MYMOON, Chapter 5:
The small-framed boy slipped into black skinny jeans. After blowdrying his damp hair until it was completely dry, he walked to the wardrobe and picked out a white, long-sleeved, deep V-neck shirt. Klai raised one hand to brush back the chocolate-brown hair falling over his forehead, ensuring the slightly overgrown bangs didn’t cover his eyebrows.
He stood dressing in front of a large mirror, his slender hands adjusting the hem of the shirt that extended past his hips. Klai tilted his head, inspecting the shirt he was wearing. He usually preferred longsleeved, V-neck tees, but none had a neckline as deep as this one. The thin, flowy fabric made him hesitate.
But when he picked up a pink-gold necklace with a crescent moon pendant and put it around his neck, Klai instantly decided to wear this outfit to his birthday celebration. Everything looked perfectly in place.
Simple, yet stylish.
This was the essence of Klaijai.
Buzz~
The vibrating sound from his black phone drew his attention as he was spraying perfume. Klai placed his favorite fragrance bottle back in its spot, then grabbed the phone and answered without checking the caller’s name on the screen.
Klai admitted… he was in quite a rush.
“Hello, this is Klaijai.”
[Klai, it’s Dad.]
“Oh… Dad, I didn’t check who was calling,” Klai said, pressing the phone to his ear and propping it with his shoulder. He used both hands to tidy up his belongings. “Is something up, Dad?”
[Son…] The voice on the other end spoke softly before letting out a sigh.
“Is there a problem with the evening party?”
[No, son… I’m calling to apologize to Klai for not wishing you a happy birthday in person. This morning, we had so many guests, and I couldn’t find a moment to come see you.]
The small boy smiled with relief before saying, “Oh, I thought it was something serious.”
[…]
“Last night at 11:59, you already sent me a birthday message, didn’t you? You didn’t forget my birthday at all. Don’t overthink it, Dad.
Today’s a day for you to smile a lot, okay?”
[I love you so much, Klai.]
“I love you too, Dad.”
[Since I’m hosting a party this evening, you have to go celebrate outside instead. Honestly, you could’ve invited your friends to celebrate your birthday at our house, son. Should I ask Uncle Hmai and Jeab to set up a separate area for you? It’s not too late to change plans and hold it at home.]
“Dad, please don’t feel guilty or overthink this. I’m happy to celebrate outside,” Klai said, chuckling softly as he thought of what to say next. “I’ve had my birthday parties at home from the day I was born until I was nineteen. This year, let’s just say I’m switching things up with a new vibe.”
[Is that really what you want, son?]
“Yes… Have fun at the party, Dad. You don’t need to worry about
Klai anymore.”
[Is there any special gift Klai wants this year?]
Klai, having finished packing, picked up the phone pressed to his ear and looked at his reflection in the mirror. His dad once said he smiled just like his mom. At first, Klai didn’t quite believe it. But now, seeing his own smile clearly once again,
Klai believed it… His dad’s angel wasn’t far from him at all.
“I want Dad, everyone at home, and…” The final part was spoken in a soft whisper, pausing briefly. Klai’s gaze caught the reflection of a crescent moon pendant in the mirror, stealing his thoughts for a moment. A gentle smile appeared as a certain feeling crept in. One slender hand moved to lightly touch the pendant before he continued, “…and I want the person I love to be happy.”
[Make a wish for yourself too, Klai.]
“I already wish for my own happiness every day, Dad… On a special occasion like this, I want to wish for someone special too.”
[So, is there anyone special making your heart race yet?]
Klai laughed before saying, “It’s a secret.”
[Keeping secrets from your dad now, huh, Klaijai?] Dad said, followed by the sound of someone calling him in the background. [Alright, alright, I’m coming… Klai, I have to go greet the evening guests now.]
“Okay, Dad… I love you.”
[I love you too, Klai.]
Klai hung up and placed the phone on his desk. As he walked to grab his wallet, he paused when he heard the phone vibrate again. He thought it must be Dad, but the name on the screen was different from what he expected.
“Yes, Phii Dom?”
[Klai… How many people should we reserve the table for?]
“Twelve people, Phii Dom.”
[I was going to say… I’d like to invite Fah too, so I’ll have someone to talk to.]
Klai had met and talked with Muenfah a few times. Usually, he never felt anything special when meeting him, but this time, he felt an inexplicable excitement. Perhaps because Klai secretly hoped…
That in a 100% chance, there might be a 0.1% chance that Muenfah would invite Panli to his birthday.
Even though this hope was almost impossible.
“Uh, sure, Phii Dom.”
[Alright, see you later.]
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
But his little heart was already racing in anticipation.
After hanging up with his older brother, Klai left his room. He decided to take a taxi to a Korean BBQ restaurant near Siam, as it was a holiday and the area would likely be packed with traffic. Klai didn’t want to waste time looking for parking.
The small-framed boy looked up at the gray clouds gathering in the sky, a sign that rain was imminent. He quickened his pace to the sidewalk and waved down a passing taxi. When a bright pink taxi pulled up in front of him, he hurriedly opened the door and got in.
“To Siam, please.”
“Sure thing~”
Klai smiled as he glanced at the cheerful uncle driving the taxi, then reached into his pocket to pull out his buzzing phone. He looked at the notifications on the screen from the LINE app.
There were messages from the group chat with Mai and Pie:
Ppie: Heading out now~
MaMay: I’m already out of the house. Has Klai left the condo yet?
Next were messages from private chats:
KantHimself: Traffic’s insane, I might be a bit late.
And finally, a message from Cake:
Cake: Klai, Som and I have a makeup class today, so we can’t make it to your birthday. Sorry, Klai. We’ll bring your gift to uni later.
Klai swiped the screen and opened the LINE app to reply to everyone, but suddenly, someone added his contact info using his phone number.
Klai frowned when he saw the profile picture was black with a blue cloud emoji next to the contact name. The latest message from this “blue cloud” cleared up all his confusion:
☁︎: It’s Merk, Klai.
Happy birthday!
☁︎: Wishing you lots of happiness.
Klai didn’t need to guess where Merk got his number. Thot was probably getting back at him for being called out to answer questions in class by doing this. The small boy shook his head lightly before opening the chat and moving his finger toward the “Block” button.
