MYMOON, Chapter 15:
“Mai, for the cargo course assignment, we just need to combine the files from New, Thot, and Orn, right?”
“Yup, once those three send their files, we’ll merge them into one and email it to the professor.”
“The deadline’s tonight at 11 PM, right?” Pie said.
“I know, I know.”
“You know… but do they know?”
“I told them in the group chat yesterday.”
“Oh…”
“If Mai finishes combining the files, you can send them to me to double-check before submitting to the professor. I’ll help make sure everything’s in order.”
“Sounds good… Heading straight back to the condo after class, Klai?” Pie’s question made the guy, who had just slung his cloth bag over his shoulder, freeze. He pursed his lips and shook his head to decline. Before he could say anything, his two friends, who were also packing up to head home, started teasing him with their eyes again.
“Well, well ~ got a date with Panli, huh?”
“Uh, yeah,” Klai stammered.
“O_O” Mai’s eyes widened before she lightly nudged Pie’s arm with her elbow. “Pie, I asked without expecting anything, just teasing, but turns out they actually have a date!”
“You’ve leveled up a lot, Klaijai, ~”
“Stop it, quit teasing me already.”
“…So, where are you two going?”
Keep teasing me, Pie…
If you stop teasing, you’ll ask this question instead.
“Um…” Klai paused, feeling so shy he was beside himself. It was that smile and the voice of Miss Sasinee that kept popping into his head. “…We are gonna go watch a movie.”
“Whoa~”
“Haha!”
“Mai… making that kind of sound is way too much!”
Mai laughed before saying, “Sorry, sorry!”
“I’m already dying of embarrassment here.”
“I believe you is really embarrassed, because your face and ears are red again.”
The small guy raised one hand to rub his burning cheek before walking out of the classroom, with his two teasing friends following close behind. But a notification sound from the LINE app made Klai stop in his tracks. A gentle smile appeared on his sweet face. He guessed it had to be Moon messaging him.
However, the message on the screen made Klai furrow his brows tightly before turning to look at the two friends behind him. Mai and Pie, who were reading a message on the same phone, shook their heads and sighed in unison.
Newz: That research you told us to find more info for, I tried looking, but I couldn’t find anything.
Thot: Same here. There’s barely any info on this airline. We’ll just submit what we have.
A: I found some extra stuff for ours. I’ve sent the file to Klai’s email already.
“You guys… I’m freaking out right now.”
“If Newz and Thot are saying this, it’s like they’re dumping the extra work on us.”
“It’s like they’re deliberately shoving the work onto us, knowing Klai won’t let the project turn out incomplete… Back when we were in the same group, they always did this, and the ones who ended up finishing the work were me and Klai.”
Klai had promised himself he wouldn’t let others take advantage of him anymore. He thought it over carefully once more before typing a message to send in the group LINE.
glaijai: How about we all work together to finish it? The professor
set today as the final review deadline before the actual presentation next week.
Newz: I already left campus.
Thot: Same, I’m already out.
A: Do I need to come back too? I have dinner plans with my mom today. glaijai: For A’s part, give me five minutes to check.
glaijai: As for Newz and Thot, glaijai: I’m giving you one more chance to decide.
glaijai: Are you really not coming back, even though your parts of
the work aren’t finished?
The small person nodded to both friends, signaling them to find a table to sit at first, as this was likely to be a long discussion. They walked to a long table some distance from the classroom. Mai pulled a notebook from her cloth bag to check on Orn’s work.
Klai stared at his message, which had been read but received no reply. He was certain New and Thot were overthinking it. They probably assumed he’d do the work himself like before, but this time, Klai wasn’t going to let New and Thot off the hook. He’d already told them to add information to the report since Sunday.
Klai gave them three full days…
But Klai thought… even if they had a week or a month, New and Thot would still choose to act this way.
Because neither of them ever improved.
The small person finished checking the part of the report Orn was responsible for and nodded to the friends, indicating that the additional information Orn found was usable. Klai took a deep breath before typing another message in LINE.
glaijai: Orn’s part of the work is okay now.
A: Alright, so we’re not going back to revise it, right? glaijai: Okay.
glaijai: So, what about you two?
glaijai: The latest we can submit is tonight at 11 p.m., because the
professor said there’d be no time to review after that.
glaijai: So the work has to be done today.
“New and Thot definitely won’t come back to help,” Pie said.
“This time, I’m not so sure. I have never talked to them like this before.”
Klai looked up at his two friends, who wore worried expressions. He didn’t know if New and Thot would agree to return and help with the university work, but Klai would try his hardest to protect himself. Even if others thought he was being stubborn, that he should just let go of such a small matter and do the work himself to get it done quickly…
Klai wanted to do that too. He didn’t want to sit here stressing over these two. Doing New and Thot’s share wasn’t hard—just adding more information. But if he chose to do that again… it would mean breaking the promise he made to himself.
To… Klaijai,
This person with a stronger heart than yesterday,
We promised to protect Klaijai as best we could.
We won’t let Klaijai feel suppressed or forced to tolerate people who keep taking advantage.
