YOURSKY, Chapter 21
“The restaurant’s just ahead, you chubby-cheeked girl…”
“I know already…”
The small-framed guy pressed the accelerator harder as the traffic light changed from red to green. Ever since they left the university, Joy, who was riding along, hadn’t stopped complaining. She said he drove as slow as a crawling turtle.
He was already going eighty, though…
…not too slow.
After classes, the art department friends had planned a celebratory dinner for the successful open house event, which had earned praise from the faculty professors. That morning, he’d talked on the phone with Muenfah. Since Muenfah didn’t have classes today, he was resting at his condo. When Muenfah found out the second-year students were having a dinner, he asked to join. Theerak couldn’t refuse because Sky used that pleading tone that always melted his heart.
‘Theerak… can I come along too?’
Because Theerak was genuinely soft-hearted toward Muenfah, he messaged his friends to ask if a third-year senior could join the event. He had to check everyone’s willingness first before bringing Muenfah, since some might have wanted the celebration to be just for the second-years. But no one objected and even suggested inviting all the third-year seniors who’d helped with the event. However, the only available seniors were Muenfah, Phii Ball, and Phii Dom. And since Phii Dom was coming, Phii Babe—his older sister—joined the celebration too.
“I get it now why that chick told me to leave my car at the faculty for Tin and made me ride with you…”
Theerak wanted to turn and ask his friend for the reason, but he had to focus on the road ahead first. “…”
“Because you drive like this…”
“Stop complaining so much, Joy. I’m already trying my best to drive well.”
“Why are you so tense, you saggy-cheeks… Normally, you drive so well.
Out of all my friends, I like riding with you the most.”
“And now…” Theerak replied without taking his eyes off the road, “don’t love me any less, okay?”
“Oh… you saggy-cheeks, the one thing I can’t do in life is love you less, so you don’t have to worry about that.” Joy said before reaching over to press a button with a symbol that looked like a roof. Suddenly, the car’s roof slid open quickly and folded back, letting the wind from outside hit Joy and Theerak full force.
…Even though Theerak was startled, he managed to stay composed. He kept driving carefully since the shabu restaurant wasn’t far away, but he couldn’t help scolding his friend who’d nearly made him lose his cool. “Ugh!
Joy… why are you so naughty!”
“Sorry, saggy-cheeks… I closed it already,” Joy replied, pressing the button again.
Theerak let out a sigh of relief as everything returned to normal. The car’s roof was fully closed again, and there was no more strong wind hitting his face while driving. “That’s the convertible button… Joy, don’t press it randomly again.”
“I won’t press it anymore… don’t be mad at me, saggy-cheeks. I got startled too… I’m used to driving regular sedans.”
“I’m not mad. I was just shocked because I’m not used to this car yet.”
“You seem really tense.”
“Of course I’m tense… I haven’t paid him back a single baht yet. What if I crash this car?”
“Oh… even if you totaled it, Phii Fah wouldn’t blame you… he’d probably buy you a new one too.”
“Joy, you’re exaggerating…”
Theerak replied as he turned the car into the shabu restaurant. He scanned the area for a parking spot and found a large empty space that could fit two cars. He chose it because it made reversing in easier. He couldn’t believe that driving his dream car would make him feel like a newbie driver all over again.
“Can you reverse, saggy-cheeks?”
“Yeah, I can,” Theerak answered while glancing at the small screen on the car’s console, which showed the rearview camera to help him back up.
“I think I’ll get out and check for you. The car’s camera can’t beat my eyes…”
“No need, Joy.”
“Park it, let me get out first.” Joy stepped out of the car and ran to the back, waving her hand as a signal to reverse. Theerak rolled down the window to hear his friend’s voice. “Back up now…”
“Okay…”
The Mini Cooper reversed slowly, guided by his friend’s shouts and waving hands. Once the car was perfectly parked and he turned to look ahead, Theerak saw Panli riding a red Ducati motorcycle into the restaurant’s parking area. But he had to park near the front since that spot was reserved for motorcycles.
Lately, Panli has really been into riding this motorcycle.
