Author: joell55

  • GODDESSBLESSYOUFROMDEATH, Case File No. 3: Merely Three Bits of Information

    GODDESSBLESSYOUFROMDEATH, Case File No. 3: Merely Three Bits of Information

       GODDESSBLESSYOUFROMDEATH, Case File No. 3: Merely Three Bits of Information

    After the interrogation ended, Lieutenant Khem allowed Sir-Danai, the taxi driver, to leave, not forgetting to warn him that he might be called back for further questioning. The current information seemed insufficient to connect any dots. Singha thus decided to request all case reports from the teams on the ground and returned to his office, with the young suspect following behind.

    “Inspector, here are the case reports. This one is the witness statement, and this is the preliminary autopsy report from forensics.” Lieutenant Khem, who had just followed him in, glanced briefly at the young man standing in the corner of the room. “Uh, should we take the suspect back to the holding cell as usual?”

    Singha didn’t reply immediately. He merely turned to look at the visibly nervous young man. There were many reasons to suspect him, and without a better alibi than a ghost, he remained the prime suspect.

    “Keep him in another holding cell when one is available.”

    “Understood.”

    Grrrrr

    The sound of the young man’s stomach growling interrupted the conversation, followed by laughter from the elderly policeman standing by the door.

    “Sorry.”

    “It’s almost three. Inspector, do you want a snack or something? I’m heading out to buy some.”

    “Get whatever, and a coffee for me too.” Singha said, handing over some money to his subordinate before sitting back at his desk.

    “Hey kid, want something?” Thup was just a suspect, not enough evidence to conclude he was the perpetrator, so Lieutenant Khem didn’t want to pressure the young man too much.

    “Can I have a boxed lunch, please? But… my wallet…”

    “No worries, Inspector is footing the bill.” Khun Khem said, waving a purple banknote.

    Thup looked back at the person reading documents with pleading eyes. He kept staring even though Singha didn’t look up, until finally, the young inspector couldn’t help but speak out in annoyance.

    “Order whatever you want, and get some for the guys on duty too.” Thup said, pursing his lips.

    “Yes, inspector. I’ll be right back.”

    Once Khun Khem left, the room fell silent, filled only with the sound of flipping papers and keyboard clacking. Thup tiptoed to the sofa, careful not to disturb the working person. Fatigue slowly crept over him, making his eyelids heavy. He slapped his cheeks repeatedly, fearing that if he fell asleep now, he might wake up back in the same old cell.

    Meanwhile, Singha, engrossed in case files, glanced up when he heard a sound from the sofa. The first person’s background he looked up was this suspicious young man in front of him. There was barely any information; just someone who had moved to the city from a university town in the Isan region. No clear parental history, but the application form for university mentioned a monk.

    “What do you usually do in your free time?” Singha asked without looking up.

    “Huh? Are you asking me?”

    “There are only you and me in this room. Who else should I ask, your mother?”

    “Uh… please don’t say it like that.” Thup said, looking around nervously.

    “I just watch movies or draw pictures.”

    “Anything else?”

    “Uh… that’s it. I don’t really go out much.”

    “Why?”

    “There are things out there I don’t want to see.”

    “But you choose to go into the forest at night? Do you know that just makes you closer to being a villain?”

    “I… I think it’s happened before.”

    “What do you mean?”

    “People with their eyes and mouths sewn shut… I’ve seen it before.” Singha placed the file he was holding down, crossed his arms, and stared at Thup intently. “You might not believe what I’m saying, and that’s okay. I just want to share in case it might be useful.”

    Thup pressed his lips together before letting out a deep sigh. Normally, he didn’t like talking unless necessary, especially about such personal matters, but Singha made him feel safe.

    “I… I’ve seen ghosts. Since I was little, I thought it was just temporary, but it wasn’t. When I was at the temple, the monk helped me a lot. I never had friends my age because I couldn’t tell the difference. The monk gave me a necklace before he passed, to distinguish between the dead and the living. Before all this happened, before I dreamt about the forest incident… I’ve seen it before. I saw a woman whose eyes and mouth were sewn shut with red thread. So, what I’m saying is, this might not be the first time.”

    Thup glanced at Singha with fear, seeing the young officer didn’t respond. “That’s… that’s all.”

    “Here you go, sir, steamed beef with a fried egg, not fully cooked. And for this little one here, who looks like he doesn’t like spicy food, I got fried rice. Can you eat this?” LieutenantKhem interrupted, holding out food boxes with a broad smile. Thup’s fatigue momentarily eclipsed his fear.

    “Thank you, Lieutenant.”

    “Just call me Lieutenant Khem.”

    “Thank you, Lieutenant Khem.”

    “Eat up.”

    Singha left the room without a word, making Thup’s heart skip a beat again. He knew it was hard to believe, especially for someone like Singha who seemed skeptical about such matters. He didn’t expect the young officer to believe him, but he wanted to be of some use.

    “Have I made the officer angry?” Thup muttered.

    “Nah, he’s always like this.”

    “So, Lieutenant Khem, the inspector doesn’t think I’m… the culprit, right?”

    “Not exactly, but the man is decisive. If he thought you were the bad guy, you’d be sleeping in a cell by now, not wandering around like this. Come on, eat up, young man, I’ll unlock your cuffs first. After you eat, I’ll lock them back up.”

    “Thank you.” Thup smiled and bowed in gratitude.

    Meanwhile, Singha, the young inspector, stepped out to the station’s parking lot, lighting up his usual brand of cigarette. He inhaled deeply, the nicotine hitting his lungs to calm the chaos in his mind. After half a cigarette, he pulled out his phone and dialed a contact at the Central Investigation Unit.

    [3 AM] A groggy voice answered.

    “Merk, I need info.”

    [I’m trying to sleep here.]

       “Multiple homicides, victims sewn at the eyes and mouth with red thread.”

    [Are you even listening to me?]

       “The case might be years old. I need all the info on similar or related homicides.”

    [You’ve got to be kidding me, hold on.] There was a rustling on the other end. Singha stubbed out his first cigarette and lit another. [Seems like there’s something, I’ll send it over.

    “Hmm.”

    [Why suddenly interested in a case from five years back?]

       “Five years ago?”

    [Yeah, similar reports from five years back. Wait, there was something ten years ago too.] Singha’s eyebrows furrowed. [It’s an unsolved special case, why the interest, Singha?

    “Because I’m dealing with this damn case now, send everything over.”

    [I’ll have to inform the commander then.]

       “Hold on, the commander will make things even more complicated. Let’s wait until we have more to go on.”

    [Singha, that’s the commander!]

       “Just this much.” Singha hung up before taking another deep drag, thinking if this case had really happened before and multiple times without the culprits being caught, then it’s dangerous!

    Singha returned to his office, rolling his eyes slightly. Upon entering, he saw his subordinate casually chatting with the problematic kid. There was also an empty food box on the table.

    “No work to do, Lieutenant?”

    “Not yet, sir, waiting for your orders.”

    “I’ll send some info your way, gather it up for me.”

    “Sure, and are you going home tonight, sir?”

    “No.”

    “Understood.” After Lieutenant Khem left, Singha forwarded an email he received from a friend at the central investigation unit, then continued reviewing each victim’s background in detail.

    “Sir?”

    “What?”

    “Can I sleep, sir?”

    “Want a bath and a soft bed too?”

    “Really?” The young man asked excitedly, but seeing the stern look, he returned to his curled-up position, “Guess not.”

    Thup looked at the blank paper and pencil on the table. The young man sat on the floor, doodling aimlessly because sitting still would surely put him to sleep. Now, the room was filled only with the sound of turning paper and the scribbling of a pencil.

    Singha read through the victims’ backgrounds, trying to find any connection. But aside from their ages being all over the place, nothing matched – not their professions, addresses, or even lifestyles. Typically, serial killers choose victims with something in common, be it physical traits or shared data points, but here, there was nothing. The only consistent factor was the method of killing.

    Singha reopened the emails, carefully reading through each detail. The case from five years ago occurred in a northern province, with seven victims all sewn up with red thread at their eyes and mouths, just like now. Reviewing those victims’ profiles, it was the same – no connections among them.

    “So, what’s the killer’s selection criteria?”

    Age? Indeterminate.

       Gender? Indeterminate.

       Occupation? Indeterminate.

       Residence? Indeterminate.

       Religion?

       He spread out all the papers on the table, going over the religion section. And there it was – every victim, from the recent cases to those five and even ten years ago, followed the same religion.

    Buddhism.

       This was the only link found so far.

    A grunt from someone slumped over the guest table caught Singha’s attention. Walking over, he saw the young man had been drawing. Picking up the artwork, he frowned. It was a picture of himself, looking stressed while working. Given the skill, the kid claiming to be a freelance artist wasn’t exaggerating. Singha shook his head, placed the drawing back, threw his coat over the young man’s head, and left the room, locking the door behind him. He headed to the forensics lab to re-examine all the victims’ bodies.

    In the chilly morgue, the bodies had been neatly stored in refrigerated cabinets. Singha glanced around, his eyes scanning each cabinet, pondering deeply. Just knowing the victims’ religions wasn’t enough to catch the killer. He needed more, anything to solve this case and nab the murderer.

    Thup, roused by the sound of a door closing, groggily reached for a solid black leather jacket, holding it as he looked for its owner, but found no one. A slight smile crept on his lips as he inhaled the jacket’s pleasant scent. Who said inspectors were always tough?

    Before he could relax, a sound like nails scratching on wood jolted Thup. Turning slowly, he saw the shadowy figure of a woman outside the glass door again.

    “What… what do you want?” he asked tremblingly, but received no answer, only a muffled groan from outside. “Are you… the one behind this?”

    Before he could finish, a loud banging on the door shook the room as if the person outside was filled with fury. Thup, trembling with fear, hugged Singha’s jacket tightly, trying to close his eyes but curiosity about who was on the other side kept them open. The sound was unmistakable; it was the same eerie groan he had heard from his childhood.

    It was that ghost he had encountered before.

    The door swung open, flooding the room with light. Through his tears, he saw not a ghost, but Singha’s stern face approaching.

    “Check the CCTV.”

    “Understood, Inspector.”

    “What now, Thup?” Thup turned to look where Singha pointed, noticing long scratches on the door revealing the wood beneath.

    “If she wasn’t here to tell me something… then she must want me.”

     

    GODDESSBLESSYOUFROMDEATH CHAPTERS HOME

      

  • GODDESSBLESSYOUFROMDEATH, Case File 2: Statement from the Taxi Driver

    GODDESSBLESSYOUFROMDEATH, Case File 2: Statement from the Taxi Driver

       GODDESSBLESSYOUFROMDEATH, Case File 2: Statement from the Taxi Driver

    Singha was standing in the observation room, his sharp eyes fixed on the pale young man in the interrogation room. The observation room door opened, and Lieutenant Khem entered, handing over the case file to his chief, who was still glaring at the young man.

    “He answered all questions the same way, Inspector.”

    “Did anyone else see anyone else in the area?”

    “No. The police initially at the scene didn’t see anyone either.”

    Lieutenant Khem turned to look at the young man in the interrogation room and sighed. “I don’t know. I think this kid doesn’t seem like a killer. Not just because of his innocent face, but also because his statements show no inconsistencies. Plus, the fact that he had to take a taxi to the crime scene, he couldn’t possibly have transported all the bodies there, right?”

    Singha didn’t respond as he was reading the case file in his hands, just as the observation room door opened again, this time with Lieutenant Prom, a young officer who had recently transferred.

    “Inspector, here’s the driver’s information. We’ve issued a summons for him to come in for questioning.”

    “Hmm.”

    “Also, Dr. Say is back.”

    “And the victims’ bodies?”

    “They’ve been sent over as well.”

    Singha walked back into the interrogation room. As soon as the young officer entered, Thup straightened up automatically, feeling tense.

    “Stand up.”

    “Where…where are we going?”

    “Back to your cell. We need this room.”

    “Can I stay somewhere else? Another cell, storage room, anywhere but not that cell, please. I’m begging you.” The young man was visibly agitated.

    “What’s wrong with going back there?”

    “You wouldn’t believe me anyway… right?”

    The young inspector puffed out his cheeks in frustration.

    “Inspector, Dr. Say is asking for you.” Sergeant Khem opened the door to inform his boss.

    “Yeah, I’ll be there in a minute.” Singha grabbed Thup by the collar, making him follow, disregarding his near-tearful state. “Lieutenant, is there any other room available?”

    “Just that?”

    “Yes.”

    Singha dragged the young man by the back of his shirt, making him follow up to the upper floor of the police station. Despite the small distance in their steps, it seemed Thup couldn’t keep up with the person in front at all.

    “Officer…sir, I…I can’t keep up.” Thup gasped, his shirt collar pulled so tight he could barely breathe, but the person ahead showed no signs of slowing down.

    When they reached the front of an office door clearly marked with an inspector’s badge, Thup pressed his lips together. The door was opened just as Singha pushed the young man inside. He then went to retrieve a key from his desk drawer. This room would do for a temporary holding place, at least until the investigation was over. There was only one entry and exit. Thup chose to sit on the long black sofa cautiously, looking around the room warily.

    “If you’re going to be difficult again, you can go back to your old cell.”

    “Thank…thank you.” The ringing of a phone from his jeans pocket didn’t stop, forcing Singha to answer, though he kept his eyes on the young man.

    “What?”

    [Where are you?]

       “Upstairs.”

    [Come down, Sing, I’ve got something to show you.]

       “Wait a moment.” Singha hung up quickly, walked to the small fridge in the room, grabbed a bottle of water, and tossed it to the young man on the sofa. “Don’t cause any trouble.”

    “I’ll stay here.”

    “Thank you, Inspector Singha.” The addressed man glanced slightly before walking out, not forgetting to lock the door from the outside.

    He walked downstairs, then opened the door to the forensic department. The clattering sounds from the autopsy room didn’t unsettle Singha at all. Once inside, he found his friend, a young man with red hair contrasting with the white lab gown he was wearing, pacing between the three autopsy tables and the four open body storage units behind.

    “What have you got?”

    “Come here, put these on.” Singha grabbed gloves from a box and put them on before standing next to his friend. “The seven victims’ bodies show no physical similarities. This corpse is an eighteen-year-old male. That one’s a forty-three-year-old male. And that one’s a fourteen-year-old female.” Say pointed to the bodies laid out on the tables in turn, then turned to the body storage units behind.

    “This one’s a fifteen-year-old male, that one’s a nineteen-year-old male. And the last one is a fifteen-year-old female.”

    Singha scanned each corpse, particularly lingering on the body of the young girl.

    “I know what you’re thinking, the killer isn’t specifying the type of victims here. It’s sloppy work, Sing.”

    “It’s not certain there’s no connection yet. We’ll see once we have detailed backgrounds of each.”

    “Yeah, I hope so.” Say walked back to the first body’s table. “Each body was treated the same: sewn eyes with red thread and lips sewn shut in an ‘X’ pattern. Look here, the victims’ necks have ligature marks from rope, but there’s something deeper.”

    “Wire?” Singha leaned in to examine the victim’s neck. Apart from the bruising from the rope, there were also small, deep cuts.

    “Not sure yet, but I think so. These cuts are the cause of death, strangulation until asphyxiation. The victims probably didn’t see it coming. The more they struggled, the tighter the wire-like material cut into their necks from behind, slicing deeply into the flesh. I think the killer is probably a teenager or maybe young adult, possibly around one-eighty centimeters tall or more.”

    “And at the crime scene, did you find anything else?”

    “There’s nothing suspicious, but you might want to look at the photos again. There are two sets of footprints: one from our police and the other from the suspect.”

    “That kid is over one-eighty centimeters tall.” Singha muttered to himself.

    “The thread sewn over the eyes and mouth of the victims probably isn’t to prevent them from calling for help; it’s more likely due to some psychological repression or mental illness, to torment the victims more.”

    “Examine the neck wounds and the thread too, just in case. And if the victims were still conscious when strangled, they might have struggled or fought back. Check under their fingernails for any DNA traces from the killer.”

    “Okay, I’ll handle it.”

    “If you find anything else, let me know, and I’ll need the autopsy reports.”

    “I’ll get them to you.” Then they both went back to their respective duties.

    Singha walked back to the interrogation room because he received a message that the taxi driver was there waiting to give his statement. However, his steps suddenly halted, and he changed direction towards his own office instead.

    Thup was in the chief’s office in the station, looking around before slumping back into the sofa weakly. He stared at the white ceiling, sighing. If he hadn’t lost the amulet given by the monk, he might not have dreamt of that and seen these things again.

    “What should I do?” Thup muttered to himself, but suddenly, he noticed a dark shadow passing by the glass door. His once calm heart raced again. The young man reassured himself it was probably overthinking due to exhaustion from not eating or sleeping for hours. His eyes fixed on the frosted glass door until he saw the figure of a woman gradually become clear outside. Thup hunched over again, thinking if he didn’t look up, he wouldn’t see those frightening things, but then the sound of the doorknob turning made his heart sink, “Please don’t scare me, don’t scare me.”

    “Will there ever be a time when I meet you under normal circumstances?” Thup looked up immediately.

    “Inspector!”

    “Do you remember the taxi driver’s face?” The familiar voice asked.

    “Y…Yes.” When Singha got the answer he wanted, he unlocked the handcuffs.

    “What are you staring at?” the young policeman asked, noticing the kid in front of him couldn’t take his eyes off the door.

    “Nothing.”

    “Get up and follow me.”

    “Where are we going? You’re not taking me to the cell, are you?”

    “And what if I am?” Singha replied irritably, rolling his eyes as the kid hesitated to follow.

    “Come on.”

    As they neared the interrogation room, Thup suddenly halted, turning to look down the hallway leading to forensics. He saw a girl standing at the end, sobbing. Instead of tears, drops of blood flowed down her cheeks.

    “The girl…”

    “What about her?”

    “I… I see a girl standing there.” Singha looked where the pale finger pointed but saw only emptiness.

    “Describe her.”

    “She’s young, with long black hair down to her back, wearing a yellow t-shirt and jeans overalls…”

    Singha furrowed his brows, then grabbed Thup by the collar, urging him to move.

    Just like back then. She said the same thing.

    Thinking about it, Singha puffed out his cheeks in frustration. This kid was at the crime scene, he must’ve seen the bodies already. He couldn’t afford to entertain such nonsense.

    They reached the observation room, where the interrogation began. Singha had to keep an eye on both the taxi driver and the suspect beside him.

    “Is this the guy?” Singha asked.

    “Yes.”

    “Name?”

    “He’s called Danai.”

    “What color taxi?”

    “Pink.” Singha nodded in acknowledgment, then glanced into the interrogation room about to start.

    “Good day, Danai, got the summons?”

    “Just a bit.”

    “Shall we get started then?”

    “Uh… maybe not.” Must have been quite the shock when you got it, or do you want a drink first?

    “Alright, let’s begin. Today, we’ve invited you to ask about a passenger who rode in your taxi last night.”

    “I’m not sure if I’ll remember.”

    “Just whatever you can recall. You drive a pink taxi, a Toyota, license plate number 487, correct?”

    “Correct.”

    “Your name is Mister Danai, correct?”

    “Correct.”

    “Last night, from dusk till midnight, a passenger, a man in his mid-twenties to thirties, hailed a taxi in front of a condo for a ride out of town. Remember him?”

    “I remember… that young man…” The taxi driver paused for a moment, nodding vigorously before answering.

    “Do you recall what he was wearing?”

    “Ah, if I’m not mistaken, he was in a white T-shirt, with a gray hoodie. Not sure about the pants, but he was tall, fair-skinned, and quite handsome.”

    Thup looked down at himself before turning to Singha with a gleaming eye, probably because the taxi driver’s description matched him perfectly.

    “Can you tell me what his demeanor was like before getting into the car, during the ride, and when he arrived at his destination?”

    “When he hailed my taxi, he seemed very anxious. During the ride, we didn’t talk much, but I asked him what he was going to do in the middle of the forest at this late hour. The young man replied that he thought something bad might happen.”

    “And then what happened next?”

    “While driving, the road was deserted, and the atmosphere was very quiet. So, I turned on some music and we didn’t talk much. After a while, the kid suddenly told me to stop the car. After paying, he asked me to wait, then he walked straight into the forest.”

    “Did he take anything with him, or was anyone with him?”

    “It looked like he went empty-handed, and no one was with him, but…”

    “But what?”

    “But… Some of my taxi driver friends have told stories about people encountering something strange around there often. I’m scared of ghosts myself; I only stopped for a moment before I felt eerie and drove off.”

    “Where did you go after that?”

    “I parked at a store about two kilometers away because I wasn’t sure if I should wait for him.”

    “About those stories, can you tell me what they are about?”

    “Well, around there, they say people have seen an old woman, or sometimes a young woman, standing in the forest by the road. She wears a blue blouse, a sarong with green floral patterns, and carries a lantern. They say if you drive by half-asleep, you might see her crossing the road. If you stop, bad luck often follows, leading to accidents. Now, no one stops there anymore.”

    “A ghost?”

    “They say it’s a local deity or a forest spirit.” The taxi driver explained, excitedly rubbing his arms.

