YOURSKY, Chapter 20
“Panli’s dropping you off at home later, right, Rak?”
“Yes, he said he’d take me himself.”
“Okay, then I won’t swing back to pick you up.”
“Yep…”
I sent a smile to my older sister and waved goodbye. The black BMW pulled away from Panli’s big house. As soon as I turned back toward the large wooden door that stood open to welcome guests like me, I saw a middle-aged woman—probably the housekeeper—standing there smiling. I raised my hand to greet her as she walked toward me.
“Khun Panli told me to come welcome you, Khun.”
“Just call me Rak, it’s fine, Auntie… or you can call me chubby-cheeks if you want. My friends like calling me that.”
The housekeeper auntie covered her mouth as she laughed. “Calling you
Rak is good enough.”
“…Okay.”
“This way, please, Rak.”
“Yep…”
I nodded and followed the housekeeper auntie inside. Since becoming friends with Panli, I could count the times I’d been to his house on one hand. Most of the time, I came to drop off study sheets or exam summaries for him, but our business usually ended at the front door. I’d never come inside, even though he’d invited me plenty of times.
That’s because I didn’t want to intrude on my friend’s privacy.
…No friend cares about Panli as much as Rak Niran does,
I scanned my eyes around the house as I followed the housekeeper auntie. The area around the house was beautifully and luxuriously decorated. Panli’s house wasn’t much different from the evening dramas Grandpa loved to watch. From the fountain in front of the house—where Phii Dom had to drive around a large fountain with a cupid statue holding a bow to drop me off at the entrance—to the massive automatic iron gate, everything was grand. A house this big and comfortable, yet dog-face Li still preferred hanging out outside over staying home.
He really deserves a smack…
I never meddled or asked about my friends’ personal matters unless they chose to tell me themselves. But because I’m a chubby, clever little pup, I figured out that the two Pisut siblings came from a pretty well-off family. You could tell from the cars they drove and the things they used. Still, I never imagined they’d be this rich. Neither Panli nor Phii Fah ever bragged about anything.
The only thing Panli liked to boast about was… how good he was at being lonely.
That’s why he didn’t like staying home.
A house this big must feel pretty lonely, huh?
I get you now, dog-face Li.
“Please, Rak, go wait in Khun Panli’s living room. He’ll come down in a bit,” the housekeeper said.
“Uh, oh, sure,” I replied, turning to look at the tightly shut glass door. Since it was clear glass, I could see a long, large sofa, a wall-mounted TV, the latest gaming console, and a bunch of soccer game discs that he loved. Not daring to open the door myself, I turned back to the housekeeper, only to find I was now standing alone.
Mom always told me not to act carelessly in someone else’s house.
But the housekeeper just gave me permission, didn’t she…?
As I slid the glass door open, a blast of icy air from the air conditioner hit me immediately. I shook my head lightly, smiling to myself as I stepped inside. Panli hated the heat so much—not unlike Phii Fah. He probably kept the AC on all day, which explained why the room felt as cold as the North Pole.
I remembered the housekeeper telling me to wait in Panli’s living room, which must mean the two Pisut siblings each had their own separate living rooms.
These two siblings are really something to envy…
Not long after, Panli appeared. He was dressed casually in a tank top and branded sweatpants. Maybe because he already had fair skin, the all-black outfit made it stand out even more. I had to admit, Panli looked really handsome today. Even in such a simple outfit, he still managed to look this good.
But not as good as Phii Fah, though…
…Phii Fah is the handsomest,
“Sorry, dude, did you wait long?”
“Super long… Go get me some snacks already. I’m starving here…”
“Wait a sec, my dear friend. The nanny’s bringing some over…”
“You have a nanny too?”
“Yeah…” Panli walked over and sat beside me, pointing a finger at my face. “Don’t… you… dare… tease… me!”
I nodded reluctantly. “Okay… I won’t tease. What’s there to tease about dog-face Li being raised by a nanny since he was a kid?”
Crack…
The sound from the glass door interrupted our conversation, causing both of us to turn and look at the person about to enter. I saw an elderly woman holding a tray with a glass of red soda and a plate of some kind of snack standing at the door. Panli quickly got up to open the door for the old lady, who I assumed was his nanny. I followed my friend and tried to help her carry the shiny metal tray, but she smiled and shook her head, refusing my help.
“It’s really heavy… Let me help, okay?”
“It’s fine, dear. I can carry it, young master.”
“Theerak, please. It’s better if you call me Theerak, Grandma.”
“If you’re a friend of second young master, you’re like another young master to me… It’s fine for me to call you this.”
“O-Okay… But if you change your mind, you can call me ‘Master Theerak’ too. Grandpa likes calling me that.”
“Nanny, stop calling me that already… I’m embarrassed in front of my friend.”
I looked at Panli, who let out a big sigh before snatching the tray from the nanny and placing it on the coffee table. Wait, what did she just call Panli? second young master… second young master, right?
“I’ve been calling you that since you were little… How could you expect me to change it, second young master?”
“Nannyyyy… Please, I’m begging you. My friends will tease me.”
I gave a small smile and nodded lightly. So, he was afraid of being teased about this. “No one would dare tease second young master.”
“You chubby-cheeked jerk!”
“I brought some red soda and cookies for you. Do second young master and young master Theerak want anything else?”
“No thanks, Grandma. This is already more than I can eat.”
“Then I will excuse herself for now.”
“Okay. Should I walk you back?” I didn’t realize I’d started walking to support her until I heard the nanny and Panli laughing.
“You chubby-cheeks… Nanny won’t get lost. She’s been in this house since before I was born.”
“N-No, that’s not what I meant… I was just worried she might trip on the way.”
“Thank you for worrying about me, dear, but I can walk back to the kitchen on my own.” Panli’s nanny smiled at me and gently patted my cheek before walking out of the room.
“Panli, making Grandma work like that… That’s not nice.”
“Normally, I never ask Nanny to do anything except cook for me… But as soon as she heard you were coming, she started preparing all sorts of things.” “Nanny knows me?” I hurried to sit back down next to Panli, my eyes widening.
“Of course she does… I talk about you to her all the time.” Panli said as he reached for a cookie, but I quickly grabbed it from his hand. I wanted him to tell me properly, not talk while eating—otherwise, the details might get lost while he chewed. I placed the cookie back on the plate. Panli seemed to catch on to what I wanted and sighed before continuing, “Just general stuff, like your personality, your looks. But I didn’t go into too much detail about how annoying you can be.”
“And does Nanny like me?”
“She left her beloved kitchen to personally bring you snacks. How much do you think she likes you?”
“I’m so happy. Nanny likes me too.”
“Phii Fah is pretty fond of you, huh…” Panli said with a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Are you happy about that?”
“…” Suddenly, Panli’s question made my face heat up. It was probably because the topic we were discussing got linked back to Phii Fah.
“So, what do you say?”
I wanted to collect myself, so I picked up a cookie to munch on, buying some time to answer. “I’m hungry… let me eat first.”
“…” Panli chuckled softly. He pulled his phone out of his pants pocket and started typing with an unusually calm expression I didn’t often see. Curious about what was up with him, I leaned forward to sneak a peek at his screen, but that dog-faced jerk caught on and tilted his head to block me, causing the tip of my nose to brush against his soft hair.
