YOURSKY, Chapter 3
The slender figure behind the steering wheel stared blankly at the large, round red traffic light ahead, feeling bored and frustrated. Nearly two hours had been wasted sitting idly in the car due to Bangkok’s traffic. Apart from the soft music playing in the background to chase away the silence in this confined space, there was nothing or no one to keep him company and alleviate his loneliness.
On any other day, he might have picked up his phone and scrolled through social media to pass the time. But right now, his mind was cluttered with a million thoughts.
He didn’t know how much longer he’d be stuck on this road filled with hundreds of cars. No matter where he looked, all he saw were engines and plumes of dust and smoke swirling in the air. The vibrant evening sky, transitioning beautifully from deep red to soft orange, still managed to offer some comfort. But now, that vast expanse of sky had been transformed by time, shedding its colorful beauty and leaving behind only a dark, unappealing void.
In the past… he used to love gazing at sky at night.
But as he grew older, the tiny stars seemed to dwindle more and more.
And because of that… he no longer enjoyed looking at sky at night.
A sky without the light of stars felt too quiet and lonely…
And because Theerak had absentmindedly stared at the sky he no longer liked for too long past 7 p.m., a silence began to settle within his heart. It might be good that nature can sometimes heal the mind from chaos and bring us back to ourselves, free from scattered thoughts for a brief moment. However, Theerak also realized the downside of a heart that was too calm and quiet.
That inner stillness made the voices of certain people and memories he had tried to shake off or forget become even clearer…
Like right now, when Muenfah’s deep voice echoed in his head, stirring the lump of flesh on his left side—previously lying dormant—into a frenzied dance. It irritated him that he couldn’t control himself.
“Wash your hair… it’s starting to smell.”
He hadn’t verbally agreed to rush home and wash his hair until it smelled fresh for three or seven days. Yet it seemed some part of his body stubbornly responded to Muenfah’s command, despite his own reluctance.
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
Yes… some organ in his body was overstepping its role, pounding loudly as if it wanted to shout for the tall figure to hear, even though he had no intention of following those orders.
“So stubborn.” he muttered. It was rare for Theerak to scold himself; he usually preferred giving himself encouragement. But now, he was starting to get annoyed with that red lump of flesh.
Rrrrrr.
Before he could get too upset with his foolish heart, which kept racing just from hearing Muenfah’s voice, his black phone vibrated with a notification, snapping him out of his irritation. Theerak glanced at the name on the screen before picking it up to answer.
“Hey, Phii Babe… I am on my way home. The traffic’s insane.”
[Are you almost home yet?]
“Not even halfway there…”
[Well, when you get back, you’ll be in for a big surprise.]
“…Huh? Another surprise? Rak can’t handle this anymore. Surprises all day long—I’m about to lose it…”
[Dad’s coming home today!]
“Huh?”
[Dad called me and said he’s on his way back home. He left in the evening, so he’ll probably be here soon…]
“B-but didn’t Dad say this week he’s too busy with work to come back? And…”
[Dad knows about you getting drunk with that guy Oh.]
“S-seriously?”
[Seriously… Dad said we’ll talk about it at home. You’d better prepare yourself.]
“Is this going to turn into a big deal? I don’t like trouble, and Phii Babe knows that… Can Phii Babe tell Dad that I’m fine now and to let it go? Tell him it’s over and that guy won’t bother me anymore.”
[You’re talking like you don’t know your own dad. Saying that will just get you chewed out. You know how he is—no one messes with his family…]
“What am I supposed to do now?”
[You’re the one who understands Dad best after Mom. Figure out how to talk to him to calm him down. I’m just calling to warn you, that’s all…]
“…I’ll head back right away.”
[Mm…]
As soon as he hung up, the silver pickup truck in front of him started to move, as if the traffic officer in the control box pressing the signal button knew how anxious he was. Theerak pressed the accelerator to move his car toward the red-light intersection ahead—not the shortcut home, but a turn that, after driving a bit further, would lead to Dad’s favorite congee shop in front of an old building.
It might take a little extra time, but it could be worth it if Dad saw his favorite food brought home for him…
In just a moment, after escaping the hellish traffic that had held him up for nearly two hours, Theerak arrived at the congee shop quickly. His pearl-white sedan pulled into the wide parking area before the shop. The small-framed man hurriedly grabbed his wallet and strode quickly toward the shop.
“One pork congee with everything, extra liver, extra ginger, no egg, in a bag, please.”
The middle-aged man who owned the congee shop, who looked only a few years younger than his father, turned and gave him a familiar smile before speaking in a friendly tone, “For the Sergeant, right?”
And “Sergeant” was the nickname the shop owner liked to call his father, derived from “Police Sergeant.” his father’s current rank.
“Yes, Dad’s coming home today.”
“Then I’ll make it extra special. It feels like he hasn’t been back to eat my congee in a while.”
“He’s been busy with work lately.” he said with a smile to the uncle who was scooping congee for customers with practiced ease. He recalled the past, back when his father hadn’t yet been transferred to work in another province. Whenever Dad finished work early, he’d pick him and Grandpa up to eat congee at this shop regularly.
Memories from just over a year ago still felt sweet and vivid in his mind. Thinking back on it, Theerak couldn’t help but smile. His almond-shaped eyes watched the steam rising from the pot of thick, white rice porridge, and the fragrant aroma of jasmine rice being cooked into congee made his stomach growl loudly.
“Uncle, add one more bag of pork-only congee… Actually, make it two.
But add liver to the second one, please.”
“Haha, hungry, huh, kid? Alright, alright, I will pack an extra special portion for you.”
It was probably only him, his dad, and his granddad who were obsessed with the smell and taste of the congee from this shop. While Theerak was busy chatting and boasting with the shop owner, someone taller came to stand beside him, also ordering congee to go. However, Theerak didn’t turn to look. The shorter guy kept rambling on until the new customer had to lightly tap his arm to get his attention.
