MYMOON, Chapter 18: Part 2
“Don’t go yet… take the guitar with you!”
“Whoops, forgot!”
“Not slick, Phii Hia,” Klaijai teased.
“Haha!”
Panli shoved his acoustic guitar into the hands of his brother’s close friend, shaking his head as he tried to casually stroll to the beach emptyhanded. He was the one who told him to bring the guitar so they could sing and chill together. Panli went through the trouble of bringing it, but if Phii Hia expects him to carry it for him too… then forget singing. he’ll just leave the damn thing in the trunk.
Panli could’ve carried the guitar for Phii Hia, since aside from the hand holding his black shoulder bag, his other hand was free. But when Panli glanced at the smaller person standing beside him, flashing a smile, he realized he couldn’t help anyone else carry stuff to the beach. Panli had to hold Klaijai’s hand.
“Does Panli have anything for me to carry?” he asked.
“Nothing left, KhunKlai. Just hold my hand, that’s enough,” Panli replied.
Yes… this puppy meant exactly what he said.
Panli reached out to grab Khun Klai’s soft hand, lacing their fingers together, and led him around the beach house toward the shore. The others followed behind, carrying their things. Panli’s almond-shaped eyes stole a glance at the person walking quietly beside him.
Panli thinks he’s still shy about the kiss they shared in the car, which is why this little troublemaker has been quieter for a bit. But since Panli knows how to wake up the chatty naughty rabbit, he smirked before saying, “KhunKlai… what cute thing did Pie do to Phii P? Last night, Phii Pi called me asking for Pie’s number, but I said I didn’t have it. Even if I did, I wouldn’t give it to him. Phii Pi is a total playboy.”
Panli’s words made the sweet-faced boy look up at him. KhunKlai gave a small smile before saying, “Pie was just acting normal, you know.”
“Phii Pi said Pie has to take responsibility for him because Pie used up his ‘boyfriend quota.’ But I told him not to use that as an excuse.”
“Pie probably doesn’t have to take responsibility for anything,” he said, laughing. Does this troublemaker know that a smile like that makes him a hundred times cuter?
“…”
“Because Pie didn’t take any shirts home. Pie left a huge bag of clothes in our car and asked me to return them to Phii Pi.”
“…”
Panli will confess, he didn’t care about Phii Pi and Pie’s situation at all. No way was Phii Pi going to pursue anything with Pie—Panli didn’t want him breaking Khun Klai’s friend’s heart later. So, Panli nipped it in the bud. The only reason Panli brought it up was because he thought it’d make their conversation flow smoothly.
“I forgot to tell you about this. That day was such a headache, you know. Phii Pi said if Pie didn’t take the shirts, he’d lock the door and not let us leave the shop. So, Pie took them and left them in our car.”
“Phii Pi told me about it and said he scolded Phii Pi for daring to scare the troublemaker and his friend.”
Truth is, Panli chewed out Phii Pi a ton, using the kind of rough language they usually throw around, because his playboy antics led to that impulsive move. But when retelling the story to Klaijai, Panli had to tweak the words to suit someone like him.
“I wasn’t scared. Phii Pi isn’t scary at all. But I didn’t know how to act when those two were arguing…” He paused to laugh before continuing, “Those two were like a couple who’ve been together forever, arguing every day like it’s normal.”
Klaijai’s story didn’t affect Panli’s thought process at all because his gentle, sweet smile hit Panli hard. Panli was so caught up staring at it that he didn’t think about how to respond. So, Panli reluctantly said something, even though he knew it might not connect to what Klaijai just shared.
“The shirts Pie picked… no need to return them, KhunKlai. I’ll handle it.”
The smaller figure furrowed his brows slightly, tilted his head to look at Panli, and gave a small nod before flashing that familiar sweet smile. “Okay~”
Is this what they call being attacked?
“Yes.”
And when you’re hit with an attack this strong, this is all Panli can say.
Completely thrown off like a dog.
Now, Panli, the one who started the conversation, ended up causing their talk to stall because he didn’t know what to say next. The person beside him seemed content to walk side by side in silence. So, Panli just tightened his grip on Klaijai’s slender hand, his eyes unavoidably glancing at those short shorts of the little rascal.
Panli has tried to make peace with it, but he still can’t.
Panli admits he’s insanely possessive. When he first saw Klaijai in those short shorts, Panli was fuming. It’s not that Panli’s annoyed Klaijai wore them, but seeing him dressed like this… Panli’s heart is all over the place.
Panli wants him to know…
Klaijai in that Once in a Blue Moon shirt, Klaijai in those shorts the same color as Panli’s,
Panli is insanely heated, Klai.
The main reason Panli is so heated he could burn those shorts is that he keeps thinking others must be staring at Klaijai’s slender legs. And they might feel the way Panli is feeling right now. How many times does Panli have to say Klai is insanely charming? But Klaijai probably doesn’t realize just how captivating he is.
Charming enough that Tew messages Panli every day asking…
“Is KhunKlai super cute today?”
And because Panli is so possessive of this incredibly charming person, he replies with the same message every time:
“Wanna die before graduation, you bastard?” Never… Panli has never been like this before.
It’s really just Klaijai… only Klaijai.
