MYMOON, Chapter 27:
KLAIJAI
Klai turned to look at the tall figure in a bathrobe. He had just returned to the bedroom after grabbing a new shirt for him. Klai obediently put on the shirt he handed him. He smiled with satisfaction as he buttoned it up for me.
“All done!”
“Thank you!”
Klai replied, then flopped onto the soft bed. Not long after, he, now fully dressed, joined him on the bed. Klai lay down beside him, and they faced each other. He propped his head up slightly with one arm, while Klai pressed his hands together and tucked them under my cheek, as if they were a pillow.
They smiled and gazed into each other’s eyes for several minutes without a word. His large hand gently caressed his cheek, his thumb brushing against his lips.
“There’s something else I want to confess…”
“Hm? What else does the puppy want to confess?”
“…”
“Do you have a sidekick or something?”
The questioned man burst out laughing before saying, “When would I even have time for someone else?”
“…”
“Even if I had the time, I wouldn’t have anyone else… because Klai is more than enough.”
Panli probably doesn’t realize…
His words, his gaze, his smile…
They’re what make Klai so possessive.
“So, what does the puppy want to confess?”
“That day when Klai was sick, and I carried you to sleep in this room…”
“…”
“I secretly kissed you while you were asleep…” he said, biting his lip before continuing, “…three times.”
Klai froze, then furrowed his brows. “Where?”
“Your lips, your forehead, and your lips again.”
Not wanting to be outdone, Klai leaned in and kissed Panli’s lips, then moved up to kiss his forehead, before returning to his lips for one final kiss.
“We’re even now.”
Panli grinned faintly before saying, “You can take more if you want…
I’ll let you.”
“No way~ I’m not falling for your tricks anymore.”
“Klai… can you tone down the cuteness a bit?”
Klai laughed before saying, “That’s a problem for the one looking. It’s got nothing to do with me. I’m just acting normal.”
“Wait… you’re gonna get more than you bargained for.”
“Puppy… don’t…” Klai protested as the big puppy slipped his hand under his shirt and squeezed his hips. He laughed before pulling his hand back.
“Klai…”
“Yes?”
“Can we stay like this… stay together for a long, long time?”
“…”
“I’m begging you…”
Klai doesn’t know how Panli’s words might affect others, but for someone like him, who’s been waiting for someone to walk through life with, they made his chest feel tight with emotion.
He gave him a smile and nodded. “You don’t need to beg.”
“…”
“I will stay with Panli like this, together for a long, long time.”
“I love you…”
“…”
“Love you so damn much.”
“Is this what you meant by saying ‘I love you’ all night?” Klai said, laughing.
“Exactly… I’m just getting started. you will hear this word all night long.”
“I’ll count how many times you say ‘love’ while I’m trying to sleep.”
Panli smiled. “…”
“Panli… there’s something else you should know.” “What’s that?”
“I usually sleep on my left side.”
“So that means you will have to sleep with your back to me?”
“Mhm…”
“That’s bad… I want to sleep looking at your face.”
“Want to try it first? It might not be as bad as you think.”
As soon as Klai finished speaking, he turned onto his side. In a split second, he hugged Klai from behind, his strong arm pulling Klai’s waist close. His back pressed snugly against his chest. Klai placed his arm over his thick one, tracing his fingertips along the back of his hand until their five fingers intertwined.
“Not bad at all.”
Klai laughed softly as he whispered. His damp heat lightly brushed the back of Klai’s neck before his sharp nose began nuzzling Klai’s cheek.
“Don’t sniff too much… you’ll get bored quickly.”
Panli chuckled softly by Klai’s ear, then said, “With someone this cute, getting bored would be a crime.”
Knowing it was pointless to stop him, Klai let the big puppy have his fill. “Go ahead, puppy, sniff all you want.”
“I do want to ‘go ahead,’” he teased, “but you aren’t ready yet.”
“Puppy! I didn’t mean it like that!”
Panli laughed heartily, his sharp nose still buried in the crook of Klai’s neck. “My friends are gonna be so jealous… they don’t have a sweetheart as cute as this.”
Klai smiled faintly, then said, “Others probably already guess we’re together.”
“At this point, they don’t need to guess,” he replied. “My friends think we’ve been together for ages.”
“Really, puppy?” Klai wanted to turn and look at him, but he wouldn’t pull his nose away from Klai’s neck.
“Yup. Besides my friends, Phii Dom knows too.”
“Kant as well… but lately, Klai hasn’t talked much with Kant since we’ve both been busy.”
“Kant knows. Phii Dom keeps him updated.”
“Working as a team, huh?” Klai said with a laugh, silently thanking everyone in his heart for bringing them together.
“Even people we’re not close to probably know, since I’m with KhunKlai all the time. If they don’t, that’s just ridiculous.”
“Phii Fah probably knows too, right?”
“Probably, but he doesn’t ask or meddle. He’s waiting for me to say it myself…” Panli pressed a kiss to Klai’s cheek, then continued, “But I haven’t told Phii Fah yet that I’m your sweetheart. I’m afraid he’ll tease me for being slow—chasing for so long and still just a sweetheart. Once I get promoted to boyfriend, I’ll tell Phii Fah right at his restaurant.”
