YOURSKY, Chapter 18
“There are so damn many people.”
“Stop complaining already, Type. It’s annoying.”
“I can’t take it anymore. It’s so hot.”
“The crowd’s thinned out now, Type…” Theerak, standing at the graphic department booth, looked at the groups of students scattered across the faculty booths at the open house. He felt the number of people had dropped a lot since the morning.
“Type, if you’re so hot, go jump in the lotus pond.”
“You’re all mouth now that you’re better, huh, Joy?” Type said, giving Joy’s head a light shove.
“Chubby-cheeks, I’m going to buy water. Want anything?”
“Get me some plain water too…”
“Okay, you’re coming with me, Type.”
“Then who’s going to stay with Rak?”
“Well, who’s going to help me carry more than ten bottles of water? Our friends ordered a ton.”
“Just go, Type. The others are here…”
“Alright, alright. Li’s taking forever to show up.”
“He called just now saying he’s almost here.”
“Then the two of us will go buy the water first, okay?”
“…” Theerak nodded and walked to sit and rest in the inner gazebo. He was in charge of the morning reception shift. In the afternoon, another group of friends from his department would take over welcoming the younger students, but it seemed like very few people showed up in the afternoon.
“Rak.”
“Oh, when did you get here, dog-face Li?”
“Just now…”
Panli said as he dragged a chair to sit across from him. He tried to act cheerful despite the worry weighing on his mind. Theerak reached out and patted his friend’s shoulder lightly to comfort him.
“Are you okay? I told you you didn’t have to come. Rest and take it easy first.”
“I’m fine now. Pa didn’t have anything serious, just fainted from lack of rest.”
This morning, Muenfah had called to tell him that his father was suddenly admitted to the hospital. If his condition didn’t improve today, Muenfah would have to go to Hong Kong and wouldn’t be able to visit him. Theerak understood and offered words of encouragement. Besides Muenfah, who was feeling down, he figured Panli wasn’t much different, which is why he’d told his friend to stay home and rest.
But the two siblings from the Pisut family were equally stubborn.
“Good to hear. Before I left the house, I prayed for your Pa too. I wished for him to be safe.”
“Maybe it’s thanks to your prayers… Pa just called and was laughing with me.”
“Really?…That means your Pa’s gotten a lot better then,” Theerak said, his eyes widening with a big smile.
“Much better, but the doctor wants to keep him under observation at the hospital for now.”
“The doctor probably just wants to double-check everything…”
“Yeah…” Panli looked at him before saying, “Sorry, man. I didn’t help with the work at all.”
“It’s fine… Everyone understands, don’t overthink it. No need to feel guilty either.”
“You’ve been working so hard your cheeks are all red…” As he finished speaking, Panli reached out and pinched his cheek.
“It’s just the heat.”
“Yeah, so did Phii Fah tell you he’s going to Hong Kong tomorrow?”
“Phii Fah called me about it. At first, he was going to go today, but Mama said tomorrow’s better since Pa’s condition isn’t worrisome anymore.”
“If there wasn’t a quiz tomorrow… you’d probably go with Phii Fah, right?”
“Yeah, but I can’t because of the quiz.”
“…”
“Before I left… I saw Phii Fah packing his bag.”
“He said he’ll be gone for three days.”
“So, will Phii Fah come here?”
“He will, he will.”
“I don’t dare ask Phii Fah too much… He’s been in a bad mood since last night, and then this morning, there was the issue with Pa going to the hospital again.”
Theerak furrowed his brows in thought. Just a while ago, he’d spoken with Muenfah, and though he didn’t sound irritated, his voice seemed more tired than usual. “Last night, Phii Fah said he had to entertain an important guest for aunt… Maybe he’s just exhausted, not upset like you think.”
“No, I got it right… It’s because he had to entertain that ‘important guest’ of aunt that Phii Fah got so mad he nearly wrecked the restaurant.”
“Huh?”