“Huh? Oh, Phii Tim!” His narrow, almond-shaped eyes, which usually squinted when he smiled, widened in surprise. The person in front of him looked at him and chuckled softly before reaching out to ruffle his hair, leaving Theerak guessing that his hair was probably a mess now.
The good-looking person standing there, smiling at him, was a fourth-year senior who regularly gave advice about work to juniors from all years in the group LINE chat. In the graphic design department, there was a LINE group that included students from the first to the fourth year. It might seem strange, and Theerak believed no other faculty or department created a LINE group that gathered students from all four years together. However, the professors in his faculty had suggested the seniors do this to help the juniors. The coursework and workload in his department were notoriously tough, and importantly, many students became discouraged and dropped out in significant numbers. This had been the case for several batches, so the professors decided that the best solution to help most students graduate together was to encourage mutual support and ensure no one felt like they were struggling alone, which could easily lead to giving up.
Even so, only a few chose to stay in this department. Even with all four years combined, the LINE group only had a little over 200 members, and there might even be some who weren’t in it.
The person who most frequently responded and gave advice to the juniors was none other than Phii Tim, this very guy.
And if you were to ask about someone who was in the LINE group but barely seemed to be there, it would be Muenfah, that guy…
Yes, Phii Fah, who studied in the same faculty and department as him… along with Phii Babe and Phii Dom.
You could call it the graphic design gang… but who would want to be in the same gang as Muenfah? -___-
“Here to eat congee?”
“Buying it for my dad.”
Come to think of it, Theerak wasn’t too surprised to run into his senior here. This congee shop was somewhat famous and wasn’t far from the university. Once you got past that hellish intersection with the traffic lights, you’d arrive. University students often came here to eat.
“Came alone? Where’s Fah?”
Huh… What did that mean? Seeing him and immediately asking about Muenfah…
“Phii Fah is at his house, Phii Tim. How could he be here?”
Theerak furrowed his brows, staring at the other person who was faintly smiling, as if trying to suppress a bigger grin. It made Theerak feel a bit uneasy, like his senior was finding something amusing. The reason Theerak could talk so comfortably and without suspicion with this senior was that Phii Tim was a decent guy. He had a good personality, was polite to juniors, and was consistently like this. Theerak enjoyed chatting with him because of it.
But now, he was starting to feel like he didn’t want to be so close anymore, especially since he’d heard that Phii Tim was quite close with Phii Fah…
“Ohhh… I see.”
“Phii Tim… Is something up?”
“Are you waiting for your congee?”
“Yeah…” Theerak replied before glancing at the uncle who was repeatedly scooping congee into light pink bowls, realizing it would still be a while before it was his turn.
“Then let’s sit at a table first. I have something to talk to you about…”
“Sure, sure.”
A small person followed their senior into a crowded shop. A slender hand grabbed a blue plastic chair before sitting down opposite the senior. Phii Tim nodded in thanks to the girl who brought water to serve them. Theerak stared at the other person with a trembling heart. It had been a while since they last talked face-to-face, and there was also a strange premonition nagging at him that… trouble was coming, Rak.
“Seriously, this is almost impossible, but I thought asking for your help wouldn’t hurt. I was going to call you privately on LINE, but I happened to run into you here.”
“Help with what, Phii?”
“Help convince Fah to bring a cake to the birthday person…”
“What?!”
If he had been drinking water or eating something liquid, he might have accidentally spat it out onto the other person’s face in a lapse of manners.
“The birthday person is a junior from high school. To put it simply, I’ll confess, she’s my ex-girlfriend… but we really don’t have feelings for each other anymore, I swear. She’s a big fan of Fah because she saw him at the restaurant. As her ex, I wanted to do something to make her birthday memorable before she goes abroad to study… but everyone knows Fah doesn’t really care about anyone.”
“Then why would she involve me?! Phii Tim, you’ve got the wrong person…”
“Even though I’m close to him, I already tried asking him once, and he refused…”
“Oh man… then you shouldn’t expect anything from me at all. Before I even open my mouth, Phii Fah would probably throw me out of the shop.” But what I saw that day… he practically carried you out of the shop.”
“Huh? Which day, Phii?”
“The day Fah had an issue with that Oh guy… I was drinking at his shop too, in the VIP area like you. But I didn’t know the loud table was Oh’s until the trouble started.”
What kind of karma was this for Theerak? It seemed everyone had witnessed that incident, even Phii Tim knew about it. Only a fool like him was completely clueless. T___T
“This matter, I, I think…”
“Among friends, everyone knows that when Fah has a faen, he listens to them a lot and gives them whatever they ask for.”
“Then Phii Tim should go ask his girlfriend…”
Oh!! Phii Tim was a strange one, wasn’t he? He knew Fah’s weakness but didn’t ask the right person. Why was he asking a kid like him for help?
“Hey! I’m asking him right now, aren’t I?”
“Wait, wait, Phii, did you misunderstand something… I, uh…”
“Fah’s business partner named Real told me everything. He said Fah is secretly dating Rak…”
“That’s crazy, Phii!” Really crazy. Why would that Real guy tell Phii Tim something so untrue? Theerak waved his hands frantically to deny it. “No, no, it’s not true, Phii Tim. I’m not dating Phii Fah. We’re not even close. I am only close to Panli, Phii Fah’s younger brother.”
Thapthim narrowed his eyes at the chubby-cheeked boy whose cheeks were now flushed red, resembling tomatoes. “I won’t tell anyone. If you and Fah aren’t ready for others to know right now, that’s fine. Fah even keeps it from his group of friends… I think he must have his reasons. When he’s ready, he’ll tell us himself.”
“Phii ~ It’s not true at all, please listen to me first!”
No matter how much he denied it, no matter how much he cried and clung to his senior’s leg begging him to believe him, it seemed Phii Tim wasn’t going to easily trust what he said. He didn’t know what that guy named Real had said to plant ideas in Phii Tim’s head, but Phii Tim was completely convinced that he was really dating Muenfah.
“Hey, kid, your congee is ready,” the voice of the shop owner uncle called out. Theerak turned and gave a small nod before turning back to lock eyes with his senior again.