Theerak got out of the car and walked over to Panli with Joy. The tall guy took off his full-face black helmet, laughed, and turned to ask “How’s it going, Joy?”
“I thought we’d get to the shabu place at 2 a.m.”
“Haha,…this morning I saw him reversing into the parking lot and thought there’s no way he’d make it. Coming alone with no one to rush him, he probably wouldn’t even get to the shop.”
“Damn it, and you didn’t tell me anything? You let me sit here totally unprepared!”
Theerak looked at Panli, who was laughing heartily, and said, “Ugh!
You’re teasing me so much!”
“I won’t tease anymore.”
“Wait until I’m good at driving first. I’ll open the convertible and speed up so fast your hair will be all over the place!”
“Haha, chubby-cheeks, you are getting mad now!”
“You jerk, you made chubby-cheeks mad at me too!” Joy said, laughing along.
Theerak glared at his two friends who were standing there laughing. Panli once said he liked making him mad because it was cute, and this time it was probably the same reason—Panli was provoking him to get a reaction.
I am starting to not want to love Panli anymore…
“Uh, where’s that Type guy?”
“He’s on his way…”
“Let’s go wait inside then…”
“Hot, huh, chubby-cheeks?”
“Yeah…”
He led his friends into the shop. As soon as they stepped inside, three staff members rushed over to him, vying for his attention. Theerak flinched back slightly because the three female staff were standing way too close.
“Are you Rak?”
“Uh, yes.”
“Please come inside! We’ve prepared a long table with five hot pots for fifteen people.”
“…”
Theerak glanced back at his two friends as he followed the three staff members. Panli furrowed his brow, seeming suspicious of something, while Joy looked equally surprised. They knew he hadn’t reserved a table here, yet the staff somehow knew his name.
“This is your table…”
“Thank you.”
He thanked them before sitting down next to the wall with Joy. Panli chose the seat across from them. The first staff member handed over a menu to order food, and Panli, unable to hold back his curiosity, asked “Is the restaurant closed today?”
Theerak scanned the place after hearing Panli’s question. He hadn’t noticed much when they walked in, so he hadn’t realized there was no one else in the shop besides them. “…”
“Yes, actually, the restaurant is closed today… but Inn asked Thanwa to open it because he wanted to bring his friends and someone he likes to eat shabu here.”
Panli smirked before adding, “This place might go under if Pradipat finds out about this…”
“Is Thanwa the owner?” Joy asked.
“Yes, he’s Inn’s older brother.”
“Did Inn tell you who he likes?”
The two female staff members smiled faintly before heading back to the front of the shop. The remaining staff member continued, “It’s you, Rak… Inn sent a picture and told us to take the best care of you.”
“That jerk Inn forgot to mention one thing to you all. The Rak he likes… is my older brother’s boyfriend.”
“E-Li! He doesn’t know!” Joy interrupted.
“I couldn’t help it… I stepped in for Phii Fah.”
The female staff member’s eyes widened slightly before she turned to Theerak, as if waiting for confirmation that what Panli said was true. He felt awkward because he didn’t want the staff member to feel bad, but he also had to consider Muenfah’s feelings…even though Muenfah wasn’t here…
“Yes… I already have a boyfriend.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry! I really didn’t know… I was just following Inn’s orders.”
“It’s okay, I understand…”
“Then I’ll excuse myself for now. Whenever you’re ready to order, just press the button to call me to take your order.”
“Yes…”
As soon as the staff member walked away, Joy, who had been itching to speak for a while, burst out, “I knew itttt…”
“Knew what, Joy?” Panli asked.
“That something weird was up… Think about it. This morning, Som from the LINE group asked who was free. When me and the others said we were, Som invited us to celebrate the project’s success.”
“I didn’t read the group chat…”
“You never do, E-Li… Don’t interrupt, let me finish. So Som invited everyone to eat shabu, but didn’t specify this place. Another friend suggested a spot near the university since it’s convenient for everyone, but Inn chimed in saying this place was the best.”