…and we won’t let rain fall in Klaijai’s heart again… From… myself.
Because this promise to himself cannot be torn apart, this time Klai tried to stay strong and protect himself to the fullest. Klai thought… we shouldn’t break a promise to ourselves, as it would diminish the confidence we have in ourselves.
If we can do it this time…
Even if we face something even tougher next time,
We’ll believe in ourselves that we can do it too.
And we’ll actually do it, just as we believe.
The replies from New and Thot made Klai exhale in relief. Pie and Mai high-fived with a loud clap, as if they’d just completed an important mission together.
Newz: I’ll head back now.
Thot: Same here, give me five minutes.
glaijai: No need to go to the library anymore. Mai brought her
laptop. Let’s work together at Building eleven, eighth floor.
Newz: Was just about to say I didn’t bring my laptop. glaijai: We don’t expect you or Thot to bring anything. glaijai: Just show up, that’s enough.
Thot: See, I’m hurrying over now.
Klai locked his phone screen with a sigh of relief, glancing at his two friends reading the group chat messages. But the relief didn’t last long before worry crept back in. When Klai checked his wristwatch, the hands pointed exactly to 3:00 p.m.
Three o’clock…
He had a date with Panli…
Perhaps because his worried expression was obvious, his two friends spoke up.
“Oh! Totally forgot he has a movie date with Panli.” “Right… Go ahead, Klai. We’ll handle things here.”
Klai didn’t like how New and Thot took advantage of him, prioritizing their own convenience without caring about others, especially since this was their group project. They didn’t even seem to care. So, Klai refused to act like them. “It’s fine. I’ll just ask Panli to wait a bit.”
Yes… Klai would ask Moon to wait for him a little.
Klai didn’t want to miss this chance to watch Moonlight with Panli.
He hoped… Panli would understand.
The small guy swiped the screen to open the LINE app again. Klai selected the chat with his close friend and typed a message to send.
glaijai: Panli!
Not long after… the message was read.
- Panli: Hey, I’ve reached Building 11. Heading up to pick you up on the 8th floor.
And, as expected, the ever-reliable guy replied…
Klai pursed his lips tightly. Though he hadn’t canceled their plans, just asked the other to wait, he still felt incredibly guilty for making Panli wait so long.
The growing sense of guilt made his slender fingers freeze. His mind couldn’t come up with a proper way to ask for forgiveness, and Klai must’ve left Moon waiting for a reply too long, because the other sent another message.
- Panli: Did you know that if a message is read for over 2 minutes without a reply…
- Panli: The person waiting for a response knows instantly they’re at risk.
Klai sat silently, reading Moon’s messages.
- Panli: At risk of being left to watch the movie alone.
Ugh… Klaijai could never abandon a puppy like that.
Because Moon’s message seemed so sad, Klai hurriedly typed a reply. glaijai: I’m not leaving Panli to watch the movie alone! glaijai: There’s just a small issue with my group project. glaijai: Can I have 20 minutes, Panli?
And Klai knew… the plea he was typing next wasn’t something he should use right now. But for some reason, he decided to send it anyway. glaijai: Puppy, I am sorry for making you wait.
Moon read the message but didn’t reply. Klai almost unsent the message he’d just sent, but the other responded just in time.
- Panli: I’m out of the elevator. Where is you on the 8th floor? glaijai: Panli, wait by the elevator. I’ll come out to get you.
- Panli: Okay
His eyes lingered on the other person’s last message, but his brain urged his body to stand up from the chair. Klai slipped his phone into his pants pocket before telling his two friends, “Mai, Pie, I’m going to step out to meet Panli first, okay?”
“Okay, okay.”
With his friends nodding in agreement, the small guy walked out from the spacious hall with long tables where students worked, heading to meet Moon at the elevator.
Klai spotted the tall figure from a distance, head down, tapping on his phone. He quickened his pace, and the moment he approached, Moon looked up from the screen and met his gaze.
At first glance… those puppy eyes looked so sad.
But in the next second, Panli’s smile…
…his eyes curved like crescent moons turned downward.
Is this what they call… a “smile those lights up the whole face”?
“KhunKlai…”
“I am here to pick up the puppy.”
“Even if you didn’t come to get me… I’d probably just stand here waiting.”
There he goes again… Panli being all clingy.
Klai didn’t know how to respond. He tried consulting his brain for help, but he couldn’t come up with any good words to match the other’s sweet talk. So, he turned to his “heart” for advice.
His little heart told Klai to stand on his tiptoes slightly, reach up to pat the tall guy’s head, and say something as a reward for the good guy.
“Jeez… I could never abandon my puppy.”
Yes… this sentence was no longer just echoing in his heart.
“Thank you for not abandoning me.”
Because Klai chose to trust his heart.
And chose to say it out loud…
He pulled his hand back from the soft hair and flashed a smile at the tall guy before saying, “Panli, wait for me a bit, okay? I’ll hurry and finish my work as fast as I can.”
“Yes, kha.”
With the other responding with a smile, Klai nodded, gesturing for
Moon to follow him to the spacious hall where his friends were waiting. He glanced at the tall guy walking beside him, as Moon lightly nudged his arm with a finger.
