YOURSKY, Chapter 1
Every Friday evening, the indigo-ceilinged bedroom would serve as a peaceful retreat. But right now, the relentless clacking of fingers pounding on a keyboard was driving the silence out of this beloved bedroom.
He was rushing to finish an English assignment his professor had given that morning. Though the deadline was next week, he was the type who hated leaving things unfinished. If he had enough free time, he’d clear it as soon as possible.
Theerak had been glued to his laptop since returning from university. Finally, one slender hand moved away from the keyboard to grab the mouse and close the Word program. A bright smile spread across his face from the relief of finishing.
Done at last… I thought I wouldn’t make it today.
Rrrrr
The buzzing vibration of the phone lying nearby caught his attention perfectly. Theerak chuckled softly when he saw the name on the screen before picking up the call.
“Hey, what’s up, Khun Panli? ~” he greeted cheerfully. The person on the other end must’ve guessed he was in a good mood, letting out a little “heh” laugh in response.
In such a good mood, huh? I bet you’ve finished all your work.]
“No one’s as sharp as you.”
[Of course. No one’s as diligent as my buddy.]
“I don’t like leaving things hanging—you know that.”
[Total opposite of me… If I don’t have pending work, I’d probably die.]
“Haha!” Theerak laughed heartily, his eyes squinting as he used his other hand to take off his glasses and place them on the desk.
[By the way, did you forget about tonight? Or you don’t have to go if you don’t want to. We can cover for you.]
“Honestly, I don’t really want to go. I’d rather rest. Mom’s worried too. But Phii Oh has been nagging me so many times—you saw it, right? Last week, I didn’t get a single moment of peace. If I don’t go, I think starting tomorrow, my life’s going to be a mess because of him.” he said with a sigh. His close friend sighed back, both of them equally fed up with this senior.
[That damn jerk. Too bad he was born with such a cute face, so people keep chasing after him like this.]
“Are you complimenting or insulting him?”
[Complimenting, complimenting… Oh, and did you tell your mom I’m going too? So she won’t worry as much?]
“I told her. That’s why she let me go.”
[What about your dad? Does he know?]
“He knows ~”
He’s not gonna send his subordinates to raid my brother’s place, is he?!]
“Are you crazy? My dad’s stationed in Nakhon Pathom. How could he even get there?”
[Who knows? When it comes to cops, they’re all protective of their kids.]
“You’re overthinking it… So what time are you heading to the event? I’ll probably have to go earlier. If I leave any later, my mom might change her mind and make it complicated.” Theerak said with a laugh.
[Probably around 10 p.m. I’m getting ready to leave Rayong now.]
“Okay ~ see you later.” He was about to hang up with his close friend, but the voice on the other end stopped him with a stern tone.
[You chubby-cheeks, do you remember what I told you or not?]
And “chubby-cheeks” was the nickname Panli liked to use instead of his real name.
“What’s that?”
[You, Rak!!]
The prankster burst out laughing, having successfully riled up his friend.
“No drinking until you get to the place.”
[Yeah, keep it in mind… don’t let your ‘drunk and clingy’ nickname from sophomore year make a comeback. I remember how in freshman year the seniors teased you so much you practically wanted to crawl into the ground.]
“Don’t dig up the past! Are you good at excavating or something?”
Haha, Joy always says I’m the son of a master digger.]
“That’s true… alright, see you later. I’ve got to shower and get ready.”
[Okay.]
As soon as he hung up, Theerak looked up at the clock on the wall to calculate the time. The hands pointed to five minutes before 7 p.m. He only had an hour to shower and get dressed since he wanted to arrive at the senior’s birthday party by 9 p.m., so he could sneak out early.
But when his eyes caught sight of a navy-blue shirt still in its clear plastic bag, not yet packed into a box or wrapped with a bow as a gift for the host, the petite guy raised both arms high above his head, twisting his body left and right to shake off his laziness.
…No time left, Rak… hurry up and shower so you can finish wrapping the gift.
Theerak mentally scolded himself. He quickly stood up from the chair and headed to the balcony clothes rack to grab a towel before going into the bathroom.
Not long after, the slim figure with a height of 171 cm emerged, surrounded by a pleasant fragrance. Theerak pulled a long-sleeved red T-shirt from the wardrobe. He had the shirt sorted—now he just needed to pick pants that matched it.
Knock, knock.
Someone outside was asking for permission to enter his room. The sound of the knock couldn’t pull his attention away from the clothes in the wardrobe, so Theerak responded while still staring at the row of pants hanging in front of him.
“Come in, it’s not locked…”
“Want me to drop you off?”
A small, calm voice paired with heavy footsteps echoed in the room, instantly letting him know who the visitor was without needing to turn around.
“No worries, I’ll go by myself.”
“No way, you’re too clumsy. I wouldn’t dare let you travel alone at night. I’ll take you.”
“If you’re worried, just say you’re worried ~ Still so stubborn with your little brother.” he teased the other person. After that, Theerak grabbed a pair of long black jeans—ones his dad had bought him as a birthday gift—from the wardrobe. “Phii Babe, do you think these pants look good on me?”
“You’re really going to Oh’s birthday party?” Instead of answering the question, she fired one back at him.
If Phii Oh heard a third-year junior from his department—a small girl, no less—talk about him without any respect like this, he’d think that the senior nicknamed “Oh, the Real Deal” would be pretty pissed off. But right now, it was just him hearing it, so the words became more amusing than an insult to a senior’s dignity.
