You and I |work In Progress

The Bangkok sun cast a vibrant glow over the city as Joong Archen stepped out of his sleek black car. His polished leather shoes gleamed under the sunlight, and his tailored blazer sat snugly over his shoulders, exuding the kind of luxury that came naturally to him. With a flick of his wrist, he checked his gold watch and sighed dramatically.

"Five minutes late," he muttered, brushing an imaginary speck of dust off his sleeve. "Unacceptable."

"Shall I wait for you, sir?" his driver asked, leaning slightly out of the window.

Joong waved him off. "No need. I'll text you when I'm done. And don't forget to pick up the wine Mother asked for."

"Yes, sir."

With his signature confident stride, Joong walked through the university's courtyard. Around him, students gathered in small groups, their chatter blending with the rustling leaves and distant hum of traffic. Joong noticed the glances,some admiring, some envious and the not-so-subtle whispers as he passed.

"Is that Joong Archen?"
"Of course, it is. Look at his clothes!"
"They say his family practically owns half of Bangkok."
"And the other half bows to them."

Joong's lips curled into a faint smirk. He didn't mind the attention; in fact, he thrived on it. But today, his usual self-assuredness carried a hint of distraction. His thoughts kept drifting back to Dunk.

Dunk had been up before sunrise, starting his day with a shift at the university library. The early morning hours were quiet, the perfect time to focus. Dunk liked the routine: the hum of the fluorescent lights, the comforting smell of old books, the occasional rustle of papers as he shelved them.

"Hey, Dunk!"

He looked up to see his brother Gemini leaning against the circulation desk, a mischievous grin plastered on his face.

"What are you doing here?" Dunk asked, already bracing for whatever teasing was coming his way.

"Just thought I'd walk you to class," Gemini said, feigning innocence.

"Don't you have your own classes to worry about?"

"Phuwin's covering for me. Besides, I wanted to see how my favorite brother is handling his *fiancé* situation."

Dunk rolled his eyes and went back to scanning the books on the counter. "There's no situation. Joong and I don't have to be anything more than classmates."

Gemini snorted. "Classmates? Come on, Dunk. You're engaged. That's practically a love story waiting to happen."

"Only if you believe in fairytales," Dunk muttered.

Gemini was about to reply when the library doors opened, and Phuwin strolled in, balancing two cups of coffee. "Brought you this," he said, handing one to Dunk.

"Thanks," Dunk said, taking a sip.

Phuwin raised an eyebrow. "Why do you look like you've been arguing already?"

"Because Gemini won't drop the Joong thing," Dunk said flatly.

Phuwin chuckled. "Well, he's not wrong. You and Joong are... an interesting pair."

"We're not a pair," Dunk corrected. "We're two people forced into a ridiculous arrangement."

Gemini and Phuwin exchanged knowing looks but didn't push further.

When Dunk entered the lecture hall later that morning, he made his way to his usual seat near the middle. The familiar weight of his bag and the scratch of his pen against paper as he reviewed his notes helped him focus.