“Please, Rak… help me out. The birthday party is at Fah’s place… tomorrow night.” “Well, Phii…” Rrrrrr.
Theerak, half-shocked and half-confused by the person in front of him, still had enough presence of mind to realize someone was calling him. His slender hand reached into his pants pocket to pull out his phone, and his eyes widened in shock when he saw the name displayed on the screen.
“D-Dad,” he stammered anxiously. He had completely forgotten that his dad was coming home. At first, the most nerve-wracking thing was his dad rushing back because he found out about him being drugged with alcohol. But there was something even more unsettling that had made him forget about his dad entirely—the fake rumor about his relationship with Muenfah.
“Then take the call first…”
Theerak nodded and raised the phone to his ear.
Yes, Dad?”
[Where are you, Rak…?]
“Haha ~ You must miss me so much you couldn’t wait, huh… That’s why you’re calling like this.”
Thapthim secretly laughed at his cheeky junior, who made a panicked face as if his dad was some cruel giant he was terrified of. But it seemed the junior wasn’t actually scared, since he dared to tease his guardian like that.
[I didn’t miss you. I’m already home, but my good son still isn’t back, so I’m annoyed.]
“Oops… I’m almost home, Dad.”
[Almost home, my foot. I can hear cars rushing around like crazy.
Where did you sneak off to this time, Rak? It’s already so late.]
“No, no, Dad… I am preparing a surprise for you. You’ll never guess what I bought for you.”
[Congee.]
“Ugh… Can’t you pretend not to know for once?” Theerak said in a soft voice. He felt a bit relieved hearing his dad’s low chuckle.
[Hurry back. I have a lot to talk to you about.]
“Y-Yes, Dad,” he forced himself to reply cheerfully, wondering whether his dad’s last sentence was meant to call him home or make him want to run away.
The moment he hung up, his senior immediately asked “Was that your dad calling for you?”
“Yes… I have to head back now, Phii Tim.”
“Okay… but don’t forget about that thing, alright? The birthday party is at
Fah’s place tomorrow night.”
“…” Theerak looked at the other person who was staring back at him. No matter how much he explained until his mouth tore, Phii Tim would still choose to believe what he wanted. So, Theerak just nodded casually in response, knowing deep down that it was impossible.
“Thanks a lot, little bro.”
“Y-yes, sir.”
How could he possibly order around everyone’s Muenfah? Phii Tim was setting himself up for disappointment.
#However Many Thousand Skies
The bag of congee in his hand felt like a lucky charm. Theerak thought he might have some luck on his side—Dad might be less annoyed because of his favorite food. But after carefully calculating everything, he could only let out a big sigh in front of the gate.
All the events he’d been through—if it weren’t for his own carelessness and bad luck, would things have gotten this chaotic?
For someone else, the series of incidents might seem like small matters, easily dealt with as simply as peeling a banana. But for a kid like him, who had never strayed from the straight and narrow, it wasn’t that simple. He rarely made his father angry or annoyed, so he couldn’t help but feel anxious.
Knowing how terrifying his father could be when furious, Theerak grew even more worried. His father had never scolded or hit him, not even once, but what was frightening was his fear that anyone with ill intentions might end up being killed and dismembered by his father. When his Dad got really mad, it was hard to stop him, and things always escalated into something big…
But in the end, he had to muster up the courage to enter the house. Before he could even take a full breath after opening the gate, he saw his father playing chess with Grandpa at the marble table in front of the house.
The moment those almond-shaped eyes, so similar to his own, glanced at him with a mix of emotions he couldn’t decipher, Theerak swallowed the lump of nervousness stuck in his throat. Then it hit him—his father always softened up for his “chubby puppy” no matter how upset he was.
“Dad ~ Your chubby puppy is back!” he said in a cheerful tone, walking quickly toward his father.
Theerak sat down on an empty marble chair and held up the bag of congee to show the police officer in front of him. He heard a soft chuckle from someone. If he had to guess who was laughing at his childhood act of playing cute, which he’d dug up to survive this situation, it was probably Grandpa, who was moving a horse-shaped chess piece to a new position on the board.
“That chubby puppy disappeared back in 9th grade. So why is it that today, the handsome Theerak is willing to turn back into a chubby puppy again?” his father asked, staring intently at the chessboard with a serious expression.
“Well, lately this Rak has seen how tired Dad is… so I’m being the chubby puppy to cheer you up!”
“Is that so?”
“…Just believe the kid a little.” the hoarse, dry voice of the elderly man made Theerak even more anxious.
It wasn’t just Dad who knew about it now, was it? Was Grandpa angry at him too?
“…D-Does everyone know about it already?” Thud!
The sound of a chess piece hitting the wooden board with force rang out. Theerak was certain it was his father’s piece. He lowered his eyes to the black-and-white checkered board in front of him, and suddenly, tiny beads of sweat began to form all over his forehead.
“So, why don’t you tell me what happened?”
“Uh…”
Both his father and grandfather paused their favorite leisure activities, their gentle gazes turning toward him without a hint of sternness. Even so, Theerak still felt pressured.
“Did that kid do something to you again… besides getting you drunk?”
“No, no, Dad. Someone came to help me… so I’m safe.”
“Was it the deputy commander’s nephew who helped you?”
“Probably… his last name is Pisut.”
“Hmm, that’s right. Same last name as the deputy commander.”
“I’m sorry, Dad…” Theerak raised his hands in a wai at chest level, then turned to his grandfather. “Grandpa too, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to lie… I just didn’t want you both to worry, so I kept it under wraps for a bit.”
“You were afraid it’d become a big deal, huh? When will you stop being afraid of getting into trouble? You should know by now how ready I am to take on anyone who dares to harm my family… Ugh! If my kid was the troublemaker who liked picking fights, I wouldn’t say a word. But this? My kid’s never been a troublemaker, yet he gets bullied by others and still doesn’t have the guts to hold them accountable… It’s so frustrating.”
