MYMOON, Chapter 6:
After we finished eating at the barbecue restaurant within the time limit set by the place, everyone went their separate ways. However, Klai had to walk to the parking lot behind the mall to wait for Phii Fah, who had told him to come pick up a birthday gift. Phii Fah had rushed to the restaurant and forgotten to bring the gift for him.
The reason for his haste didn’t need any guessing.
Phii Fah was afraid his chubby-cheeked sweetheart would be left waiting… so he hurried to show up first.
This couple really cares about each other’s feelings, don’t they?
So adorable together 🙂
“The twenty shrimp in your stomach are making you smile nonstop, huh?”
Kant, who was standing with Phii Fah after Mai and Pie had left earlier, teased with a smile. Now that it was just the two close friends, Klai let out a wide grin without holding back.
Today, Klai was the happiest.
He wanted to smile so broadly that the round world would be jealous.
🙂
“I can’t believe we finished all that…” the smaller one said, then looked down with a shy smile, kicking at the dust on the ground to ease his embarrassment. “…But how could we not? Panli went through all that effort to peel shrimp for my birthday gift.”
“You’re too adorable,” Kant said.
“And those two trays of shrimp we had, who did you share them with,
Kant? That was a ton!”
“The three of us chipped in to finish it… I’m nauseous just thinking about it. Couldn’t leave any behind, though—didn’t want to get fined.”
Klai burst into laughter, watching his close friend lightly rub his stomach. Then he looked up at the crescent moon in the dull sky. There wasn’t a single star beside it tonight. Though the sight felt a bit lonely, it didn’t make him feel isolated at all. Because Klai knew… every single day,
Moon still had him.
And he still had Moon.
They still had each other… from a distance, watching.
“Where’s Phii Fah? Why are we standing here waiting in the parking lot?”
The one asked turned his gaze from the crescent moon and looked back at his friend. “Earlier, Phii Fah said he had to drop Rak off at
Dom’s car first. He’ll be back soon to give us the gift.”
“Oh.”
“There he is… Phii Fah’s coming.”
Klai pointed at the tall figure walking toward them. Phii Fah nodded, acknowledging that they were waiting, before jogging to a car. Not long after, he returned with a large white paper bag.
“Sorry for making you wait. Dom’s parking lot is on the other side,” Phii Fah said.
“It’s okay, Phii Fah,” Klai said, raising his hands to thank his senior before taking the bag. “Are you heading back now?”
Phii Fah nodded. “How are you getting home, Klai? Didn’t bring a car?”
“No, I was planning to take a taxi, but I’ll drop Kant off at the bus stop first.”
“Want me to give you and your friend a ride?”
“It’s okay, Phii Fah. me and Kant can head back on our own… Drive safely, okay?”
“Alright, you guys travel safe too.”
Klai raised his hands to wai Phii Fah again before turning to nod at Kant, signaling for them to leave the parking lot. He and his close friend chatted playfully as they walked until they reached the bus stop near the popular mall.
“Kant… why’s the bus so late today? What time will you get home at this rate?”
“Normally, this bus line is super reliable. Why’s it so slow today?”
Kant turned to look at him before continuing, “You can head back first,
Klai. I can wait for the bus alone.”
Klai looked up at the overcast sky, guessing that rain would soon start falling. He shook his head before saying, “No way, I’ll stay until you get on the bus. If I don’t see you board before the rain comes, I’ll be worried.”
“Klai, ugh… don’t be too nice.”
Klai laughed, then widened his eyes and pointed at an orange bus speeding toward them. “There it is… your bus is here!”
“I thought it was Dominic Toretto driving… so damn fast,” Kant said with a laugh, reaching out to pat Klai’s shoulder in a hurry. Klai nodded, acknowledging that his friend had to rush since the bus, which had stopped a bit past the bus stop, wouldn’t wait long. “I’m off, Klai…
Once I’m on, I’ll send you the license plate number via LINE.”
“Okay—travel safe, Kant!”
“You too, bro.”
The small figure waved goodbye to his close friend, who was running to board the orange bus, before walking back toward the front of the mall, which wasn’t too far away. That area had more taxis passing by.
But today, hardly any empty taxis came by. Klai, who had been standing and waiting for a while, watched several taxis with passengers drive past with a wistful look. He saw no sign that he’d manage to hail a taxi before the rain started.
The small figure scanned the surroundings to find a place to take shelter when the rain came. Klai gave a faint smile when he spotted a bubble tea shop not too far away.
If it really rains…
I would have to take shelter under the restaurant’s roof for a bit. But I will buy a bubble tea as thanks, okay?