Klai laughed, then said, “Hold on… I will give you a grand promotion soon.”
“I can wait,” he said.
“…”
“…But if there’s one person who doesn’t know we’re really together… it’s probably that Chubby-Cheeks.”
“…”
“He’s probably curious, but he doesn’t ask because he’s waiting for me to tell him myself.”
“…”
“I’ll wait to tell it along with Phii Fah.”
“Theerak is adorable, both in looks and personality.”
“Yeah, just like KhunKlai.”
Being praised, all Klai could do was lie there with a shy smile. He never got used to hearing Panli’s compliments. His thick arm wrapped around Klai’s waist, pulling him closer to his broad chest. His sharp nose nuzzled into Klai’s hair, and they both fell silent, letting themselves listen to the sound of their hearts beating in sync.
It felt like Klai was dreaming when he heard all the stories from Panli. And now, with him holding Klai like this, he felt even more like he hadn’t woken up from a long, beautiful dream. He couldn’t believe any of this was real.
Of course… Klai always hoped to reach the moon.
But he never thought he’d come this far.
So it’s no surprise Klai found it hard to believe…
Yet the warm embrace he received… reminded him that everything was real.
Klai wasn’t dreaming… and he had truly reached the moon.
“What are you thinking about?” Panli asked softly.
Klai smiled before answering honestly, “I’m thinking that I must be dreaming… I never thought we’d love each other like this.”
“If this is really a dream…” Panli said, his words contrasting with
Klai’s thoughts, “it’d be a nightmare for me.”
Klai furrowed his brows slightly at his words, which went against his own thoughts.
“Because if I woke up and none of this was real… my heart would be shattered, completely broken inside.”
“…”
“But luckily, it’s not a nightmare. I have you in my real life. I’m so, so lucky,” Panli said, nuzzling Klai’s cheek repeatedly.
“I am lucky to have Panli in my life too.”
Klai spoke softly, their hands still tightly intertwined. He pursed his lips, thinking… it wasn’t just him who felt lucky. Panli felt the same way.
This must be the unbelievable thing that happened in their lives.
Who would’ve thought… that the person they love Could love them as much as they love them.
Or maybe…
“Klai… I love you.”
Maybe even more than that.
“I love you too, Sasin.”
[Group: AL, 123]
Rain: Students, the morning class today is canceled.
Rain: The professor is sick.
Rain: The professor will inform you about the makeup class later.
Ppie: Noted, Professor Rain.
Oat: Got it, teach!
glaijai: Get well soon, Professor!
MaMay: Get well soon, Professor Rain!
Rain: Thank you, ka.
After replying to the professor in the group chat, Klai exited the LINE app to call someone. He made a point to wake up extra early for both of them, besides waking up early for class. But since the professor canceled the morning class, he could talk to both without rushing.
Klai stood on the balcony, waiting for someone to pick up. He glanced back into the bedroom during that time. The tall figure sleeping soundly on the bed made him smile unconsciously.
[What’s up?]
“Phii Dom, are you free to talk right now?”
[Free, free. I can talk.]
Klai turned back toward the bedroom, leaning his hip against the balcony railing while looking at his “heart’s companion” before saying, “Phii Dom… I have found someone special now.”
[That Sua, right?]
“No, not that…”
[…]
“Not a tiger (Sua)… but a puppy.”
[Hah, figures!]
“…” Klai smiles when he hears his brother’s joyful laughter.
[Klai……..]
“Yes, Phii Dom.”
[I’m happy for you…]
“…”
[From now on, be as happy as you can.]
“…”
[I’ll keep watching over you from afar, like this.]
“…”
[…And no matter what happens, I’ll always be by Klai’s side.]
It’s at this moment that Klai feels a sting at the tip of his nose. He presses his lips tightly together before saying, “Thank you, Phii Dom.”
[…]
“Thank you for everything.”
[…]
“If it weren’t for you, Phii Dom… I wouldn’t have fallen in love with Panli.”
[…]
“It’s because of you and Kant that I got to love Panli.”
The other end of the line falls silent for a moment. Klai listens to Phii Dom’s breathing before he speaks again…
[…So, Panli told you everything, huh?]
“Yes, Panli just told me the whole story last night.”
[Oh… so it was just last night.]
“…”]
[No wonder he hasn’t called to report to me yet.]
Klai chuckles softly before asking, “Does Panli usually call to report to Phii Dom all the time?”
[If there’s some progress, Panli would call and tell me about it.
Like when Klai confessed at the beach, Panli called to tell me.]
“…”
[…And then I’d call Kant to tell him, and that guy’s always been cheering for Klai.]
When Klai heard this sentence from Phii Dom, the message from Kant that he once sent via LINE, “So happy, really, man,” popped back into his head. He had known about it all along and was always rooting for Klai. Both of them made him feel even luckier.
“After I hang up with Phii Dom, I will call Kant.”
