MYMOON, Chapter 22:
[I’ve prepared everything for you. It’s all in the fridge now.]
“Okay, thank you so much, Phii Priw.”
[No problem at all. It’s just a small thing.]
“…”
[I’ve finished the housework now… Actually, I was about to head home, but I was worried you might need something else. So, I called to ask if you want anything more, or if you’d like me to stay until you get back.]
“It’s fine, Phii Priw, you can go home… But could you come back tomorrow to clean the house again?”
[…]
“Because today, I’m cooking at home, and the kitchen might get messy. I’d like you to come tidy it up again.”
[Of course!]
“Dishes and stuff, I’ll wash them myself later.”
[No worries at all! You’re cooking for… uh…]
“You can call the little troublemaker ‘KhunKlai’ if you like. “
[Got it, got it! If you and KhunKlai are done eating, you can just leave everything in the sink. I’ll take care of it all tomorrow morning.]
“I’m worried leaving it overnight might make it smell… It’s fine, Phii
Priw, I’ll wash them myself.”
[Alright, if that’s what you want, go for it!]
“Yup…”
[…]
“Phii Priw don’t forget to have the gardener come trim the trees at my place this weekend.
[Got it!]
“Thanks again, Phii Priw.”
[You’re welcome~] Ding!
As Panli hung up the call with the trusted housekeeper he hired to clean the single-story house he secretly bought, a notification sound chimed just as the elevator doors slid open. He quickly stepped out of the elevator and headed straight for the coffee shop. Panli had left two helmets there, not wanting to carry them around during classes, and he was worried they might get stolen if left on his motorcycle. When he reached the back of the coffee shop and saw that the shop’s owner wasn’t busy making coffee for customers, he spoke up.
“Phii … I forgot to pick up the stuff I left here.”
“Your heart, Li, that you left with me?”
Panli smirked as he looked at the good-looking woman who owned the coffee shop. He was fairly close with her since she often chatted with him when he came to buy coffee, and she frequently teased him like this. “Nope~… I left my helmets here, actually.”
“Oh? Then where’s your heart, Li?”
The shop owner walked over to retrieve the two well-kept helmets and handed them to him. Panli took them and said, “It’s already taken.”
“For real?”
“Really… I’m not joking.”
“I had a feeling when you brought two helmets… My heart broke with a snap,” she said with a laugh before continuing, “But it’s fine, because I’m not the only one with a broken heart. Plenty of other girls are heartbroken along with me.”
Panli laughed and said, “Thanks, Phii …”
“Can you swap the thanks for telling me who owns your heart?”
The one being asked let out a chuckle and shook his head lightly before saying, “Klaijai… a second-year aviation student.”
“I’ll ask every aviation student who comes to buy coffee what their name is…”
“No need to ask anyone… KhunKlai will be down soon.”
“So that means I’ll get to see KhunKlai, huh?”
“Yup.”
Panli replied casually before turning to look at the elevator doors not far from where they were. Klaijai had told him to wait downstairs first since he needed to discuss some work with friends.
Just then, the elevator doors opened, and several students poured out. But only one person caught his eye—the one with the smile Panli had once described as “the most valuable smile under the moon.” Klaijai grinned widely, eyes squinting, as he waved goodbye to his two close friends heading out of the building. Then he turned to look at Panli, who sent a smile back to the petite figure waiting by the exit.
“Is that him? … Your KhunKlai, Li?”
Panli nodded as he gazed at the small figure, then said, “Yes… that’s him, my KhunKlai.” “He’s super cute.”
The listener smiled faintly before saying, “Then I’ll take my leave now.”
“Alright… Safe travels, little Li.”
“Thank you…”
Panli bowed his head to the shop owner in thanks before walking toward the smaller figure waiting near the exit. When he stopped in front of them, he handed over another helmet.
“This helmet…”
Anticipating what the other would say, Panli spoke up, “Yes… this is the helmet I ordered for you.”
Klaijai gave a small smile as he took the helmet, then said, “Thank you.”