“My aunt caused trouble. She tricked Phii Fah into going on a blind date.”
“A blind date?”
“Yeah… The guest was the daughter of her friend. The person she made
Phii Fah entertain and have dinner with was a girl our age, not her friend…”
“…”
“I was watching football when I saw Phii Fah come back at 3 a.m. I knew right away something was up… So I called Phii Real.”
“…”
“Phii Real told me that as soon as Phii Fah saw the girl, he realized aunt had set him up for a blind date. After that, he called aunt and said he wasn’t free to take care of the guest anymore. He was going to send Phii Real to handle it instead… So aunt told the girl to leave.”
“…”
“I couldn’t help myself and called Uncle to complain that Aunt was trying to set Phii Fah up again.”
“…”
“This morning, Aunt called to apologize to Phii Fah big time because Uncle scolded her for meddling in things that weren’t her business…” Panli said with a sigh. “Is a ghost messing with Phii Fah or something lately? Why does he keep running into chaos?”
After hearing it all, Theerak let out a huge sigh. How relieving it was that
Muenfah had refused the blind date. If he had sat and talked with that girl, Theerak’s heart would’ve shriveled up for sure. Just thinking about it made him feel bad. “Phii Fah didn’t tell me about this…”
“Are you upset with him?”
“No…”
“…”
“If Phii Fah wanted to tell me, he’d probably tell me himself.”
“But if you want to know more, you should ask… Even if you’re just a close friend.”
He really emphasized “close friend,” didn’t he, Panli? T___T
Maybe Muenfah had already upgraded his status.
But Theerak… he’d upgraded Muenfah’s status a long time ago.
“You chubby little pup… I know you want to hear it straight from Phii Fah’s mouth.”
Theerak didn’t say anything. Seeing him stay silent, Panli rubbed his head before excusing himself to go help their friends welcome the younger students at the booth entrance. He wasn’t mad that Muenfah hadn’t told him about this—after all, Muenfah had once said he didn’t usually share things he didn’t think were important. Theerak figured Muenfah must’ve thought it wasn’t a big deal, so he didn’t mention it.
Still, he couldn’t shake the matter from his mind, and it was starting to irritate him even more. Theerak didn’t want to feel this way at all.
“What’s wrong, chubby-cheeks? You’re frowning like crazy…” Panli said as he handed him a cold-water bottle. “Joy sent this for you.”
Theerak took it, opened the cap, and chugged it down in big gulps without stopping to breathe. “…”
“Hey, hey, slow down! Are you that thirsty?”
“…” He nodded and wiped the water droplets from his lips with the back of his hand. Theerak hoped the water would cool down the burning feeling in his heart even just a little.
“If that water in your hand was booze… you’d look no different from someone heartbroken.”
“I’m not heartbroken…”
“Then what’s up? What’s bothering you? Tell me.”
“Panli… how many partners have you had?”
“This question… who put you up to tricking me with it?”
“Ugh! No one’s tricking anyone. Rak Niran, me, is asking for myself!”
“Well, maybe a few…”
“…”
“Why are you asking me this?”
“Just wanted to know if you’ve got enough experience to give advice.”
“Why… what’s a love newbie like you gonna ask me?”
“Acting like you know it all…”
“…” Panli laughed before saying, “Let’s just say I’ve dated a bunch of people.”
“Then I’ll start asking now…”
“Mm.”
“This question… it’s from my cousin back home.”
Panli burst out laughing and reached over to ruffle his hair. “Chubbycheeks, no need to put on airs. You’re the one asking, not some family back home.”
“You are smart as Moogrob, huh?”
“Just ask whatever you want…”
“…When you find out someone’s messing with the person you like, and you feel a little annoyed, wanting to huff and puff at the person who’s bothering…” Theerak paused mid-sentence, nearly slipping up and saying Muenfah’s name.
“Bothering who?”
“Uh… bothering Charlie Brown, let’s say.”