But the next message stopped him…
☁︎: Klai, you can read this and not reply, but please don’t block me.
☁︎: I hope we know if Klai saw our messages.
☁︎: I really like Klai, you know. I’m not mad at all that Phii Klai punched me, because I was really awful that day.
But these messages… they could only hold him back for a few minutes.
Slender fingers tapped the “block” button, then quickly returned to replying to friends’ messages. Klai thought his action wasn’t too cruel. Throughout the time Merk pursued him, the guy never showed any respect. Day by day, Merk’s behavior grew worse, like someone who couldn’t control their emotions—like the recent incident when he harassed Klai in the bathroom.
Klai thought…
If he didn’t distance himself from Merk, he’d be the truly cruel one… for letting himself stay at risk with someone like that.
Klai’s fingers danced across the keyboard nonstop. Besides replying to friends, he also had to respond to birthday wishes from the kids of his dad’s friends. Normally, he held his birthday party at home every year, and his dad would invite his friends, who brought their sons and daughters around Klai’s age. But they weren’t particularly close, only meeting occasionally and contacting each other on special occasions.
Acquaintances, at best…
This message was from Teen, a student in the engineering faculty at a prestigious university.
Teen: Klai, happy birthday! I can’t make it to see you this year. I really want to meet you, though.
Teen: I’m throwing a party at my place next week. Are you free to come, Klai?
Teen: I got you some perfume from France, and I’ve prepared a gift for you too.
This one was from Ploy, the beautiful daughter of Uncle Phet, his dad’s close friend.
PaPloy: Klaijai, happy birthday! Wishing you tons of happiness!
And many more messages Klai had to reply to.
The small figure let out a sigh after responding to all the messages. He locked the screen, slipped the phone into his pocket, and leaned forward to look ahead.
“Traffic’s a bit heavy, kid…”
“Yes, Uncle.”
“In a hurry?”
Klai let out a shy laugh before answering the man meeting his eyes through the rearview mirror. “A little, Uncle.”
“Meeting your partner for a date?”
Klai’s almond-shaped eyes widened, his thin lips twitching as if he wanted to say something. But every sentence in his head was swallowed back down. He didn’t quite understand why he felt shy about the uncle’s question, especially since he didn’t even have a boyfriend. “Uh… no,
I’m just hurrying to a birthday party.”
“Oh… rushing to your boyfriend’s birthday, huh?”
Klai raised a hand to rub his ear. It was burning hot now, probably bright red too. “It’s not my boyfriend’s birthday… it’s my own, uncle.”
“Oh, really? Well, then I wish you lots of happiness!”
Klai brought both hands together to give a polite wai to the uncle before saying, “Thank you, uncle.”
“But your boyfriend’s waiting for you at the destination, right?”
The uncle reminded Klai of his dad’s relatives who loved to tease him about his love life during Chinese New Year. If he didn’t answer their questions, they wouldn’t give him any red envelopes.
And Klai had never received a single red envelope…
“No one’s waiting for me… I don’t have a boyfriend, uncle.”
“Huh?”
Klai never knew how to respond to those relatives.
Because when he told the truth—that he didn’t have a boyfriend…
“…”
“Really? No one at all?”
No one believed him, just like this uncle.
“Really, uncle.”
“With a face this good-looking… I don’t believe you, kid.”
Klai burst out laughing when he saw the uncle shaking his head vigorously, clearly unconvinced. “I’m not kidding, uncle.”
“No way,” the uncle said, chuckling. Believe me, uncle…
Klai really doesn’t have a boyfriend.
Because right now, he’s still secretly in love with someone.
“Wanna listen to some music, kid?”
The boy being asked nodded slightly before replying, “Sure, uncle.”
Klai watched as the uncle reached to turn on the radio. He fiddled with the stations for a while before settling on a channel Klai used to listen to when he was in high school.
“Try this station, kid… It’s got music for youngsters. You’ll probably like it.”
“Okay, Uncle. Thanks!”
His head leaned against the window after responding, his almondshaped eyes glancing at the cars parked nearby before shifting to the overcast sky.
“The next song we’re playing… I bet it’ll hit home for a lot of people with secret crushes.”
Klai let out a smile when he heard the radio DJ’s words. Ever since he started secretly loving Panli, Klai had listened to a ton of songs about unspoken love. He was sure he’d heard the song the DJ was about to play.
“Let’s listen to it… Secret Crush by Bubble Foam.”
“Huh?” Klai let out a soft sound in his throat, his slender brows furrowing slightly. He’d never heard this song before. Unbelievable that someone as devoted to secret-crush songs as him could have missed this one.
The cute melody that began playing brought a big smile to his face. Klai now believed that on a day when he was happy, no matter how dark and cloudy the sky or how gloomy the surroundings, nothing could dampen a joyful heart.
It’s morning, and I’m not late today. I wake up singing about you, memorizing the notes so they don’t fade, crafted from my heart. Please listen, my dear.
This song…
I don’t know where you are right now, or who your heart is thinking of. Do you know I’m trembling too? Because in my heart… I’m only thinking of you, my dear.
So adorable 🙂
Zzzzt-
“Ah…” Klai let out a frustrated sound when static interrupted, as if the radio signal was being disrupted as the car moved from its spot. The sweet voice of the male singer and the cute song were replaced by that annoying noise.
“Let me fix it for you, kid.”
“Okay, Uncle.”
The uncle fiddled with something for a few minutes until the static finally disappeared. But by then, Secret Crush, the song he wanted to hear, had already ended.
“That’s the end of another song, folks. The next one’s a sad one.”
“That song ended, kid. Such a shame. It looked like you really liked it.”
Klai laughed softly before saying, “That was my first time hearing that song, Uncle. I was really focused on listening… But it’s okay. I know the song’s name now, so I can look it up later.”
“What’s the song called, kid?”
“Secret Crush.”
…
Klai, the first to arrive at the Korean BBQ restaurant, followed the staff to the reserved table. Soon after, Phii Dom, Phii Babe, and Theerak arrived. As the three sat down on the long bench, they handed him a large brown paper bag. Klai took it and peeked inside, finding two neatly packed gift boxes.