But what’s the point of being possessive? In the end, Panli has to prioritize Klaijai’s feelings. This morning, when Phii Fah and Panli were waiting for Theerak in front of his house, Phii Fah confessed he tried to stop his chubby-cheeked friend from wearing a hat because he looked too cute in it. Phii Fah didn’t want anyone else to see his cute person. Panli understood Phii Fah’s feelings perfectly. But because Panli was afraid his close friend would feel stifled by being controlled, he gently warned Phii Fah to tone down his possessiveness. Yet, looking at Phii Fah was like seeing Panli’s own reflection in a mirror. They’re both equally possessive. If Panli thinks Theerak would feel uncomfortable with what Phii Fah does, then Klai must feel uncomfortable with what Panli does too.
Because what Phii Fah does to Theerak… Panli does to KhunKlai.
The case study couple, Phii Fah and Theerak, taught Panli that… we enter someone’s life to support them in being their happiest self, not to define or erode their identity until it’s hollowed out. Panli is willing to be just a fragment in Klaijai’s life, so Klaijai can have his whole life to himself.
But… as a human, Panli has to admit again that he can’t instantly dial down his jealousy. The entire car ride, Panli kept thinking about burning every pair of shorts in Klaijai’s wardrobe. But because Panli is Khun Klaijai’s puppy, Panli figured he shouldn’t defy his owner.
If Klaijai gets tired of this possessive puppy,
Panli might get abandoned…
Panli stopped at the beach in front of a single-story cream-colored vacation home, which his uncle gave him as his own. The resort has fifteen houses in total, but only ten are available for tourists. The other five are reserved: one for Panli’s uncle, two for his sons, and one each for Panli and Phii Fah.
Panli looked at the row of houses, thinking the only change was the new wall his uncle built between the houses and the beach. Everything else was the same.
“Are we sitting here? Should I spread the mat?”
“Wait, Dom. Shouldn’t we check with Fah first? What if there’s a guest staying in this house?”
Phii Dom, mid-motion of shaking out a large mat, froze. The other seniors, who’d been unloading stuff, quickly picked their things back up after hearing Phii Babe’s words.
“No need to ask Phii Fah, Phii Babe. This house is mine. No guests are staying here.”
“Oh… then go ahead and spread the mat, Dom.”
“Okay!”
“Panli, I’ll go help Phii Dom and Phii Babe with the mat.”
The smaller guy said this while slipping his hand out of Panli’s and walking over to assist the two seniors. Panli set his backpack down on the sand, intending to help too. But his other hand was suddenly grabbed by someone. Turning around, Panli saw it was Phii Hia.
“What’s up, Phii Hia? Why’re you holding my hand?”
The guy tightened his grip, as if afraid Panli would pull away, flashing a sheepish smile before saying in a pleading tone, “Come play in the water with me, please.”
“Why does it have to be me?”
“I’ve invited so many people… and not one of them would go play in the water with me.”
“…”
“I know you’re too kind to turn me down.”
“You don’t know me well enough, Phii Hia.”
Panli said, pulling his hand free from Phii Hia’s grip before walking over to KhunKlai. The small figure sitting on a brightly colored mat turned to give Panli a smile, but the shouting voice of the person following behind made Panli realize…
“Little Klai… could you go play in the water with me, please?” Damn, Phii Hia knows Panli better than he thought.
“Uh…”
“Phii Hia…” Panli stopped in front of KhunKlai, who was now looking up at him, then turned to glance at Phii Hia, who had come to stand beside him. Phii Hia put on an innocent face, blinking at Panli as if he had no idea what was going on, even though he was clearly using KhunKlai as a tool to pressure Panli into playing in the water. A breath escaped through Panli’s nose and mouth before he said, “Fine, I’ll go play in the water. Phii Hia, lead the way.”
“Okay~”
The senior Panli secretly wanted to dunk in the sea responded with a cheerful voice, half-running, half-jumping into the water. Panli shifted his gaze from Phii Hia back to the small figure sitting there, giving him a sweet smile.
“Wanna go play in the water together, KhunKlai?”
The one asked shook his head lightly, declining, before saying, “I’d rather sit and rest for now.”
“Okay, I’ll be back, alright? Gotta go play in the water with Phii Hia first.”
“Mhm, have fun in the water, Panli.”
“Yup.”
After replying to Klai, Panli walked to the sea, wading in until the water reached his knees, then stood still. Phii Hia, who was almost in the middle of the sea, kept waving for Panli to come over, but Panli refused to go to him. Panli’s phone and cigarette pack were in his pocket, and if he went any deeper, both would definitely get ruined. When Phii Hia saw Panli wasn’t coming, he decided to wade back to him instead.
“What the hell, Panli… playing in knee-deep water? What are you, a damn kid?”
“Shut up. Be grateful I’m even here playing with you.”
“Why’s my life so pathetic… I wanna play in the water, and no one wants to join me.”
I let out a sigh as I saw him whining and sulking, then splashed water at him. “What’s the point of complaining? Look, I’m here playing with you now. Even if I’m not exactly thrilled about it.”
“It was almost sweet, Panli… you jerk. That last sentence nearly brought tears to my eyes.”
I grinned mischievously and used both hands to splash seawater at him relentlessly. Phii Hia, who had been complaining with a sad, heartbroken expression, started to smile and laugh, raising his arms to shield his face. He acted as if he were a delicate young girl being teased by a boy.
When I paused splashing water at him because he raised his hand to stop me, I glanced toward the sandy beach and saw Phii Fah and Theerak heading toward the group hanging out in front of my beach house. I guessed the reason they were just showing up was that Phii Fah had probably gone to order lunch for us.