[Okay, then I probably don’t need to call and tell Kant about this, since you will probably tell him himself.]
“Yes…” Klai pursed his lips slightly before continuing, “Phii Dom… can you help me with something?”
[Sure, what does you want me to help with?]
“Last night, I promoted Panli to be my closest person, but I haven’t promoted him to be my boyfriend yet.”
[…]
“Because I want to promote him to boyfriend in a special, really special way.”
[…]
“So, I’d like to consult with Phii Dom about how to make it special.”
[…]
“Maybe even make him so shy he’s completely flustered.”
The other end of the line let out a soft laugh before saying…
[If you want to make him so shy he loses it, I think it’s not enough to just say you’re promoting him to boyfriend.]
“…”
[But you have to ask Panli to be your boyfriend yourself.]
Klai couldn’t help but smile when he heard Phii Dom’s words. He had thought he’d just throw a New Year’s party and invite Panli’s friends, then announce his promotion to boyfriend. But he felt that doing just that wouldn’t match all of Panli’s efforts. So, he wanted to seek advice from someone with experience first.
And Phii Dom’s suggestion painted a picture in Klai’s mind, which already made him feel shy on Panli’s behalf. Because he thought he’d be super embarrassed saying, “Panli… let’s be boyfriends,” in front of his friends.
“I think this method will work.”
[Then it’s all good… Does you have class today?]
“Yes, I have class at noon.”
[What time do you finish?]
“Two in the afternoon.”
[Shall we meet at the coffee shop? … So we can plan it out.]
“Alright, Phii Dom, see you at 2:30 PM then.”
[Okay… see you then.]
“Cool.”
After hanging up with Phii Dom, Klai immediately called his close friend. It didn’t take long for Kant to pick up. [What’s up, dude?]
“Kant, you got morning classes today? You’re up early.”
Klai asked, hearing his lively voice on the other end. He half-expected to hear a groggy voice instead, since Kant wouldn’t normally be awake at this hour.
[Yeah, I’ve got a makeup class this morning.]
“Oh…”
[By the way, what’s up with you? Calling me so early.]
Klai pursed his lips slightly before saying, “I’m calling to share some good news.”
[You’re dating Panli, aren’t you?]
“Uh… yeah, we’re together now. Just waiting to level up to official boyfriend status.”
[Damn, that’s faster than I thought!]
“…”
[All that cheering you on paid off.]
“Kant…”
[What?]
“Thank you so, so much… Thanks for the love, the concern, the support.”
[…]
“Thanks for everything.”
[…]
“If it weren’t for you, Kant… and Phii Dom, I wouldn’t be with Panli.”
[Dude, you already know?]
“Yeah… Panli told me everything.”
[I mean, I didn’t mean to spill…]
“It’s okay, we understand… Don’t overthink it.”
[…]
“Not at all, because we understand Kant’s intentions.”
[…]
“No matter what, we’ll always be friends with Theerak and always wish each other well… That will never change.”
[I love you, Klai.]
“I love Kant too.”
[From now on, I hope you’re super happy and stay in love with
Panli for a long time, okay?]
“Thanks, Kant.”
[Damn it… the bus showed up right when we were having a deep
talk.]
Klai laughed when he heard that. The sound of the bus coming through the phone let him know Kant had to go.
[Yo, yo, I gotta catch the bus first. We’ll talk later, okay, Klai?]
“Alright, safe travels, Kant.”
[All good, thanks a lot!]
After hanging up with his close friend, Klai walked back to the bedroom and sat down next to the tall figure still deep in sleep. He, lying on his back, shifted slightly before turning to his side toward Klai. His closed eyelids slowly fluttered open bit by bit. Blinking rapidly as if adjusting his vision, he looked up at Klai and spoke in a hoarse voice…
“What time is it?”
“Just seven.”
“Why hasn’t KhunKlai showered yet?… You’ll be late for class,” he said, raising one hand to rub his face.
“The professor just messaged to cancel class earlier. Today, I have class at noon, same as you, Panli.”
“Oh…”
Last night, Klai stayed up talking about everything with him until late. He doesn’t even know who fell asleep first, but good thing he set an alarm, or Klai would’ve woken up even later than Panli for sure.
“You can sleep more if you want… No need to rush to drop me off.”
“…”
“I will come wake you up around ten,”
Panli casually brushes the hair from his forehead while lying down, then scoots closer to Klai, wrapping both arms around his waist. That handsome face Klai loves to look at nuzzles into his lap, all clingy and sweet.
“And what about you?… Wanna keep sleeping together?” he asks.
Klai flashes a faint smile before running his hand through Panli’s golden blonde hair. “This one’s not sleeping WAV anymore… because he’s about to go make breakfast for the puppy.”
“Damn, I’m so happy… having someone make breakfast for me,”
“Don’t you usually have the nanny make food for you at home, puppy?” Klai teases.
“Food from the nanny and food from my wife… how could they ever be the same?” he retorts.