“Yes?”
“When we go to the movie, should I drive my car or yours?” Panli said, gently ruffling his hair before continuing, “If we take your car, after the movie, I’ll drive you back to your condo and then take a taxi back to campus to get my car. But if we take my car, I’ll drop you off at campus so you can drive your car back to your condo.”
“Why don’t we just each drive our own cars, puppy?” Klai hadn’t forgotten that he didn’t drive today, but he just wanted to know the other’s reasoning.
The one questioned furrowed his brow slightly before saying, “Well…
puppy wants to go with you, KhunKlai.”
Moon’s reason made Klai break into a smile. Sometimes, someone’s complicated and seemingly troublesome actions might make you wonder… why make something simple so difficult?
But it never occurred to him that… sometimes the reason for doing something difficult is just a simple one. Someone chooses to make a simple matter a bit harder, even if it means extra effort.
For one simple reason.
That is, “Well… puppy wants to go with KhunKlai.”
“I forgot to tell Panli… I didn’t drive today.”
“Huh? I thought you drove. How did you get to campus this morning?”
“Actually, I was going to drive, but when I saw the massive traffic jam in front of my condo, I decided to take a motorcycle taxi instead.
Otherwise, I wouldn’t have made it to class on time.”
“Oh…” Moon, listening attentively, nodded while still ruffling his hair, then added, “When you take a motorcycle taxi to campus, make sure to wear a helmet, okay? Be careful, too, since they always drive so fast.”
“Mm.”
“But… don’t hug the driver’s waist, okay? Just hold on lightly.”
The other’s words drew a laugh from Klai. Tilting his head to look at the person who still hadn’t removed his heavy hand from his head, he asked, “Why can’t I hug the driver’s waist?”
“Because…” Moon paused, then pulled Klai’s head to rest against his chest, his large hand sliding from his head to wrap around his shoulders instead. “…this close friend doesn’t like you getting too close to anyone else.”
“…”
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
This close friend… why is he so possessive?
So possessive it’s making… my heart race.
The tall guy muttered softly, as if he only wanted himself to hear.
“Don’t get close to anyone, don’t hug anyone, don’t smile at anyone, okay?”
But Klai heard every word and every request from Moon clearly.
“…”
“I’m just protective.”
Klai let out a soft laugh when he heard the sulky puppy’s muttered complaint, tinged with dissatisfaction. Part of him wanted to ask why Panli was so possessive of his close friend, but Klai guessed Panli wasn’t ready to explain. If he were confident enough about it, Moon would’ve said it outright… not mumbled so quietly.
If you’re not confident yet, that’s okay.
Everything takes time, Klai understands.
Let’s walk together slowly, Moon:)
The two of them reached the long table where Mai and Pie were waiting. The looks from his two close friends made Klai feel a flush of heat in his ears and cheeks again. He knew their eyes were fixed on Moon’s arm around his shoulder. Mai and Pie exchanged small and big smiles, nudging each other’s arms with their elbows. Since his friends were acting so suspiciously, Klai hurried to say something to cover it up before Moon got curious.
“Panli, you might’ve seen my friends a few times already, but we’ve never properly introduced you…” He said, turning to the tall guy who was listening attentively, then began the introductions. “This is Mai. And this is Pie.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too, Panli.”
“Nice to meet you too, Khun… oops! Panli.”
Klai shot a sharp glare at Mai, who was giggling mischievously. He knew she was deliberately teasing him. Today, Klai learned… the people you trust can be the cruelest. The small guy, blushing so much his face and ears were red, slowly turned to look at Moon, who was holding back a smile.
Klai gave a dry smile before saying, “Panli, sit and wait for a bit. Once everyone’s here, we’ll hurry to finish the work within the twenty minutes I asked for.”
“No need to rush. We still have some time.”
Moon said before letting him go. The large hand lifted from his shoulder. Klai plopped down onto a chair alongside him, and then the other asked…
“Is there a problem with the group project, KhunKlai?”
“Uh…” How should he start? If he bluntly said his friends weren’t doing their work, would Panli think he’s too negative? Klai had to think carefully and respond as neutrally as possible. “Well, we asked three other friends to find more information for the report. One of them completed what we asked, but the other two said they tried looking but couldn’t find anything more.”
“…”
“So we decided to stay and finish it together first, since today is the last day the professor set for reviewing before the actual presentation.”
“KhunKlai, you only asked them to find more information, right? Not to revise parts of the report?”
“Right, right. We just asked for more information because there really wasn’t enough.”
“I asked because I thought… finding more information should be easier than revising. When I heard they couldn’t find anything, I felt…
I’d better not say. It might seem like I’m interfering too much with Khun
Klai’s project and group mates.”
“It’s not interfering, Panli. It’s more like exchanging opinions,” Mai said.
“Yeah, feel free to speak,” Pie added.
Moon turned to him before asking, “Would you allow me to share my opinion?”
Klai nodded, agreeing with Mai’s point. Everyone has different perspectives, and as long as they respect and honor each other, sharing opinions isn’t overstepping.