“Klai… the box wrapped in yellow paper is my gift to you,” Theerak, the owner of chubby cheeks, said with a smile. Klai nodded at the person sitting diagonally across from him before turning to the two older siblings beside him.
“And the box wrapped in light green paper must be from Phii Dom and Phii Babe, right?”
Phii Dom, sitting next to him, nodded. Phii Babe, seated beside Phii Dom, leaned forward to look at him and said, “I hope you like the gift I picked out for you, Klai.”
“Phii Babe~, anything chosen with heart, Klai loves it all…” Theerak said to her older sister before turning to nod at him. “Right, Klai?”
He couldn’t help but smile at Theerak’s cuteness. She was the one who made the gloomy sky today instantly brighter. “Yes.”
“But, um… I have to confess something first, Klai. I didn’t personally pick out your gift,” Theerak said. “I sent telepathic vibes to Phii Babe to choose something cute and perfect for you. And just now, Phii Babe told me what she picked, and I think it’s super fitting for you!”
“Honestly, just having you here makes me so happy, but thank you for the gift too.”
No big deal, Klai. It’s just a small thing…” The person he dubbed “the cuteness of this world” raised her hand, touching her thumb and index finger together to signify “small.”
Klai laughed before saying, “Thank you, Theerak, for coming today and making me smile.”
“My pleasure, khrap~”
The way Theerak said “khrap” was unlike anyone else’s, and no one could replicate it. His playful, sweet tone was one-of-a-kind. Klai watched him chat with his older sister before turning to the person beside him who nudged him.
“Yes, Phii Dom?”
“The evening party, everything okay?”
“All good, Phii Dom. Before I left the condo, Dad called me. It seems like there’ll be more guests than this morning.”
“I’m just worried. With so many guests, I’m afraid there might be issues if we can’t manage everyone properly. Mom even said she’d send some staff from the house to help with the guests.”
“Oh, please thank Auntie for me, Phii Dom. But everything for the event is already set, so you and Auntie don’t need to worry.”
“Okay, I’ll LINE Mom and let her know.”
Klai nodded to his older brother before glancing back at the person sitting diagonally across from him. He felt like a pair of eyes were watching him, and he was right. Those chubby-cheeked eyes were staring at him brightly.
“Klai, you are so cute~” Theerak tilted her head to look at him before continuing, “No matter the angle, you’re adorable… and your smile is so sweet too.”
Klai laughed, thinking that the person praising him probably didn’t realize how adorable they were themselves. In this world, no one could be as lovable as Theerak.
“I don’t think anyone could be as cute as you, Theerak,” Klai said.
“Not only is your face adorable, but you also know how to sweettalk… ugh! I just want to squish you, Klai!”
“Theerak~” Phii Babe said, shaking her head. Klai thought Phii Babe must feel the same itch to pinch their darling as he did.
But suddenly, the most pinchable person in the world furrowed their brows, as if recalling something. They shifted their gaze from their sister and looked at Klai again.
“Why did you choose to hold your birthday at this restaurant, Klai?
Aren’t you worried it won’t feel private?”
The question from Theerak made Klai pause for a moment. He pursed his lips, noticing the two people beside him fall silent. He guessed Phii Dom and Phii Babe had only invited their darling to the event but hadn’t explained why he was celebrating his birthday at a Korean BBQ restaurant.
“Uh…” Phii Dom started to say something but paused again.
“This year, there’s another event at home for my dad, and I didn’t want the people at home to get extra tired. If we held it at home, there’d be a lot of preparations…” Klai smiled at Theerak before continuing, “Plus, I didn’t want a big event. This year, I wanted a cozy birthday vibe, more like a casual meal with friends during a holiday.”
Ohh… you always think of others first, huh? Not wanting a big event because you’re worried about tiring out the people at home… I feel warmed just hearing that, on behalf of your family,” Theerak said.
Klai gave a small smile before saying, “As I’ve grown up, I’ve come to understand the saying… when we’re kids, we want big birthday parties with lots of friends. But when we’re older, we prefer small gatherings, inviting only close ones. The importance of a birthday isn’t just about having fun and blowing out candles—it’s about sitting together, catching up on stories from the times we haven’t seen each other, and laughing over silly things that shouldn’t happen in our lives.”
“Wow, your perspective on birthdays is so wonderful… it feels so warm hearing it,” Theerak said with a wide smile. “So today, let’s smile a lot, okay, Klai?”
“Yes,” Klai replied, returning a smile.
Everything he told Theerak was true. Klai didn’t want Phii Jeab and others at home to be exhausted, and he wanted this year’s birthday to have a warm atmosphere with only close friends. But there was one truth he couldn’t share with Theerak. Even if he said he understood and didn’t mind that his dad held an engagement party on his birthday, others might not understand his dad.
Klai didn’t want anyone to misunderstand.
He didn’t want anyone to think poorly of his dad.
He didn’t want others to feel his dad didn’t love his child enough.
Though Klai knew Theerak was optimistic and wouldn’t judge his dad without knowing him, some things were too complex to grasp. So Klai thought it was better to avoid complicated matters and share only what was easy to absorb.
The faint smiles from Phii Dom and Phii Babe showed they understood his true intentions. Klai wasn’t trying to hide the truth from Theerak—he was just trimming away the heavier emotions to keep things lighter.
To keep the other person from having too many questions in their
mind…
“Klaijai~~”
Klai turned toward the cheerful voice calling from his right. The vibrant voice belonged to someone leading Mai and Kant, all approaching with beaming smiles.
“You’re here~” Klai said as his three close friends stopped at the right end of the table.
“The traffic was insane,” Kant said.
“Good thing our route wasn’t as bad as Kant’s,” Mai added.
Klai patted the empty space beside him, inviting them to sit. Pie handed him a small white paper bag. Upon seeing the logo on the bag, he realized his friend had bought him something expensive again.
“I know you’re about to scold me for buying you something pricey…” Pie said, plopping down on the long bench and scooting closer to Klai. “This is a gift from me and Mai. We split the cost, and it’s not as expensive as you think.”
Klai took the gift bag and said, “Next time, don’t buy me anything expensive. I feel bad.”
“Feel bad about what? It’s nothing.”
Klai smiled at Pie before inviting the other two friends still standing.