“…”
“No matter what anyone else suggested, Inn shot it down. In the end, everyone gave in and came here… Turns out it’s because it’s his brother’s restaurant. He probably thought he could flirt with chubby-cheeks here in peace.”
“That jerk Inn must be out of the loop… My brother and chubby-cheeks are already together, man. What’s he trying to flirt with? A third wheel?”
Theerak sighed before saying, “We’re not together yet. I’m still courting Phii Fah… but I had to claim the boyfriend title for now so the staff wouldn’t get more confused.”
“…”
“If I said I was just courting Phii Fah, the staff would be even more lost…
It’s better to give her something clear to understand.”
“Your cuteness really causes headaches…” Joy said while reaching over to ruffle his hair.
Panli pulled something out of his pants pocket and tossed a small piece of paper over. “Here… the thing you wanted.”
“Thanks, Li~”
“Don’t use that sweet voice with me… You left me at the airport. I still haven’t forgotten.”
Theerak laughed so hard his mouth stretched wide, then picked up the piece of paper to look at it before saying, “You said not to worry…”
“Yeah, not worried to the point of ditching me, you chubby-cheeked jerk.”
“So what did you do, Li?”
“I secretly watched them hugging in the middle of the airport… and after seeing that, I decided to head back alone.”
Theerak, holding the small piece of paper, wrinkled his nose at Panli. “Oh… you said you were the one abandoned, but turns out sneaky Li left first…”
“If I didn’t leave first, I’d have been stuck waiting like a rotting dog.”
“There, there, Li.”
“Don’t you dare try to comfort me…”
The small-framed guy laughed and scanned the list of Sky’s favorite foods written on the small paper, which he’d asked Panli to get from the nanny. Theerak guessed the handwriting must belong to the nanny.
Clear tofu and egg soup
Sea bass fried with fish sauce
Chicken stir-fried with cashews
Sweet and sour stir-fried Tim fish [the fish needs to be cut into pieces first, then coated in flour and fried until crispy before stir-frying with sweet and sour sauce]
Crispy pork basil stir-fry with omelet [the omelet shouldn’t be runny]
The last dish made Theerak hold back a grin until his cheeks nearly burst. He’d once heard a saying—though he couldn’t recall it perfectly—something along the lines of, “We’ll gain a new favorite color from the person we like.” Muenfah must have added a new favorite dish because of him.
Theerak was gathering info about Muenfah. He’d already gotten quite a bit from Panli before, but some details were too much for even a close friend to know, so he had to enlist help from others too.
Like asking for help from the nanny of the big young master…
“Are you going to cook for Phii Fah to eat?”
“Mhm…”
“You chubby-cheeked fool, you’re wooing Phii Fah by cooking for him yourself…”
“I really want to know, who started the idea of wooing Phii Fah?” Joy asked.
“Your chubby-cheeks, Joy… I’m just the main supporter behind the scenes.”
“Why do you have to woo Phii Fah, you chubby-cheeked idiot… If you already like each other, just date already.”
Theerak shifted his gaze from the paper and looked at his two friends. “All this time, Phii Fah has been the one giving me love one-sidedly… without getting anything in return.”
“…”
“So I want to be the one to give love to Phii Fah for once.”
“…”
He tucked the paper into his pocket and continued, “There aren’t many couples out there… who take turns wooing each other before becoming official.”
That’s true, you chubby-cheeked fool… When Teen wooed me and asked to be together, I just agreed right away. I didn’t woo Teen back. This idea’s cute and suits you well.”
“So how are you planning to woo Phii Fah, you chubby-cheeked jerk?”
“I’m going to use my strength to flirt with Phii Fah.”
“Your strength?”
“Yeah… my strength.”
“What is it, saggy-cheeks?”
“Being cute and clingy…”
“Oh. I think this’ll work. You’ll definitely win Phii Fah over.”
“The truth is, I already won him over before I even started flirting, you dummy.”
“True… you saggy-cheeks…” Panli paused before asking, “Does Phii Fah ever kiss your cheek?”
“You dummy!…Why would you ask something like that!”
“Joy, I know you’re curious too…”
“I am curious, but I wouldn’t dare ask. I’m afraid saggy-cheeks would get shy.”