“You don’t need to ask for permission. I don’t see it as interfering at all. I agree with Mai.”
“I think they’re not taking responsibility for their own parts at all. I’m not belittling anyone’s efforts—some people might genuinely do their best and still come up short.”
“…”
“But in this case, from what I’ve heard… I don’t see any sign of them trying their hardest. There should be something different from before, even just a little, to show some effort. Saying ‘I tried but couldn’t find anything’ doesn’t sound convincing. I believe… no matter what it is, if you truly try, there will always be some result. Whether it’s a lot or a little, there has to be something.”
Klai thought Panli was right. When you put in genuine effort, you always get some kind of result. But the work from Thot and New, with no additional information and no changes whatsoever, made it crystal clear… they hadn’t tried at all.
“…”
“And while other group members have completed their responsibilities, having to do extra work that isn’t theirs isn’t really fair. I get that group work means helping each other—that’s a given. But true ‘helping each other’ in group work means when there’s a problem, everyone is ready to solve it together. If someone can’t do their part, they discuss it. That’s what group collaboration is… not like this.”
“Plus ten points for Panli’s words!”
“Speaking straight, no sugarcoating, Panli. Those guys always take advantage of us,” Mai said.
Panli shook his head slightly, then turned to look at him before saying, “KhunKlai… how about helping with the work this time? I want to know how hard it is to gather the information for the parts your friends are responsible for. Maybe the aviation kids have to work harder than a graphic design kid like me. That way, I’ll know if what I’m thinking is right or wrong.”
“Great idea, Panli. The work will get done faster,” Pie said.
“Pie, seriously…” Klai said, chuckling softly. He knew Pie was dying to leave. He turned and nodded slightly to the person beside him. “If it’s not too much trouble, this aviation kid would love for the talented graphic design kid to help with the work.”
“…”
Klai gave a small smile while locking eyes with Moon. His heart started racing as a certain sentence popped into his head, and it beat even faster when he decided to say it out loud… “If we finish the work quickly… we can go watch the movie together sooner, right?”
Klai didn’t know… normally, between the one teasing and the one being teased,
who feels more embarrassed?
But right now, Klai only knew that… Klaijai was embarrassingly flustered.
>////<
Moon, who got teased, gave a subtle smile. Since Klai was so embarrassed, he turned to look at the two friends sitting across from them. But their smiles and gazes didn’t help him feel any less shy, so Klai lowered his eyes to the long table instead.
Klai thought the proverb “A cramped space is livable, but a cramped heart is not” didn’t apply to him.
Because for it to fit him, the proverb would have to change to…
A cramped space is livable, but a heart cramped with embarrassment… is almost unlivable.
“We need to find additional information for two sections of the report, right? And we’re only using Mai’s laptop?”
Klai looked up at Moon, who was asking his close friend, “…”
“Yeah… those guys said they didn’t bring their laptops. Klai said it’s fine as long as they show up.”
Klai saw Panli shake his head and let out a soft sigh before turning to him.
“KhunKlai… I think if we work with just one laptop, the work will take forever to finish.”
“Normally, I keep my laptop in the car, but I didn’t drive today…” Klai thought the same as Panli, but he didn’t know who to borrow a laptop from right now.
“I’ll go grab my MacBook from the car. That way, we can finish the work faster.”
“Want me to come with you, Panli?”
“No need. I’ll go by myself. KhunKlai, you stay here. No need to tire yourself out.”
Klai nodded hesitantly before saying, “Panli… thank you.”
“It’s nothing… no need to thank me,” Moon replied, standing up. His large hand gently patted Klai’s head before pulling away. Klai watched the tall figure walk away, disappearing from the hall.
“Alright… if anyone says Panli isn’t great, I; Mai will go to their house and slap them silly,” Mai declared.
Pie burst out laughing before adding, “Seriously… he’s amazing, helping his future boyfriend with everything.”
“Pie! What are you saying?!”
Pie’s words made Klai so embarrassed that he accidentally scolded his friend loudly. Klai muttered under his breath, grumbling at his two friends who wouldn’t stop teasing him. He admitted… he wanted to move up to future boyfriend status, but he hadn’t forgotten that, for now, he was at most just a “close friend.”
But for now, let Klai bask in the embarrassment of the term future boyfriend.
Because that phrase… felt incredibly cute to Klaijai.
“Getting shy and scolding us~”
“Haha!”
“You guys are getting really good at teasing, huh? Just wait until it’s my turn. I’ll tease you until you’re so embarrassed you’ll hide in the bathroom multiple times a day!”
His two friends giggled loudly, but their smiles vanished when they saw New and Thot walk into the hall. The two stopped at the table where they were sitting, looking visibly annoyed.
“I’ll start first, Thot. I wanna head back soon,” New said.
“What? Didn’t you tell me to start first?” Thot retorted.
“No need to argue. Our friend is grabbing a laptop for us, so we’ll all work together,” Klai said, looking at both of them with exasperation before continuing, “It’s not just New and Thot who want to leave early.
Everyone else does too, so please focus on the work.”