Panli laughed and continued, “You’re really putting on a show, huh, you chubby puppy.”
“That’s it… and my cousin want to tell that person… don’t mess with their Charlie Brown…”
“…”
“Does that mean they’re super protective of the person they like?”
“If we’re talking in the language of someone in love, this isn’t called being protective… it’s called being jealous.”
“Huh, jealous already, Panli?…” Theerak narrowed his eyes at his friend before saying, “Are you slandering me or what?…Honestly, maybe it’s just protectiveness.”
“Why would I slander you?”
Theerak blinked rapidly, looking at Panli, who showed no signs of guilt. That made him realize his friend was telling the truth. “Am I really at the jealous stage?”
“You’re totally losing it, my friend.”
“…”
“But I wanna know… who are you jealous of?”
“I’d rather go help the others welcome the juniors.” As Theerak tried to stand and escape, his friend pulled him back down. He flashed an awkward smile at Panli, who squinted like he was onto something. Theerak wasn’t trying to hide anything—he just wanted to be more ready.
“So, what’s up, chubby-cheeks?”
LINE ~
Wahhh T___T LINE saved this chubby puppy’s life.
“Uh, hold on, let me check LINE first.”
Theerak bowed his head to open the LINE app, looking for a way to stall. He felt confessing to Panli right now wasn’t quite right, since there were other friends from the department sitting nearby. But above all, he had a reason to keep his confession to himself.
The truth was…
Theerak wanted Muenfah to be the first to hear the words, “Theerak likes Muenfah.”
“Who’s messaging?”
Theerak sighed as he looked at a message from a shabu restaurant announcing a discount promotion. He shouldn’t have added the restaurant’s LINE just for a tiny discount. “It’s the shabu place. They said this month there’s a deal—go four, pay for three. Wanna go eat, Panli?”
“Master of changing the subject…” Panli leaned over to peek at his phone screen. Theerak quickly exited the app and started to put it in his pants pocket. “Wait, wait, I just saw your wallpaper.”
“It’s me…”
“You’re that big?”
“Uh… yeah, I’ve been eating a lot lately.”
“With muscles too?”
“Your eyes are that good?” Theerak asked, widening his eyes.
“Let me see your wallpaper…”
Theerak was truly out of options. So, he resorted to his usual trick that always worked. “Wahhh… Panli, don’t pressure me, okay? I’ll tell you when I’m ready…” He whined, rubbing his cheek against his close friend’s arm.
“Always pulling this… Fine, I won’t ask, but don’t leave your phone lying around.”
“I didn’t slip up… haha,” he laughed dryly, because he almost didn’t make it out unscathed.
“Phii Fah’s here…”
Theerak turned to look in the direction his close friend pointed, “…”
“You’ve got someone to keep you company now, so I’ll go help the others first, okay?”
“Yeah…”
Muenfah was dressed just as impeccably as he was last night. He wore a short-sleeved student shirt tucked into black slacks, paired with burnt brown leather dress shoes. The one thing he never went without was his favorite silver watch.
“Phii Fah looks insanely handsome today, dude…”
“For real, I love this bad-boy gentleman vibe.”
“Phii Fah might look tough on the outside, but did you see him feeding
Rak yesterday?”
“I saw it… so gentle, man.”
“If he’s going to be this perfect, he shouldn’t be the only one in the world—I’m tired of being jealous of whoever gets Phii Fah.”
“Get ready to be jealous of Rak then…”
The small guy sat with a shy smile as he overheard his department friends chatting a little distance away. Becoming someone enviable didn’t feel as good as knowing others got to see a different side of Muenfah. Theerak didn’t care how others felt about him.
He just wanted people to see the good sides of Muenfah too.
But that usual smile… Theerak wanted to keep it to himself.
“Who’s this one waiting for?”
Theerak grinned widely as the tall figure stopped in front of him, a large hand gently brushing his cheek. “Waiting for you, sky…”
“Heh,” Muenfah plopped down on the chair across from him before asking, “Tired?”