“My head doesn’t smell as good as Phii Fah’s—get it away!”
“Then why are you sneaking a look at my chat?”
“I wasn’t…”
Panli tucked his phone back into his pocket, staring at me before saying, “If you’re lying… may Phii Fah not love you.”
I blinked rapidly, slowing down my chewing to think of an excuse. The only thing that came to mind was crossing my index and middle fingers behind my back before saying, “I wasn’t sneaking a look…”
“Your fingers…”
“Fine, I give up… but take back what you said right now.”
“If you confess your mistake… may Phii Fah love you lots.”
“I really did sneak a peek… but I didn’t see anything because your stinky head got in the way.” I uncrossed my fingers and admitted my guilt, though I wasn’t sure if I was confessing because I hate lying or because of what Panli said.
Let’s just say… it’s both.
But the part about “may Phii Fah love you lots” weighed a bit more.
“So, what’s on your mind to talk about?” Panli asked, grabbing the remote to turn on the TV. “You’re not just here to trick me into giving you snacks, right?”
“I’m not here to trick you for snacks… because I know if I ask nicely, you’d give in anyway…”
I watched Panli smirk while staring at the TV. “So, what do you want to talk about?”
“Panli…”
Panli must’ve picked up on the more serious tone in my voice. He turned down the TV volume and looked me in the eye. I swallowed hard, feeling nervous even though I could guess the outcome wouldn’t be as bad as I feared right now.
“I… uh…”
“…Take it easy. I’m not in a rush.”
“Thanks for not rushing me. I’m really nervous.” On top of the anxiety, I was also excited. My hands were freezing, and I could feel sweat starting to bead on my forehead.
“It’s just me… your dog-faced Panli.”
“…”
“No need to worry. Whatever you want to say, just say it. I’m always ready to listen.”
Panli’s comforting words eased some of my nerves, so I finally spoke. “I like Phii Fah.”
“…”
“Not just as a senior-junior thing.”
“…”
“But I like it this way…” I pressed my two index fingers together and rubbed them back and forth to help explain a sentence I was too shy to say out loud.
“Like fingers touching?”
“Panli!! I know you’re really smart…”
“Please, can you not tease me?…For a newbie in love like me, this is really hard.”
I sighed as I watched Panli laugh with delight. “Yeah… I get it.” “…”
“Like a lover, right?”
“Yeah.”
“…”
“When I realized I was starting to feel this way about Phii Fah… I was scared you wouldn’t be okay with it.”
“…”
“But you kept trying to let me know it’s fine… That’s why I dared to tell you.”
“…”
“I wasn’t trying to hide it. I just wanted to be sure of myself first.”
“Phii Fah and you are the people I absolutely adore… If one day the people
I love so much end up loving each other, how could I not be okay with it?”
“…”
“I want to see Phii Fah smile at you, and I want to see you smile at Phii
Fah…”
“…”
“…And I want to see both of them smile at me.”
“That’s it… That’s enough.”
“Thanks, Panli…”
“I’ve got something I want you to see.”
“Huh, what is it?”
“Follow me…”
Panli grabbed my arm and led me out of the living room. He took me up a white marble staircase that curved in a semicircle to the second floor of the house. I followed without asking anything, even though I was dying to know.
Because I trust my friend…
I believe Panli will only take me to good things.
“Here we are…” Panli stopped me in front of a large white wooden door.
“The young master’s room.”
“Huh, Phii Fah’s room?”
“Yeah… No one’s allowed in, ever.”
“And you’re telling me to go in without permission?”
“Phii Fah’s not here… What are you scared of?”
“No way… I’d have to ask Phii Fah for permission first.”
“Waiting for permission—when will we ever get to see it then?”
“Panli… this is Phii Fah’s private room!”
Panli dragged me into Phii Fah’s room with some struggle because I resisted with all my might, not wanting to overstep and invade the other’s privacy. He’d told me himself that Phii Fah absolutely forbade anyone from entering his room, which meant Phii Fah must value his privacy a lot. If he found out someone sneaked in, he’d definitely be upset.
I didn’t mean to, Phii Fah…
Panli dragged me in, okay…?
I swept my eyes around the gray room, which was four times bigger than mine. The room was furnished simply, but every item in it was clearly expensive—especially the glass display case holding dozens of branded watches. I couldn’t help but smile when I saw three of Phii Fah’s electric guitars neatly propped up beside the bed.
…No wonder Phii Fah sings so well,
Everything was arranged so neatly that I didn’t dare touch a thing. If I moved even one item in this room, the owner would surely know someone had been here.
“Phii Fah is so organized.”
“…I kinda figured that.”
“Pretty different from me.”
“…”
“What I wanted to show you is over here…”
Panli grabbed my arm again and led me to stop in front of a large picture frame covered with a white cloth. He didn’t tell me what to do with the wallmounted frame in front of us; he just let go of me and stepped back. I stood still for a moment before one of Phii Fah’s sentences echoed back into my mind:
‘Thank you for turning back to look at me.’
I didn’t know why that sentence came to mind, only that it was because of Phii Fah’s words that I reached out to pull the cloth off the frame. The white fabric fell to the floor as what it had been hiding came into clear view.
It was at this moment that I saw myself… in the frame that had been covered by the white cloth. I pressed my lips together tightly as I stared at my paint-smeared face, smiling so wide my eyes squinted, sitting in the freshman welcome gazebo.
How many years has it been…?
…For Phii Fah.
And when I shifted my gaze below the frame, I saw a message written there. Wanting to see it clearly, I stepped closer. The message read…
‘While everyone looked up at the sky… I only looked at you.’
That message made me bite my lip until it hurt. My eyes started to burn, and a stinging sensation prickled my nose. I tried to swallow everything back, but all the emotions swirling inside me at that moment gathered into a massive lump and settled in the left side of my chest. Memories I’d shared with Phii Fah began flooding in uncontrollably, along with countless questions I’d been waiting to have answered for so long.
I’d always wondered… how did Phii Fah know I liked crispy pork basil rice with a non-runny fried egg?
I’d always wondered… why did Phii Fah like walking behind me?
I used to wonder… why Phii Fah always stood to see me off at the front of the house I used to wonder… why I kept seeing a smile like the morning sunlight so often Every question, and every doubt Theerak has found the answers now, Phii Fah…
I didn’t dare turn to face Panli because I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to hold back the tears anymore. The only thing I could do was take a deep breath, but as I let out a warm exhale, a clear teardrop I didn’t usually like fell and brushed against my cheek. I gave a faint smile, hardly believing I’d shed tears for love But I thought… Phii Fah’s love is worth these tears.
The more I looked at the picture of myself… the more the tears kept flowing. I knew full well that the overwhelming feelings I had couldn’t compare to what Phii Fah felt for me. And since I’m new to love, I couldn’t control these emotions, so I let them spill out as tears instead.
Theerak’s such a crybaby…
I’m nowhere near as good at hiding my feelings as Phii Fah, huh?
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the truth…”
“…”
“I’ve known for a while that Phii Fah secretly likes you.”