I figured since I wasn’t hurt anymore… it’s better to just let it go. If we pursued it, it’d only burden you and Mom for no reason.”
“Look at my grandson and think for a second… He didn’t get a single strand of hair from me, or his mother either. This calm, easygoing nature— who did he get it from…?” His father spoke to his grandfather with a tone tinged with frustration, but Grandpa just chuckled softly and reached out to pat his grandson’s head.
“Me, of course… This chubby little pup takes after his grandpa.”
“I thought so too… Just like you, Dad, no mistake about it. All my fiery temper and refusal to back down, along with my wife’s, went straight to his older sister. That’s why Babe turned out to be such a fighter.”
Theerak gave his grandfather a smile before turning to ask his father something that had been nagging at him. “So, what are you going to do, Dad?
Are you going to go after Phii Oh?”
“When I first heard about it, I was planning to go smack him upside the head at his house before filing a police report. But that was just a thought… Given my position and job, how could I do that? And then there were a bunch of other reasons why I couldn’t pursue it…”
“Because Phii Oh’s father has a rank…”
“Don’t even mention rank or titles, you chubby little pup. If someone comes to harm my family, I won’t stand for it… But the reason I had to let it go is, one, out of respect for the deputy commander and his grandson who helped us, and two, because your grandfather asked me to let it end here. If I pushed it to the limit, Grandpa was worried that a filthy-minded person like that might turn around and stab us in the back later.”
“…”
After it happened… the deputy commander called me at 4 a.m., explaining everything in detail. The only person completely at fault here is that kid. If his nephew hadn’t gone and attacked the other side, the blame would’ve fallen on him too, and it would’ve turned into a mutual brawl. The father of that Oh kid is a precinct chief outside the deputy’s jurisdiction. The deputy said it was tough talking to them at first—they were hot-headed, didn’t care about anything, and were dead-set on going after his nephew to the fullest. But once they found out their own son had spiked someone’s drink, they toned it down a bit. The deputy said wrong is wrong… If they wanted to press charges against his nephew, they were welcome to, but he’d have to inform me about it too. And he figured I’d probably go after their son just as hard… So, we’d just have to fight it out through the legal process.”
“You sound like you know the deputy commander, Dad…”
“It’s too much of a coincidence, Rak. My old boss who passed away last year was a close junior of the deputy chief. I’ve met the deputy several times and even talked with him a bit. When his nephew told me the whole story and said that if you were to file a complaint, I should ask the deputy to take care of it, the deputy asked for my full name. When he heard the family name
‘Niran,’ he wondered if it could be me… He asked if I had a son named Rak Niran. After that, he explained everything to me.”
“It’s so coincidental it’s like a drama, Dad…”
“Still joking around, huh…”
Theerak tightly shut his eyes and shrank his neck like a scared little turtle when he saw his father raising his large hand, preparing to strike him. Seeing his son’s frightened expression, the father burst into laughter. Even though his son knew full well he’d never actually be hit, he always made this face whenever threatened with a raised hand.
“…Hehe, you wouldn’t hit me, right?”
You know I’d never actually hit you… you chubby little pup…”
“So what happened next, Dad? Just knowing that you’re not pursuing that side makes me feel a bit relieved.”
“Relieved for you, but it’s troubling for me…” His father sighed before continuing, “The deputy said he’d given my number to that police superintendent. He suggested we talk it out to find a solution that would satisfy everyone without escalating things, since we’re all police. But he also whispered to me to bring up that matter. When the other side called, they didn’t waste time and begged me not to file a complaint. They said they’d bring their son to apologize at our house in person. The kid’s about to graduate and they don’t want a big mess. I think the deputy must’ve told them I don’t back down easily, so they came to me politely, pleading earnestly… But then again, when they saw I was firm and angry and wouldn’t budge, they made an offer. They said if we don’t press charges against their son, they’d let the deputy’s nephew off too. They wouldn’t file a complaint either, call it even, and cover all medical expenses themselves. They admitted their son was reckless and did something wrong… But if I still insisted on making it a case, they’d have to pursue the deputy’s nephew as well.”
“It’s like… I understand why you’re troubled about this, Dad.”
Exactly… With his father’s unyielding nature, especially when his own son was treated like this, Theerak guessed that without this compromise, his father would never have given in to the other side.
“I’m really troubled… We didn’t do anything wrong, not even a little. We’re completely innocent, yet we have to let them off the hook. But for the deputy’s sake, and for his nephew who stepped in to help—and even punched the guy for me—I don’t want the nephew to get into legal trouble. If it becomes a case, there’ll be investigations, witness searches, and requests for CCTV footage from the shop. The nephew’s restaurant would lose its reputation and credibility… I think that’s worth sympathizing with. In the end, I accepted their offer, but I had my own condition. I said I wouldn’t file a formal complaint about this, but I’d go file a report first as evidence that my son had a conflict with their son. If something bad happens to us… the superintendent’s son would be a suspect.”
“…”
“They know that filing a report as evidence isn’t the same as opening a case… It only becomes a case if something happens later. Plus, even if we’re harmed, it’s not guaranteed their son would be the culprit. The authorities would still have to investigate further to identify the suspect. Their son isn’t fully targeted, so they had to agree because I’d already conceded as much as I could. In the end, we’re not pursuing it… Tomorrow morning, the superintendent and his son will come to our house to apologize.”
“…And what about Phii Fah?”
“He didn’t get reported or charged either. As for how many people witnessed the incident that night, I don’t know… but the deputy chief is really kind. He told me not to worry about him or his nephew, and to do whatever I
think is right. If I want to press charges, I should go ahead. But it’s precisely because he’s so kind that I feel I have to sympathize with him a lot.”
“…” Oh thought… both the uncle and nephew are truly good people.
“Consider it a lesson learned, Rak… From now on, be more careful,” Grandpa said in a gentle tone.
“People these days are getting stranger every day… Even among men, there are those with filthy thoughts who want to possess and violate others. It really makes me angry. If Babe didn’t have Dom looking after her, I can’t imagine how worried I’d be.”