Buzz—
The vibration of my phone in my pocket pulled my attention away from everything. Before my senior could splash water back at me, I raised my hand to stop him, pulled out the phone, and checked the name on the screen before answering.
“Tew.”
“What?”
[Man, when a friend calls, you could at least be polite. Imagine if it was KhunKlai calling.]
“You free or what, asshole? Calling to mess with me?”
[Haha, I’m just calling to say… you better show up to my send-off party before I head back to China.]
“Goddamn nag, I won’t forget, you jerk.”
[I’m not worried you’ll forget. I’m worried you’re so hung up on someone you won’t even show.]
Tew’s words made me smirk. “Hung up on Klaijai, huh?”
[You want me to answer, or you gonna answer yourself?]
“Yeah, I’m hung up on Klaijai.”
[Hell yeah, go all in, bro. Stir your own drink and chug it. My friend’s got balls.]
I chuckled and said, “That’s all you called for, right?”
[Yeah, but don’t you wanna chat with your buddy a bit more?]
“…”
[Ever think to ask me, like, even once, if I’ve eaten today? What about some care, huh? Got any for your friend, you ass?]
“All the care I’ve got, I gave to Klaijai already. Sorry, none left for you.”
[You like him that much, you little punk?]
“Watch your mouth, asshole. Only I get to call Klaijai that.”
I heard a loud slap from the other end of the line, and I knew Tew had actually slapped his own mouth.
[Slapped it, you jerk… So, you at the beach already?]
“Yeah.”
[Is KhunKlai extra cute today?]
“You still want to see me at your send-off party?”
[Haha, just asking if your little troublemaker is cute. Gotta cut off your friend for that?]
“I’m possessive.”
While Panli was engrossed in the phone call, he glanced at Phii Hia, who was splashing water on himself. Seeing that he’d learned to play on his own, he waved goodbye and waded back to shore. Even though Phii Hia looked confused and a bit disappointed, Panli trusted he’d get over it and keep playing solo.
[That night you told us you liked him a lot, but if you like him even more now… just confess your love already!]
That day, after dropping Klaijai off post-soccer, Panli went drinking with Tew and the guys. They kept grilling him about Klaijai nonstop, so he just told them, “I like Klaijai a lot.” That satisfied them enough to stop prying. Panli didn’t share more, but he knew those nosy bastards wouldn’t let him off easy. They were just waiting for him to be ready to spill everything himself.
“…”
[You’re at the beach together now, perfect vibe, man. Confess already. Trust me.]
“Can’t confess yet.”
[Why not? You scared he doesn’t like you? From what we saw that day, KhunKlai seemed into you.]
“That’s not what I’m scared of.”
[Then why?]
“I’ve got my reasons.”
[Hold up… there’s more to this than just you liking Klaijai, isn’t there?]
“Why you so nosy?”
[I knew it! There’s gotta be some backstory. You don’t just fall for someone that easily.]
“You know me too well, asshole.”
[Panli! You’re definitely telling us this story at the send-off party.]
“That’s it, you jerk.”
[Oh, and say hi to your future wife for me.]
Panli’ll admit, his feet froze at Tew’s “future wife” comment. He hung up, stuffed the phone in his pocket, and walked toward the small figure rummaging through their backpack.
“Done playing in the water, Panli?”
“Yup.”
Panli plopped down in front of Klaijai. At this moment, it was just the two of them sitting on the mat. He glanced at Phii Fah and Theerak, who had just arrived at their spot, and Phii Hia, who had just run back from the sea, teasing chubby-cheeks. Panli turned his gaze away from everyone and back to his Klaijai.
“Did Panli put on sunscreen?”
“I didn’t put any on. I don’t like wearing sunscreen.”
“Even if you don’t like it, you have to put it on, Panli.”
“Can I not put it on?”
Ever since Panli met Klaijai, he has learned a lot. For instance, he never used to negotiate with anyone. If he didn’t like or didn’t want to do something, he absolutely wouldn’t do it. But with him… if negotiating didn’t work, the result was that he’d give in to him.
Panli’d give in so easily, in a way that he didn’t even understand himself.
That’s when he realized… life is about more than just likes and dislikes.
It probably means… Panli’s life hasn’t met someone who can make him feel something so effortlessly.
Doing things Panli doesn’t like sometimes… it’s not too hard.
And it’s not so bad to try everything with Klaijai.
“No way, we can’t go easy on Panli with this.”
Panli laughed and nodded lightly, signaling that he’d agree to put on the sunscreen Klaijai pulled out from his backpack. “Fine, this puppy will put on sunscreen.”
“Good… because it’s good for you, puppy.”
“Can you put it on for this puppy?” Klaijai, who was about to hand Panli the sunscreen to apply himself, paused and looked at Panli with confused eyes before giving a small smile and nodding.
Panli sat still, letting Klaijai apply the sunscreen. Klaijai’s slender fingers dabbed a dot of white cream on Panli’s forehead, then on both cheeks, the tip of his nose, and his chin. Klaijai’s almond-shaped eyes avoided Panli’s the whole time, focusing instead on the areas where he was spreading the sunscreen.
It’s good that Klaijai didn’t look at Panli… because otherwise, Klaijai would’ve noticed Panli was secretly staring at his lips. That moment when the car swerved hard, and the force made their lips brush against each other.
Panli meant to do it…
Yes…
Panli meant to kiss Klaijai.
