjoyment. His knees nearly buckled from that fleeting, mysterious smile. He was also pleased that Koh didn't comment that Jira had invited himself to spend the night at his place.

Chapter Text

Black and Mote were about to leave. Black was already fully dressed and checking to make sure they hadn't left anything behind. Mote was doing the same, but much slower. He also kept watching Black with a look that said he wished he could unzip Black's pants.

After their sexy, undisturbed time, he understood. If they didn't have to go back to normal life and if his ass wasn't so sore, Black would have been working on unzipping Mote's jeans. Sadly, they had to go and make some life-changing decisions, at least for Mote.

"Wait, Black," Mote stopped him before he reached for the doorknob.

"What?"

"Will you be my boyfriend, partner for as long as you will have me?" Mote said shyly.

Black couldn't help but smile, it was adorable. In fact, this time he didn't even mind making his feelings visible.

"Aren't we dating already? Although we haven't been on any date yet. I would say we have a relationship,” Black said.

“It's just nice to make it official with words.”

“Okay, then, I accepted you as my partner long ago, Mote.”

“Me too, I love you,” Mote said and took a deep breath, yet had a terrified expression. Black could see that he had wanted to say it for a while, but was afraid.

“You know I hate talking about feelings, and I’m not good at it either. I won’t say it often, but I don’t want you to hold back because of me. If you want to say it, that’s up to you. AND since it won’t happen often, listen carefully. I love you, too, Mote. I never thought I would meet someone like you or that the vacation my brother and the rest forced me on would bring me so much peace and love.”

Black had chills from all the sweetness his mouth emitted, but he acknowledged that it was necessary. Mote smiled broadly and kissed him. Black was glad he didn’t comment on his confession, which was so out of character for him. Mote just got him through and through.

After their passionate kiss, they left to meet up with others.

“There’s something different about you,” White said.

“You mean all that sex they reek of?” Yok joked.

“No, something different. Ohh, you talked about your future and feelings, that’s sweet,” White blurted out, overly excited. “Tell me everything,” White demanded.

“Zip it, White. In fact, Zip it, all of you,” Black hissed.

White pouted his lips, sulking, but obeyed.

“Don’t worry White, I’ll unzip you in a moment,” Sean said with a double meaning and kissed White, totally on purpose to piss off Black. Black just knew it.

“Not fair. Who will unzip me?” Yok fake cried.

“I’m sure you will find someone,” Gram noted.

Black glared at them all. Hia stifled a laugh and preferred to leave, not to irritate Black any further, for which Black was grateful. He also noticed a silent conversation between White and Mote, he was sure they were plotting something, probably an agreement on when they would talk about what happened during the last two days.

“I hate you all," Black stated before leaving everyone behind.

“No, Phi. You love us,” White called after him.

Black didn’t respond and was pleased when Mote joined him. Black took his hand, making Mote giggle stupidly. He ignored all the awws and ohs he heard behind him.

Over the next few days, they prepared to leave. Black was surprised that Mote had already started handing over the motel to a group of people. Apparently, they asked White for help and started a company that would own the motel, and Mote would be a silent partner.

The next thing that surprised him was that with the help of Gumpa and Sean, Mote had bought a bike and was preparing to travel with Black. He didn’t know whether to be offended or pleased. On one hand, he was glad to be rid of these organizational matters. On the other hand, he was sorry that Mote hadn’t come to him.

However, his partner reassured him by telling him that he wanted to prove to Black that he could take care of himself. Mote wanted to be an equal partner to Black. He also left all the fun stuff for Black – like teaching him how to drive a motorbike.

Mote packed up everything he wanted to own and sent what he couldn’t take on the road to White and Sean, who had already returned home with Gumpa, Yok, and Gram. Mote donated the rest of his belongings.

After almost two weeks of getting everything packed and ready, Black and Mote took one last look at the motel before heading straight for the unknown. They had no specific plan for where to go. They just knew they would stop wherever they were needed. The most important thing for them was that they were together.

Chapter Text

Off was excited and ran around the store like a little kid. He knew that Gun must have thought he was an idiot for exaggerating, but it had been a long time since he had been shopping. He flew from one shelf to another and looked at everything possible. Although almost nothing ended up in their shopping cart, it was exciting to have the opportunity to shop.

Lately, Jack has been arranging this, and sometimes his mother and sister have filled his fridge. Off realized how much his stalker was limiting him. He admitted that he had overestimated his strength by wanting to deal with his stalker alone, or rather, underestimated his stalker. It was a good thing that Gun and his security agency were investigating everything now. Even though the main purpose of Gun's job was to protect him.

Off thought for a moment and wondered if Gun could help him exercise for the detective role. He looked back at him when he was choosing meat. Gun felt his gaze and looked at him. Although he couldn't tell through the mask, it looked like he was smiling at him. Gun's eyes were smiling at him beautifully for sure.

“Do you need anything? Do you want some more meat? I don’t know how much you cook.”

“I don’t cook, I can do some basic things and make instant noodles, but that’s all my culinary skills. But you, Gun, look like you cook, judging by what you buy.”

“Yes, when I have time. It helps me relax.”

Gun let Off enjoy the shopping for a while longer, and then they hurried to catch the delivery service with the groceries that Gun had ordered online.

After stocking their fridge and pantry, Gun started cooking. Off enthusiastically helped him and couldn't help but marvel at how skilled Gun was. The dinner tasted exclusive, like from a five-star restaurant. Off didn't forget to compliment the food, and it warmed his heart when he saw a hint of blush on Gun's cheeks.

After dinner, they agreed to watch a detective movie that the director had recommended to him. But since it was quite early, Off wanted to look at the script first. Also, Jack sent him a few songs from which they would choose the opening song for the series that he would sing. They wanted his opinion on which song he liked the most.

Meanwhile, Gun indulged in exercise, which was a bad idea. Actually, the bad idea was that Off stayed in the common area, which Gun used for exercise, because of the larger space. He looked so sexy and amazing. Off almost drooled watching him exercise. Gun even practiced some martial arts moves.

"Do you always do martial arts when you exercise?" Off asked.

"These martial arts moves are suitable for my exercise routine. But I train martial arts in a special gym at our agency. Plus, I usually need a sparring partner."

"Gun, could I ask you a big favor?"

"Of course."

"Would you help me exercise for my detective role?"

"Why not? It will help me stay in shape, but I'll need to know what your role will require so I can plan the right exercise for you. But won't you have some special workshop for this?"

"I will, but I don't know when, and I'm badly out of shape and don't know anything about martial arts. I'd like to prepare more. I can contact the people on the stunt team and see if they can recommend anything."

"Good, are you planning on doing a lot of stunts by yourself?"

“If it’s possible and safe, then yes.”

“That’s admirable. I’d be happy to help you with anything. We should watch that movie before it’s too late. I will do a quick shower and then I’ll join you,” Gun said and disappeared into the bathroom, leaving Off with naughty thoughts.

Oh boy, he was in trouble, Off thought, and then he realized that he had similar thoughts far too often, and maybe he should do something about it.

Chapter Text

Black was in awe as he watched Gumpa work. He didn't like how he tested them and was displeased with this whole meeting even more. He had a strange feeling, and his internal alarms were going off. Sadly, Black couldn't pinpoint what was causing it. Although he didn't fully trust Gumpa, the man had earned his partial respect. He subconsciously knew Gumpa wasn't the cause. There was no indication anywhere that would have caused him to feel so bad. Not knowing where the threat was irritated him.

Black had to admit that Gumpa had been guiding Wat through his memories brilliantly. He cursed that he would have to leave soon. Not only did he want to know how it would turn out, but he was increasingly annoyed by the way White and Sean were getting closer. What upset him even more was that the two of them didn't even realize it. Black was sick from the giggles and secret whispers.

He was happy when Sean showed up with Yok and Namo, which guaranteed that White and Sean wouldn't be alone when it was all over. White and Namo became great friends and Yok was still on his mission to secretly tease and annoy Sean. Black was sure that Yok would succeed in his mission and thwart any further closiness between White and Sean, at least for today.

Black chuckled at the thought secretly and forced his mind to focus on their pressing issue. He still had some time and was glad to see at least the beginning of the portrait painting.

He was shocked that it didn't take long. He saw the whole process. Namo and Yok asked Wat about various things and facial features, even the feelings that Wat had. Their final portraits were different but very similar. Black had to leave when Wat showed them what was wrong and what was right in all the portraits. They planned to draw new portraits of both men when Black could no longer postpone his departure.

Black had trouble concentrating on the lesson, which fortunately wasn't that important because Black already knew most of the things from practice since he and White had a working company. They had to study certain things from commercial law.

His mind was stalking his phone because White had promised to send him the resulting portraits. This happened almost halfway through the lesson. White added that they repeated the process once more, and on the third time, Wat was absolutely sure that they were the people he had seen in the alley.

Black looked at all three drawings because Wat had also described the third one, whom Black had already seen in bars a few times. Gumpa confirmed that he was on the blacklist in his bars as a troublemaker who harassed young girls.

It was clear to everyone, and Black was confident that they didn't even have to talk about it, that the whole problem was that Wat had seen these three people together. He might have seen someone high up in their thief organization.

They most likely weren't mafia, so killing or kidnapping was not on the menu. They only needed him out of the way, just like they didn’t want to kill the waitress, only scare her enough to shut her up.

Now they had a new mission, identifying the two faces. Black sighed because it wasn’t going to be an easy mission. They couldn’t just start asking around bars and showing the drawings. They could only show the portraits to people they trusted. They would have to rely on Gumpa and his network for this mission.

Chapter Text

Plu and Arty arrived at P’So's apartment not long after. P’So was already waiting for them and rushed them inside, during which Arty and P’So shook hands and introduced themselves again. Plu was annoyed that he didn't have this. He and Arty hadn't properly introduced themselves yet.

Although Plu was extremely curious about what Arty wanted to tell them and what he had gotten himself into, treating Arty's injuries was more important.

He was pleased that P’So thought the same, because an open first-aid kit was placed on the table.

"Wow, I didn't expect such a well-stocked first aid kit," Arty said in surprise.

"Well, what can I say? I have a past that hasn't always allowed me to go to the hospital for treatment."

"This is going to sound really bad and suspicious, but the fact that you have some past suits me," Arty said mysteriously.

"You're right, it sounds very strange. I've also prepared some clothes, but it'll probably be too big for you," P’So replied.