…Even though Dad had always known that his son often caught the attention of other men more than women, it seemed that Dad, a traditional man from an older generation, wasn’t accustomed to the increasingly complex forms of love and sexual desire in today’s world—like love between men or love between women.
But even if he didn’t fully understand it, Dad never once spoke disparagingly or showed any disgust toward Theerak or others of the same gender. He had only ever said that he found it hard to believe such relationships could last until old age, that they might not endure long enough to share life’s joys and sorrows together, and that they were more likely to part ways eventually. Theerak didn’t know why Dad thought same-sex relationships couldn’t last as long as heterosexual ones, especially when nowadays, plenty of heterosexual couples also divorce and separate.
But regardless… in the end, Theerak believed that his father would always respect everyone’s true identity with sincerity, as he always had.
“If anything happens in the future, tell Dad, Rak. I’ll always be by your side.”
“Yes, Dad.”
#However Many Thousand Skies
Dinner tonight seemed especially enjoyable for everyone since they were all together, so much so that they completely forgot about their favorite congee. It had been weeks since Dad had been tied up with important work and couldn’t come home on weekends. But his return this time reaffirmed for the millionth time to everyone in the house that…
Dad was still the head of the family who never considered anything more important than his own family…
…Just knowing someone in the house had been mistreated, Dad dropped everything to come back immediately.
And this was why Theerak wanted to become stronger than he was now…
so Dad wouldn’t have to worry anymore.
“More rice, Rak?”
“He is good, Mom. You’ve fed him so much his cheeks are sagging to the floor,” his older sister said.
But the chubby little puppy, as he was, didn’t care about his sister’s teasing one bit. Theerak lifted his ceramic plate with both hands, passing it in front of his sister to ask for more hot steamed rice from Mom.
The food Mom made today was absolutely delicious!
This chubby little puppy was going to eat every last bite!
“Here, here, eat slowly, my dear. I saved another bowl of bitter melon soup for you. I’ll heat it up for you tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Mom.”
“Oh… I am taking leave until Monday. Do we both have classes on
Monday?”
“I don’t… and if I remember correctly, my little bro doesn’t either,” his sister answered for him.
Since her response was correct, Theerak didn’t say anything more and lowered his head to slurp the bitter melon soup with relish.
“So, should we invite the deputy commander’s nephew to have a meal with us as a thank you? Dad wants to meet him and thank him in person.”
“Cough cough” Theerak choked on the bitter, moderately hot soup, his face turning red and black. Phii Babe, though complaining that he wasn’t careful, kindly reached out to gently rub his back.
“Rak, you haven’t gone to thank Fah in person yet, have you? Then go invite him yourself.”
“Phii Babe!!!” The one who had just been coughing until his throat burned now spoke loudly and clearly, eyes widening at his older sister.
“What? Is it true? You haven’t thanked or apologized to Fah yet, have you?
Too busy hanging out with Panli?”
Unable to deny it, he averted his gaze instead. “Well… Phii Fah has been busy, so, uh, Rak hasn’t had the chance to see him.”
“Excuses… Who’s Panli? Is he Fah’s younger sibling or something? Why can’t you bring him along?”
“Um, then why haven’t you gone to thank him for helping you yet, Rak? You could just call him, you know…” his mother chimed in.
Oh no… the chubby little pup was suddenly ganged up on. “Fine, fine, I’ll go apologize to him…”
“If you want to make it in time for Monday… you need to thank him, apologize, and invite him to dinner tomorrow… got it?”
“Hmph…” Theerak shook his head until his cheeks jiggled.
He had to do so many things all at once in front of Muenfah? That meant his sister had no idea how hard it was for him to breathe when he was around that tall guy. Just facing him for three minutes felt like his body would explode—now he had to talk, thank him, apologize, and invite him to dinner at home? This chubby little pup might die first.
“Invite your friends too… Dad can get to know everyone at once. Invite
Dom too, Babe—I haven’t seen him in a while.”
“Yes, Dad.”
“Rak, don’t forget to invite your friends too, including Muenfah’s younger sibling.”
“Okay, yes.”
After agreeing to his father’s orders, Theerak felt his appetite wane. His stomach churned with anxiety, causing his previously bloated belly to visibly flatten.
Wow… overthinking so much he burned that much energy…
As time passed, every dish on the table was polished off. Theerak and his sister helped wash the dishes before joining their parents and grandfather in the living room to watch the evening drama until late.
When it was time, everyone went to bed. It was then that Theerak quietly crept downstairs to the storage room under the stairs. The small figure stood blinking rapidly, gathering his composure and praying everything would go smoothly.
His slender hand reached out to turn the doorknob gently, afraid that his grandfather, sleeping in the room downstairs, might wake up from the sound. But he managed to slip into the cramped room undetected. His almondshaped eyes stared at the old computer in front of him.
It was a computer connected to the home’s front-door CCTV system. Everything the camera recorded was sent straight to this machine. Theerak plopped down onto the wooden chair, his heart pounding wildly. His palms were sweaty and hot, and tiny beads of sweat began to dot his face.
It felt like he was a spy sneaking into a big organization to steal critical information…
When in reality, it was something trivial—like whether someone had kissed his head or not. That’s all it was.
But his heart was racing so fast and hard right now that it annoyed him.
And Theerak decided to move his hand to grab the mouse and select a date and time close to when the incident occurred. His sticky saliva was swallowed down his throat once again when he saw Muenfah’s black sports Benz parked in front of the house. Not long after, a tall, incredibly goodlooking figure from that day stepped out of the car. He couldn’t believe that the CCTV brand his father was so proud of choosing himself could be this clear—clear enough to make him fear his heart might beat even faster. If what he suspected turned out to be true…
“Uh, I…”
Theerak stammered, calling his own name, feeling both shy and confused as he saw himself tightly hugging the other person. His face suddenly flushed with heat as the lingering sensation was confirmed by the moving images.
