Chapter 23

Bold: The characters are speaking in English

Bangkok, Thailand.

“P’Pun… P’Pun… the models are ready P’Pun.”

This reminder came with a gentle shake to his shoulders. Pun lifted up his head, meeting the feline face of a j.a.panese boy who stared back at him with worry. “P’Pun, are you not feeling well…?”

“No, no…” However, his head felt unbelievably heavy.

The intern photographer appeared restless. “What to do… oh, your body’s hot too.” Concerned, Haru scratched his head furiously before darting out of the studio. Pun rested his head back down onto the table again.

This evening, he was filling in for one of Petch's fashion photoshoot jobs. Furthermore, as per Editor Chid's orders, he was forced to bring Haru along too, being reminded to teach him the ropes as well.

Except, was he himself going to be alright…? Pun was curious as to what the cause for his dull headache was, after all, it had persisted for two days in a row now. He reckoned that he was stressed, and therefore decided to take a short nap while waiting for the models to get their makeup done.

Haru came back with a worried expression. “P’Pun, will you be alright…?”

“I’m fine, I’m fine…” He rea.s.sured, trying to lift his heavy eyelids. The other party was stood right in front of him, yet he couldn’t seem to focus his vision. In fact, the harder he squinted, the more his headache intensified.

He heard Haru mutter something in j.a.panese, but he couldn’t seem to make it out… his eyes were blurry and his ears were buzzing, what was wrong with him?

Crash!

“P’Pun!!!”

That entire fiasco was what had occurred yesterday; according to his scattered memory at least. But no matter, because today it seemed like he would be replacing it with new memories.

“Ah! P’Pun you’re well enough to come back to work already?” The melodious voice belonging to a certain kitty was the first to greet Pun as he pushed open the office doors, his smooth face and round cheeks displaying signs of relief. The rest of the office got up and flocked around Pun to inquire about his well-being. As for Mild and Meuk, they both ordered him to go back home.

“P’Pun, if you’re still not feeling well then don’t come to work, what if you get other people sick?”

“Gee, you guys are really worried about your senior.” And then he took a breath: Wheeze… fine, he admitted that he was very sick. “I’d like to sleep but…”

Upon sending a sidelong glance at Haru, the kitty turned to meet his gaze with his shiny innocent eyes, to add, making a face which essentially translated to: ‘P’Pun you’re worried about Haru? Haru’s so happy’. Being confronted by this, Pun also had to admit… that this kitty was truly endearing.

As if able to read his mind, the kitty adorably leaned his head to one side, scrunching his brows together to make a concerned expression. “Haru was awfully shocked when P’Pun collapsed…”

This was the reason why Pun came to work today. Since yesterday’s photoshoot was suspended as a result of the cameraman suddenly falling ill, Editor Chid–who was initially already annoyed with him–was most likely seething with anger by now.

Pun went to sit close with the j.a.panese kitty and asked him something in a hushed voice. “Uh… so, has P’Chid showed up to the office yet…?”

“P’Chid? Oh, Boss? He arrived since early in the morning and called Haru in to have a talk.”

Uu… he was in deep trouble.

“Well what did he tell you?”

“Boss said…” The kitty made a thinking expression before grinning ear to ear. “Well done! Boss loved the photos and told Haru that from now on, Haru should continue to learn from P’Pun.”

What? Well done? As in, ‘fully cooked’?

…

…

…

Did he hear wrong? Pun didn’t even take a single photo yesterday.

The kitty stilled, then laughed sheepishly. “See… Haru didn’t tell Boss that P’Pun went home first from falling sick… Boss was definitely going to be mad so Haru decided to submit the photos that Haru took yesterday and claim that they were from P’Pun. At first, Haru was super terrified because Haru has never done fashion photography before–so if Boss actually became angry, Haru would confess that they were shot by Haru. But it turns out that Boss was really pleased with the photos so Haru has been keeping it a secret.”