“…”
“Phii Fah asked me not to tell you… because he just wanted you to notice him, not to expect anything more.”
“…”
“If you were going to feel something… he wanted you to feel it on your own, not because of anything else.”
“…”
“Don’t be mad at Phii Fah, okay?”
I wanted to thank Panli for choosing to speak from behind without coming closer, because if he saw me crying, he’d definitely tease me about it. I used body language to respond, shaking my head to confirm I wasn’t angry, trying to speak without my voice trembling “Li… I’ve been walking ahead of Phii Fah all this time.”
“…”
“Phii Fah has been following me for so long…”
“From now on, walk together, okay?”
“…”
I nodded even though I didn’t turn to look at Panli. He probably knew I didn’t want anyone to see my tears, so he quietly walked away. I let myself sink to the floor and looked up at the picture of myself In Phii Fah’s eyes… this is what Theerak is like, huh…
Right now, my heart isn’t racing at all. Instead, it’s calm and still in a way it’s never been before. I’m not surprised, because I know what caused this new reaction…
Where the heart is calm because… I has found Sky of my own, I reached into my pants pocket to pull out my phone because it vibrated with a notification. The message that appeared on the screen made me smile through tears.
M.FAH: I am boarding the plane now.
I wiped the clear liquid pooling around my eyes with the back of my hand before looking at the next message.
M.FAH: Should arrive around 3:25 PM.
Theerak: Travel back safely, Phii Fah.
I will wait… Waiting until 3:25 PM.
At that moment…it must be time.
#However Many Thousand Skies
I hurriedly stepped down the stairs and headed straight to Panli’s living room, but he wasn’t there. In a house as big as my friend’s, finding Panli wouldn’t be easy. I had to find him quickly because there wasn’t much time left.
“Panli, where are you?” I muttered softly before pulling my phone out of my pocket to call him.
“Hey, chubby-cheeks, why are you calling me?”
Panli walked out from one part of the house, asking in a teasing tone. As soon as I saw my friend, I didn’t hesitate to drag him out to the front of the house immediately.
“Hey, hey, wait…where are you taking me?”
“We’re running out of time. Phii Fah is about to arrive at the airport.”
“Then wait here… I’ll call and tell him you’re at the house. Phii Fah won’t need to stop by the condo and can come straight here.”
“No… I have to go meet him at the airport.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s time…”
Yes…it’s time. Now I fully understand what Phii Babe said and how Phii
Dom felt deep in his heart. The phrase “It’s time” isn’t just words—it’s a special feeling that compels us to do something to meet that person as soon as possible.
At first, I thought I’d wait… But when I felt that…it’s time I couldn’t wait any longer…
“Such a hassle…” Panli grumbled while looking down at his clothes before asking, “How much time is left?…I need to change.”
“One hour.”
“Plenty of time… I’ll change real quick.” Now he seemed as rushed as I was. Panli ran back into the house and turned to point at me, ordering, “Don’t you dare go by yourself.”
“Uh…” I nodded reluctantly.
…Not long after, Panli returned. He was wearing a large white T-shirt and faded, ripped-knee jeans. I chuckled softly because I knew my friend was annoyed at having to change in a hurry and couldn’t pick out much. Normally, Panli dressed stylishly, not much different from Phii Fah. It was rare to see him dressed so casually like this.
I finally realized how much Panli love me. Love is love, you dog-faced guy,
“Young master, should I drive for you?” I looked at the uncle who once drove us to the beach and asked Panli.
“No problem, I’ll drive myself later, thank you.” Panli replied politely before leading me to the garage. I didn’t have time to get excited about the several sports cars parked there, even though deep down I wanted to take a closer look. I had only seen them in Phii Dom’s car magazines before. But right now, the only thing I needed to focus on was Phii Fah.
“Let’s take this one…”
“…”
“Get in the car quick, you chubby-cheeked idiot.”
“Uh…”
I got into the car—a Ford Mustang, black, as my friend had mentioned. I only knew it was this brand because Phii Dom had once said he’d import one to use too. He often showed me car pictures and asked me to help pick models, but since I’m not into cars, I never paid much attention.
“…”
“Is this your car?”
“Do I ever drive a black car…?”
“Oh, right, you dog-faced guy likes driving white cars.”
“Exactly… if it’s a black car, it belongs to Pradipat.”
Hearing that, I scanned the black cars in the garage. “That’s quite a lot, Lie.”
“Seven cars in the garage. If you include the Benz sports car and the BMW at the condo, that’s nine.”
“Is Phii Fah planning to open a car showroom or something?”
“Haha.” Panli laughed heartily before driving the car out of the house. He didn’t seem very familiar with this car.
“So why did you have to take this one?”
“Because I wanted to drive it… If I didn’t seize this chance, Phii Fah would never let me drive it. This one’s his baby.”
Here we go again. You’re dragging me into something like this again…” I sighed, knowing full well how possessive Phii Fah is. Panli always finds ways to stir things up. “I still feel guilty for sneaking into Phii Fah’s room without permission, and now we’re secretly taking his favorite car.”
“His favorite car or you… I think Phii Fah would choose you.”
“Don’t say that just to make me feel better, you dog-faced guy.”
“…” I looked at Panli, who was smirking, before he asked, “When you saw the picture… how did you feel?”
I gave a faint smile. “I felt… there’s no comparison.”
“…”
“Nothing can compare to Phii Fah’s love.”
“True… it’s insane, man.”
“…”
“I saw the picture for the first time the day before yesterday.” “…”
“Phii Fah has always been protective of his privacy. He’s never liked anyone entering his bedroom since he was a kid. So I never paid attention to what was in his room.”
“But the day before yesterday… I needed to use a camera lens, and mine happened to have an issue. So I thought about borrowing one from Phii Fah.”
“But I was too lazy to call and ask to borrow it since I only needed it for a short while, and at that moment, I didn’t have time to listen to Phii Fah scolding me… So I decided to go get the lens myself.”
“Is that called borrowing or stealing?”
“It’s better to call it informal borrowing.”
“When I entered the room, I saw this picture frame. It was covered with a cloth, as you can see. So I secretly took a peek… Don’t scold me. I admit I was nosy.”
“The moment I saw it… I was speechless.”
“Truly speechless.”
“I always thought that my feelings for Phii Fah were immense… probably more than what he felt for me.”
“But when I learned the truth… I realized that my feelings were just the size of a glass of water.”
“A glass of water… it can’t compare to an ocean.”
“But I’ll make that glass of water grow to the size of an ocean.”
“I believe you can do it.”
I nodded in acknowledgment before asking, “When Phii Fah secretly liked me, were we close yet?”
“Not yet… Phii Fah said he liked you before we became close.”
I lowered my eyes, lost in thought…
“Was it before I started dating Mew?…”
“When you were with Mew… Phii Fah still liked you.”
I just realized that romantic love can create such a wide range of emotions. It made my heart ache in a way I’d never felt before. The reason for this feeling probably stemmed from the thought of… what Phii Fah had to go through.
You don’t have to overthink it.”
“It’s been a long time.”