    Singha sighed before turning to look at the young man standing beside him.

    “I’m not lying, really.” Thup said.

    “I haven’t even asked.”

    “… “

    “I don’t know how to convince you, Inspector, but I really didn’t kill anyone. I told you, it was a ghost.”

    “Ghosts don’t use wire to kill people or sew their eyes and mouth shut, so keep your ghost story to yourself.”

    Looks like this case won’t be straightforward.

      

    GODDESSBLESSYOUFROMDEATH CHAPTERS HOME

      

  • GODDESSBLESSYOUFROMDEATH, Case File 1: The Curse of the Solitary Cell

    GODDESSBLESSYOUFROMDEATH, Case File 1: The Curse of the Solitary Cell

       GODDESSBLESSYOUFROMDEATH, Case File 1: The Curse of the Solitary Cell

    At the police station past midnight, aside from the duty officers and those waiting off their hangover, it wasn’t as bustling as daytime. The quiet atmosphere ended when a van carrying a suspect parked in front. Two officers escorted a composed young man inside. Just then, the previously calm wind suddenly gusted stronger for no reason.

    “Who’s this, Lieutenant?”

    “A suspect.”

    “Ha! Someone this good looking?”

    “These days, you can’t judge a book by its cover. Let’s go, open an interrogation room; the sergeant will deal with him.”

    “The rooms are full. Two are being repaired, cameras and wiretaps, and one is in use.”

    “Then put him in a solitary cell for now.”

    “Uh… can you open it yourself, sir?”

    “Don’t be silly, go on, hurry! If the inspector sees this kid still roaming outside, we’ll get an earful!”

    The young man glanced at the two officers bickering. He was led inside, past desks, past the staff room, until they reached the holding area. The stifling atmosphere made the young man turn away with every step echoing on the floor. He looked around warily, and when they reached the innermost cell, he saw a man sitting facing the corner, radiating a chilling, eerie vibe. This cell felt different from the others, darker and more ominous.

    The sound of the iron door creaking was painfully loud. The officer pushed Thup inside without much care.

    “Stay here, don’t cause trouble. An officer will come for a body search.”

    “Uh… sorry, but do I really have to stay here?”

    “Looks like it. The interrogation rooms are full, and you won’t be here long. We’ll call the doctor soon.”

    “Uh… but here… will something happen?”

    “Hey kid, you ask a lot of questions.”

    “So… so that means I have to stay in this room alone, right?”

    “And you want me to just sit here and watch? That’s a weird question.”

    The young man slowly sat down on the floor, gripping the bars tightly, his eyes slightly trembling, before softly beginning to chant.

    “Namo Tassa Bhagavato Araha.”

    ‘I should have killed them all. I shouldn’t have left any.’

       “Arahato Samma Sambuddhassa Namo Tassa.” The young man recited the chant while looking down at his own feet.

    ‘I don’t want to be locked up, locked up, locked up.’

       “Bhagavato, a… Arahato, Sa… Samma Sambuddhassa.” A chilling sensation made the young man’s chant become stuttered, his beautiful hands gripping the bars so tightly that veins were visible.

    ‘Need to escape, must escape.’

       The sounds of movement behind him didn’t arouse curiosity; the dragging footsteps, the sounds of tying something, continuous, like the mumblings of wanting to escape. He didn’t even want to guess what kind of escape that was.

    ‘Gasp! Cough! Gag! Cough!’

       The sounds of agony made the young man quickly cover his ears. The rustling of clothes, the flesh hitting, screams like someone out of breath, until after four minutes, everything returned to its original silence.

    Shaking, the young man slowly removed his hands from his ears. He saw nothing in his peripheral vision, so he gradually turned his head to look behind, only to see an empty room. He sighed in relief, but as he was about to relax, a drop of water hit his forehead, making his heart race again. He breathed heavily and looked up.

    !!!!Kid

       The image of a young man in tattered clothes is hanging from an upper beam, a thick rope around his neck. His eyes bulge out, his face is a ghastly green, not like someone who has just died. The source of the water droplets on his forehead is from his tongue sticking out. This horrific sight makes the young man tremble with fear, backing away until he hits the wall. His eyes widen as the hanging body slowly inflates and eventually falls to the ground. Instead of the scene disappearing like when he still had the monk’s necklace, the body now slowly moves, its swollen face glaring at him with vengeful eyes before crawling towards him, mumbling,

    ‘Run, run with me, do it.’

       “Please, stop, don’t, sob, don’t do it.” The young man pleads, hands clasped, as the ghost crawls closer.

    ‘Come with me, die like me!’

       The young man shuts his eyes tight, trembling, knowing that believing even a word could seal his fate.

    While he sits curled up, eyes closed, hoping the nightmare would end, a cold breeze blows in, like before…like in the forest.

    “Who said to take this kid to Khun Darin, lieutenant?” a deep voice asks from the front.

    “Uh, Khun Darin said to take the suspect to the room, but no one dared to come.”

    “Too scared of nonsense to work, eh? Pathetic!” The irritated voice makes the teary-eyed young man look up from the sneakers to the dark jeans, tight black t-shirt showcasing abs, to the leather jacket sleeve brushing back hair in frustration, “Get up, follow me, and if you think of running, you’ll regret it.”

    The ghost is gone…it vanished.

       Singha looks at the young man, who is looking around in panic, just like when he first saw him.

    He had just returned from directing the scene when he asked others about the new suspect; they all pointed to the solitary confinement room. On his way, he heard sobbing mixed with chanting from inside, confirming it was this kid.

    A young man is handcuffed, led by an officer at the front and another at the back. They are heading to the nursing department for a body check before the interrogation process begins.

    A rough hand pushes open the door to a clean, white room, indifferent to whoever might be inside.

    “Damn! You scared me, Singha!” a tough-looking woman exclaims. Her jet-black hair is clipped up hastily, and she pushes up her thick-framed glasses before throwing a half-eaten apple at the newcomer. “Ever heard of knocking? Manners, dude!”

    “I’m a police inspector.”

    “And?”

    “Brought a suspect for a body check.” He pushes forward.

    “Suspect?”

    “Yeah, murder case.”

    “Seven bodies, in the forest, right?”

    “How did you know?” Singha pulls the young man forward.

    “Your buddy’s got a mouth like a loudspeaker. How do you shut him up?” Darin, a former forensic pathologist turned nurse because she couldn’t handle the ghosts, puts down her files and walks into the examination room, followed by the suspect and Singha. “Say called to prepare the autopsy room. He painted such a vivid picture, I’m still creeped out.”

    “Delusional.”

    “Yeah, because tough guys like you aren’t scared of anything.” Darin hands over the consent form for the body check to the young man, who is staring at the floor. “Read it carefully, then sign here, so we can start the check.”

    “Uh… me…” The young man suddenly stops talking and starts reading the document.

    “You sure we’ve got the right guy?” Darin whispers to Singha, standing beside him.

    “He was at the crime scene.” Singha whispers back, his sharp eyes not leaving the visibly nervous young man.

    “About the size of you but seems like a light kick could topple him, yet he supposedly killed seven people and hung them on a tree. That can’t be right.”

    “Out of anger, intentional murder, or even a cover-up, anything could have happened until we investigate.”

    “Done.” The young man handed the file back to the two.

    “Because I’m a woman, I need Singha to find a man to be with, are you okay with that?”

    “Yes.” The young man stared at the person leaning against the wall with a gleaming look.

    “Alright, let’s begin.” Darin placed the file on the bed, starting to examine the young man, including drawing blood for tests. Even external bloodstains were collected, “Look at this wound.”

    Pulling up the trouser leg revealed an open wound. Though not deep, it was suspicious enough not to be ignored. The routine examination proceeded, with the young man occasionally glancing at the person by the wall, but upon meeting eyes, he quickly looked away.

    “Yes.” The young man stared at the person leaning against the wall with a sparkling look in his eyes.

    “Okay, let’s get started.” Darin picked up a file from the side, placing it on the bed before beginning to examine the young man’s body, including drawing blood for testing. The external blood stains were collected as well. “There’s this wound.” she noted during the examination.

    The rolled-up trouser leg revealed an open wound. Though not deep, it was significant enough not to be overlooked. The procedure continued with basic steps. Occasionally, the young man glanced up at the person standing by the wall, but when their eyes met, he quickly looked away.

    “Name?”

    “Uh…yes, sir?”

    “What’s your name?”

    “Thup. My name is Thup.”

    “Age?”

    “T-t-twenty-five.”

    “Oh! The year of misfortune.” Darin chimed in. “Sing, you’re also in your year of misfortune, right?”

    “Get back to work.”

    “I know, I know!” Darin continued the examination. After documenting everything, including photos and data in the file, she then proceeded to dress the wound.

    “The next step is an interrogation. So, don’t make it hard on yourself. Don’t lie, and don’t think about running.”

    “I…I really didn’t do it.”

    “Everyone caught on charges like these says the same thing.”

    “Can…can I ask for something?”

    “The only right you have is to a lawyer.”

    “Can…can I stay somewhere else? I can stay anywhere, even in this room, but not that cell, please.”

    “The cell? The one at the very end?”

    “Yes.”

    “I see. I told them to bring you in, and they were reluctant, turns out it’s because of that rumored haunted cell.”

    “When are you guys going to stop believing in this nonsense? Ghosts, really? It’s all in your heads, just psyching yourselves out.”

    “Sing, I won’t argue if you don’t believe me, but there’ve been several detainees who ended up killing themselves in there. Not just one or two.”

    “By…by hanging, right?” The young man looked up, and both Singha and Darin raised their heads.

    “Yes, how did you know?” Darin said, startled. “The first detainee caught for a family massacre used his own blood to write a farewell on the floor before hanging himself with a cord hidden in his pants. After that, anyone locked in that cell has tried to kill themselves, some succeeded, some didn’t. It’s creepy. Even though it happened five years ago, hardly anyone uses that cell anymore. Okay, we’re done here.”

    “Stand up.” Singha ordered the young man again. “When you get the test results, bring them to me, and if Say comes back, let him know too.”

    “Right, right.”

    Singha escorted the young man to the interrogation room, which had just been repaired. Standing next to each other, he noticed the young man was only slightly taller than him.

    “Thup Thammawat Wirakitthada, twenty-five years old, currently working as a freelance illustrator. No record of parents. No criminal record.” Singha read through the profile of the person sitting across from him, item by item. Meanwhile, Thup just sat there, nodding along. “The current address is twenty kilometers from the crime scene. Want to explain why you were there and how you got there, seeing as there’s no record of a driver’s license here?”

    “I can’t drive.”

    “And then?”

    “So, I took a taxi.”

    “Do I have to dig for every detail, or are you going to spill it all at once?”

    “Sorry. I…I had a dream. I dreamed that something bad would happen there. So, I went. I told the taxi driver to wait, but he didn’t.”

    Thup looked up at the young inspector across from him, who had a stern look on his face.

    “Are you going to tell the truth, or spend another night behind bars?”

    “I’m telling the truth. You might not believe me, but I’ve told you everything I can. I remember the taxi’s license plate. I remember everything.”

    “Then tell me.”

    The young man wrote down the taxi’s license plate and slid the paper over.

    “After I got out of the taxi, I saw an old lady about to walk into the woods. I followed her, and the deeper I went, the more I felt like I was going somewhere I shouldn’t. Next thing I knew, I was standing there. I was so scared I tried to run, but no matter how I ran, I kept circling back to the same spot until the police found me. I tripped over a branch and fell, and then you caught me.”

    “If you saw an old lady, where is she now? Who is she? Why would you follow a stranger into the woods?”

    “I didn’t see her face clearly, but she was wearing a blue collared shirt, a green floral scarf, and she was carrying an old-fashioned lantern. I heard a sound behind me, so I turned for just a second, and when I looked back, she was gone.” After hearing the story, Singha sighed and puffed out his cheeks in frustration.

    “Did you listen to what you’re saying? Anyone believing you is an idiot!” Singha stood up, slamming the file onto the table, making the young man jump. “You think you’ll avoid prison with this ridiculous story?”

    “I…I’m telling the truth. I really didn’t do it.”

    “Damn it!” Singha stormed out of the room in frustration. It wasn’t just the young man’s story that angered him; it was also the fact that the young man’s physical demeanor didn’t show any signs of deceit. If he wasn’t telling the truth, he was certainly a skilled liar. “Lieutenant, go take his statement, and bring me the case report.”

    “Yes, Inspector.”

    “Lieutenant, look up the taxi’s information and bring the driver in for questioning.”

    “Understood.”

    That problematic kid.

     

    GODDESSBLESSYOUFROMDEATH CHAPTERS HOME

      

  • GODDESSBLESSYOUFROMDEATH, Case File Preface: Case Opening

    GODDESSBLESSYOUFROMDEATH, Case File Preface: Case Opening

       GODDESSBLESSYOUFROMDEATH, Case File Preface: Case Opening

    In Thailand, we’ve always been taught that we can freely choose our religion. Everyone has the right and freedom to believe in whatever they desire. It’s common to hear that Thailand is a Buddhist country because Buddhism is the most widely practiced religion. But how many truly understand what Buddhism is, its teachings, beliefs, and practices? Alongside this, there’s another saying: Thailand… the land of ghosts.

       Judging by the rituals, beliefs, and things commonly seen, it’s clear that spirits, deities, and even angels are invoked and worshiped everywhere. Whether it’s ghosts, ancestral spirits, sky spirits, forest spirits, mask spirits, or household spirits, we often see flowers, incense, and various offerings placed in locations where it’s unclear what exactly resides there, like road bends, desolate valleys, three-way intersections, or even oddly shaped trees. These practices and beliefs have been passed down for generations, forming sayings that, despite some skepticism, are still followed by many. After all, these are matters of faith.

       Nowadays, humans seek different spiritual anchors. Whether it’s worshiping Chinese or Hindu gods, giants, Brahma, or even all sorts of ghosts and demons, how can we be sure we’re worshiping what we believe in and not something else that’s subtly mixed in?

      

    Saturday, Lunar Phase

       A storm raged, the wind howling through poorly hinged wooden windows, making eerie sounds as if someone was inside. Four people sat in a circle in the house. The cries of a six-month-old baby echoed, sounding startled all the time, writhing in a basket among three elders performing a ritual.

    “Three days a spirit’s child, four days a human’s child, whose child is it? Who took it?” The old man’s voice was filled with concern. According to tradition, parents should claim their child, but this time it was different.

    “Th-”

    “Aaaargh!!!” The sound echoed throughout the area. Everyone at the ceremony looked left and right for the source, but finding no one else, they immediately pressed their palms together in prayer against their foreheads.

    “The child is human, not a spirit.” The old man said with a stern face.

    The candles on the altar were blown out by a gust of wind, leaving only white smoke floating. With trembling hands, the old man struck a match to relight them, but then he startled as he saw a figure of a pale woman in a torn skirt and a stained blouse in the dark corner of the house. Her face was pale, showing displeasure, but her eyes were sewn shut with red thread, just like her lips, preventing her from speaking. The more she tried to speak, the more fresh blood flowed down from the stitches.

    “Namo Buddhaya, Ma-pa-thana, Pa-ka, Sa-cha

    Sappe-dva-pi-sa-je-wa, A-lava-ka-ta-yo-piya

    Kha-kang, Tala-pat-tang, Dis-va, Sappe-yak-kha

    Pa-lay-ti, Sak-ka-sa, Va-ji-rav-thang”

    A shrill scream rose amidst the chanting as a strong wind lifted everything into the air.

    “Ves-suvanna-sa-ka-th-avu-thang

    A-lava-ka-sa, Du-sav-thang

    Ya-man-ssa, Na-ya-na-vu-thang

    I-me-dis-va, Sappe-yak-kha, Pa-lay-ti.”

    As the chanting ceased, everything settled down. Items scattered on the floor, and the tense atmosphere returned to normal.

    “Where is it? Is the spirit gone?” the old woman said, stroking the crying baby’s arms and legs to comfort it.

    “It’s not the mother child who took it.” a white thread was tied around the baby’s wrists and ankles as it wriggled in the basket. “The child can’t stay with you, take it to the monk at the temple.”

    The old woman looked at the child with a cute face, crying until his eyes were swollen and red, with pity. Because there was no other choice there was then only one thing she could do, to take this child and have him live under the protection of Buddhism.

    The only ancient temple in this province was built hundreds of years ago. The monks residing there are all wandering monks. It is said that if one has faith, the temple will reveal itself. The locals venerate one particular wandering monk so much that they’ve restored the temple to make it livable, though not without hardship. Despite their faith, fear often outweighs it, as this area is rumored to be a gathering place for spirits, situated in an ancient dense forest. It’s no wonder no one dares to venture in at night.

    An elderly couple, arm in arm, walked into the temple area. The whimpering of a small child didn’t make the atmosphere any less frightening; rather, the cries only intensified the eerie feeling.

    Bang, bang, bang!!

    A loud knocking on the temple door resounded amidst the strong gusts of wind. When it was opened, the creaky wooden door hinges screeched like a banshee.

    “Rev…Reverend Abbott?”

    “Give it up, layman. No matter how much you worry, those who have passed cannot stay in this realm.” came a voice as cold as water, before the elderly couple could even explain.

    As the old monk spoke, a strong wind blew leaves and grass around wildly as if a storm was brewing, with windows banging open and shut as if someone was very displeased.

    “Reverend Abott, this child has no father, his mother is dead, I took him in but it’s been nothing but trouble. Can you look after him?” the old woman said, her voice trembling. Since taking in the child, they felt as if they were not alone in the house, every step watched by unseen eyes, objects moving by themselves, and lullabies mixed with desperate cries at night. Everything made their life uneasy.

    The crying child was passed from the old couple to the arms of the monk, and as soon as he held the child, the cries began to quiet. The temple door slowly closed, under the gaze of hungry ghosts longing for a pure soul.

    “You will see what you do not wish to see, and endure great hardship until this karma passes. Endure it, Thup.”

     

    25 Years Later

       Inside a bustling police station, people reporting cases moved about as much as the police officers. This scene was so common it was almost mundane, except today something was different.

    An officer ran into the station, looking frantic, turning left and right as if looking for someone.

    “Why are you sweating like that, Lieutenant Khem?”

    “Where’s the inspector? Where is he?”

    “The inspector has been out on a case since this afternoon. It’s a child kidnapping case, why? You’d think someone died, by the way you are acting”

    “Well, someone has died!!” Lieutenant Khem rushed outside again, straddled his motorcycle, and drove off to the location he had inquired about from his colleagues.

    Not long after, he stopped in front of a mill on the outskirts of town. Lieutenant Khem pushed through the crowd of villagers gathered around. His sergeant had been there for a while and caught sight of a tanned, muscular young man with a grave and intimidating demeanor that commanded respect from the officers.

    “Inspector, inspector!” Lieutenant Khem, breathless, approached.

    “What is it, Lieutenant?”

    “…241 incident.”

    The sharp-eyed inspector looked at his subordinate silently before stepping away from the crowd. The code 241 meant a murder case.

    “Where?” the inspector asked.

    “In the forest, six kilometers from here. Seven human bodies were found hanging in the middle of the forest.”

    “Let’s go there. Secure the area, call in the forensics and the medical examiner to the scene. Make sure no one touches anything until I get there.”

    “Understood.”

    “Sergeant Singha, should we take the suspect back to the station?” a voice shouted from inside, catching Singha’s attention.

    “Yeah, handle it. Take the kids to the hospital for a check-up and call their guardians.” Singha mounted his black motorcycle and drove off, ignoring his subordinate chasing after him.

    “Inspector!!! The suspect is still in the area!!!”

    In the forest, outside the community, lit only by the full moon, leaves rustled without wind, even though there should have been insects chirping but the night was eerily silent except for the police officer’s own heavy breathing. He kept looking around nervously.

    Rustle.

    “What the heck!” he exclaimed, grabbing his baton in a flash, sweat trickling from his forehead and palms as fear gripped him. The human mind conjures what it fears the most and magnifies it in multiples.

    Scrape, scrape

    The chilling sound, like nails on wood, echoed from behind. He dared not turn to look, knowing that if he did, the sight of seven corpses hanging from the tree tops would haunt him forever.

    “Who’s there?!” The young officer squeezed his eyes shut, swinging his baton wildly. The chilly air did nothing to calm him; instead, it made him feel like he’d stepped into another world.

    ‘Sniff’

    A soft sob near his ear made his other senses sharpen as he closed his eyes. The newly appointed officer thought his job would be easy; he never imagined dealing with hair-raising murders.

    ‘Sniff, sob, sniff, sob, sniff, sob, sniff, sob, sniff, sob’

    From one to two, then three, until he couldn’t tell whose cries were whose. The only thing he knew was that they seemed so close, as if the weepers were surrounding him.

    “Get out, get out! Leave me alone!!” He swung his baton aimlessly until a firm hand stopped him.

    “What are you doing?”

    “Hey!!” The officer collapsed, muttering prayers, “Namo, namo tassa, namo tassa.” The gruff voice, laced with irritation, gradually calmed him.

    “Open your eyes.”

    “I..inspector!!”