Babe sat with her arms crossed, watching her younger brother pull off the towel wrapped around his lower half once he’d finished putting on his shirt and pants. Theerak responded to her with a smile and a laugh, which only irritated her more. She couldn’t figure out where he’d picked up this overly optimistic outlook from—especially since she’d been drilling into him since forever that it’s hard to find trustworthy people in this world. But it seemed her polar-opposite little brother didn’t care at all, always looking at the bright side and bumbling through life.
Normally, she didn’t like meddling in other people’s business, even family matters. But this time, she had to step in because Oh’s reputation was no joke. Her boyfriend had told her that this senior liked to toy with juniors—hooking up with them and then dumping them once he’d had his fun. Babe couldn’t believe creeps like that still existed, and she especially couldn’t believe that the latest target Oh had his eyes on was her own brother.
“Rak, come back early… don’t drink too much. And anyway, Li’s going too, so don’t worry.”
“I heard Li has to drive in from Rayong, right? He won’t be with you the whole time—how am I not supposed to worry?”
“I’m glad Phii Babe cares about me.”
“Well, you’re my little brother, aren’t you?”
Babe replied before letting out a huff. She sat there watching the skinny guy in the long-sleeved red shirt—a color she’d helped pick out when they bought it together—walk over to grab various items, preparing to wrap a gift for that pot-faced host. Theerak plopped down on the floor, sacrificing his comfort so she could sit comfortably at the table without him claiming any ownership of the room.
Floral-patterned frosted wrapping paper was spread out to its full width by his slender hands before a brown rectangular box was placed on it to measure the fit. Her brother glanced up at her every now and then, occasionally flashing a sweet smile to butter her up. She was tough as nails—stone-cold, even—but whenever she saw that smile of his, no matter how annoyed or angry she was, she’d melt every time.
Our personalities are as different as the sky and the abyss.
She’s hot-headed, brash, and rough around the edges—like a guy.
But I… I’m clingy, gentle, and ridiculously cheerful.
Sometimes even Mom and Dad think we should’ve swapped bodies…
“No need to worry, Phii Babe. Rak will be careful, okay?”
“…” If what is said about Oh was true, she figured going to his birthday party this time would be worth it—it’d keep him from messing with her brother again. But if he didn’t keep his promise… she exhaled sharply once more at the thought. “If that bastard doesn’t leave you alone, I’ll go punch him in the face.”
“Haha, Phii Babe, you’re a girl—how are you going to punch a guy? Let me handle it myself. You don’t need to get involved. Just sit pretty at home and wait for your Phii Dom—that’s better.”
“Girls can punch too, idiot… Why wouldn’t I be able to? And as for sitting around looking pretty—forget it. Since when has your big sister ever had that kind of vibe?”
Theerak laughed heartily before nodding in agreement. His older sister was different from most women—she never showed a sweet or gentle side, not even to her own boyfriend, always acting tough and standoffish. But the fact that Phii Dom had been with her for three whole years probably stemmed from this very difference. Even though Phii Babe acted cold, sharp-tongued, and emotionless, deep down she had a soft and vulnerable side. She just didn’t let others see it—only those closest to her could sense it. And maybe because someone like her rarely said words like “love” or “I’m jealous.” it made people like him and Phii Dom feel especially touched when she did.
It’s what you’d call the charm of a tsundere… acting like she doesn’t care…
when in reality, she loves and worries to death.
“Hurry up and finish wrapping it. I’ll wait downstairs.”
“Alright, I will hurry down in a sec.”
The sharp scissors carefully cut along the marked straight line. As the shiny metal sliced the paper into two, Theerak silently prayed in his heart that no trouble would come to him and his friends. Whether that wish would come true or not, well, that was up to the mercy of the sacred powers.
#However Many Thousand Skies
Before stepping out of the house, Theerak had already asked for blessings from the household’s sacred figures—his mom and grandpa. As for his dad, who was out of town, he could only call to say he’d hurry back so they wouldn’t worry too much. Leaving the house after sunset was, for Theerak, harder than a prisoner breaking out of jail. For anyone else, it might feel stifling and frustrating, but not for him. He understood it all came from his parents’ deep love and concern. It might seem odd that, at his age and as a guy, his parents still treated him like a precious daughter.
Theerak wanted to say… no matter how grown up the kids in this house got, whether they were girls or boys, they were all guarded more fiercely than eggs in a stone nest, regardless of gender or age…
Theerak arrived at the meeting spot a little past 8 PM because of traffic. He turned into the wide parking lot behind the shop. As soon as the car stopped, he reached to turn on the interior light to search for the gift box in the back. The constant ping of LINE notifications made him start to panic. He guessed his group of friends were bombarding him with messages, probably thinking he’d ditch Phii Oh’s birthday party.
“Rak, what are you looking for?”
“The gift box, Phii Babe.”
“I’ll smack your head in a second. You gave it to me to hold—why are you looking in the back?”
“Oh! Really? I thought I tossed it in the backseat.” Theerak quickly turned to the seat beside the driver. His sister raised the box high, looking ready to chuck it at his head like she’d threatened. Day by day, he was proving her right about being a total airhead.
“You okay, Rak? You sure you’ll make it back home today?”
“I’m fine, I’m fine. I’ll head in first, Phii Babe. My friends won’t stop messaging me…”
“Seatbelt, seatbelt… Oh my God, Rak, what’s wrong with you?!” Babe yelled when she saw her little brother open the door to get out without unbuckling his seatbelt. At first, she thought he was joking, but someone like Theerak was probably just that clueless.
“Oh, right, forgot, heh.” The scolded one flashed a sheepish grin, quickly unbuckling his seatbelt before getting out. The small figure was about to bolt into the shop, but a car horn stopped him mid-step, nearly making him faceplant.