“What’s there to be shy about?…People in love kissing each other’s cheeks isn’t embarrassing.”
Theerak lowered his gaze. He pressed his lips together tightly because Panli’s question didn’t make him think of the time Muenfah kissed his cheek with a loud smack, but instead reminded him of the taste of Muenfah’s kiss.
His face suddenly flushed, and he had to rub the back of his neck to ease the embarrassment.
“Why are you pressing your lips together, saggy-cheeks?”
“I knew it… Phii Fah is freaking amazing,” Panli said, laughing with delight.
“Panli, don’t laugh…” Theerak glanced up at his close friend, who wouldn’t stop laughing. He bit his lip before raising both hands to his cheeks to check the burning heat. It felt like there were bonfires blazing on both sides of his face. “I’m embarrassed…”
“Ugh… saggy-cheeks. I’m embarrassed too.”
“So who’s flirting with who here?” Panli said, laughing.
“Back then, I wasn’t prepared…”
“What happened after you were?”
“…Phii Fah likes to kiss me here.” He said, tapping his finger on his lips before lowering his head to avoid his friends’ eyes.
“Mom ~~~~~~~~~~”
“Joy… why are you screaming for your mom?”
“I can’t handle this, you dummy.”
“All that effort wasn’t in vain… Phii Fah did great!”
“You dog-faced dummy! You’re not being considerate of your friend at all…” Theerak kept his head down and spoke in a soft voice, “I’m so embarrassed I could die…”
“Haha.”
Kisses, ughhhh… I’m embarrassed.”
“Joy, you’re the one making your friend even more embarrassed.”
“But it’s really embarrassing, okay!”
Theerak looked up when he heard his friends’ voices. The art group had just arrived and started entering the restaurant. All the staff bowed their heads to Inn as he walked toward him. Inn stopped in front of him and asked “Rak… can I sit with you?”
Theerak glanced at the empty spot beside him, the one he’d saved for
Muenfah, before saying, “I’m sorry, Inn.”
“…”
“I’ve saved a spot for Phii Fah…”
“…”
Theerak didn’t often reject people, so he felt guilty seeing the change in In’s expression. In looked disappointed and confused. Even though his words might make him seem cruel, Theerak believed it was for the best—In could move on from him and start anew with someone whose heart aligned with his.
“Does you like Phii Fah?”
Theerak nodded immediately. “Yes, Phii Fah and I are already together.”
Once again, he had to claim the boyfriend title preemptively to make it crystal clear. If he said he was just pursuing Muenfah, it might leave room for hope or make someone think they could still squeeze in. To Inn, Theerak might seem harsh for speaking so bluntly without sparing feelings.
But trust him…
Clear actions and words were the best way.
“…”
“I’m sorry, Inn.” he said, even though love had no right or wrong. He still wanted to apologize. “Sorry that I don’t feel the same way about you.”
“I understand…” Inn reached out and gently patted his head before saying, “But I’ll still wait for you, Rak.”
Theerak tilted his head slightly to avoid In’s touch. He felt bad for doing this, but his heart kept telling him how important Muenfah was to him. That’s why Theerak had to stay firm…
“Don’t wait for me.”
“…”
“Because besides Phii Fah… I won’t love anyone else.”
In nodded faintly before walking over to sit on the chair across from him, slightly offset. Theerak sighed, feeling guilty for cutting ties with Inn so harshly. But if he wasn’t decisive… the one who’d end up hurt might be Muenfah.
“No need to feel guilty, dude…” Type, who had appeared out of nowhere, leaned down to whisper in his ear. “That Inn guy knows deep down that you and Phii Fah like each other, but he’s being stubborn about it… Honestly, he’s just someone who loves to win.”
“…” Theerak’s eyes widened in curiosity.
Type whispered again, “We went to the same high school. Whenever he wanted something, he had to have it. No one ever beat him… This time, I think he’s trying to outdo Phii Fah.”
How could he win?…Phii Fah already has my heart!” Theerak frowned and snapped with a rare burst of irritation. “Khun Muenfah has won by a landslide!”