The person listening was so surprised that he felt like his fever was going to resurface again. Kitty, you’re brave enough to even lie to P’Chid?

“Hm, let me see those photos.” P’Chid has never praised anyone before, what did he find so fond about this novice's…

Pun’s face went numb… his hands were numb… he felt like his entire body was encased in ice….

No…

The skill in shooting these photographs, was far from what one would describe as a novice…

If Haru was considered a novice… he and Petch were merely thumb-sucking children who only just figured out how to uncap the lid of a camera lens for the first time.

This boy… had professional-level talent… Did P’Chid actually send Haru to spy on him? What was he thinking exactly…? Or was that not the case? P’Chid might also be clueless because this boy had been forced upon him by the director. However, with skills like these, couldn’t P’Chid tell from a single glance? What a joke!

“P’Pun… uh… are the photos not to your liking…? Um… Haru apologises for taking the photos without your permission…”

In that very second, he felt his head become hollow and empty… he was at a loss for words. The only thing remaining was a strange feeling which clutched his heart tight, like a storm, it manifested out of nowhere to wreak havoc on his entire body.

The sad expression of the person before him, just seeing it made Pun feel guilty for not being able to usher a praise despite how absolutely astounding the photos in his hands were.

“I’m stepping out to a take phone call for a bit, we’ll discuss work later Haru.” It was the best thing he could say at this moment.

“Hey Haru, what’s wrong? Why are you making that expression?”

P’Chid’s voice rang out from behind him, making the boy jump and nearly fall out of seat. Haru quickly turned to face him, smiling awkwardly. “Ah… Boss.”

“n.o.body here calls me Boss, you can call me P’Chid like everyone else, you know?” He said, referring to himself with a pointed finger. “Understood? Here… have a snack, I bought too much.”

He reluctantly accepted the snack held out in P’Chid’s palm.

“P’Chid… um, Haru has something to confess.”

The person who was munching on the snack glanced up at his boss.

“If it’s about those photos then I already knew… don’t let Pun figure it out though.”

Ah, he was even c.o.c.king an eyebrow! What were these people playing at? Haru really couldn't comprehend it.

…

Kazakhstan.

Today's Hummer ride was not as romantic as I had antic.i.p.ated, but at least with these gigantic tires, they would be preventing my posterior from heavy bruising. To elaborate, our journey this afternoon was utterly brutal as a result of the cross country racer who was about to cross us into the afterlife, namely, ‘Viktar the Fast and Furious’ who was trying climb the Hummer up to the national highway via a rugged road which coiled like a snake. More importantly… not once did Viktar lower his driving speed, leaving my wits to tremble and scatter all over the place as we climbed further up and up…

Was the hottie helping to soothe me? Huu… how could you ask such a question… he was sat reading his newspaper, occasionally sipping his coffee like not a single thing in this world bothered him. As for the gorgeous Jessica, she plugged her ears and covered her eyes with a sleeping mask, dozing off since the first three kilometers of the ride.

“Hey… Viktar, how much farther?”

“Hm.”

“I warned you to come sit together at the back but you didn’t listen.” The person comfortably reading his newspaper added insult to injury and beckoned me close with a hand, offering me what seemed like a paper brochure. Upon unfolding it, I recognized it as a travel brochure recommending sightseeing locations, as well as the traces of a red marker which circled particular points of interest.

“This is a map of?” I couldn’t read a single letter… the heck was this language?

Despite being unable to read it, I could roughly understand that this map was talking about the Altai mountains… Sound familiar? Yes, it was! The Altai mountains were in my grade nine social studies textbook which taught me that Thai people were Chinese migrants from the Altai mountains; but only later in grade twelve did I learn that this theory was unreliable. On a brief side tangent, I really didn’t understand our country’s education system. What was the point of feeding students false information when it was just a waste of brain cells? With such low IQs already, learning would only make students even more stupid. Now then, back to the main story. I studied the picture of the vast and enormous Altai mountain range situated to the northeast of Kazakhstan. Truly it was the work of mother nature, big and small rocks had piled together over the centuries to create this highland scenery which seemed to tower up to the skies. Snow dusting the peak of every mountain in the distance gave the illusion of almost being able to reach out and touch the doors to heaven. Meanwhile, in the foreground, Lake Kutsherla was a crystal clear mirror which reflected the formidable grandeur of the mountains.