Theerak whipped around to look at his sister’s car. The darkly tinted window slowly rolled down, revealing the person behind the wheel. By now, Phii Babe had switched to the driver’s side. Her slender hand waved him over, and the fierce look in her eyes told him… the full-on ferocious big sister mode was back in action.
The small figure walked back to the car at his older sister’s call. Phii Babe bent down, rummaging for something, before handing him a gray banknote. Theerak paused silently before shaking his head in refusal.
“No need, Phii Babe. I got some money on me.”
“How much?”
“A little over a thousand baht. I haven’t spent anything. Phii Oh’s covering this event, so you don’t need to chip in.”
“Take it just in case. If you don’t use it, you can give it back.”
“It’s really fine.”
“Rak, just take it already. Stop arguing with me, will you? Here, take it!” Phii Babe quickly stuffed the money into his hand, then pointed a slender finger at his face.
“Don’t come back wasted, got it? If you know you can’t handle it, stop.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Even if the seniors pressure you to drink, just take what you can manage…”
“Uh-huh.”
“And if you really can’t make it back, stay at the bar and call me. I’ll come pick you up. Tell Li too—no driving back if he’s drunk… though I guess Li could crash here, right? It’s his brother’s place.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“Right, and one more thing… if something happens—”
Theerak burst out laughing at his sister’s overthinking. Phii Babe wasn’t much different from their mom, really. But he quickly shut his mouth and listened attentively when she glared at him.
“It’s not funny, Rak. Stuff like this can happen anytime. If you get into a fight, how am I supposed to get there in time to help?”
“Phii Babe, you’re a woman. If something really goes down, you wouldn’t be able to help anyway.”
“A woman, not a baby. Don’t underestimate me too much… Back to the point—if something happens, go find a guy named Fah, got it?”
“Fah?”
“Yeah, Muenfah. Panli’s older brother.”
“Oh, so this bar belongs to Phii Muenfah?”
“Oh my… Theerak, what kind of person are you? What do you even know besides the size of your own underwear?”
“No, no, I really didn’t know this! I swear! Li once said the owner of a bar around Lat Phrao was his cousin. He never said it was his actual brother. I just assumed it was some relative’s place. That Li guy never explains things properly!”
“Not only does he not explain, but you never bother to question him either… His cousin does own a bar around here, sure, but this one belongs to Fah… Turns out I know more than you do. What kind of friendship is this?”
Theerak laughed heartily. He admitted he didn’t know much about his friend. All he knew was that Panli had an older brother named Muenfah, that his parents were rarely in Thailand because they mostly did business in Hong Kong, and that he often stayed home alone since his brother preferred sleeping at his condo. Every time he was alone, he’d call to complain to him. Oh, and he knew their family was filthy rich, but Panli never bragged about it—he always acted pretty down-to-earth. After a year of friendship, that was about it.
He didn’t like prying, anyway… If people didn’t tell him, he didn’t ask.
“Okay, okay. I won’t drink so much I get wasted. And if something happens, I’ll go find Fah. Happy now, Phii Babe?”
“Hmm, go inside the bar already.”
“Mm-hmm.”
As soon as Theerak turned and stepped away from his sister’s car, his friends seemed to know instantly, bombarding him with LINE messages nonstop until the notification sounds echoed loudly. But he didn’t pull out his phone to check—he wanted to tease them, make them worry that he’d bailed on the plans.
He stopped in the middle of the venue, scanning the area for familiar faces. In the meantime, Theerak took in the atmosphere of the place. It couldn’t quite be called a restaurant in the full sense—there weren’t crowds of people crammed together, no sharp cigarette smoke stinging his nose, and it wasn’t pitch-black to the point of blindness. Plus, the live music playing right now wasn’t loud enough to make his chest thump along with the beat.
The place had properly arranged tables for customers, mostly in an outdoor zone that took up nearly the entire venue, with no roof blocking the dullcolored sky at night. This kept the interior neither too dark nor overly bright, allowing a clear view of the surroundings without effort. There was also a liquor bar where lone customers could sit, sip beer, and enjoy the live music casually.
I really like this vibe…
Before he could get too attached to it, he decided to find his friends’ table first. His narrow eyes squinted to focus on the distance.
Yes… he’s nearsighted, but he forgot his glasses. -_-
But the long arms of someone waving frantically in the air reassured him. Even though he couldn’t see their face clearly, Theerak was certain it had to be one of his friends.
“Rak… over here, dude!”
Type’s shout, loud enough to compete with the music, made him grin so wide his cheeks nearly split. His slim legs moved quickly, heading straight for the inner VIP section reserved for special customers. The moment he arrived, several fourth-year seniors—some he knew, some he didn’t—turned to stare at him in unison. Type, sitting nearby, asked in a hushed tone:
“Rak, turn your face this way. Is something stuck on it or what?”
Before he could face Type, Joy cut in with a concerned voice, “What’s on your face? Come here, let me get it off… Why are all these seniors staring at your chubby-cheeks like this?”
Theerak blinked rapidly. Instead of turning to his friends, he felt like a freak and lowered his head to check for anything unusual on himself, running a hand over his face. But nothing seemed out of place… so why were all the seniors staring at him like that?
Thankfully, Phii Oh, the birthday boy, stood up and broke the awkward atmosphere before it got worse. If they’d kept staring any longer, Theerak thought he might’ve bolted out of the place.
“Theerak… I thought you weren’t coming.”
“Here… a gift for you, Phii Oh.”
“Thanks! Next time, you don’t have to bring anything. Just showing up makes me happy enough.”
“Y-Yes, sure.”
Theerak gave a dry smile to the fourth-year senior he wasn’t particularly close to. Phii Oh took the gift box and stepped closer, leaning his handsome face in to whisper softly by his ear:
“The most valuable gift for my birthday this year is you coming to see me, Theerak.”