Plu now voluntarily allowed himself to be ignored. He was grateful that he didn't have to make up any excuses to retreat to the kitchen to get a drink. He needed to recover. Everything was suddenly overwhelming.

"The bathroom is over there, you'll probably need water to wash your wounds," P’So directed Arty.

Arty nodded and limped into the bathroom with clothes and a large part of the first aid kit.

"You should follow him. I don't think it's a good idea to leave him alone. Plus, he trusts you more. I don't trust him, but I can't dismiss that he survived a scary situation and how badly he's hurt. He already has a bond with you," P’So said, and Plu nodded. Plu wasn't sure about the trust, but he suspected that Arty might need help treating his wounds.

"Excuse me, can I come in? Do you need help?"

"As a matter of fact, I do, P'Plu," Arty replied.

Plu walked in, his knees nearly buckling and his heart stopping. He found Arty only in his boxers.

"After you are done enjoying the view, I could use some assistance," Arty chuckled.

"Sorry, I have no excuse but... I'm sorry." Plu really had no excuse. Arty was gorgeous.

"Don't be. It's my fault, I should have warned you I’m almost naked, I attacked you like this," Arty smiled.

Then they started with the treatment. Arty was skilled, and Plu just did what Arty told him. Plu had to admit that Arty was right. He had several bloody wounds, but all of them were no longer bleeding, and none were deep. Plu was probably only stained with bloody clothes. The worst was his knee. Plu bandaged it, as Arty had instructed. He noticed Arty suppressing his pained expression. He finished the treatment by taking two pills.

"Painkillers," Arty explained when he noticed Plu's confused expression. "P'So's first aid kit is really stocked."

When they were done, Plu helped Arty sit down on the couch.

"Now tell us," P'So asked, he was done with waiting.

"Firstly, there's not much to explain. My family is rich, and you can probably guess the rest," Arty said.

"So, you are a rich heir kidnapped for ransom?" Plu couldn't believe it was this simple.

P’So didn't react, observing both of them.

"Not heir, just the youngest son of a very rich family." Arty was calmly sipping on his water like the information was nothing.

"Why didn't you say so straight away? I should have taken you to the police or your home," Plu sighed.

"What are you planning?" P'So has spoken at last.

"Don't you think, Phi, when the opportunity arises unexpectedly, you should grab it?" Arty smirked.

"What do you want from us?" P’So asked.

“Refuge.”

Plu couldn't believe it. Arty took his kidnapping as a perfect excuse for escaping, probably from his family.

Chapter Text

Non rushed to his room to find a summoning book. He opened his desk drawer, where he had made a false bottom to hide things. He had a similar hiding place built into the wall. Once, his mother threw a heavy vase at him, and it made a hole in the wall. Non discovered a space there, but instead of investigating how it was possible, he covered it with a painting. He didn't understand how no one had found it yet.

Non eagerly opened the false bottom of the drawer and was shocked when he didn't find the book there. He was absolutely sure that he had put the book there. He quickly recovered and looked behind the painting, finding nothing. Non quickly searched the entire room, but the book was nowhere. He started to panic when something inside told him to look in the drawer again.

To his horror, the book was there this time. Non was confused, but he didn't think too much about it. He took out the book and placed it on the table to return the false bottom of the drawer. When he wanted to take the book, he found it wasn't where he had put it. Non looked around the room, the picture covering his other hiding place was crooked. Non was always careful to keep it straight, not to attract attention. He looked into his secret space in the wall, but the book wasn't there. When he turned back, he saw the book on the bed. Now he didn't hesitate anymore, he grabbed the book and ran to the library.

Thawin took the book from him and browsed through it. Non was surprised the pages were blank. The handsome devil left the book open in the middle, took Non's hand and placed it on the pages, and his hand on Non's. Immediately, inscriptions and drawings began to appear, and chalk floated over the open book and their palms.

Non looked at Thawin, who had his eyes closed.

"The chalk is tied to the book. If the book thinks the summoner is worthy, then the chalk will appear to draw the magic circle," Thawin replied, as if he knew that Non was fascinated by floating chalk.

"Your grandfather got the book from some collector who just had it in his library as a historical piece, never used it. Your grandfather paid a fortune for it. It's strange, because from what I know about your grandfather and what I sensed from your grandmother and mother, he shouldn't be sufficiently... I don't know the right word, capable, strong, and pure, some combination of those words. Just anyone can't use this book. Do you remember him?"

"Not much, he died when I was little," Non replied.

"But they told you about him, didn't they? If you compare yourself to him, are you similar in any way?"

"If what anyone ever told me about him is true, then not at all."

"Exactly, this summoning book is really special and rare. All summoning books have something like their own brain, they determine who is summoned and how much power they need from their user, and most importantly, they carefully choose their user and their nature. No one greedy and rotten like your grandfather should be able to obtain this book, let alone use it, unless he used some kind of subterfuge. I'm not saying he couldn't get any summoning book, but not as strong as this one. This book is currently bound to us until we complete the deal, and is sucking power from you and can even play with you," Thawin explained.

Non thought that the book was really playing with him and he felt that it was amused by its subterfuge, when the book was hiding from him. He almost felt that the book was laughing at him.

Thawin pulled their hands away from the book and slammed the book shut, bringing Non out of his thoughts.

"Focus, Nonsee. The book is influencing you too much," Thawin frowned, and Non couldn't tell if he was displeased with him or the book.

"Can you tell what kind of subterfuge my grandfather used?" Non asked.

"No, the details of the acquisition are hidden from me. I sensed only a few things, but I know the details about the deal."

"So my grandfather made some deal?"

"Yes, he did. Not with me, with much lower demon, your grandpa wasn’t as strong as you."

"What did he ask for?"

"You can’t guess, my little Nonsee?"

"His flower empire?"

"Yes, that and that his women would be loyal to him beyond the grave."

"What was the catch?"

"His life was shortened, and his wish would cause your family to be constantly worried that someone would see their true face, making them go crazy, not that it's an excuse."

"But I..." Non didn’t finish.

"Of course, it doesn't apply to you, because you don't hide your true face. Oh, right, I forgot to mention true evil face."

Chapter Text

Pine was glad the rest of the evening went well, at least for the siblings. After their first hitch with an angry Maki, they ate Run's exclusive meal, during which Maki asked about Pine's work briefly. However, Pine’s presence was gradually forgotten. It was clear that the siblings really missed each other and were trying to catch up on everything.

Pine was about to leave after dinner when Run realized they had almost forgotten about him. Run felt sorry, but Pine reassured him he didn’t mind.

When Pine left, he checked to see if his people were in a position to protect Run and Maki. He was pleased they were well hidden and even hard to locate with their scent. Pine and Run had agreed on the protection, but they both hoped it would not restrict them too much.

The next day, Pine fully devoted himself to his work, which he had been neglecting a little lately, but fortunately, his company was so stable that it didn't matter. Moreover, when Pine worked full-time, it was a problem for many, as Hack and Nathee liked to say, because it caused feelings of inferiority.

Pine did too many tasks and deals in a single morning. For others, it was inhumane. He did a job that a team of top people would have to do for several weeks. Pine knew his lawyer and IT guy were exaggerating, but he had long since given up any comments on the subject. Pine just called himself efficient, which took him years to learn.

He was satisfied with the work he had done. Only one thing displeased him, there wasn't any news about the bitch omega. They couldn't even identify the beta who left the package behind his door. He would have frowned about that and let everyone around him feel his anger if he hadn't had afternoon plans with Run and Maki.

He was their ride to the orphanage where they grew up before their adoption. Before visiting the orphanage, they had planned to pick up the cookies that Run had ordered and some sportswear that they had received as a sponsorship gift from the athletic club. Pine didn't see it as a problem until he saw two cute figures clad in shorts, tight, too revealing tops to Pine's liking, and just a light, unbuttoned shirt that basically hid nothing. Pine understood it was an extremely hot day, but he knew he was in trouble. Not just because he wanted to strip everything Run was clad in, but many other possibilities crept into his head.

The most practical thing would be to clad them in fur to hide their bodies. But he knew that would expose them to the risk of overheating. He knew he couldn’t protest, it would be pointless. Run might have smiled, but he wouldn’t change anyway, and Pine had no idea how Maki would react.

“Really? You decided to wear this, revealing your scantily clad bodies?” Pine decided to take the risk. “Don’t you feel sorry for me when I have to fend off suitors and try to thwart all the looks that would strip you with their eyes.”

“It’s hot… I felt uncomfortable in everything I tried on.” Run said a little apologetically.

“Relax, Phi. We can take care of ourselves. My claws are strong and sharp, and my eyes can kill. Plus, I have a ring on my hand. It’s your fault you didn’t put any on P’Run’s finger yet. Besides, don’t pretend you haven’t stripped my brother with your eyes a hundred times already since we got out,” Maki said unbothered and headed for the car.

“MAKI!” Run yelled at his sister.

Pine signed, he was getting a headache.

Chapter Text

They agreed on a plan to break in quickly. They had to risk being in the unknown without prior exploration. Mon would lift the hatch, and Pang would detach from Ohm to jump in. Punn's group would be fast on his heels, and then Mon would close the hatch. She and Ohm would remain on guard outside. Ohm understood this, but he was sorry that he could not see what they would find there. What they would record with the camera they had with them had to be enough.

Once inside, they quickly found a switch to turn on the lights. They found an empty lab and a computer. Punn checked what was on the computer. At first glance, there were only feeds from the live cameras, which were all connected to a remote system. Surprisingly, there was no active camera in the lab. Punn set up a special router developed by him and Wave so that the latter could connect, find what he could, and try to hack the remote system. Punn could probably hack it directly from this computer, but hacking was Wave's forte, and he needed to focus on other things.

The lab was empty, but the remains of the experiments were sickening. There were several glass rooms so the twisted people or vampires could observe their subjects. There were blood stains in the rooms and countless scratches on the walls.

Punn took a breath to calm himself and started collecting samples. After Krathing also recovered, he helped Punn so they would finish fast. Jack filmed everything, and Pang searched the rooms to see if he could find anything forgotten or a message.

"Namtarn will want to come here," Pang said sadly with concern.

“It would be pointless. I don’t sense any vibe here. I know she is way better with the ability than me, it’s hers after all, but I always feel at least something from the past trying to surface. Nothing here. I tried, I touched the wall, the computer, and things around. It’s weird. It’s like they wipe it.” Punn explained.

“You think some artificial vampire might have that ability?” Pang asked.