“I just thought… how bad must Phii Fah have felt back then…”
“From now on… can you make Phii Fah happy without ever stopping?’“
I turned to look at Panli, who was smiling while driving, before nodding in response, “Yeah… I’ll make Phii Fah so happy he’ll be exhausted.”
“If someone else said that, I’d think way too far, but since it’s you… the meaning becomes as cute as the world.”
“…”
I laughed because I understood that Panli meant something naughty, the kind of thing he liked to tease Type about, before resting my heavy head against the car window. I looked at Fah’s bright sky ahead while thinking…
‘While everyone looks at love, love only looks at the sky.’
#However Many Thousand Skies
“Wait here for real, huh, Panli?”
“Yeah, right here.”
I sighed before craning my neck to look at the exit door. We were standing a fair distance from it. On the way to the airport, I had come up with a plan, and Panli was the main supporter of this scheme.
“It’s been too long, hasn’t it, Li…?”
“Maybe the flight’s delayed?…Let’s wait a bit more.”
“Actually, it hasn’t been that long… I’m just excited.”
Panli laughed before reaching over to gently pat my head. “No need to be excited. Just say whatever you want to say.”
“I’m scared I’ll be so excited I’ll forget what I need to say.”
“You droopy-cheeks…”
“My hands are all sweaty.” I rubbed my hands together to try to ease the excitement. I wasn’t sure if this would help calm me down, but it was better than doing nothing.
“While we’re waiting… how about we practice what to say?”
“You can practice a love confession?”
“Of course you can… the important lines, save them for Phii Fah. You don’t have to say them to me.”
“Okay, okay.” I nodded eagerly. Panli smiled at me before his expression turned calm and neutral. I burst out laughing because he looked exactly like Phii Fah, no mistake about it.
“Don’t laugh…”
“Okay, okay, starting now.”
“Yeah…”
“Phii Fah… I love seeing your picture…”
“Hey… don’t talk about the picture yet, or I’ll lose my head!”
“Then when should I talk about the picture?”
“Anytime you think Phii Fah won’t come back to chop my head off.”
“Okay, okay.”
“Go on…”
Phii Fah…”
“…”
“Why didn’t you reply with, ‘Yes, you naughty thing,’ huh… It’s not realistic, Li.”
“How would I know what to say?”
“Reply with, ‘Yes, you naughty thing,’ too…”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“Phii Fah…”
“Yes, naughty one.”
“Well…I…”
“…”
“Sigh ~” I let out a big sigh and raised my hand to rub my face.
“I already answered with, ‘Yes, naughty one.’ What’s your problem now?”
“…”
“This is as realistic as I can make it, chubby-cheeks… It’s impossible to be exactly like your Phii Fah.”
“You did well… I’m just nervous myself.”
“Oh, chubby-cheeks…”
“What should I do?”
“Try again?”
“Let’s do it again…”
“…”
This time, I steadied myself properly. “Phii Fah…”
“Phii Fah…”
“Say, ‘Yes, naughty one’… Why are you just saying ‘Phii Fah’?”
“I mean, has Phii Fah arrived?”
“Is it for real?”
I turned to look at the exit door. At that moment, I saw a tall figure wearing a navy shirt and black jeans, dragging a suitcase out. Phii Fah was looking at the watch on his wrist and heading straight toward the parking lot. He didn’t see me and Panli standing on the other side. I stared at his broad back as it moved farther and farther away, until Panli shook my arm to snap me out of it.
“Chubby-cheeks, Phii Fah is leaving!”
“What about you?”
“Don’t worry about me. Go after Phii Fah.”
“I definitely won’t catch up in time.”
“Then run, damn it!”
“Ugh, back in school during the races, I always lost.”
“This time isn’t a race…”
“…”
“You’re just running after love… I believe you can catch up.”
Yes…this time, I have to be the one chasing after love, because Fah has been chasing after me for so long. “Yeah…cheer me on, Panli.”
Go for it, you!”
I ran out from that spot. When I turned back, I saw Panli standing there waving at me. The encouragement from my friend gave me the strength to run faster. However, Phii Fah was still quite far from me. He seemed to keep getting farther away. I wasn’t sure if it was because Phii Fah was walking too fast or if my legs were just too short to catch up.
“Phii Fah ~”
I decided to call out to the other person when I realized there was no way I could catch up.
I had to call out… because I couldn’t let Phii Fah go anymore.
Fah paused mid-step before turning back to look at me. He furrowed his brows deeply, as if he couldn’t believe his own eyes. I quickly strode toward Phii Fah, and the world seemed to slow down as I got closer to my love.
…Until I stood right in front of Phii Fah.
I had caught up.
My love.
“You naughty thing…”
“Yes… your naughty thing, in the flesh.”
Phii Fah lowered his head with a faint smile. I knew that if it were anyone else, they’d have been scolded by now for showing up unannounced. He looked up and met my eyes for a moment before letting go of his suitcase. Phii Fah used one hand to ruffle my hair and the other to pull me closer by the waist. When I smiled at him…
What I received in return wasn’t a smile like the morning sunlight but a warm embrace…
Phii Fah hugged me tightly, just like that day. I felt shy hugging in the middle of the airport, but my shyness couldn’t overpower my longing, so I hugged him back just as tightly. I used to think scenes like this only happened in romance movies, but today I realized that those love stories weren’t exaggerated at all.
Love can happen to anyone, anywhere, anytime.
“I missed this one the most.”
“And this one missed you the most too.”
The tip of Phii Fah’s nose and lips brushed lightly against my shoulder before I heard a chuckle in his throat. “Sneaking here to pick me up without telling me… Can I spank you for that?”
“It’s a surprise, isn’t it?”
Phii Fah pulled away from the hug and stared at me with a stern look. “If we had missed each other… it would’ve taken even longer for us to meet.”
“…”
“I wanted to see my naughty thing soon because I’ve used up all the hugs I had stored.”
“Then I’ll give you plenty more hugs to store up.”
“Heh.”
I gave a small smile before pressing my lips together tightly, realizing the moment had come. Yet my mind went blank. All the words and sentences I had prepared disappeared. Even though I had rehearsed with Panli a bit, it didn’t help me handle this situation at all. As a novice in love, I didn’t know where to begin. With the experienced Panli not here to advise me, my nervousness struck again.
What’s wrong, naughty thing?”
Since I had no fancy love confession left in my head, I had to rely purely on my feelings. “Phii Fah…”
“Yes, naughty thing?”
“…”
“…”
I have to make it work…
“The song Don’t Tell Her that you sang…”
“…”
“You don’t have to confess your love.”
“…”
“But I will tell you myself…”
“…”
“I like you, Phii Fah.”
That same smile of yours, Phii Fah… I’ve fallen for that smile over and over again.
“…”
“Actually, love feels more than just liking…”
“…”
“I want to say it again.”
”…”
“I love you Phii Fah.”
“…”
“Before I came to meet you at the airport, love saw a picture…” “…”
“Does this sentence sound familiar to you, Phii Fah?’ I smiled at Phii Fah, who hadn’t taken his eyes off me.
“…”
“While everyone looks up at the sky, I only look at you.”
“It’s familiar…”
“I know everything now.”
