"Can you open your eyes a little?"
The small voice came again as Star gently touched his boss's eyelids. He eased the tan lids apart and applied two kinds of eye drops to the left eye, then repeated the same on the right. After that, he pressed a warm compress softly over them.
"Keep your eyes closed for a bit. I'll dry your hair for you."
Eye drops weren't the only thing he took care of Star always did more than he was told, willingly. Even though he complained about his debt sometimes, he never once asked for extra pay. And he'd never stolen a single thing. Sometimes Rock couldn't help wondering what kind of upbringing created someone like this someone small but resilient, hardworking, gentle, and pure. How much love had his family given him to shape him this way?
"Hey, Star."
The creditor suddenly spoke up through the warm compress, breaking the silence.
"Yes?"
"Do you… brag to your friends? About riding in my luxury cars?"
His curiosity got the better of him did Star boast like the others used to?
"Never." The small voice replied simply.
"Why not? Every person who's ever taken care of me bragged to three neighborhoods about getting to ride in my cars. Some even pretended online that the car was theirs."
Since Star's answer wasn't what he expected, Rock kept the questions coming. It was the first time they'd ever talked this personally.
"I don't like cars," Star said quietly, his expression dimming.
"…Why?"
"My partner loves cars. He cares about cars more than me. And after what happened recently… I just hate them even more. They scare me."
"You? You had a partner?" Rock scoffed loudly. "A short, scruffy, plain-faced kid like you? Who the hell would even like you?"
"You can see my face now?" Star shot back for once he was tired of being bullied about his looks.
"Why you! !" Rock barked.
"I… I did have someone I loved," Star murmured. "It's just… I grew up in the countryside. I don't know what's normal for city people. I thought doing what my parents taught me was good enough giving love, taking care, being considerate, giving money, giving time.
And maybe… maybe city people having friends they can… sleep with… maybe that's normal. Maybe I'm just overthinking."
His quiet confession made Rock freeze a little. He'd never cared about romance thirty years single, and perfectly fine. He had money, cars, everything he wanted. Having a lover sounded pointless. But this small debtor… probably had nothing. So he clung to someone anyone for support.
"What did you just say?" Rock snapped. "Did you seriously let some leech make a fool out of you? I've only heard a few sentences and I can already tell your 'partner' sounds like scum! Why don't you call him and tell him to help pay off your debt? You're supposed to help each other, aren't you?!"
His harsh words boomed through the room. He was furious furious over something that wasn't even his business. Furious at how stupid someone could be, doing all that for a love that wasn't even real.
"He can't help…" Star answered softly, head lowered.
"Did you even ask him?!"
"No… I never asked for money or anything from him. And… the reason I don't have any money left is because I gave it to him. For… for the down payment on his Benz."
The more Star confessed, the tighter Rock's fists clenched. Someone who gave everything money, effort, heart for a love that didn't exist…It was nothing but pure stupidity to him. In Rock's world, people only did things for money, for something real..Even his own parents created him for one reason, Power, Money.
"What did you just say?"
"Before everything happened, I had to help him pay for his car all the time. That's why… I don't really like cars anymore."
Star smiled faintly such a small smile for something that should never have happened to anyone.
"You really are an idiot."
"I don't know what counts as stupid or not. I just know… if you love someone, you give them everything. You support them with everything you've got because you're partners."
"You actually liked that bastard that much?!"
"We were together for a year. And… he was the first person who ever approached me, even though our social status was so different. The first person in this big city who made me feel like I had someone to rely on… someone who thought of me… someone who came to see me."
"You don't have any friends or what?"
"I work several jobs a day. I don't have time to meet friends."
"That's exactly why you got stuck being stupidly loyal to just him. And you dressed like this when you were with him?"
"Yes. He didn't judge my appearance. If he did, he would've told me to change or he would've dumped me already."
"…God. I don't even know what to say. Do you have any idea? Someone who never speaks up, never teaches, never advises their own partner that's no different from someone who doesn't care. Someone who doesn't love."
"But he said he liked me the way I am. That I didn't need to change."
"As a fellow guy from the countryside, let me ask you something why do people from rural areas always dress plain, wear the same clothes, and let others bully them for it? You can style yourself, dress well. It's called respecting other people's eyes, not wearing the same cheap-looking outfit every damn day. Look at me. Look at my parents. How do they look?"
"…Very dignified," Star answered softly.
"My family's from the far edge of Chiang Rai. And we don't let city people or anyone else walk all over us. But to have power, to be respected image is the first thing."
"I… I don't like tattoos. Or piercings. I'm scared of pain."
"That's not what I mean, idiot. Tattoos wouldn't make someone like you intimidating anyway. I mean go change your clothes and your damn hairstyle! If you're working for me, you need to look good!"
"I don't have money… I'm already working to pay you back."
"I've got friends."
Suddenly Rock was invested in Star's background..
Which was strange, since the first day he saw Star, the only thing he asked about was the damage fee. He didn't even bother asking his name.
But once Star's story started to unfold.. once Rock learned why he had no money, why he was broke to the bone..he started huffing and grumbling at every little detail.
It seemed like every part of Star's pathetic love life rubbed him the wrong way.
"Debtor, my ass~! That man has never brought any of his underlings for a makeover, honey.Or did you trade your body for it like in those dramas, hmm?"
The muscular stylist raised a glossy hand to a perfectly painted mouth, eyes blown wide as if discovering that a favorite actor was caught in a scandal with a villainess.
"Uh… if you mean paying the debt with my body, then yes, that's correct,"
Star answered honestly, head ducked in embarrassment. It was Star's first time meeting Rock's friend, and those teasing, sparkling, suspicious eyes didn't help one bit.
"Aha! I knew it! But really someone like you? That tiny little body? You sure you can handle it? Rock's packing jewels, darling. Big and long..mmm~ suddenly craving stuffed sticky rice bamboo."
Those plump lips made a dramatic sizzling sound, face melting in exaggerated pleasure, leaving Star baffled by this diva-like performance.
"What are… jewels?" Star asked while DeeDee tried to tame the messy hair.
"Don't you act innocent with me! People with baby faces like that are always the wildest. If we cut the bangs here you'd look like a doll. Such fair, fair skin too.
So Rock likes this type, huh? Usually the man only drools over cars."
The buff gay stylist rambled on, touching Star's hair and cheeks, spinning the kid left and right like a toy he needed to adjust.
"You've known Rock for a long time?" Star asked quietly.
"Of course, sweetie. We served in the military together."
DeeDee's expression melted with a dreamy sigh, as if recalling a sweet secret romance from back then.
"Ohhh~"
Snip! Snip! Snip!
Chunks of hair kept falling past Star's eyes, handful after handful, while the salon owner chattered nonstop clearly trying to break down the kid's walls. To DeeDee, Star looked exactly like someone who'd been lured in, and the stylist was dying to dig up how the two ended up together.