“Not yet…”
“I know, I know… you aren’t fully my wife yet, but can’t I just say it first?” he pleads, looking up at Klai with those adorable, coaxing eyes.
Klai glances at the guy staring up at him, all needy-like. “If you don’t get up soon…”
Before he can finish, Panli bursts out laughing. It’s not that Klai minds him calling him that, but the word “wife” makes him so shy he wants to hide and catch his breath.
“Not only is he fierce… my wife’s actually pretty funny too,” he teases.
Klai shakes his head, holding back a smile as Panli pokes fun at him. “Let go, puppy. I’m gonna make breakfast.”
The big puppy finally releases Klai obediently, lying on his back and turning to face him. His long, slightly puffy eyes from just waking up make Klai feel all soft inside, so he leans down and plants a kiss. His eyelids slowly close as his lips draw closer.
Kiss…
The guy, who just opened his eyes after Klai pulled back, lets out a quiet sigh before saying, “So early… making my heart race this early.”
“…”
“If you kiss me again… I might skip breakfast and eat you instead,” he teases.
Klai laughs softly before replying, “Then I guess you’re just getting breakfast, cause you are not kissing again.”
“Not even a little tempted to test me?” he challenges.
“…”
“Like… give it another kiss, see if I’m serious or not.”
“I know you’re serious, so I’m not taking the risk,” he shoots back.
Panli laughs loudly before saying, “My little troublemaker’s gotten so clever… not falling for it anymore.”
“I told you… I’m not falling for your tricks.”
Klai quickly jumped out of bed when the gentle puppy-like gaze of that guy turned into the sly, cunning look of a wolf, biting his lip as if he was itching with mischief while staring at him.
“Damn, so tempting…”
“If I stay any longer, I’ll definitely get pounced on by puppy. Better leave first,” he said.
After saying that, Klai strode out of the bedroom and headed straight for the fridge. His sharp eyes scanned the contents of the fridge for a moment, thinking of a breakfast menu for his confidant. Soon, he pulled out eggs and bacon. He placed everything on the counter, bent down to grab a frying pan, and set it on the electric stove before turning to put bread in the toaster.
If Klai has enough time in the morning, he usually cooks breakfast himself. That’s why his fridge is always stocked with frozen food and ingredients for cooking. But lately, he’s barely had time to make breakfast.
It didn’t take long for Klai to whip up a simple yet filling breakfast. On two white ceramic plates were sunny-side-up eggs, fried bacon, and toast. He carried both plates to the small dining table that seats two.
At that moment, a tall figure walked out with a towel draped over his shoulders. He was still in his pajamas, which told Klai he’d only gotten up to wash his face and brush his teeth, just like him.
Panli plopped down on the chair across from Klai. He slid a plate of food in front of Panli and asked, “Panli, milk or juice?”
“Does my naughty boy have coffee?”
“Coffee…” Klai furrowed his brow, thinking, then walked back to the kitchen and opened the cupboard to search for the coffee Phii Jeab had bought for him a while back. Spotting the coffee jar, he called out to
Panli, “Got it. Coffee it is for you, right?”
“Yup!”
“Sugar?”
“No need for anything.”
“It’s gonna be bitter, you know.”
Panli let out a soft laugh, casually brushing back the hair falling over his forehead. He usually styles his hair to keep his forehead clear, so Klai figured he must find it annoying when his golden blonde locks fall into his face.
“Not bitter at all. Just bring it as is, KhunKlai.”
“Alright…”
Klai carried a ceramic mug with steam rising from the brim and handed it to Panli. He took the white ceramic mug and set it on the table, then reached out with one arm to pull Klai closer. Looking up at him, he said…
“Thanks.”
Klai nodded and asked, “What does you usually have first, coffee or breakfast? So I can prepare it for you next time.”
“If we’re being real…”
“…”
“Normally, when I wake up, I’d light a cigarette first thing…”
“…”
“Then I’d have coffee before eating breakfast.”
A strong arm pulled Klai by the waist, drawing him closer to Panli— so close that he lost his balance and fell onto his sturdy lap. As soon as Klai settled on Panli’s lap, he wrapped his other arm around Klai’s waist. The big puppy wrinkled his nose at Klai and gave him a quick peck on the lips.
“But when I’m with KhunKlai, I don’t smoke…”
“Good boy…” Klai said, raising his index finger in a mock warning. “Because if you light up a cigarette first thing in the morning, I’ll deal with you myself.”
Panli burst out laughing, pressing his cheek against Klai’s arm before saying, “This guy’s the best at being strict.”
“…”
“My old man used to tell me… if you want to do well, you need a fierce wife.”
Klai tried to keep a stern face, but he couldn’t help smiling when he saw Panli’s delighted expression. “I’m not banning you from smoking, you know. If you want to quit, you’ll quit on your own.”
“…”
“But I just don’t want you smoking right after waking up.”
“…”
“Got it?”
“Got it… I’ll try to cut back, okay?”
Klai nuzzled his nose into the big puppy’s head as a reward. “Just thinking about trying is already awesome, you good boy.”
“Can I get another kiss for being awesome?”