Someone like Panli, who drives fast, who regularly steals Phii Fah’s sports car to race with friends, who has a relative that owns a racetrack, who’s been drifting cars since high school… there’s no way Panli couldn’t handle a little swaying. Panli confesses, he even added to the swaying thrust himself.
That’s why they ended up kissing.
Panli thinks if his Dad and Phii Fah found out about this, they’d nag him until his ears went numb. Because Panli has been acting badly, taking advantage of Klaijai by reaping some benefits from him while they’ve been building their relationship. Whether it’s patting Klaijai’s head, holding his hand, hugging his waist, and the latest—kissing his lips. All these actions go beyond what close friends do. Panli has to admit, he’s not a saint like Phii Fah. Panli doesn’t have as much patience as his older brother. Phii Fah has been secretly in love with that chubbycheeked guy for years, but he’s still nowhere close to getting anywhere. Meanwhile, Panli has already taken the lead.
But there’s one thing Panli is sure he shares with Phii Fah:
Panli loves for real…
“Panli…”
“…”
The voice of the person in front of Panli snapped him back to reality. Judging by Klaijai’s expression and his slightly flushed cheeks, Panli guessed Klaijai knew Panli was secretly staring at his lips. And suddenly, some of that jerk Tew’s words popped into Panli’s head. Panli couldn’t believe he was letting Tew’s words make him think this far. Panli’s heart started pounding, and it beat even harder when he saw Klaijai give a shy little smile.
Because of that word…
“Future wife.”
In short, just “wife,” right?
And Panli’s heart raced even more when Klaijai let out a smile, like he couldn’t hold it back anymore. Even though Panli knew locking eyes with Klaijai right now would make him lose control, Panli chose to keep looking into his eyes. Because Panli doesn’t know how long it’s been since someone made his heart race like this.
Right now…
Panli’s heart is going absolutely insane.
“We’re done putting on sunscreen.”
“Oh… okay.”
Panli hoped their gazes would linger as long as the sandy shore. But it was like the wind wanted to tease him, blowing someone over to interrupt them.
Panli tore his eyes away from Klaijai and slowly turned to look at the person who’d just plopped down beside them. Phii Hia looked back and forth between Panli and Klaijai before flashing a smile at both of them. With that childish, friendless expression on his face, Panli couldn’t help but get annoyed and asked in an irritated tone:
“What’s up with you, Phii Hia?”
“Fah took Theerak to take pictures over there…” He pouted dramatically when he said “over there” before continuing, “So I’m lonely… I don’t have anyone to hang out with.” Don’t you just want to be alone with Klaijai, huh?
Yeah… Panli just wants to be with his future wife.
Phii Hia doesn’t know a damn thing.
“Then Phii Hia can hang out with both of us,” Klai said.
“Aww… little Klai is so kind.”
Panli looked at the small figure giving a friendly smile to the senior, then let out a sigh at Klaijai’s unshakeable kindness that no one could ever change.
Just seeing Phii Hia feeling lonely, Klai was willing to share their time together so the other could join in. Even though Panli knew how much Klaijai wanted to spend time just with him, this was who Klaijai was— someone no one could change. Not Panli, whom Klaijai “likes,” nor anyone else.
No one could turn this good person into anything else…
And because Klaijai is so steadfast like this, it’s no surprise that someone might “fall in love” with Klai and be unable to change that feeling either.
“Hey, Panli… sing us a song.”
Panli nodded lightly, taking the acoustic guitar Phii Hia had grabbed from somewhere and placing it on his lap before asking, “What song do you want to hear?”
“You pick.”
Panli couldn’t decide what to sing since his head was full of favorite songs, mostly international rock tunes. But at that moment, Panli saw something in those eyes… eyes that even the stars couldn’t compare to.
Not because the eyes in front of Panli sparkled or shone brighter than the stars.
But because Klai’s eyes, his smile, and Klai himself… were something more than the stars. Klaijai was worth more than all of that.
Panli let out a smile before starting to strum the guitar to the melody of a song Klaijai had unknowingly helped him choose.
“Panli, this one! I freaking love this song.”
Yes, this was the song Panli would sing for Klai, Birat, and only him…
Panli gave a small smile while locking eyes with the small figure sitting there, waiting to hear him sing, before starting the first verse with full intention.
“I don’t know how many flowers you had to grow among to have a smile this beautiful, making it impossible for me to love anyone else. The moment you met me, it… it made…”
“…”
“My loneliness fades away, because I found something worthy. I’m grateful and promise to cherish it…”
“…”
“I don’t need anyone else. The stars in the sky would weep, and nothing would be beautiful anymore, as long as this world has someone like you and I’m the lucky one. When I read the meaning of every poetic word, no verse remains beautiful, as long as this world still has your name. Please, let me be the last one. Can I? You are my life and my breath.”
“…”
“Your body is covered with countless grains of sea sand. When I look into your eyes, I find a shimmering rainbow mist and discover the most beautiful song when you speak.”
Seeing Klaijai’s cheeks flush bright red as he listened to the song Panli was singing made Panli realize Klaijai was genuinely shy. Wanting to ease his embarrassment, Panli stopped singing the next verse and extended his hand toward Phii Hia, as if passing the mic for him to take over. Phii Hia, who had been swaying to the music while Panli sang, didn’t hesitate and immediately joined in.
“Ooh… so thrilled it’s not a coincidence or a dream.”
Klaijai burst out laughing when he saw his senior straining to sing. Even though Phii Hia’s singing wasn’t exactly pleasant, he didn’t completely ruin the vibe. However, someone approaching them didn’t seem too pleased with Phii Hia’s voice.