    “What’s got you so spooked?”

    “I really heard voices, sir, like someone was here with me!!”

    “It must be that kid again.” Singha said, tossing the baton back to the person in front before walking into the crime scene. He looked up to see seven corpses hanging from the large branches of the surrounding trees in a circle. His sharp eyes scrutinized each dead face meticulously. The moonlight cast a glow that revealed red threads stitching shut both eyes and lips of the corpses. Some bodies looked like they had been dead for days, bloated and bruised, with skin splitting to reveal layers of flesh. Others were turning greenish-purple as they swelled, while some showed bruises as if they had just died recently.

    Singha looked down at a young, pale-skinned man illuminated by the moonlight, but not entirely clean as his hands and body were covered in bright red blood. The tall, slender figure trembled as he hugged his knees tightly. Singha couldn’t see his face because the young man kept his head down, mumbling something to himself.

    “Look up.”

    “I… I can’t…”

    “I told you to look up.”

    “I can’t do it. It’s not my fault.” Singha crouched down in front of the trembling young man, whose fear reminded him of someone else, a fear he had seen before. “I… I can’t do it… really, it’s work… it’s the ghost’s doing.”

    The young man looked up at Singha, and that alone made the young officer pause. His fair face, beautiful brown eyes framed by long lashes, a well-defined nose, and lips that seemed to shimmer with tears under the moonlight, filled Singha’s mind with questions.

    Questions like… what was this young man doing here?

    Soon, various units arrived at the scene, everyone shocked by the situation. A young forensic doctor approached his friend with a light pat on the shoulder.

    “Rough job, huh?”

    “Yeah.”

    “Judging by the state of the body, he didn’t die just a day or two ago. There are bruises and he’s starting to smell.”

    “Someone said that kid was at the crime scene.” Both turned to look at the young man, who was looking around in panic.

    “Have you seen the faces of the seven victims? This isn’t just an ordinary murder.” The forensic doctor remarked with curiosity.

    “Photograph all the evidence, then bring the body down. There’s only one set of footprints on the ground, and they match that kid’s size. The blood on him seems too fresh to be from the body, but he might have hurt someone before coming here. I’ll take him back to the station for blood sample analysis. You stay here.”

    “Does a person with a face like that do something like this?”

    “Any face can do terrible things.”

    Singha then went to direct his subordinates at the scene before returning to his vehicle. “Take him back to the station and detain him.”

    “Yes, inspector.”

    Singha glanced at the young man again. He seemed like he wanted to say something but remained silent. The young sergeant mounted his motorcycle, looking back at the crime scene one last time. The body hanging from the tree under the moonlight looked like a scene from a nightmare, but not for Singha.

       He had to solve this case to bring the culprit to justice.

      

    GODDESSBLESSYOUFROMDEATH CHAPTERS HOME

      

  • MONSTERNEXTDOOR, Special Chapter 5: Perspective of Young-Master

    MONSTERNEXTDOOR, Special Chapter 5: Perspective of Young-Master

       MONSTERNEXTDOOR, Special Chapter 5: Perspective of Young-Master

    I’m a turtle named “Young-Master”—not “young master” as in a noble person, but “young master” meaning shy.

    No need to know my age; let’s just say I’m as big as my owner’s palm now.

    I was rescued by Grandpa from a red basin when I was little, then moved to a new home in a clear fish tank filled with beautiful decorations. I’m happy playing with pebbles. I like eating vegetables, insects, and small fish.

    I love it when my owner takes me out to stroll on the balcony, soaking in the gentle sunlight and cool breeze.

    My owner’s name is Diew—meaning “alone”—a gentle, kind-hearted person with a soft, pleasant voice.

    I love my boss because my boss is a quiet person. My boss never raises their voice at me because they know I get startled easily. My boss often spends time reading books, listening to soft music, sometimes drawing, watching movies, and playing with me gently. My boss is my only friend. My life is peaceful—eating and sleeping, living in a small, quiet world.

    But one day, a giant monster suddenly invaded my boss’s world. It’s huge, loud, and loves startling both my boss and me. I nicknamed it “The Giant.” The Giant, bigger than my boss, loves making loud noises and glaring at me. Worse yet, The Giant likes teasing my boss. And today is another day when The Giant sits staring at me in front of my fish tank, making annoying faces. Some days, it sticks out its tongue or rolls its eyes at me. I glare back, refusing to back down.

    “Diew.”

    “Huh?”

    “Why is Young Master staring at me like that?”

    My boss walks over and stands next to The Giant, bending down to look at me. Just seeing my boss’s face makes me instinctively wiggle my front legs in greeting.

    “Is Young Master wondering what you are?”

    “Hey, are you sneakily insulting me?”

    “No, not at all.”

    My boss’s soft hand reaches out and scoops me up. I slightly tuck my neck into my shell out of instinct—not because I’m afraid my boss will hurt me, but because I’m scared of The Giant.

    “Want to hold him?”

    My boss offers me toward The Giant. As soon as it reaches out to take me, I quickly pull my head back into my shell. I don’t associate with someone who teases my boss.  “Oh, is Young Master scared of me?”

    I’m not scared. I just don’t like you! 

    “Hmm, maybe he’s not used to you. He doesn’t usually tuck his head in when he’s with me,” my boss says.

    When my boss pulls their hand back, I slowly poke my head out. 

    “Oh, there he is!”

    Then my boss offers me to The Giant again. I quickly retreat back into my shell. 

    “Wait, no, that’s not it.”

    “I think Young Master is definitely scared of me,” The Giant says. My boss’s laughter cheers me up. My boss places me in a clear plastic box, sets it on the bed, and sits down beside it. The Giant plops down on the other side of the box.

    The Giant leans over to look at me in the plastic box, reaching a finger toward my shell as if to scratch it. I quickly poke my head out and pretend I’m going to nip at it—not that I’d actually bite, just to tease.

    The Giant flinches and yanks its finger back fast.

    “Hey! Young Master was going to bite me!”

    “You have to be gentle. Turtles get startled easily,” my boss says.

    My boss takes The Giant’s finger and slowly guides it toward me. I don’t want it touching me at all, but I’ll let it slide for one day. If I accidentally bit and ended up nipping my boss, I’d definitely be hated.

    The Giant’s big finger touches my shell, guided by my boss’s hand.

    The pressure isn’t too heavy, and it feels oddly soothing.

    “It’s hard as a rock!”

    “Well, it’s a shell, how could it be soft?”

    “But this is a turtle, why is it soft?” The giant pulled his hand back and instead poked my master’s cheek.

    It’s a pity that in this life, I was born a turtle. If I had been born a dog, I’d bite that giant for daring to touch my master too much. What if my master accidentally chopped off his hand and died? What would I do then?

    I don’t really like the giant. From the first time I saw him, I felt an instant dislike. The giant always messes with my master, leaving my master with hardly any time to play with me.

    But the reason I let him get close to my master is because the giant once did me a favor.

    Back then, I was sick. My master took me to the vet, but it wasn’t my master who came to pick me up—it was the giant.

    The giant put me in a plastic box. He didn’t dare close the lid because he was afraid I couldn’t breathe. It was pouring rain at the time, and the giant hugged the box tightly, running to find shelter because he didn’t want the raindrops to hit me.

    “Sorry, young-master, it’s raining. Let’s take shelter for a bit, okay?”

    “Are you cold? Do turtles even get cold?”

    “We’ll be home soon. Just wait a little longer.”

    “Are you scared, young-master? You’ll see Diew soon, okay?”

    He’s just a loud, oversized human. Turtles aren’t that afraid of rain.

    What I’m scared of is the sound of thunder.

    But having the giant by my side in a moment like that was better than being alone, I suppose.

    Since then, I’ve toned down my dislike for the giant a little. At first, I wanted to bite him every time he got close, but I never really meant it. I just didn’t like how he kept meddling with my master.

    After playing for a while, my master put me back in the aquarium. Before long, the giant started bothering my master again. The giant loves messing with my master’s body and making my master cry out in pain.

    “Phii Godt…”

    “Good boy.”

    If anything happens to my master, I swear I’ll crawl out and bite his throat out.

    I woke up to the sound of rain hitting the glass door. I slowly stretched my neck out from my shell. The room was pitch dark, with only the faint light glowing near the aquarium.

    Is my master asleep?

    I hate it when it rains.

    Before I could finish the thought, a flash of light slipped through the curtains. I quickly pulled my head back into my shell in fear.

    I’m terrified of thunder. Every time it thunders, my master puts me in a box and lets me sleep beside him because my aquarium is near the glass door. I need the gentle morning sunlight, but when it rains, I hear the thunder loud and clear.

    Time passed, and I waited and waited, but my master didn’t get up to take me to sleep with him. I trembled inside my shell. The rain showed no sign of letting up, and what started as a low rumble turned into a deafening clap of thunder. I hurriedly moved to tap the pebbles in my tank, making a clinking sound to let my master know. He might be fast asleep, but I was so scared.

    Please, let my master wake up soon. 

    Creak.

    I heard movement from the bed through the darkness. I scrambled with joy, thinking my master was coming to take me to sleep with him. A shadowy figure approached, but then it turned out to be the giant’s face peering at me—not my master.

    “Scared, huh?”

    The giant looked at me for a moment. He walked over to the glass door and adjusted the curtains to block out any flashes of lightning. Then he came back to the aquarium, frowning as he thought.

    “What does Diew usually do when it thunders?”

    The giant didn’t go to wake up my master, but it seemed like he knew what to do. He walked away and returned with a plastic box. He placed the box on the table next to the fish tank, moved his hand toward me, then pulled back as if he’d forgotten something.

    “Don’t bite me, young-master. It’s close to the glass here, and it’s loud. Better to sleep on the bed.”

    The giant’s palm gently scooped me up. I cautiously tucked my neck into my shell a little, and the giant placed me in the plastic box softly while giving a happy smile.

    “You’re cute, young-master.”

    I’ve always been cute, obviously.

    The plastic box was carried and placed beside the bed. I heard my master mumbling softly.

    “Young-master, huh?”

    “Yeah, I saw young-master was scared, so I brought him to sleep here.”

    “How did you know to bring him here?”

    The giant turned to hug my master.

    “Because I’m awesome.”

    “Yeah, awesome.”

    “Give me a reward then.”

    The giant started fussing over my master again.

    “Phii Godt… I’m sleepy.”

    “But I’m not sleepy anymore. Young-master woke me up.”

    “Thanks, really. I was too exhausted to get up and bring young-master to sleep with me.”

    “Do we have to do this every time it rains heavily?”

    “Yeah, but if we put the fish tank here, it won’t get any sunlight.”

    “So cute, huh.”

    “So, young-master didn’t bite you anymore?”

    “Nope, I told young-master to behave, or I’d bite him instead.”

    The giant rambled on.

    I tucked my head into my shell. The sound of thunder, now quieter, let me sleep peacefully. Today, I’ll just ignore whatever the giant’s doing with my master because the giant was nice today.

    But on any other day, I wouldn’t let it slide. 

    END

     

       MONSTER NEXT DOOR CHAPTERS HOME

     

  • MONSTERNEXTDOOR, Special Chapter 4: Rabbit Phii Godt named this trip: ‘Diew’s New Beautiful World’

    MONSTERNEXTDOOR, Special Chapter 4: Rabbit Phii Godt named this trip: ‘Diew’s New Beautiful World’

       MONSTERNEXTDOOR, Special Chapter 4: Rabbit Phii Godt named this trip: ‘Diew’s New Beautiful World’

    After naming it, I smacked him until his back was bruised.

    He was acting like Aladdin and Jasmine, for sure.

    This was my first time traveling abroad, and Phii Godt chose for me to start with Japan.

    Besides me and Phii Godt, there were also Phii Wan and Phii Beert who came along.

    The main reason Phii Godt wanted to come on this trip was that there was a grand, star-studded One-Piece exhibition in Japan, celebrating some kind of anniversary that I didn’t know much about. Let’s just say Phii Godt was incredibly happy about it. After the exhibition, Phii Godt continued to the One-Piece theme park, the pirate amusement park he always wanted to visit but never had the chance because Phii Ton wouldn’t go. Once inside the park, Phii Godt put on a Luffy hat and ran around everywhere, not resting for even a minute.

    Phii Godt, it’s like he used all the money he saved up all year to splurge on One Piece collectibles. The price of each figure he bought and sent back home made me almost faint, but since it was his happiness, I didn’t stop him.

    The second reason was that Phii Godt wanted to broaden my horizons and show me the outside world.

    Ever since I graduated, I went back to work with my grandfather in Phuket, meeting Phii Godt only once a month because we were both busy with work. Phii Godt quit his old job to work with Phii Ton and also took on freelance gigs like modeling and starring in music videos, gaining many fans.

    The freelance work of Phii Godt and Phii Ton involves making travel videos, but this time with me, it wasn’t for work.

    Phii Godt said this time was for a ‘date.’

    We’ve been dating for over three years. I’ve been on hundreds of dates with Phii Godt. He holds the belief that every time we meet, it’s a date. He wants to make every day feel like the first day of our relationship.

    Sweeter than this would be Godzilla melting sugar.

    Yesterday, we spent the whole day with One Piece, so today we’re heading out of the city to spend time with nature.

    Okunoshima Island, that’s where we’re heading.

    I stood admiring the beautiful view at the dock, waiting for the boat to arrive, closing my eyes to breathe in the fresh air. The colors of Japan; there’s something about them that you can’t look away from.

    Normally, I would be content just looking at pictures on a computer screen.

    But experiencing it in real life is a whole different story.

    The colors of the houses and buildings aren’t flashy but rather warm tones that give a fluffy, all-encompassing feeling.

    The sound of the wind passing by my ears, the hair fluttering with the breeze, the chill on my skin. Now I understand why dogs love to stick their heads out of car windows when driving fast; the wind on your face and ears feels incredibly refreshing. The air is quite cold but not to the point of snow falling. Since getting off the plane, I haven’t even broken a sweat.

    The weather today is nice. So, I wore an oversized white T-shirt with fairly thick fabric. Phii Godt said that I look cute in this style, and after he complimented me once, my closet got filled with oversized T-shirts.

    Who bought them, you ask? That would be Phii Godt.

    The truth is, he doesn’t want me to wear tight clothes because he’s possessive. So, I got back at him by buying oversized shirts for him, and he wears them easily because he thinks he looks good in anything. Thus, we’ve inadvertently become an “oversized couple.”

    The weather today is quite chilly, so I layered with a thick, soft, light brown knitted cardigan I just bought. At first, I didn’t think it would keep me this warm since knitted cardigans have holes for air to pass through, but surprisingly, this cardigan keeps me warmer than a regular winter coat. For the lower half, I’m wearing long jeans and white sneakers for mobility, as I heard there’s cycling on Rabbit Island.

    Click

    I stood there with my eyes closed, taking in the air for a while when I heard the sound of a shutter. I turned to look at Phii Godt who had lowered his camera, his beautiful eyes fixed on me almost without blinking. Since getting off the plane, he’s taken hundreds of photos of me because I don’t like being photographed; Phii Godt resorts to taking candid shots, and he doesn’t intend to show them to anyone. He said he wants to keep them to look at when he misses me.

    “You look so cute dressed like this.”

    The owner of the deep voice came to stand beside me. He shook the bag of carrots and cabbage that we would feed to the rabbits to show me.

    “Lucky it’s not festival season, so there’s plenty.”

    I held Phii Godt’s hand, intertwining our fingers without any gap, his hand always warm while mine was ice-cold.

    As I’ve grown up, I’ve stopped caring much about how others look at us. I only care about Phii Godt’s gaze and the words of those close to us. That’s why when Phii Godt started working in the entertainment industry, it became normal for me.

    I just give him his space when he’s working, I don’t interfere. Phii Godt understands this well, and he never mixes work with our personal life. When we go out together, he knows how to behave.

    But now we’re abroad, and right now, I want to hold Phii Godt’s hand.

    “Are you cold?”

    I shook my head slightly.

    “I like this kind of weather, it’s pleasantly cool.”

    Phii Godt turned to look at me and was silent for a while before he set down the camera hanging around his neck and squeezed my nose, making me wrinkle my face.

    “Your nose is all red.”

    When it’s cold, my nose automatically turns red because I have very fair skin and easily get red-faced.

    Phii Godt always teases me, saying I’m like a tomato.

    Not long after, the ferry docked. The four of us stood on the deck, Phii Godt went to stand with Phii Beert, talking to each other. Phii Wan walked over to stand beside me, munching on snacks.

    “It’s cold,” Phii Wan complained, adjusting his jacket to cover himself, making him look even smaller.

    “Do you want a hot pack? I have some.”

    “It’s okay, the wind on the boat makes it cold.”

    We both stood silently watching the sea, letting the wind pass through our bodies.

    Since Phii Wan and Phii Beert announced they were a couple, I noticed Phii Wan had toned down his rough edges a lot. He seemed more easygoing, doing what he said, not complaining or arguing with Phii Beert as much. But with Phii Godt, he was still the same, always bickering.

    “How’s work going?” Phii Wan passed me a milk-flavored candy. I nodded in thanks and unwrapped it to put in my mouth.

    “It’s good, sometimes busy, sometimes not.”

    “I was thinking about quitting my job to work with Ton’s group.”

    “Huh. Don’t you like your job?” I seemed to recall Phii Godt mentioning that Phii Wan worked in an office, with a set schedule, forced to sit in front of a computer all day, which probably wasn’t his style.

    “Yeah, I’m bored with it, plus Ton is looking for an assistant.”

    “What about Phii Beert?”

    “Beert has become a professor now.”

    “Wow, that’s great.”

    Phii Wan yawned, rubbing his eyes a little.

    “I heard from Godt that you went back to talk to an old friend?”

    I hiccupped slightly; it’s not like I went back to have a real, serious conversation. We just greeted each other, asked about our well-being, but mostly it was Phii Pee who sent cat pictures.

    The cat I saved, Phii Pee let me name it, and as it stayed with Phii Pee, it got fatter and healthier until it became his partner’s favorite. I named that cat “Khun Chok” – “Mr. Lucky” because I found it and took care of it. He took the cat I rescued to raise. So, he often sends pictures of the cat for me to see.”

    “Doesn’t Godt get insanely jealous?”

    My face got hot hearing that. Jealous, of course. When he found out Phii Pee was back, Phii Godt gave me a thorough scolding, but after some time, he didn’t make much fuss about it because he knew in the end it was just friendship.

    “How could he not be jealous?”

    Phii Wan laughed with satisfaction.

    “You possessive little thing.”

    “Who are you talking about?” The large shadow that fell over both of us didn’t startle Phii Wan in the slightest.

    “You’re so possessive.”

    “Possessive about what?” Phii Godt seemed ready to pick a fight with Phii Wan. I shook my head, watching the two who were about to start bickering again.

    “Nothing.”

    “Don’t play dumb, Wan, tell me now!”

    What do you say, Beert? Some people are just too possessive, blinded by jealousy, like they’re afraid their partner might choose someone else over them.”

    “How could my partner choose someone else over me? Look at my face first, is there anyone as handsome as me for my partner to choose? With a smart, handsome boy like me, who could be my competition? I really pity my competitors.”

    “Ugh, so full of yourself, I heard you were so jealous you almost went to punch him. Good thing you didn’t, or I’d have to visit you in jail.”

    “Well, I felt like smacking him. If Beert patted someone else’s head, would you punch them?”

    Phii Wan choked, giving Phii Beert a side-eye. If Phii Godt was jealous, Phii Wan was a hundred times more so.

    “Punch him then, what are you waiting for?”

    “Oh please, I thought you’d be sure.”

    “Right now, on Rabbit Island?”

    “Come on, I’m not afraid.”

    “Asshole.”

    “Stop fighting, we’ve arrived.” Phii Beert raised his hand to stop the squabble as the ferry docked.

    No matter how many years go by, Phii Godt and Phii Wan still fight like they always have. But it’s funny, adds some color to life.

    As soon as I stepped off the boat, I could see rabbits almost everywhere, as if they were waiting for food. I quickly unwrapped some carrots and walked over to the fluffy creatures. With just the carrots, the rabbits came flocking.

    So adorable.

    Since it wasn’t a festival, there weren’t many people, so I had the chance to see rabbits hopping around me. Most were fully grown, nearly the size of cats, in various colors, but brown ones seemed to be the majority. The feeding area was a wide lawn with short grass, probably all eaten by the rabbits. It was so clean you could almost roll around on it, as they strictly prohibited littering, fearing the rabbits might think it’s food.

    I looked over at Phii Wan, who had sat down on the grass, feeding vegetables to a plump brown rabbit. I, on the other hand, encountered a snow-white rabbit. When I offered it a carrot, it quickly moved closer, clinging to my leg as if it wanted to climb onto my lap.

    Everyone seemed to enjoy feeding the rabbits, making small noises to call them over, except for Phii Godt, whom the rabbits completely ignored.

    “Why won’t the rabbits eat my food?”

    Phii Godt complained to Phii Wan, who was sitting not far away, giving him a malicious smile in response.

    “Because your face looks like you might eat the rabbit.”

    “Asshole, Wan!”