“Calm down, man. I’m just letting you know… no need to get this mad.”
Theerak tried to suppress his emotions before muttering softly, “Hmph! I don’t feel guilty about Inn anymore.”
Type laughed and went to sit next to Panli. “Exactly… you don’t need to feel guilty at all.”
“What did you say to him, Type? Why’s chubby-cheeks so pissed off…” Panli asked Type, then reached over to pinch his cheek. “I need to save it so I can tease him again later. He’s so damn adorable when he’s mad!”
“E-Li, can you not tease him for now… Chubby-cheeks is annoyed.”
“Yeah, I’m annoyed… If you pinch my cheek one more time, I’ll bite your finger off.”
“Haha.”
“Kids, what are you all talking about? You look so serious.”
“What’s wrong, Rak? Your brows are all furrowed…”
Phii Dom and Phii Babe, who had just arrived, asked with curiosity. Both of them chose to sit across from him. Theerak was about to answer, but then Phii Ball, Phii Real, and Phii Hia walked into the restaurant, sparking his own curiosity, so he asked “Phii Real and Phii Hia are here too?”
Phii Ball laughed before explaining, “Today, we had to go to Noh’s birthday party at Fah’s place… so I invited Real and Hia to come along. On the way back, we can all head to Fah’s restaurant together.” He sat down in the last empty chair across from them before turning to ask the younger group, “These two are from a different university than us, but they’re friends of ours… Mind if they join the celebration?”
“Yes / Sure.” everyone responded with friendly expressions and tones.
Theerak gave a smile to the funny Phii Hia, who was standing there grinning. “Go ahead and sit, Phii Hia… Phii Real too.”
“There’s no seat left, Nong Rak…” Phii Hia scanned the area for a chair before adding, “Can I sit next to you then?”
Theerak gave a dry smile to Phii Hia and replied, “Sorry… I saved that spot for Phii Fah.”
“Then I’ll just sit in your heart instead.”
Smack!!
Theerak’s eyes widened in shock as Phii Real slammed his palm hard onto Phii Hia’s head, nearly causing him to faceplant into the hot pot. Everyone burst out laughing as if it were a familiar sight, even though this was the first time these two had shown up.
“So dumb… A guy like you should sit next to me.” Phii Real said while placing two chairs, brought by the staff, at the head of the table near him. “Sit next to me and tone down the flirting.”
“You know why I’m not arguing?”
“Don’t want to know…”
Phii Real replied and sat down nonchalantly, probably because he was done paying attention to Phii Hia. Everyone else went back to chatting, ignoring Phii Hia too. Theerak looked up at the tall guy standing there, blinking rapidly, as if he wanted to say what was on his mind but no one cared to listen.
Why doesn’t Phii Hia argue with Phii Real?” Theerak couldn’t help but feel sorry for the funny guy with a sulky face, so he asked.
“Because I like you the most, Nong Rak…”
“Don’t pay attention to him, Nong Rak… He’s just fishing for attention.” Phii Real said.
Phii Hia, probably scared of being ignored again, quickly answered, “Because I’m confused.”
“Finish talking and sit down already, you jerk!”
“Fine! So bossy. Are you my wife or something?”
“How’d you come up with that, you dumbass?”
Since the reserved table could only seat fifteen people, Phii Real and Phii Hia had to squeeze together at the head of the table. Theerak scooted closer to Joy to make more room for Muenfah. Phii Real and Phii Hia were pretty big, and if Muenfah came, he was worried the guy might feel cramped.
“When Fah gets here, I’ll shift over more, okay?”
Theerak smiled and replied to Phii Real, “Okay…”
“Real, want to switch seats?”
“If you switch with me, you’ll end up sitting right next to Fah’s stinky feet… You sure about that?”
“…”
“Fah isn’t here yet… so it just looks like the kid’s sitting close to me for now.”
“…”
“Think it over.”
“I’ll just stay here…”
Theerak hid a smile while watching the two seniors. He’d turn to chat with his friends occasionally, but all three of them were busy staring down at their phones. Meanwhile, Phii Dom and Phii Babe were deep in conversation, and he didn’t dare interrupt.