“Mai, Kant… come sit!”
Which side should I take, Kant?”
“I’m good with either. You pick first, Mai.”
“Then I’ll sit next to Pie. Someone’s gotta keep an eye on her when we’re out.”
“Haha, okay.”
Klai watched his two close friends settle onto the long benches on either side. Mai chose the bench on his side, while Kant sat on the opposite side, across from Pie. The table could seat twelve, with long benches divided to fit six people per side, open on both ends so everyone could easily get up from either the left or right.
At the moment, Klai’s side already had five people seated, but the opposite side only had Theerak and Kant. He blinked, glancing at the empty space in front of him. Perhaps because Kant and Theerak had never met before, they were keeping quite a distance from each other. Klai decided to introduce everyone to make the atmosphere more relaxed.
“Phii Dom already knows all my friends, but Phii Babe and Theerak are probably meeting my friends for the first time. So, I’ll introduce them, so you can greet each other when you run into them at the university,” Klai said, making eye contact with Phii Babe and Theerak before gesturing toward his first close friend. “This is Pie.”
Pie raised his hands to wai and greet Phii Dom and Phii Babe, then lowered them and waved at Theerak instead. Phii Babe gave Pie a friendly smile, while Theerak, with her chubby cheeks, waved back.
“And this is Mai…” Klai briefly shifted his gaze from Phii Babe and
Theerak to follow his hand gesturing toward Kant. “And this is Kant.” Mai and Kant raised their hands in a respectful wai to greet Phii Dom and Phii Babe, just as Pai had done, and flashed smiles at the couple. Seeing everyone’s reactions, Klai felt relieved, as they all seemed friendly with one another.
“Klai, bring the gift bags over here so Pie can sit comfortably.”
And Rak was getting along wonderfully with his friends.
“No, no, I’m sitting just fine!” Pie quickly waved his hands back and forth.
Klai glanced at the paper bags placed close to his side. Even though
Pie insisted he was comfortable, he thought they were quite in the way. So, he decided to pick up both gift bags and hand them to Rak, who was already reaching out to take them.
“Take care of these for me, Rak.”
“You got it!”
The paper bags, containing gift boxes inside, were placed on the seat across from him. Now, Klai no longer felt adrift, as the empty space in front of him was filled.
Even if there was no one to lock eyes with…
At the very least, he had the gifts from everyone to look at.
The sweet-faced guy thought with a small smile before turning to Kant, who was pulling something out of his backpack. His close friend revealed a long, silver-colored box and showed it to him.
“This is my gift for you… Can I put it in this bag?” Kant said, holding the gift near the opening of the paper bag. When Klai nodded, he carefully placed it inside.
“Thanks a lot, Kant.”
“It’s the same kind of gift as every year… Hope you still like it.”
“I do! Same thing next year, okay?”
Kant grinned and made an “OK” gesture with his hand. “Deal.”
“Is Phii Fah the only one who hasn’t arrived yet?”
“Yeah,” Phii Dom replied.
“Then how about we order food while waiting for Phii Fah?” Klai suggested.
“Good idea. Fah can order more when he gets here, in case your friends are already hungry,” Phii Babe said, taking the menu from the waiter.
“Sounds good.”
Klai looked at the menu, now in Pie’s hands. He had chosen this Korean BBQ restaurant because it was a buffet, so everyone could order more food without feeling hesitant.
Klai leaned forward to watch Pie writing down the quantities of food they wanted on the small piece of paper that came with the menu. His almond-shaped eyes widened slightly when he saw a picture of large shrimp in the menu.
Klai, the first to arrive at the Korean BBQ restaurant, followed the staff to the reserved table. Soon, Phii Dom, Phii Babe, and Theerak joined. As the three settled onto the long bench, they handed him a large brown paper bag. Klai took it and peeked inside, finding two neatly wrapped gift boxes.
“Klai… the box in yellow wrapping is from me,” Theerak, with her chubby cheeks, said with a smile. Klai nodded at her, seated diagonally across, then turned to the two older siblings beside him.
“And the one in light green wrapping is from Phii Dom and Phii Babe, right?”
Phii Dom, sitting next to him, nodded. Phii Babe, seated beside Phii
Dom, leaned forward and said, “I hope you like the gift I picked, Klai.”
“Phii Babe~, anything chosen with heart, Klai loves,” Theerak said to her sister before nodding at him. “Right, Klai?”
He couldn’t resist smiling at Theerak’s adorableness. She brightened the gloomy day instantly. “Yes.”
“But, um… I gotta confess, Klai. I didn’t pick your gift myself,” Theerak admitted. “I sent psychic vibes to Phii Babe to choose something cute and perfect for you. And just now, she told me what she got, and I think it’s super fitting!”
“Honestly, just having you here makes me so happy, but thanks for the gift too.”
“No biggie, Klai. It’s just a little thing…” The one he called “the world’s cuteness” raised her hand, pinching her thumb and index finger to show “small.”
Klai laughed before saying, “Thank you, Theerak, for making me smile today.”
“My pleasure, sir~”
Theerak’s unique way of saying “sir” was unmatched, her sweet, playful tone one-of-a-kind. Klai watched her chat with her sister before turning to Phii Dom, who nudged him.
“Yes, Phii Dom?”
“The evening party, all good?”
“All set, Phii Dom. Dad called before I left the condo. Sounds like there’ll be more guests than this morning.”
“I’m just worried. Too many guests might cause issues if we can’t manage them all. Mom even offered to send staff from home to help.”
“Oh, please thank Auntie for me, Phii Dom. But everything’s ready, so you and Auntie don’t need to worry.”
“Got it. I’ll LINE Mom now.”
Klai nodded to his brother, then glanced at Theerak again, feeling a pair of eyes on him. Sure enough, her chubby-cheeked face was staring at him brightly.
“Klai is so cute~” Theerak tilted her head. “You’re adorable from every angle… and your smile is so sweet.”
“We’re covering the seafood tab… everyone can order seafood,” Theerak said, pointing at a picture of shrimp. Pie laughed and turned to him.
“Klai wants shrimp, right? I’ll order extra.”
Klai nodded shyly. “Just two trays for now.”
“Got it.”