“Got it…” New muttered, plopping down next to Mai. She pulled Mai’s laptop toward herself and started working immediately. Pie, sitting beside Mai, shook her head with a look of disdain.
“So I have to wait for your friend first?” Thot asked.
“Yup, just like we had to sit and wait for you,” Klai replied.
The listener opened his mouth as if to retort but instead chose to sit on an empty chair one seat away from Klai. Not long after, Moon appeared with Mak, carrying the latest model laptop.
New shifted her gaze from the laptop screen and stared at Panli without blinking. Klai couldn’t believe how possessive she’d become. Ever since she fell for Moon, Klai had to admit she was insanely possessive. He cleared his throat intentionally before speaking.
“Let’s focus on the work so we can finish quickly.”
His warning seemed to work, as New quickly shifted her gaze from Panli and got back to work. But less than a minute later, the girl who seemed focused said something unexpected.
“Thot, wanna go first? I forgot I can reschedule my plans today. I’m not in a rush anymore. Aren’t you in a hurry? Go work on Mai’s computer. Her machine’s fast.”
Is New trying to get close to Moon?
I; Klaijai sees right through you…
For the first time in years, Klai felt irritated. He was racking his brain for a way to keep Panli away from someone trying every trick in the book to get close to Moon.
Klai thought New was out of the loop.
Well, let Klai update you… Right now, Klaijai is already close friends with Panli.
No one’s getting between us.
But… first, Klai needs to figure out how to deal with someone trying to wedge themselves between us.
The small guy glanced at Moon, who had plopped down in the middle between him and Thot. Klai was thinking hard about what to do to keep Thot from switching to Mai’s computer. Judging by Thot’s desperate-togo-home expression, Klai was sure Thot would move to Mai’s machine. But then Panli, who had opened his MacBook with a calm face, turned to the guy beside him and asked,
“What’d you say?”
“Thot.”
“Thot?”
“Yeah.”
“Then you’re working with me. No need to go to Mai’s computer.”
“…”
“I don’t sugarcoat my words. You’re not gonna hold it against me, right?”
“Nah, I’m cool.”
“Good.”
It was as if Moon could read his mind. He’d managed to distance himself from New without Klai having to do anything. The conversation between Panli and Thot didn’t sound all that friendly, so Klai could only hope Thot would work smoothly with Moon.
Don’t try to be stubborn with Moon, Thot.
Otherwise… Thot; you might end up bloodied.
Klaijai wouldn’t stop it… because he probably couldn’t.
“Where’s the work you said you couldn’t do?”
“Give me your MacBook. I’ll do it myself.”
“I asked which part you couldn’t do. I’m not here to take orders from you.”
Thot glanced at Panli for a moment before saying, “Check my email first. I need to open the report to show you.”
“Tell me your email.”
Thot gave his email to Panli, then pointed at the MacBook screen.
“This section. I couldn’t find any more information.”
“Alright, that’s it? Why act all high and mighty?”
Klai swallowed hard, watching Moon in serious mode. He’d never seen Panli so intense and stern before. When Panli turned to look at him, Klai instinctively pursed his lips and held his breath, afraid of getting scolded like Thot. But the other’s furrowed brows quickly relaxed, and his calm, steady gaze softened back to its usual warmth.
“KhunKlai… for the content in English, do we need to translate it into
Thai? Or can we include it in English?”
Klai leaned in to look at the screen. The section Thot claimed he couldn’t find more information for? Panli, the graphic design kid, had found it effortlessly and even asked questions Thot never would have thought of. “We need to translate it into Thai before adding it to the report.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll help with the translation.”
“No need. I’ll read through and summarize the key points instead. Some parts aren’t that important, so we can save time by not translating every paragraph.”
Panli’s work style was just like his…
Fast, but never missing the essential points.
Klai watched the guy skillfully scrolling the mouse and working with ease. Panli glanced at Thot before saying in a calm tone, “I’ll help with this part… Once it’s done, you can add it to the report yourself.”
“Mhm.”
“Mhm? What’s that, the new generation’s way of saying thanks?”
Panli asked the other guy while his eyes stayed glued to the MacBook screen, his hands typing out the translated Thai content. Klai could barely hold back his laughter at Panli’s cheeky question. He wasn’t mocking Thot at all, but he had to turn away and stifle his laugh because he never expected Moon to throw such a savage jab.
“If you don’t want to help, then don’t. But don’t talk to me like that.”
“You think I’m thrilled to help you? I don’t want to help you at all.
This isn’t my problem, you jerk.”
“…”
“But the reason I’m sitting here translating work for you… is because I want to go watch a movie with KhunKlai sooner.”
“…”
“If you’re not helping to get the work done faster, at least keep your mouth shut. Don’t say anything to piss me off even more.”
From what he heard… Panli was telling Thot to stay quiet. Just one person, but everyone could feel some kind of aura radiating from Moon’s displeased tone. Right now, no one dared to say a word. The friends sitting across from them just kept their heads down, focusing on work.
“…”
“I’m telling you, if this were my group project, your name wouldn’t even touch the cover page. I’d have kicked you out ages ago… You’re damn lucky you’ve got KhunKlai.”