Panli stopped playing the guitar when Phii Real stood right behind Phii Hia. Phii Real leaned down and shoved his close friend’s head so hard that Phii Hia’s face nearly planted into the brightly colored picnic blanket.
“Real, why the hell did you push my head?”
“Cause it’s annoying! Your voice sounds like a buffalo giving birth, and you still dare to sing?”
“Li told me to help sing!”
“If you know you’re terrible, learn to say no. Don’t force it and make everyone’s ears bleed.”
Phii Real’s words made Klaijai laugh out loud. Panli can’t remember if he’s said it before, but Klaijai is insanely cute when he smiles and laughs. It’s like the whole dull world suddenly lights up in an instant. And because of Klaijai’s smile, Panli finds it hard to believe someone like him has gone through so much alone.
Because in that smile, there’s no flaw… no trace of sadness.
Nothing that hints at past pain.
“Li…”
A woman’s voice snapped Panli out of his thoughts. Panli turned toward the sound and saw the resort manager and staff, carrying a ton of food trays, waiting for his response.
“You can set them down here. We’re all eating right here anyway.” “Right, right!” Phii Hia chimed in.
“Got it… Kids, place them here.”
The staff began setting the trays on the blanket. Klaijai didn’t sit idle; he quickly got up to help arrange the plates. The other seniors joined in, so Panli set the guitar outside the blanket and scooted over to help everyone.
The food was placed in the center of the blanket. Everyone spread out, sitting in a circle around the trays. Panli reached out and grabbed the slender hand of the little troublemaker just as Klaijai was about to move away from him.
“Little rascal, where are you going to sit?”
“I’ll sit next to you, but I want to scoot a bit farther so you don’t feel cramped.”
Honestly, Panli would rather have Klaijai sit on his lap. “It’s not cramped at all. KhunKlai, sit closer to me. I’ll peel shrimp for you.”
The small guy gave a shy smile before scooting closer. As usual, Klaijai tilted his head to look at Panli and said, “Trying to lure me with shrimp, huh?”
“Did it work?”
“Seems like it did.” Klaijai said this while glancing at their knees, which had moved closer together, with his knee—cross-legged—slightly resting on Panli’s leg.
“Scoot a bit more, Panli. I forgot we need to leave space for Phii Fah and Theerak. They’re walking back now.”
Panli looked at Klaijai, who was nodding toward Phii Fah and Theerak heading their way. “Sure, KhunKlai can scoot closer if you want.”
“No, no, this should be enough for everyone to sit.”
“Shrimp!”
Someone’s shout made Panli turn away from Klaijai. Seeing Phii
Hia’s gleaming eyes fixed on the big grilled shrimp on a large plate, Panli didn’t need to guess who yelled. Just Phii Hia’s expression and tone told Panli he probably wanted to devour the whole plate. Since there were only two plates of grilled shrimp, Panli reached out and slid one plate in front of them.
If the others don’t get enough, they can just order more.
But for now, Panli wants his little rascal to eat his fill.
“Here, let’s start eating. Fah and Theerak are here,” Phii Dom said.
Everyone began digging into the food. Panli glanced at Phii Fah and chubby-cheeks, who plopped down next to Klaijai, then started peeling a big shrimp for his little rascal. Klaijai must’ve felt shy because he leaned in close to Panli’s ear and whispered, “Panli, you don’t have to peel the shrimp for me. I can do it myself.”
“It’s the duty of someone close to you. KhunKlai, you can’t stop me.”
Panli doesn’t know how cheeky his words sounded, but Klaijai wrinkled his nose and lightly pinched Panli’s cheek. Klaijai’s growing boldness made Panli’s heart work overtime. Panli let out a laugh before lowering his head to keep peeling shrimp for him.
In short, Panli retreated to regroup.
Klaijai’s advances were so strong Panli couldn’t keep up.
The first shrimp was placed on Klaijai’s plate. Klaijai glanced at it for a split second, thanked Panli, and started eating. Panli finally understood the saying, “Just seeing him happy makes me happy.” Even if Panli got nothing in return, just doing something for Klaijai was enough.
This alone already makes Panli so damn happy…
And Panli started peeling the shrimp faster so his little troublemaker could keep enjoying his favorite food without a break. But while Panli was focused on peeling, he felt like someone was staring at the plate of shrimp, and Phii Hia’s words confirmed Panli wasn’t imagining it.
“Pass me some shrimp, Li…”
“All the shrimp on this plate already have an owner.”
“What the hell? Almost thirty of them?”
Panli let out a soft sigh because Phii Hia was exaggerating. Klaijai had already eaten a ton of the shrimp Panli peeled, so how could there still be thirty left on the plate? But since Panli was too lazy to argue, he just responded in a flat tone, “Mhm…”
“Who’s the owner? Come settle this with me.”
When Panli heard that, he turned to look at the small guy beside him. Klaijai looked back at Panli with a worried expression. Both Panli’s hands were dirty, so he couldn’t reach out to pat Klaijai’s head to ease his concern. All Panli could do was speak.
“Don’t overthink it, okay? Phii Hia always teases like this.”
“I’m not worried about what Phii Hia said. But I was thinking, should we share some of the shrimp with him?”
“Stop whining, I’ll order more for you…”
Before Panli could respond, Phii Fah spoke up first. Panli figured the way Phii Fah was getting ready to stand was a clear enough answer to let Klaijai know he didn’t need to share the shrimp with Phii Hia.