Theerak realized…
how lonely life felt without Sky
#However Many Thousand Skies
But it was at that moment that Theerak spotted a black Ford Mustang pulling into the restaurant’s lot. The loud rumble of the exhaust as it reversed into a parking spot grabbed everyone’s attention effortlessly. Theerak grinned widely when he saw the tall figure step out of the car.
Today, he felt like Muenfah was dressed especially sharp. The guy was wearing a short-sleeved maroon shirt tucked into black jeans, paired with the same Vans sneakers he’d seen him wear often. And, of course, the emeraldfaced watch that never left his wrist.
“Phii Fah’s here…”
“Yeah… this guy’s Sky has arrived.” Theerak said with a bright expression and tone, pointing at himself.
“You’re in a good mood, huh, you chubby-cheeked fool.”
Muenfah walked into the restaurant with a calm expression, his sharp eyes scanning the table before stopping in front of him. He didn’t seem to be in the best mood, but he still flashed that same familiar smile.
Can Phii Fah sit here?”
“Phii Fah, lean down a bit… Rak needs to whisper something…” The tall guy obediently bent down. “If this guy’s my future boyfriend… I allow him to sit.”
“Heh.”
Theerak patted the empty space next to him with a few loud taps. Muenfah plopped down, then pulled something out of his pants pocket and tossed it to Panli across the table. Theerak glanced at the pack of his close friend’s favorite cigarettes, sitting still next to the hot pot.
“Yours…”
Panli snatched it up and said, “I’ve been looking for this forever… When did Phii Fah steal it?”
“You left it in my car…”
“We’re dead for sure…”
“Panli, why is you so forgetful like this? T___T”
Panli glared at him and mouthed silently, ‘Did you tell Phii Fah about the car?’ Theerak shook his head in denial and started thinking of an excuse for Muenfah.
“I know you’re the one who brought him there.”
“…Did Maenam tell you?”
“Panli… I just saw my car parked slightly off and knew right away. No one had to tell me.”
“…”
“And you left your cigarettes behind too…”
“…It was just one time, forgive me, please.”
“You’re grounded for a week… no leaving the house after 9 p.m.”
“Phii Fah!”
“Maenam told me… lately, you’ve been riding your motorcycle out at 9 p.m.”
“I went to watch football at a friend’s place.”
“Don’t we have a TV at home?”
“Saving electricity, you know.”
“If you make one more excuse, I’ll add another week to your grounding.”
Panli rubbed his face in frustration before saying, “Saggy-cheeks is guilty too. Phii Babe, ground him!”
Phii Babe laughed before replying, “Rak likes staying home anyway… he wouldn’t think it’s a punishment.”
“Fah… I am is sitting right here, say hi or something.”
“I can’t see a speck of dust called Hia.”
Muenfah’s words made everyone burst out laughing, but the sly look from the tall guy made Theerak, who was laughing, quickly shut his mouth. Muenfah leaned in close and whispered in his ear “Don’t think you’re off the hook, Theerak… I will have to punish you too.”
Theerak buried his face in Muenfah’s neck and mumbled, “But I wasn’t the mastermind…”
“Heh,…no need to act cute, I won’t go easy on you.”
Will my punishment be lighter than Panli’s?” Theerak asked softly, hoping for some sympathy from Muenfah.
“Lighter, yes…”
Muenfah gently lifted him to sit up straight. Theerak looked at the bigger guy, who was biting his lip as if teasing him. Muenfah leaned in again, using his sharp teeth to lightly nip at his neck. Moments later, he pulled back and pressed a kiss on the same spot. Theerak was both startled and embarrassed at the same time. The gazes from the seniors and friends in the group made him want to explode on the spot.
Muenfah chuckled in his throat and pulled his phone out of his pants pocket. He typed a message casually, as if nothing had happened. Theerak could only press his lips together and lower his eyes, afraid of being teased by the others and getting even more embarrassed.
“Fah, hey… take it easy, have some pity on the kid or at least on my heart,” Hia said.
