BOUND BY SECRETS

Ever since the day Title Jirawit first laid eyes on Santa, something inside him shifted. At first, it was curiosity. Then, it turned into admiration. And before he knew it, admiration turned into obsession.

He started noticing everything about Santa—his bright laughter, the way he carelessly ruffled his hair when thinking, the way his friends always surrounded him like he was the center of their universe.

Title didn’t like that.

He wanted Santa’s attention. No—he needed it.

_____

It was the start of the new semester, and Chiang Mai University was buzzing with excitement as seniors welcomed the new batch. Santa, being one of the most popular seniors, was at the heart of it all.

"P’Santa! Can we take a picture?" a junior asked shyly.

Santa grinned. "Of course!"

"P’Santa, can you help us with the campus tour?" another one asked.

Santa happily agreed, guiding the juniors while his friends teased him.

"Wow, our Santa is like a celebrity," Mark joked.

Title stood at a distance, watching. His hands clenched into fists. He didn’t like how easily Santa smiled at others, how freely he touched their shoulders, how effortlessly he made people fall for him.

Santa belonged to him.

Later that day, Santa was helping a junior with an assignment when he suddenly felt someone staring. Looking up, he found Title watching him from across the courtyard, his dark eyes unreadable.

Santa shivered but ignored it.

As he walked back to his dorm, Title appeared out of nowhere, blocking his way.

"You’re too friendly," Title said, his voice calm but laced with something unsettling.

Santa frowned. "Excuse me?"

"You let too many people close to you," Title said, stepping forward.

Santa took a step back, but Title was faster. In an instant, Santa was pinned against the wall, Title’s hand gripping his wrist.

"Stay untouched," Title murmured, his face inches from Santa’s. "Because soon, you’ll be mine."

Santa’s breath hitched. His heart pounded—not from attraction, but from fear.

As soon as Title let go, Santa bolted. He rushed back to his dorm, locked the door, and pressed his back against it.

His hands were shaking.

"What the hell was that?" he muttered, running his fingers through his hair.

The way Title spoke… the way he looked at him… it wasn’t normal.

Santa didn’t sleep well that night.

____

The next day, Santa was unusually quiet. His friends noticed immediately.

"Okay, spill it," Sammy said, crossing his arms.

"What?" Santa feigned ignorance.

"You look like you saw a ghost," Louis said.

Mark raised a brow. "Or worse, like you had to do an assignment on your own."

Santa groaned, burying his face in his hands. "It’s Title."

His friends exchanged glances. "What about him?"

Santa hesitated before finally blurting out, "He’s creeping me out. He pinned me to a wall yesterday and said weird things."

There was a brief silence. Then—

"HE WHAT?!"

Louis, Mark, and Sammy all reacted at once.

"Okay, that’s seriously messed up," Mark said.

Sammy put a hand on Santa’s shoulder. "We won’t let him mess with you, okay? You’re not alone."

Santa exhaled, feeling slightly relieved.

____

Just as Santa started to calm down, his phone buzzed. Seeing his grandfather’s name, he hesitated before answering.

"Come home this weekend," Niran’s voice was firm.

Santa frowned. "Why? What happened?"

"No questions. Just come home."

The call ended.

Santa stared at his phone, a sinking feeling in his stomach.

Something was wrong.

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To be continued...🖤🤍