He nodded in response, thinking…
Sometimes the word “thank you” carries another meaning.
“Thank you” might mean, “Klaijai is happy.”
“Is this house really yours?”
Panli nodded while taking the helmet from the smaller figure. “Yes…
I secretly bought it last year.”
“Why secretly?”
“Because if Aunt, Mom, or Phii Fah knew I was buying a house, they’d stop me.”
“…”
“They’re afraid I’d move into my own place and never return to the big house.”
“Oh…”
“But I haven’t moved into this house yet.”
“You will probably move here after graduating, right?”
“Yes…” Panli smiled faintly, then leaned closer to the sweet face. “When you graduate… will you move in with me?”
The one asked widened their eyes slightly at first, then looked down to avoid his gaze. Both ears turned red, as they always did when shy. Panli chuckled softly before saying,
“Let’s go inside the house…”
“Mhm.”
Panli led his dear one into the large white house, decorated in an English modern style—a blend of modern and English aesthetics. Most of the furniture was white and gray.
The homeowner placed his helmet on the coffee table near the long sofa before turning to look at the important guest following him. He couldn’t help but smile when he saw Klai scanning the house with sparkling eyes, clearly showing how much he liked it.
“Does the little rascal like this house?”
“I love it so much… I’ve always liked houses decorated in this style.” “…”
“But when it’s…” Klai paused, shifting his gaze from the surroundings to meet his eyes, “…when it’s your house, I like it even more.”
Those words made Panli want to scoop up the shy bunny and hug him until his cheeks turned red, but he restrained himself, worried he’d startle the little one. He knew if he kept staring at Klai like this, he might not be able to hold back. So, Panli chose to do something else instead.
“Then you can explore the house for a bit.”
“…”
“I’ll head to the kitchen for a while…”
As soon as the little rascal heard that, he quickly stepped in front of
Panli and asked, “Are you going to cook himself?”
“Yup.”
“When you said we’d have dinner at your place, I thought you’d have someone prepare the meal for us.”
“…”
“I never imagined… you would cook yourself.”
The excited and delighted expression and tone of the little rascal made Panli burst out laughing before saying, “When you’re bringing someone special to eat at home… you’ve got to cook yourself, right?”
“…”
“But…” Panli paused briefly before continuing, “today, I’m only making one special dish… Is that okay with you, KhunKlai?”
The smaller figure raised his hand in an OK gesture, flashing a wide grin that made his eyes crinkle. “O-kay!”
“Then wait for me a bit, KhunKlai.”
Panli looked at the little one nodding enthusiastically. He found him so adorable that he couldn’t resist leaning down to gently nuzzle his nose against the top of his head before heading to the kitchen. Meanwhile, the one who got his head nuzzled transformed into a mischievous little rascal. He hurried outside to explore the front garden and greet the white rose bed that Panli had planted.
Panli had never known who he was planting those flowers for.
Not until Klai came to this house.
Only then did he realize…
The tall figure smiled softly as he watched Klaijai admiring the white rose garden, before turning away from his special guest to prepare dinner. He took out the ingredients needed for cooking from the fridge, as Phii Priew had already prepared everything. This made the task of preparing a special dish much easier.
Tonight, Panli was making “stuffed omelette” for Klaijai. He knew it was a simple dish—not as special as he’d led Klaijai to believe. If
Klaijai was expecting something extraordinary, he might be
disappointed by the plain stuffed omelette. Though he knew it wasn’t any more special than other dishes in the world, Panli still wanted to make this for him.
Because it was the dish that his “Mama” loved to cook for him when he was a child. Panli clearly remembered never feeling excited when his
Papa took him to fancy restaurants, but he was always thrilled when his Mama said, “Panli, today I am going to the kitchen to make stuffed omelette for you.”
As time passed, the responsibilities and duties of family grew heavier. Mama had to move to Hong Kong with Papa, so she rarely had time to make this dish for him like before. Panli asked his Mama to teach him how to make stuffed omelette so he could cook it himself when she wasn’t around.