“A little, but it’s fun.”
“What was that?”
Muenfah repeated the question as if he hadn’t heard clearly, leaning in closer and pointing a finger to his ear as if asking for a whisper. Theerak frowned in confusion because the background music wasn’t that loud, but since Muenfah hadn’t heard his answer clearly, Theerak moved closer and repeated himself.
“A little…” Theerak paused as the scent of Muenfah’s new cologne wafted into his nose, “B-but it’s fun.”
Muenfah chuckled in his throat and leaned back. “New cologne… does it smell good?”
Theerak’s eyes—dropped downward as his face flushed with heat. He hadn’t expected Muenfah to actually wear a new cologne for him to smell, just as he’d said. “…I’m not telling.”
“Heh.”
Theerak quickly changed the subject to avoid embarrassing himself further. “Phii Fah, are you feeling better now?”
“Yes, before I came to see little naughty you, Pa called me. From his voice, he sounds a lot better.”
“I prayed for Pa to be safe too.”
“Thank you…”
“Yes…” Theerak pressed his lips together, deep in thought. There was something he wanted to ask, but he was afraid it might pry too much into the other person’s personal matters. He just wanted to be sure there wasn’t anything weighing on Muenfah’s mind and that he was truly at ease.
“Is something wrong?”
“N-No, nothing…”
“If you’re lying, I will have to spank you.” Muenfah wasn’t threatening him—his hand moved to Theerak’s back and gave a few light pats on his bottom.
“Phii Fah!…I’m not a kid anymore!”
The smaller one blushed with embarrassment. Theerak shifted his chair slightly away from Muenfah, but the latter chuckled in his throat and scooted his chair closer instead. Muenfah never gave up, so Theerak was always the one to surrender.
…He’d never once beaten the sky, the sea of his heart and he’d probably keep losing forever…
“Does my little troublemaker have something to say to me?”
“No…”
“If there’s something bothering you, we need to tell each other…” A large hand reached over to brush the hair falling over his face. “Do you remember, little troublemaker?”
“I remember…” Theerak pressed his lips tightly together. He thought it over once more before deciding to ask, “You aren’t upset about that anymore, right?”
The familiar smile slowly faded. Muenfah gazed deeply into his eyes.
“About what?”
“Uh… the thing with your aunt setting you up on a blind date.”
“Did Panli tell you?”
“Y-Yes.”
“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t think it was important… But if not telling you made you feel less important, I’m sorry.”
“N-No, I didn’t overthink it, Phii Fah. I asked because I wanted to make sure you’re really okay. But if there’s still something bothering you, Theerak will help make you feel better.”
Muenfah gave a small smile, his hand gently rubbing Theerak’s head. “Just seeing you smile… all of my bad days disappear.”
Theerak flashed a bright smile to chase away the bad things troubling sky, the sea of his heart. “I will smile a lot, okay?”
“Okay.” Muenfah returned that familiar smile, but then he noticed someone walking into the booth and called out, “Panli…”
“…”
Theerak glanced back and forth between Muenfah and Panli, who stood there with a cheeky expression. “…”
“You’ve got quite a record… You realize that, right?”
“What, Phii Fah? I haven’t done anything wrong…”
“You almost made him feel upset with me.”
“Not ‘almost’…” Panli replied, turning to look at Theerak. “You already felt upset, didn’t you?”
“…”
“The reason I didn’t tell you is because it’s not important…”
“Then what’s important to Phii Fah?”
“Him…” Muenfah replied in a firm tone, glaring at his younger brother. It seemed like Panli was deliberately trying to provoke him. “…You already know, yet you still ask.”
Panli laughed before saying, “Anything else to say? I’m heading to the Arts booth.”
“Did you call and tattle to Uncle?”
“Mm… I was annoyed on your behalf.”
“Auntie got scolded hard by Uncle. Next time, don’t call and complain. I can handle something this small with Auntie myself.”