Wow… with snow all year round, if I fell into this lake by accident it would be h.e.l.lishly cold.

“You must be thinking about something stupid right now.”

He knew!

“It’s obvious just by looking at your face.”

Hmph. But I couldn’t suppress my smile. Even though he had a ferocious face, a harsh voice, and a cruel personality, why was he always able to see through me?

“Not only does your face look stupid, but you think about stupid things too. Here… take a look.”

I jutted out by bottom lip, turning my attention back to the map in front of me. However, my eyes were secretly peering over at the long slender fingers covered in thin golden hair… this handsome gorilla!

“So pretty… you’re taking me there right~?” I was shameless enough to start pleading at this point.

“I’ve brought you this far already, would it be better if I left you on the side of the road instead?”

Using intimidation again! Please don’t leave me here, if the police catch me I’ll be deported back to Thailand.

I continued to study the map. One particular mountain was stunningly beautiful and to take photographs from the top would be an amazing experience… That said, this hottie had been considerably kind as of late. If I was left all alone in Astana, the farthest I would have gotten would probably be the edge of town. I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to sit on my darling Hummer and travel four to five hours to this beautiful, well-renowned, national park. Perhaps this hottie made a promise with Jessica beforehand, that's why he agreed to take us travelling. Good thing I wasn't travelling one-on-one with him at least… I can't begin to imagine how much I would be subject to bullying.

Abruptly, the road began to smooth out, accompanied by its slope which grew steeper and steeper. I extended my neck, spotting something glittering and pearly white amidst the verdant pine forest. “What’s that white thing over there?”

“It’s the barn you’ll be sleeping in while I attend my meetings.”

Hah!? A barn again? And to put this straight, this hottie was a countryside mafia gangster?

…

A barn was for raising cows, water buffaloes, pigs, dogs, crows, chicken, etcetera, etcetera… so why was this hottie’s barn surrounded by a fence towering above my head…? Did this hottie’s family run a giraffe farm…? And this barn… um…

“Do you have a problem with my barn or what?”

“From where I’m from, people call this a mansion Alexey, I think you might be mistaking something.”

I replied while admiring the gorgeous sparkling pearl white mansion which reflected the soft late afternoon sun. From the corner of my eyes, I caught Jessica squeeing at the elegant magnificence of the English garden which was trimmed into a maze.

“Is that garden for walking your giraffes?”

“Maybe. There’s a bull inside too.”

He wasn’t kidding… upon stepping down from the car, I felt my body shrink at being surrounded by the barn (like h.e.l.l was it a barn)… it was a three story building styled in a blend of neo-gothic architecture and daunting Russian art. In front stood a gate which reached well above my head height where upon looking through it, a statue of a rodeo bull could be seen posing elegantly at the front and center of the entrance. To the left and right-hand side, the English-style garden maze was gorgeously decorated and well-maintained. Most unexpected of all, a large group of stewards swiftly approached me, bowed politely and then… inspected me for weapons!

I stood there completely stunned while the hottie turned to discuss something with Viktar. A middle-aged steward with a bushy moustache whipped out a metal detector and patted me down from head to toe. When it emitted a beeping noise, I was ordered to remove my belt, then my watch, followed by my shoes… Steward number one then pa.s.sed my watch to steward number two as he inspected it for any abnormalities, his expression full of speculation. Hua… bro, there’s no need to inspect my bright yellow Casio G-Shock watch that fervently. On top of that, both stewards picked up my shoes and pried open the insoles to see whether there was anything hidden inside or not.

Who did they think I was? Jason Bourne? 007?