That touch… it was him who had hugged Muenfah. T___T
“No, don’t ~…” His thin lips parted as he stared at the screen. Both slender hands reached up to ruffle his own hair until it was a complete mess—messy enough to match his feelings. And the image that made Theerak lose his composure, enough to yank at his own hair, was the moment Muenfah leaned down and actually kissed the top of his head. “Ugh ~ Why did he kiss me!!!! If I’d just kicked him away, it’d be over. No one takes a drunk guy getting kicked seriously…”
In the stuffy, cramped room, the sound of someone whimpering echoed nonstop. Yet, despite the groans and cries, not a single tear fell. The smallframed person felt like crying wouldn’t come—it was so suffocating that he could only let out sounds instead of tears.
It was at that moment that a LINE notification pinged. Theerak grabbed his phone in a daze. Though he’d mentally prepared himself before entering this room, his heart couldn’t handle it in the end.
Theerak swiped his finger across the screen to read the messages. His friends in the group chat bombarded him with questions about this, as if they were secretly watching him nearby. P. Panli: How’s it going, dude?
Joyyy: Have you watched it yet?
T: I bet he doesn’t even dare to look.
The owner of the chubby-cheeks that everyone loved to pinch shook his head back and forth, silently denying all his friends’ questions. Theerak had no energy left to type replies. He truly felt like he’d lost his mind, so he plugged the USB cable into his phone, connected it to the computer, transferred the video from that moment onto his phone, and uploaded it to the group for his friends to see for themselves.
He knew them too well… Even if he typed out that it was real, confirmed it with words and voice, they’d still pester him to show the moving footage. So, might as well send it and get it over with.
This would be the clearest answer…
Theerak: send video
And when that video appeared, the “read” notification popped up too. Theerak wanted to cry a eulogy for himself for having such nosy friends— especially Type and Joy. If he didn’t love them so much, he’d have let out a string of curses to vent his embarrassment. P. Panli: This is world-shocking.
Joyyy: Wah ~ I’m so embarrassedddd.
Theerak: What’s there to be embarrassed about, Joy… Isn’t it more humiliating?
T: Rak… I captured it and zoomed in. Phii Fah’s nose is so sharp, but it’s buried in your head, lolololol.
Theerak: T___T I hate you so much, Type.
- Panli: My bro is such a tiger hiding its claws.
Theerak: Right now, I just want to be a turtle hiding its head, no one needs to see my face at all, just retracting into my shell is enough.
Joyyy: LOLOLOLOL, I kinda feel bad for you, I get that you’re really embarrassed.
Theerak: It’s not embarrassment, its shame, got it, Joy? Shame from getting drunk and messing with him.
While chatting with his friends, Theerak heard the sound of heavy footsteps from someone walking toward him. If he had to guess, only one person stomps their feet like that.
Creak…
“Uh, Phii Babe.”
And it really was his older sister. Phii Babe opened the door with a calm expression before immediately locking it behind her, as if she too had planned to sneak into this room.
“What are you doing here, Nong Rak?”
“And what are you doing here, Phii Babe?”
Her answer didn’t come from words spoken aloud but from a glance directed behind him. Theerak quickly shut off the video recording, though he figured it was already too late.
Phii Babe had seen everything T___T. The life of this chubby little pup was over.
“I was going to delete that video from earlier…”
“W-What? Phii Babe, you knew about this?”
“I just found out this evening while you and Dad weren’t home yet… I had a weird feeling that something must’ve happened when Fah dropped you off, so I checked it out…” Phii Babe, who usually wasn’t shy about these things, avoided his gaze and spoke haltingly, “I saw you kissing Fah.”
“…”
“At first, I was going to delete it right away because I was afraid Dad would come check things over. You know how he always reviews the security cameras every time he gets back… But then Dad came home early, so I had to rush out to distract him and keep him from thinking about this room.”
Right then, he wanted to crawl over and bow at his sister’s lap, but there was something he wanted to know more, so he asked, “Were you planning to tell me, Phii Babe? If I’d come down later, I might not have learned the truth.”
“Of course I was going to tell you, but only after you went to thank Fah. If
I told you first, a shy guy like you would never dare face him again.”
“I already don’t want to go as it is…”
“So why did you open it up again?”
“Well, that day my friends called right when Theerak… when Theerak was flirting with Phii Fah… They wanted to know if Phii Fah… really kissed me or not.”
“Great, just great. None of you thought about dealing with that jerk Oh.
Instead, you all focused on this kind of thing.” Phii Babe shook her head in exasperation before walking to the computer, moving the mouse, and clicking a few times. “Deleted.”
“Phii Babe… thank you so much for saving me in every way.”
“I didn’t save you; I saved the situation at home instead. If Dad saw this, he’d probably freak out and the house would explode because his son got treated like this in front of the house… but who would’ve thought that the precious son himself was the one forcing someone’s heart?”
“Hey ~ Phii Babe!! Take that back right now, forcing what heart… I love myself as much as a puppy. If they weren’t willing, would I kiss them?!”
What did you just say, you lovesick dog… it’s pure embarrassment, so…
“Wow… you’re pretty full of yourself, huh? Thinking you’re so cute that
Muenfah would let you kiss them?”
T___T, I never thought Phii Babe could be this savage, savage enough to make him feel both embarrassed and annoyed at the same time.
“I’m not talking to Phii Babe anymore…”
Theerak brushed it off, preparing to get up and escape his older sister before he showed even more embarrassment in front of Phii Babe. But Phii Babe held him back with a calm, steady voice “Tomorrow, come with me and the others to see Fah. Dom will call to set it up with Fah. If we wait for you to go meet him yourself, it’ll probably take three years before Fah hears a thank you… and Dad won’t get to meet Fah anytime soon either, for sure.”
“But tomorrow, Dad said he’s taking me to file a police report as evidence first, and also, that Phii Oh guy is coming to apologize at the house too… I think tomorrow’s going to be a busy day.”
“Excuses… are you going to be at the police station all day or what? And that Oh guy isn’t staying all day either, so don’t make excuses.”