“That was as gentle as it gets…”
Theerak wanted to escape from this moment because of Muenfah’s words. Joy, who was making a whining sound in her throat, only made Theerak feel even more embarrassed. He had planned to flirt with Muenfah for the first time today, but the mission was clearly failing since Muenfah kept stealing the spotlight.
Muenfah should be the one feeling shy…not Theerak, T___T.
“So, in the end, chubby-cheeks isn’t the one flirting with Phii Fah… Phii Fah’s just flirting with chubby-cheeks like usual.” Panli said.
“Don’t underestimate this chubby puppy, Panli.”
“Heh.”
Theerak waited for the staff to finish setting down the food trays before continuing, “Phii Fah… can you not steal my role?”
“We haven’t kissed today yet…” Muenfah, the oblivious one, didn’t care about what he said at all. He leaned in close, pouting for a kiss.
“…”
“I’m embarrassed for the kid…” Phii Ball said, laughing. “But I kinda want to see it… haha.”
“You damn Ball… you sinner.” Phii Hia chimed in, then added, “But I’m just as sinful as you.”
“Enough, you guys… the kid’s blushing so hard his face is all red.” Phii Real spoke up.
…It wasn’t just him sitting there with a face as red as a tomato. Phii Babe, Joy, and the other friends were just as flustered and red-faced. Theerak was now convinced that no one could outdo Khun Muenfah’s shamelessness—he never got embarrassed about stuff like this.
“I really want to kiss my Theerak…” Muenfah said, scanning around for something. He grinned slyly, picking up an A4-sized coaster paper to shield both their faces. “Theerak… you can kiss me now.”
Theerak pressed his lips together tightly, knowing full well that Joy, sitting right beside him, would definitely see. “Phii Fah… we can’t.”
“…” Muenfah craned his neck to look at Joy before saying, “Joy… I’m going to kiss Theerak. No peeking, okay?”
“Okay, okay… I soo won’t peek.”
“Joy promised.”
Theerak sighed before breaking into a small smile. He knew he couldn’t resist Muenfah anymore. It wasn’t that he was forcing himself to give in to the request—he agreed because he missed Muenfah’s kisses too.
Kiss…
The one who got kissed smiled softly and lowered the paper. At that moment, several pairs of eyes were staring at them. Theerak accepted the consequences of his actions and let his older friends and peers tease him with their looks.
“The paper’s thin… didn’t you know?” Panli asked.
“I knew… but I wanted everyone to see…”
Theerak was about to look up and scold Muenfah for making him even more embarrassed, but the way Muenfah’s eyes locked onto Inn made him quickly speak up to hold back the one whose mood was starting to sour.
“Hey, you’re Fah’s…”
“Especially you… Inn.”
“…” Inn stared back at Muenfah before looking away.
“Don’t mess with my Theerak again…”
“…”
The atmosphere was thick with tension. Inn, who had become the target of everyone’s gaze, stood up and left the restaurant. Not long after, a tall, welldressed man walked in. The staff all raised their hands to greet him, making it clear he was the owner.
“Oh, Fah… you’re here too?”
Muenfah nodded. “…”
“Hia, I thought came alone… When you called me, why didn’t you say Fah was coming too? I could’ve told the staff to take extra good care of you.”
“No need…” Muenfah said, pushing his tongue against his cheek as he tried to keep his emotions in check. “Your place is great in every way… except for your little brother.”
“…”
“He’s trying to flirt with my Theerak.”
“Inn?”
“Yeah.”
“…”
“We’ve been in the swimming club together for years… you know how I am.”
“I know…”
“I had Hia call and invite you here because Inn’s your brother.”
“…”
“I don’t want to mess with someone I know.”
“…”
“Even though I haven’t gotten into trouble in a while… I still remember how to punch someone.”
“…I’ll deal with Inn myself later.”
Muenfah didn’t say anything, just nodded at the other guy. “…”
“Then make yourselves at home. I’ve got some business to handle first.” After the owner, named Thanwa, left, everything returned to normal. Though everyone wanted to know more, no one dared to ask. Theerak looked at the intimidating Khun Muenfah, who was now resting his head on his shoulder.