“No need, Fah… I’ll share with him,” Phii Real said, stopping Phii Fah before giving some shrimp from his own plate to his friend instead.
“…”
“First crab, now shrimp. Are you a glutton or what? Eating everything in sight!”
“If you’re gonna complain this much after sharing, just keep it to yourself, Real.”
“Haha!”
Everyone burst out laughing at Phii Hia and Phii Real, including Panli’s Klaijai, who covered his mouth and laughed until his eyes crinkled. Panli wasn’t smiling because of the two seniors bickering. Panli’s smile was because of Klaijai.
Panli secretly glanced at the pile of shrimp on Klaijai’s plate. Panli had peeled quite a stash for Klaijai by now. Klaijai was happily eating the shrimp and laughing while listening to the seniors talk. Then someone pulled Klaijai into the conversation.
“Klai… is it good?”
“Delicious… want some of mine, Rak? I can’t finish it all alone.”
“Klai, you eat it… I’ll wait for some from Phii Fah.”
“Okay.”
Panli sat quietly peeling shrimp, secretly listening to the conversation between the two. Klai and Theerak made Panli feel like the world revolves around the word “cute.” Panli couldn’t believe that in the life of a rough guy like him and a tough one like Phii Fah, they’d get to experience this kind of cuteness.
“Panli… peel some shrimp for Klai too. He loves shrimp.”
Panli turned to look at his close friend, who was craning his neck to look at him, and said, “The shrimp on his plate… I peeled them all.”
“Oh… I thought you peeled them yourself.”
“Panli peeled them for me…” Good job, you little rascal.
Bragging back to that chubby-cheeked guy that Panli’s got someone peeling shrimp for him too.
Seeing that Klai’s plate had quite a few shrimps already and he probably couldn’t eat any more, Panli stopped peeling and slid the plate with the remaining grilled shrimp to share with others. Klaijai pulled a pack of tissues from his pocket and handed it to Panli.
Who said Panli’s the only one doing things for Klaijai? They take care of each other, and Panli absolutely loves this feeling. After wiping his hands clean, Panli started eating. Klai kept putting food from his side onto Panli’s plate, constantly asking if Panli wanted anything else.
Honestly…
The feeling Klaijai gives Panli… Nothing can replace it.
And no one can replace Klai.
Cough cough
Phii Babe’s choking sound drew Panli’s attention, making him look up from his plate. Phii Babe was choking on food, her face all red. Phii
Dom quickly handed her water and rubbed her back continuously. Once Panli saw Phii Babe was doing better, he turned to the person beside him. Klai instantly made Panli worry because his pale cheeks were now bright red.
“Is you okay?”
The small figure looked down at his plate, shaking his head in denial.
“N-no, I’m fine.”
“But your face is red…” Panli frowned while staring at him. “Your ears are red too.”
“I think we gotta try it…”
“Try what, Hia?”
It seemed the one to clear up Panli’s confusion wasn’t Klai but Phii Hia, who had gone into the sea, scooped up some water to drink, and then returned to sit in his spot. If Phii Hia was making such a big show, Panli would guess something must have happened earlier. Probably because Panli was too focused on his food to notice, he missed the important moment that got everyone flustered.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“I went to taste the seawater, duh. Wanted to see if the someone around here could make it sweet.”
“Haha, it’s not like you couldn’t do it.”
“So, how was it… sweet?”
“Sweet… but now it feels like my stomach’s gonna explode.”
“Haha!”
“Seawater or crab meat, which is sweeter?”
“How would I know? I didn’t eat the crab. Ask the guy who did…”
“What’s up, Fah? Is the crab meat sweet?”
“Super sweet.”
Now Panli kinda gets why so many people are losing it. Phii Fah must’ve gone full throttle flirting with Chubby Cheeks, making everyone else blush on his behalf. But Panli is still curious about what Phii Fah did just now. In the end, Panli had to rely on Klaijai to clear up his confusion. Panli leaned in close to the little troublemaker and whispered, “What was Phii Fah looking for earlier?”
The one being asked pursed his lips, then answered without meeting
Panli’s eyes, “Phii Fah was after the crab meat from Theerak’s mouth.” Phii Fah is ruthless.
I am sorry for ever saying Phii Fah wasn’t getting anywhere.
Turns out, Phii Fah has been quietly making moves all along…
The small figure with cheeks and ears burning red made Panli chuckle softly. Panli used to wish Klaijai would be bolder with him, hoping Klaijai would flirt so hard he couldn’t handle it. But seeing Klaijai blush for Chubby Cheeks, Panli realized right then… Klaijai has been flirting with Panli way beyond just cute little lines. No way.
Klaijai’s boldest move? Probably when he pinched Panli’s cheeks.
But then, as if the little troublemaker sensed Panli was underestimating him—like when Panli said Phii Fah wasn’t getting anywhere and Panli was ahead—Klaijai picked up a shrimp from the plate with a fork and held it to Panli’s lips. The sight was adorable: Klaijai’s face flushed crimson, yet he was trying so hard to flirt even while being insanely shy.
“If Panli’s job as a close friend is to peel shrimp for me, then my job as a close friend is to feed shrimp to Panli.”
Klaijai nailed it…
And Panli totally lost it.
Panli’s face burned as he took the shrimp in his mouth. Panli chewed while looking at the small figure who wouldn’t take his eyes off him. Klaijai held Panli’s gaze for several long minutes before saying, “The shrimp’s just as sweet as the crab meat, right?”