    “Or maybe your face is too fierce, so they run away.”

    “Are you picking a fight with me? Come on then, let’s go.”

    “No way, feel sorry for the rabbits, they must be tired of looking at such a loser.”

    “Beert, shove some carrots in your wife’s mouth, she’s annoying.”

    “Try sitting still, Godt, walking around like that, the rabbits think you’re going to kick them.” Phii Beert suggested, but no matter how still Phii Godt sat, the rabbits wouldn’t come close, as if they were afraid he might eat them like Phii Wan said. When he turned to look at me surrounded by fluffy rabbits, Phii Beert couldn’t help but laugh.

    “Look at that.”

    “Look at what?”

    “All the rabbits are with him now.”

    Khun Godzilla turned to look at me, petting a white rabbit, surrounded by at least six fat bunnies. Phii Godt sighed and smiled at me.

    “You’re like Snow White for real.”

    I didn’t know why the rabbits ran to me; the carrots in both mine and Phii Godt’s hands were from the same source.

    Maybe they didn’t taste the same, so the rabbits wouldn’t eat Phii Godt’s.

    It turned out that on this trip to Rabbit Island, Phii Godt didn’t get to touch a single rabbit. When he tried to get close, they would jump away; even when he tempted them with carrots, they preferred to eat from others. So, he resignedly switched to taking pictures of me playing with the rabbits.

    “It’s like they know, who’s good and who’s bad,” Phii Wan blurted out.

    “I’m good too, right?”

    “Not you, Wan, but if I were a rabbit, I’d run to him too.”

    “Why?”

    “We look alike.”

    “Pfft!” Both Phii Godt and Phii Beert burst out laughing at the same time. I, on the other hand, turned to look at the rabbit, furrowing my brows.

    Do we look alike?

    Do we look alike, Rabbit?

    It was an hour where Phii Godt tried so hard to catch a rabbit for a photo, but he couldn’t. Seeing that, I felt sorry for him.

    Phii Godt isn’t really a mean person, but he seems to emit some kind of heat aura around him that keeps animals at a distance. I remember when we went to feed the birds, not only did they ignore the food in Phii Godt’s hand, but they also pooped on his shoulder.

    A true animal repellent.

    There’s also Young-Master, who, when Phii Godt tried to pick him up, would retract into his shell as if he didn’t want to get to know him. And the cats around the dormitory would always turn their faces away from Phii Godt whenever he tried to play with them. The only one brave enough to get close to him is Charcoal.

    Oh, and there’s Lucky, his own pet, who comes to him without being called.

    I pulled out the last carrot from the bag and offered it to a light-brown rabbit in front of me, which immediately ran over. I petted the rabbit to get it used to my touch before calling Phii Godt to come closer.

    The rabbits here aren’t afraid of people, but you have to be careful when playing with them. If you’re not careful, you might get bitten. I didn’t dare pick it up, so I tried to keep it still so that when Phii Godt approached, it wouldn’t run away.

    “Try to touch it gently,” Phii Godt sat down beside me, trying not to make any noise that would scare the rabbit away.

    “It’ll run from me.”

    “Try it. I’ve got it. It won’t run.” He slowly placed his hand on the rabbit’s head and petted it gently, looking happy to finally be able to touch a rabbit after chasing them for so long.

    When Phii Godt holds the rabbit, it looks tiny because his hands are so big.

    Looking at the happy face of the person beside me, who was smiling and talking softly to the rabbit, it seemed like he had a special love for rabbits. We don’t often see this animal-loving side of him. He’s okay with all kinds of animals, but with rabbits, his eyes lit up.

    And then:

    “Do you want to keep one? We could buy one to take home.”

    “Do I even have time to take care of one?”

    I made a face at him. True. Both of us barely have any free time; even now, I hardly have time to play with Young-Master. After work, I’m tired, go home, shower, and collapse into bed. Wake up, and it’s back to work!

    It’s a pity, but they’re really cute. If Phii Godt could keep one, he would be very happy.

    “But if we keep one at Ton’s workplace, it would be fine.”

    I gave him a sparkling look, and the big guy laughed softly, ruffling my hair until it was messy before fixing it back into place, as he always does.

    “We’ll play with it when we get back from Phuket.”

    “Have you named it yet?”

    “This time, let him name it.”

    “What color are you going to buy?”

    “What color do you want?”

    “White, or brown is fine.”

    “Then I’ll buy white. And what about the name?” Phii Godt stood up after Phii Beert called him to go cycling. I let go of the fluffy one, watching it hop away to join the others.

    White, huh?

    We already have Young-Master, Khun Smile, and Khun Godzilla.

    What should we choose?

    “Snow White.” The person in front of me brushed my hair behind my ear and spoke that name.

    It was another moment where, when looking at my face, he seemed to think of a name, and I agreed with it.

    “Khun Snow.”

    I smiled happily before the two of us followed Phii Beert and Phii Wan.

    Khun Snow White, Khun Snow… such beautiful names.

    I’m the happiest to have met Phii Godt. If I hadn’t met him, I wouldn’t have had the chance to stand in such a beautiful place, wouldn’t have encountered these rabbits, and wouldn’t have seen how much Phii Godt really loves these rabbits.

    My pinky finger intertwined with the pinky of the tall person walking next to me, swinging back and forth like children.

    I love him so much.

    I flopped down onto the soft bed, exhausted. Not used to exercising, after cycling around the island, my legs were completely worn out. Meanwhile, the one who exercises regularly looked so happy. Phii Godt once said that if he doesn’t exercise, he can’t sleep, like exercising makes him feel refreshed. If he can’t go to the gym, when he comes to my place or back when we lived in the dorm, he would do push-ups, situps, or jump squats.

    After dinner, we headed straight back to the hotel. I quickly showered and lay on the bed, unwrapping toys. In Japan, there’s something to spend money on almost everywhere, and there are plenty of cute things around. Initially, I decided not to buy toys to take back home, but in the end, I got carried away and bought a bag full.

    Just a while ago, I stood with Phii Wan for half an hour pressing the button for the cat that hangs on the edge of a cup.

    Crack

    The sound of the bathroom door opening came with the tall man stepping out. Since we’ve been together, I’ve noticed one habit that he just can’t shake – he doesn’t like to wear a shirt in the bathroom. He prefers to come out shirtless and put his shirt on outside. He can put on his pants but insists on shirtless while he is inside the room, I don’t get why. But every time I see Phii Godt’s physique, I have to look away. He’s got a really good body. No excess fat at all, you could say he’s handsome from head to toe without any fault.

    Well, except for one flaw – he’s incredibly self-absorbed.

    Phii Godt, who had just come out of the bathroom, yawned widely.

    “Are you sleepy?”

    He shook his head, turning to grab something from a paper bag on the table. It seemed like something he bought while I was busy with Phii Wan pressing the gachapon machine outside the hotel.

    “What did you buy?”

    The big guy grinned mischievously, hiding whatever he took out from the bag behind his back. Phii Godt sat down on the bed, then put the item on my head, laughing with delight.

    “So cute.”

    “What is this?”

    I pulled it off my head; it was a pair of long, soft white rabbit ears.

    A rabbit headband…

    “I didn’t get to play with rabbits today, so let me play with you a bit.” He said, trying to put the headband back on me. In the end, it ended up back on my head.

    Who said men can’t like cute things? I’d hit them. Phii Godt here really likes cute stuff.

    “You’re too big, rabbits are probably scared.”

    “Wait and see.”

    I let my head rest on my arm and lay on my side to look at him.

    “I don’t know either. Since I was little, it’s like there’s some kind of attraction that draws animals to me.”

    “Maybe Wan was right. You look like rabbits.”

    “How so?”

    Phii Godt gave a light kiss on my forehead, his warm hand brushing over my face before moving to play with my ears, making me squirm a little from the tickling sensation.

    “Eyes, nose, mouth, all like a rabbit.”

    After saying that, he pressed a kiss onto my lips, teasingly nibbling at them as if he had fangs. The taller figure flipped over to straddle my body, starting with gentle kisses that gradually grew heavier, his breaths deepening with the rising tide of emotion.

    When it comes to kissing, I can’t compete with Phii Godt at all. Even when we’re arguing, one kiss from him wipes my mind clean—I forget what we were even fighting about. All I can do is let out muffled hums from my throat, following his lead. His kisses pull me in every time he presses his lips to mine, soft and warm, as if they’re sweeping every thought from my head, leaving them drifting away.

    Phii Godt pulled his lips back, then planted light kisses on my forehead, my nose, and the tip of my chin.

    “Do you like it, going on trips like this?”

    “Mhm.”

    “I’ll bring you on trips more often then.”

    “I’d go anywhere… as long as you’re there.” I averted my gaze, feeling a flush of shyness creeping up. Phii Godt let out a low chuckle before beginning to play a symphony of love across my body.

    “The older you get, the cuter you are, you know that?”

    “You tell me I’m cute a hundred times a day—how could I not know?”

    “Want more?” He pressed a kiss to the slope of my shoulder, tugging down my oversized shirt.

    Lately, I’ve started to think he likes me wearing oversized clothes because it’s easier for him to maneuver—pull it down just a little, and my shoulder’s already exposed. I raised the back of my hand to cover my face as Phii Godt trailed his lips across my body, tasting every inch, murmuring that deep, soothing word over and over.

    “Cute, cute, cute, cute.”

    My heart pounded in my chest, my body burning so fiercely I couldn’t refuse anything. I could hear the sound of his kisses and the soft parting of his lips from my skin, the creak of the bed as another body shifted. Every time those soft lips touched me, every fiber of my being seemed to respond, as if it could only be his touch—only his—that could make my body react like this.

    Phii Godt shifted closer, pressing his nose to my cheek. Seizing the moment, I grabbed his neck, pulling him in, pressing my lips to the tip of his nose, his cheek, his chin, his forehead, his eyelids—loving everything that he is.

    “You’re cute too, cute, cute, cute.”

    He repeats it, and I’m no different.

    Whether in a small square room or the vast wide world, no matter where I go, no matter where I am on this earth— As long as Phii Godt is by my side,

    The world is bright. 

     

        MONSTER NEXT DOOR CHAPTERS HOME

  • MONSTERNEXTDOOR, Special Chapter 3: Beert X Wan, Friends Turning Into Lovers

    MONSTERNEXTDOOR, Special Chapter 3: Beert X Wan, Friends Turning Into Lovers

       MONSTERNEXTDOOR, Special Chapter 3: Beert X Wan, Friends Turning Into Lovers.

    Beert had set a rule for himself not to like friends, not to love friends, not to let friendships turn sour because of relationships.

    He forgot all those rules today.

    Since when did being friends evolve into something more than just friendship? He couldn’t pinpoint the exact time. He just felt that his relationship with Wan had changed.

    From constantly arguing, he began to yield even when the other was being stubborn.

    He started complaining about things he never used to because he was concerned.

    He got involved in matters he would have ignored before, just to prevent the other from crying in sadness.

    The young man with the sun-like gaze looked at his best friend, whom he spent nearly every moment with, 24 hours a day, hardly ever apart. The small, defiant-faced boy with dark brown hair blowing in the wind as they sat by the water in the evening.

    Wan was saying something, but his mind wasn’t focusing.

    All he cared about was that happy smile.

    Since he confessed his feelings for Wan, everything has remained the same. They didn’t officially become a couple, but they were still close friends who were never far apart. The only slight difference was that Wan’s reactions had softened by about half.

    Is that a good thing, or not?

    If it were before, whenever he said something, his stubborn friend would argue back with all his might. Whether it was about food or daily life, Wan was the type who never yielded if he wasn’t in the wrong, doing everything his own way and speaking more straightforwardly than a ruler. Sometimes, his words could sting, but once you got close, especially with friends, you’d find that deep down, he had a good heart; he would admit his mistakes and never shirk responsibility.

    After the confession, Wan didn’t argue with him as much; strangely, he would comply even while grumbling. Beert used to think, “Maybe it’s nothing, maybe he’s just grown up or understands more,” but when he saw Wan with other friends, he was still fiercely argumentative, especially with Godt, not giving an inch.

    He would take that as a good sign.

    Beert raised his phone to take a picture of the other when he wasn’t looking, everything in the frame looked perfect. Whether it was his eyes, nose, mouth, face, or the way he chatted animatedly as the sun was setting, the orange hue of the sky.

    Wan has always been in his sight.

    During happiness, during sadness, when he needed someone by his side, though he always claimed he could be alone.

    How could he let him be alone, especially when he looked so pitiful when he cried?

    Especially when he saw Wan crying his heart out over that person, the one who left, the one who never looked back since then. Wan seemed out of sorts. He looked happy on the outside, laughing and cheerful like before, but inside he was wounded, a scar that would never heal.

    Maybe since then, when Wan hurt, he felt hurt too.

    Maybe since then, he felt like he wanted to protect him, to be by his side always.

    Wan and sadness just don’t go together at all.

    “Beert, are you listening?”

    The cheerful voice of the person beside him snapped Beert out of his daydream. Beert responded to his close friend softly.

    “Hmm?”

    “He said he’s about to enter the room.”

    “Why is he coming in, did he forget something?”

    “He forgot some clothes or something, let’s go buy something to eat before going in to meet him.”

    He nodded to the person standing up, Wan stood with slight laziness, looking down at his friend who was busy rolling up the mat.

    “Beert.”

    “Hmm?”

    “You’ve got grass in your hair.”

    “Huh?”

    Before he could react, the smaller person moved closer and pulled out a dry piece of grass from his hair, not just pulling it out but also showing it to him with a mischievous smile.

    “How do you sit so that grass ends up on your head, or did you sit on your head?”

    “Who would be crazy enough to sit on their head?”

    Beert shook his head at the playful tease, quickly tying up the mat and slinging it over his shoulder, about to stand when Wan extended his hand in front of him.

    His eyebrows furrowed in confusion at the hand; for a hundred days and years, he had never thought to help him stand, always just pushing him down to sit on the ground. Why today was he reaching out? And even wiggling his fingers.

    “Don’t you want to hold my hand, or are you afraid it’s dirty?”

    Wan looked at his best friend who wouldn’t lift his hand to touch, as if he was afraid of germs. He glanced down at his own right hand. It’s not dirty, is it? He had just been sitting on the mat. He hadn’t touched anything, or was it because he was afraid of sweat? Realizing this, he quickly wiped his hand on his shirt and extended it forward again.

    “Oh, I wiped it.”

    Beert gave a small smile and placed his hand on Wan’s. He wasn’t afraid of dirt, just a bit stunned. He made sure not to grip too hard since Wan’s hand was significantly smaller than his. Soon, he managed to stand up straight with Wan’s help, the warmth spreading from the contact made him want to pull the person in front of him into a hug.

    Normally, Wan would have shaken his hand off and walked away by now. But for some reason today, he kept holding on, not letting go. Beert looked down at his hand being held by the other.

    “Your hand is really big.”

    “Is that bad?”

    “No, it’s just much bigger than mine.” As he said this, he turned his hand over to compare sizes, making the taller one’s heart skip a beat. These cute moments were rare, and he truly wanted to record it with his phone.

    But even without the phone, he remembered every detail in his mind.

    “Do you want a big hand?” His deep voice asked softly, and Wan shook his head.

    “No, I’m just jealous when you play basketball and catch the ball so accurately. Look at my hand, what can it catch?”

    “Something.”

    Catching me perfectly, that’s what.

    Beert’s brief words seemed meaningless on the surface, but they were loaded with several implications. Their eyes met long enough to understand each other’s unspoken meanings. As expected, Beert didn’t need to explain further because once Wan understood, he quickly let go of the hand, turning away to clear his throat in embarrassment.

    “Let’s go?”

    After saying that, the smaller one walked ahead, his steps brisk and quick before slowing down for the other to catch up. Beert smiled, a smile that made Wan turn around to pinch his arm.

    Even these small changes, he could notice.

    And he was happy with these little things.

    “You guys were outside for so long, I’ve been here for ages.”

    Bel was complaining about the two friends who had just returned to the condo, they had set a meeting at 6 PM. Who knows where they had gone to buy food, it was past midnight by the time they got back to the room. Judging by the things in their hands, they must have gone shopping to relax. When Wan heard this, he turned and glared at him.

    “Why are you here now? Didn’t you have an appointment with Ton?” “Oh come on, I had to come back for my clothes first, didn’t I, Wan? I forgot everywhere except in this room where two ‘married’ people live. Do you think I wanted to interrupt?” The smaller one even hiccupped.

    “I’ll hit you if you keep talking.”

    “Don’t! Don’t start anything!”

    The door was kicked open by the owner of the room with a loud bang, accompanied by the noisy bickering of the two.

    Wan and Bel, if they were always together, they would probably end up really fighting one day.

    Since graduating, Beert, Wan, Bell, and Ton have kept in touch. The four of them still hang around the university area on the outskirts of the city. Only Godt and Biu moved out to work in the city near Ladprao. Even though Godt comes back to the university area every week, no one sees him because he spends all his time with Nong Diew.

    Bell works as a tutor teaching the younger students, while Ton works at the faculty. Meanwhile, Wan and Beert chose to pursue their master’s degrees at the same university, in the same faculty and department.

    Since they had to study together for another two years but didn’t want to continue renting the old dorm with its ineffective air conditioning and noisy environment, they decided to rent a condo near the back of the university instead.

    “How’s it going, Beert?” Bell turned to ask the person arranging things in the fridge. Meanwhile, his sparring partner had already gone into the bathroom.

    “How’s what? I’m fine.”

    “Sure, your face doesn’t look too fine though.”

    The one who knows too much tightened the paper bag against himself, while Beert closed the fridge and turned to frown at his friend.

    “What?”

    “Your face says, ‘When will Wan like you?’”

    Beert went quiet, just giving a smile before turning his attention back to arranging things in the small kitchen.

    He wasn’t in any rush; for something like this, the more you rush, the more it falls apart, especially with someone as stubborn as Wan. If he tried to force him to do something he didn’t want to do, it could only lead to chaos.

    “I didn’t hear that.”

    “It’s up to you, but shouldn’t things move forward by now?”

    “Move forward how much?”

    “Just enough to officially be a couple. Or is Wan not agreeing?”

    “I haven’t asked yet.”

    “Sigh. Are you sure you’re happy with how things are? I know you, Beert, you wouldn’t want to force Wan, but is this really enough? This super ambiguous ‘best friend’ status?”

    Before they could talk further, the other person emerged from the bathroom, his lips humming a tune in good spirits. Wan looked up from his phone screen, noticing the two with their worried expressions.

    “What’s wrong? Why the long faces?”

    “Oh, nothing,” Bell quickly deflected, “But who were you talking to?” Seeing Wan giggle at his phone, Bell, the friend who loved to meddle, couldn’t let it go.

    “Why? Who I talk to is none of your business.”

    “Really? But you’re smiling from ear to ear.”

    “None of your business!”

    “Look at him, Beert, talking to his new fling again.”

    “Let Wan talk to whoever he wants.”

    The room fell silent immediately.

    Bell glanced at Beert, whose face had fallen, and the warm-hearted guy turned away to busy himself with tidying up, pretending there was a lot to do. It was clear from his actions that he was thinking about something. As for Wan, his eyes had turned into those of a hungry ghost.

    Seeing this, Bell sighed.

    It wasn’t really about him, but seeing the good guy sad, Bell couldn’t help but feel sympathetic.

    It’s pitiful that friends end up secretly liking each other, but the point is, even after confessing for so long, there’s still no official relationship. They live in the same room, study together, sleep together, kissed how many times? What do you call this if not a couple? Friends with benefits? A close male friendship?

    When other friends see the way Beert looks at Wan, it’s crystal clear, but the way Wan looks at Beert is still just like looking at a friend, no different from before. Sometimes, Bell wanted to remind Wan to make his feelings clear. To stop chatting with girls. Beert wouldn’t say it out loud, “I’m jealous,” or “You need to be clear, Wan,” or “Do you like me, Wan?” Whatever Wan does, if it doesn’t bother others, it’s generally okay.

    He didn’t want to think about what would happen if someone new came into the picture, wouldn’t that make things even worse?

    “I should go,” Bell lightly shrugged and patted his friend’s shoulder, thinking but not saying out loud. This wasn’t the first time Bell wanted to speak up, but he refrained out of consideration for Beert, preferring him to make his own decisions. But this time, the signs were clear. It was obvious that Beert was upset, not that Bell was exaggerating, but this kind of thing needed a little push. Seeing Wan’s oblivious expression made Bell unhappy.

    He acted like he felt nothing, could say nonchalantly that he could talk to whoever he wanted, but when someone was close to Beert, he got possessive, not wanting Beert to mingle with others. If he didn’t like him, what would you call this? Jealousy? Friend jealousy? How jealous, moving into the dorm wasn’t just because someone from the same class brought snacks to Beert every day, right? Making excuses about noise, that’s bad behavior. If Godt and Biu found out, he wouldn’t survive; they’d curse him out for two days straight.

    Beert is almost ready for monkhood. If you don’t accept his love this lifetime, I bet he’ll really become a monk one day, and if he does, don’t come crying to me.

    “Beert.”