And the taste of the stuffed omelette Panli made?
It was no different from Mama’s.
And, of course… he had never thought of cooking it for anyone else.
Until… Klaijai came to this house.
While Panli was focused on cooking, he kept glancing around for the small figure. Looking through the large glass window in the kitchen, he saw Klaijai playing on the swing, the owner of a gentle smile clearly fond of the garden next to his house.
Panli turned his attention back to the pan in front of him, thinking that there might be many houses that made him feel comfortable living in them. But there were only a few people who made him truly feel the meaning of “home.”
The person who made him feel like he was truly at “home”?
That person was Klaijai.
“Stuffed omelette, Panli?”
His special guest asked with a smile as Panli, the makeshift chef, placed the plate of stuffed omelette on the dining table. He nodded, watching the smaller figure hand him a plate of steaming white rice. Earlier, Klaijai had volunteered to scoop the freshly cooked rice onto plates. Since it wasn’t a heavy task, Panli let the little troublemaker, eager to contribute, do it.
“Yup… stuffed omelette.”
“I love it so much… Phii Jeab used to make it for me when I was a kid.”
He sat down on the chair alongside Klaijai. The person sitting across from him looked at the stuffed omelette with a certain glint in his eyes— a glint that told Panli, “You are also my home.”
“At first, I thought you might be disappointed.”
The smaller figure laughed before saying, “Just the fact that you cooked it yourself… there’s nothing disappointing about that.”
“…”
“Do you like eating stuffed omelets?”
The one being asked nodded before saying, “Yes, stuffed omelets are Li’s favorite dish.”
“…”
“Because Mom used to make them for me when I was little… but lately, she hasn’t had much time to cook for me.”
“…”
“So I asked Mom to teach me how to make this dish… so I could cook it myself when she’s not around.”
“You’re really amazing, Sasin…” Klaijai smiled before continuing, “…not just because you can make stuffed omelets, but because you’re great at understanding others and knowing how to adapt.”
“…”
“If it were someone else, they’d probably wait for Mom to come back and cook it again… or just buy it from a shop.”
“…”
“But you chose to have your Mom teach him…” Klaijai gave that same smile, a comforting one that soothed his heart. “…You are really, really amazing.”
Panli smiled as he met the other’s gaze. He felt there was no need to explain to Klaijai why he chose to learn this dish, because it seemed like the other understood everything so effortlessly, without him having to say much. He wasn’t surprised at all that he’d let himself fall into the deep abyss of Klaijai, knowing full well he’d never climb back out.
Because Klaijai was like this.
Because he made him feel more attached every day.
Because everything made him willing…
Willing to do anything… as long as you’re in my life.
He scooped some stuffed omelet onto a plate for the other. Klaijai grinned widely before taking a bite of the rice and stuffed omelet he’d made. The petite figure, chewing eagerly, gave him a thumb-up, just like he had when they went to see the movie Lost in the Moon’s Shadow.
“Is it delicious?”
The best in the world.”
The troublemaker’s response made Panli desperately want to get up and kiss his cheek. But all he could do was bite his lip before saying,
“It’s chewy.”
The troublemaker laughed delightedly before scooping some stuffed omelet onto his plate too. “The talented chef needs to eat a lot, okay?”
Panli looked at Klaijai, smiling widely as he thought…
No matter how talented I am… I’ll always lose to you.
After finishing dinner, the two of them hung out at the house until evening, when Panli took Klaijai back to his condo. Just now, he walked him up to his room, said goodbye, and came down to smoke in the parking lot. His thick hand reached into the back pocket of his pants to pull out his phone and call someone. It didn’t take long before he heard a greeting from the other end.
[Yo, Sua!]
“Phii Dom, do you remember Merk’s address?”
[Yeah… but why do you need it?]
“I need to have a little chat with him.”
[Li… tell me what’s up.]
“Once I’m done talking to him… I’ll fill you in.”