Bzzz~
Right then, a buzzing sound interrupted them. His brows furrowed in annoyance. Klai let out a soft chuckle, stood up to his full height, and walked over to plop down on the chair across from him. He fished his phone out of his pocket, letting out an irritated sigh when he saw something on the screen.
“No one… no one interrupts like Phii Pi does.” “…”
“Yeah… Phii Pi’s calling to ruin my moment.”
Klai stifled a laugh as he watched Panli talk to the caller with obvious frustration, then started digging into the breakfast in front of him. “…”
“Interrupting my time with my little troublemaker, that’s what.”
“…”
“I’m at Khun Klai’s condo…
“…”
“And why can’t I sleep over at my wife’s condo.”
“…”
“Condo…”
The fork and spoon about to deliver bacon to Klai’s mouth froze, and suddenly he choked on something, grabbing the glass of milk to chug it down. The tall figure talking on the phone looked at him with concern.
“Cough, cough.”
“Want some water?… I’ll get it for you,” he asked, phone still pressed to his ear.
“No, no, I’m fine… Panli, keep talking to Phii Pi,” Klai said, lowering his head to continue eating.
“People without wives are like this, you know, sleeping all lonely by themselves,” Panli said with a laugh.
“…”
“My lens is broken…
“…”
“But I’ll borrow one from Phii Fah later… What time does you need it?”
“…”
“KhunKlai, darling… You finish class at two today, right?”
Klai looked up at Panli when he asked, then thought over my schedule. Today, he had a meeting to plan with Phii Dom after class, so he couldn’t tell him the truth.
“Uh… Today, I have to wrap up some work with friends after class. It might take until evening.”
“Oh… That works out perfectly then.
“…”
“Phii Pi… I’ll swing by to drop off the camera lens at F’s studio.” “…”
“Okay, sounds good.”
Klai looked up at Panli, who had just hung up with Phii Pi, he placed his black phone next to his plate and then shifted his gaze to Klai.
“KhunKlai, after class, I will stop by home to grab the camera lens and then head to a friend’s studio for a bit, okay?”
“…”
“By the way, Phii Pi is shooting a new collection and needs a camera lens.”
“…”
“If you finish work, just let me know, and I’ll ride my motorbike to pick you up.”
“Panli finishes class at one in the afternoon, right?”
“Yup.”
“Then you can just go straight to work… no need to come back to pick up me.”
“…”
“I can take a taxi back himself.”
“I won’t be at my friend’s studio for long. I was just gonna drop off the lens and head back, but when I saw that you had to keep working, I thought I’d hang out at the studio and wait for you.”
“Oh…” Klai nods in understanding before adding, “In that case, it’s better if we take my car.”
“…”
“Since you have to go to a few places, driving a car would probably be safer.”
“Okay,” he agrees.
Klai smiles in response, then lowers his head to continue eating breakfast. “…”
“Klai…”
The sound of his voice pulls Klai’s attention from the plate in front of him. He looks up at Panli and says, “Yes?”
“Can I stay over here until Phii Fah comes back?”
Klai can’t help but smile at his question, gazing at the pleading eyes of the big puppy. “Didn’t I already give you the keycard?”
“…”
“The puppy can stay as long as he wants.”
“…”
“Because I have already allowed you.”
Klai breaks into a smile when he sees Panli flash a bright grin…
Panli’s smile is brighter than anything else. And because he shines so brilliantly like this,
Panli is the light in Klai’s life…
PANLI
A luxurious white car pulled up and parked in front of the photo studio. Once the engine was completely turned off, a tall figure with golden blonde hair stepped out of the car.
Panli leaned in to grab his camera bag before closing the car door. He strode into the photo studio owned by his close friend, one of the partners of Once in a Blue Moon.
As soon as the tall figure stepped into the spacious room on the first floor of the studio, a strikingly beautiful woman dressed in a sexy outfit hurried up from the counter to greet him. Panli vaguely recognized her, as she was the trusted secretary of that guy, Eff.
“Hello, Li.”
“Hey. Is everyone upstairs?” Panli asked, glancing up at the mezzanine floor. The music drifting down to the lower level made it easy for him to guess.
“Yes… Let me take you up.”
“No need. I can go up myself.”
Panli spoke in a calm, steady tone before heading toward the stairs. The music grew clearer as he climbed the metal steps… clear enough for him to recognize it as How Long by Charlie Puth.
“Could you turn a bit more to the left?”
“Is this enough?”
“That’s perfect!”
The tall figure, who had just reached the second floor, raised an eyebrow when he saw his close friend photographing a beautiful model. Panli walked over to a worktable set a fair distance from the backdrop.
“Yo, you’re here?”
“Mhm…” he replied, handing the camera bag to his senior.
“This model is stunning, man.”
“Yeah, she’s gorgeous.”
“Li, she knows you, dude!”
“Yeah, Eff said she took this job because of you.”
Panli let out a heavy sigh as he stood listening to the excited chatter of his three friends. His eyes flicked toward the photographer, who was talking to the slender model. Eff was using a soft, sweet tone with her, typical of his flirtatious nature.