The smaller guy stepped back, putting more distance between them. Phii
Oh’s words sent shivers down his spine—more than when he’d gone into a haunted house. It wasn’t because they were the same gender that he felt awkward; Theerak had been hit on by guys since high school and was used to it, never feeling any disgust toward people of the same sex. But it was the phrasing and Phii Oh’s raspy tone that made his hair stand on end.
“Um, excuse me, I’ll go sit with my friends first, okay?”
“Why don’t you sit with me at the head of the table? It’ll be fun.”
“No, thanks, I’d rather not.” Theerak gave a polite smile, though inside he desperately wanted to bolt home. If it weren’t for his desire to get this scary senior out of his life, he’d never have dragged himself to a place like this.
The small-framed boy plopped down in the middle between Type and Joy, while Phii Oh returned to the head of the table, a fair distance away. His sharp eyes scanned the room once, and it was clear that they were the only juniors there. Out of the twenty-something people at the table, everyone else was a senior. Phii Oh had told him he’d invited almost all the second-year juniors, so why was it just their little group that showed up? Even though he was a bit naive and didn’t overthink things, as Phii Babe often said, this time it felt too strange to ignore.
“Me and Joy called and messaged you like crazy—what the hell, why didn’t you read or pick up?”
Before he could even gather his thoughts, Type launched into a rant.
“Aw, come on… I just wanted to mess with you guys and make you worry.
I thought it’d be funny if you thought I was gonna ditch and not show up.” “Oh my god, my chubby-cheeked buddy is way too innocent…”
Joy chimed in, reaching over to pinch the soft, plump cheeks of her skinny friend. Theerak felt the sting and could barely take it, but because he adored Joy so much, he let her tug at his cheeks every day.
“If you’d just checked your messages, Rak, you’d know we were actually hoping you’d ditch for real.” Type said.
“Wait, seriously? Guess I messed up then.”
Joy smiled wryly before leaning in close, whispering softly in his ear,
“Yep, chubby-cheeks, we’ve already fallen into Phii Oh’s trap.”
Type stared at the smaller boy, who sat frozen as if his soul had left his body, while Joy patted his narrow shoulder lightly to comfort him.
Theerak couldn’t believe he’d actually fallen for Phii Oh’s trick. He’d only dared to come today because he thought tons of his fellow juniors would be here—no one would dare refuse Phii Oh’s invitation, right? But it turned out it was all just a lie from the senior.
Phii Oh was ridiculously cunning…
“Me and Joy were gonna let you ditch so we could sit here and drink for free a bit longer. But now we’re stuck sipping sour faces instead, because once you showed up, Li ordered us not to drink at all.”
“Huh, why not?”
“Because there’d be no one sober enough to look after you.” Joy explained on Type’s behalf.
“I say we don’t wait for Li to get here—let’s just leave now. This whole thing feels off. Even the part about inviting or not inviting juniors—Phii Oh lied to me. I’m starting to think that promise he made about leaving you alone isn’t real either.”
Right now, Theerak felt a mix of worry and frustration. He wanted to march over and smack the senior hard on the head for daring to use his trust as bait to lure him out here, making him look like a fool in the process. No wonder Phii Oh was hated by almost every junior in the faculty. Theerak had been one of the few without any prejudice against him, but now he was starting to feel the same way as everyone else.
“Then I’ll call Li and tell him not to come to the restaurant.”
“Mhm… Joy, step out somewhere quiet and call Li. That way he can drive slowly and not rush over.”
“Okay.” Joy nodded in response to her chubby-cheeked friend’s words before getting up from the table.
Type swept his gaze around the room and froze when he caught the sly look in Phii Oh’s eyes as he stared at Theerak. That pervert was eyeing his friend like he wanted to swallow him whole. Sensing trouble, Type cleared his throat loudly to snap the target of that creepy gaze out of it. But Theerak, being far too naive, didn’t pick up on the warning signal and instead handed him a glass of water, thinking his throat was dry, before going back to tapping away at his phone.
Ugh… that chubby-cheeked idiot really doesn’t get anything.
“Rak!” Type didn’t give up, gritting his teeth as he called out to his friend again.
“What’s up, Type? Just say it. I’m texting Phii Babe to let her know I’m heading back.”
“Look up at me, you broken spear!”
A face too delicate to belong to a guy looked up and met his eyes. In that moment, Type wasn’t surprised at all that Phii Oh was so obsessed with his friend. The guy was crazy about him—openly declaring to all the juniors across three years that he liked Theerak and was pursuing him, not caring what anyone thought, not even bothering to check if his friend would accept the confession.
Probably because this chubby-cheeked darling of everyone’s is just that cute… it’s only natural Theerak gets swarmed with love.
“Looked up, now what? What’s your deal, Type?”
“That jerk Oh is staring at you so hard he might get you pregnant.”
Those almond-shaped eyes slowly flicked toward the head of the table, observing as his friend had pointed out. Sure enough, someone’s gaze from that direction was indeed locked onto him. Theerak swallowed hard, a nervous lump in his throat, feeling an uneasy churn in his stomach. He nodded as a signal to his friend before standing up from the table.
I can’t stay here any longer…
“Let’s go find Joy.”
“Yeah, sure.” Whoosh!!
But just as he and Type were getting up from the table, an arm grabbed his. Theerak flinched in shock before turning to see who was gripping his arm so tightly.
“Uh, Phii Oh…”
“Leaving already? Theerak you haven’t even had a drink yet. You’ve only been here a minute… Plus, I haven’t gotten to talk to you yet.”
“Well… we already talked, didn’t we? When I gave you the gift.”