“Why not? Isn’t there someone who can erase memory?” Krathing pointed out.

“No, he just covers the memories and overwrites them. He doesn’t erase them. You can get the memories back. Although it’s not easy,” Punn explained.

“Maybe it’s similar. If I understand it correctly, the person to whom the memories were overwritten has to unlock them in their own mind. It would probably be difficult to do this with objects here. Walls and things don’t have their own minds. And you only catch the residue of the past, so you can’t unlock them,” Krathing deduced.

( I feel so proud.

Shut up. )

"Wow, you are really a detective," Pang said.

“Should I feel offended?”

“No, we just haven't met many logically thinking, uncorrupted police officers,” Pang added.

“So I'll take that as praise," Krathing smiled.

Pang nodded and laughed.

( PUNN!!! All his personalities shouted at him. )

He felt it too and rushed to Jack, who had just fallen to his knees.

“Sorry guys, I'm constantly updating my brother, and being such a distance, it’s wearing me out extra fast,” Jack said heavily.

He was sweating and had a pained expression. He was slowly aging, and his vampire teeth were showing. He was hungry.

"We need to leave," Pang commanded.

"Yes, I didn't even realize how long we'd been here. We searched outside for almost half an hour, and here for almost an hour. Ohm might be feeling it soon, too," Punn was worried.

Pang took the camera from Jack and quickly documented the rest. Krathing continued taking samples without asking, while Punn tried to calm Jack down.

They were finished with the rest in record time and headed out. They knocked on Mon to let them out. The process was similar to when they went in.

As Punn had suspected, Ohm was also slowly reaching his breaking point.

“Did you guys prepare?” Punn asked about feeding.

“Yes, we have our friendly donors close by,” Pang confirmed.

“What about the mansion?” Ohm asked.

“We knew there wouldn't be time to look there, and we still don't know how many people are inside. It would be dangerous. If we go to the mansion, we'll have to do it another time,” Punn said.

"Let's hurry," Krathing urged them. He helped Pang with Jack, who was in a bad shape.

Punn was glad Wave was able to record a short loop and hacked the cameras to show it instead of the live feed until they left the grounds.

Chapter Text

After returning to Good Pick, Ryan still felt like he was on cloud nine. He must have seemed like a madman to everyone when he happily giggled while Jane hunted down the one who sent them to the dangerous house to punish him with his anger. He was calmed down by Baimon and Jo, who took over the punishment of the unfortunate prop guy so that Jane wouldn't strangle him. They then reminded everyone that it was not enough to recommend the location but also to check it out.

Ryan still had a dazed smile, so his friends didn't even try to ask him what had happened and why he was so happy despite the dangers they had experienced. Ryan even ignored Baimon teasing Jane about his protective outburst. Jane ignored him, too. After his temper calmed down, his eyes were only focused on Ryan, and the only thing that could be seen in them was happiness and love. They sealed their happiness that night when they connected their bodies in every possible way.

The next day, they immediately started planning Ryan’s move. Jane had taken care of almost everything, so all Ryan had to do was pack.

Ryan was excited at first. He would miss his little, scantily furnished apartment, but his dream life with Jane was a bigger lure. He didn't expect any problems with packing. But he was wrong. Even though the apartment and all the rooms were scantily furnished, Ryan managed to collect many things. Until he saw it all in front of him, he thought he was living scantily. When he and Jane sorted it all out, he didn't understand where it all fit, and he had no idea how much he was attached to things. It was very difficult to say goodbye to some of the things and clothes. However, he was pleased that Jane came up with the idea of ​​donating what they wouldn't take with them and couldn't throw away.

The move was difficult, but in the end, Ryan kept his excitement. But when they were done, Jane dropped a bomb on him. It was a bomb he should have expected, and it was his fault for putting it off.

Jane asked him if he had talked to his family about moving and about Jane, which Ryan avoided. There was no problem with Jane's gender, his parents and sister already knew Ryan was Bi and preferred guys more. The problem was that Ryan, a little selfishly, wanted to stay in their love bubble. Jane, moving, a new focus of his study, a dream job, and the new life they were building was a huge step for him, maybe the last one in his adult life. He had no idea how his family would react to all this. He was probably afraid for no reason, but the fear in his heart was there and all the greater.

"No, I didn’t," Ryan said timidly.

"I thought so," Jane said vaguely.

"Are you disappointed?" Ryan looked at Jane, and tears were creeping into his eyes.

"Oh, no, no, Ryan, don't be sad," Jane ran to him. "I was just stating it, there was nothing to it. I understand, this is all huge, and I know you're worried about how your parents will react. In fact, I'm terrified too, but they should know. That's why I have a suggestion. This week is your last at Good Pick, and you have the whole next week free. I managed to take half of the week off. Why don't we visit your family in the province? It'll be better to say everything in person than on the phone. That was enough for my family, because my parents are currently abroad on their retirement trip around Asia."

Ryan was in shock, but pleasantly shocked. Suddenly, his head was filled with all sorts of things which he forgot because of the move, such as that it was his last week at Good Pick.

He also remembered the nice phone call with Jane's parents. Jane told him that his parents loved him and that when they returned to Thailand, they planned to visit them in Bangkok. His train of thought ended with everything going too well, and he was even more afraid that things would be different with his family.

“Okay, we can do that. I will text them, because I don’t think I can handle their question. I’m such a coward.”

“No, you’re not, you’re a human and a son of a family who will introduce his life partner. It’s all normal. Believe me, my heart was in my throat when we called my parents.”

Jane kissed him on the forehead and hugged him tightly. Ryan calmed down and realized that as long as he had Jane by his side, everything would be okay.

Chapter Text

Postponing dealing with Din wasn’t secure, and Pick had to be decisive. He wasn’t thrilled that he was forced to use the secret pirate island with a prison, but he had no other solution for Din.

This island and the entire prison were special and secure. The most secure thing about it was that only a few pirates knew about it. Once upon a time, and Pick was sure that not even the Old Salts knew when it was, the most dangerous, richest, and most powerful pirates decided to create a place for their prisoners, who, for some reason, they could not kill but also needed to disappear from the world, at least for a certain time.

It might sound strange, but it was so. Also, it was a perfect hiding place, but the cost was that whoever wanted to hide there would be treated the same way as the rest of the prisoners, like the most worthless trash. Pick will never cease to be amazed that the pirates managed to keep the existence and location of this secure pirate prison a secret.

Only the captains of pirate crews were privy to the secret, but only those who had already built up a name and reputation at sea and were not in danger of feeding the fish or facing mutiny in a few days. Although in Pick's case it was different. A few Old Salts also knew about the place, but Pick had no idea how many. Probably not many, and thanks to their experience and wisdom, there was no danger of the secret being revealed. On his ship, only Pick and the oldest pirate knew about it. Porsche didn’t know either. During his entire captaincy, Pick used the prison only once.

Pick had several reasons why he didn't like sailing there. First, the sail was not secure. They had to leave their pirate ship on a nearby island and go directly to the prison island in a small boat, sailing through dangerous terrain full of sea and rock traps. Only the most experienced sailors could handle it, and even they had problems if they didn't know the exact route.

The second reason was that Pick put a lot of pirates’ traitors there when he wasn’t yet a captain but a ruthless pirate, earning his nickname. The third and main reason was that in his early days as a pirate, he was one of the guards.

When he became a pirate to save his father, he needed money. He was in debt after unsuccessful treatments that his father arranged for him before he went to the witches, but also from vain attempts to save his father. Young Pick was scammed a lot. He would be dead if his first captain had not taken him under his protection, who recommended him as a guard for the prison. He couldn't give him any favoritism, and as a novice pirate, Pick couldn’t take a large part of the booty. This was the only way to get the necessary money quickly, although not very secure. Pick saw a lot of evil on the island, and from time to time, it still haunted him.

"Captain, I don't know what you're planning with Din and probably don't want to, but I do know that we have one thing in common that's weighing you down – that Din doesn't say anything about Rome and the treasures. While trying to figure out what the potion Rome’s map wants me to make, I thought I could mix a potion that would rid Din of some of his memories. He will know who he is and most of the things he's done, but he'll forget all about Rome and the map," Emma approached the thoughtful Pick.

"How?"

"You should already know, but Rome and the other maps are considered by Briney Deep as their children, and the map will also want to protect its bearer. Although Rome doesn't want to admit it, his map partially protects him. With the help of the magic of the sea and the map, the effect of the potion will be strengthened."

"So the magic will make him forget just something?"

"It should be that way. I will force his mind to lock the specific memories, and if he never sees Rome again, not even the witches should be able to unlock it."

"Okay, let's do that," Pick agreed, though he didn't quite understand.

Chapter Text

Things were going well, not only with Maetee but also with his brother. T-Rex was thrilled about that and especially about Watee because he could never be sure what mood he caught him in. When Watee returned home on T-Rex’s first day back, T-Rex swallowed loudly. His face was anxiously dressed, while Watee's face was dressed beyond readability. All T-Rex could see was determination.

Their first evening after T-Rex's return home was surprisingly calm. He was sure the Tee gang, led by Maitee, worked on Watee. They had a mature talk for a long time. They didn't really talk that long, but for Watee, it was a record. Even more shocking was that they spoke calmly, no arguments or exaggerations on T-Rex's part. Both held back because it was important to both that their conversation did not end with a stormy departure of one of them.

They agreed that they would talk every day. Watee promised that he would let T-Rex know when it was too much for him, and he wanted a moment of peace, and T-Rex promised that he would not overwhelm Watee with questions and topics for conversation. They did not promise what they would talk about, but T-Rex had a plan. He would start with casual daily talk, and gradually add more until he touched their complicated family relationships. Because that topic was too fragile and it was necessary to find the right wave to connect and strengthen the brotherly bond.

T-Rex was confident, only one thing he was not sure of. He had no idea when he would be able to include Maetee in their topics of conversation. Watee was noticeably avoiding it and was overly protective, which surprised T-Rex on the one hand but pleased him immensely on the other.

Today it was especially troublesome, because T-Rex needed his brother. However, he didn't know if he and Watee had already progressed that much, so he could how to dress appropriately on a first date.

T-Rex was surprised he had so much trouble choosing the right clothes for their date. He wanted to be casual but special, and feared he would overdress.

"What's your problem?" Watee said, putting down his book. He didn't use an annoyed tone. T-Rex even heard a hint of interest.

"Am I annoying?"