“Always dragging my name into it, that jerk…”
“Haha!”
Phii Pi laughed heartily before sliding a chair over to him. Panli plopped down, glancing at the friends around the table. He figured the reason so many of them were gathered here, even those who weren’t partners in the studio, was because Eff was throwing a party after work.
They always throw a party whenever the brand Once in a Blue Moon launches a new collection, and Panli has never missed a single one. But this time, he’ll have to say goodbye because he’s got someone special now.
Back when Panli didn’t have a serious partner, he thought there was nothing wrong with attending parties filled with beautiful, model-like women. Chatting with them as they came by to say hi while he sipped his drink? No harm in that either.
But now…
No way…
Absolutely not…
Because he has Klaijai now.
“Last shirt, here we go!”
“Alright…”
Panli tore his eyes away from the goofy-looking photographer, Eff, and glanced at the model wearing the new Once in a Blue Moon collection. She locked eyes with him for a moment before flashing a smile…
You’re dead, Panli…
Not because of this woman’s smile.
She has zero effect on his heart.
But if Klaijai finds out…
Your wife’s gonna kill you, man.
The guy who proudly admits he’s whipped turned his face away from the model, swallowing hard and wiping the sweat beading on his forehead.
“Does your little troublemaker get jealous?” Phii Pi asked.
“Hella jealous,” Panli answered honestly. He thought Klaijai was super possessive, especially after that moment when Klaijai said, “Does my puppy have a side chick?” He could feel the intimidating aura radiating from him.
“Your troublemaker is Klaijai, your boyfriend, right?”
One of the friends, who wasn’t a partner in the shop, piped up. Panli figured Phii Pi had already spread the news about him dating Klaijai to this group. Even though Panli had tons of friends and multiple circles, the fact that he was with Klaijai had spread like wildfire through all of them.
Damn, he’s picky as hell…
“Yeah…”
“Whose white Audi is that?”
“…”
“The owner’s got killer taste, man. That car’s modded so nice…”
“Let me see…” Om said before standing up and walking to the large mirror, leaning forward to look down below. “Damn… that car’s modded nice, for real.”
“…”
“Didn’t go overboard with the mods… simple, but looks good.”
“That’s my wife right there.”
“Fucking hell… if you’re gonna hype him up like that, just show us a pic of your wife already,” one of the guys in the group piped up.
Panli didn’t back down from the challenge. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, unlocked the screen with a tap to show the wallpaper, and tossed the black phone onto the table.
The sight of several friends scrambling for his phone reminded him of a school of catfish fighting over bread crumbs. Panli glanced at Phii Pi, who raised an eyebrow at him. Among this group of friends, no one had ever seen Klaijai before—except for Phii Pi.
Panli smirked, thinking how lucky he was that he’d asked Klaijai to take a photo together last night. Now, his phone’s wallpaper was a picture of “the two of them kissing.”
“Fuck… so cute?”
“Yeah… a guy with an adorable face.”
“You are done looking, you bastard… I’m jealous.”
Panli turned toward the sound coming from the metal staircase. He only heard the voice, not yet seeing the person’s face. Still, he could guess who the hoarse, gruff voice belonged to.
Ohm…
“Yo, Phii Li, you are here too?… Hey, what’s good?”
Panli raised his hand to return the cheeky junior’s wai, then said,
“Yeah…”
“Showing up and making a damn racket as usual, you annoying prick
Ohm.”
“Yo, that Audi parked in front of the studio is just too dope.”
Everyone furrowed their brows and exchanged confused looks. Phii Pi started asking each person to figure out whose car it was, since no one in the group had ever driven a white Audi A5 before.
“Whose car is that?…” Eff asked, setting the camera down on the worktable before gesturing to the female model to come over. “…Come take a break here first.”
“Thanks,” she said.
As the model joined them at the table, Panli spoke up…
“My wife’s car.”
“O_O”
“Damn… your wife has some serious taste,” Om says.
The fact that Panli is dating a guy isn’t weird for this friend group, since a few of them are also dating guys. Panli reaches out to take his phone back from the friends who ganged up to crack his passcode because they wanted to see more pictures.
“Give it back already.”
“I don’t wanna see your face, Li… I wanna see your wife’s face clearly!”
“Ugh… this pic only shows the side of his face. If we could see it straight on, he’d probably be super cute.”
“Yeah…”
“I’m not letting you see, you bastards!”
Ring~
‘Klaijai’s calling!’
“Your wife’s calling!”
“Answer it, Kal!”
“Don’t you dare, you damn Kal!” Panli yells, jumping up to snatch his phone back. He lets out a huge sigh, thinking…
Even when Klaijai isn’t here…
He still manages to cause this much chaos.
If Panli ever brought Klaijai to meet this group of friends…
He probably wouldn’t be able to control the swarm of crazies.
Panli quickly answers the call and says, “Yes, KhunKlai…”
[Puppy~]
“Yeah… what’s up?”