    “Hmm, what?”

    “When I have some free time, I’ll bring Miaow to see you, she really likes you.”

    Beert furrowed his brows looking at his friend, his brain not processing what Bell was talking about.

    “Miaow, don’t you remember Miaow? The one who gave you a gift at graduation. If you don’t remember, it’s okay, I’ll bring her to meet you, maybe you can get close. Not that I want you to talk about anything special, just for future support.”

    He left that bomb and quickly left the room.

    The taller one watched as his friend walked out, Bell humming a tune cheerfully, and even before shutting the door, he winked, still confusing but with the understanding that Bel was trying to provoke Wan. Because he didn’t know Miaow, couldn’t remember who she was, the only people who gave him gifts were juniors he knew.

    When he turned back to look at the other person in the room, the displeased glance sent his way, the face tight as if he’d just eaten a hornet, clearly showed that Bel had successfully stirred him up.

    Wan didn’t say anything, just briskly walked into the bedroom.

    He got upset.

    Should he follow and explain that he doesn’t know Miaow, that what Bel said was just to provoke Wan? But then again, judging by that irritated look, Wan probably didn’t want to be bothered right now, so he decided to finish organizing the stuff, his gaze drifting out the window.

    Just like Bel said, he had confessed long ago. Why hadn’t the relationship progressed at all? But he didn’t dwell on it too much. Just confessing was enough. Not being scolded for it was enough. Just that the other allowed him to continue being a part of his life was more than enough.

    Is that really enough?

    Bell’s words echoed in his mind again.

    It is… as long as Wan is still by his side. Doesn’t go to someone else.

    Doesn’t get close to someone else. Doesn’t like someone else. Even if

    Wan doesn’t say he likes him, just being by each other’s side is enough.

    But what guarantees that Wan won’t like someone else?

    A sense of insecurity began to creep into Beert’s heart bit by bit. He knew Wan had many friends, was a social person much like Godt. Wan was good at flirting; if someone were to fall for him, it wouldn’t be surprising.

    Was it his fault? He had confessed, but he never stopped anything, never showed signs of jealousy or sadness when Wan talked about other people. If Wan smiled with others, wasn’t that good?

    How is that good… how can that be good when all he wanted was to be the one making Wan smile more than anyone else?

    With someone who barely talks, scolds when he behaves badly, and hardly has any fun stories to tell, how could he make Wan smile every day?

    The more he thought, the more his head hurt. The young man with the sun-like gaze slumped on the sofa, turning on the TV to drown out the turmoil in his mind. The cooking show, which usually entertained him, didn’t feel fun today.

    He tried not to think, tried not to expect, because he knew it would lead to heartbreak.

    He respected Wan’s decisions. Whatever Wan decided, he had to accept it because when he first started liking him, he didn’t expect anything in return. Just wanting Wan to be happy every day was enough!

    For nearly half an hour, Beert didn’t move, just staring blankly at the

    TV screen, alone, until the bedroom door opened, revealing the stubborn face of the other peeking out. Wan looked at the person lost in thought on the sofa; even when he opened the door, Beert didn’t seem to notice. Normally, Beert wasn’t like this. Even though he didn’t talk much, he never sat brooding or zoning out, especially not during his favorite cooking show.

    Why didn’t he call him to watch today? Usually, they watch it together.

    Or was he upset about what he said to Bell, about talking to whoever and it being none of his business? Beert knew he wasn’t talking to anyone; these days, it was just the close group of friends. The laughter was because he stumbled upon something funny on Twitter.

    But who would believe that? Before Beert confessed, his chats were never empty for a single day.

    Why does he have to look so sad?

    Seeing him like that was even more irritating; he wouldn’t even come to clear up the Miaow issue. He knew that someone like Beert wouldn’t go for a woman. How many years have they been friends? Beert never spoke more than ten words to any woman except Biu, why wouldn’t he know? Since he confessed his feelings, he hasn’t looked at anyone else but him, but he couldn’t act right. They sleep together every day, look into each other’s eyes every day, play around every day, live together every day, but after the confession, he couldn’t just act the same.

    Thinking back to the time he had a fight with Tan, Wan’s face turned red up to his ears. During that time, he was never in his right mind. He didn’t know when Beert started liking him more than just as a friend. If it was during the fight with Tan, there were so many incidents he couldn’t even count.

    Waking up to find himself hugging his friend’s waist, dazed to the point of undressing and sleeping like that. Not to mention during their playful times, they had crossed some boundaries. How could they look each other in the eye after that?

    He was worried that Beert felt bad because he hadn’t made anything clear yet, even after all this time it was still the same.

    What was still the same?

    He had never yielded to anyone like he did to Beert. Just because he didn’t say he liked him out loud, it didn’t mean he didn’t.

    Wan furrowed his brows looking at the person sitting on the sofa, letting out a sigh. What was he thinking about? Today was Sunday, and they usually watched TV together on Sundays, yet here he was, not even inviting him to watch TV together.

    The smaller one walked out of the room with a stern face, sat down next to his best friend, and handed him a piece of paper, one torn from a notebook. It looked crumpled as if Wan had written it on the bed.

    Beert took the paper, bending down to read the message written in shaky handwriting:

    “Are you tired of loving someone like me? Are you tired of not getting anything in return? I’m sorry for not being clear. It’s not that I don’t like you. I just don’t know how to say it.”

    His tired eyes widened upon reading the message, turning to look at the other who was awkwardly scratching his cheek. Wan sat with his knees up, looking even smaller than he already was, staring at his feet, moving them back and forth.

    “Beert.”

    “Hmm?”

    “Are you… angry?”

    “Angry about what?”

    “About me scolding Bell, saying whoever I talk to is none of his business.”

    “Not at all.”

    “But you… your face looked off. And you said I could talk to anyone and just let it go…”

    Beert shook his head to indicate he wasn’t angry, but Wan knew better. After living together for so long, how could he not know what the person beside him was thinking? If he wasn’t genuinely feeling bad, he wouldn’t be sitting there so dejected.

    “I’m not flirting with anyone, I swear,” the smaller one said, raising three fingers in a pledge, glancing at his friend briefly.

    “Who you talk to is your right.”

    “I really wasn’t flirting to anyone, just scrolling through Twitter for fun and laughed at something funny. You can check my phone if you want.”

    “Sure. I’m not angry or anything.”

    “I haven’t flirted with anyone since you said you liked me.”

    They both fell silent, letting the awkward atmosphere envelop them. The TV’s sound still filled the room, easing the tension for Wan, whose heart was now beating faster and faster.

    “Beert.”

    “Hmm?”

    Not saying ‘I like you’ doesn’t mean I don’t like you.” His voice was hesitant as he buried his face in his knees, “It’s just that… we’ve been friends for a long time, so close that we know everything about each other. It feels weird to suddenly make it official, you know what I mean?”

    “Yeah, I understand.”

    “But if you… want to be my boyfriend… need a clear status…”

    “Do you want to?”

    Beert was stunned for a moment. He questioned in his mind what was happening, why suddenly everything had changed like this. Or was it because Wan was afraid he would be angry? He wasn’t angry at Wan, how could he be? It was just a small sense of insecurity.

    “Do you want to?” Wan repeated, making Beert smile. But this smile, Wan probably didn’t see, a smile that expressed deep happiness from the bottom of his heart, a smile he’d never given to anyone else. He was grateful Wan was looking down; otherwise, he would have been even more embarrassed.

    I want to, I really want to.

    “It’s up to you, do you want to?”

    “I’m asking you, why are you turning it back on me?”

    I don’t want to force it. We don’t have to be official. Just being together, eating together, discussing things, not liking anyone else, that’s enough.”

    The smaller one pushed his friend’s head until he tilted.

    “Everything you’ve said, are we already a couple?”

    “That’s right.” Beert laughed softly, his warm and bright laugh making the one who was looking down raise his head to look at him.

    There seemed to be some kind of magnetic attraction that slowly drew Wan closer to the other person. Beert was handsome. Although not as handsome as Godt, his character was beyond perfect; handsome, kind, calm. This gentleness, he didn’t want others to see, didn’t want him to be gentle with others, didn’t want him to smile at others, didn’t want these warm hands to touch anyone else.

    Their personalities were so different; Wan was self-centered, prone to outbursts, to the point where he didn’t even like his own nature, but Beert never complained. Never criticized, always indulged him.

    Who else in the world would indulge him like this?

    Even though he indulged him, he never let him get spoiled; whenever he did something wrong, he would admonish him. They might argue sometimes, but within a day, they’d be talking like before because of this kind of closeness. He felt comfortable being by his side.

    And that promise he made, to like him one day…

    Before he knew it, Wan pressed his lips against the other’s, the taller one’s eyes widening in surprise. The light touch, like a soft cotton ball at first, gradually turned into something warm and blazing, like a newly lit stove. The taste of sweetness, flavored with the orange scent that the other liked to eat, their breaths mingled, not wanting to part, as if they were trying to embrace feelings that couldn’t be expressed in words.

    Wan moved to straddle his friend, the friend he promised to like one day, the deeper the kiss, the closer they got, the more they craved each other, repeatedly, from a light kiss, the tip of his tongue began to touch the lower lip of Beert, while the other kissed back with equal fervor, not letting the other one have his way.

    The heat that was slowly building enveloped both their bodies; the air conditioning did nothing to cool them down. The stubborn one wrapped his arms around Beert’s neck; this kiss, led by Wan, was a complete confession that all this time, he had fully accepted this love.

    Yielding to almost everything, obeying in many matters, his mind was always on this person.

    Beert’s hands pulled the person in his embrace closer by the waist, the soft moan from Wan was something he never dreamt he would hear, the sweetness that made his heart race. Before Wan pulled away, laying his head on his friend’s broad shoulder, the smaller one’s shoulders moved up and down, exhausted, as if this kiss was like being forced by a teacher to run laps around the field.

    “Beert.”

    The sound of labored breathing along with a soft but clear call of his name reached the other person. Beert held Wan’s waist tight, responding with a hum in his throat as an acknowledgment. Wan wouldn’t lie down flat, instead clinging to him like a koala.

    “When I kiss other people, I’ve never felt like this before.”

    The words made the listener frown; the one in his arms was quite experienced, but was this really the time to bring up such things? It was quite good at killing the romantic mood.

    “And how do you feel now?”

    “Hot.”

    Wan grumbled, yet he didn’t let go of his friend’s neck.

    The sound of breathing beside his ear was so intense that even someone like Beert could barely stand it.

    “Beert.”

    “Hmm?”

    For some reason, Wan was acting very clingy today, calling his name repeatedly.

    “Beert.”

    “What?”

    “Don’t go looking for a Miaow.” Beert almost choked and then burst out laughing, earning him a slap on the back from Wan.

    He thought he was worried about something else, but it turned out he was worried about what Bell said about bringing over someone named Miaow. He didn’t even know anyone named Miaow, nor had he ever wanted to meet one. Because he already had this ‘cat’ here.

    After today, he’d have to thank Bell for helping Wan become more aware of his feelings. Even though he didn’t expect Wan to change, seeing him act cute and clingy like this, maybe he should have asked Bel for help long ago. They had kept their feelings bottled up for so long, but even then, they never wanted to part. However, just one day was enough to make things clearer.

    “If you don’t want me to go looking for Miaow, then meow for me.” “You…”

    “If not, I’ll go look for Miaow.”

    He was just teasing. He didn’t mean to do it for real; there was no way Wan would do something like that.

    Beert rested his chin on Wan’s shoulder, embracing his close friend, not wanting to let go, exhaling a relieved breath onto his shoulder, smiling happily.

    There was no need to be flamboyant. He loved Wan just the way he was, loved that Wan was Wan.

    No matter how many years pass, no matter if their status is just close friends, they would always know they were more than just close friends. Even if not officially a couple, they knew they were each other’s special person and neither wanted to let the other go.

    “Um…”

    “Hmm?” Beert looked at the person whose face and ears were red in his embrace, Wan made a soft, hesitant sound as if trying to say something.

    “Miaow…”

    He didn’t mishear, did he?… Did Wan just meow?

    “Meow.”

    “Huh?”

    “You’re laughing!”

    Beert wanted to slap himself for not being able to hold back his laughter, but it was genuinely funny. Was he so afraid he’d go for Miaow that he’d even meow? They’ve been together all this time, and he thought he was cute, but he could be even cuter, to the point where his heart could barely handle it.

    The sharp nose pressed against Wan’s shoulder, swaying slightly. The more he laughed, the more he was scolded by the cat, with the nails of the person in his arms digging into his back along with the irritated voice.

    “With this cat here, if you go for another, you won’t die well.”

    How could he go for anyone else? With Wan being this cute?

    His little cat.

    “Beert…”

    “Hmm?”

    “From now on, we’re officially a couple.”

    Couple… the clear status that came out from the other’s mouth almost made him unable to hold back his tears. Beert buried his face in Wan’s shoulder again, the dampness on the shoulder making the smaller one’s heart sink.

    “Are you crying?”

    He thought he was content, but he was just fooling himself; thinking he was satisfied just being by his side, but receiving this status as a couple made him feel so overwhelmed, as if he might burst with emotion.

    He was so glad to finally hear those words.

    “Yes, we’re a couple.”

    If I had to describe happiness in one word, Beert wouldn’t have long sentences to say; he’d only have one short word to explain his happiness.

    His happiness was:

    ‘Wan.’

        MONSTER NEXT DOOR CHAPTERS HOME

  • MONSTERNEXTDOOR, Special Chapter 2: Familiar Person (part 2)

    MONSTERNEXTDOOR, Special Chapter 2: Familiar Person (part 2)

       MONSTERNEXTDOOR, Special Chapter  2: Familiar Person (part 2)

    Godt’s Part

    “Phii Godt, can you listen for a moment? He’s an old friend. There’s nothing more than that.”

    “Phii Godt.”

    “Phii…”

    The soft voice spoke all the way to the room. I unlocked the door and pushed it open, dragging the little one inside while closing the door irritably, but no matter how irritated I was, whenever I saw that frowning, furrowed brow, I always had to remind myself:

    Don’t be harsh to him, don’t scold him, the rules of being a boyfriend to this easily scared turtle mean you must not scare him, stay calm.

    Since meeting him, I’ve become much calmer, trying not to let emotions override reason because if I do, he’ll turn around and scold me. And he doesn’t scold vulgarly; his scolding is more like indirect criticism, a long lesson that makes you feel guilty for days.

    “Now explain, who is he?”

    I tried to keep my tone from getting any harsher.

    The person in front of me sniffled, his eyes and nose red. Diew took his time to arrange his words, thinking about how to explain without setting me off. Watching him line up his thoughts is one of my favorite things; seeing those round eyes move around, his small lips slightly pursed, he doesn’t realize how adorable his thinking face is.

    I’m not angry at him. Since we’ve been together, I’ve gotten angry at him only a few times, and each time never lasted more than ten minutes. But honestly, if you see your boyfriend crying with another guy comforting him by stroking his head, and then that guy smiles gently at your boyfriend, who wouldn’t explode? It’s not like I’m made of stone to ask calmly,

    ‘Who’s that, consoling you? That’s nice.’

    Nice my ass.

    And look at his face, those red, swollen eyes. Even from Mars, you could tell he’s been crying for a while. But who made him cry, was it that glasses-wearing guy? If he really made him cry, I’ll go down and punch him right now.

    “His name is Phii Pee.”

    The little one was panting, not only from being dragged upstairs but also from trying to explain to me, who was momentarily deaf to reason, what happened downstairs, why someone was touching his head like that, and why he was crying.

    “He’s an old talk buddy.”

    “No… no, he’s an old friend. I’ve been saying all the way that he’s a friend.”

    “But he liked you, didn’t he?” I remember, Diew once told me about Phii Pee, who was a friend and then confessed to liking you. Back then, you still had prejudices against friends loving each other.

    But you’re not that person anymore. You’ve let go of that prejudice.

    If you allow him to come back and he still likes you, if he takes advantage of your naivety. There’s no guarantee that he’s stopped liking you, right? He’d have to go through me first.

    “He used to like me. Not anymore.”

    “How do you know?”

    “He has a girlfriend now!” And now it was Diew shouting back at me.

    Oh, he has a girlfriend now? How did you know he has a girlfriend?

    He might have just made that up to get close to you.

    “Are you sure he really has a girlfriend?”

    “He brought his girlfriend with him just now, I saw it with my own eyes.” He said while glaring at me.

    “Really?”

    “Yeah.”

    “Yeah to whom, to me?”

    “Yeah to young-master, maybe. You never listen to the full story, getting hot-headed like a Godzilla. Good thing you didn’t swing your fist, you’d definitely go to jail!”

    “Wait, wait.” Shouldn’t I be the one getting angry? Why are you turning the anger on me?

    “You don’t listen. You know I need time to think about what to say; if I say something without thinking, you get all riled up. I know you’re jealous, but there’s nothing going on between me and Phii Pee anymore. I just wanted to clear things up, not to hold onto any grudges. It’s over.” He hit me with a full set. I was completely deflated.

    The reason I had to ask repeatedly was because you’re slow to catch on, man. Others are in 2019, but Diew is still in 2018. Your feelings are always about ten seconds slower than others. For example, if someone flirts with you, you’ll think ‘No way, I’m not being flirted with,’ until the other person explicitly says they are flirting with you. Even when the actions are clearly flirting, like mine.

    So, many times I have to spell everything out when doing something; the clearer and quicker it is, the better you understand and accept it.

    With this guy, you have to take it slow; otherwise, you’ll just run headfirst into a three-layer wall.

    “And why were you crying?”

    “I was just relieved… at least I got to apologize to him, I was prejudiced before, you know.”

    “And how come he was with you, did you guys get back together?”

    “No, Phii Pee came to ask about the cat I saved. He’s a vet at the university hospital; I told you about the cat that got hit by a car, and he’s the one who treated it.”

    Oh, now that I’ve heard it, I start piecing the story together. I was probably too hot-headed. I didn’t let him finish explaining before. I’ll have to be more careful next time; I almost punched Phii Pee back there.

    The little one sighed, then sat down at the edge of the bed after a while, glaring at me with sharp eyes, which made me realize…

    I need to apologize. If I don’t apologize now, I’ll definitely get an earful until morning.

    “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it, I just saw you crying and someone else was there, touching your head, so I got jealous.”

    “You can be jealous, but you need to be calmer than that, don’t be crazy!”

    Silence.

    The room fell silent the moment he shouted like that.

    Once he started speaking fluently, his words came sharp and clear at me.

    All I could do was sit quietly beside him, not daring to say anything.

    The nickname “wife-fearing” that Biu gave me wasn’t just for show. Every time he raises his voice, Godt becomes like a dog, more so than even the charcoal dog under the dorm.

    Godzilla, my ass. You’re just a little scaredy-cat. Even now, Biu still teases me like this.

    Crazy? Saying I’m scared sounds too lame. It’s about respecting and honoring decisions. If he’s doing what’s right and not doing anything wrong, how could I raise my voice at him?

    He’s decisive, serious, and his word is final. Even if he’s not good at speaking, once he says something, it’s final. That’s why I don’t dare to mess with him too much. To act like before, recklessly and without care, that’s not right.

    Don’t forget, Godt, how much patience it took to become his boyfriend.

    We sat in silence for a while before I finally placed my hand on his soft hair.

    “Sorry, I was wrong.”

    I only yield to this one person because I know everything he does has a reason. There must be a reason he wanted to talk to that friend again, seeing him as an important friend he didn’t want to lose, but feeling bad because of the confession. Besides, he said Phii Pee already has a partner, so I felt a bit relieved.

    To be honest, leaving him alone at the dorm while I work so far away, only getting one day a week to come back to him, is already bad enough.

    I don’t want to worry about someone else bothering him.

    Diew wouldn’t go messing with anyone on his own, but others, they would come to bother him, and he’s super slow when it comes to these things. By the time he realizes he’s being flirted with, those people would have already invaded his world. If that were true, I’d probably have a heart attack and die first.

    That’s why I have to ask every day who he met, if anyone was bothering or flirting with him, and he usually responds, “Who would flirt with me? There’s only you, Charcoal, who clings to my legs every time we leave the dorm, that’s all.”

    But, whose shirt are you wearing? I don’t recognize it. And it’s so big, it doesn’t look like yours.

    “Did you buy a new shirt?”

    “Phii Pee gave it to me, my shirt got stained with bloo…”

    I didn’t wait for him to finish. I turned him to face me. Not only did he come back to you, but he also gave you his shirt? No way, man, don’t let his cologne stick to you.

    I pulled off the oversized T-shirt at light speed and threw it to the floor in front of the bathroom, next to the foot towel. The little one’s Cokecolored hair was all messy, pointing in different directions.

    “Why are you like this?” Diew sighed, attempting to get up to pick up the shirt, but I grabbed his waist and pulled him back down to sit. I knew he felt sorry for Phii Pee; after being together for over a year, how could I not understand what that furrowed look meant? Probably thinking to wash it and give it back, huh?

    He can wash it, he can return it, but not today, not when I’ve come back to him out of concern, stepping over my own worries.