"I'm not sure, but I'm getting tired of you walking around the apartment all day, thoughtful and with a troubled face. Can... Can I... is there anything I could help with?" Watee asked with a hint of shyness.

"If you promise to be calm..."

"I will try, what is it, T-Rex?"

"I have a date this afternoon with Maetee. It'll be our first official date, and I don't know how to dress." T-Rex blurted out. He quickly lowered his gaze to the ground, fearing Watee's reaction.

But none came, only silence. T-Rex cautiously raised his head to look at his brother. Watee watched him, but T-Rex could tell that many thoughts were running through his mind. Now he had to wait for what would win in his protective brother's mind.

"Okay, what date are you planning?" Watee said after an endless time.

T-Rex's smile widened, and he ran to Watee to hug him.

"Thank you, I know this is too much, but thank you, Phi."

Watee said nothing but put his hand on T-Rex's arms, but not to push him away.

"I get it, now talk, let's get this over with," Watee said and got up to go to T-Rex's room and choose suitable clothes together.

Chapter Text

"What's wrong, Liftoil?" Tankhun whispered to Liftoil as June examined the bear. He knew his little chaos was surprised by June, but he felt there was something more to it.

"I don't know. It just... P’June, I'm absolutely sure I've never seen her before, but I still feel a strange familiarity with her. It's not her face or figure, but what she radiates. I don't know how to describe it."

"Curse breakers have a special mage aura. Maybe you met someone like that before."

Liftoil hesitated for a moment and then nodded slightly and uncertainly.

"What are you whispering about, brother. Tell us all you know about the bear," Alan called to them. Tankhun didn't even realize that he and Liftoil had stepped away from the others so much.

Tankhun returned to them and told them in detail everything they knew and his suspicions about when the bear was cursed. June remained silent the whole time and only nodded slightly a few times.

"Can you tell who cursed the bear?" Tankhun asked, his gaze wandering to Liftoil, who was petting the bear.

"You seem to have some suspicions, Count," June remarked.

"Please, just Tankhun. I'm sure you don't call Alan a Count, even though he is."

June nodded and continued. "Go on, say what's on your mind, P'Tankhun."

"I think Liftoil's father was the same mage as you, and he was the one to curse the bear. I just can't tell what reason he might have." Tankhun said, feeling Liftoil's shock. He couldn't see him because he was too afraid to look at his little chaos.

"Correct, I can feel the similarity with Liftoil from the bear's curse. That only means that whoever cast the curse was blood-related to Liftoil. And the reason was simple: protection. The curse is surely making the bear suffer now, but it didn't always have to be that way. There are many ways it could have happened. We can assume it was during a fight with the dark magician. The curse could have bounced off and hit the bear, or it could have been a curse that managed to incapacitate the dark magician," June explained.

"I really should drink the memory potion and force my memory out. I'm sure I know more about how the bear was cursed and what my father did."

"That would be a pure act of folly," June said.

"Folly? I'm not foolish," Liftoil defended himself.

"It seems like that, if you want to risk your life unnecessarily. I admit that your memories are important, but are they more important than your life? What's worse is you know full well that it's folly to risk your life like that. Don't you know how much losing you would affect those around you?" June spoke sternly.

“Please, don't be harsh on Liftoil. He realizes it, but he wants to help more. He just has a special way of approaching things," Tankhun spoke up, defending Liftoil.

"I know that, and there's nothing wrong with his approach to life, and when I mentioned folly, I didn't mean his way of life. If anything, his way and view of the world are admirable, but it's still necessary not to have a limited view but to notice how our words or actions will affect others."

"Stop, that's enough. I get it. P’June and everyone are right. I was so focused on helping the bear that I didn't realize how much I was hurting you with my insistence on the memory potion, and I deliberately ignored the danger. I didn't know I could be this stubborn. But how else can we help the bear?"

"You know, Liftoil, with curses it's complicated yet simple at the same time. There is one fixed rule for every curse, no matter what it is. There is always a way. That means even without your memories and finding out how it all happened, we can find a way to break the curse. You need to be patient and not act rashly."

"Mmm," Liftoil nodded, giving June a quick hug, then returned to the bear, who licked his cheek as if he knew he needed support.

Chapter Text

Third was terrified Khai's nightmare would bring him back to his anxiety. It wasn't easy for anyone to see such a serious car accident with so many nasty injuries. Third texted everyone to ensure they were okay.

He fell asleep, relieved to see that Khai was okay and grateful that his bike accident had brought them together. When he woke up to Khai tossing, sweating, and talking in his sleep, he cursed himself. From the fragments that Third had caught, it was clear that he had been dreaming about his accident. He felt guilty for what he had been thinking before.

When it turned out that Khai was the same way, he was relieved. It was strangely reassuring. Still, he feared how it would affect Khai's psyche.

In the following days, he saw no sign of his partner having any long-term mental effects from witnessing the car accident.

They managed to finish filming without further problems, and now followed hours and hours spent in the editing room, where everything was under Bone's control.

It was a tough time, and Third tried to show support as much as he could. Not only did they have to focus on finishing their graduation project and school, but they also had to look for jobs. Luckily for them, all three were capable and had already received job offers, although it wasn't at the same production company. In a few days, all three were supposed to sign employment contracts.

Khai's new nightmares accompanied this. In the end, he didn't have nightmares full of wrecked cars, bikes, and bodies, but ones in which Khai's employment contract was terminated for a thousand and one ridiculous reasons. The latest reason to terminate his contract was that Khai didn't wear a tuxedo and bow tie on his first work day. Third had the urge to laugh at every one of Khai's nightmares, but he held back. He understood why his partner was freaking out so much. It would be his first full-time job.

Third was surprised that the word terminate would intervene in his life even without Khai’s nightmare, albeit in a different way. Third was running an errand at the hospital and was walking past the gynecology ward when he saw a girl Bone had been dating for a while, and it looked like Bone might want to settle down.

She was crying and shaking. Third cursed himself because he couldn't remember her name, but approached her anyway.

"Can I help you with anything?"

"Oh, hi... You are Bone's friend, right? Third?"

"Yes."

"Please don't tell Bone... I...I don't know what I'm doing..."

"Maybe start with why you are here."

"I'm here to terminate my pregnancy." She blurted out, and Third could see how relieved she was to say it out loud.

"You are pregnant? I assume Bone doesn't know?"

"No, yes, no..."

"What is it?"

"I don't know. My period is late, but I'm not ready to be a Mom. I know I'm bad for it, but I just can't...”

"Wait, look at me and calm down first. You are freaking out too much. Nothing is certain yet, and even if you were pregnant, it's your body. You would be risking your life, so no matter what anyone says, it's your decision. It doesn't make you a bad person. But let's not jump to conclusions. Why don't we first find out if you are really pregnant?"

The girl looked at him with gratitude and fell into his arms with tears.

In the end, it turned out that she was not pregnant. But the whole incident caused Third to form a new, strong friendship. Khai and Bone were very surprised when Third and Nawaporn surprised them in the editing room with dinner, and they had a nice, cozy double date there.

Chapter Text

It was hard to hack into anything on his arch enemy's side. It was a huge mafia organization with strong family ties, just like ties within the entire criminal organization. Koh has so far been unable to determine who his exact target and object of revenge were. He only knew that person belonged to this mafia family or organization. He didn’t even know if it was some of the mafia family or a high-ranking lackey.

That was suspicious in itself, but during his investigation, Koh found out how tight their security was from all angles, which explained everything. Koh only managed to foil a few deals and contracts, but that didn’t help him much. The only way to find his real target was to infiltrate the family.

Koh tried tailing people but wasn’t good at it and knew he would be caught soon. It wasn't surprising. Koh wasn't a people person, and if it depended on him, he would communicate with the outside world only through the computer, except for certain physical needs, but even then, Koh had high standards and didn't just take anyone to bed.

While investigating the individual members and trying to find an opening, he came across the middle son, who had recently started working as an actor in a private role-playing service, which didn’t include sexual services. Koh didn't understand this. The mafia family had a lot of money. From Koh's perspective, he didn't see any logical motive in it. He concluded Jira was bored and wanted some fun. He shouldn't be complaining and should be grateful for this opportunity. Jira was the only one of the children who was at least a little accessible and had been Koh's target for some time. That’s why he knew about his new job right away.

What he didn't expect, however, was how much he would be fascinated by Jira and how much he would want to take him to his room. Thanks to this, his analytical computer brain stopped working. He panicked when Jira ran away, so he chased after him. Plus, Koh's brain was still malfunctioning when they talked, and he couldn't lie. He was lucky that Jira had his own plans, including freedom from his family.

That was another thing Koh didn't understand, but he admitted that the information he had gathered was at least partly wrong. He couldn't pass up this opportunity, but needed to take more control. They will need a contract, but something told him that Jira wouldn't want anything official like a contract.

During their dinner, Koh was partly on autopilot. He was grateful that Jira was really hungry and focused on eating and not talking.

“Thanks, I was starving. I was trying to save money on food,” Jira said when they arrived at Koh's apartment, where it was safe to talk without witnesses.

“Why? Couldn’t you just eat at home?"

“I don't have a home. The place where my family lives is not home. I told you, you don’t know much about our family."

“You’re right, it seems like I have a lot of errors in my approach. As for our plan, we need some rules, and we should write a marriage contract. Also, are we really getting married, or will it be all fake? Won’t they know if we don’t have it official?”

“That’s true, but first of all no contract about our agreement. That’s evidence, and we can’t afford to leave any evidence.”

“So we just need to trust each other?” Koh asked.

“Yes, but I think we might need to elope for real. Will it be a problem?”

“Actually, not much. The problem for me is that we won’t have any contract. Although I understand your logic. What about a prenup instead of a contract? If we write it cleverly, we can hide many things there.”

"I like that, my family will like a prenup even more. We can have a code for things... Okay, you prepare it. I'm tired, where can I sleep?" Jira asked nonchalantly.

"I have a guest room with its own bathroom. I'll get you some sleepwear," Koh said, getting ready to leave, but Jira stopped him.

"Good, but before anything. We need to confirm one last thing."

"What?" Koh didn't understand and soon couldn't even think, as Jira pressed against him and kissed him passionately.

Koh didn't resist and eagerly kissed back. It was the best kiss he'd ever experienced. It was wild, passionate, and lustful. Koh felt it in his dick. They practically fucked each other's mouths.