While Klai was browsing the menu with Pie holding it for him, Phii Dom, sitting beside him, said something that instantly grabbed his attention.
“Panli’s here, but that jerk Fah still hasn’t shown up.”
Though Phii Dom’s words seemed almost impossible, and he might’ve misheard, Klai still turned toward the voice.
In that moment, the theory of someone in love with the moon was completely shattered by the tall figure who appeared. Because Panli made him realize… The round moon doesn’t only appear at 5:30 p.m.
His light-colored eyelids didn’t blink for a single second, afraid the person before him might vanish. His heart, which always raced when he saw his moon, slowed until it nearly stopped.
“I forgot to mention I invited Panli too, so Theerak would have someone to chat with, and also…” Phii Dom leaned in to whisper softly, “It’s good to get to know each other. You can say hi when you see him at uni.”
After Phii Dom’s words, Klai’s mind went blank, his ears silent as if the world had paused. He watched his same old Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritaville” played faintly in the background. Klai stared at the moon—Panli—laughing with Theerak, his close friend, without looking away.
Because Klai always thought… there was no way Panli would come to his birthday. Now, it felt like he was watching his favorite movie, with Rak character driving the story. He saw Panli and Theerak talking, their mouths moving, but he heard no sound.
As if the world had given him the chance to capture only the image of Panli’s smile. But in the next second, a sound echoed in his ears again.
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
His heart, which had calmed to near stillness, raced again. Klai realized his body’s unusual reaction was telling him something, and now he knew what his little heart was saying…
A heart that slowed to nearly stopping could race again.
This feeling was… falling in love (with you, my moon) over and over.
Theerak chuckled and scooted over to let her close friend sit beside her. But she glanced between the empty space and his gift bag, as if measuring the distance. Klai thought she was probably saving a seat for someone, which is why she only shifted slightly for Panli.
As the tall figure sat down next to Theerak, Klai stole a glance at his moon, who looked incredibly stylish. His golden-blonde hair was styled to show his forehead, and he wore a loose, short-sleeved olive-green shirt, ripped black jeans, and black Vans sneakers. Today, his wristwatch was replaced by a silver bracelet.
“Rak… can you scoot over a bit? I’m about to fall off the edge.”
“Just a tiny bit more, okay? Because…” Klai glanced at the owner of the chubby cheeks, who looked worried while eyeing the empty space reserved beside them. “Because Phii Fah is big. We need enough space for him.”
So, Theerak was saving a spot for Phii Fah…
Phii Fah must be really important to him.
That’s why they wouldn’t share the seat with their close friend and kept it for Phii Fah instead.
Though there was still plenty of space on Theerak’s side, Klai understood why they kept a distance from the gift bag placed between them and Kant. They probably didn’t want Kant to feel uncomfortable if they moved closer to Klai. Realizing this, Klai spoke up.
“It’s fine, Rak. Sit comfortably. If there’s not enough space, we’ll just add another table…”
“Really, Klai?”
“Yeah, since a lot of my friends are still coming, we’ll need to add a table anyway.”
Sorry for lying, Rak…
I just don’t want you to feel awkward around me.
Plus… this way, Sasin can sit comfortably too.
“Okay… that’s a relief.”
His darling nodded and smiled at him. Klai smiled back, but in that moment, he accidentally locked eyes with someone. He quickly lowered his gaze when he saw his moon smiling faintly at him.
Klai knew Panli was playful, quick to smile, and always had a grin on his face. But even knowing that… his body still went haywire.
Caught off guard.
No way you can handle this.
You’re in trouble, Klaijai…
“Klai…” Pie lightly poked his arm, calling him in a soft, almost whispering voice. Klai turned to look at her. “Your ears are bright red.”
Klai swallowed hard. He wanted to cover both ears with his hands but was afraid it’d look suspicious. He racked his brain for a way to hide the obvious embarrassment glowing on his ears for minutes. Finally, he shook his head slightly, like someone out of options, then turned to his close friend, pouting as if he might cry.
“Klai…” Kant called softly. He raised a hand, rubbing his own chest.
“Take a deep breath… it’ll help with the embarrassment.”
The not-so-fresh air was drawn deeply into the small boy’s lungs as per his friend’s suggestion. Klai nearly choked when the smoke from the grill at the nearby table hit his nostrils.
“Ouch… poor thing,” Mai said, laughing.
Pie reached over to rub his back and asked, “You okay?”
“Pie, can I have the bag?” Klai said, nodding toward the paper bag that held the gift.
“What for?”
“To cover my head… so no one sees my red ears.”
This was probably the first time he could make his friends laugh without forcing it. Klai loved throwing out cheesy jokes to his friends. Even though his jokes were often lame, his friends would still laugh to encourage him, spurring him to come up with more for the group. But this time, Klai wanted to tell everyone he wasn’t joking.
He really wanted to cover his head with the bag.
“Where’s Panli going… why’d he gets up from the table?”
Hearing Pie’s question, Klai immediately turned to find the answer. He saw Panli standing and laughing while Theerak pointed at him. Right now, the chubby-cheeked Theerak looked extremely annoyed.
“Wait… hold on, Panli. If this isn’t true, you’ll be in tears because of this fierce Theerak.”
The fierce-looking Theerak, who seemed very serious, quickly stormed out of the restaurant. Meanwhile, the accused party was still smiling and laughing before sitting back down in his chair. Klai had no idea what happened while he was busy being embarrassed about Panli, his ears burning red. So, he asked the person next to him, who he assumed witnessed the scene.
“Where’d Theerak go, Phii Dom?”
Phii Dom laughed before saying, “It’s Panli’s fault. He told Theerak that Phii Fah had already left to go back because of bad traffic.”
“But the truth is Phii Fah hasn’t even arrived yet, right, Phii Dom?”
“Ask the troublemaker himself…” Phii Dom nodded toward the opposite side. “What’s up, Panli? The birthday boy’s asking.”
Klai pressed his lips tightly together before turning to look at the person sitting across from his older brother. If he had a thermometer attached to him right now, Klai was sure it would malfunction from the sudden spike in his body temperature.
Panli bit his lip slightly while placing a brown wallet and a black phone on the table. He looked at Klai with a subtle smile. Klai knew he was blinking too rapidly—a habit that surfaced when he was extremely nervous. He never imagined that making eye contact with someone would require so much energy.