Panli burst out laughing at Klaijai’s words, then nodded. “Even though I didn’t try the crab meat, I pretty sure it’s not as sweet as this shrimp.”
Klaijai gave a shy smile before avoiding Panli’s gaze, focusing on his plate. But soon, Klaijai used his fork to pick up a shrimp and fed it to Panli. How could Panli refuse when someone this cute was feeding him?
Panli couldn’t believe this trip had made Klaijai so bold. Panli glanced at Phii Dom, who was watching them. Phii Dom raised an eyebrow once before turning back to his girlfriend sitting beside him.
“Want more shrimp, Panli?”
“I’ll have more.”
This time, Panli wasn’t going to eat the shrimp so easily. When Klaijai’s slender hand held a big shrimp to Panli’s lips, Panli moved his hand to hold Klaijai’s. The smaller guy’s face flushed even redder than before. As Panli slowly took the shrimp with his mouth, locking eyes with Klaijai, Klaijai lowered his gaze and gently pulled his hand away from Panli’s.
Panli smirked while watching Klaijai stare at the shrimp on his plate, thinking…
Does Klaijai know yet… that it’s not just him who’s fallen for the moon?
This moon has fallen for Klaijai too.
After they finished eating, Phii Hia invited everyone to play monkeyin-the-middle in the sea, saying it was too ordinary to play on the beach. Some went to change clothes before heading to the water, while others, like Panli and Klaijai, were already in water-ready outfits and didn’t need to change. They held hands and walked down to the sea.
As they strolled along, Panli stole glances at Klaijai’s profile. Klaijai smiled faintly, watching the waves crash toward him, then looked up at Panli. The moment a gentle smile appeared on Klaijai’s sweet face, Panli loosened his grip on Klaijai’s hand and instead draped his arm around Klaijai’s neck.
Klaijai looked up at Panli again and said, “I really love this trip.”
“I love it too.”
What Panli said about loving it wasn’t true.
And all the times Panli kept saying, “I like Klaijai,” over and over…
That wasn’t true either.
Because the truth is, Panli’s feelings have long surpassed “like.”
What Panli feels for Klaijai now…
Is closer to “love.”
“I never thought playing monkey-in-the-middle in the sea would be this exhausting,” he said.
“It takes more effort to balance than usual, so it’s more tiring than playing on the beach.”
After playing until we were worn out, everyone split up to rest on the beach. Panli invited him to sit and rest a bit farther from the beach house, so it was just the two of them sitting there.
Klai turned to look at Moon, who was sitting beside him. He had both arms propped behind him, gazing out at the sea. The sight made Klai realize that everyone has one thing that brings them comfort every time they look at it. For some, it might be the sky; for others, a field of flowers. But for Klai… it could only be the moon.
“Do you want some coconut water?”
Klai nodded before saying, “I do, but does Panli have to go far to get it?”
“Not too far.”
“Then that’s fine.”
“But I have a condition.”
“…”
“The coconut water comes in exchange for a photo of us together.” “Deal,” he said with a laugh.
Panli pulled his phone out of his pocket and raised it to take a picture of the two of them. His large hand gently tilted Klai’s head to rest on his broad shoulder. Klai flashed a wide smile when Li counted from one to three as a signal before snapping the photo.
“Is it okay?”
Klai looked at the picture of them on the black phone and nodded eagerly. “It’s great!”
“Can I post this on Instagram?”
“Sure.”
“And can I have your Instagram too? I want to tag you, KhunKlai.”
The smaller guy took the other’s phone and typed in his Instagram handle before saying, “But I don’t really use Instagram much, Panli.”
“That’s okay,” he said, pointing at the screen. “I just want to follow you. Go ahead and follow, KhunKlai.”
“Okay~ I’ll follow the mysterious Panli too,” Klai said as he handed the phone back to its owner. He then pulled out his own phone, opened Instagram, and followed Moon back. Klai’s eyes widened slightly when he saw Panli’s follower count.
Tens of thousands of followers.
Now look at Klaijai’s…
He only hit two hundred followers a few days ago.
“I’ll go get the coconut water for you first.”
“…”
“Can I ask you to check the photo again? It’s in the album.”
“Alright, I’ll check it for you.”
“Thanks.”
Moon replied before standing up and handing his phone to Klai. Klai took it and watched the tall figure walk away. He opened the album, thinking the photos he’d seen earlier looked fine. But Panli probably wanted to double-check before sharing them publicly, given his sizable following.
The small figure frowned slightly when he entered the photo album and noticed a video clip next to the latest picture they’d taken together.
Klai would’ve ignored the video entirely if the thumbnail didn’t show his own face, smiling while sitting in a car.
His heart started racing as he considered playing the video. He swallowed hard, glancing toward where Panli had disappeared. Seeing no sign of the phone’s owner returning soon, Klai decided to press play.
As the still image came to life, he realized Panli had recorded a clip from one of their video calls. As the video played on, Klai grew anxious, realizing what mistake he’d made. He skipped to the end, and the sound of their conversation from that day made his face burn.
“Keeping you company, singing for you… you have to give the puppy a reward, right?”
“What does the puppy want?”
“A head pat.”
His little heart nearly stopped when he saw his own face move closer to the phone screen. Klai quickly turned off the screen and started banging his head against the black phone repeatedly. Panli knows…
Knows that he secretly sniffed his hair. And Panli probably wanted him to know that… The puppy knows. The puppy saw.