“Do I need to bow down to Klai or what?”
“KhunKlai isn’t a god. What’s the point of bowing?” Panli said, shaking his head.
Now Klai was starting to wonder if this was really the first time Panli and Thot had met. The two acted like old rivals with a long-standing grudge, throwing jabs at each other like it was second nature for people who’d clashed verbally before.
Panli slid his MacBook in front of Thot and said, “Take the content I translated and put it into the report.”
“Done already?”
“Yeah!”
The small person flinched slightly when Moon snapped at the other. Klai quickly flashed a smile when Panli turned to look at him. The latter let out a cheerful laugh before reaching over to gently ruffle his hair, as he often did.
“…”
“Keeping that smile to cheer me on, huh?”
Klai scrunched his nose before grinning even wider. “Mm… is my cheering reaching Panli?”
Like he said… Klaijai has gotten a lot better.
Today, he managed to tease Panli several times.
“When the one cheering is none other than Klaijai, how could it not reach me?”
Exactly…
He’s the Klaijai.
Why couldn’t he make Moon fall for him?
“New, how far along are you with the work?”
“I’m formatting the pages.”
“Want me to help with that?”
Klai offered to help because New was taking forever to finish. Even with Mai and Pie assisting, she worked so slowly it felt like she was deliberately making everyone wait. Thot had finished his part long ago but was still stuck waiting for his close friend, as New insisted they leave together. Klai glanced at his wristwatch anxiously—the movie had started over ten minutes ago.
He turned to the person beside him, who was playing a game on his phone. Panli showed no expression, but his silence suggested he wasn’t too pleased.
“No need, I can do it myself,” New replied.
“It’s just formatting. Why’s it taking so long, New?” Thot snapped.
“I’m not doing sloppy work like you, Thot,” New shot back.
Klai let out a heavy sigh. He couldn’t just grab the laptop and do it himself—that would be rude. Earlier, Mai had gotten so frustrated that she snatched the laptop from New, leading to an argument. They’d had a spat, and Mai had to step out to cool off.
“Is something wrong, KhunKlai?”
Klai looked up at Moon and said in a dejected tone, “Panli… the movie’s already started.”
“Aw, you’re that sad about it?” Panli said with a chuckle. “If this one’s already started, we’ll just watch another one, right?”
The reason Klai was sad was because he feared they wouldn’t get to watch a movie together today. His face lit up with a wide smile when he realized there was still a chance.
“This time, I’ll pay for the tickets myself.”
“No need to worry about that, KhunKlai,” Panli said. “As long as you say you still want to watch a movie with me… no matter how many new tickets I have to buy, I will get them.”
The sincere look in Moon’s eyes as he spoke made Klai want to say something equally heartfelt. He hesitated for a moment before finally deciding to speak.
“Even if you didn’t buy the tickets every time, I’d still want to watch a movie with you.”
Moon flashed a bright smile and gently pinched Klai’s nose, as if teasing him.
“All done!” New announced.
“Finally! Took you long enough,” Mai, who had just returned from her walk, said with a sigh.
“Everything’s finished, so let’s go, KhunKlai,” Panli said.
Klai nodded, standing up to follow Moon. He grabbed his yellow cloth bag, slung it over his shoulder, and waved goodbye to his friends.
“I saw you walking with that Merk from Civil Engineering. You’re friends with him, right?”
Panli’s question grabbed Klai’s attention effectively. He shifted his gaze from his friends and turned to Moon, who was staring at Thot sitting nearby.
“What’s that?”
“Tell him… to tone it down if he can. His shitty attitude has a lot of people waiting to knock him down.”
“…”
Thot’s initially puzzled expression turned to one of worry. He didn’t respond, only avoiding Panli’s gaze.
“Let’s go, KhunKlai,” Moon said, picking up his MacBook and tucking it under his arm before grabbing Klai’s hand with his other hand.
“Uh, okay.”
Klai followed the tall guy, who led him by the hand toward the elevator area. He stayed quiet, glancing at Moon’s profile as the latter looked up at the arrow above the elevator door, still holding his hand.
At that moment, Klai began to understand why Panli was acting unfriendly toward Thot. Panli had seen Thot with Merk before and likely knew they were friends. Klai was well aware of what Merk was like. It wasn’t surprising that Panli would say something like that, as Merk had probably upset quite a few people.
Since getting to know Panli, Klai noticed he had a fair number of friends. Klai guessed Merk had likely pissed off several of Moon’s friends, enough to get himself marked. But with Moon… Merk probably didn’t accidentally act poorly toward him.
Klai didn’t want to think that Panli’s dislike for Merk stemmed from that day’s incident. But recalling the conversation they had that night, it confirmed that Panli and Merk had indeed met for the first time.
And it was a first meeting that left no positive impression at all. Though he didn’t want to admit that Panli had an issue with Merk because he’d helped Klai, he had to acknowledge it was likely because of that day’s events.