“…”
Phii Fah fell silent. He didn’t show any reaction or say anything to indicate he was happy, but I could tell that Phii Fah was joyful. I could see it in his eyes, overflowing with that feeling.
I tried to swallow the lump rising in my throat. My nose started to sting, so I lowered my head and laughed to mask my emotions before looking up to meet Phii Fah’s eyes again. ‘Sorry that Theerak turned back to you a little too late.”
Phii Fah nodded and gave me that same smile again.
“…”
“I walked toward you so slowly… Will you still give me a chance?”
I asked that even though I already knew the answer. I just wanted Phii Fah to know that he deserves love too. So I asked for a chance to be the one to give him that love.
“Forever…”
“…”
I lowered my head and laughed again because my nose was stinging once more.
“The naughty one, you have confessed your love… Can you be my boyfriend now?”
“…”
Oops! I forgot the plan I had in mind. I quickly looked up at Phii Fah, shook my head in denial, and stood on my tiptoes to cover his mouth with my hand.
“Not yet… you can’t ask me to be your boyfriend yet.”
The person whose mouth was covered by a hand furrowed their brows in confusion, “…”
“Well… I think that someone who has a secret crush should be healed before becoming a couple.”
“…”
“…And compensated for the time they spent secretly in love too.”
I slowly removed my hand from Phii Fah’s lips. Seeing that he remained silent, “Rak asks for one week.”
“What are you going to do with that one week, you naughty thing?”
“Court you Phii Fah.”
I felt relieved that this answer managed to ease the furrowed brows of the sky, and he even broke into a wide smile. Phii Fah nodded lightly before slipping his hand into his pants pocket. He bit his lip and looked at me with a sly gaze.
“You only have one week… Aren’t you afraid you won’t win me over?”
“I have an accelerated courting course… I’ll definitely win you over,” I replied with a sweet smile directed at the sky.
“Heh… How many steps are there in this accelerated courting course?”
“Two steps.”
“…”
“The first step… We have to make the target fall in love first. After that, we go all out with the courting. Guaranteed success.”
“…”
“I am very confident because I’ve already succeeded with the first step…”
“Heh.”
“So, do we have a deal, Phii Fah?”
“Deal… But if you don’t manage to win my over, I will have to be the one to ask you to be my boyfriend.”
“Okay…”
Phii Fah smiled before saying, “Let’s head back to the condo.”
“To your condo, Phii Fah?”
“Yes.”
“…I will have to call Phii Babe first, so she won’t worry.”
“I think Babe won’t mind today.”
“…”
“But if you’re not comfortable, I can ask Babe for you.”
“You’ll call Phii Babe, Phii Fah?”
“Yes… I’ll ask her to let us stay together to ease our longing first. How does that sound?”
“Good.”
Phii Fah led me to the parking lot. We stopped at a black BMW. I was a little surprised because the day Phii Fah drove out of the university, he was in his usual Benz sports car. This must mean Phii Fah switched cars before heading to the airport.
“That day, Phii Fah drove a Benz sports car…”
“I will need to stop by the condo to switch cars. That one isn’t very convenient for carrying luggage.”
“Oh…” I nodded reluctantly while watching the tall figure load the suitcase into the back of the car. Phii Fah pulled his phone out of his pants pocket and dialed someone.
“Dom… put Babe on the line, please.”
So he’s calling Phii Babe…
“Babe, today I’ll drop off Theerak a bit late, okay?” “…”
“Yeah…he’s walking toward me now.” Phii Fah replied with a faint smile. “…”
“Naughty one…Babe wants to talk to you.”
I took the phone from Phii Fah and said, “Yes, Phii Babe.”
[Don’t stay out past 10 PM.]
“Yes…”
[…]
“At 9:30 PM, I will have Phii Fah start the car and wait.”
[Be less cheeky, please.] “…” I laughed.
[…Congrats, by the way.]
“…”
[Finally walking side by side…]
“Thank you, Phii Babe…” But wait! Saying it like that, it’s as if she knew Phii Fah had a secret crush on me all along.
[…]
“Did you know that Phii Fah secretly liked me for a long time?”
[Go sort it out with Fah yourself. He’s the one who asked me to keep it quiet.]
“Love will definitely have a long talk with Phii Fah.”
[No matter how long, don’t go past 10 PM.]
“Got it…”
I hung up with Phii Babe and got into the car. Fah, who was already waiting, took the phone back from me. He put it in his pocket before asking “What did Babe say?”
“Phii Babe said not to stay out past 10 PM.”
“Okay…”
“But I have something to sort out with you Phii Fah.”
“Heh, what do we need to sort out?”
“How many people knew?…That you secretly liked me.”
“…”
“Panli said there were quite a few people, but he didn’t know who they were because you wouldn’t tell…”
“…”
“As far as I know, there’s Panli and Phii Babe… I think Phii Dom must know too.”
Phii Fah gave a faint smile. He unbuckled his seatbelt, which he had already fastened, and leaned in close. I swallowed hard as the tip of our noses were less than an inch apart. Suddenly, my calm heart started pounding again. I locked eyes with his sharp gaze for a moment before his eyes shifted down to my lips.
“Can I clear things up with you first?”
I pressed my lips together tightly and lowered my gaze. Being asked at such close range made my heart beat exponentially faster. It felt like I couldn’t breathe because Phii Fah was taking all the air. In the overly silent car, I could hear his breathing. The only thing I could do was close my eyes and compose myself. I wouldn’t open them until my heart stopped racing.
Until…
A strong hand lifted my chin. When I opened my eyes, I saw his prominent nose right up against mine. At that moment, Phii Fah’s lips met mine.
My first kiss…
Because it was my first kiss, I felt nervous, but Phii Fah didn’t make me feel scared enough to pull away. He gave me a gentle touch, placing one hand on my cheek to support it before pressing his lips harder, gradually increasing the pressure. I started to kiss him back, learning how to kiss from him. But since I wasn’t confident that my kiss was good enough, I tried to pull away. However, Phii Fah wouldn’t let me and continued kissing me, gently rubbing my cheek with his thumb as if to reassure me.
I was afraid Phii Fah wouldn’t be impressed with our first kiss…
The smile that appeared on his face while we kissed showed me that he was satisfied with it. He must have noticed I was struggling to breathe, so he paused, playfully teasing my lower lip with his sharp teeth instead. In that moment, there was just a tiny gap for me to catch my breath.
But that break didn’t last long before my lips were claimed again. If there was any space between us, I thought at that moment… not even the wind could pass through.
The taste of the kiss was sweet… I used to think it wouldn’t be much different from my favorite dessert, but when I experienced it, I realized it was different. The taste of a kiss is felt through emotions and absorbed by the heart, something my favorite dessert’s sweetness could never compare to.
Phii Fah slowly pulled away from my lips. He smirked and lightly nibbled my lower lip with his teeth, as if teasing me to make me shy. And he succeeded because I was so embarrassed I had to look away.
But because there was something I wanted to say, I spoke up, “Phii Fah… love…”
“Yes… I love you Theerak.”
“No, I wasn’t going to ask if you love me.”
“Heh.”
I lowered my gaze because I truly couldn’t handle his eyes and smile.
