Chapter 2 Waiting for the Brat
The soft morning sunlight filtered through the lace curtains of the "Leo Ink" tattoo studio. Amidst the quiet atmosphere of the old Nakhon Pathom market district, the aroma of roasted coffee from the neighboring shop drifted by. However, the shop's massive owner didn't have the slightest interest in the drink in his hand.
Leo woke up feeling different today. He had intentionally chosen a fitted black t-shirt that accentuated his muscles and the intricate tattoos sprawling across his powerful arms. He grabbed his keys and wallet before stepping out of the shop with a single, clear goal in mind.
He wanted to see the "rebellious brat" from his memories once more.
Leo leaned against the wall in front of the convenience store at the corner near Ice's house. In one hand, he held a bag of snacks from a famous local shop; in the other, a bottle of green tea the exact flavor he remembered the younger boy loving so much. His ink-covered arms and stoic demeanor made passersby look at him with awe and intimidation. Yet, deep within his sharp eyes, a flicker of tenderness appeared whenever he glanced toward the two-story wooden house down the street.
The tattoo artist's heart skipped a beat. The image of the little boy who used to follow him everywhere years ago overlapped perfectly with the university student standing before him now. A small smile tugged at the corner of Leo's mouth, and a protective affection clouded his gaze as he instinctively stepped out to block the path.
The moment their eyes met, Ice froze as if under a spell. His heart skipped a beat, leaving a strange, fluttery sensation in his chest for no reason.
"Again...?" Ice whispered under his breath. His beautiful eyes widened in panic, and he immediately spun around, preparing to bolt.
But the larger man's reflexes were too fast. With just a few strides, Leo gracefully cut him off. He tried to soften his intimidating presence, slowly reaching out to offer the snacks and tea, his fingertips trembling slightly something that never happened to him.
"I bought these for you... you love this snack and green tea the most, don't you?" His deep voice was soft and gentle, as if he were handling a fragile porcelain vase. He was terrified that his usual roughness would scare the boy away.
Ice took a deep breath to steady his racing thoughts. He immediately stepped back to maintain distance and barked at the man to hide his inner trembling.
"Who even are you?! Why do you keep following me? Can you stop bothering me? I don't even know you!"
Although he tried to keep his voice firm, his slightly shaking shoulders betrayed his true feelings. Ice scanned the tall man in front of him from the tattoos winding around his arms to the sharp, handsome face he didn't recognize at all.
"Do you have any idea how creepy this is? A guy like you... standing in the dark, waiting for a student and shoving snacks at them? Anyone would be scared!" Those blunt, heartless words were like sharp arrows piercing the listener's heart. The faint smile on Leo's face slowly faded, replaced by a hollow silence. His breath hitched for a moment.
Leo didn't fight back. He stood as still as a statue, letting the suffocating silence envelop them. He could only watch the back of the "rebellious brat" as he hurried into the convenience store, leaving the snacks Leo had stayed up thinking about undelivered in his hand.
The ceiling fan in the lecture hall swayed rhythmically, trying to ward off the day's heat, but it couldn't cool the fire in someone's heart. The sound of the blades hitting the air, mixed with the loud laughter of friends during the mid-class break, only made Ice feel more restless.
"Seriously, man... I think he totally likes you," Tum blurted out, breaking the silence while wiggling his eyebrows teasingly at his frowning friend.
"Right? He looks so fierce with all those tattoos, yet he's out here delivering green tea to you? His heart must be as soft as cotton candy," Mo added, leaning on her hand and laughing at Ice's flustered state.
"Stop imagining things! I told you, I don't know him!" Ice snapped. His fair face flushed a deep pink. He adjusted his glasses and started rambling to cover his tracks.
"Showing up and waiting for me two days in a row like that? I'm more worried about a criminal case than a romance! He looks like he's ready to kidnap me for ransom!"
Despite the barrage of insults and his attempt to act annoyed, Ice's thin lips were pressed into a tight line. He crossed his arms tightly, using them as a shield.
Deep down, a new feeling was taking root. His small hands, tucked under his sleeves, shook slightly. He could still feel the lingering sensation of their proximity from this morning. The man's faint scent and those melancholic eyes were stuck in his mind, making his
"I don't know him" conviction shake more with every passing second.