[I don’t think Merk’s at his condo right now…]
“…”
[Cause just earlier, a friend from engineering called to invite me for drinks… I heard him mention Merk’s name. He’s probably at the bar with them.]
Which bar?”
[Your senior’s place…]
Panli thought it was truly time for Merk, because if he ran into him at his senior’s bar, old memories he didn’t want to revisit would come flooding back uncontrollably, and holding himself back would be tough.
“Okay… I’ll go find him myself.”
[Hold up… let me double-check. Wait a sec.]
Panli hung up with his close senior, then brought the white cigarette to his lips again. Before he could take a deep drag of nicotine, Phii Dom called back. Panli quickly answered without hesitation.
“Yeah…”
[Merk’s still at the bar… drinking with the seniors.]
“Okay… thanks a lot, Phii Dom.”
[Li… just talking, right?]
“Can’t say for sure…”
[…]
“Depends on the situation.”
[I’m coming with you… that bar’s not far from my condo.]
“No need, Phii Dom… just one shitty guy, I can handle it.”
[Please, let me have some peace of mind, Li…]
“Phii Dom… don’t tell Phii Fah about this.”
[Alright… I won’t say a word.]
Panli didn’t want his older brother to know because he’d worry even more. Phii Fah never forbade these things, as he wasn’t one to back down either. But Panli was more afraid that his brother would rush over to join the fray.
He just didn’t want Phii Fah to worry.
And he didn’t want him to get dragged into trouble.
“Then let’s meet at the shop.”
[Okay.]
After hanging up with Phii Dom, Panli tossed the white cigarette to the ground, put on his favorite helmet, and immediately hopped onto his red motorcycle. He sped out of the condo in no time.
It didn’t take long for Panli to arrive at the senior’s shop. As he parked his motorcycle in front of the shop and was taking off his helmet, Phii Dom called to tell him to meet at the back of the shop instead. Apparently, he’d asked a close friend, a senior of that jerk Merk, to come along. Panli guessed Phii Dom was worried things might escalate beyond what he could control.
“Hello,” the tall guy raised his hand to greet the two seniors standing there, still holding his favorite helmet. He only saw the seniors—no sign of Merk anywhere.
“Hey…” Phii Dom’s friend nodded back, exhaling white smoke.
“Come wait for Merk with us first.”
“Prab already called Merk,” one of them said. “He’s finishing up in the bathroom and will be out soon.”
“Did you tell him I’m the one coming to see him?”
Prab shook his head. “Didn’t say it was you… just said someone wanted to talk.”
“While we’re waiting for Merk… can you tell us what happened?”
Phii Dom, lighting a cigarette, asked. So Panli recounted everything he’d heard from that guy Thot to the two seniors. Phii Dom got so pissed off he had to step away to cool down, afraid he wouldn’t be able to hold back if Merk showed up right then.
Panli stood waiting anxiously with Prab, and soon enough, the person he was waiting for appeared. Merk looked slightly startled to see him there. But the surprised expression on his face was quickly replaced by a smug grin. He walked up to stand in front of his close senior and said,
“The person you said wanted to meet me… is Panli?”
“Yeah… whatever it is, sort it out quick. Don’t let it turn into a big deal.”
“Sort what out? I haven’t even done anything yet.”
“You bastard, Merk… don’t think I don’t know what you’ve done or what you’re planning to do next… The only reason I haven’t said I know everything is because I don’t want you to feel uneasy around me,” Phii Prab said with a displeased expression, before continuing, “Whatever you did wrong, go apologize to them. Don’t let it get to the point where I can’t help you anymore.”
“I haven’t done anything yet. What am I supposed to apologize for?” Merk said, raising his eyebrows high. Whether it was because Phii Prab already despised his face or something else, Merk’s expression seemed even more infuriating. Panli stared at the man who never showed remorse for his actions.
He stepped forward to stand face-to-face with Merk. The other man’s eyes wavered slightly, but he tried to mask his fear by meeting Panli’s gaze. Seeing that the one itching for a fight was starting to get nervous, Panli smirked faintly before saying, “I get it… a shameless guy like you would never apologize to anyone.”