“…”
Theerak let out a big sigh instead of a reply, before leaving the room. As his small feet climbed each step of the stairs, his mind, filled with memories and various stories, raced uncontrollably. If he had to compare the chaos in his head, Theerak thought it was like boiling water bubbling in a pot, with no room left for calm or silence, only turmoil that made him feel restless.
When he entered his bedroom, the safest place for him, Theerak collapsed onto the bed, exhausted, before pulling out his phone that wouldn’t stop buzzing with notifications. He didn’t need to guess—it was his friends, messaging nonstop to tease him.
But the latest message from P. Panli made him blurt out the crudest word of his life…
“Sh*t!!”
His wide, almond-shaped eyes stared in disbelief.
- Panli: I sent the video to Phii Fah, and he read it but didn’t reply.
Joyyy: You idiot, why’d you send it?! Ugh. I’ve got a headache for chubby-cheeks over here. How’s he supposed to face him now? He’ll die of embarrassment.
For the first time, he felt like giving Joy a big kiss, rewarding her for saying exactly what he felt.
- Panli: I just wanted to know what Phii Fah would say, what he was thinking when he kissed my friend’s head. Can’t trust my big bro, huh.
T: LOL. If I had a sibling like you, I’d die of stress, you idiot. You defend your friend but trash your own brother.
Theerak: T___T, and now I have to face him tomorrow! Why’d you send it, you dog-faced P. Panli!!!
Joyyy: Chubby-cheeks can’t even curse properly, but right now he probably wants to rip into you hard. The worst he can come up with is ‘dog-face,’ lol. I’m dying.
- Panli: Why are you going to see my bro?
Theerak: Phii Babe told me to go thank him and apologize, and also invite him to eat at our house. You guys are invited too. Come over on Monday, my dad wants to meet everyone. You all have to come, I’m begging.
T: If you don’t come, Rak will have to handle Phii Fah all by himself, for sure.
Theerak: More accurate than a fortune teller, huh, Type.
- Panli: I’m going, just to see my brother’s reaction. Is he having secret relations with my friend or what?
Joyyy: Panli, you’re really Phii Fah’s little brother, right? LOL, you damn rebel.
Theerak put his phone down beside him. He didn’t want to deal with anything anymore and chose to ignore the rest of his friends’ conversation. His mind wandered far, imagining how the tall guy would feel after having his memory jogged by that video. Maybe Muenfah wanted to forget that day entirely, but Panli had gone and sent it as a reminder. And of course, Muenfah would easily guess the video came from him.
Theerak didn’t know why Muenfah had decided to go along with the request of a drunk person like him. Maybe it was out of annoyance or a momentary lapse in judgment, but whatever the reason…
Right now, Theerak figured there were two possible things Muenfah might feel.
One… he’d be furious because Theerak had sent that video to his friends, treating it like some kind of joke… when it was more embarrassing than anything.
Two… he’d let it slide, not think much of it, and see it as normal.
And of course, after carefully processing everything in his head, the second option was quickly discarded.
“Will you even sleep tonight, Rak…” he muttered before letting out a sigh. In all his life, Theerak had never encountered a mess that spiraled out of control this fast.
Maybe it was all because he hadn’t thought things through enough…
#However Many Thousand Skies
A pair of sharp eyes stared at the video his younger brother had sent via private LINE chat. Muenfah watched it to the end without showing any expression. He turned it off and tossed his phone onto the glass table in front of him, glancing at his close friend from a different university—someone he’d known since high school and a key business partner at the shop.
He had just come up to rest on the second-floor terrace of Fah’s restaurant, a private area, after hours of checking on things and feeling exhausted. Not long after, his close friend followed him up.
“You got something going on, Real?”
Muenfah asked while tapping a cigarette out of the pack, casting a sidelong glance at the other, who was sitting across from him. Real looked flustered, like someone who’d just done something wrong. Having been friends with Real since their third year of high school, Muenfah could tell instantly when something was even slightly off. Dude, don’t yell at me…”
“If you don’t talk, I’ll yell…”
The white cigarette rested between his full lips as Muenfah waited for his friend’s confession, lighting the tip of the paper roll. This time, though, Real seemed to take longer to think it over before opening his mouth.
The red flame flared and burned nearly half the cigarette before long fingers plucked it from his lips. Muenfah shifted his gaze away from his friend to ease the tension. White smoke slowly drifted out from both his nose and mouth. He watched the toxic cloud he’d created linger in the air before fading away.
Muenfah liked comparing human emotions to cigarette smoke…
It’s intense and vivid at first, but as time passes, it gets diluted by time, fading until it vanishes without a trace…
“That day you punched Oh… a lot of the VIP zone customers saw it. They came asking what happened after you left.”
Muenfah turned his attention back to the person trying to tell him the truth. “Hmm…”
“Honestly, I lied to you. I didn’t just tell the customer that you were upset because Oh spoke rudely and that’s why you punched him… I added a little something to make it sound more substantial… so you wouldn’t look too bad for hitting a customer just because you couldn’t stand his insults.”
“Straight up, no sugarcoating…” Muenfah knew he often spoke in a calm, cold tone like this—it had become a habit. Real was used to his detached, indifferent demeanor, but this time it seemed to make Real even more anxious than usual.
I told the customer that… you got mad because Oh harassed your boyfriend… and that’s why you lost it and punched him.”
The moment Real laid all his confessions out in front of him, he visibly relaxed and sighed in relief. In contrast, the listener slowly lowered his head, closed his eyes, and raised a hand to rub his temple.
Real took a deep breath before continuing, “I’m sorry… I really couldn’t think of an excuse for you fast enough. It was total chaos back then… Think about it, man—the restaurant owner punching a customer? Even if the customer was drunk and out of control, cursing you like crazy, it’s still not okay for you to physically hurt him. Couldn’t even handle a few insults… So I thought if I threw this into the mix, it might make it a bit more understandable, you know? That you lost your cool and hit the customer because of that.”