“Good, we have exploding chemistry. How far we'll physically go is open to discussion, but kissing and naughty touching are something we'll have to show my family.”

Jira said and disappeared into the room. Koh was malfunctioning again, just as he had everything sorted out in his head, Jira attacked him with his irresistibility. Now he wasn't sure if he would survive this dangerous game.

Chapter Text

Once upon a time, a boy was born into a wealthy family after a long struggle when the couple had lost all hope. The couple supported many kids and orphanages financially, but before they adopted one of their own, they desperately tried to conceive. The miracle happened, and the child was born.

Sadly, the boy was very sickly during his childhood. His parents were loving, and as they prayed a lot for their miracle, they gave back by giving a home to more children and blessed their son with many adopted siblings.

However, they were busy parents who had to travel a lot, and their adopted kids were traveling with them. Plus, none of the new siblings were close to his age. They were all older because the parents wanted to give a home to children who had less chance of being adopted. They all loved each other a lot. Sadly, the sick child was lonely, tied to the bed. He couldn't travel with his family or even leave his room. He could only watch the outside world from his window.

He didn't mind, though, because he had an important friend. His best friend visited often and always told him amazing stories about what he experienced. They talked and played in the sick child’s room. The kid thought he was missing nothing.

However, one time he overheard his precious friend telling his real friends he was forced to visit him because their parents were business partners and long-time friends. The fake friend hated spending time with him and thought it was boring. He felt so sorry for him that he pretended to like coming there and playing with him.

The sick child wasn’t vindictive, he didn’t even think about it. Despite everything he learned, he continued to look forward to playdates. He enjoyed their time together and ignored the truth for some time, but soon it became hurtful.

After some time, he could see the fakeness in his friend's eyes. He decided to end it, still without a hint of being vindictive. He told his parents and siblings he wished to travel with them, even though it would mean worsening his illness. He didn’t mention any truth about his friend. He didn't want to cause him any trouble.

His family was so affected by his wish that they probably realized for the first time how lonely their youngest member was. They made sure one of them always stayed behind. The kid was saddened by it, thinking everyone was sacrificing for him by forcing themselves to be with him.

He stopped talking to everyone and almost gave up, but his fake best friend came one last time to bring him detailed written notes, photos, and videos about their school festival, something he had promised him a few months ago. He said, although they didn’t see each other that much anymore, he wanted to keep his promise. This gesture encouraged him so much that he stopped focusing on his loneliness and did everything he could for his recovery.

Third stopped rejecting his family and actually told them everything that weighed on his heart, yet he still didn’t mention anything about Khai’s fake friendship. Thanks to this partial honesty, his family saw the errors of their trying to fix everything without properly thinking about it.

They rearranged their lives and moved abroad. They took the wishes and needs of all family members into account. It took time to find a place that would provide them with everything they needed, was good for Third’s health, and was located so that his parents didn’t have to travel so much for work.

Third was thrilled by it, and it helped his recovery significantly. It had only one drawback. As the whole family spent so much time together and saw how much Third struggled with his illness, they all became his greatest protectors. Third was so overprotected that it was almost suffocating.

There was another drawback, which was cured over time. Third couldn’t see Khai, his first friend, albeit fake, who was also his first love. It was stupid, but Third missed him very much at first.

Third had almost forgotten about Khai until all his memories came flooding back on his first day at university when they met at orientation. What was more problematic was how freaking handsome and sexy Khai looked.

“OMG, Third, it’s been years since we last saw each other.”

“Sorry, who are you?” Third didn’t know why he lied, but he did.

His heart wasn’t ready for any fake friendship. Also, he wished to protect his crush from his overprotective family. But mostly he thought that this time he wanted to be a little vindictive.

Chapter Text

Jane was pleased with what they achieved in such a short time. Firstly, they managed to move Ryan and his things into his apartment without problems. If they were more financially stable, Jane would have liked to look for a new, slightly larger apartment. However, they had other priorities, which was the main thing that Jane was proud of.

They both were accepted to a one-year study program, focused on their dream job - creative producer and director. The only sad thing was that the programs weren’t under the same university. Actually, both universities where Jane and Ryan will study had those graduate programs, but since Jane and Ryan applied late, the vacancies were only at different schools. It didn't matter much because the schools were great and relatively close. Plus, the individual study programs had good reputations. Graduating would look great on their resume and help them get hired.

What made them both extremely happy was that they managed to secure places on a two-month exchange program in Hong Kong. It was the same program with a different focus, so in the end, they would have only one same subject, but they would be together.

"What are you thinking about?" Ryan interrupted his thoughts when he stopped admiring the sky from the plane window.

They were on their way to visit Ryan's parents. Both were slightly nervous because the only answer Ryan got for his news about visiting with his partner was that they were looking forward to them. Ryan was pleased that he wasn't bombarded with questions. He said if they were patient with questions, it was a good thing. Jane wasn't sure, but he trusted his partner and let it go.

"About our last few days," Jane smiled.

"Oh, no, are you thinking about how everyone hysterically cried at the Good Pick interns' farewell party? That was so embarrassing."

"Yes, but cute," Jane lied, pecking Ryan's lips.

Jane hadn't yet thought about that, although his thoughts were certainly going there. Jane and everyone at Good Pick were used to multiple bunches of interns, but this group was special. If Jane didn’t count his relationship with Ryan, all the interns fit into Good Pick just right. That didn't happen often.

Jane was sure that Jo would hire them all if it were even slightly possible. Thinking about hiring, it wasn't just the interns who cried their eyes out. Among them were Baimon and especially Jo, who, unlike the others, hid it and, when it got serious, went around the corner where Jane found him. He wanted to check on him.

Jo told him with big tears in his eyes that they would both be hired back in a heartbeat, but he knew it was impossible. They needed to fly out into the world, and he couldn't be selfish to tie them to him. But they agreed that if there was an opportunity in the future, they would be happy to collaborate.

Jane checked the seat next to him, where Ryan had fallen asleep happily, and smiled. Now the only thing left was to ensure that this visit went well. Actually, another thing was that Ryan and Jane would survive his parents' visit, but Jane didn't worry about that much. His parents adored his partner, his mother and Ryan were already best buddies, texting often. His father even threatened him not to ruin his relationship with Ryan. It was no wonder, not only was Ryan great and lovable, but after the relationship with Nine and years of loneliness, his parents were happy that Jane had found a partner with whom he was happy and natural.

🎬

After the initial scary moment, when Jane was seated in front of Ryan's parents and sister and interrogated with a serious, unreadable expression, everyone relaxed, and Jane was accepted into the family. Ryan's father and sister told him bluntly that if he hurt Ryan, he would be finished. Jane couldn't help but burst into laughter. When he calmed down, he explained to everyone that he had received a similar threat from his father, which made the whole family laugh. This led to a video call with Jane's parents that evening. Both lovers were thrilled to see how their families got along well.

"Thank you, P'Jane, it's like living my happy dream," Ryan said as he snuggled up to him after the bath.

Jane pulled him closer and kissed his hair.

"You're right, I'm living my dream too. Thank you for coming into my life and helping me open up more and heal the wounds I was hiding."

"Thanks for helping me grow up."

Jane gently pulled Ryan away so he could look him in the eye.

"That's enough of thanks. Phi loves you, Ryan."

"I love you, Phi," Ryan said, smiling and pulling Jane closer to kiss him.

"Hey, I don't want a grandkid yet, I'm too young for that," Ryan's father yelled into a quiet house.

"Leave them be. For the record, I don't mind being a young grandma," Ryan's mother added.

"Just keep the noise down," Ink, Ryan's sister, finished.

Jane stifled a laugh as Ryan blushed heavily.

"You're the ones making the noise with nonsense, leave us alone," Ryan called out, burying his head in Jane's chest.

Jane couldn't hold back his laughter anymore and hugged Ryan tightly.

Yeah, this was a happy life, Jane thought.

Chapter Text

For the first time in his life, Non had a hard time deciding whether to clean and wash everything now or in the morning. He always wanted everything neat, as far as the kitchen and the room were concerned, because Non had to admit that with his life, it wasn’t like that. Although he faced many problems and challenges honestly and bravely, he ran away from many difficulties.

Tonight, he put off one more thing, and Pat was the same way. They both put off saying goodbye and spent several long minutes doing that, interrupted only by fleeting kisses.

When Pat finally left and Non closed the door behind him, he leaned against it and let out a happy sigh. Immediately, he was pulled out of his idyll by a desperate pounding on the door. Non suspected it was Pat, so he didn't hesitate and opened the door.

"Did you forget something, P'Pat?"

"Yes," Pat said and kissed him on the lips. "That and one more thing. Our wonderful evening in dreamland means we're official, right? I just want to make sure I can brag about my talented, cute baker boyfriend," Pat added.

Non grinned broadly and threw his arms around Pat's neck. He kissed him first, then pulled away so he could whisper in his ear, "Yes, we're dating officially. I'll be bragging about my handsome doctor boyfriend, too."

They both giggled like young teenagers, kissing one more time, and then Pat disappeared.

Non giggled again when he remembered it and realized he now had someone he could call boyfriend, lover, and partner. It was a great feeling that made him decide to clean up everything.

When he was almost done, his cell phone beeped. It was a message from Pat that he had arrived home safely. He also wished him goodnight. Non immediately responded that he was also getting ready for bed.

They didn't have an agreement for another date yet, and Non wondered when it would be appropriate to ask about another date. Which made him realize that Non hadn't really had any relationships. All his past relationships were based on agreements his parents had with their business partners.

Thinking about his family, he looked at the calendar on the fridge. The date he had marked in black was dangerously approaching. That damned date made him frown and feel sad. It was something he didn't want to do but had to. Granny Chor, Iris, and his safety depended on it.

Non remembered the agreement he had made with Pat that he would tell him if something was bothering him or if a problem arose. Actually, it wasn't an agreement, Non hadn't promised him anything. He remembered that he had only vaguely nodded at Pat's insistence and offer of help. It was that evening when Non, in tears, confided almost everything to him.

But after tonight, Non didn't want to hide anything from his new boyfriend. He wasn't ready to tell him who his family was, and Pat understood that for now, but he didn't want to keep anything else from him.

Non sighed again, this time unhappily. Instead of asking when the next date would be, Non would have to find the words to tell Pat that he had to secretly travel to Bangkok to check on his family with his own eyes. He did have an online trace, which he followed to keep an eye on his family, but he had to arrange certain things personally. Non was cautious and didn't trust anyone in this regard. He had many bitter experiences when he trusted someone, and they ended up being bought by his family.