“…”
“And I don’t need an apology from you either.”
“What do you want then?” Thud!
As soon as the question left his mouth, Panli’s fist slammed into Merk’s face with such force that he stumbled back several steps. Merk shook his head slightly, as if trying to shake off the dizziness. He touched the tip of his nose, where blood was trickling out, then looked up to meet Panli’s eyes.
“You’re the one who wants this… Is this what you wanted?” Merk, trembling with rage, wiped the blood from his nose and prepared to lunge at him. “You piece of trash!”
“Merk, stop!”
“Phii, stay out of this!!!”
Panli watched as Merk tried to push past Phii Prab, who was holding him back to keep him from attacking. The initial flicker of fear in Merk’s eyes had turned into pure hatred. Phii Prab was shoved hard by Merk, stumbling to the left. Now free, Merk charged straight at Panli.
Panli stepped back to maintain just the right distance. Merk, thinking he was retreating out of fear, closed in faster. But as he got closer, Panli lifted one leg and drove his foot into Merk’s chest with full force, sending him crashing to the ground.
With adrenaline pumping through his veins and anger burning hotter than fire, Panli could no longer restrain himself. He raised the helmet in his hand above his head, aiming to smash it down on Merk’s skull to draw some of his filthy blood. But before he could, his helmet was held back. Panli turned to see who had stopped him.
“E-enough…” It was Phii Dom who restrained him. Then Phii Prab stepped up beside Phii Dom and said, “Panli… please, I’m begging you.
No matter what, he’s still my junior.”
Phii Dom must have noticed his temper starting to cool, so he finally let go of the helmet. But in truth, his boiling anger hadn’t subsided at all; the helmet was left by his side as before. He nodded to the two seniors.
“Yes, alright…”
He responded with a calm tone and expression before turning to look at Merk, who was sitting on the ground clutching his nose. Panli pushed his tongue against his cheek. He tried to hold back, to weigh his options, but when the memory of that day’s events flashed vividly in his mind again, Panli made a decision to say and do something…
“This time… for everything you did to Klaijai.” Thud!
“Argh, ouch! You damn bastard! You piece of shit!”
“Panli! That’s enough, stop!”
Panli kicked Merk hard in the stomach again. Merk collapsed flat on the ground, groaning in pain, prompting Phii Prab to rush over to check on him. Panli pointed at Merk, who was struggling to sit up with Phii Prab’s help.
“I’ve made Klaijai smile again… If anyone makes him cry again…”
“…”
“I won’t let them off.”
“…”
“Don’t mess with Klaijai again…”
“…”
“Do you understand what I’m saying?!”
“Merk, just agree, damn it!” Phii Prab said.
“Uh, yeah!”
Panli shifted his gaze from Merk once he got a response, then turned to Phii Dom, who was staring at Merk without blinking. “Phii Dom…”
The one called turned to look at him and nodded. “If I hadn’t stopped you… Merk would’ve been done for.”
“I’m sorry for putting you and your friend in a tough spot…” Panli turned to Phii Prab, then raised his hands to wai in apology. “Sorry, Phii
Prab.”
“Uh, yeah, I get it… Merk did screw up.”
“You’re done with him… Go get some rest, Panli.”
“How’d you get here? Want me to give you a ride?”
“I drove. Don’t worry about me. I’ll stay and chat with Prab for a bit.”
“Alright… I’ll head back then.”
“Uh… rides well, doesn’t it?”
Panli nodded in acknowledgment before giving Merk one final stare, likely the first time the latter chose to avoid his gaze. He walked away from the area toward his motorcycle. As Panli straddled his red bike, the helmet that nearly became a deadly weapon was placed back on his head. His sharp eyes glanced at his hand turning the key, the deep red bruise on the back of it serving as a reminder… Klaijai…
I told you I’d protect you.
I meant it, truly.
I did it, truly.
And… I love you, truly.
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