“That’s it?…Friends, I want to talk to him too, right, guys?…” Phii Oh said, turning to his group of friends.
All the seniors chimed in enthusiastically, begging him to stay. But when he refused, they booed loudly in disapproval. Type, however, ignored the clamor around them, grabbing his friend’s other arm and pulling lightly to break him free from Phii Oh’s hold.
“His sister’s calling him back, Phii Oh. Let him go home for now. If you want to talk, do it tomorrow.”
“Yeah, Phii Babe’s already called for Rak.”
“Then, Nong Rak, finish this glass of vodka first. I’ll let you go after that.
Consider it giving some respect to the birthday boy.”
Theerak watched as a thick hand grabbed a small shot glass from someone and offered it to him. He lowered his eyes to the clear liquid with a sharp smell in front of him. Theerak had a good idea of how potent it was—after all, even someone with a copper throat like Panli had passed out in the middle of a drinking session from just one bottle of vodka. There was no need to mention someone like him, who didn’t drink and had an extremely low tolerance.
Just one shot… would I wake up tomorrow?
“I’ll drink it for him. This guy, Rak, doesn’t do alcohol.” Type interjected.
“Mind your own business, Type…” Phii Oh said with a laugh, though if you listened closely, you could sense the irritation in his tone. When Theerak glanced up at him, it was clear the senior was angry—his fierce glare was fixed on his friend.
“Well, I have to butt in, don’t I? He’s my friend.” Type shot back.
“Then I guess my friends want to butt in too…”
As soon as Phii Oh finished speaking, several fourth-year seniors rose from their seats and gathered behind Type. Theerak saw one of Phii Oh’s friends reach out to pat Type’s shoulder, signaling him to sit down. Sensing trouble, he yanked his arm free from the senior with force.
“I’m not okay with this… I’m leaving. Tell your friends to back off from mine too.”
“Guys, back off… give Nong Type some space. Theerak doesn’t like it…
But, Theerak, could you stay and chat with me a bit longer?” Phii Oh asked.
He was about to refuse, but before he could say anything, Phii Oh took the liberty of dragging him to sit at the head of the table. When Phii Oh held the vodka shot to his lips and said Type would be safe if he drank it, Theerak reluctantly downed the glass. He only agreed to buy time until Panli could arrive—it was better than letting Type get dragged off somewhere.
If I still have any leftover luck, my friend might get here in time to help.
The bitterness burned his throat, but Phii Oh didn’t offer him water. Instead, he handed over a cloudy, slightly sweet drink. Theerak forced himself to take a sip to rinse his throat, but it didn’t help much—turns out, this colorful concoction had alcohol in it too.
During that moment, the words of Phii Babe and Panli kept swirling in his head. He felt both scared and guilty at the same time. Soon enough, his brain started to fog from the alcohol’s effects. He saw Type trying to get up and reach him, but Phii Oh’s friends surrounded him, keeping him pinned.
Theerak scrambled to think of a way out every second. Phii Oh kept whispering something in his ear, disrupting his focus. From what he could catch, Phii Oh was rambling on about love, trying to lean his face closer—too close to his cheek. Theerak raised a slender hand to push the senior’s nose away and shifted his chair to put more distance between them.
It was like he’d lost his senses when he was dragged over. Only now did his mind start racing with wild thoughts—imagining his friend getting beaten up for helping him. His brain conjured up all sorts of scenarios, each one worse than the last. He’d never thought so negatively before, and it only fueled his growing fear.
Theerak couldn’t stop the flood of frantic imaginings in his head. He even started blaming himself—that his friends were in trouble and at risk because of his naivety and overly optimistic outlook. Who would’ve thought Phii Oh could be this cunning?
Lost in unstoppable thoughts, his imagination soaring to the edge of the sky, clear teardrops suddenly fell onto the chubby-cheeks his friends loved to tease out of fear. Theerak smacked his own head hard to snap himself back to reality, because it felt like his sanity was slipping away fast.
The last image Theerak could clearly recall when he was still somewhat lucid was… the wicked smile of Phii Oh.
Type could only sit and watch his friend lose it under the influence of alcohol. Theerak sat sobbing uncontrollably while Phii Oh hugged him to console him. No matter how drunk he was, losing all sense of himself, it must’ve been some deep subconscious hatred for the senior that made him reject every touch from the other party.
“Hey, hey!! Phii Oh, don’t do that! He’s drunk—are you seriously going to molest him?” Type didn’t care about the bigger seniors surrounding him. He pointed a finger at Phii Oh’s face as soon as he saw him kiss his friend’s cheek with a loud smack.
“Mind your own business, you jerk Type. I’ve been annoyed with you for a while now. That other punk too—wait till he gets here, I’ll beat him up right in the middle of his brother’s place.”
“Shut your mouth if you don’t want a kick. My friend’s having a good time.”
“I’m not stopping. I’m taking my friend home.” Smack!
A thick hand slammed down hard on his head. Type shot up, his patience gone. The seniors who’d attacked him stood up too. Type raised his fist to strike back, but his eyes caught Joy standing at a distance. She shook her head and waved her phone, signaling him. Joy was probably figuring out a way to help them. Knowing this, Type calmed himself and sat back down, buying time to keep Theerak from being violated any further.
It might seem strange that they had to look after and be so protective of Theerak as if he were a girl, but anyone who loved him would know how much he deserved to be shielded from people like this.
Theerak was never quick on the uptake, always saw the world through rose-colored glasses, never thought ill of anyone, and often got taken advantage of. He was too innocent to let Phii Oh have his way with him…
even just molesting him was unacceptable.
…Whether it’s a woman or a man… no one wants to be violated.