Especially… locking eyes with his Moon, whose playful gaze carried a hint of charm.
How much energy would Klai need for this?
Even if he were Thanos, he probably couldn’t handle it.
Klai glanced at the gift bag that his Moon had moved out of the way. Panli slid it slightly to clear some space. Kant stepped in, reaching over to pull the gift bag closer to his side, as if making room for Panli to sit directly across from Klai.
It was at this moment that the empty space in front of him was filled by his moon instead of paper bags. Klai had thought he’d be staring at the gift bags until the event ended, with no one to sit across from him to meet his gaze.
But it was still the same moon
That chased away the feelings of emptiness in his heart,
That filled the missing pieces,
And it was still this moon… that made his incomplete universe whole again.
“Does the birthday boy want to know the truth… or take a guess first?”
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
Make a note in your heart, Klaijai… of the first time you talked to Panli.
“Uh… I think I’d rather know the truth.”
“The truth is…” Panli smiled while meeting his gaze, then continued, “No one would turn the car around just because of traffic. Everyone will try their best to get here as fast as they can… to honor the birthday boy’s feelings.”
“…”
“So, Phii Fah will definitely show up.”
“…”
“No need to worry… Okay?”
How touching…
Klai didn’t nod or respond right away, because Panli’s words, which quickly sank deep into his heart, stirred something within him. It was a feeling greater than just “touched.”
Was it because of the smile he’d described as, “The world will be okay” when he saw it? The gentle tone of voice? Or Panli’s words that filled his mind with nothing but Thank you.
Thank you for making every step on the journey to the moon unforgettable…
But if someone were to ask why Panli’s words could so easily seep into his heart, Klai could only answer…
For someone like him, who had been through so much,
Someone who always told others he was fine,
For someone trying their hardest to be strong and overcome certain things, hearing the words “Don’t worry” before facing disappointment or heartbreak felt like being shielded from everything crashing down. So, it wasn’t surprising that a feeling deeper than mere admiration stirred in Klai’s heart.
But now, Klai realized they’d been locking eyes for too long. He nodded as a response, and Panli smiled, nodding slowly as if understanding the message conveyed through his body language.
“Klai…”
The one called turned away from the person in front of him to face the owner of the voice. Pie was waving two empty glasses in both hands.
Klai guessed the other glass in Pie’s hand was probably his.
“P-Pie, are you going to get drinks?” His lingering shyness made him stammer with everyone.
“Yeah, what do you want, Klai? We’ll grab it for you.”
“I’ll come with.”
“No need. The birthday boy should stay comfy at the table.”
Klai took nearly a minute to decide before saying, “Then just get me anything. You choose, Pie.”
“Okay~”
“W-Wait…” Klai called out as he saw all three friends stand up from the table. “Are you all going to get drinks?”
His three close friends raised their eyebrows slightly before nodding. Klai wasn’t surprised they looked puzzled, as he wasn’t usually someone afraid of being alone or prone to acting clingy with friends.
Right now, Klai wasn’t afraid of being alone. But he was terrified of being left alone with a certain someone, because his heart might be attacked so fiercely it would crumble. So, he put on a pouty face for his three friends holding empty glasses.
“Stop being a baby, Klaijai, or you’ll get a scolding.”
Pie said, pointing a finger at him, before nodding to Mai and Kant to head to the drink dispenser not far from the table. Klai let out a quiet sigh, craning his neck to watch his friends laughing and smiling as they chose sodas at the rectangular machine.
However, the Korean music playing softly in the restaurant for a while was suddenly replaced with a cute Thai song. Klai closed his eyes, silently praying for a staff member to change the song quickly.
This is a Korean BBQ restaurant.
What’s going on?
Why are they playing…
It’s morning, I’m not late today. Woke up singing about you. Memorize the notes, don’t let them fade. From my heart, please listen, my dear.
The song Secret Crush.
“I don’t know where you are now… Don’t know who your heart is thinking of. Do you know I’m swaying too? In my heart… I’m thinking only of you, my dear.”
His eyelids, the color of eggshells, slowly opened before he turned to look at the person beside him on the other side. Klai hoped Phii Dom, Phii Babe, and Theerak were still at the table. He admitted to quickly scanning to his right to avoid seeing the person in front of him. It wasn’t that Klai didn’t want to see Panli, but he knew himself well…
If our eyes met again,
With the song Secret Crush playing,
Klaijai’s pulse would probably flatline.
Right now, Klai thought it wasn’t just locking eyes with Panli that could stop his heart—it was the fact that everyone else had left the table. He pursed his lips tightly, mustering the courage to look back at the seat across from him.
And at that moment…
In truth, I can’t know… even though you don’t know me at all, I secretly like you more than a little. My heart keeps waiting, keeps hoping, hoping for you to turn around.
…our eyes met again.
A direct gaze, no need to wait for the other to turn like in the song’s lyrics, because Panli was right in front of him. Klai didn’t know how red his ears were—Pie wasn’t there to point it out—but he was sure his moon noticed something off, as he broke into a faint smile.
Don’t just sit there, Klaijai.
Do something.
Smile back at Panli.
Tell me just a little, that you’re thinking of me too, that you secretly like me more than a little.
“Can the birthday boy sit alone for a bit? I’m gonna grab some water.”
Ughhh…
In the end, he was crying inside, facing his moon.
Panli spoke while holding up an empty glass to show him, raising an eyebrow slightly as if asking. Klai quickly nodded in response, but then his moon let out a soft laugh.
“You sure you can stay alone?”
“Uh, yeah, I’m fine.”
Panli smiled. “…Cause I just saw you pouting with your friend.”
“I wasn’t pouting. I was just…” Come up with an excuse, Klaijai. But when nothing came to mind, he blurted, “Just talking to my friend.”
“Oh…” Panli’s smile and the look in his eyes seemed to say, “I’ll let that slide.”
“Then I’ll go grab it first, okay?”
“Sure…”
Klai tried not to look away from Panli’s gaze. He followed the tall figure as he walked away. Only when he saw Panli reach the water dispenser where everyone was gathered did Klai slump his face onto the table, enduring the song that was driving him crazy with embarrassment.