[I’m done with work. Where’s my puppy?]
“Puppy is at my friend’s studio.”
“Puppy, huh,” Kal teases.
“With that level of cute, I’d be fine being a puppy or a kitten.”
“Li talks to his wife so damn sweetly.”
Panli sighs while his friends gossip about him right in front of his face, then turns his attention back to the call. “Alright, I’ll come pick you up at the uni.”
[Okay… no need to rush, puppy. I have Phii Dom keeping him company.]
“Oh… okay.”
[Don’t drive fast, got it?]
“Got it, got it.”
[Puppy…]
“Yes…?”
[I miss my puppy so much.]
Panli broke into a wide smile before replying, “Your puppy misses
KhunKlai too.”
The other end of the line laughed, clearly pleased with the response.
“See you soon, okay?”
[Yeah…]
After hanging up, Panli sighed again as he noticed everyone teasing him with their eyes. Only the beautiful model showed a displeased expression, but Panli didn’t care. In his heart, there was only one person: Klaijai.
“Phii Pi, I’m heading out. Gotta pick up KhunKlai at the uni.”
“Yeah, go ahead. As for the camera lens, I’ll return it after I’m done.”
“Cool…”
“I’m off…” Panli said goodbye to his friends with his usual short phrase. Everyone nodded in acknowledgment, saying, “Drive safe, man.” He slipped his phone into his back pocket and headed down to the first floor.
The tall figure quickly strode to his car, a white Audi A5 that his junior never stopped praising. Once inside, Panli let out a smile, thinking of his friend’s words complimenting Klaijai: Check this statement.
“So cute like that, I’d willingly be a puppy or kitten for him.”
For Klaijai…
I’d be willing to be more than anything.
KLAIJAI
Klai stepped out of the bathroom, his body smelling fresh as usual. He walked into the living room and saw a tall figure wearing only gray sweatpants, hunched over, glued to his phone on the long sofa. He gave a small smile, thinking of a plan he’d made with Phii Dom, before heading to the fridge to make a snack.
Klai usually likes eating yogurt with granola after dinner because it keeps him full until late. As he pulled a large tub of yogurt from the fridge, he glanced at someone still engrossed in his phone.
“Panli, you hungry?”
“No…”
Klai asked because Panli barely ate anything at dinner. Even though he answered like that, he couldn’t help but worry, so he asked again.
“I’m making a snack. Want some, Panli?”
“Sure, I’ll have some…”
The response from the guy glued to his phone made a cheeky sentence pop into Klai’s head. Even though the naughty thought made his face flush with embarrassment, he felt it was worth saying out loud. It’d definitely fluster someone, and Panli would absolutely shift his attention back to him…
“I’m not letting you ‘have’ anything… I’m not ready yet.”
He said while scooping yogurt from the tub into a pale yellow ceramic bowl. When he looked up at the big puppy, Klai couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Panli was blinking rapidly, staring at him, his black phone slowly slipping from his hand.
“KhunKlai! No way… don’t say naughty stuff like that!”
“Why not?”
“Because it…”
“Because what, my dear?”
Klai asked as he carried the snack bowl to the long sofa. Panli’s eyes didn’t leave him until he plopped down beside him. He bit his lip slightly, looking mischievous, before saying…
“Because it’s gonna mess me up…”
“You will be in worse trouble if you keep focusing on that phone.”
“Feeling jealous?”
“A little.”
Klai answered before taking a spoonful of yogurt. The big puppy laughed, clearly delighted by his response. He flopped down, resting his head on Klai’s lap.
“I love it… love it so much when you’re like this.”
Klai gave a small smile and shook his head before saying, “Wanna try some?”
“Try the food? Try you, or…”
“Yogurt… I’m offering Panli some yogurt.”
“Wow… how’d you get this good? I’m exhausted here, can’t even tease you anymore…” Panli said with a laugh, then continued, “Thought
I’d get to taste you on the sofa.”
Klai let go of the spoon and moved his hand to pinch Panli’s sharp nose. He chuckled throatily before grabbing both Klai’s hands with just one of his. Their five fingers intertwined tightly, and then his warm lips brushed the back of Klai’s hand. He gazed deeply into Klai’s eyes before saying…
“Klai… no one can beat you.”
“Because I’m awesome…” he said, knowing it’d make Panli laugh. He didn’t really mean it, though.
Panli burst out laughing before saying, “Does the awesome guy want
Li to try some yogurt?”
“Mhm…”
“Then let me have a taste… Can I try it while lying here like this?”
“Sure… but you have to let go of my hand first.”
The person resting on the lap gave a small smile and obediently released his hand. He scooped a tiny bit of yogurt and fed it to Panli. The moment the big puppy took the spoon in his mouth, his thick brows knitted into a frown. Klai couldn’t help but laugh, guessing he didn’t like the taste.
Klai usually only eats Greek yogurt, which tastes different from regular yogurt. The brand he always gets is particularly bland with a slight tang—no sweetness at all. But it’s delicious with granola. Still, almost everyone who tries this kind of yogurt for the first time makes the same face as Panli.