“It’s because you don’t want Auntie to get scolded that she keeps trying to set you up with people… If I hadn’t called Uncle this time, Auntie would just keep doing it.”
Theerak swallowed hard when he learned that Auntie liked setting Muenfah up with people. He accidentally nodded in agreement with Panli. “I think Panli did the right thing.”
Theerak hadn’t meant to voice that opinion, but the side effect of his jealousy made it slip out. Now, he could only lower his head, feeling guilty and silently apologizing to Auntie in his mind.
Rak didn’t mean it, Auntie… I didn’t intend for you to get scolded at all.
But if Auntie doesn’t want to get scolded again… please stop setting Phii Fah up with anyone, okay?
T___T
“See? Even the love newbie agrees.”
“Love newbie?” Muenfah asked, furrowing his brows at Panli.
“Uh, Panli!”
“What’s up, naughty one?”
“N-nothing, Phii Fah… I scolded Panli because he keeps spouting nonsense.”
“Haha!”
“What are you laughing at, Panli?”
“Laughing at the love newbie, Phii Fah…”
“You dog-faced jerk! That’s enough!”
“Any more questions from the folks back home?…I’ll help answer them.”
“Ugh! I’ll kick you so hard your neck snaps…”
Panli burst into laughter and pointed at him. “Phii Fah, has he gotten bigger?”
“No…”
“But the puppy in his phone background is huge.”
“Ugh!!…Stop it right now, Panli!”
“If you’re leaving, just go, Panli… He’s really upset now.”
“Haha!”
“Stop teasing him already!”
“Fine, I’ll go…”
Theerak watched his close friend walk away laughing. If Panli hadn’t left, he’d have been the one to escape instead. Theerak knew his friend loved to tease, but he didn’t expect Panli to tease him this hard. He must’ve noticed that his feelings for Muenfah went beyond just a senior, which is why he kept poking until Theerak lost his cool. Wahhh, T___T
Panli, you dog face… I hope no one loves you!!!
“I chased Panli off… Feeling better now, right?”
“Yeah…”
“Naughty one, I have to go to Hong Kong today.”
“Huh? Weren’t you going tomorrow?”
“Even though Pa’s condition has improved a lot, I am still worried…”
“I understand Phii Fah. When my grandpa was sick, I was worried like this too…” Theerak moved his hand to hold the thicker one for comfort. Muenfah must be really concerned about Pa. “What time does Phii Fah have to be at the airport?”
“I booked a flight for 7 p.m… I’ll have to leave here by 4.”
Theerak glanced at the time on Muenfah’s watch. “It’s only 1:30 now.
Does you have time to go back for your bag?”
“I brought the bag already. I planned to come see little naughty you and then head straight to the airport.”
“Want me to drive you there? I can drop you off and then bring the car back to park at your condo.”
“No need. I was going to leave it at the airport anyway, so Panli won’t have to pick me up when I get back.”
“Okay…”
“Hey, Fah!!”
Theerak, who was smiling at Muenfah, flinched in surprise at someone’s loud shout. He stared at the tall guy walking into the booth with an anxious look. Theerak had never seen this man before.
“What’s up?”
“I’m in deep trouble… Help me out…”
Muenfah sighed and pushed his tongue against his cheek. “Ai-Wit, is there ever a time you’re not in trouble when you come find me?”
“Come on, Fah… This time I’m really screwed. Help me, please.”
“Help with what?”
“So, at my booth, we’ve got a live singing performance…”
“No way!”
“Come on… Fah, my friend ~ For the sake of our friendship during the moon contest.”
“I’m not in communications… And you want me to sing at your faculty’s booth?”
“It’s no big deal. The juniors will see that all the faculties get along well.”
“I’m not going… Sing it yourself.”
“Fah ~ You know my voice sounds like a dog peeing on a tin roof. Don’t you remember when I practiced for the moon contest?”