Let my heart be refreshed, as I wait and wait for you to turn and look at me.
Ughhh…
Isn’t this song over yet?
This time, there’s no noise to interrupt…
…because just now, I saw you whining with your friend.
Here’s the interruption.
His head swayed back and forth on the table as he mumbled softly,
“It’s because of that Moon that I’ve turned into a whiny mess.”
“What~? Just because he’s not here with you, you’re so upset you’re face-planting on the table?”
Klai let out a quiet sigh before lifting his head to look at his three friends who had just returned to their original seats at the table. “Right now, I don’t even know what to say… My face feels like it’s burning,
Pie.”
“If your ears get any redder,” Kant said, laughing, “they’ll be the same color as a tomato.”
“It’s over, Klaijai…” Pie said, shaking her head lightly as if in despair.
“Panli definitely saw your red ears just now.”
“Then just say your ears are red because it’s hot… Make something up!” Kant suggested.
Klai shook his head in refusal. “No way. I’d get called out for being a bad liar and told to go back to school.”
“Haha, you think Panli would call you out like that? From what I’ve seen, he was chatting with you. He wouldn’t tease you.”
“…”
“I think Panli’s more likely to pretend to believe the shy guy,” Pie chimed in, as if she’d noticed Panli giving him that kind of look earlier.
A look that seemed to say, “Fine, I’ll play along.”
“He probably is just pretending to believe me,” Klai said, lowering his eyes to the glass Pie handed him. “I got you a mixed fruit juice.”
“Mhm, thanks, Pie.”
His slender hand took the glass of fruit juice from his friend, and he bit the straw, sipping the tangy-sweet drink while craning his neck to look at the tall figure who had made him so flustered he’d lost all composure.
Since the water dispenser wasn’t far from their table, Klai could see Panli clearly as he stood talking to Phii Dom. He was smiling and laughing with his older brother as usual, but the smile on his face began to fade.
What are they talking about?
Why has the moon’s smile disappeared…
Klai quickly averted his gaze from the two when he saw Phii Babe walking back to the table. He set down his glass of water and flashed a smile at his brother’s girlfriend as she sat down beside him.
“I’ll sit here for now, okay? Dom hasn’t come back yet, busy talking about who-knows-what with Panli.”
“No problem, Phii Babe. You can sit next to me… That way you won’t have to get up again.”
Phii Babe smiled at him before turning to take the tray of food that the staff started bringing over. As one of the staff reached to turn on the grill in front of him, Klai stole another glance at his moon.
He furrowed his brows slightly when he saw Phii Dom walking back with two glasses of water. Klai guessed the other glass must be for Panli. His almond-shaped eyes followed his moon, who was talking to a staff member and pointing toward the table. Klai quickly lowered his gaze to the grill.
When Panli pointed at the table… he turned to look too.
But Panli probably didn’t notice him watching, right?
Yeah, he didn’t see.
Calm down, Klaijai. Don’t get too excited, or he’ll figure out that…
“Secret Crush.”
Klai’s eyes widened when he heard those words, and he turned to look at the person beside him. Phii Dom, who had somehow switched places with Phii Babe, was smiling at him. Klai swallowed hard and gave his brother a dry smile.
“The song Secret Crush, right, Dom?” Phii Babe, now back in her original seat, spoke up.
“Yeah, the song I sent you when we first started dating.”
“You don’t have to look at me like that… I’m not embarrassed.”
The smaller guy let out a breath when he realized Phii Dom hadn’t caught on that he had a crush on Panli. He was just talking about the song Secret Crush with his girlfriend.
Klai shook his head lightly before scanning the room for his moon again. It was then that he saw the tall figure walking out of the restaurant. Klai thought Panli wouldn’t leave early since Phii Dom had already placed a glass of iced tea at his seat.
“Where’s Panli going?”
And Phii Babe helped ask Phii Dom for him.
“Oh… Li said Rak has been gone for a while, so he went to check.”
Phii Dom’s answer eased his worries, and Klai turned his attention back to the sizzling grill, its heat brushing against his skin.
“Klai… your two trays of shrimp have arrived.”
“Pie, bring them here… today I’ll grill and peel the shrimp for you to eat.”
“No need, Kant. I can do it myself.”
“Host… just stay put, don’t be stubborn.” Kant gave him a stern look before taking the shrimp tray and pouring it onto his own grill.
“Then Klai, take the sliced pork instead. I ordered extra.”
“Thanks, Pie.”
Klai, holding the tray of sliced pork, glanced at the grills on either side. The grill to the right belonged to Phii Dom and Phii Babe, and soon Phii Fah and his sweetheart would probably join them. The grill to the left was for Kant, Mai, and Pie.
As for the grill in front of him…
It was probably for…
“That tray of shrimp… it’s mine.”
Klai and Panli
🙂
Klai looked at the tall figure, who had appeared out of nowhere, plopping down on the long chair and sliding back to his usual spot. He took a white tray filled with a large amount of shrimp from the staff. Klai guessed that Panli had gone to talk to the staff and pointed back at the table, likely ordering them to bring an extra tray of shrimp.
Nice…
Panli likes shrimp too.
“Whoa, you gonna eat all that, Panli?” Phii Babe asked the person who was placing a large shrimp on the grill.
At that moment, Moon looked up at him with a calm gaze before lowering his eyes to the grill in front of him. Klai started to worry because Panli usually had a smile on his face all the time.
Did he accidentally do something to upset Panli?
He must’ve been staring at Panli too much.
His heart trembled with anxiety, but just for a moment, that little heart began to beat faster and stronger as he saw Moon flash a subtle smile while grilling the large shrimp.
“From the looks of it… I don’t think you’ll finish it,” someone said.
“Share some with me? It’d be a shame to waste it.”
“Don’t mess with the kid’s food. Come steal my pork instead.”
“I’m not trying to steal from him. It’s just a lot, and I’m worried it’ll go to waste and we’ll get fined.”
“You won’t get fined, trust me.”
Klai picked up his chopsticks and slowly placed a slice of pork from the tray onto the grill, but he only set the bright red meat on the edge of the grill. He didn’t want to encroach on the shrimp army’s territory. He stole a glance at the person across from him, who was putting a large orange shrimp on their plate.