See? Even blackout drunk, he’s still trying to resist Phii Oh…
Joy, who’d called Panli less than an hour ago and had snuck off to take selfies in the bathroom, came back to find her two friends in a tough spot. She panicked, trembling all over. She fumbled for her phone in her sling bag, her hands shaking as she dialed a friend, praying Type could hold it together a little longer.
And praying that chubby-cheeks could hold onto his senses too…
“Pick up the phone, Li, please, I’m begging you.”
[Hey.]
“You jerk, took you long enough to answer.”
[What’s up? You’re just cursing me.]
“Uh, Type—earlier he almost punched Phii Oh’s buddies.”
[Trouble already? What about Rak?]
“I saw Rak crying with Phii Oh… sob, don’t be mad at me, okay? I just went to take pics in the bathroom.”
[Go find a staff member, tell them to call Phii Fah… hurry!]
“What!! Call Phii Fah? I’m scared—I don’t dare order someone to get him.”
[Joy! Pull yourself together, go get my brother now… I just called him, and he didn’t pick up. You have to go get him yourself!]
“Alright, stay on the line with me for now, okay?”
[Yeah]
Joy lowered her hand, keeping the phone close to her side, scanning the restaurant for a staff member. Maybe it was the worried look on her face or something else, but a male employee approached her without her even calling out.
“Miss, is there anything I can assist you with?”
“Can you talk to Panli for me?”
“Oh, sure.” Joy handed the phone to the employee while glancing back at her friends’ table. Type was still in his seat, but Theerak looked worse for wear—his head drooping, practically collapsing.
“Please talk quickly—my friend’s about to get eaten alive, big bro.”
“Yes, yes. Hello, Panli?”
“…”
“Uh, Fah hasn’t come in yet. It’s just Real here.”
“…” Joy stood still, listening intently to the conversation.
“Got it, got it. I’ll go tell Real right now… Miss, Panli want to talk to you.”
Joy quickly took the phone back and pressed it to her ear, watching the employee dash up the stairs to the second floor. She stammered anxiously to her friend still on the line, “Phii Fah’s not here, huh? Can this Real guy help? That jerk Oh brought a whole pack of friends—tons of them!”
“Phii Real’s a business partner of Phii Fah. He should be able to help. He’s pretty decisive too.”
“Then where’s your brother? I’m so scared I might crap myself, Li!”
“Who’d have thought that bastard would lie? I asked around, and others said Oh invited them too. I figured the other second-years would show up. If
I’d known it was just our group, I wouldn’t have let you guys go.”
“It’s not your fault…” Joy sighed before her eyes widened—she spotted the real owner of the place stepping into the restaurant.
Muenfah—or Phii Fah, as Li and the others at uni called him—walked in with a calm, neutral expression, nodding slightly to the staff who bowed to him. Joy took a deep breath to steady herself. What people said about him…
Muenfah, so hot it’s sinful—it must be true.
This was the first time she’d seen Phii Fah, a senior from her faculty, up close and personal, and not in the usual student uniform she’d glimpsed before. It wasn’t a sight you’d catch easily. Phii Fah didn’t show himself around much, and running into someone as good-looking as him by chance was next to impossible. Joy had only seen him once before when he came to find Panli in class. Others who got a look at his handsome face probably had to stalk him to manage it.
And today, Joy thought Phii Fah was insanely good-looking. Maybe it was the oversized navy short-sleeve shirt tucked into long black slacks that made the senior look even sharper. The Chinese character tattoo under his right forearm added an extra edge of toughness. Thanks to her nosiness, Joy zeroed in on that tattoo as the tall figure approached, realizing…
The character was 爱—ài—meaning love.
“Okay.” Joy nodded as her chubby-cheeked friend instructed, then stood up from the table.
Type scanned the room and froze when he caught the cunning glint in Phii Oh’s eyes as he stared at Theerak. That creep was looking at his friend like he wanted to devour him whole. Sensing trouble, Type coughed loudly to jolt the target of that leering gaze into awareness. But Theerak, too innocent for his own good, didn’t catch the warning and instead offered him a glass of water, thinking he was parched, before resuming his phone tapping.
Ugh… that chubby-cheeked fool really doesn’t get it.
“Rak!” Type didn’t relent, his voice straining through gritted teeth as he called out again.
“What’s up, Type? Spit it out. I’m texting Phii Babe to say I’m heading back.”
“Look up at me, you dimwit!”
A face too pretty to belong to a guy met his gaze. In that moment, Type wasn’t surprised at all that Phii Oh was so infatuated with his friend. The guy was obsessed—boldly announcing to juniors across three years that he liked Theerak and was courting him, heedless of anyone’s opinions or whether his friend even reciprocated.
Probably because this chubby-cheeked darling is just that adorable… it’s no wonder Theerak gets smothered with affection.
“Looked up, now what? What’s your point, Type?”
“That jerk Oh is staring at you so hard he might knock you up.”
Those slender eyes slowly shifted toward the head of the table, observing as his friend had said. Sure enough, someone’s gaze from there was locked onto him. Theerak swallowed hard, an uneasy feeling churning in his gut. He nodded to signal his friend before standing up.
I can’t stay here anymore…
“Let’s go find Joy.”
“Yeah, sure.” Whoosh!!
But as he and Type were getting up, an arm grabbed him. Theerak flinched in shock before turning to see who was clutching his arm.
“Uh, Phii Oh…”
“Leaving already? Theerak hasn’t even had a drink yet. You’ve barely been here… Plus, I haven’t talked to Rak yet.”
“Well… we already talked, didn’t we? When I gave you the gift.”
“That’s it?…Friends, I want to talk to Rak too, right, guys?…” Phii Oh said, turning to his buddies.