“What’s you doing?”
Klai swallowed hard, trying to gather his composure. Without turning to face the voice’s owner, he knew Moon had plopped down beside him. He chose to stare far into the distance, not responding to the other. A coconut, already cut open with an orange straw, was held out in front of him.
“Coconut water?”
“Uh, mmh, thanks.”
Klai replied, taking the coconut, still avoiding looking at the person beside him. Right now, he was so embarrassed he wanted to run into the sea and let the waves carry him far away.
“Just a thank you, huh?”
“…”
“Doesn’t you have a reward for the puppy?”
“…”
“Like, maybe…”
“Okay, okay…”
Knowing what the other was about to say, Klai quickly cut in, reaching out to pat Panli’s head without turning to look at him. He then pulled his hand back to his side as if nothing happened. “There, patted the puppy’s head.”
“Just a head pat for the puppy?”
“…”
“No, I mean…”
I can’t… I really can’t take it anymore. Klai set the coconut down on the sand, gripped Panli’s phone tightly, and turned to face the person beside him. Moon smirked and nodded toward the phone. Klai pursed his lips, sighed, and admitted he’d completely lost to the other. He let his head fall onto the broad shoulder and said, “Ugh… Panli, delete the clip, please.”
The one being pleaded with chuckled softly before saying, “Not deleting it. I don’t know when you will be kind enough to give a reward like this again.”
“…”
“I want to keep it to watch.”
“Sasin, delete it, please.”
“No matter how much you beg, Li’s not deleting it,” Panli said, snatching his phone back. “Gimme that back before KhunKlai deletes the clip.”
“I shouldn’t have asked Panli to delete it. I should’ve just done it myself.”
“Too late for that.”
Klai shook his head, still resting on the broad shoulder. Moon laughed with delight, then gently patted his head as he often did. Then he played the clip again.
“Panli! Turn it off!”
“Okay, okay… I turned it off,” Moon said, laughing.
“Deleting it would be nice too.”
“No way.”
The smaller figure looked up at Moon. Klai figured there were only a few reasons why he’d intentionally let him know the clip was recorded. One of those reasons probably included the word “like.” And that “like” must be strong enough to make him see something in the other’s eyes.
Right now, as we locked eyes for several minutes amidst the sound of waves crashing against the shore and the thundering beat of our hearts, every overwhelming feeling created a resounding echo in my mind… maybe so loud that Panli could hear it. “I like you, Panli.” What the heck!
What did you just blurt out, Klaijai?
He should’ve thought it through more carefully before saying that. Klaijai pressed his lips together, shaking his head lightly, trying to come up with an excuse. The calm, stoic expression on the other’s face made Klaijai start to worry. But in the next moment, a bright smile spread across Panli’s face.
“I like you too.”
“…”
“I like you in a way that I want you to promote me to more than just someone close.”
“…”
“But I also want things to move slowly, at a pace that makes you comfortable.”
“…”
“I want us to be each other’s comfort.”
“…”
Klaijai always comforted himself that he wasn’t an unlucky person who only met bad people in life. Deep down, though, he felt he was the unlucky one, and everything that happened seemed to confirm it. But he was an unlucky person who was breaking free from all the pain… and was about to become a lucky one.
Even if he didn’t want to admit he was lucky, Klaijai couldn’t deny it. After all, not many people confess their feelings to their crush and get the same feelings returned. He used to imagine that if one day he found out Panli felt the same, he’d be overjoyed and rush to ask him to be his boyfriend.
But now, Klaijai wasn’t sure if “joy” was the right word for this feeling. The word “joy” didn’t seem big enough for the emotions swelling inside him. It was a mix of fulfillment, happiness, and a warm sense of comfort.
The plans he’d made about what their relationship status should be didn’t seem to matter anymore after hearing, “I want us to be each other’s comfort.” Klaijai realized you shouldn’t dictate what you should do at a certain moment. Instead, you should let time show you what needs to be done.
And right now, time was telling him… Klaijai, don’t worry anymore. Everything is behind you now, and you’ve reached the moon.
Klaijai broke into a wide grin, eyes crinkling, before resting his head on the broad shoulder. His nose tingled as Moon gently rubbed his shoulder.
“Panli…”
“Yes?”
“If we need a bit more time to get to know each other before moving up from being just close…”
“…”
“Will you be okay?”
For Klai… knowing that their hearts were aligned was only the first step. Even though Klai knew the two of them could move through the stages of their relationship faster, because the other person meant so much to him, Klai wanted everything to progress slowly, just as Panli had said…
Not just to make himself feel at ease…
But to ensure that every step they took together was as steady as possible.
“Even if it takes years for us to learn about each other, I am okay with that.”
“…”
“But I have one request…”
Klai looked up at the person who had his arm around his shoulder.
“…”
“KhunKlai, don’t abandon this puppy.”
“I promise I won’t abandon the puppy.”
“Thank you.”
Klai smiled at Moon as they locked eyes.
“Now I’m starting to regret that we’re not staying overnight on this trip…”
“You don’t have to feel regret, puppy. We’ll come back and travel together again.”
Panli smiled before saying, “Okay.”
The smile of the person Klai considered the moon in his heart, the clingy little puppy, made him smile too. Klai shifted his gaze from Panli and looked out at the sea, thinking to himself:
No need to keep wondering when he’d reach the moon.
Because now, Klaijai had already reached the moon.
Klaijai is just too amazing:)
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