Pat might be the only one Non trusted fully, but also someone Non refused to endanger.

Chapter Text

Tay wasn't bluffing and made a formal complaint, which revealed that this was not the first time someone had complained about the nurse and her regressive views. Gun frowned that the hospital hadn’t done anything about it. Although it was a bit bittersweet, he was pleased that the nurse would now not go unpunished thanks to the involvement of key figures in Adulkittiporn's corporation, the esteemed designer Arm, and the head of a well-known charity.

When Jane was released from the hospital, Gun questioned how they were all going to get home in one car. Then he realized that New had to come somehow, and although Tay was unhappy about it because he would not be at the center of the action, he and New separated from them. New told them that they had a reservation at their favorite restaurant. New ensured Jane would be in good hands, and then almost dragged Tay away. Jane wasn't special in that regard, as she had told them. New took care of all the charity's clients the same.

Before they piled into Off's big SUV, Gun wondered what to cook for dinner. He was grateful when Arm offered to do the shopping and help him cook. At first, Gun wanted to stop by the market and do the shopping, but then he realized what a bad idea that was. Not only would their large group attract unwanted attention, but Jane needed to rest. Arm let himself be dropped off and said he would call a taxi, which turned out to be unnecessary, as Papang, who was nearby, sent a car to pick him up. Gun had gotten so used to the constant protection that he had forgotten about the bodyguards.

Arm's presence helped not only Gun but also the overall atmosphere. Mix and Film were in their own play world. It was the adults who were troubled. Even though Gun and Jane were friends, it was still a little awkward, and when Off joined in, it reached a whole new level. Not that they didn't have things to talk about, but everything suddenly felt weird. Arm eased the tension and led the individual discussions, almost like a perfect moderator.

The problem arose when it was time for Gun and Arm to start cooking, and they had to leave Jane and Off alone. Gun realized that this would be the first time they would be alone. Although his apartment was not big, he was worried, but didn't have to be. Mix and Film made noises that attracted Jane and Off's attention, and both adults joined the little playdate that the children had made in Mix's play corner. As if the children suspected that their parents were silly and needed help.

The dinner looked wonderfully and suspiciously like a happy family dinner. Only a blind man, and even the blind would be able to sense how much attracted Arm and Jane were to each other. Gun was glad to see that even Film was attracted to Arm. The little girl was smitten by him.

She let all the men hold her, but only Gun and Arm put her at complete ease. Even New didn't make her feel safe enough to let go of her guards. Which was bad for Tay's self-confidence, and Gun could see the jealousy in his eyes when he tried to hold Film in the hospital, but she nervously fidgeted until Arm took her.

From Tay's perspective, Arm was winning the uncle contest. Although in Arm and Film's case, it might not be an uncle-niece relationship in the future, Gun didn't want to get ahead of himself. What he saw was just the initial attraction for now. Still, he was sure that now Tay was crying on New's shoulder and complaining about how unfair it was.

He could picture it so vividly that he felt sorry for Tay. He would have to think of a way to encourage Tay, maybe some cleverly devised playdate under Tay's supervision, that would attract Mix's attention enough not to tease his uncle like he usually did.

Chapter Text

Gun was unbelievably happy when he could exercise. Since he became Off's bodyguard, he had hardly had time for it and could do only light exercises and stretching. Although it was only a few days ago, his trained body was itching for a proper workout. He was used to exercising daily, for the members of their Security Agency, it was necessary to keep fit.

Gun was thrilled when Off asked him to help him prepare for the action side of his detective role. It would give him the space to train more and even focus on martial arts, and Gun had always been fascinated by the stunt team. He knew that many of them were talented martial arts fighters, but he always admired how they could apply it to the action scenes, and for the most part, not hurt each other. Of course, he saw many action scenes where the fights were awkward and unnatural, but when the action scenes were good, Gun would replay them many times and admire the choreography of the fights. He appreciated the naturalness, the realism of the movement, and especially how they made it look cool. As a former soldier and experienced close combat fighter, he had to say that most real fights didn't look that cool.

When Off told him they could join the stunt team the next day, Gun was so excited. He was just a little disappointed that it wouldn't be until the late afternoon.

Off had no official schedule. In the next two weeks, Off would focus on his musical talent. During that time, the casting for the detective series would be finished, and the pilot trailer would be filmed right away. That's why Off already had one individual workshop to properly understand his role. The actual filming was scheduled in a few months, but the production hoped that the sooner, the better. They needed the series to air at the beginning of next year. So Off's request for help with preparing for the action scenes and getting into shape was appropriate. Only now, when Gun saw it with his own eyes, did he realize how much time was needed for the entire preparation.

Although Gun was looking forward to the stunt team, the time in the recording studio was also fascinating. Off hadn't sung for a while, so he wanted to sing random songs first before they started working on his new song, which was already in its final stages. They had been working on it for several months before Gun became part of the team.

Gun realized he didn't see an MV filming in Off's long-term schedule. Jack told him that they hadn't chosen the MV concept yet and were waiting for Off to record an official demo. Only then, based on how they felt, would they agree on the MV concept.

Jack explained that it might not have been the usual process, but that's how it worked for Off. He apparently had a special talent for choosing exactly the right type of MV. Gun understood that. Off sang with his feelings, and it was logical to respond to the final version.

Gun got reminded how talented a singer Off was. As an easing to singing, as Off called it, he also chose to sing the options for the series’ title song. Off wanted to hear how it would sound recorded. Gun was in awe after he heard the songs. In Off's version, they all sounded great, and he admired how Off, Jack, the vocal coach, and the other people in the recording studio decided on the same song.

Chapter Text

Khai and Bone were shocked when Third and Bone's girlfriend showed up at the editing room. They literally panicked. It wasn't that surprising that their partners came to see them. What got them into such a state was that their partners came together and looked like best friends. Khai quickly searched his memories. He didn’t understand because if he remembered correctly, Third and Bone's girlfriend had seen each other maybe two or three times and never had the opportunity to exchange more than a few words. Khai didn’t know her much either. Bone was mysteriously guarding his new partner's privacy. Khai probably wouldn't even remember her name if Bone hadn't talked about Nawaporn all the time.

Khai was happy for his friend. Bone was always like him and enjoyed life to the fullest, but then he fell in love with his teacher, which broke his heart. He and Two were happy when Bone met Nawaporn, and it seemed their friend was serious this time.

When Khai later recalled their frozen state with their mouths open, unable to speak for several minutes at the sight of Third and Nawaporn smiling, he found his reaction ridiculous. It must have also seemed funny to their partners, as they burst into laughter, which was exactly what they needed to recover.

They immediately began questioning them to find out how and when they had become friends. They were unsuccessful. Third and Nawaporn just looked at each other mysteriously and said nothing. It must have been extremely funny for them to torture their boyfriends like this. In the long run, Khai was grateful for it. This surprising and impromptu double date helped Bone relax, and the editing after Third and Nawaporn left went smoothly.

They even finally agreed on which funny moments to keep in the film as a light comic relief. During the editing, they realized that they had shot too many. They couldn't use all the funny situations, even though they were realistic, because they didn't want to disrupt the flow and pacing of their short film.

A few days later, they found themselves in a funny situation when Bone suddenly asked Khai if Third had told him when he and his girlfriend had become such good friends. Apparently, they were in daily contact, which Khai had no idea about. Khai replied that he didn’t know. Although he asked Third about it, he was told that he would find out when the time was right. But Khai shouldn't have worried because when they remembered it in a few years, it would just be a funny memory. Bone confirmed that Nawaporn had told him something similar.

The funny thing was that Two was present at this conversation. He was offended that he didn't know anything, and also sulked that he wasn't part of the double date. Fortunately, Third arrived and saved the situation. He offered a triple date, but only on the condition that Two and Un stop being teenagers and finally admit that they were dating. Khai didn't like Un much but had to admit it was irritating to watch the two of them dancing around each other and doing everything lovers do but don't admit it officially.

Two blushed but nodded.

Chapter Text

Dynamite happily continued practicing his successful healing jutsu infused with lightning chakra. With each attempt, Dy became more confident and could even influence the amount of lightning chakra he would use.

According to Ten, this was amazing because each patient was different and in a different serious condition. Dy would most likely have to use a different dose for each patient. This information scared Dy, and Prem was grateful for Fire's presence, who was able to calm Dynamite down so quickly that Ten and Prem couldn't help but wonder.

"What if I can't determine the correct amount of lightning chakra, P'Ten?" Dy asked. He was still unsure, even though Fire had calmed him down.

"Don't worry, I'll guide you. The more I watched you train, the more I became sure that we had found the correct way to deal with the active element of the virus that is causing the infection. I had planned to use my healing jutsu at the same time as you. Not only so that I could guide you, but mainly because we are entering unknown territory. You have essentially invented a completely new healing jutsu, Dy, and until we use it on the first patient, we won't know how their body will react," Ten explained.

"This doesn't reassure me much," Dyn joked lightly.

"Dy, I'm young and you don't know me much. Actually, almost no one here in the village knows my medical skills. Trust me, I’m a good medical ninja, and have invented many new medical treatments and medicines. Although I can't guarantee the effect, I am highly optimistic it will work."

"I can vouch for Ten. I was severely injured on my last mission outside the village. If he hadn't treated me, I might not even be here. I've never met a better medical ninja. I also know you and how diligent and good you are when it counts. I believe you two can handle this. Saying all that, we should focus on three other pressing things," Prem said.

"The fake scroll and the rare plant, what else?" Fire asked.

"Patients with dominant lightning chakra?" Ten guessed.

"Correct. I've thought about all of this. If I'm not mistaken, the scroll is in the possession of our new friendly doctor, who led the treatment of the disease until you, Ten, took over. I also thought about lightning chakra. My dominant elemental chakra is wind. When I think about all my fights with someone who also had wind chakra, even though the effects are indeed dampened, attacks are still not on the same wavelength. If I think correctly and both ninjas send a lightning charge at each other, it could result in a short spark that could neutralize the virus." Prem asked.

Ten, Dy, but also Fire, who, although, used earth and water, was an expert in medicines and herbs, thought about it.

"Your assumptions are correct. It should work," Ten said.

"I think so, too. If the patient sends a light lightning pulse at me, it should hit mine."

"You are also correct about who has that scroll," Fire added.

Ten and Prem nodded, both visibly pleased with their progress.