“KhunKlai… is this spoiled?”
Klai laughed heartily, then took the shiny silver spoon in his mouth while looking at the person on his lap. “It’s Greek yogurt. That’s just how it tastes.”
“No way, KhunKlai… I can’t handle this for real.”
Klai tried so hard to stifle his laughter. Since they’ve known each other, he’s never seen Panli give up on anything, no matter how tough it was. Yet, he surrendered so easily to this…
“Is it that bad, Panli?”
“Well… honestly, it’s not so bad that it’s unbearable, but if I had a choice, I wouldn’t eat it…”
Klai held back a laugh before saying, “It’s for your health… It’s good for you, you know.”
He shook his head vigorously, then picked up his phone to mess around.
“…”
“Who’s the puppy talking to?”
“Phii Pi and the business partner at the shop.”
“Oh…”
“I’m not chatting with anyone else.”
“…”
“Love my wife so much… I’d never cheat,” Panli said while texting.
“If you cheat, you might go extinct…”
Yes… Klai knows he’s scary when he gets possessive.
And yes… he’s getting more and more jealous.
“Scared now…” Panli teases.
“Want more?” Klai asks.
“If it’s more yogurt, I’m good… but if it’s more of you, I’m in,” he replies.
Klai laughs, then scoops some yogurt into his mouth. He shifts his gaze from the guy on his lap to the TV, where Panli left a sports channel on. Three anchors are discussing an important match coming up in a few days.
“KhunKlai…”
“Yes?” Klai pulls his eyes from the TV and looks down at the guy chatting on his phone. Moments later, he looks up at Klai.
“I’ve got something to tell you…”
He raises an eyebrow and asks, “What is it?”
“If you find out on your own… I’m dead for sure.”
“…”
“So I’d rather tell you first…”
As Panli sits up straight, Klai quickly sets the yogurt bowl on the coffee table to focus on him. The big puppy stares at him, swallowing hard, before flashing a nervous smile.
“…”
“So, here’s the thing, KhunKlai…
“…”
“When the shop releases a new collection… we have to hire models to shoot promos for it.”
“That, I understand…”
“Yeah…” Panli presses his lips together at Klai’s response, then continues, “And today, when I went to Eff’s studio…”
“…”
“There was a model there too.”
“…”
“I mean, she knows me… but I’m not interested in her, KhunKlai.”
“…”
“You don’t care at all… not even a tiny bit.”
“…”
“I swear.”
Even though Klai’s really jealous about Panli, he’s jealous with reason. If it’s about Panli’s work, he’s ready to understand and not overthink it. “If it’s work-related… I understand.”
“You really, really understand, right? you aren’t mad at you, is he?”
“Mhm… I really, really understands.”
The big puppy let out a huge sigh of relief before saying, “What a relief.”
Klai gave a sly smile before saying, “Thanks, Panli.”
“Thanks for what?”
“Thanks for telling the truth.”
“…”
“Thanks for not looking at anyone else.”
“…”
“And thanks for being so honest.”
Panli gave a small smile before moving closer to Klai. He wrapped both arms around Klai’s waist and pressed his nose to his cheek, giving it a loud kiss.
“No need to thank me… because it’s what I should do anyway.”
Klai looked at the big puppy and broke into a wide smile as something popped into his head. “With the puppy being this cute, looks like he needs to give a reward.”
“Is you going to kiss the puppy’s head?”
“Nope~… I’m going to feed you another spoonful of yogurt instead.”
The listener burst out laughing before saying, “Oh, KhunKlai, don’t tease me.”
“Fine, he won’t tease then…” Klai said before leaning in to kiss the big puppy’s lips.
Kiss…
“The puppy’s reward.”
The big puppy grinned widely, pulled Klai to sit on his strong lap, and pressed his nose to his cheek, kissing it several times. He reached for the yogurt bowl, scooped some to eat, and let Panli keep kissing his cheek like that.
“Hungry, huh?…” Panli asked, planting a loud kiss on Klai’s cheek before pressing his nose against it and mumbling, “So hungry, my little troublemaker?”
“Mmm… I’m hungry.”
Panli chuckled throatily, pulling his sharp nose away from Klai’s cheek. “How about we go shopping for groceries tomorrow? Stuff I can eat too.”
Klai stifled a laugh while spooning yogurt into his mouth, then said,
“Mmm… sure.”
“I’m gonna stock up on tons of snacks… cause there’s a big football match coming up in a few days. Gotta has stuff to munch on while watching.”
“Is you inviting friends over to watch the match?”
“Nope… I wanna watch it just with you, KhunKlai.”
“Just the two of us? Will that be fun?”
“It’s gonna be tons of fun, trust me.”
Klai gave a small smile, watching the big puppy try to sweet-talk him, then leaned in to nuzzle his cheek, teasing, “Naughty puppy.”
“You can have his way with this puppy all he wants… I won’t resist one bit.”
Klai let out a soft laugh and kissed his cheek again…
And again…
And again…
Who knows how many more times tonight.
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