“No matter what’s involved, I’m still in the wrong. It doesn’t erase it or make people sympathize with me. I hurt him physically, and I’m the shop owner—it’s not okay, like you said… You know me well, Real. Whatever I do, it means I’ve already decided it’s worth it, even if it’s something I shouldn’t have done. As long as we tell the truth, I don’t care what anyone thinks. I’m always ready to face the consequences.”
Real swallowed hard. In all the time they’d known each other, Muenfah had never explained himself at length with such a calm gaze and tone before. That instantly told him the other wasn’t angry or holding a grudge.
“I was just worried people would see you in a bad light… Even though, yeah, you did something bad, it was because you were helping that kid.
You’re not some hotheaded thug who acts without reason.”
Muenfah nodded, understanding the concern his friend had for him. This mistake wasn’t so terrible that it couldn’t be forgiven, as Real had initially feared. To reassure Real that he truly wasn’t upset, he handed over the cigarette in his hand. Real let out a small smile and took it to smoke.
Share it, so we can die together. I don’t want to be lonely in hell by myself.”
Real laughed, then paused his amusement as something occurred to him.
“There’s one more thing, Fah, that I haven’t told you.”
“What now? Can’t you just give me all the headaches at once…”
“…So, that day, one of your friends was drinking with us, but he was at a table further inside. I don’t know his name, can’t remember… He didn’t believe you were dating that kid. He argued with me in front of other customers, saying there’s no way it could be true…” Real spoke with an annoyed tone and expression, as if picturing that person’s face. “So I told him… you two were secretly dating. How would anyone else know? Only I do. That shut him up. He was so damn annoying, arguing with me in front of everyone, acting like he wanted to call me out or something… Good thing I didn’t slip up.”
“I figured.”
“Why’s that?”
“After it happened, my friends kept messaging me on LINE, asking if I’ve been into anyone lately or if I’m dating some kid… They think I’m hiding something.”
“Uh… I’m sorry, man… I dragged you into a mess.” Real knew full well that the thing that annoyed Muenfah the most was answering questions about relationships. And since Muenfah didn’t like revealing personal matters much, it was why he broke up with his long-term ex after many years. Real also knew that ex of Muenfah quite well.
“Forget it… Not many people know, they’ll forget soon enough.”
“…”
But will Nong Rak get screwed over something else?”
“Why’s that?”
“Well, people will ask questions, and they’ll pile on requests for help and stuff.”
“I can dodge the questions, but the requests… I’m confused, man.”
“If others really believe I’m dating Nong Rak, they’ll try to squeeze stuff out of me through him instead.” Muenfah could see the future clearly.
“You don’t care about anyone anyway… Plus, Nong Rak probably won’t ask you for anything. Even if she does, you can just say no and that’s that.”
“If I could say no that easily, that’d be great…” Muenfah sighed, snatching the cigarette from the other’s hand, bringing it to his lips, and taking a deep drag fueled by emotion while thinking, ‘Even when she asked me to kiss her forehead, I gave in. What’s a few small favors she might ask for… This one’s damn hard to refuse.’
“You even turned down Yam.” Real flinched as his friend shot him a sharp glare. He shouldn’t have compared the ex his friend was so hung up on to anyone else.
“That was Yam… This is Nong Rak, different people.”
“B-But that was your ex, and this kid isn’t even anything to you…”
“Yeah, we’re not anything… but I can’t really say no.”
Real furrowed his brow, puzzled by what his friend said. Muenfah’s answer was clear, yet it felt so vague it left him utterly confused. Normally, Muenfah wouldn’t give in to anyone easily. If it wasn’t a friend or family, there was no way he’d agree to a request. Sometimes, he could refuse people without a shred of remorse, not caring how the other party felt. If he wasn’t comfortable doing something, he’d never promise to do it. Unless… that chubby-cheeked kid was an exception…
Real held back a grin as a thought popped into his head, ‘Have I just found the future owner of this Fah guy’s heart or what?’
“I’m heading downstairs to check the shop… You go check the VIP zone too.”
Real was yanked out of his thoughts and nodded, “Yeah, yeah.”
Muenfah, crushing the last bit of the cigarette into a white ceramic cup to put it out, glanced at his vibrating black phone. The caller was another close friend from their group, a favorite because they shared similar personalities and lifestyles.
As in, not fussy, not talkative…
His thick hand pressed down repeatedly until the red ember died out, then he grabbed the phone to answer.
“What’s up, dude?”
[What time are you free tomorrow? Someone wants to meet you…]
“Who?”
[Nong Rak.]
“Is something wrong with him? That jerk Oh won’t quit, huh?”
[No, I heard from Babe that he wants to thank you.]
“Honestly, you don’t have to go through the trouble. I’m not overthinking it.”
[He told me to come set a time with you?]
“Tomorrow evening works, before the shop opens.”
[Okay, I’ll bring the little one to see you.]
“Hmm.”
[Uh… some other friends messaged me asking if you’re secretly dating someone? What’s that about… did they see you with someone?]
Muenfah quietly sighed. His other nosy friends wouldn’t stop prying, insisting on knowing even though he didn’t want to tell them. But at least he still felt a bit relieved to have a friend like Dom, who never meddled in anyone’s business. Like right now, when his friend asked directly, it showed he didn’t know as much as the others despite being in the same group.
“After I close the restaurant, I’ll call you and tell you about it… Are you going to bed soon?”
[There’s a football match tonight, so I’ll sleep late… You can call me.]
“Hmm.”
[Okay, that’s it then.]
The tall guy shook his head slightly, feeling exasperated, before tossing his phone back to its usual spot. He stood up to his full height and walked downstairs without bringing anything with him—not even the cigarette pack he usually kept in his pocket. Real’s voice called out, reminding him to take his phone, trailing after him. But Muenfah pretended not to hear and headed straight to the front of the pup instead.
Because right now, his mind was overflowing with so many things… carrying anything else would just weigh his head down for no reason.
But if he really thought about it, the overwhelming weight in his mind was all about that kid…
TBC
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