After rain comes the clear sky (Kaoearth)

18. Wall

"Ah! So tired." Boun groaned as he plopped on the soft bed beside his eldest cousin. He could feel his whole body aching. All he wanted was to get some sleep.

Kao eyed his cousin who was lying in the bed like a lazy kitten. His gaze moved to his other cousin who was lying on the couch looking no better than the first one.

"What were you guys doing that you are so tired?" Kao asked.

"We had training in the club, Phi. It's so damn exhausting." Boun readjusted himself on the bed to a more comfortable position.

Kao knew that both his younger cousins were part of the swimming club at their university. Both Boun and Ohm were people who exercised regularly. So, Kao couldn't comprehend why they were so worn out by the training.

"The inter-university swimming competition is next month, P' Kao." Ohm answered as if understanding Kao's confusion. "Both of us will be representing our university. We are given intense training nowadays."

Kao hummed in understanding. Initially, he had invited the two over because he missed them. It had been months since they had seen each other.

"Have you guys eaten something? I will order something for you." He set aside the file that he was reading and got up.

"Thank you, Phi," Ohm replied with his eyes closed.

"Is there something you guys would like to eat?" Kao asked scrolling through the food delivery app.

"Anything is fine phi," Ohm answered.

"Can't I just sleep? I don't want to eat." Boun whined.

"No, Boun, you can't skip dinner. You are under intense training. Your body needs energy. If you skip the meal tonight, you will be more tired tomorrow." Kao's voice was stern. "You two go and take a hot water bath. The food will arrive by then."

Boun groaned at Kao's words but didn't disobey them. He got up from the bed unwillingly. He was too tired to even move an inch  "Since when did you turn out to be such a nagger".

Kao chuckled at the statement. Boun was right. He was a nagger nowadays. Maybe it was because he had been spending a lot of time with Earth who loves to nag people he cares about.

An hour later, the three cousins sat around the dining table.

"How was your vacation, Phi?" Boun asked making Kao look up. "Any interesting spots in Chiang Mai you would like to suggest? Me and Ohm can visit it when we go to Chiang Mai!" He beamed. The hot water bath had done its magic.

"You guys are going to Chiang Mai? For what?" Kao asked.

"It's said that the swimming competition is being hosted by a university in Chiang Mai this year. We are not sure yet." Ohm answered in Boun's place.

"Oh?"

"Phi, tell us na. Any interesting spots?" Boun eagerly asked.

"Interesting spots..." Kao thought for a while and recited a few spots he had been to with Earth.

"Seems like you had a good time on your solo trip that you are smiling like this, Phi," Boun commented.

Kao's awkwardly controlled his smile not wanting to raise his cousins' suspicions. He could already feel Ohm staring at him questioningly. He chose to ignore the gaze and concentrate on food.

"I haven't heard you mention Yay Dumpling's grandson," Ohm asked making Kao choke on his food.

Kao coughed vigorously with Boun rubbing his back. He was afraid that Ohm had caught on to something. This cousin of his has always been sharp and good at picking hints.

"Are you okay, phi?" Ohm asked worriedly.

"Yeah, the food just went into the windpipe for a second." Kao patted his chest.

"You should be careful when you swallow food," Boun commented and Kao smiled sheepishly.

"Speaking of him, I will be going to Chiang Mai next month." Kao changed the topic without being too obvious.

"Why? You just came back." Boun asked. He really didn't like the idea of Kao leaving again.

"He is going to perform cheerleading for the first time. He wants me to watch it." Kao replied.

"He? Who? Yay Dumpling's grandson?" Ohm guessed.

Kao nodded.

"Why? He wants to get scouted?" As someone from the entertainment industry, Ohm had seen a lot of people buttering up the higher-ups for a chance to debut.

"No. He just wants some moral support. He doesn't even know that we own an entertainment agency." Kao defended.

"Then will you be there to cheer for our competition as well?" Boun questioned.

"Let me see. I can't say for sure." Kao scooped a spoonful of rice and ate it.

"You are sure that you are attending that kid's performance but not sure that you can attend ours. Are you choosing him over us?" Boun sulked.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Kao flicked Boun's forehead for being a drama queen.

"On a serious note, Phi. You have been spending way too much time in Chiang Mai and related matters." Ohm commented.

"Actually, I was thinking of opening a branch of our agency in Chiang Mai," Kao said.

"A branch?"

"Yeah. Once the matter here settles down. Maybe in a few years' time? I was thinking of expanding ourselves to both north and south." Kao added nonchalantly.

He and Ohm started discussing future plans for their agency. Boun sighed watching the two engaging in business talks. He silently finished his food.

"I heard you skipped the counselling session last week," Kao asked Boun who was sitting on his bed. "Why didn't you go?"

"I was just tired, Phi. I don't think the whole counselling session is helping me." Boun said looking down at his hands.

"At least it helped us get back the old you." Ohm snaked his arms around Boun's shoulders.

"That's right. At a point in time, we thought we actually lost you." Kao added.

Boun had been taking counselling sessions and therapy after he tried to take his own life several times. Each time in a different method. Thankfully, Kao and Ohm managed to notice it and took him to a psychiatrist. He was diagnosed as a case of severe depression.

Ohm had exhausted his resources to find a good psychiatrist with whom Boun would be comfortable to get him treated. Back then both Boun and Ohm were minors and Kao ended up being Boun's guardian for their hospital visits.

Boun sighed. "I will go there this weekend." He promised. He didn't want his cousins to get worried about him.

The three chatted for a while before they split into their own rooms.

When Kao got back to his room, he was smiling. He had taken Earth's advice and tried to communicate more with his cousins who were the closest people to him and it didn't seem as difficult as he thought it would be. He could feel the bond between the three of them deepen and even found himself more relaxed holding conversations.

The thick wall Kao had built around him over the years was starting to crack slowly even without him noticing it.