“Then why does it have to be me?”
“Because the junior who was supposed to sing got diarrhea, and now there’s no one to perform. I figured no one’s more perfect than you.”
“…Give me a real reason.”
“Uh, um…” Muenfah’s friend from another faculty stammered nervously and didn’t respond. When Muenfah grabbed his hand, preparing to pull him out of the gazebo, the guy standing there hurriedly blurted out, “W-Well, when you walked into the event, my senior saw you and knew I was close to you… so he told me to invite you to sing at our booth, and I already promised him I’d ask you.”
“So the junior didn’t have a stomachache…”
“H-He did! He really had a stomachache, I swear… but he’s better now, heh heh.”
“You bastard!! Asking me for help and still lying about it…”
“Please, Fah…”
“I don’t like singing.”
“But you sing so well, man. I wouldn’t be begging you like this otherwise…”
“I don’t fall for anyone’s whining or pleading.”
“But I think there’s one exception…”
Theerak flinched slightly as Muenfah’s friend suddenly scooted closer to him. Phii Wit blinked rapidly at him, pleading, “Kid, I could tell in a glance that you’re someone special to Fah… Please help me convince him. If I can’t get him to agree, my senior’s going to laugh at me for failing.”
“Right in front of me, huh, you jerk…”
“Uh, well, I… I don’t like forcing Phii Fah,” he said.
“Kid ~… it’s not forcing him, just coax him a little…”
Theerak glanced back and forth between Phii Wit and Muenfah, who sat with a blank expression, before shaking his head. “S-Sorry…”
“If I go to sing…”
Theerak shifted his gaze from Phii Wit to Muenfah, who was saying something, “…”
“Will little naughty you come cheer me on?”
“Yay!! Fah’s giving in!”
“Not yet, you bastard!”
“Oh…” Phii Wit quickly bowed his head to hide his reaction.
“So, what do you say?”
Theerak looked toward the communication arts booth, which had quite a few people, before replying, “Yes… I will go cheer you on.”
“Thank you…” Muenfah gave a small smile and turned to his friend. “The reason I’m agreeing to sing this time is because you were right…”
“…”
“Theerak is my exception.”
Muenfah’s answer made Theerak unable to hold back his smile. Even though Muenfah didn’t explicitly say he was important to him, everything Muenfah did made it clear to him…
Theerak wasn’t the only one promoting Muenfah to someone important.
Muenfah had promoted Theerak to someone important too.
Being important to each other—
This is what it feels like…
#However Many Thousand Skies
“Today, our faculty invited a former digital media star to perform a song for us, Im.”
“Is that person Khun Muenfah?”
“Yes, that’s right! ~”
“Wow… We’ve got a rare gem from the digital media faculty singing for us, Lek!”
“Exactly… I think it’s time now. Is everyone ready?”
“Ready! ~”
“Okay then ~ Let’s hand the stage over to Khun Muenfah…”
Theerak, standing a distance away from the stage in front of the Faculty of Communication Arts, joined in clapping for the impromptu singer who had just stepped up. Muenfah showed no signs of nervousness at all. He walked over to say something to the band before returning to his position.
“I don’t sing very often… If I mess up, I’m sorry in advance, okay?”
The audience—juniors, high school students, and university students— replied in unison that it was fine. Meanwhile, Theerak stood smiling, raising two fingers to cheer Muenfah on from afar. Muenfah flashed him a smile before nodding to the band behind him.
The crowd erupted in screams as the electric keyboard played Fah’s opening melody. Since Muenfah had chosen a popular song, everyone was impressed even before he started singing. And when the tall figure let out his first note…
‘I want to move closer to you, I’ve wanted to know you since we met, my heart trembles when I hear your voice, since that very first day, I couldn’t help but dream about you.’
Theerak’s heart was shaking all over…
‘Once I got to know you, I wanted to say hi, but when you’re not around, my heart gets restless, when you disappear, I worry about you so much I could die… How will it be? Is there someone there taking care of you? I don’t even know.’