The seniors all chimed in enthusiastically, begging him to stay. When he refused, they booed loudly in protest. But Type ignored the uproar, grabbing his friend’s other arm and tugging lightly to free him from Phii Oh’s grip.
“His sister’s calling him, Phii Oh. Let him go home. If you want to talk, do it tomorrow.”
“Yeah, Phii Babe’s already called for Rak.”
“Then, Nong Rak, finish this vodka shot first. I’ll let you go after that.
Consider it respecting the birthday boy.”
As the tall figure stopped in front of her, Joy quietly swallowed a big gulp, then looked up at his handsome face. She secretly gauged his height with her eyes—Phii Fah was probably around 185 cm.
But now wasn’t the time to admire her friend’s brother. Joy needed to muster the courage to ask Phii Fah for help. She was about to voice her plea, but he beat her to it, starting the conversation himself.
“Li told me to come find you, Joy… Is something up?”
“Uh, yes… It’s a big deal too.”
…
“No!!!! Sob, I want to go home!!”
The sound of someone wailing and shouting grabbed the tall guy’s attention perfectly. Muenfah shifted his gaze from his brother’s friend to the source of the noise. At the VIP table in the corner of the shop, things looked chaotic. He spotted a fourth-year senior from his faculty yanking someone around.
And the one crying out was probably… Theerak.
“Is it about Phii Oh’s table?”
“Yes, it’s that… uh, Phii Oh. He likes Rak and…”
“Joy, wait here… I’ll be back.”
“Okay, okay.” Joy could only nod, watching the broad back stride toward the VIP customers’ table. Three staff members followed their boss without a word. Joy shook her head, hand on her chest, thinking… this is going to be a mess.
The moment Muenfah reached the table, the senior—a regular at the shop—turned to him with a grin, greeting him casually in a way he shouldn’t have.
“Hey, Fah, here to join my birthday party? Come on, sit down. But I’ll have to excuse myself soon—my ‘boyfriend’ wants to head home.”
“Your boyfriend, my ass!!” Type blurted out.
“You little shit!!”
Muenfah glanced at the other senior raising a hand to strike Type. Whether it was his stare or the fear of getting kicked out of the place, the guy lowered his hand and resorted to cursing instead of hitting.
Muenfah didn’t care about anyone’s glares or words. He stepped forward, closing in on the smaller, drunken figure who was out of it. His large hand grabbed the free, pale arm and pulled the slight frame toward himself. He was sure the other guy hadn’t meant to let this junior end up in his arms, but Phii Oh probably didn’t expect him to do this and had let his guard down, leaving the small guy standing there unrestrained.
“What the hell are you doing, Fah?”
“This time, I’ll admit I’m being rude to you, senior… Today, drinks for you and your friends at this table are on me.”
“I don’t want it. I drink at your place all the time. I can pay—how else would I be a VIP here?…Don’t mess with my kid either.”
Muenfah stayed silent, watching the senior rant loudly, then lowered his eyes to the small figure in his arms. The drunk guy wrapped both arms tightly around his waist, eyes fluttering shut as he prepared to drift off.
“Give me back Theerak, Fah!” Slap!!
“0_0”
“0_0”
Everyone at the table widened their eyes in shock at the bar owner’s behavior toward a VIP customer. Type saw Phii Fah slap Phii Oh’s hand away with such force that it made a loud smack, and he knew Phii Oh must have felt a stinging, itching sensation on his skin.
“You want a piece of me, huh, Fah?!”
“I’ll take the kid home myself.”
“No way… That’s my boyfriend. I can handle him myself.”
“Type… Is Theerak really Phii Oh’s boyfriend?”
Type stammered as he quickly answered the calm-faced man, “No, Phii
Fah… Rak’s drunk. He probably agreed without realizing it.”
“Don’t mess around, Type. Theerak already agreed to be my boyfriend, and he knows it.” Phii Oh snapped.
“Then ask him again when he’s sober. For now, I’m taking him home.” Muenfah replied coolly.
“What right do you have, Fah? Think you can do whatever you want just because you own this place? Everyone, look at this—the owner’s acting all high and mighty, bullying customers, doing whatever he pleases!”
Muenfah showed no expression as he watched the senior rant and slander him. This guy’s behavior was pushing his patience to the limit. Silently, Muenfah counted to ten in his head, promising himself that if the shouting didn’t stop, he’d knock him out cold right there.
“At uni, he acts so damn cool, handsome and famous everywhere… Who knew he was this full of himself?”
His sharp eyes caught sight of a junior named Joy stepping into the circle just in time. He gently disentangled the small arm from his waist and entrusted the drunken figure to her. Meanwhile, Type—Panli’ friend he’d often chatted with—rushed over to help Joy support him. “And now look at this, everyone! He’s trying to steal—”
Pow!
“Asshole!!”
Type and Joy gasped in unison as they saw Phii Fah land a full-force punch square on Phii Oh’s face, sending him crashing to the floor. For good measure, he followed up with a kick to the creep’s chin, knocking him out cold.
Truly knocked out at his feet…
Phii Oh’s so-called tough friends, who’d been so bold earlier, now stood silent and still, not daring to move as they stared at their unconscious buddy on the ground. Type let out a quiet chuckle, thinking to himself, A guy like Oh doesn’t have real friends—just drinking buddies.
“A little gift from the bar owner.” Muenfah said to the motionless senior before turning to the manager standing nearby. “Remove him from the VIP list too. He’s not welcome here anymore.”
“Uh, yes, sir, Fah… So, uh, what do we do with the other customers who… saw this?”
“I will let Real handle it. I’ve got something to take care of. Please handle things here.”