Chapter Text

For some reason, Boss found this job annoying, but he couldn't pinpoint what the problem was. It all seemed simple – separate two lovers, like usual. One was the son of a diplomat and, at first glance, seemed to be throwing away his perfect life. In reality, Boss could see that he was happy working as an investigative journalist and occasional translator.

The other partner was an orphan with a criminal record. He was associated with some shady business. Maybe that was giving him wrinkles. Neither Boss nor Nut could find out exactly what Sean had done. The criminal records were sealed, and research on the Internet didn't bring them anything either; only Sean and his friends were involved in something big, and someone was trying very hard to cover it up.

They were both ardent activists, which Boss didn't like to see. These people were stubborn and bad to work with. The person who hired them was anonymous, but it was obvious that it was one of White's high-ranking parents. The assignment had a note to watch out for White's brother, an identical twin, and also that several attempts had already been made to separate the lovers.

Unlike him, Jued was clear about what bothered her and refused to work on this job. She said they were meant to be and that she would not separate true soulmates. When Jued started working at their agency, she had these opinions often, but gradually she learned that the vast majority of couples who were supposed to be separated either deserved it or were gradually reaching that point. They always had at least one thing that would prevent the relationship. But usually, the Break Up Service had to point that out.

In the case of Sean and White, it was hard to find, but Boss was sure that it had to be somewhere. After all of his preparation, investigation, and observation of Sean and White, Boss had no specific strategy. Unfortunately for him, White and Sean talked about absolutely everything, really every nonsense and little thing, which pissed Boss off for some reason.

The only option was to seduce one of them. The thought that it should be Sean made him feel sick. Sean and Boss, as Nut and Jued pointed out, were strangely similar in some ways. Jued even asked if Boss had a lost brother. So, Boss focused on White, who was definitely his type. Not entirely, in appearance, yes, but he was too polished and nice for him, no challenge. Well, for a one-night stand, White was perfect by Boss's standards, but not for anything more. Boss changed his partners often, but surprisingly, he wasn’t a one-night stand guy. He liked to play with his lovers more. He could be called a few-nights stand guy.

Boss had a great opportunity when Sean, for some reason, stood up White for their date. Actually, not quite. Sean arrived on time, even earlier, but soon he got a phone call that made him disappear so quickly that Boss didn't have time to blink. White sighed sadly and went to the bathroom. When he returned, Boss thought he was a little different, but he didn't recognize what it was. White didn't return to his table but headed towards the bar. Boss didn't hesitate and approached him.

“Hey, what are you doing alone here? Can I buy you a drink? You look sad, and I feel the same way. See, I just found out my girlfriend is cheating on me.”

Boss chose the wounded animal method. He wanted to reassure White that he wasn’t directly hitting on him by stating he had a girlfriend and that he was hurt and needed company. Based on what he knew about White, Boss was sure he would accept the drink and let Boss pour his heart out. Then he planned to turn the topic to the boyfriend who had selfishly left White alone.

“So you’re the one creepily spying on my brother and his asshole boyfriend. Who are you, and what is your motive? And don’t give me any lies about a non-existent girlfriend. Even though I haven't yet found out who you work for or what your motive is, we do know something. While you were following White and Sean, I was following you. You obviously don’t know anything about us if you think we wouldn’t notice someone was following us.”

Boss was shocked, but only for a moment. He cursed at being caught like that and not recognizing Black, but he saw an opportunity.

“Asshole boyfriend, that sounds interesting, don’t you want to break them up?”

“Ahh, so that’s it. You were hired to separate them. Trust me, I tried, but it’s no use. I don’t like Sean, but he is good for my brother. You can tell our parents to suck it up and get ready for the storm that’s coming their way. We didn’t forget about their misdeeds, we are coming for them,” Black threatened, finished his drink, and left.

At that moment, Boss realized everything. He remembered the vigilante gang that took down Tawi and pointed out many errors in the Thai justice system.

However, he had a bigger problem. Boss wanted Black so badly. Black was just the perfect challenge for him.

Chapter Text

Sean hoped that when they were done with everything, he would be able to enjoy a rare moment alone with White. He hadn't been able to do that lately. Either Black or surprisingly Yok was on his heels or they were busy investigating Wat's case, or Sean was at school.

After they brought Wat back to the safe place where he was hiding, Sean believed they could get that moment alone. But even though Yok had no idea where Wat was being hidden, he was waiting for them nearby and wanted to hang out. He teased and bothered Sean with everything, almost as if he were doing it on purpose. However, he soon gave up and left them alone. Unfortunately, instead of being joyful, Sean wondered whether he should have left with Yok.

White was absentminded the whole time and just stared sadly at the portraits that Namo and Yok had drawn.

“Maybe we should find out who the creep pestering young girls is and then turn his life upside down. Find every hidden embarrassing moment and make his life hell. Then he’ll be happy to tell us everything,” Sean said, half-jokingly trying to get White out of a state he couldn’t quite name.

“No, we will never violate anyone’s privacy like that,” White responded angrily and excessively, surprising Sean.

“Aren’t we doing something similar, though?” Sean didn’t want to say it, but was confused.

“No, what we find out about our clients and targets is always obtained legally and in ways that respect and do not violate one’s privacy. What we find would be found by anyone who knows how to legally access anything public. Everything we find is common knowledge. We just piece it together and create the whole picture. We don’t break into someone’s home to snoop around. I admit that we walk the thin line, and sometimes cross it when it comes to revenge. Like when we stole Namo’s brother’s wallet, but I never planned on keeping it. I left it safely where he could find it easily. We have values ​​and limits, Sean. Black and I will never violate our beliefs.” White was almost yelling and breathing heavily. He was angry with Sean, and Sean hated the words he used. He was aware of all of this. It was even in his employment contract.

“If you don’t understand this…”

“No, I understand, and I don’t know why I used those words. I didn’t mean it that way. I wanted to get you out of your thoughts, and I’m frustrated, too. I only knew Wat in passing; we’d exchanged a few words at the bar before, but today was the first time I’d had a chance to talk to him. He was with me and Black for a while before you and Gumpa arrived, and I had to go to school. I could see how desperate he was. Speaking of violating. They really violated his dignity and life. I just want to help him fast.” Sean explained and was relieved when White’s face relaxed, too.

“Me too, that’s why I was staring at those drawings. I was hoping we’d have more, and I really had high hopes for those portraits, but then I realized how difficult it would be to use them. It’s too dangerous to ask around, and I don’t think it’ll be any better with Gumpa’s network. You’re right about one thing. I refuse to violate the creep’s privacy, even though it wouldn’t hurt me so much in his case, but he’s still going to have to be our target.”

“Oh, you have a plan?” Sean perked up and was aware of how his eyes sparkled.

“We’ll use his reputation for harassing young girls. One of us will have a younger sister who was harassed and almost violated by him, and we want revenge.”

“I like that,” Sean nodded.

This was a realistic plan that wouldn’t surprise anyone. Gumpa confirmed to them that he was on the blacklist precisely because he had been caught several times when his harassment almost ended tragically. Gumpa was furious because the creep had been handed over to the police with incriminating CCTV and testimonies several times, but they had always let him go.

“Btw, you are so sexy when you are angry,” Sean said, approaching White.

White blushed, but didn’t back down. He let Sean come closer, their noses were almost touching, when the loud bang rang out, signaling Black’s arrival. Sean could swear that Black must have had some kind of radar for these occasions. It wasn’t the first time he had interrupted them at the last minute before Sean tasted those sweet lips again.

Chapter Text

Pine was troubled while Run was beaming with joy. He didn't feel sick at the thought of food. It was a beautiful sunny day, and he had his beloved sister with him, even if only for a few days. He hadn't felt so good in a long time.

Run felt great and had to chuckle when he remembered that everything had been in jeopardy about an hour ago. He even considered canceling their plan to go to the orphanage. The cause was the beautiful but too warm weather. He had trouble choosing clothes that would make him feel good, but also a little desirable. Run thought he had no allure or had lost all the allure he once had. He felt ugly.

After Run had changed clothes for the fourth time, Maki lost patience and chose clothes for him that were scantily clad. His clothes now met all the requirements to feel good and comfortable, yet desirable. But also had a downside. Whenever he bent or turned the wrong way, his baby bump was visible through his not-entirely-buttoned shirt.

Run was scared to tell people. He wasn’t afraid of what people would think of him, but he wanted to keep his miracle to himself and the close bubble of people he had created lately. It might sound unreasonable, but the more he felt his baby grow and the more visible it was, the more unreal it seemed to Run.

Run didn't have a chance to change because Pine had already arrived, and he was glad he didn't do it. All his worries fell away when he saw the look in Pine's eyes. Run felt desirable.

First, they picked up cookies for the children. Run was excited. The sweets looked alluring. He was happy when Pine gave him a bag of cookies in the car that he had bought extra. Maki got some too, but it didn't make her blush as much as Run. He could still feel Pine's gaze, which he hoped meant that he hadn't lost his allure and charm after all.

The next thing on the agenda was picking up the children's sportswear. Here, a different situation arose. Pine forced them both to wait in the car. Although Maki tried to protest, Run agreed. The people who handed them the donated clothes watched Run and Maki in the same predatory way as Pine eyed Run, but these looks were unpleasant and were also not as tactful as Pine's, and he didn't like anyone looking at his little sister like that.

When they finally arrived at the orphanage, Run didn't have time to think about anything. The children demanded their full attention. After about an hour, Run was tired from all the playing. Pine and Maki insisted that he rest. Maki said that Run and Pine were old, and that they should go inside to relieve their old bones. She didn't mean it seriously and wanted to make the kids laugh, which she succeeded in doing. It also ensured that none of the kids protested when they left.

"Something is troubling you, what is it?" Pine asked as he handed Run a glass of water.

"Hmm, our baby is growing fast, which means I'm growing and my body is changing too. I keep thinking I have no allure," Run admitted. "For you," He added quietly.

"Are you crazy? You are so sexy and gorgeous. Every time we're together, I have to hold back so I don't kiss you all over."

"Thank you." Run didn't know what else to say. He could tell Pine meant every word.

Run sat down on the table. The chairs had cushions tied to them, and looked too warm. The wooden table was hard but cooler and more pleasant for this hot day. He just hoped no child would see him, so they wouldn't imitate him.

"What about me? Do I have some allure, Run?" Pine interrupted him from his mental conversation about the justification for choosing the table to sit on.