“…”
‘I almost forget to breathe when you come close, just your smile… it makes my whole heart tremble, I want to tell you what’s in my heart.’
“…”
‘But saying it now, I don’t know if it’s too soon, I still don’t know what you think. If I say those words and you say it’s not me, if it turns out like that, you’d probably walk away.’
“…”
‘It’s enough just to have you near, to hear your voice and take care of you from not too far, no matter how much I hide these secrets in my heart, I won’t let myself say them.’
And right then, as their eyes met, Theerak felt like Muenfah was saying something to him beyond just singing. Because of that feeling, he didn’t want to look away from him, not even for a second. Theerak listened intently to every melody, trying to soak in the emotions Muenfah was conveying through the lyrics.
‘It’s so suffocating to keep it all inside, it weighs on my heart, but I’m scared that if I say it, I’ll end up heartbroken.’
“…”
‘But telling you now, I don’t know if it’s too soon, I still don’t know what you think. If I say that word and you reply that it’s not the same, if it turns out like that, you’d probably walk away. It’s enough for now to have you close by, to hear your voice and take care of you from not too far. I’ll hide this secret in my heart, no matter how much there is, I won’t let it slip out.’
“…”
‘Look closely, and you’d probably know, there’s something hidden in my care for you. What I don’t know is what you think. Look closely, and you’d probably see, the truth of what I’m feeling, that one word I haven’t yet said.’
The chorus of the song repeated as if the person on stage wanted to emphasize it again. Some of the lyrics brought vivid memories flashing through his mind…
It was the memory of when… Muenfah kissed his head in front of the house. Even though it was just a moment captured on the security camera, that time was one of his cherished memories.
It was when, ‘Wash your hair too… your head’s starting to smell.’…our first conversation.
It was when, ‘Phii Fah is waiting to hear…’…he first heard that adorable way of referring to himself.
And it was when, ‘The last hour left… does Rak want all of it?’…we first spent time alone together.
There were still many more memories that made Theerak see how they grew closer and closer, eventually becoming important to each other.
Theerak smiled widely while watching Muenfah sing. The recorded memories made him realize that the person in front of him had never changed. Muenfah was still the gentle person he’d always been with him, someone who paid attention to the little things about him, and someone who gave him a smile like the morning sunlight…
Every feeling packed tightly in his heart made Theerak understand.
He understood that everything takes time.
…Even if today they weren’t ready to confess their feelings to each other tomorrow they’d still be together.
They’d stay together every day, waiting…
‘I’ll keep it for the day I reveal my heart, waiting for that day, the day I’m sure that today you think I’m the one… and you’re ready to hear what’s inside.’
Waiting for the day he’d dare to confess his love to Muenfah and waiting for the day Muenfah would tell him something too.
Waiting for that day when they wouldn’t know who’d confess their love first.
“Thank you…”
“Screams ~”
Theerak smiled as he watched the tall figure step down from the stage and walk toward another tall guy, probably a friend from a different faculty. Muenfah turned to look at him and nodded, acknowledging that he was waiting.
Theerak sent a smile to Muenfah from a distance. “I’m waiting right here, Phii Fah…”
#However Many Thousand Skies
After Muenfah finished talking with the person he assumed was a friend from another faculty, Theerak walked him to the parking lot since Muenfah had to leave the university before 2 p.m. to avoid traffic.
“That guy Phii Fah was talking to by the stage, is he your friend?”
“Yes, Noe’s the son of one of my Dad’s friends… We’ve known each other since we were kids.”
“Oh… Does he study engineering? I saw him wearing a workshop uniform.”
“Okay…”
Theerak glanced at the side profile of the tall figure. He couldn’t help but smile when he saw that calm, stoic face. At this point, no matter what expression Muenfah wore, he could make the onlooker—Theerak—feel happy.
“Phii Fah, you’re going for three days, right?”