“Uh, yes, sir. Real’s just coming down now.”
Muenfah walked over to the two juniors supporting the drunk figure. He nodded as if asking to take over caring for Theerak. They let go easily—not out of fear, but because Type and Joy trusted him more.
“Phii Fah, you’re taking Rak home, right?”
“Yeah, Li already sent me Rak’s home location.”
“At first, Li said he couldn’t get through to you…” Joy added.
“Calling like that… I guess I have to pick up.”
“Well then, Phii Fah, hurry up and go.”
Muenfah nodded in acknowledgment, dragging the drunk person out of the shop under the gaze of dozens of eyes. If he were the type to care about others’ opinions, that shocking incident wouldn’t have happened earlier. Whatever Muenfah decided to do, he was confident he’d made the right choice.
And helping a drunk person escape from that disgusting creep… he’d made the right choice there too.
#However Many Thousand Skies
A black Benz sports car pulled up in front of a single-story house, matching the location his younger brother had sent. Muenfah turned off the engine and unbuckled his seatbelt before turning to look at the smaller figure sleeping soundly beside him.
“Rak…”
“…”
“Rak… we’re home.”
“…”
Muenfah let out a tired sigh. It seemed his junior wasn’t going to wake up easily. With that thought, his sharp eyes glanced at the watch on his wrist.
Midnight…
At this hour, the restaurant would be especially busy with customers. If he took his time gently waking Theerak like this, he could imagine Real cursing him down to his ancestors for being left to run the restaurant alone. So, Muenfah decided to get out of the car, walk around to the other side, and carry the unconscious drunk into the house.
But then, the car door was opened from the inside. Theerak swung one leg out onto the ground, preparing to step out, only to be held back by the seatbelt. He started fussing, struggling to pull it off.
“Wait, I’ll do it…” Muenfah said softly, leaning down to unbuckle the belt for the smaller man. After that, he let Theerak get out of the car on his own.
He spread his arms wide, ready to support the unsteady, wobbling figure from a distance without touching him. Muenfah watched as Theerak stumbled forward, laughing and smiling like a child.
Maybe it was that smile… that made everyone fall for him.
That’s probably why Li said he’d rather have Theerak as a son than a friend…
But suddenly, Theerak stopped in his tracks, refusing to take another step. He looked down at his pants pocket, fished out his phone, and handed it to him.
“What?”
“Heh ~”
A bright smile, untouched by the effects of alcohol, was directed at him.
His teary, almond-shaped eyes from crying made him look like a puppy.
Muenfah took the phone from Theerak, and then something unexpected happened.
Thud!!
Two slender arms wrapped tightly around his waist. Muenfah was both confused and startled. No one had ever done this to him before, and he didn’t like being ambushed with physical contact like this either. The phone in his hand vibrated urgently, demanding to be answered, causing his ability to make decisions to falter.
Muenfah decided to answer the phone first, then used his free hand to gently pry the slender arm clinging to him off.
[Hello, Rak, where are you? Rak?]
“I’ve brought Rak home already.”
[Huh? Oh, Phii Fah? Sorry… I thought Rak had sobered up and picked up himself.]
“It’s fine…”
[I just talked to Li—he said he kept calling you, but you didn’t answer.]
“I was driving.”
[How’s Rak doing now?]
That question made Muenfah lower his eyes to look at the small figure hugging him. A cute little face was rubbing against his shirt, and those chubby-cheeks—his little brother’s absolute favorite—were pressed right up against his chest.
“Rak…”
“Kiss my head…”
[Huh? What was that, Phii Fah?]
Muenfah couldn’t hear it clearly either, just like the junior on the phone. He furrowed his brows slightly, stopped resisting the hug from the small figure, and asked again “What did you say?”
“Kiss my head…”
“…”
Both he and the person on the other end fell silent. That request was too awkward to fulfill, so Muenfah decided to end the call with the junior to deal with the drunk person first.
“Let go already—I’ll take you inside.”
“Then kiss my head first!! Or I won’t let go.”
“Why are you being so stubborn now…”
“Wah… You don’t love me anymore, do you? You only love Phii Babe…
You won’t even kiss my head, wah…”
The whining and crying grew louder by the second. Afraid it might carry all the way to the guard post, Muenfah pretended to give in with a light tap on his mouth.
“Fine, fine.”
“…”
Muenfah brushed the back of his hand gently against the jet-black hair, trying to mimic a kiss as best he could. With someone this drunk and out of control, how could they possibly distinguish between a nose’s touch and a hand’s?
“That’s not a kiss… Wah ~ Liar!”
But Theerak could tell the difference…
“I kissed you… How is that not a kiss?”
“It’s not a kiss! Kiss me here… Wah, kiss me here…” A slender hand lifted, pointing right at the crown of his head while his face stayed buried in Muenfah’s chest.
Muenfah was starting to suspect this kid. Was Theerak actually drunk, or just messing with him? He could distinguish the touch and even point precisely at the top of his head.
“I kissed you already. You got an inch and now you want a mile, huh?”
“Mom!!! Theerak got tricked, sob, Mom!!!”
“Hey!! Why are you calling for Mom…”
“I told you to kiss me!!”
“So demanding! Fine, I’ll kiss…” Muenfah let out a huff, staring at the jetblack hair while inwardly questioning why he was agreeing to something so ridiculous.
He leaned down slightly… pressing the tip of his nose into the soft strands. A faint, pleasant scent—though he couldn’t quite place what it was—filled his nostrils. Muenfah felt almost as intoxicated as the smaller person in his arms. At first, he’d only meant to lightly brush his nose against the hair…
But before he knew it… his nose was buried deep in that fluffy head.
TBC
#However Many Thousand Skies
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