    Not enough that he was comforting you, not enough that he said he’d call, now he’s also giving you his shirt to wear!

    If you’re any kinder, you’d be a saint.

    “Phii Godt…”

    The little one spoke up while I was undoing the buttons of his white school shirt, which had a wide bloodstain, probably from holding the cat that got hit by a car. He quickly grabbed my wrists, locking them in place, not letting me undo the third button. I understood why he needed to wear the T-shirt over it; walking back like this, he’d look like a serial killer, but still, I didn’t like him wearing someone else’s shirt.

    “It’s stained, go take a shower.”

    “Wait a minute.”

    “One…”

    “I’ll go now!” Diew pulled himself free from my grip; the buttons weren’t all undone, and with the sudden movement, something under the shirt was unintentionally revealed.

    The words Biu said popped into my head again. Those words about how good his skin is.

    I watched the little one dash into the bathroom and slam the door shut, then I unbuttoned my shirt collar and exhaled slowly.

    He has fair skin, not pale but healthy-looking, unlike my honeycolored skin from playing outdoor sports. He doesn’t go out in the sun much, prefers eating vegetables and fruits, especially strawberry yogurt which he eats every day.

    The last time I got a good look at his smooth skin, I can’t remember when it was. Lately, I’ve been so busy with work that I’ve lost track of days. I only get to visit him once a week, and even then, he doesn’t always let me do what I want. Sometimes he has to study, sometimes he has to get up early for class. A health-conscious kid like him, who sleeps by 3 or 4 AM, isn’t going to let me mess around until morning.

    That’s just me dreaming.

    Knowing this, I shouldn’t have worked at the same place as that jerk Biu, who fills my head with nonsense every day.

    I try to control myself not to act impulsively with him, but it’s hard, it’s difficult, and I don’t want to do it. Especially tomorrow being his day off, my thoughts can’t be contained. A day off means he can sleep in, stay up late, do more than just hold hands.

    Thinking about it, if asked if I would act on it, it depends on the day’s circumstances. If he’s in the mood, then that day is particularly blessed.

    If he gives me the “stop” sign, then I’ll stop. It’s my nature not to force anyone, and it’s more satisfying when he comes to me on his own. Besides, after a tiring day at work, I’d rather rest, and I drove back because I was worried, not just worried but also because I missed him.

    Seeing him only once a week, and if it’s a particularly busy week, not even that, just video calls. How can that compare to a real hug?

    Sitting there lost in my own thoughts for a while, my eyes glanced over to young-master in the fish tank, who has grown a lot since we first met, standing still and looking at me, his lively eyes seeming to mock me.

    “What are you looking at, young-master, looking for trouble?”

    And here I am, talking to a turtle just like him.

    I lay down on the bed, the scent of the shampoo he likes filling the room, especially strong on the bed. It’s probably because he’s very clean, washing the bed sheets once a week, even when eating or heating food in the room, he never lets food smells linger for more than half an hour, always spraying deodorant.

    But no smell can compare to the scent of his shampoo and body wash. I must admit, I like this scent, but I wouldn’t use it myself; it’s too fruity, suitable for someone cheerful and lively like him. It smells great on him, but not on me, perhaps because I like to exercise and prefer scents that don’t mix badly with sweat to the point where people turn away.

    I wouldn’t change it either, because he likes the cologne I use. The little one likes to sneak and spray it on Smile, then cuddle with it while he sleeps, which is super cute.

    The throbbing pain in my head made me close my eyes. I draped an arm over my eyes in exhaustion. Today was full of back-to-back meetings, it was good to clear up the Phii Pee situation quickly. And then driving such a long distance, it was exhausting.

    I guess in the future, there might be some job changes. Soon, we’ll both graduate. After that, we’ll probably talk about where he’ll work, or if he’ll go back to Phuket to be with family. If he decides to go back to work in Phuket, I’d surely die from missing him.

    While I was resting my eyes, the bathroom door opened. I was just dozing off because of the cool air and pleasant scent when the sound of the little one’s footsteps stopped beside me.

    “Are you asleep?” A soft voice asked, with a cool hand touching my arm.

    “Not yet, I’m just tired.”

    “Go shower first, then come to sleep.”

    I was pulled up to sit by the energetic kid, but I flopped back down again after a moment. Once I closed my eyes, it felt like my body switched off; I wanted to sleep more, not shower… Can I be stubborn?

    “Phii Godt, go shower.”

    “Don’t want to, I’m sleepy.”

    “Get up now.”

    “Too lazy.”

    “If you don’t shower, I’ll make you sleep on the balcony.”

    “You wouldn’t dare.”

    “Count one…” There, he’s using the same tactic on me, acting like he’s scared or something.

    “Go ahead and count. If you’re cruel enough to make me sleep on the balcony, then try it.”

    “Go shower!”

    “Nooo.”

    It seemed like he was out of patience; he started hitting my arm repeatedly, smacking all the way to my stomach, making me jump.

    “Go shower!”

    “If I shower, will you let me kiss you?” I propped myself up a bit, looking at the person sitting beside me, who had just been angry with red ears, now turning into a tomato. The little one avoided my gaze, grabbing Smiles, who was lying on the bed, and hit my stomach with him, making me roll away.

    “What do you say? If you don’t answer, I’ll sleep all sweaty like this.”

    “Go shower.”

    “Answer me first. If I take a shower, will you let me kiss you?”

    “And… why ask… when did you ever ask to kiss before?” His beautiful eyes looked away, his voice stuttering, showing he was unsure, his delicate hands clutching Smile until the plush’s face was all squished.

    So cute, so adorable, I retract my statement about only thinking about it today.

    I’ll definitely do it.

    “Looks like that’s a yes.”

    “Then go take a shower.”

    “Yes, yes.”

    I went to grab a towel from the closet and draped it over my shoulder, then looked at the person climbing onto the bed, picking up a thick book to read by the lamp light. The scene before me made me smile a little.

    Who would have thought that the person I used to talk with every day on the balcony could be this cute? His attitude was charming, but seeing him in person, living closely with him, I’m head over heels.

    I’m pretty good, enduring this much. And he’s still good-looking too.

    If he didn’t love me back, that would be a disaster.

    I opened the bathroom door and hung the towel on the rack. The saying, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do,” applies here. Diew is someone who keeps things tidy; throwing a towel on the floor or hanging it on a chair is unthinkable. Since there’s a towel rack, you put it there. But if it were my room, he wouldn’t interfere much, simply put, he respects others’ decisions when he’s in their space.

    Isn’t that adorable?

    His beautiful eyes glanced at me for a moment before quickly looking away. Even though it was just a brief look, I could tell he was flustered. He turned his back to me and lay on his side to read, as if doing this would make me give up and not disturb him.

    Crazy, letting go would be foolish. There are so many opportunities here.

    I lay down on the bed, wrapping my arms around his waist. Diew just flinched from the unfamiliar touch, still the same after all these times, whether I hug, kiss, or do more, it feels like the first time, adorable every time.

    “You keep asking if anyone’s been bothering me, why don’t you look at yourself?” I whispered near his shoulder before planting a kiss on his slender neck. Diew lay stiff as a board, making me chuckle.

    “Look at what?”

    He doesn’t even realize it, does he?

    “So cute, so huggable, so kissable like this.”

    After hearing my words, he went completely silent. It was clear he was embarrassed to the point of being stiff, his ears and neck turning red faster than anyone drunk. I wanted to tease him even more, so I tightened my hug a little, pressing his back against my stomach. When he had just showered, his body smelled so good I wanted to bite him, but I couldn’t.

    I just pressed my nose against his shoulder, covered by his pajamas, with no response from him; he was still lying still. I glanced at the book he was reading; every line in English made my eyes blur for a moment, but it seemed like he wasn’t focusing on the book because his face was buried in the pillow, breathing softly, his cheeks bright red.

    Oh shit… I was sleepy before, but now I’m not sleepy at all.

    From the look of things, I knew, ‘all clear,’ no need to ask; definitely no “no entry” sign tonight.

    Seeing that he wasn’t saying anything, not scolding, not hitting, I couldn’t help but smile. My right hand, which was around his waist, moved under his light blue pajamas, touching his smooth skin. How long has it been since I’ve felt this? Every time my hand glided over his soft stomach, it trembled slightly out of sync, probably because he tensed up from the coldness of my hand just out of the shower.

    “Why are you so compliant today?”

    He didn’t answer, still hiding his face in the pillow quietly.

    “Won’t you really answer me? Can you be that harsh to me?” I whispered teasingly in the little one’s ear, before a soft moan escaped from his throat and lips.

    “Actually… I was going to tell you… before you got here.”

    “Tell me what?”

    “Tell you that I met Phii Pee… but I knew you’d get upset… so I didn’t want to tell… in case… you drive fast, it’s dangerous.”

    The stuttering and pleading tone almost drove me crazy, but calm down, man, listen to him first, you’ll do what you want to do anyway.

    He’s letting you this much.

    “Oh, I’m not angry anymore.”

    “I… know you’re jealous… but with Phii Pee, there’s really nothing anymore, we’re just friends, really.”

    “Right. Don’t worry.”

    “No, Phii… I was thinking… if I saw someone patting your head, smiling at you…”

    Wait a minute…

    “I would probably pull you away too.”

    All sounds faded, leaving only the tinkling of the wind chimes on the balcony swaying with the breeze. I was at a loss for words. As for him, from being stiff earlier, his body began to tremble slightly.

    “Sorry.”

    His soft, apologetic voice was so adorable. I kissed the top of his mischievous head.

    So cute, insanely cute, I want to run out to the balcony right now and shout for him to stop being so cute, or I’ll die of frustration.

    Even though he’s slow to express his feelings, when it comes to being affectionate, he’s the best at it. And he loves to read, the more he reads, the more he knows. When I tell him to prepare, he knows exactly how to. The trembling and stiffness aren’t from fear; if he were scared of being intimate with me, he would have said it would make me feel bad. But the tension is because his body isn’t used to being touched, simply put, he’s been alone for a long time. In the past, just a touch on the hand would make him pull back.

    The hand that had paused earlier now continued its work. I moved my hand up, teasing his chest, making him squirm, noting every detail of what he likes and dislikes, his expressions. Seeing him bite his lip and breathe heavily only made me want to tease him more.

    After a while, it seemed like he noticed something unusual touching his back, and he let out a little yelp.

    “Why are you like this?”

    Who made me like this, you little devil?

    There was enough time to observe his physical reactions, from curling up to squirming when I touched his chest for a while. His heavy breathing echoed in my ear, fueling the fire that was already burning.

    I pulled down the loose shirt on his body, revealing his smooth shoulder, planting gentle kisses, biting without leaving marks, my other hand moving down beneath his pants to grasp his sensitive area, making him jump.

    “Ugh.”

    Just a small sound escaped his throat; he had learned to control his noises well, but the more he held back, the more his soft moans next to my ear increased his sexiness by a hundredfold.

    I calmed myself down, not wanting to be too rough with him, even though this kid in front of me was unintentionally teasing.

    His slender hand touched mine, the one under his pants, as if he wanted to say something, but the pleasure prevented him from speaking anything other than soft moans. I looked at him with his eyes halfclosed, almost burying his face in the pillow, letting my hand move freely, making me feel even more endeared.

    Because he’s not used to this kind of thing. Even though it’s not the first time we’ve touched each other, I had to zip my lips shut. I didn’t say anything during the act, better to let the emotions convey what I wanted to say; if I talked too much, I’d definitely get slapped.

    But even if with not saying anything, I’ll tell you, it’s so good. It allows you to absorb every detail, from the soft moans to the sound of skin rubbing against skin, especially the reactions from his body.

    I increased the pace until he curled up like a shrimp, his slender fingers digging into the back of my hand, indicating he was close to his limit, but if it ended too quickly, that wouldn’t be me. Who would let it end fast? We haven’t seen each other for so long. I paused my movements then, turned him onto his back, and pressed my lips to his small ones, kissing deeply, tasting the faint mint flavor of his toothpaste. Diew dug his nails into my shoulders, making noises of protest in his throat, as if to ask why I stopped. Even without words, I knew he was suffering.

    The more he moaned, the more I wanted to kiss him to make him squirm even more. The silence in the room made the sound of our lips touching clearly audible. When I intensified the kiss, he started to protest that he couldn’t breathe, so I let him catch his breath for a moment.

    After that, I kissed him again, pressing down on his lips to make it clear,

    ‘This one is mine.’ His soft lips would definitely be swollen by morning.

    His body, which was tense like wood, began to tire; this was the most dangerous moment. Once he wasn’t tense, his eyes, his movements, his voice, everything was too much, tempting me to forget patience.

    I lifted his light blue shirt, using it to pin his arms behind his head, revealing his fair skin. His cute face turned bright red, his beautiful lips tightly shut, his chest heaving irregularly, no need to say how his mood was fluctuating. I kissed from his chin down to his neck, then to his chest, teasing until he protested. That was enough.

    Switching from focusing on the upper part to the lower, I pulled off his long pajamas, tossing them away without care, only focusing on the part that was so hot it was about to explode. With just a touch, the little one’s neck went limp, his lips pressed together to keep from making noise, but when I took that part into my mouth, Diew couldn’t help but let out a moan.

    “Uh.”

    His voice was so sweet, like Diew himself.

    I always take care when using my mouth. I don’t want to cause any injury if he squirms and my teeth accidentally scrape him. Simply put, I’m very gentle, gentler than a powder puff. And the gentler I am, the more it arouses the other person, evident from the way his hips arched up, responding to each touch when feeling uncomfortable, his toes curling. I held his legs to keep them from flailing.

    It didn’t take long for me to claim his body with my lips, and Diew released, his body tensing and twitching with loud, heavy breaths filling the room. He let out a soft cough and looked at me. If his hands were free, he would have grabbed a tissue to clean my mouth, but his hands were occupied. So, I had to use the back of my hand to quickly wipe off the mess on my chin.

    Those round eyes watched me as I sat up, squeezing my body between his legs. Diew tightened his lips, as if he knew what was coming next.

    “Not today.”

    The look of relief on his face made me smile.

    “Today, you’re not ready, or are you?”

    He shook his head so hard his neck almost snapped. I knew he needed a lot of time to prepare if we were going to go through with it, but today both he and I were too tired, so we wouldn’t do anything too intense beyond some external touching.

    He averted his gaze while I pulled the heat out from under my pants, pressing my body against his sensitive parts as he lay there panting. Once everything was in place and I was sure he was comfortable, I began to move rhythmically, rubbing against his small body which had already released earlier. Even though it was just external touching, it felt just as good.

    Perhaps because this stubborn guy easily gave in to me like this, it was damn cute.

    The movement sparked his passion once again; his flushed neck was a clear sign of how much he wanted it. I moved more forcefully, the arousal escalating, and he didn’t protest at all, only softly murmuring my name.

    “Phii Godt… Phii Godt…”

    “Yes, my good boy.”

    His small lips were tightly pressed, turning purple, and I felt sorry for him, wanting him to cry out, but he wouldn’t because he was afraid others would hear. The walls were paper-thin, and there were new neighbors next door. I didn’t want to push him since he still had to live here, while I didn’t.

    I moved my hands to hold both our bodies together, pouring all the longing, desire, joy, and everything else into our movements, because in the silence, the sound of our skin touching was clearly audible.

    He lifted his face, moaning in his throat until I had to stop and lean down to kiss his neck. After that, I focused on releasing my own emotions. In the end, he was the first to finish, his legs tightly gripping my waist since his hands were pinned down.

    He lay there, breathing heavily, not daring to look at what I held in my hand. I growled for a while before changing from holding our bodies to rubbing against him harder, the bed creaking.

    Now he was writhing like a fish out of water. It was clear he was tortured because he had just released, his body not yet rested.

    “Phii Godt, uh… Phii Godt… Phii”

    “Just a little more, be patient.”

    It seems like he can’t take it anymore that I won’t let go. Human bodies are not the same everywhere, and his body is very sensitive. On the other hand, I’m tougher than anything. Diew struggled so much that his shirt came off his arms, and he moved his hand to grab my heat, making me widen my eyes in shock.

    “Diew… what are you doing?”

    “You’re not… finishing this… it’s torture.”

    His little hand felt so cold it gave me goosebumps, his round eyes looking elsewhere, still holding my soft hand without moving, letting me move with his hand as support.

    Fuck…

    This is too much… this is the first time him doing this, I’m about to lose it.

    Where did he learn this from, where did he learn to do this?

    He’s playing with me, he’s going to kill me!

    “Are you trying to kill me!”

    I increased the force of my movements until sweat dripped down onto the chest of the person beneath me, not even noticing his trembling hand, which only heightened the arousal even more. The cold air in the room did nothing to help when my own body was so hot it was almost maddening. Seeing him panting below me, I momentarily forgot to be gentle. Try being in my shoes, how gentle can you be?

    The feverish body temperature showed no signs of cooling down easily. I leaned down to claim his lips again, grinding against them repeatedly, kissing along his chin, neck, and the lovely curve of his shoulder possessively.

    Cute. There’s no other word to describe it but incredibly cute.

    More overwhelming than a giant wave hitting the shore. If he gives in today, I bet he’ll be sore and walking funny all day tomorrow. Who told him to be this cute? How can I not be possessive?

    “Diew.”

    “Hmm.”

    It didn’t take long before I released, accidentally collapsing onto the smaller one. The sound of our heavy breathing echoed around the room. I really admire him for not crying out loud even though his emotions were that high.

    He gently patted my back.

    “Tired.”

    So I rolled over to lie beside him, panting like that until he handed me some tissues.

    I wanted to go another round, but I was too tired, my heart pounding because of how he teased me.

    We cleaned ourselves up and then flopped down to sleep. I looked at the person in my embrace; the sweet scent of his shampoo made me want to hug him tightly until I was submerged. I kissed the top of his head with a loud smack, snuggling with him lovingly, admiring his long, beautiful eyelashes, his cute nose, and his lips, which I had once said were adorable even before we met. I was half-believing, half-doubting, but when I saw him for the first time, my heart leaped out of my chest to breakdance on the floor.

    He is cute, but not as feminine; he’s just cute like a rabbit, that’s what I’d say. Like a round, adorable bunny whose cuteness radiates no matter where you look. When you combine his outer cuteness with his inner charm, I can describe him as nothing but damn cute.

    Since we’ve been together, there’s been almost no cause for discomfort. I’ve thought about what the future might hold, whether we would get along well given our opposing personalities, but it turned out we meshed better than expected. The main reason is probably because when I’m fire, Diew is water, and when he’s fire, I’ll calm down to be water. So, when we argue, we resolve it quickly, within five minutes.

    The second reason is we don’t let emotions get the best of us. Diew always brings reason to the table when there’s dissatisfaction, and he never holds grudges; he’s open about everything, even if it takes time, he speaks his mind.

    This is why I love him so much.

    I don’t think about the future much. I just think I need to work hard to take care of him, to keep supporting him like this. Even when we grow old, I want to see him, even if his skin sags, I’ll still take care of him.

    Isn’t that romantic? Truly.

    “Phii Godt.”

    “Hmm?” I groaned a response to the person in my arms. Diew squirmed a little before looking up at me.

    “Are you very tired?”

    The question was almost like pleading, making me smile as I leaned down to kiss his small nose.

    “Tired, but happy.”

    “Really?”

    “Why? Worried about me, huh? Well, of course, with such a handsome husband.”

    Slap

    He smacked my waist with a loud sound.

    “Why are you hitting me?”

    “Phii Godt,” the soft voice called out again, when he acts all cute, it’s my undoing, especially when his voice is right next to my ear, it’s the peak of my life.

    “Yes?”

    “If I graduate, can I move into the condo with you?” He looked at me seriously, not joking.

    “Of course, I want you to move in.”

    He didn’t respond, just buried his face into my chest, gripping my shirt so tightly I could almost feel his nails digging in. His face turned red again, making it hard for me to look away. “Here, I can’t… make noise…”

    Don’t tell me…

    “It’s torture.” After saying that, he rested his head on my chest and went silent, leaving my heart racing like crazy. What was that? What did he mean by that? My brain almost crashed for a moment.

    So, he wants to scream but can’t because the walls are thin.

    “You’re so bold.”

    He hit my waist again, making me curl up from the pain, but it was more funny than painful. He seems quiet, but he’s not messing around. And I’m the sinful one here, now I can vividly imagine him screaming loudly, begging for mercy. If he grows up more, gets ready, I’ll give him a combo. No need to get up.

    Come to the condo then, you’ll definitely get to scream to your heart’s content, scream until your throat is hoarse for three days, you little thing.

    “Your face is showing.”

    “Showing what?”

    “Lust.”

    “Crazy.”

    Who says lust is just on the face, it’s in the heart too.

     

        MONSTER NEXT DOOR CHAPTERS HOME

  • MONSTERNEXTDOOR, Special Chapter 1: Familiar Person (part 1)

    MONSTERNEXTDOOR, Special Chapter 1: Familiar Person (part 1)

       MONSTERNEXTDOOR, Special Chapter 1: Familiar Person (part 1)

    I came to the university’s veterinary hospital for the second time, but this time it wasn’t because of young-master. I came because I found a cat hit by a car on the road and rushed to bring it to the vet.