"Do you need to ask?" Run said, reaching out his hand towards Pine.

Pine didn't take Run's hand, instead, he positioned himself between Run's slightly spread legs, put his arm around his waist, and pulled him gently closer.

"Don't tempt me, Run," Pine whispered in Run's ear.

"What if I want to?" Run said and hooked his arms around Pine's neck.

They were close, and their breaths were caressing their faces. They longed for each other's alluring lips. They were almost touching when...

"I've given you enough smoochy time, and the kids are asking about you. Save it for later... I'm happy for you, really, but I have to say that it's disgusting to watch. That's why I want to apologize to you in retrospect, P'Run. For all the times you've caught Tibet and me in a similar situation," Maki said dramatically with a hand raised to block her view.

Pine and Run were surprised because neither sensed her coming, but then they laughed. Run was sorry they didn’t kiss, but the moment was still special.

Chapter Text

Thawin was happy to be in his bedroom. He skipped washing up and passed out in the clothes he had been wearing all day. He was exhausted, and just the thought of the work of undressing and dressing made him even more tired. He could use magic, but that would exhaust him even more. Thawin will change the sheets in the morning.

Thawin didn't play hero or act cool on purpose, but he did hide how tired he was. He didn't want Tam to worry. He remembered how Tam fussed about his injury last time, and he didn't want it to happen again. It was nice and comforting, but Tam also needed to rest.

A few hours of deep, undisturbed sleep were enough for Thawin to be full of strength again. He was pleased Tam was still sleeping and resting. His apprentice and companion would soon have to learn how to balance university, magical lessons intertwined with Thawin's work, and rest. Thawin was worried Tam would be too absorbed and neglect an important rest.

Thawin was preparing the correct sizes and colors to assign to the individual megaliths. He didn't need help with this or describing the megaliths, but it was a good lesson for Tam.

As he did so, he remembered Tam's disappointed face. Thawin had seen yesterday how he wished he knew everything about measuring good and evil in objects and people. Thawin hadn't planned this, but he had to admit it was his own fault. It should have occurred to him that Tam's curiosity wouldn't be easily satisfied and that the measurements would lead to discussion. He noted that he had to prepare a lesson where he would show him all this.

Thawin made another note, concerning the homework he would assign to Tam. He hoped to somehow combine the magical tasks with the history that Tam would be studying. Tam was now too much into magic again. Thawin had hoped that would change in a few days when Tam would start studying at the university, meaning they had to be done with the megaliths and Naga before then. He didn't want to break the promise he made to Tam about helping.

Tam had really good timing, because Thawin winced when he heard Tam's bedroom door slam. His cute student must have realized how long he had slept and feared that Thawin had started without him.

Thawin listened for a moment to see where Tam would run to first. It was the dining room and the kitchen, and then there was silence. Tam seemed to hesitate between his bedroom and the study where Thawin was currently. He decided not to torture him and went outside. Tam smiled broadly at him.

"Good morning, did you sleep well?" Thawin said.

"Good morning, P'Thawin. Yes, I always sleep well here. Phi looks like you've rested too. I'm glad. I was too eager yesterday and didn't notice how tired you were."

Thawin's heart skipped a beat, and his whole being was filled with warmth. Tam was melting him from the inside with just a few words.

"I wanted you not to notice. Before you start protesting, we both needed to rest yesterday. So, are you ready?"

"Yes," Tam cheered, and Thawin was glad he had successfully distracted Tam.

Before they started with anything, they enjoyed breakfast, which Tam had quickly prepared. Then they were fully engaged in the preparation. Tam enjoyed the role of little assistant Thawin assigned him. He had to admit that he, too, enjoyed having an assistant. Thawin never thought about how complicated and exhausting it was to do everything himself. Even though Tam might have thought that he didn't do much and mostly just handed or held things for Thawin, it was a huge help.

Chapter Text

Pick was glad no one asked him any questions. He had no idea if it was because his crew realized they couldn't keep the dead weight any longer, or if Old Salt, who knew what Pick was planning, hadn't told the crew to shut up.

"Is everything ready?" Pick turned to his crew.

"Aye, Captain," Porsche and Emma confirmed in unison.

Pick nodded, and Porsche and another pirate left to pick up Din. Rome, meanwhile, squeezed Pick's hand for support and then, as agreed, hid so that Din wouldn't see him. Except for Rome, the entire crew was waiting for Din. Pick didn't want to make a fuss about it, but he couldn't deny his crew from giving Din their hateful looks before he disappeared forever.

Din was brought in with protests and shouts, but when he saw how everyone was looking at him, he stopped struggling and lowered his eyes. For a moment, Pick saw guilt in Din's eyes, but the defiance soon returned.

"So it's finally here, and you're going to kill me?" Din laughed crazily. "What kind of execution have you bastards got in store for me?"

"The only bastard on this ship is you," Pick roared.

"Where is the plank? What are you going to do to me?" Din asked with a hint of fear in his voice. He assumed he would walk the plank, as was customary at sea.

"We have something worse for you," Pick replied simply, then nodded, prompting Porsche to gag Din and put a bag over his head.

In a much smaller group, they moved into the harbor and led Din to a secluded area back to the sea, where a similar situation had occurred when Emma had treated the poisoned Rome. She forced Din to drink a potion that made him fall into a semi-sleepy state, then dunked him in the water. Emma kept whispering something. Pick wasn't sure if she was talking to Briney Deep, Din, or both. Pick couldn't understand the language she was using. She dipped Din's head, which she held tightly in her hands, under the water several times. When she was finished, Din was unconscious.

"I'm done, Captain."

"Thank you, Emma," Pick said, and he and Porsche loaded Din onto the prepared boat.

"Go back to the ship. Porsche, you are in charge. We'll be back tomorrow at the earliest." Pick commanded.

"Aye, Captain," the part of the crew who was there answered and left without asking questions.

Din woke up a few hours later when they were almost at their destination.

"What the hell? What happened? Where are we? Where are we sailing? What did I do?" Din demanded an answer. He was visibly confused and didn't remember exactly what he had done.

"Don't you remember how you damaged our ship so we would anchor earlier than planned, and also about your thefts?"

They only discovered Din's thefts after capturing him. Din cleverly stole small portions of their shared supplies of booty, food, and drink. He even picked pockets in all the ports. Din was a thief to the bone.

"We know about your connection to an unknown group of foreigners. I know you've been spying for them."

Pick said no more for fear of triggering Din's lost memories.

"You get rid of me so easily. I was never part of your crew," Din whined.

"You never let us. Unlike you, we tried to accept you into our crew and family, but you always stayed away. You have only yourself to blame for your demise," Old Salt said. Pick didn't comment. They had already had a similar conversation, and Pick was afraid to mention Rome.

"Where are we sailing to?"

"Somewhere you'll spend the rest of your days, unless fortune smiles on you someday and prepares a new path for you," Pick said.

"We are here," Old Salt announced.

Pick and Din watched as the gloomy island appeared before them. Pick with a frown and Din with terror in his eyes.

Chapter Text

After June talked Liftoil out of using the memory potion and gave everyone, not just Liftoil, hope that there was always a way to break the curse, there was silence. It seemed like no one knew what to say. Tankhun was also struggling to find words. Liftoil and June were focused on the bear, and Alan was thinking about something. Tankhun could tell he was considering whether it was the right time to say something.

A loud clap of hands split the silence and a slight tension in the air. Everyone turned to see Granny Cook with a stern look.

"You all need to rest and eat, even the animals. Staring at each other and being afraid to speak your mind doesn't help anyone. You need a break. And in case anyone misunderstood me, I’m not asking," Granny Cook said and turned to leave.

Her look and tone of voice indicated that she didn't intend to discuss this. When Tankhun looked around at the others, it was obvious that no one even dared to try. Liftoil took June by the hand and led everyone inside.

Only Uncle Butler remained behind and split up the food and drink Granny Cook had brought for the animals. It was a special concoction she had prepared based on the ingredients Tankhun had given her to help the health of the recovering rabbit and bear. It was good for Mimi, too. Granny Cook had made sure that the combination of ingredients was edible. Even the water wasn't just plain water, but mixed with infused herbs. They weren't medicines or potions, just something that would support faster recovery.

During the meal that Granny Cook had prepared for the humans, Tankhun and Alan caught up on everything while Liftoil and June got to know each other better and became friends.

"What were you thinking about outside, and didn’t know if it was the right time to mention it, Alan?" Tankhun asked after the meal.

"You know me so well, brother. I was going to remind June of the letter from Liftoil's Uncle," Alan replied.

"I was thinking about that too, but I wanted to wait a little longer so we wouldn't be overwhelmed. When P'Alan got your letter, I knew we would need more information. I wrote to your uncle, Liftoil," June said.

"That's why we postponed our departure until we got a response. We sent a messenger, who brought the answer right away. He's also a mage and has increased physical vigor. He can use it by running fast, which is why he's our messenger, but the downside of his ability is that after he uses his speed, he falls into a deep sleep. The length depends on how exhausted he gets. We can't use his ability often."

"I see, his mage’s ability is not speed but overall physicality. Usually, he splits it overall, but when he focuses on one thing, it exhausts him," Tankhun explained.

"Oh, that makes sense. I didn't know why that was," Alan mused.

"P'Alan, you can talk about him later. Let me get back to the topic. From what your uncle wrote, I guessed that your father was just like me, Liftoil. What I felt from the bear only confirmed it. It's really complicated with our ability, and it works a lot through feelings that we often can't understand ourselves. Your father must have been like that. He must have known how important your ability would be, even though he didn't know it would be premonitions.
You know, when I was little, I met an old mage. She was a curse breaker and could tell I would be one too, if I survived the metamorphosis. She said that our power isn't only curse-breaking but guidance. The older I get, the more I understand it, but the harder it is to explain," June tried to explain.

“You hear the magic talking to you,” Liftoil said, and June's eyes widened.

"Yes, exactly. Why would you say it like that, Liftoil?" June was surprised.

“I think my father told me that."

June nodded and took a deep breath.

"It's just a guess, but I think Liftoil's father sealed the life force of the dark magician, but it was too much power. That's why he split it and cursed himself and the bear. I’m unsure what exactly he did, but I know it wouldn't work without bear’s consent. The bear must have some mage powers and was aware of what was happening and also how to find this castle and ask for help," June said.

Before anyone could react, a bear's roar split the air. It sounded like the bear confirmed June's words.