Klai tried to tear his eyes away from Moon, but it was incredibly difficult. Perhaps it was because he didn’t know when he’d have the chance to be with Panli again. He wanted to look at him as much as possible to etch Panli’s image into his memory.
“Klai…” Moon said, eyes fixed on the shrimp on the grill. Klai froze, unintentionally holding his breath for a moment, before the other person placed a slice of pork on his plate. “It’s going to burn… you should take it off the grill now.”
So, Panli was just saying, “It’s burning.”
Not calling his name at all… Breathe, Klai.
Klai nodded, looking at the cooked pork on his plate. He pressed his lips together to suppress a smile, but holding back that smile was incredibly hard. Right then, he wanted to thank Panli for teaching him that holding back tears wasn’t any harder than holding back a smile.
He placed another slice of pork on the grill as the last shrimp remained. But Klai still kept his pork on the edge of the grill, as before. However, Moon used his chopsticks to move Klai’s pork to the center, right next to the large shrimp lying still in the middle of the grill.
Panli looked up, meeting his eyes, and said, “Don’t put it on the edge… it won’t cook properly.”
“Uh, okay,” Klai replied softly, nodding. He mentally scolded himself for not responding politely. He should’ve said, “Yes,” but instead, he said, “Okay.” All he could do was hope Moon would forgive a secretly smitten guy like him who didn’t know how to act.
Klai was truly excited, Sasin.
Saying the wrong thing, responding incorrectly… he was messing up everything.
“Hey, you’re all here already?”
The small figure looked up from his plate and turned to the last guest arriving at his birthday party. Klai raised his hands to greet Phii Fah, who stood at the head of the table with Rak.
“Hello, Phii Fah.”
“Hey… sorry I’m late.”
“It’s okay. I’m just grateful you came, Phii Fah.”
“Go get some drink first, Fah… I didn’t grab any because I wasn’t sure what you’d like.”
“Alright, I’ll get it myself.”
Rak had barely sat down on the long bench for a minute before standing up again. “I’ll go get drinks with Phii Fah,” they said. “I’ll also refill my lychee drink.”
Rak was the first—and only—one to head straight to the drink dispenser for a glass of lychee juice as soon as they arrived. Klai watched as Phii Fah nodded to Rak, and they walked together to the drink station.
Klai says… these two are definitely falling in love with each other.
Because Theerak seems attached to Phii Fah, and Phii Fah seems attached to Theerak.
“
“Klai…” The owner of the name turns to the voice calling him. Kant holds up a plate of large, cooked shrimp for him to see, then says, “They’re all cooked, but I’ll wait for them to cool down a bit before peeling them for you.”
Klai smiles widely and nods in acknowledgment. “Thanks, Kant.”
However, the sound of shrimp shells being peeled, crackling loudly, catches his attention no less. Klai looks at Moon, who is diligently peeling shrimp. The white steam rising from the white-orange flesh indicates that the large shrimp are still releasing heat after being peeled. And the slightly red tip of Sasin’s index finger confirms that the shrimp are indeed still hot.
I guess Sasin really wants to eat shrimp… to peel them even though they’re still hot.
“Li! Are you eating that many shrimp?”
Theerak, who just arrived at the table after getting drinks with Phii Fah, asks with wide eyes, seemingly surprised at the large number of peeled shrimps on his friend’s plate.
“Don’t overdo it, chubby cheeks… it’s just a little bit.”
“Don’t be so greedy, come on, have some respect for Klai. He went out of his way to treat us. Peel some for the birthday boy… and share with his friends too…”
Hearing Rak say that, Klai wanted to tell them there was no need for Panli to peel shrimp for him. Not because he was afraid he’d be too shy to hide his feelings, or because he didn’t want to eat shrimp peeled by Panli himself.
But because… Klai didn’t want to thank the moon any more than he already had.
He was already so fond of Moon.
“You mean share with you too, right?”
“Yeah…”
Moon shook his head, glancing at the chubby-cheeked one laughing.
“Seriously, chubby cheeks.”
Klai watched the lively atmosphere of his birthday party, filled with smiles and laughter. He felt this year’s celebration was true happiness, and he wanted to give that joy back to everyone wholeheartedly, as a birthday boy should.
“Eat up, guys. If anyone wants more seafood, go for it. We’ve already set the seafood budget… it’s no extra cost.”
Let everyone eat to their heart’s content without worrying about him.
“Klai, you are so generous.”
Klai smiled at the chubby-cheeked one who praised him. But at that moment, he felt something being held out in front of him. He shifted his gaze from Rak to Moon instead. Klai stared at the large plate of shrimp Panli was offering.
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
“A… birthday gift.”
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
He understood. If that person didn’t affect his heart, Klai believed his heart wouldn’t clamor needlessly, nor would it pound so loudly as if it wanted the world to know something.
But in reality…
Panli probably didn’t affect his heart.
“Earlier, I asked Phii Dom what Klai likes so I could get a belated gift, but Phii Dom said Klai loves shrimp. So, I’ll peel shrimp as a birthday gift for now… You’re turning twenty today, right?”
Because Panli is the moon…
The most influential force in Klai’s universe.
“Uh, yeah.”
“There are twenty shrimp on the plate, one for each year. Happy birthday, and nice to meet you.”
“Thank you so much, and nice to meet you too.”
“You’re welcome.”
When Klai took the plate of shrimp, he felt guilty for not being able to find better words to thank Moon, despite how much the gesture touched him. Looking back, his words as someone with a crush were so curt. Klai should’ve added a “krub” at the end of his sentence. But he understood he was so shocked at the time that he wasn’t thinking clearly. If Klai got the chance to be close to Panli again, next time he’d try to say more and make Panli feel impressed by him too.
Klai looked at the twenty shrimp on the plate and couldn’t help but smile before picking up a large shrimp with his chopsticks and putting it in his mouth. While chewing the sweet shrimp, he stole a glance at Panli, who had started wiping his hands with a tissue.
Klai thought…
Panli’s birthday gift and way of introducing himself made the phrase “so much” multiply exponentially.
Klai had once said… he didn’t want to thank Moon any more than he already had. But now…
Klai likes Panli more than “so much” already.
🙂
Leave a Reply