“That’s not what I was going to say…”
“Then what was my naughty thing going to say?”
“I was going to say… Phii Fah, I love you.”
“Hearing that makes me want to keep kissing you… but I am worried my naughty one can’t handle it.”
“…Even if I could, I wouldn’t keep kissing.”
I turned to grab the seatbelt and fastened it around my waist, then looked straight ahead. My sweaty hands gripped the seatbelt tightly. I knew a pair of eyes was staring at me. Phii Fah was getting naughtier by the minute…
always teasing me and making me shy.
“Start the car already!” “Heh,…khrap.” khrap…
So cute.
#However Many Thousand Skies
I walked over with a glass of cold water for Phii Fah, who was resting on the sofa. He had just returned, looking tired, and probably wanted something refreshing to drink. Phii Fah took the water and gave me a sly look.
“Taking care of me… what do you want to do?”
“It’s not like that… I brought water for you to drink because I am currently trying to court you Phii Fah.”
“Heh.”
Phii Fah placed the glass on the coffee table before using one arm to pull me by the waist. He tugged hard enough to make me stumble closer, causing me to lose my balance and fall onto his strong lap. Phii Fah adjusted me so I was straddling his lap. I tried to get up from this compromising position, but the big, naughty guy quickly wrapped both arms around my waist.
“For me… this is called pampering, not courting.”
The sly look from little naughty you made me lower my eyes. “Phii Fah, let me go.”
“Doesn’t little naughty you want to know anymore?”
“…”
“…Who all knew that I secretly liked little naughty you?”
“Of course I want to know…”
“One question… for one…”
Kiss…
My eyes widened as he stole a kiss. “Phii Fah!”
“Heh.”
“You’ve gone too far now!’ I glared at Phii Fah, wanting to pinch the grinning guy in front of me until he bruised, honestly.
“That one just now doesn’t count… Phii Fah was just demonstrating.”
“Love doesn’t want to know anymore…”
I replied weakly, hoping he’d take pity on me and answer without asking for another kiss. I didn’t dislike Phii Fah at all, but when he did this, my heart worked overtime. I might end up having a heart attack…
Kiss…
“Hey, Phii Fah!”
“Heh.”
I looked at the naughty guy laughing with satisfaction. ‘You’ve stolen two kisses already.”
“If it’s a kiss… it’d be like the one in the car.”
“…”
“This is just a peck.”
“…’“
“Naughty one, try kissing me… so you can tell the difference.”
“Sly! Rogue!…Can I stop loving you now?”
“Heh.”
I sat with my arms crossed and lips tightly pressed together. At this point, I’d completely lost to Phii Fah. “…”
“Can I kiss your cheek?”
I shook my head in refusal, but Khun Muenfah, the stubborn one, didn’t care at all. He cupped my cheeks with both hands and pressed his nose to my cheek, making a loud smooching sound. I thought he’d be satisfied after kissing both cheeks, but then he kissed the tip of my nose too.
“Phii Fah’s nose…” Phii Fah said, kissing the tip of my nose again before moving his lips to both my cheeks. “Phii Fah’s cheeks.”
“…”
Phii Fah shifted positions, moving his lips to my forehead. “Phii Fah’s forehead…” I had to close my eyes because he was about to kiss my eyes too.
“Phii Fah’s eyes…”
I opened my eyes to look at Phii Fah, thinking… my heart belongs to Phii Fah too.
“After tricking me with so many kisses… can you tell me now?”
“Heh.”
“Phii Fah… don’t be so sly.”
Phii Fah smiled and pressed his index finger to his lips. “Kiss me first…”
I sighed, knowing I was out of options. “Fine… only because I want to know.”
“…”
I placed both hands on Phii Fah’s face, holding it gently. His sharp eyes, locking with mine, made my heart stop. That familiar smile reminded me of the message under the picture frame again… I leaned in closer to Phii Fah and carefully pressed a kiss to his full lips.
…It wasn’t just a peck…
I kissed Phii Fah…
Three seconds… lost in a moment of love. I pulled my lips away and prepared to look down, embarrassed, but Phii Fah held my face with both hands just as I had done. He showered my lips with multiple quick kisses until I broke into a smile.
Peck…
…Peck Peck…
“Phii Fah… that’s enough.”
“What’s that?…Should I kiss you more?”
“Phii Fah…”
“I think that’s enough, naughty one…”
I laughed and shook my head lightly. This the sky… so wicked. “Answer Rak now.”
“Yes…” Phii Fah smiled before taking one of my hands and holding it.
“The people who knew were my Dad, my Mom, Panli, the nanny, Real, Dom, Babe… and by now, probably all the other friends know too. At first, not that many people knew, but because I got closer to little naughty you… everyone figured it out.”
“Did you ask everyone not to tell me the truth?”
In truth, I understood why Phii Fah asked everyone not to tell me. It was all because Phii Fah always prioritized other people’s happiness and comfort first… especially mine.
Phii Fah nodded and pressed his nose against my hand. “Yes… because I didn’t want to lose little naughty you.”
“…”
“Not telling the truth allowed me to stay in little naughty you’s life little by little.”
“…”
“Even if not as a lover… in any role was fine, as long as little naughty you noticed me sometimes.”
“sky of my heart…” I leaned toward Phii Fah. In the end, I chose to embrace this sky. I wanted to say comforting words while hugging him, but I couldn’t speak because something welled up and choked my throat again.
“Thank you…”
“…”
“Thank you for choosing this sky.”
I nodded and gently rubbed Phii Fah’s back. “Thank you too… thank you for being the sky for me.”
“Does little naughty you want to ask me anything else?”
I pulled away from the hug to look into Phii Fah’s eyes before nodding reluctantly. “Yes…”
“…”
“That picture… when did you take it?”
“I took it after secretly liking little naughty you for a while…”
“Where were you hiding?…I never saw you at the freshman booth.”
“Normally, I’d sit at the smoking booth near the tamarind tree, but on the day I secretly took your picture, I got a bit closer to the freshman booth. After taking the picture, I left right away… no one saw me.”
“Did you go watch me at the freshman booth every day?”
“Almost every day.”
I stared deeply into Phii Fah’s eyes before asking something I really wanted to know. “Did Phii Fah ever think about approaching me to flirt?” “Yes… that day, it almost worked.”
“…”
“…And that day, everything fell apart.”
I didn’t quite understand what Phii Fah meant, but because his smile disappeared, I could guess it was something that caused him pain.
“…”
“That day, I intended to approach little naughty you to ask for your LINE… but I saw your Facebook status saying you were in a relationship with Mew first.”
“…”
“So I stopped everything.”
“…”
“But I never stopped loving you Theerak…”
“…”
“I’ve always loved you Theerak… until now.”
“I’m sorry, Phii Fah… I’m sorry for making you sad.”
Fah was still gentle with me as always. Phii Fah lightly brushed my cheek with his thumb. “My naughty one isn’t at fault at all.”
“…”
“It’s just that back then, Phii Fah was in the wrong place at the wrong time…”
“…”
“You don’t have to feel guilty, my good one.”
“Yes, Phii Fah.”
“Does my naughty thing want to know anything else?”