When Moon mentioned Merk to Thot, Klai felt a jolt in his heart. Not because he thought Moon knew the person he’d helped was him—Klai was certain he didn’t know, as he’d kept it a closely guarded secret. Even Phii Dom didn’t know. Only his close friend knew, and Klai had asked them to keep it a secret too. So, there was no way this could’ve reached Panli. The reason his heart jolted was because the memory of that day came rushing back, replaying in his mind.
Ding!
The elevator’s chime snapped Klai out of the flood of thoughts swirling in his head. He followed the tall guy, who led him by the hand into the elevator. Klai looked down at his leather shoes, thinking of a question he’d wanted an answer to for a long time.
“Did Panli remember that day?”
The reason Klai kept the word “thank you” locked in his heart, never saying it to Moon despite having many chances, was because he wasn’t sure if Panli remembered that day. If he spoke up and Panli didn’t recall, Klai might have to recount the whole story. Talking about that day didn’t make him feel bad, but he was afraid Panli, having forgotten, might feel uneasy.
It felt unsettling, no matter how hard he tried to recall, he still couldn’t remember…
…Klai was afraid it would be like that.
And what should someone like him, who remembered it vividly, do next?
So, Klai decided to keep it all to himself, unsure when he’d get the chance to send a “thank you” to the moon. But at this moment, after careful thought, he looked up at the person holding his hand tightly.
“Panli… do you know Merk too?”
The tall figure shifted his gaze from the numbers above the elevator door and turned to look at him before saying, “I had a bit of a problem with that Merk guy.”
Panli’s answer wasn’t clear enough to confirm the truth lingering in his heart. Klai instinctively pursed his lips, meeting Moon’s eyes, before mustering the courage to ask again.
Can I ask what kind of problem you had with Merk…?”
Moon went quiet for a moment before saying, “I once saw him making a scene outside the bathroom, yelling for someone inside to come out.”
“…”
“But I think the person inside probably wanted to get away from him more than anything, so I stepped in to shoo him away from the bathroom.”
“…”
“That’s how I got to know him, from that incident.”
“Oh, I see…” Klai nodded, signaling he understood, before lowering his eyes to the large hand gripping his own even tighter. A sentence flashed in his mind, making his nose sting.
“I still remember.”
“Moon, you still remember that day.”
“Is you okay?”
The small guy quickly took a deep breath, shook his head, and flashed a wide smile at Moon, who was looking at him with a worried expression.
“I’m fine. No need for the puppy to worry.”
And the kind puppy’s smile that came in return…
…made Klaijai want to say, “Thank you.”
“Seatbelt fastened, right?”
Uh, mm…” Klai responded, glancing at the person behind the steering wheel. On the way to the parking lot, Klai had been trying to muster the courage to say something, but he still… didn’t have enough courage. Until now, when he averted his gaze from Moon and let out a quiet sigh.
“Sighing like that, is something bothering you? You can vent to me, you know,” Panli’s words made him look up at the other again. Klai wondered how many people would be ready to listen to his story. Panli used the word “vent,” which showed that…
Moon didn’t care whether the story was good or bad.
He was always ready to listen… as long as it made the other person feel better.
In this moment, as their eyes met in the silence, perhaps because Klai saw his own reflection in Moon’s gaze, he felt a surge of courage. And that bright smile, his biggest source of encouragement, prompted Klai to say something…
“Thank you, Panli.”
“Thank you for what? I haven’t even helped you with anything yet,” Panli said, chuckling.
“Thank you for saving me that day.”
The bright smile slowly faded. Panli furrowed his brow slightly, as if puzzled by what he said. Klai didn’t know what would happen next, but he wanted to convey his feeling of “thank you” to Moon.
“…”
“The person Merk forced out of the bathroom that day…”
“…”
Was me.”
“…”
Once he said it, Klai felt an indescribable sense of relief. But the flood of emotions welling up left him unsure of how to continue. He swallowed hard before saying, “Right now… I don’t know where to start.”
At first, Panli looked quite shocked by his words. But in the next moment, he set aside all his own feelings simply because he noticed Klai’s nervousness. A large hand reached over to hold his.
Klai lowered his eyes to their tightly clasped hands. His eyes burned, and he felt a stinging sensation at the tip of his nose. He swallowed the lump of emotions in his throat before looking up to meet Moon’s gaze again. Klai gave the other a smile.
“Take your time telling it… Puppy can wait.”
The small person gave a faint smile at those warm words before beginning to organize his thoughts to share the story. “Back then, I was still in the same friend group as Thot and the others. Merk was a friend from a different faculty than Thot… which is how Merk ended up meeting me. Merk liked me and had been pursuing me for a while, but I didn’t like him, so I rejected him. I kept trying to avoid Merk the whole time.”
“…”
“But that day when we went to unwind with friends after exams, I didn’t know New and Thot would invite Merk along… so I ended up running into him.”
“…”
It was the same as always… Merk kept pestering me, and I kept avoiding him. I was about to head back to my condo but stopped by the bathroom first. I was talking on the phone with a friend in one of the stalls. Merk, who came into the bathroom later, must have heard my voice and recognized it… He tried to force me to come out and talk, but I was scared, so I didn’t go…”
“…”
Tears welled up in Klai’s eyes as he recalled that moment. “Until… you came to help me.”