Turning to look at Jessica, ah… why wasn’t she surprised at all? She seemed indifferent and calm despite being forced to remove this and that from her person just like me. Or was she accustomed to it from traveling so regularly? Needless to say, shouldn’t it be enough to have these procedures at the airport? This was someone's house…

…Or was it?

Peering into the house, I saw five men in black suits enter, each holding a tenacious grip on their respective briefcases. Swivelling back around, I spotted a 4WD Chevrolet–the type which couldn’t be bought in Thailand–parked with four men sitting inside as they waited to be inspected for weapons as well.

“Hey… what’s going on?”

“I have a meeting here.”

“Is there nowhere to hold your meeting in the city?” I asked, intrigued. “Being a government official, your every action should be transparent no?”

“A person can wear many hats. Depending on the hat is worn, one must act accordingly.”

“Then which hat are you wearing to attend this meeting? The hat of government official or a contraband dealer?”

“You’re wrong on both counts, I’m here as the concessionaire.”

You’re going to sell your concession and therefore secretly needed to hold a meeting this far away…? Awesome, the Altai mountains which costed millions? I’d love to buy it too. I thought sarcastically, before a revelation hit me.

A group of government officials / politicians = Those who own the country’s resources. Clueless citizens = Those who pay taxes to the group of government officials / politicians so they could squander it away???

It was exactly identical to the situation in Thailand, how shocking.

Finally, the stewards released me so I could enter the gates. Inside, men adorned in black suits strode across the courtyard dutifully, each and everyone one of them holding a serious expression on their face; I was beginning to believe that this was an exclusive characteristic of the people belonging to this country. Alexey waved his hand, signalling for the stewards to escort me and Jessica towards a different direction. Thus, we were given the honour of entering the house through the wine cellar, past the kitchen, before appearing in another wing which seemed to be a gallery showcasing the family’s history. Framed to the walls were portraits of forty daunting-looking individuals, some dating back to when cameras were first invented. The majority of them were stern-looking caucasians in soldier attire, some standing next to a tank… uh… the h.e.l.l…? There was a n.a.z.i swastika symbol too… (Was this something to be proud of? That said… you guys were selling out your country? Shouldn’t you have a symbol of the red Soviet army rather than the German swastika symbol?) as well as a variety of other details until I reached the final person, a large man who emitted a powerful aura as he stood beside a bright blue Kazakhstan flag. His name was familiar… the face was also familiar… as well as the surname… but I couldn’t read it because they were Cyrillic letters.

I got it… this was a photo of the president.

Upon stepping onto the second floor, I was disheartened at the sight of fourteen doors which one could play around with, opening and closing to their hearts content. Among them, twelve were locked (I tried to open all of them). The thirteenth room was a Victorian style guest bedroom that seemed to be prepared just for me and Jessica (No way! I have to sleep in the same bed as her!?)

“This room is Ms. Jessica’s, and as for Mr. Petch…” The steward displayed his reluctance before continuing to speak. “As it happens, we have more guests than rooms available. Hence, if you don’t mind please store your belongings in this room for now. Once I’ve found a room, I will transport them over for you.”

Despite his unfriendly appearance, this steward was more polite than I thought. Thus, I quickly thanked the man before he strode away. Sitting down, I watched Jessica squee at the view of the English garden which could be seen from the large three and a half meters tall window pane. “Beautiful isn’t it Petch? It’s like the maze in the movie Labyrinth.”

My, my, to use such an old movie as an example, you’re revealing your age. Although admittedly, the protagonist in that story was quite a hottie.

“Don’t send me down there alone though, I’ll die because I wouldn't be able to find the exit.”

Jessica convulsed with laughter. Hey… it's not funny woi, I meant it seriously.

“Even if it’s just touring the house, I won't guarantee that I’ll be able to make it back to this room correctly, does anyone have a GPS that I can borrow?”