“Did you first see me at the faculty booth?” I thought Phii Fah must have passed by and seen me at the freshman booth, then fallen for the charm of this chubby puppy.
“No… you first saw my naughty thing at the parking lot.”
“…”
“That day, I had class. I was about to turn the car into the parking lot, but an old lady walked in front of me. I was getting out of the car to ask where she was going, but my naughty one stepped in to help her first…”
“…”
“Back then, I wasn’t using either of these two cars, so you probably don’t remember.”
“…”
“Plus, the car’s tint was very dark, so there’s no way you could have seen me.”
Honestly, I should remember that day at least a little, but I don’t remember it at all…”
“It’s okay… From now on, you’re not allowed to forget me, okay?”
“Yes…”
“…”
“Did you fall in love with me the first time you saw me?”
“Yes…” Phii Fah smiled and pecked my lips. “Back then, my heart was pounding so hard…”
“Well, I’m just that cute…”
“Heh.”
“And after that, did you go looking for me at the freshman booth?”
“I remembered that my naughty thing was wearing our faculty shirt… After that, I went to find you at the freshman booth.”
“…”
“That’s when I found out that this person…” Phii Fah pecked my lips again, “…is named Theerak.”
“If you kiss me again, you’ll get a kick…”
Kiss
“Phii Fah!”
“This naughty one loves me so much… you can’t bring yourself to kick me.”
“Wait and see, I’ll toughen up my heart… you will definitely end up hurting you.”
“Heh.”
“So, that day when it happened… you weren’t just angry because Phii Oh insulted you, as others thought, right?”
Phii Fah immediately looked upset upon hearing Phii Oh’s name. “When I found out that this naughty one was at the shop with that Oh…”
“…”
“I knew that he must have done something to this naughty one.”
“…”
“At that moment, I only thought… if that Oh did anything to this naughty one… he’d either die or be crippled.”
“…”
“But that day, someone stopped me, so I held back a little.”
“Even holding back, Phii Oh still ended up with a broken tooth.”
“But when I kissed your head, no one stopped me. It was only you who begged to be kissed on the head… I kissed without holding back.”
“Phii Fah… I didn’t ask about this.”
“Heh.”
“Did that incident make you dare to approach me?”
“I had dared to approach this naughty one for a long time, but things always kept us apart… That incident only made it easier for me to approach this naughty one.”
“…”
Even if that incident hadn’t happened… I would still have tried to be a part of this naughty one’s life.”
“Phii Fah, you have been trying all along, hasn’t you?”
“Yes…”
“Phii Fah, you must have been through a lot.”
Phii Fah didn’t respond. He took my hand, kissed it again, and then placed it against his cheek. I could feel that Phii Fah had overcome everything with great difficulty.
“Let me reward this amazing person…”
I used both hands to gently hold Phii Fah’s face, then pressed my lips to his forehead, moving down to both eyelids, the tip of his sharp nose, and then to both cheeks… and finally Kiss…Phii Fah’s lips “My amazing one.”
Phii Fah smiled and hugged me tightly. He pressed his nose and lips against my shoulder as usual. The sound of Phii Fah’s breathing lingered near my ear. We hugged each other without saying a word. I moved one hand up to gently rub the back of Phii Fah’s neck before sliding my fingers into his chocolate-brown hair and pressing my nose against his head. It was a warm touch I wanted to give to my amazing person.
“Theerak of mine.” Phii Fah said in a soft voice.
“Yes… I love being here with Phii Fah.” I replied.
“…”
His strong arms tightened the hug even more, prompting me to say, “I will never let go of your hand…”
Just like Phii Fah has never let go of my hand…
I pulled away from the hug and smiled at Phii Fah. He raised his index finger to his lips, playfully asking for another kiss. I laughed before saying, “No more kisses.”
“I give little naughty you a chance to answer again…”
“No, kisses, anymore.” I said.
“I gave little naughty you a chance, you know.”
I furrowed my brows at Phii Fah, who had a sly look on his face. “…”
“If you won’t follow my request… then you’ll have to face an attack like this.”
Phii Fah used just one hand to hold my face in place and bombarded me with rapid kisses on the lips until I burst out laughing. Then he shifted to kissing my neck too. Once Phii Fah had kissed me to his heart’s content, he set me free.
“Phii Fah always loves teasing me…”
“Should I let you get revenge?”
“…”
“I will sit still, won’t fight back at all… letting you kiss me as much as he wants.”
“You sneaky guy… I won’t fall for your tricks.”
“Heh.”
I lowered my eyes because I couldn’t handle Phii Fah’s cunning gaze. “…”
“Does little naughty you want to ask me anything else?”
“Actually, I have a lot of questions, but right now I’ve forgotten them all.” Why did little naughty you forget?”
“Because you attacked me just now…”
Phii Fah laughed and kissed my cheek with a loud smack. “There, there, okay?”
“If I remembers later, I’ll ask you again, alright?”
“Sure…”
“…”
“Can I ask little naughty you something too?”
I met Phii Fah’s eyes and nodded. “Yes.”
On the way to the condo, I had told Phii Fah about confessing to Panli while we were in the car. I explained why I had to let Panli drive me to the airport and even told him I cried when I saw that picture. He hugged and comforted me while we were stuck at a red light.
Phii Fah, what else do you want to know?
“Did Panli tell you… when he saw that picture?”
I thought Phii Fah would ask a harder question, but when I think about it, this one’s pretty tough too. If I don’t answer well, it could affect Panli’s life. “Phii Fah, you have to promise me first.”
“…”
“Phii Fah, you can’t go chop off Panli’s head, okay?”
“Okay, I promise.”
“Panli said he saw it the day before yesterday. He went to borrow your camera lens and happened to see the picture…”
“Borrow?…That means he’s snuck in there multiple times already.”
“Phii Fah, you promised, okay?”
Phii Fah pushed his tongue against his cheek, showing his displeasure, but he still nodded. “…Okay.”
“Phii Fah, do you want to know anything else?”
“No, I just wanted to know if Panli sneaks into my room often.”
“I think it’s not that often.”
“This time, Panli got lucky because he’s so stubborn.”
“Actually, you should thank Panli. If he hadn’t taken me to see that picture, I wouldn’t have dared confess my love to you at the airport.”
“Wait until we’re officially together first… then I can thank him.”
I laughed before saying, “I thought you would ask something else…”
“…”
“Phii Fah, don’t you want to know… when I started liking you?”
“You started opening up when you came to shoot at my condo. you really started liking me when we went to the beach… and after that, you fell so deeply in love with me that you couldn’t pull yourself out.”
“…” I blinked rapidly because Phii Fah got it all right.
“Did I guess correctly?”
“Uh, yes, exactly.”
“Then give the smart guy a reward…” Phii Fah tapped his finger on his lips.
If I don’t kiss you… will the smart guy attack me again?”
Phii Fah laughed and shook his head. “No more attacking…”
“If the smart guy stops teasing me…” I smiled, leaned in, and kissed Phii
Fah on the lips. “…I will kiss you often.”
Phii Fah bit his lip before saying, “So cheeky.”
“How did you know? I never told anyone.”