    It’s been almost an hour since the white, scruffy cat was taken to the back. When the nurse came out, I could only look at it with concern. As my gaze moved away, another nurse handed me a small towel because my shirt was smeared with blood, making the red stains on my student uniform look quite scary.

    “Take it, I’m giving it to you.”

    “Thank you.”

    I washed my hands clean, looking at my trembling hands.

    I admit, at first, I was scared because I had never encountered such a situation before when I saw the cat. Besides me, there was no one else around, the sky was already dark, with only street lights providing illumination. The cat let out a meow, seeing that it was still alive, I quickly scooped it into my arms and rushed to the hospital right away.

    I sighed softly looking at my disheveled reflection in the mirror, bent down to wash my face, removing the sweat stains. As for the shirt, just using a towel wouldn’t get rid of the bloodstains, so I’d have to wear it back like this.

    In my mind, I thought I should call Phii Godt, but when I opened LINE, I saw he was in a meeting.

    Ever since Phii Godt graduated and went out into the wide world to work, we only see each other once a week; Phii Godt works from Monday to Saturday. Plus, his workplace is all the way at Lat Phrao, it’s not reasonable for him to drive back and forth every day.

    It would be another two days before Phii Godt comes over, and I feel a bit lonely without him, but because he video calls every night, it helps alleviate some of the loneliness.

    I… I’m really attached to Phii Godt now.

    Before, I could easily be alone, but now if I don’t hear his voice on any given day, I feel restless.

    One reason is I worry about him. Did he eat well, sleep well, is he overworking?

    The second reason is I feel possessive.

    And it seems like Phii Godt knows I’m possessive. That’s why he always tells me whenever someone is bothering him.

    At first glance, Phii Godt seems calm, stern, but once you get to know him, he’s kind, playful, and loved by many. After graduating from university and starting work, he’s become more mature, and now his charm radiates everywhere, his fan count has grown from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands.

    How could one not feel jealous?

    I shook my head to clear my wandering thoughts. All I could do now was send a message to Phii Godt about the cat I found that was hit by a car, telling him I’d explain more when I get back to the room, as talking now wouldn’t be convenient. After sending the message, I looked at myself in the mirror once more before walking out of the bathroom and sitting quietly to wait.

    The sound of the clock ticking mixed with the TV and the voices of staff preparing to go home. Apart from me, waiting for the test results, there was another woman sitting beside me playing on her phone. She didn’t seem to be in a hurry to leave, as if she was waiting for someone. Next to her was a basket with a chubby gray and white cat whose round eyes looked playful. I was watching it intently until the nurse called my name.

    Even though it wasn’t my own cat, and it was some stray without an owner, I couldn’t just leave it there and ignore it; it’s not in my nature. That’s why I decided I’d be the one to pay for its treatment. I’d look after it until it fully recovers.

    The nurse led me into a small, square room, the only one still lit up. “Doctor will explain the condition soon, and about the expenses, I’ll bring you the bill later.”

    “Thank you.”

    I bowed to thank the nurse, while glancing at the back of the doctor who was busy with something. I looked over at the cat lying unconscious on the metal table, its left leg bandaged from the ankle to the hip.

    Seems like it’s safe now. Earlier, because there was so much blood, I thought it might die.

    “The cat is safe now, no broken bones, just a minor tear in the hip probably from trying to dodge during the run, and…”

    The doctor turned around with a clipboard in hand. He looked up at me, and we both froze for a moment.

    Wait a minute…

    I furrowed my brows, looking at the doctor’s face, familiar under the round glasses. He was quite taller than me, the man in the short white lab coat in front of me, this person was…

    “Phii Pee…”

    “Diew…”

    We both muttered at the same time. I quickly averted my gaze.

    Why is Phii Pee here? Judging by the lab coat, is he a vet here?

    “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” His soft voice still had its unique charm, calming my heart every time I heard it. I looked down at the white cat, gently stroking its fur because I didn’t know what to say.

    The last time we spoke, I can’t quite remember how long ago that was. I don’t really keep track of time, but I know it’s been quite a while because my memories of him aren’t as clear as before.

    “Are you doing well?”

    “I’m doing well…”

    “I thought you would have gone to study somewhere else.” Phii Pee spoke to me as if nothing had ever happened between us. He didn’t even ask why I had cut off communication with him, why I had blocked him on all channels, why I had severed our relationship.

    “I’m glad to see you wearing the uniform of this university.”

    “And why… are you here?”

    “Did you forget that I’m an alumnus here? Don’t you remember that I recommended studying here?” Pee’s hand touched the cat’s head, gently stroking it; his words started to jog my memory bit by bit.

    Oh, that’s right… I came to study here because Phii Pee invited me to.

    A university known for its medical program, but I liked both languages and chemistry, so Pee suggested I study here in the international program. At that time, we talked about how if I got accepted, he would treat me to a meal and a movie to celebrate.

    In the end, we never did that.

    “Don’t worry, I’m just here to help with some work.”

    “Uh,” I let out a soft groan in my throat.

    “The cat, did you bring it here?”

    “I saw it lying by the roadside, so I picked it up.”

    “Your shirt is all stained.” I didn’t see what Phii Pee was doing; my eyes were fixed on the motionless cat, but I heard the sound of fabric being shaken a few times before Pee handed me a T-shirt.

    “Here, I give this to you.”

    I looked up at him, frowning.

    “Why give it to me?”

    “Your shirt is covered in blood; if you walk out like that, people might think you’ve done something. Change into this one, you don’t have to return it.”

    “But…”

    “Just take it, as an apology.”

    “Why apologize?”

    “For betraying our friendship. I didn’t have the chance to say it back then, so I thought if I saw you again, the first thing I’d say would be ‘I’m sorry’… Honestly, I don’t expect you to forgive me. Just take the shirt, that’s enough.”

    The more he acted like this, the worse I felt.

    Ever since I started to let go of my prejudice against friends having feelings for each other, I’ve often come back to thinking that I was the one at fault. We had always been good friends, but when Phii Pee confessed his feelings, I cut off all contact, acting as if we had never known each other.

    I remember what Phii Godt once said, “Friends… is it that easy to cut off each other?”

    If I were in Pee’s place, having that kind of relationship severed, I would feel bad too.

    I grabbed a large t-shirt and held it over my student uniform to cover the blood stains.

    “About this cat, can you keep it in your dorm?” Phii Pee asked, leaning against the table, his warm gaze making me look away.

    Just like before, he’s still as warm as ever.

    “No, I can’t.”

    “Then what will we do with it?”

    “I don’t know either.” I still hadn’t figured out what to do.

    “Then… can I have it?”

    I didn’t understand what Phii Pee meant by “have it.” What does he mean by “have”?

    “It’s not my cat.”

    “Yes, it’s not your cat, but you saved it, and you can’t keep it. If you can’t keep it, what are you going to do, leave it by the roadside again?

    Aren’t you afraid it might get hit by a car again, Diew?”

    “Can you keep it then?”

    “I already have one cat; adding one more isn’t a problem. Besides…”

    Phii Pee walked closer. He scratched the cat’s nose a few times, and it slowly opened its eyes.

    “It’s the cat you saved, just like how you once saved me.”

    Phii Pee’s words made me gasp. We both fell silent, my mind processing whether it was a good idea to give this cat to him, but in the end, my answer was…

    No… better not…

    Phii Pee already has enough responsibilities. He has to look after his home, take care of his younger sister; giving him a cat would just add to his burden.

    I picked up the cat and held it in my arms. This cat seemed quite accustomed to humans, or maybe it was just groggy from the anesthesia.

    It didn’t hiss or struggle.

    “Better not. I’ll try taking it back to the dorm first; maybe they’ll allow me to keep it.”

    “Diew…”

    “Excuse me.”

    Without waiting for the nurse to bring the bill, I went to the counter and paid for the medication and treatment myself.

    Even though I tried to forget the old stories, even though I thought if we met again, I wanted to say “I’m sorry,”

    In the end, I didn’t dare to.

    I’m such a coward.

    In the end, I sat here dejectedly in front of the dorm with the white cat in a basket I got from the nurse because I didn’t want the cat to move too much or its wounds might tear open. I talked to the dorm owner, but he wouldn’t let me keep it. He said that cats and turtles are different. If I cause trouble for the other tenants, he would be in trouble too.

    I didn’t argue, I accepted it willingly because I understood that keeping pets in a dorm isn’t really appropriate.

    I sat looking at the disheveled cat without a solution. Right now, I could only think of one person who could help. I pulled out my phone from my back pocket after ignoring it since leaving the animal hospital, too worried about what to do with the cat to notice that Phii Godt had replied. He had also called twice.

    Godzilla: Are you okay?

    Wan: I’ll come to your dorm. Call me when you’re free.

    I called Phii Godt back immediately, and it didn’t take long for him to answer as if he was waiting.

    (“Hey?”)

    “Are you coming over?”

    (“Yeah, had a late meeting today, I probably won’t go to work tomorrow, I’ve been out for a while now.”)

    “Uh,” I answered softly.

    (“Is something wrong, little one? And how’s the cat?”)

    “The cat is safe now. I brought it back to the dorm, but they won’t let me keep it, so I don’t know where to put it.”

    I hesitated about whether to tell Phii Godt about Pee, but reconsidered; I’d better tell him when he gets here. If I told him while he was driving, he might hit the accelerator to a hundred and twenty, which could be dangerous.

    When it comes to jealousy, Phii Godt beats me by a million to one.

    When I’m jealous, I just keep it to myself, but when Phii Godt gets jealous, the spirit of Godzilla possesses him, and it’s terrifying.

    (“Do you want me to help find it a home?”)

    “Can you do that?”

    (Take a photo for me, I’ll post it on Twitter. I’ll be there in about half an hour, wait for me, my clever one.)

    “Okay, drive safely.”

    (Yes, see you soon!)

    “Hmm.”

    (Missing you.)

    Phii Godt hung up quickly, leaving me no time to respond. I sat there, scratching my neck and the back of my head out of embarrassment, before turning to look at the cat in the basket, meowing weakly as if it was out of strength.

    “Sorry. I really can’t keep you.”

    I opened the basket and took out my phone to take a picture of the cat. Upon closer inspection, with such a cute face, it shouldn’t be hard to find it a home, especially since it’s tame. Before I could send the picture to Phii Godt, an unfamiliar number called. I answered without giving it much thought; it might be a wrong number or maybe my mom changed her phone, because I hardly use mine, and if it weren’t for Phii Godt calling in and out, it would just be for scrolling through Twitter, playing games, setting alarms, timing things, and listening to music. That’s it.

    “Hello?”

    (Is this Nong Diew’s number?)

    This voice…

    “Phii Pee?”

    (Yes, sorry, I got your number from the nurse; I wanted to talk to you but didn’t know how.)

    “What’s up?”

    (I want that cat. Can’t you really give it to me?)

    I bit my lip tightly. Why does he want this cat so badly?

    “Why do you want it so much?” Isn’t he already overwhelmed with responsibilities?

    (And why don’t you want to give it to me? Haven’t you found a place for it yet?)

    “How do you know I haven’t found one yet?”

    (If you had, why would you be sitting in front of your dorm looking grumpy with a cat in a basket?)

    I looked up in surprise; Phii Pee was standing across from me, but he wasn’t alone. He was with a woman, and if I remember correctly, she was the one who was sitting next to me at the vet hospital, playing on her phone. I’m sure I’m not mistaken because she was holding a basket with a chubby gray and white cat.

    (“Can we talk for a bit? I promise not to bring up the past.”)

    “I’m not worried about that.”

    (“Then I’ll come over.”)

    He hung up and crossed the street to me, Phii Pee sat down beside me, looking up at the sky quietly for a while.

    “How did you know I was at this dorm?” I asked in confusion.

    “At first, I just wanted to get your number to talk, but then I happened to see the name of the dorm.” Phii Pee laughed while looking apologetic, “I didn’t think you’d end up at the dorm I recommended.”

    “I just thought it was convenient.”

    “Hmm, well, that’s good then. How is it, is the food at the dorm as good as I said?”

    “Yes,” I clasped my hands tightly.

    “I might make you uncomfortable by coming here, but I just wanted to say thank you for everything that’s passed.”

    “…”

    “Do you see that woman?” The person beside me looked straight across the street where a woman was playing with her cat.

    “Uh.”

    “That’s Luk Kaew, my girlfriend.”

    Phii Pee’s girlfriend…

    “So don’t worry, I didn’t come here for that reason, but because I genuinely wanted to help.”

    Phii Pee opened the basket and stroked the cat’s head; it purred in its throat, as if it knew who its savior was. It lay still, letting him scratch its head and neck. Seeing how well he got along with the cat, I knew I should let it go, but…

    “Don’t you have family responsibilities to take care of?” Back then, he didn’t even dare keep one turtle, and now he wants to keep a cat that’s bigger and harder to take care of?

    “Yes, but recently I’ve been able to work again. And besides, Luk

    Kaew helps me with a lot of things.”

    Is that so…

    “You can take it then.”

    The person beside me smiled happily.

    “Thank you.”

    “Phii Pee…” I grabbed the sleeve of the person about to walk away, making him sit back down.

    If this is the last chance, I should apologize to him. If this is the last time we’ll see each other, I don’t want to keep any bad feelings inside; it’s like there’s unfinished business to resolve. So if possible, I’d rather end things with him on good terms, looking at each other, rather than parting with unresolved tension.

    At least if there’s a chance to make amends, we should, right?

    “Hmm?”

    “I’m sorry.”

    “You don’t need to apologize to me; I was the one in the wrong.”

    “No… it was my fault. I’m sorry for not listening to your reasons, for judging you, for disappearing without hearing a word, even though I knew deep down you didn’t mean for it to happen.”

    “Um, it’s true that in the past I liked you, but my liking was about wanting to make you happy. So even if you didn’t like me back, I still wanted to be your friend. I cried because I was sad that you hated me.”

    “I’m sorry. I didn’t hate you. I was afraid you’d be angry at me…”

    “How could I be angry at you? I was the one who broke your trust. It’s

    Diew who should be angry with me.”

    “I was angry, but not anymore.”

    “Thank you, for me, whether it’s today, tomorrow, or any day, Diew will always be my best friend.”

    As we talked, I realized tears were streaming down my face.

    Why does this always happen? When I’m upset, I never cry, but when everything turns out fine, I end up crying like this. It’s so embarrassing.

    I wiped away my tears awkwardly. What I said about hating and being angry at him, once I put aside my prejudices, I realized I was never truly angry at Phii Pee. He was the first one to break through the walls I had built, becoming my first real friend.

    Even though there are some things I can’t remember because it’s been a long time since we talked, there are many things I do remember.

    Like how he said I saved his life when he was contemplating suicide, just by telling him he was my only friend, or how well we got along, whether it was in conversation, personality, or shared interests.

    Phii Pee has always been my best friend, in the past and now.

    That’s why when we fought, I felt so bad that I didn’t want to be friends with anyone else again.

    “Don’t cry, you’re a brave one, you didn’t do anything wrong.”

    Phii Pee’s hand touched my hair, and the more he comforted me, the more I couldn’t stop crying. Seeing that I was crying harder, he let me cry until I was satisfied. He sat quietly without saying anything.

    Until a shout rang out.

    “Diew!”

    I looked up through my tears to see Phii Godt walking towards us, his face as dark as a bear that just ate honey. Without saying a word, he grabbed me and pulled me to him while giving Phii Pee an unfriendly look.

    “Phii Godt.”

    “What did he do to you? Who did what to you, why are you crying?” Phii Godt almost shouted in my face. I quickly objected. He must have seen the scene where Phii Pee was patting my head, which made him this angry, even though there was nothing to it.

    “There’s nothing. He… he didn’t do anything.”

    “Then why are you crying? Why are you sitting there letting him pat your head like that?”

    The louder Phii Godt shouted, the angrier Phii Pee got. He stood up, trying to mediate.

    “Sorry. I’m just a friend of Diew. I was just comforting him.”

    “Who asked?” Phii Godt glared at Phii Pee, “Go up to the room now.”

    Then I was grabbed by Phii Godt, who pushed me back towards the dorm. The tears that were flowing moments ago stopped abruptly; I forgot I had been sobbing, too confused about what to do first, whether to tell Phii Pee not to worry, this one’s my boyfriend, or to tell Phii Godt there’s nothing going on, that one’s my old friend.

    So, I didn’t get to say goodbye to the other person with whom things were cleared up after years of misunderstanding.

    A look of confusion behind round glasses was sent my way; Phii Pee seemed about to follow us, but I shook my head at him. He stopped in his tracks before shouting after us with concern.

    “I’ll call you later, Diew!”

    Which only added fuel to the fire for the big guy pulling me back to the room.

    “Call, you want to call my wife, you piece of shit.”

    Oh no, when Phii Godt gets angry, he’s scarier than anything.

        MONSTER NEXT DOOR CHAPTERS HOME

  • MONSTERNEXTDOOR, Special Chapter 0: Going Back Home

    MONSTERNEXTDOOR, Special Chapter 0: Going Back Home

       MONSTERNEXTDOOR, Special Chapter 0: Going Back Home

    A shake on my shoulder woke me up. “We’re almost there.”

    I looked out to see houses lined up on both sides of the road, whereas before I fell asleep, there were fields of grass on either side of the way.

    “Are we there already…?”

    I had fallen asleep without realizing it. I intended to keep Phii Godt company while he drove, so we went to buy coffee, but after drinking it, I fell asleep with my head down, and when I woke up, we were already in the village.

    The black sedan stopped in front of a two-story modern-style house, and I quickly opened the car door and pushed through the gate. The first thing I saw was the back of an elderly man standing by the fish pond in the garden, humming his favorite song happily. Seeing that, I rushed over and hugged him out of longing.

    “Grandpa~”

    “Well, why are you so early, you little rascal? I thought you’d arrive around ten or eleven at night.” Grandpa laughed before turning to face me. Before he could say anything else, he froze, his eyes under his square glasses focusing on the person behind me who was walking in.

    “Hello, Grandpa.”

    “Oh, good, good.” Grandpa looked at my face and whispered softly, “A friend?”

    “No.”

    “Oh. Who is he then?”

    “My boyfriend.”

    The atmosphere at the dinner table was dead silent, with only the sound of utensils clinking. Tonight’s dinner was simple home-cooked dishes like omelet, stir-fried water spinach, and fried pork ribs, all made by Mom. The fried pork ribs were Grandpa’s favorite, and he would always compliment how tasty they were, but since we revealed that Phii Godt was my boyfriend, no one said anything. Both Mom and Grandpa kept their eyes on their rice bowls as if expecting something to sprout from them.

    As for Phii Godt, although he’s usually very talkative, never stopping, and good at being mischievous, he was quiet and reserved in front of elders, sitting still, almost blending into the chair from his awkwardness, even hesitant to eat.

    Though the atmosphere felt tense, it was a good sign that Mom didn’t start yelling. She’s the type to speak her mind if she doesn’t like something, not one to keep things bottled up. Grandpa, on the other hand, didn’t look stern or displeased; instead, he pushed the omelet dish towards Phii Godt, seemingly concerned that he might not reach it.

    “You act like you’re close.” Mom teased Grandpa for passing the omelet to Phii Godt, and the big guy quickly put his spoon down.

    If you wanted to see Phii Godt out of his element, today provided plenty of opportunities.

    “Well, he’s my grandson’s boyfriend. How can I treat him like a stranger?”

    “Be careful, you might spoil my grandson rotten.”

    “With just one grandchild, who are am I going to please? Are you crazy?”

    “That’s the crazy one, Dad.”

    “No, you’re the crazy one. It’s good that the grandchild has such a big boyfriend. If anyone teases him, he can protect him.”

    “Who would tease him? Don’t you think this big guy might tease

    Nong Diew?”

    “You’re delusional. If he teased him, how could the grandchild like him?”

    Exactly, haven’t you heard of ‘Stockholm Syndrome’, Dad? Who knows if he was forced to be his boyfriend or not?”

    Phii Godt actually broke out in a sweat and smiled dryily to the grandmother.

    “And you, do you like him?” Mom turned to ask me. I nodded slightly in response. “Now tell me why you like him.”

    “Do people need a reason to like each other?”

    “Dad, can you stop for a moment? I want to talk to my son.”

    “I like him because he’s patient and tries hard. He’s my hero.”

    My answer made both my mom and grandpa, who were arguing, fall silent for a moment. I turned to look at Phii Godt, who looked back at me with a surprised expression. He probably didn’t expect me to speak so directly because I’m usually shy and stammering around him, taking a lot of time to think before speaking.

    We had discussed introducing ourselves to the family many times. The topic of boyfriends is quite delicate, especially since we’re both guys. But since Phii Godt said not to worry about his parents hating me, I didn’t want him to worry that my grandparents would hate him either. My grandparents have enough reason not to chase him out of the house, and they use a rational approach to discuss matters.

    I dared to talk about this with my family because mom and grandpa aren’t strangers, and it’s better than keeping it a secret and them finding out later. Grandpa has always taught me to tell him everything, and from childhood to adulthood, I’ve never lied to them. “So if you don’t like him, it’s okay… but I like him.”