Later that evening, the pastel orange sunlight stretched across the row of shophouses, casting a warm glow over the familiar path. Ice walked home, trying to keep his pace as normal as possible, even though his heart started thumping erratically as he approached "Leo Ink."
Just as he thought, Leo was sitting prominently on the same wooden chair in front of the shop. His posture was rugged yet possessed an undeniable mature charm. A faded t-shirt hugged his broad chest, revealing glimpses of the tattoos on his left arm. He had a cigarette perched at the corner of his mouth in a relaxed manner, holding a beer can carelessly. To most, he looked like a dangerous man to avoid, but his sharp eyes reflected only the shadow of the boy walking toward him.
The moment Ice passed, Leo stood up to his full height and handed over a new bag of snacks.
"They have a new flavor today... you once complained about wanting to try this one, right?"
"Enough, man! I never complained!" Ice barked instantly, his cheeks puffing out in frustration.
"You're so annoying! Are you going to ambush me every morning and evening? What do you want from me anyway?!"
Leo flinched at the sharp tone, but he didn't retreat. He followed closely behind, his pace calm. He reached out his tattooed arm, offering the bag once more to block Ice's path.
"I don't have bad intentions... I just... want to give this to you." His deep, husky voice softened visibly, as if he were pleading.
Ice stopped dead and turned to glare at him. His clear eyes behind his glasses were filled with a mess of emotions annoyance at being pursued, confusion at a familiarity he couldn't name, and frustration at the feeling beginning to form that he didn't want to admit.
"Fine! I'll take it! Just leave me alone!" Ice snatched the bag reluctantly. Their fingertips brushed for a split second, sending a jolt like an electric current through him.
Ice spun around and marched home without looking back, leaving Leo to watch his receding figure with a faint smile on his stoic face. At least today, the brat had accepted his gift.
The moment he stepped through the front door, Ice nearly collapsed against the heavy wood, panting. Uncle Chai, who was busy prepping sliced ginger and sauce in the kitchen, looked up at his only son. Ice looked like a mess his face was flushed red, sweat soaked his hairline, his school shirt was untucked, and his hands were full of snack bags as if he had cleared out a mall.
"What were you running away from? Look at you... you're a pitiful sight, son," Uncle Chai said, shaking his head while putting down his cleaver.
"I don't know, Dad! Some guy huge, covered in tattoos, looks like a hitman. He keeps giving me snacks! Morning and evening, over and over until I'm going crazy!"
Ice poured out his frustration in a non-stop rant. He slammed the snacks onto the marble table before stomping upstairs to deal with the heat rising in his chest, failing to notice the change in his father's expression.
Uncle Chai stood still for a moment. He watched his son disappear upstairs before looking down at the snacks Ice's favorite brand. A faint memory from years ago flashed in his mind. The image of a tall, thin young man who used to secretly hang snacks on their gate... the eyes that were determined yet humble.
"Leo..." Uncle Chai whispered the name into the hum of the shop's fans. The older man's lips thinned, his eyes flickering with both agitation and worry.
"You're doing it again, aren't you? Coming back to mess with my son again, you little curse!"
It seemed the storm Ice feared wasn't just about moving home. It was an old flame being reignited by the very tattoo artist his father couldn't stand.
That night, inside the quiet wooden bedroom, Ice sat facing the wind of an old desk fan. The soft light fell onto an open programming textbook. His eyes scanned the lines of code over and over, but not a single piece of information was being absorbed.
His head was filled with images of that broad back and those rugged tattoos. He reached out for the snack bag beside him. The bright packaging of the newest flavor caught his eye. It was exactly the one he had casually mentioned to his friends in class last week.
"Dammit... how did he hear that?" Ice whispered to the empty room, his lips pressed tight. He let out a long breath, looked away from the snacks, and gazed out the window at the distant, twinkling stars.
The fierce face of that tattooed giant remained vivid in his mind the way his eyes looked wounded when Ice yelled at him, and that deep voice calling him "Brat" so boldly.
"That guy... who exactly is he?"
The question echoed in his heart a question he couldn't answer, yet it kept him awake. Ice didn't realize that the restlessness he was feeling wasn't the anger or annoyance he tried to tell himself it was.
It was the faint vibration of a heart... beginning to
sway to the rhythm of a familiar stranger's pursuit, without the owner even knowing it yet.