“If you the one I love, no matter how you feel, I’ll sense it.” “…”
“Even if I can sense it… I never let myself get carried away. I always kept my guard up.”
“…”
“But Babe made me stop holding back.”
“Phii Babe, you mean?”
“Yes, Babe told me that little naughty you were already on the path to meet me.”
“When did Phii Babe tell you that?”
“When we went to the beach together.”
I smiled while silently thanking my big sister in my heart. Behind my happiness, there was always Phii Babe. “If we become a couple… we’d have to thank so many people.”
“Yeah…let’s wait until little naughty you successfully win over me first, okay?”
I scrunched my nose at Phii Fah. Every time I did this, he’d usually pinch the tip of my nose with his hand, but this time, Phii Fah used his mouth to nip at it instead. My heart started racing again.
Caught off guard once more…
“…”
“I have something for little naughty you.”
“A souvenir from Hong Kong?”
“No… I bought it in Thailand.”
Phii Fah reached into his pants pocket, holding something in his fist before placing it in my hand. What I saw was a key to a Mini Cooper. I was about to ask, but he kissed me and asked first.
“Do you like it?”
I’d always told Phii Dom that…once I graduated, I’d work and save up to buy a car of this brand. “I can’t accept it.”
“Do you like it?” Phii Fah asked again.
“I like it…but I really can’t accept it. It’s too much, Phii Fah.”
“Nothing is more valuable than you, Theerak…” Phii Fah gently stroked my cheek. “…This isn’t too much.”
“Phii Fah…”
“Whenever little naughty you are ready, just tell me, okay? Then I’ll transfer the car into your name.”
“…”
“For now, it’s still under my name.”
You don’t have to. Please keep this car, Phii Fah.”
“I have been keeping it for you for a long time…”
“…”
“I bought this car after we got back from the beach…because I planned to confess my love to you after the exams.”
“…”
“If I confessed and you agreed to be my boyfriend, I’d give this car to you…”
“…”
“But even if you rejected me…I would still keep this car, because its owner has to be you, Theerak, and no one else.”
“…”
“I want you, Theerak, to drive a good car, to drive the car you like…” “…”
Phii Fah leaned in to hug me, burying his face in my neck before mumbling, “Good person… don’t reject me.”
I sighed, knowing I’d soon give in to this big, clingy guy. I didn’t want to accept it because I knew how expensive this car was. My mom once taught me… don’t accept valuable things from anyone if we haven’t given something in return.
But this car wasn’t just about its price—it held sentimental value for Phii Fah. That’s why I was torn, wanting to make the best decision.
My choice couldn’t disappoint anyone…
neither my mom nor Phii Fah.
I gently patted Phii Fah’s head and said, “Fah… look up at me for a bit.”
“…” Khun Muenfah, the stubborn one, turned into good little Khun Muenfah, obediently lifting his face to meet my eyes.
“I will accept this car…” I looked at Phii Fah, who grinned widely, before continuing, “but it has to stay in your name only.”
“…”
“When I start working, then we’ll change it to my name.”
“I can wait…”
“I will pay you for the car every month… but I need to start working first.”
Phii Fah nodded, though I knew he wasn’t really focused on what I was saying—he was just thrilled I didn’t reject him. The big guy hugged me tightly and showered my cheeks with kisses nonstop.
“Don’t buy anything expensive for me again, okay?”
“…” Phii Fah didn’t reply, just pressed his nose against my cheek.
“Don’t zone out, Phii Fah… do you understand what your Theerak is saying?” I had to scold Fah seriously this time.
“Khrapom…”
“Khrapom… again.”
I’m so weak to those words.
T___T
#However Many Thousand Skies
“Are you letting me drive it back home?”
“Yes… so tomorrow little naughty you can drive it to school.”
I sighed as I looked at the fully decked-out, latest model Mini Cooper in matte gray. Phii Fah must have spent a fortune on this car. It looked just like the one in Phii Dom’s car magazine. He circled the car once more to check everything before letting me drive it home.
“Can I park it at your condo for a week or so?”
“Tomorrow little naughty you will drive it to show off to Panli…”
Phii Fah doesn’t listen to me at all, T___T
“All set, naughty one.”
“Yes…”
“Wait, I will drive you there.”
“How will you get back?”
“Dom is probably still at your house… I will have Dom drop me off at the condo.”
“You have been tired all day…”
“Just driving little naughty you… it won’t make me too tired.” “…”
“There’s someone waiting for little naughty you in the car too, you know.”
“Who is it?”
“Get in the car…”
As soon as I got in the car, I saw a blanket pillow shaped like Charlie Brown sitting in the driver’s seat. I was about to grab my favorite cartoon character to hug, but the tall guy who had just gotten in snatched it away first.
“Phii Fah…”
“The car or Charlie Brown, what do you choose?”
“Charlie Brown. How much is it?”
“Seven hundred ninety.”
“I chooses Charlie Brown because I can pay you back right away.”
“Heh…”
“Can I hold Charlie Brown for a bit?” I asked while stretching both hands toward Phii Fah, but he hid Charlie Brown behind his back and shook his head.
“Kiss me first…”
“Another kiss…” I frowned at Phii Fah before craning my neck to look for Charlie Brown, who was completely blocked by the big guy. “Can I see the hostage’s face first?”
Phii Fah laughed and placed Charlie Brown on the car console. “The hostage is safe and sound.”
“…”
“But if you don’t kiss me… I will throw Charlie Brown into the water.”
“Phii Fah can’t do that…”
Phii Fah raised his index finger to his lips like always. “Kiss here…” Then he pointed to both of his eyes. “…and here too.”
I glanced at the hostage sitting on the car console with a big smile, thinking there was no other choice but to follow the mean guy’s orders. I used both hands to hold Phii Fah’s face and kissed his lips, then his eyelids.
“You’re safe now, Charlie Brown.” Phii Fah said as he handed the hostage over to me.
“Charlie Brown, your life is so valuable… traded for our kisses.”
“Heh.”
Phii Fah started driving away from the condo while I unzipped Charlie Brown to take out the blanket inside and look at it. Maybe because I was too focused on the blanket doll, the person beside me drove with a calm, expressionless face.
“Phii Fah…”
“Yes?”
“Are you upset?”
Phii Fah laughed before saying, “I’m not upset…”
“Then I must have overthought it… I was worried you might feel neglected because I paid more attention to little Charlie.”
“Heh,…little Charlie can’t talk, so I’m not jealous.”
“If little Charlie could talk, Phii Fah probably wouldn’t let him near Rak.”
“That’s right…”
Since the roads were clear at this time, we arrived home by 10 p.m. Phii Dom was standing outside waiting because Phii Fah had called to say he’d be coming back with us. I secretly glanced at Phii Fah’s profile as he parked the car. It was at this moment that I wanted to say goodnight to Sky in my own way.
Kiss…
…I kissed Phii Fah’s cheek.
The one kissed broke into a smile and turned to look at me. “Looks like you want to be pounced on before getting out of the car.”
“Good night, Phii Fah.”
Phii Fah nodded and leaned in to whisper in my ear, “Dream of me too, okay?”
Tonight, I’ll surely have sweet dreams because we’re dreaming of each other
TBC
Leave a Reply