    Mom let out a high-pitched screech.

    “Look. Look at him, teaching the grandchild to be selfish. Look at what he’s saying, isn’t this forcing me to like him?”

    “But grandpa told me to speak directly.”

    “It’s true what the grandchild says. If you don’t like him, what can you do? In the end, you’ll give in to your child anyway.”

    “Dad! Here you are, siding with the grandchild, that’s why he’s like this.”

    “And what if I do? Is there a problem?”

    “Dad! Look at Diew, he’s teasing me!”

    “Stop arguing, please, it’s embarrassing.” I interjected before the two could escalate further. Even though I knew Grandpa and Mom never really fought, they just teased each other, and in five minutes, they’d forget about it!!

    “And you, how old are you? Have you graduated yet?”

    With no one siding with her, Mom turned to question Phii Godt instead.

    Last semester, I came back to Phuket alone because Phii Godt had to deal with internship paperwork. This semester, coinciding with his graduation and the completion of his internship… I decided to bring Phii Godt to meet Grandpa and Mom. Phii Godt didn’t object to the idea.

    I was a bit worried that Mom and Phii Godt might not get along, but after dinner, after we cleared and washed the dishes, and after spending nearly half an hour setting up the guest room, when I came out to the living room, I saw Phii Godt and Mom laughing, having moved on to another topic. Plus, there was a plate of snacks; if Mom didn’t like him, there wouldn’t even be any snacks.

    “They’ve gotten close so quickly.”

    I whispered to Grandpa, who had just come out of the bathroom.

    Grandpa peeked at his daughter, making a tired face.

    “Well, she’s just like her mother.”

    “Was Grandma like this?”

    “She complained a lot, but she always indulged her children. Whatever makes them happy is her happiness too. And you, how did you two end up together? Tell me all about it.”

    “He’s my next-door neighbor, Grandpa.”

    “And what’s his personality like?”

    “At first, I thought he was talkative and annoying.” Grandpa furrowed his brows. “But he’s a good person. He tried to be patient to talk to me from the balcony without seeing my face, trying to be a part of my world. Grandpa knows how hard that is.”

    Grandpa nodded in agreement. Since he raised me, I’ve never had a single friend.

    “When I asked you before if I had to step out of my comfort zone to talk to someone, it was about him.”

    “Oh, this guy?”

    “Yeah, but people in relationships need to watch each other over the long term, Grandpa. It’s not like he’ll always be like this.” In the future, Phii Godt might change, who knows? These things depend on time and care.

    “It’s good that you think like this; grandpa won’t have to worry.”

    Grandpa squeezed my shoulder lightly, taking my hand in his with concern, “I’ve talked with your mom about having a boyfriend. I couldn’t imagine whether you’d have one or stay single. If you stay single, that’s fine, you can be a friend to me and your mom. But if you have a boyfriend, like I said, I want someone who can protect you.

    Grandpa has taken good care of you.”

    “I didn’t think I’d have a boyfriend either.” I mostly stay in my room, and life is already fulfilling. Even now, I’m puzzled about how I ended up with Phii Godt, and he’s such a handsome guy too.

    “By the way, does your boyfriend like turtles?”

    Grandpa asked with a serious look, and for turtle conservationists, turtles come first.

    “He likes them. He enjoys playing with young-master.”

    “Good, I won’t accept anyone who doesn’t like turtles.”

    After saying that, he walked into the study room, leaving me to look at the two people laughing at each other at the dining table. Seeing Phii Godt smile after sitting quietly for so long made me feel a bit relieved.

    Both mom and Phii Godt are the same type of people who love to talk, enjoy socializing. Having them sit and stare at each other for a long time in a battle of nerves wouldn’t be their style; they need to open up and talk to see if they click, if there’s anything they need to adjust to each other.

    I was happy to see that mom and Phii Godt gelled quickly, pleased that mom seemed happy talking with Phii Godt because I don’t talk much with her. Mom has lots of friends and gets lonely easily, while I have few friends and talk so little you could count my words.

    Seeing this, it was heartwarming to see both of them happy, chatting about various topics.

    “I’m glad that your mom is okay with me dating him,” Phii Godt said, playing with his hands, showing his nervousness.

    “Overthinking. If I wasn’t okay, it might be about your personality, which you’d have to observe over time. But if it’s about two guys, I don’t care about that. It’s even better that someone can take care of him. Nong Diew has been raised without much pressure from us since he was little; he can do what he wants, what makes him happy. I don’t like to control my child. I just want him to have some friends because I’m afraid he’ll be lonely.”

    “Yes.”

    “He might be a bit selfish, but he’s actually a good kid. But how about your parents? Are they okay with Nong Diew?”

    My parents are quite open-minded, they raised me with freedom. They don’t care who I date as long as I can take care of myself, which is enough for them.”

    “That’s good. Mom doesn’t want Nong Diew to worry about these things. My son has always been a deep thinker since he was little.”

    As they talked, it turned into mom telling Phii Godt stories from my childhood, like how I was indifferent to my kindergarten teacher to the point where the teacher complained about my silence, or how I was teased by friends until grandpa had to go to school about it, and various mischievous deeds that gave mom and grandpa headaches.

    Nothing compares to the time right after Dad passed away when I was still expecting every evening that Dad would drive back home. I would often hear him, telling Grandpa and Mom that he had come back. But they thought because I was a child, I could see ghosts. A few days later, Mom brought monks to chant, put a protective talisman on the front door, as if they were afraid Dad would come to take me away.

    In reality, I had just heard things, and Mom only found out a few years ago when we talked about childhood antics. She was so mad she didn’t talk to me for a week. Well, I was only five then. I had even forgotten about it if Mom hadn’t dug it up.

    I stood listening to their laughter until Phii Godt turned to meet my gaze. Seeing his smile made me feel embarrassed that he had to learn about my mischievous childhood deeds, so I quickly spun around and went back to my room.

    He must like it, huh? I’ve never told Phii Godt about my childhood.

    My life is so mundane; apart from family matters, I don’t know what else there is to tell.

    I turned on the light for young-master’s fish tank and sat down on the bed, picking up a novel to read while playing soft music in the background. Even at home, I like to stay in my room, reading, watching movies, listening to music, just like at the dorm. Occasionally, I’d go play with the turtles at Grandpa’s workplace or rarely go to the beach.

    But rarely, because I don’t like the heat.

    Not long after, the door opened, and Phii Godt came in, closing the door with a loud sigh.

    “I thought your mom wouldn’t like me for sure.”

    “Why would you think that?” I looked up from my book at him unpacking his clothes. Phii Godt draped a towel over his shoulder and walked to turn on the bathroom light.

    “I don’t know, I just thought she must be very protective of you.”

    By the time I was fifteen, Mom let me come home by myself.”

    “I didn’t mean that.”

    “Then you mean…”

    “With a son as cute as you, anyone would be protective.”

    After he said that, he disappeared into the bathroom, and not long after, I heard the shower running, leaving me sitting there with my face flushed from his words. The one who’s protective because of my cuteness isn’t Mom… it’s you. Mom worries because I’m slow at doing things, more afraid that I’ll fall behind others.

    Phii Godt didn’t take long in the shower and came to sit beside me on the bed. Not knowing what to do, he leaned over to see what I was reading. I looked up at him; his beautiful eyes played with the light from the fish tank, reflecting a shiny gleam that I couldn’t help but stare at.

    “Go to sleep. Aren’t you tired?”

    After driving for so long, I felt tired just sitting still, and the driver barely got any rest.

    “I’ve always wondered how you were raised, why you turned out to be such a sweet, well-mannered kid. After meeting your mom and grandpa, I understand why you’re so good.”

    “I’m not that good. I was quite mischievous when I was younger.”

    Phii Godt laughed. From what mom told him, he must now understand how much of a troublemaker I was.

    “And whose personality did you inherit?”

    “From my dad and grandpa.”

    “But I think you got a bit from your mom too.”

    “Where exactly?” I put the book down beside me and turned to talk seriously with Phii Godt instead. The big guy rested his head on my lap, looking up at me with a thoughtful expression.

    “The part where you’re decisive.”

    “Huh?”

    “Do you remember when we set the rule of talking before sleeping?”

    “I remember.”

    “I thought, wow, this kid is so decisive. No stranger would set such a rule and expect it to be followed.”

    “I think at that time, I was more selfish.” I muttered while lightly rubbing my nose, “Back then, I thought if we didn’t meet face-to-face, I’d feel better, and I didn’t care if you followed the rule because if you didn’t, I would just stop talking.”

    See, I just said you’re decisive, very determined.”

    “You have to thank yourself for agreeing to follow that rule.”

    “I don’t know, for me, setting that rule wasn’t selfish at all.” Phii Godt’s hand moved to gently touch my cheek. He caressed my face tenderly, just like the first time we touched.

    “I thought, if I could do it, what would happen?”

    “You’ve always been optimistic.”

    Phii Godt’s thumb touched my lips, stroking them in a way he liked. At first, I didn’t think much of it, but when he gave me a slight smile, all the heat in the world seemed to gather on my face.

    “It’s good. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have gotten to be the boyfriend of someone as cute as you.”

    I pretended to look away; the more we made eye contact, the deeper I fell.

    “Always saying I’m cute.”

    I caught his mischievous thumb, then lightly kissed the tip of it.

    “It’s you who’s cute.”

    Phii Godt froze and widened his eyes, his ears turning red, indicating his embarrassment. His hand then held mine, and he kissed it affectionately.

    “Look at you, grown up and good at flirting.”

    “I’m not.”

    “Here’s the evidence.” He showed the thumb I had kissed, but before we could say anything more, there was a knock at the door. In just a fraction of a second, the door was opened by Grandpa, and Phii Godt jumped up so quickly that his head hit my chin hard.

    “Ouch!”

    It hurt!!!

    I lay back, holding my chin silently, with tears welling up from the sharp pain. The one at fault let out a dry laugh towards Grandpa, probably scared that he would get caught for lying on my lap moments ago.

    “Oh, what’s wrong with you, Diew?”

    Grandpa had come at the perfect moment, and Phii Godt had forgotten to lock the door; my chin was all sore now.

    “Oh, he just has a stomachache, Grandpa. Maybe he ate too fast.”

    Stomachache, huh…

    “Are you okay, Diew? Should I get some medicine?”

    I shook my head at Grandpa, unable to speak due to the pain in my chin. When Phii Godt’s head hit my chin, my teeth clashed with a loud clack in my head, leaving me dizzy.

    “Okay, okay, I came to ask if you want to go to the center with me tomorrow.”

    “The center?” Phii Godt asked with a confused tone, but soon he remembered, “The turtle conservation center?”

    “Yes, let’s go together.”

    “Sure.”

    “But if you’re not better from the stomachache by ten tomorrow, let me know, okay?”

    “Okay, good night, Grandpa.”

    “Oh oh, sweet dreams Nong Diew, if you can’t sleep, you can knock on my door, I’ll give you some medicine.”

    “Uh.”

    The door closed, Phii Godt quickly got up from the bed to lock the door, then he rushed back to me and gently stroked my chin while blowing softly.

    “Oh oh, I’m sorry. It doesn’t hurt, right?”

    Doesn’t hurt, my ass. After that slap.

    I glared at him.

    “Why don’t you try getting hit once, then you’ll know if it hurts or not.”

    “Mean, where does it hurt? Does it hurt a lot?”

    “Here, it hurts a lot.”

    Phii Godt moved closer, slightly lifted my chin, and kissed the tip of my chin, making me flinch.

    “Phii Godt…”

    Why kiss my chin like this?

    Even though I called out his name in protest, Phii Godt didn’t listen. This time, he moved his lips up to press a kiss on my lips, lingering there, before pushing me down to lie on the bed and pinning both my wrists to the bed.

    The heavy breathing from the person above made me lose myself in the kiss that was more than just a touch of lips. Now, it was filled with desire. All I could do was moan softly, my breath ragged as it followed the rhythm set by the person above. The gentler Phii Godt was, the more my arousal heightened.

    “Phii Godt… uh.”

    In the brief moment my lips were free, I quickly protested, but instead of stopping, Phii Godt kissed me even more passionately. This time, I could barely find my senses; I only knew that if Phii Godt didn’t stop now, the emotions rising wouldn’t calm down easily.

    “Phii Godt.”

    Finally, he released my lips, his warm breath lingering beside my cheek. The big guy laughed, seeming to enjoy teasing me.

    “I’m telling you, if this wasn’t at your home but at the condo, or if it was at the dorm, you wouldn’t get away.”

    Instead of letting me go free, Khun Godzilla hugged me and lay down on the narrow bed together, even though I had already made the bed for him. He refused to go down to sleep, instead, he lay on top of me like this. How could I dare to make him go down to sleep?

    I nestled my face against the broad chest of the person beside me, exhaling gently, the heat still lingering on my face, my heart still pounding loudly like a drum in my chest. But I didn’t want to move away.

    Because lying next to this man was so warm, warm enough that we hardly needed a blanket.

    The morning birdsong indicated a clear day with a bright sky and gentle sunlight. I walked over to the turtle nursery, where the small turtles were swimming around in the water. I looked over at Phii Godt, who was chatting with my grandfather.

    Because Phii Godt is kind, cheerful, and good at talking, he managed to become friendly with my family in less than twenty-four hours. Before we left the house this morning, my mother even packed some snacks for him.

    Maybe he’s loved more than me now.

    I stood there, chin on my hands, watching the turtles for a long while, thinking this and that. Not long after, Phii Godt came to stand beside me.

    “Wow, this is the young-master gang, isn’t it?”

    “Do you like turtles?”

    I asked him softly. Since we’ve been together, I’ve never asked if Phii Godt liked turtles. He never showed any signs of dislike towards the young-master; in fact, he often sat and chatted with him, so I assumed he didn’t hate them.

    “I like them, they’re quite cute.”

    “In the past, my father really loved turtles.”

    When I mentioned my father, Phii Godt’s smile faded. We stood there watching the small turtles swimming in the clear pond. We weren’t allowed to touch the turtles in the nursery because our hands might be dirty and affect their health.

    “I’ve never told you about my father, until Wan asked who I got my personality from. I answered, my father and grandfather.”

    “If you don’t want to talk about it, it’s okay.”

    “I want to.”

    Thinking back to the past, the reason my father got along well with my grandfather was because they shared similar interests, unlike my mother who didn’t like turtles at all. As a child, she was bitten by a turtle, which left a lasting impression. Even now, she never goes near the turtles in our home pond.

    “My dad once said that turtles are creatures that live long, for hundreds of years, because I wanted my dad to live for a hundred years. So I bought a turtle from a temple fair for my dad, but I didn’t know that turtle was sick.”

    Phii Godt moved closer until our arms were touching. I knew he was worried because I had to talk about the past.

    But I wasn’t sad anymore.

    “Mom said that on the day that turtle died, my dad had an accident. Dad didn’t die then, but he died in the hospital because they couldn’t save him in time, even though he had always been the one saving lives. But on that day, no one could save him.”

    I didn’t know why mom still hates turtles to this day, whether it’s because of childhood memories or because of that turtle.

    “After that, I never thought of buying another turtle from the market, until recently when grandpa was the one who gave me ‘young-master’ to take care of. Grandpa didn’t say where he got young-master from, just told me to take good care of him. So I cherished and loved young-master a lot.”

    Phii Godt’s warm hand rested on my head, gently rubbing to comfort me.

    “Do you remember when young-master was sick, and I felt bad… it made me think of dad.”

    “It’s not wrong to think of him, but if dad is watching, he would want you to smile more, Wan.”

    I smiled at the person next to me while holding his hand.

    “Do you know, you remind me a lot of my dad?”

    “Hmm?”

    “My dad was the one who brought laughter to our family all the time. After he passed away, I didn’t smile for anyone anymore. You were the first person in years that I smiled for because you told me my smile was beautiful.”

    Yes, because of those words from him, I felt like I wanted to smile more, to smile every day. Even if smiling all the time might seem crazy, whenever I’m with Phii Godt, I want to smile for him.

    “And when you make mom and grandpa smile, I feel even more that you’re just like dad.”

    “Then, I’ll stay by your side, make you smile, make your mom and grandpa smile often.”

    His big hand held mine, not too loose, not too tight, but with the certainty that he would never let go. I held Phii Godt’s hand in return, the warmth from his hand undeniably enveloping my heart with warmth.

    I know in the future we might have disagreements, some things might not go as planned, or some things might not work out, but I don’t want to let go of his hand, because Phii Godt is both my smile and my happiness from the first day, today, and into the future.

    “Does that one has color on it too?”

    Phii Godt pointed to a small turtle with green spots on it.

    “Do you want to name it?”

    “Is that allowed? Won’t it lose its color as it grows?”

    “I don’t know either, but if we come back next time, it should be grown.”

    “Do you have any name in mind? We’ve got Young-Master, Smile, what should this one be?”

    Hmm. I stood there thinking for a long time.

    “Godzilla,” I mumbled the specific name.

    “Why use my name for a turtle?”

    “It’s cute, and when we come back, we’ll see how big your Godzilla has gotten.”

    “You want to see, but you didn’t say so. My Godzilla is going to be huge.”

    “I am talking about turtles!” I turned to tease him, getting a playful smile in return. I looked at the turtle with small green spots on its back, swimming among its friends. Even though it was just tiny spots, they stood out from all the others in the pond.

    It’s true that I’ve always been afraid that if I give someone a turtle as a gift, my father’s nightmare would come back to haunt me. But now, I’m not afraid at all. If this little Godzilla is a gift for Phii Godt,

    I hope that every year when we come back here, Phii Godt will be standing next to me, holding my hand like this.

    For a long time, long enough to see this little turtle grow big.

    “If it grows up, I’ll bring young-master to live with Godzilla.”

    “And who’s the male, who’s the female then?”

    I nudged the person beside me.

    “My young-master is fierce, you know.”

    “Oh really, can it be as fierce as mine, huh?”

    “Crazy.”

    I pulled away from the playful person and walked off before hearing the laughter chasing after me. I looked up at the bright sky of today, clouds drifting by casting shadows over our bodies, a cool breeze brushing against my face, making the mobiles hanging on the poles chime.

    Instead of walking on, I stopped and waited until Phii Godt caught up to walk beside me.

    And then we both walked on together.

    We just kept walking together.

    “But, will your family really be okay with me?” Hearing Phii Godt talk to his mom about Wan brought this concern back to my mind. No matter how many times I asked, Phii Godt always gave the same answer, ‘They’re totally okay with it,’ but I’ve never actually met his parents face to face.

    “Oh, wait, I’ll video call my mom.”

    After saying that, he immediately started a video call with his mom. I was at a loss, wait… you just decide to call like that?!

    It didn’t take long for Phii Godt’s mom to answer, and his dad was sitting beside her. It looked like they were both interested in something.

    I had just seen Phii Godt’s mom for the first time, and I could immediately tell that Phii Godt had inherited his eyes from her. “Mom.”

    (“What, why call?”), Phii Godt’s mom spoke curtly to her son.

    “This is my boyfriend.” He adjusted his arm so that the phone could capture both of us in the frame. I quickly raised my hands to pay respects to Phii Godt’s mom. She leaned closer to the screen, scrutinizing me for a moment, making me swallow audibly.

    (“Oh. He’s cute, is this the one you mentioned?”)

    “This is him, you act like there are many.”

    (“Bring him over, take good care of him, don’t embarrass us, understand?”)

    “Yes, ma’am.”

    (“When you have time, bring him to meet me.”)

    “Yes, ma’am.”

    (“If that’s all, I want to watch TV.”)

    She ended the call. As for me, I stood there with my eyebrows furrowed. Could it really be this easy? When I turned to look at Phii Godt, who was humming a tune and smiling happily, my doubts only grew.

    “Is it really this easy?”

    “It’s easy. I chat with mom every day, I know exactly what you’re like, my parents aren’t old-fashioned. As long as you’re a good partner, supportive, and take care of each other, that’s all they need.”

    “Chat… what did you tell your mom about me?”

    “Well… I sent her your picture, told her I like this one, isn’t he cute?

    Mom said you’re cute, with a nice nose and mouth, good facial features. You don’t look like my son at all, he’s so big.”

    Gasping for air like a fish out of water,

    “I said you likes to read books. You don’t like going out, you like taking care of turtles, watching series, doing quiet things in your room. You don’t drink alcohol, doesn’t go out causing trouble, studies hard, and is very good at it too. Your studies internationally, chemistry as well, um, what else…”

    Is there anything more? It seems like you’ve covered almost everything.

    “Good attitude, speaks well, has manners, and…”

    I listened intently to what Phii Godt was going to say next.

    “I want to protect you.”

    “…”

    “Want to make you happy.”

    “…”

    “Want to tell you I love you every day.”

    “Is that what you told mom?” I looked away, Phii Godt placed his hand on my head, just like the first day we met.

    “I told her once.”

    “…”

    “I love you.”

    “…”

    “Muah muah.”

    “Yuck.”

    I hate his “muah muah” the most, it gives me goosebumps, seriously.

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