“You idiot, hahaha.” The kathoey accidentally let out a rough manly laugh, making my hair stand on end a little. “This house isn’t that big, wander around and you’ll find it eventually.”

“Hua, how come you've never told me that you’ve been here before?”

Jessica didn’t reply, instead, sending me a smile as she beckoned with a finger. “I’ll take you to see something cool.”

This ‘something cool’ turned out to be a giant cherry-brown oak door with a biometric iris scanner installed to it. Jessica complained something under her breath about being able to access it last time, however, I was too busy wondering why this house required security measures which were stricter than an airport’s. It was fortunate enough that I wasn’t forced me to carry less than 100cc of water with me.

Soft footsteps could be heard from behind me. It was the hottie. He gave Jessica a smile then turned to face me. “Uh… Petch, a steward informed me that all of the rooms are full.”

“Hua, you want me to sleep with Jessica then?” I asked, not thinking much of it. However, Jessica intervened abruptly. “Hey, how about discussing it with me first, hm?”

This uncharitable kathoey! “Fine, are you going to let me sleep here or not? If not, I’ll go back and sleep in a barn again. Oh, Alexey what are the names of your cows, this way I can address them correctly.” I was sulking okay!?

“There are no cows on this property, only giraffes.” The hottie contained a smile, the gleam in his eyes flashing playfully.

“I unintentionally smiled back… because I liked it the most when this smile of his was directed solely at me.

…

To conclude, there were really no rooms for me to stay in. While waiting for the stewards to prepare a place, Alexey allowed me to go play in the library (one which required your iris to be scanned before entering… was Tutankhamun's papyrus stored inside or what?). Upon pa.s.sing through the giant doors, I was astounded at the sight of the minimalist style interior… there was little but also a lot, modern yet well-coordinated with the predominantly neo-gothic design of the house. Thousands of books lined themselves in a neat and orderly fashion on the bookshelves which towered well above my head. I felt like I could fly upon spotting the photography section which contained books dating back to the period when cameras were first invented. As my eyes perused the shelves, I unconsciously pulled out several cla.s.sic photography books and hugged them to my chest one after another. It didn’t matter if I could read them or not because just looking at these holy texts was enough to send me to heaven.

Upon coming to my senses again… the heavy pile of books in my arms became as light as a feather. Not because I had dropped the books, but because they flew into the arms of the person beside me who had followed me inside since who knows when. “Ah… I can carry them myself.”

He shook his head. “Take your pick at all the books you want to look at.”

How odd… his voice which was always frigid had now become palpably gentle.

I craned my neck to examine the shelves again, spotting several extremely expensive old books grouped together in a set (they might even have copies I suspect). “Wow… I never knew you collected good books like these too.”

Alexey looked as if he wasn't smiling, but he was.

“I don’t really have time so they’ve been waiting to be read by someone.”

“I can’t read but I can look at the photos.”

“A great photographer learns by the language of their heart and sees with their vision.”

Despite being unable to translate it completely, I was very impressed by this saying that I ended up remembering it to the point where I could recite it by heart.

My reading corner and luxurious bed for tonight was a sofa set from Italy, placed on a soft animal fur carpet and right beside a window which extended up to the ceiling. Upon drawing open the curtains, I could see the picturesque view of the Altai mountains through the beautifully enchanting screen of fog.

The hottie had told me news about something which made me so happy my skin danced. He said I should get ready because I was going to be taking landscape photos from a helicopter… This made me smile from ear to ear, however, there was a condition…

“One best shot or go home.”

Which pretty much made me stop celebrating. But there had to be a way out! I came all this way already, how could I go home now? I asked him whether I could ransack the entire room.

“Sure.”

“There’s no hidden secret here? There must be, otherwise why would you install an iris scanner?” I couldn’t hold back my curiosity.

The hottie didn’t answer, instead, staring at me with his profound grey eyes before walking out of the room.

“Secrets exist in every nook and cranny, it depends on what you find and how you look at it… Anyways, welcome to my world.”