“Sorry, Theerak…”
“…”
“Don’t be scared of me, okay?”
“I’m not scared of you… but you need to tone down the jealousy a bit.”
“Stopping me from being jealous is like stopping Thailand from having sunlight.”
Theerak gave a small smile at the cute phrase from Fah’s precious one. “…”
“It’s impossible…”
“Hey Sky…” Theerak raised his hand to ruffle the chocolate-brown hair before asking, “Has you known Phii Tanwa; Inn’s older brother for a long time?”
“Since high school… we were in the swimming club together, but Hia was closer to Tanwa.”
“Fah and Tanwa were rivals whenever the school held academic events with swimming competitions.” Phii Hia said while picking pork to put in the pot. “But Tanwa never beat Fah.”
“…”
“After losing too many times, he started disliking Fah.”
“…”
“But one time, Tanwa got into a fight with kids from another school. He was getting beaten up, and Fah happened to pass by and helped him out.”
“…”
“After that, Tanwa stopped holding a grudge against Fah.”
“So that’s how it was…”
“Nong Rak, have you ever watched the series Hormones?…Your Phii Fah is just like Phii Phai when there’s trouble.” Phii Hia said. “…”
“Then who’s Sprite?” Panli asked.
“A nobody… just a red soda like me who’s always by his side.”
Phii Hia’s answer made Phii Real burst out laughing. “I hate that red soda so much…”
“And how did you find out that Tanwa is Inn’s older brother?”
“After the project inspection day… I had Ball keep an eye on whether he’d bother you again. But Ball went a bit overboard and brought me Inn’s profile from the freshman booth registration…”
“…”
“Inn’s last name sounded familiar, so I asked Hia about it, thinking it might be the same as a friend from high school.”
“And it was… I remembered it was Tanwa’s last name.” Phii Hia replied while picking sliced pork out of the boiling pot. “After that, I called him and found out that the little devil causing trouble for Fah’s friend was Tanwa’s younger sibling.”
So the reason you came to eat with the juniors today was partly to clear this up too, right?” Phii Babe, who’d been quietly gathering info for a while, asked.
Muenfah nodded. “Mhm…”
“Phii Fah, you’re amazing… but you’d be even more amazing if you didn’t ground Li.”
“Phii Hia found out that Inn is terrified of his own older brother, so he suggested Fah sort it out with Tanwa instead. That way, you Nong Rak wouldn’t feel torn.”
“You idiot! That was my suggestion!” Phii Real interjected.
“Sorry, sorry, I forgot.”
Theerak turned and pointed accusingly at the big guy watching him. “Sky, you master schemer… From now on, I won’t give in to you so easily. And if you plead for something, I will think it over a lot to see if you’s hiding some plan, okay?”
“Heh,…no more plans.” Muenfah said, kissing his cheek.
“Oh no… we’re not alone here, you know!”
“Hia… you’ve got to understand.”
“Understand what?”
“If your name isn’t Theerak… you’ll just become a nobody or air.”
“I’m not air… I’m a speck of dust.”
While everyone was chatting, Theerak had to deal with the stubborn Khun Muenfah, who kept nuzzling his nose against his cheek nonstop. He wrapped one arm around his waist and pulled him closer.
Ugh! Phii Fah… don’t tease me while I’m eating.”
“Heh.”
“Now you are both stubborn and clueless… how should I handle you?”
Muenfah smirked and leaned in to whisper in his ear, “I am stubborn because I’m hungry.”
“If you’re hungry, eat, Phii Fah…” Theerak said, picking up the biggest slice of pork from his bowl and offering it to Muenfah. “I even gave you the biggest piece of pork… think about how much I love you.”
Muenfah pressed his nose and lips against his shoulder before lightly nipping at it with his sharp teeth.
“Eating pork won’t fill me up…”
“…”
“Can I eat nuu instead?”
Theerak thought…
Him saying he want to eat him
Made his first attempt at flirting with Muenfah…
…a failure.
T/N Nuu is a pronoun used by younger one or an older one addressing a younger person whom they are really close.
TBC
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