“…”
“I knew it was you because Merk called out his name. And when you were walking out of the bathroom, I peeked through the door to check.
That’s when I confirmed it was really you.”
Klai looked down at his hands, which were held by another’s. He pressed his trembling lips together to hold back his emotions. He knew the tears he could barely contain weren’t from fear when thinking back to that day. Most of those tears came from gratitude.
Gratitude for Moon, who came into his life like a guiding light…
“I’m sorry I never told you about this…” Klai continued, still looking down. “I was afraid you wouldn’t remember that day… and I never thought I’d end up becoming close friends with you.”
“…”
“But when I got your response in the elevator, I became certain you remembered that day. That’s why I wanted to thank you, Panli.”
“…”
“I’ve wanted to thank you all along,” Klai said, finally looking up at Moon. His vision of Panli’s face was blurred by the veil of tears. He tried to keep his voice steady—letting tears spill in front of him already felt bad enough. “Now I’m brave enough to thank you, but it’s so late, and I don’t know how you’ll feel about me choosing not to tell you this even though we’ve known each other for a while…”
“…”
“Panli… can you forgive me?”
The scene before him remained blurry through the thick wall of tears. But Moon’s words came through clearly, every syllable distinct. “I can always forgive KhunKlai, and I understand why you chose to keep this to yourself.”
“…”
“Everything you decides to do… I believe you always consider others’ feelings first. So this time, I think you carefully chose the right moment to speak up. It’s not too late, KhunKlai. You were just waiting for the right time, and now is that time.”
“…”
The dam of tears broke when Moon’s large hand gently touched his cheek. The first clear image Klai saw was Moon’s smile. Klai pursed his lips tightly, raising one hand to wipe the tears streaming from the corners of his eyes. But Panli shook his head slightly, as if to stop him, before using his thumb to wipe the tear stains instead.
“I’m sorry, KhunKlai… for that day when I walked out and left you alone in the bathroom.”
Klai smiled through his tears and said, “Panli, you don’t need to apologize. You didn’t know…”
Moon gave a faint smile; his eyes filled with a mix of emotions. Klai couldn’t guess what Panli was feeling at that moment. Panli’s thumb gently brushed his cheek before he spoke.
“Before we met, before I was by your side, when you were like this… what has you been through?”
The question brought a flood of tears, though Klai wasn’t sobbing. He simply let every emotion pour out as tears. Trying to smile widely, he said, “I’ve been through a lot, but everything has made me the strong
Klaijai I am now.”
At that moment, the same moon truly began orbiting around him. Panli wrapped one arm around him, pulling him close, before both strong arms enveloped him. In the next second, Moon tightened the embrace.
Klai’s thin lips pressed together as he rested in Panli’s arms. He nestled his face against the broad shoulder, closing his eyes and letting the clear liquid flow freely before deciding to hug Moon back.
“This hug isn’t just comfort from a close friend… it’s a hug to make up for all the time that’s passed, KhunKlai.”
“…”
“I’m really late, I know… but I’m here now, KhunKlai.”
“…”
“From now on… we’ll stand side by side and get through the bad days together, okay, KhunKlai?”
The small guy nodded firmly while still hugging Moon. Klai quickly raised a hand to wipe his tear stains as they pulled apart. The handsome face, usually adorned with a playful smile, now held only sincere eyes and a faint smile radiating warmth.
Panli’s smile at this moment…
…was like the soft yellow glow of the moon.
It was a warmth born from the “moon,”
Not the sun…
And it was at this moment that Klai decided he should use all the overflowing courage he had in one go. He gazed deeply into Moon’s eyes before resolving to step out of the “close friend” status. No matter how much he feared repeating the past, he wanted to fight for love once again.
“Panli… if we’re going to face the bad days together, being just close friends won’t be enough.”
“…”
“Can you be my ‘special someone’?”
“…”
“Someone more important than a best friend, someone who’s ready to go through everything together, someone who stands by your side in every moment.”
It wasn’t just courage that made Klai dare to say this. It was because he saw something in Moon’s eyes. Though he couldn’t quite explain what it was, Klai felt it was a “special” feeling. So, he decided to speak up. He was confident that Moon understood the meaning of “special someone.”
If he agreed, it would mean their relationship would take a step forward, and their feelings for each other would go beyond just being best friends.
But Klai was also half-prepared for the possibility.
Because maybe Panli only wanted to stay best friends.
Klai locked eyes with those long, slender eyes. The other remained silent, showing no expression. His heart trembled as he awaited the response, and the bright smile that appeared made his little heart beat faster and harder than ever.
“If you are willing to be my special someone too.”
“…”
“Then I will be your special someone.”
“…”
Klai broke into a wide, joyful smile. He nodded eagerly before saying, “It’s a deal.”
Who would’ve thought… even Klaijai could hardly believe it himself.
…That one day, he’d get this close to the moon.
But Klai forgot… he’s Klaijai, after all.
…How could he not reach the moon?
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