“Yes…”
“…”
“I probably won’t be able to text or call little naughty you often, but if I get some free time, I’ll call right away.”
“It’s fine, Phii Fah. I understand… Spend as much time as you can with Pa and Ma, okay?”
“Okay…” Muenfah replied before pulling his car keys out of his pants pocket. He opened the car door and turned to smile at him. “While I’m is gone for three days… little naughty you aren’t allowed to get close to anyone else, okay?”
Theerak smiled faintly and nodded. “Okay.”
“I will head out now.”
At first, Theerak thought he wouldn’t feel anything since Muenfah was only gone for three days. But when it was really time for him to leave, Theerak felt something stir inside him.
He wanted to know if Muenfah felt the same, so he called out to stop him.
“Phii Fah…”
“Yes?” The one called raised an eyebrow in question. Muenfah, who was about to get in the car, immediately walked back to him. “Is something up with little naughty you?”
“Phii Fah…” Theerak lowered his gaze and took a deep breath before looking up to meet the tall figure’s eyes again. “Will you miss me?”
The one asked laughed and nodded. “I will probably miss little naughty you a lot.”
Theerak sighed before saying, “Good thing you only misses me a lot…”
“…”
“Because if you missed me as much as I miss you, you’d be in real torment.”
“…”
“…Let me suffer alone, that’s enough.”
“If little naughty you didn’t have exams, I would’ve taken you along.”
“Other than my dad, I’ve never missed anyone this much… I will have to figure out how to handle this longing.”
“Does little naughty you want me to help ease that longing?”
“How, Phii Fah?”
Muenfah moved his hand to rest on Theerak’s waist, pulling him closer. Theerak locked eyes with the tall figure for just a moment before a strong arm wrapped around him, pulling him into a tight embrace. Muenfah held him close, as if he didn’t want them to part. Theerak’s face pressed against that sturdy chest, and the faint scent from Muenfah made him purse his lips tightly, letting himself feel the full weight of his longing.
Theerak stood still, not hugging back. The silence that enveloped them made Muenfah’s heartbeat even clearer to his ears. Then, the sound of the other’s breathing broke through as Muenfah gently pressed his nose and lips against Theerak’s shoulder. The warm breath of the tall figure seeped through the fabric, brushing against his skin.
“Keep this feeling with you…” Muenfah tightened his embrace before continuing, “…It’ll help ease the longing.”
“…”
“Missing someone is painful… I know that well.”
And knowing how agonizing that longing could be, Theerak wrapped his arms around Muenfah in return. “I will hold you tight.”
“…”
“Phii Fah, stock up on this feeling as much as you can… I will stock up too.”
“…”
“So when we miss each other, it won’t hurt as much…”
“…” Muenfah fell silent, his nose and lips still pressed against Theerak’s shoulder. “I miss Theerak all the time.”
Theerak nodded and hugged him even tighter, hoping the other would take as much of this moment’s feeling with him as possible. Soon, Muenfah pulled away from the embrace and flashed him that familiar smile, reaching out to touch his cheek as usual.
“With little naughty you being this good at charming me… I can’t escape anymore.”
“I believe it… because I’m set traps everywhere. You, Sky, can’t get away from me.”
Muenfah bit his lip as if annoyed in a playful way and gently pinched the tip of his nose. “So sly, aren’t you, sea of mine?”
“Heh heh… Phii Fah, you should go now, or you’ll miss your flight.”
“You hug me and then kick me out right after?”
“I’m not kicking you out… I’m just worried you’ll miss your flight.”
“Heh… Then I will head off now, okay?”
“Okay…”
Theerak stood waving goodbye to the tall figure getting into the car. Muenfah rolled down the window and mouthed something silently. Theerak smiled softly as he read his lips—Muenfah was saying…
‘Wait for me, okay?’
“Okay, I will wait…”
Rak will wait patiently for that day; The day Phii Fah feels… it’s time.
TBC
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