The Next Prince, Chapter 16 pg2
The Next Prince, Chapter 16 pg2
‘I'll remember that.’
The conversation from a few days ago flashed through Khanin's mind again. He frowned again, but this time it wasn't because he was stressed or lost in thought. He couldn't quite classify what kind of feeling it was, but it was much more positive than negative.
“I remember that you like orange-flavored ice cream.” Charan spoke as he scooped a pastry straight into his mouth, letting the sweet and sour taste seep into his body.
“Why did you...” Khanin intended to ask why the person in front of him bought this thing for him, but he caught sight of the calm face and extended sentence that made the small person pause to catch his breath.
“I read in a book that when we eat sweets, it triggers the release of chemicals in the brain such as endorphins and serotonin, which help improve mood and make us feel calm.”
“Can you simplify that a bit?” The cool and sweet ice cream was sent into the small person's mouth. Khanin waited for someone to speak for almost a minute.
Charan seemed like a robot processing something. He said a few words that seemed to make the sadness that had been swirling in Khanin's emotions before subside.
“I bought this for you so you wouldn't be stressed. Is that simple enough to understand?”
The outside scenery was green with a group of trees and mist hovering, meandering through the mountain range, along with the sound of the engine, which was a unique feature of the vehicle. However, these things did not bother the person looking out the window.
Khanin leaned his head against the large windowpane and thought of the intimate influence of Charan, who had now become his other older brother. He remembered when they said goodbye before; it was low, but if there was an opportunity to meet again or visit, he would take it. At that time, he himself was firm and appropriate. In reality, he wasn't sure if there was another chance to meet again.
Sitting on the train for several hours didn't exhaust him as much as he thought. Maybe because there were others around him to take care of each other. He looked at the farthest mountain, hidden behind the fog.
He was here now, but he didn't feel even slightly excited.
“Don't stare at the mirror too long.”
The sentence was like calling the white person out of the castle of thoughts. Khanin's gaze shifted from the outside view to the tall person who hadn't made any movements for several hours.
Charan was like a programmed computer, while the other person sat hugging his knees, often being warned to be careful by Charan.
“We are on a train, and the train is passing through the mountains...I don't think anyone could shoot me right now.” The whispered sentence seemed to make Little B nervous, but Charan understood it well. This child's world wasn't the life hanging on a thread.
The boy was just an ordinary human being. Self-defense skills might not be his forte, as it wasn't unusual.
“You should toughen up. Anything could happen now. Even if you jump into the water, no one can guarantee that you'll be safe.”
Charan replied matter-of-factly. The conversation topic was nervewracking, but the speaker's posture was no different from that of a debate. General topics, such as earth, sky, and air, asked for philosophical exchange about living.
Khanin took a breath. Although he wanted to argue, he knew fully that what Charan said wasn't an exaggeration or real threat. He had already proven everything to himself. Being an Atsawathewathin wasn't that simple, after all.
“Hm.” Khanin pretended to take a deep breath, sounding exhausted. But eventually, he retreated from the window and sat down to hug himself, replacing the conversational couple.
“We're almost there. We need to prepare ourselves.”
In this situation, Charan began to figure out how to deal with it. He didn't pay much attention to the child, but instead chose to stare at his watch to calculate the distance and position of the station that they would arrive in a few minutes. It was certain that Khanin guessed the way out, and the child knew that Charan didn't want to prolong the tension in a potentially dangerous situation, but that was all that he saw and couldn't help being uneasy.
“So what should we do?”
He wrinkled his nose, breathing out a light sigh, and raised his eyebrows to ask a question. This time, he didn't want to harass them, but raised doubts because he wanted a genuine answer.
Since yesterday, when they boarded the train, Charan hadn't told him anything about their plans. On the other hand, the other person arranged everything for him. It was the kind of management that the child had barely moved.
From finding food, arranging a bed, sitting and watching him fall asleep, Khanin still saw Charan staying in the same position, from Bangkok up until they arrived at their destination. He didn't know if he had slept or not.
“But talk is cheap....even the face of God still looks too perfect. Above and beyond two standards.”
“Get ready. The next station is the final one...we'll get off there.”
It didn't take long for them to arrive at the last station. It wasn't different or impressive than many stations they passed before. There were snacks, ticket booths, and people strolling around to wait for their trains.
Khanin followed behind the tall figure, observing how he handled everything with ease, unable to admire him internally. Since he knew him, he had never seen Charan unable to handle anything. Whatever it was, he was always careful, cautious, and appropriate.
“Do you want to drink water? Or do you want to go to the bathroom first?”
Because he was sneaking glances at the face of God, Little B's gaze slipped away from the tall figure. He paused for a moment before quickly dodging his gaze and nodded.
“Um, I want to go to the bathroom.”
Sure, here is the translation of the provided text in English:
In fact, Khanin wanted to go to the restroom since before reaching the final station to take a break. However, because he saw that the other party was confused about the route, he did not say anything. In this situation, he didn't know what he could do.
As soon as his feet stepped onto the Emmaly country area, Khanin felt his own trembling, as if his confidence had disappeared.
“If so, let's hurry to the meeting point.” The young man did not continue the conversation, knowing that he should do everything quickly. Charan pointed out that the boy chose to enter a large bathroom outside with him standing guard.
His eyes scanned the surrounding area for possible dangers, and when he didn't see anything unusual, he decided to use the phone. Last night, Charan typed an important message to inform some people about the rough schedule.
He only hoped that everything would go according to plan from now on...
“Shall we go?” The soft voice from Charan began to become familiar to the young man who raised his head.
At this time, Khanin's face was white and wet, with water droplets scattered around his face. His hair was slightly drooping, indicating his urgency. It made him feel no different from looking at a white fluffy cat trapped, forced to take a bath.
“Why don't you use a tissue to dry your face before coming out?” He asked, handing over his hand to gently wipe away the drops on the smooth cheeks of the other party. It seemed like an inexplicable action that happened spontaneously.
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