Seeing a place to hide from the rain so he wouldn’t end up like a drenched puppy when the downpour hit, Klai turned back to wait for a taxi with full focus. After quite a while, the small figure, carrying bags in both hands, was still standing in the same spot, waiting.
Why are there so few cars today…
“Sigh…” Klai let out a big sigh before looking up at the crescent moon, thinking, “By now, Moon must have gotten home safely.” Plop!
His light-colored eyelids blinked shut quickly as a raindrop from the dark sky touched his eye. This warning sign made Klai start to accept that he’d definitely get back to his condo late tonight.
But he hoped a taxi would pass by soon. Klai held onto that hope and waited a bit longer. If the rain started pouring harder, he’d take shelter at the bubble tea shop.
His almond-shaped eyes glanced at a white Porsche pulling out of the mall, thinking it looked like his dad’s car, except this one was a newer model with tinted windows so dark he couldn’t see the driver inside.
The red-roofed convertible sports car, contrasting its white body, drove past him slowly. Klai turned his attention back to waiting for a taxi.
But out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the white sports car stop not far from him. He turned to confirm it had indeed stopped, and in the next moment, he saw the white car parked along the sidewalk reverse until it pulled up right in front of him.
Klai caught his own confused expression reflected in the car’s dark window before it vanished as the window rolled down.
The small figure took a step back and peered at the car’s owner, as the interior was very dark. The dim streetlight filtering into the car didn’t help him see the person inside clearly. But just as Klai was about to step back further, he noticed the driver moving, doing something, and then a light flickered on inside the car.
That light made Klai’s heart race.
Because it was a light from the moon.
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
And his heart beat even faster when he realized…
“Klai… it’s me.”
Sasin’s smile.
Brighter than anything else.
“Uh, Panli.”
The small figure stood frozen, swallowing hard. The owner of the white Porsche, smiling behind the steering wheel, nodded and flashed a grin. He held the wheel with one hand and beckoned Klai, who was standing on the sidewalk, with the other.
“Get in quick…” Panli waved again, then pointed at the car’s roof as if to say something. “It’s raining.”
Klai looked up at the drizzle, then down at the gift bag in his hand.
“Um…”
“Klai…” The voice from inside the car made Klai stop all thoughts to meet the driver’s gaze. The bright smile slowly faded, replaced by a serious look. “No need to think about it… I’ll drive you.”
“…”
Cha~
Klai decided to get into Moon’s car as the rain poured heavily. The small figure sitting on the red seat next to the driver blinked rapidly, watching Moon, who furrowed his brow slightly, as if a bit displeased.
“I told you to hurry and get in the car…”
Panli spoke while scanning for something, then grabbed a small white plastic bag by the driver’s side door. He pulled out a tissue, and his large hand holding the tissue moved toward Klai’s face. Klai pressed his lips tightly together, holding his breath. When their eyes met again, Moon paused his hand and handed the tissue to him instead.
“I don’t have a handkerchief… Can you use a tissue to wipe your face, Klai?”
Klai shook his head and gathered the gift bags onto his lap, then raised one hand to roughly wipe the water droplets off his face. “No need for a tissue, I can just use my hand.”
“And the water droplets in your hair… How are you going to wipe those with your hand?” The playful glint and smile in Moon’s eyes had vanished. Now, Klai saw only Sasin, the stern one, whose gaze resembled that of an adult reprimanding a stubborn child.
“Uh…” Klai’s slender hands gripped the handles of the gift bags tighter as Panli moved his hand toward his head.
Those long, narrow eyes stared intently at the chocolate-brown hair without breaking focus. Panli gently used the tissue to dab the water droplets dripping from the ends of Klai’s front hair, then spoke in a calm, steady voice.
“So stubborn.”
Why… did the word “stubborn” not carry a scolding tone but instead make Klai feel an inexplicable warmth in his heart? When he glanced up at the person in front of him again, Klai realized it was because of the serious look in the other’s eyes and his actions.
Those two things gave the word “stubborn” another meaning.
The word “stubborn” that meant “I’m worried about you.”
Klai lowered his eyes as his heart began to race, then said softly,
“Panli… Normally, my hair dries really quickly, so I think…”
“Stop being stubborn,” Panli interrupted before Klai could finish his sentence. He continued using the tissue to wipe away the lingering water droplets at the ends of his hair. “…You need to wipe all the water out of your hair, Klai. Got it?”
“Uh, yeah.” Because of that one phrase, “Got it?” Klai became Moon’s good boy.
The small figure obediently followed Moon’s lead, playing the role of a good boy by sitting still and letting him use the tissue to dab the rainwater from his hair. Right now, the best place to rest his eyes was probably the car’s gearshift, because Klai didn’t dare look at Panli’s face.
If he looked at Panli like this,
Klai would definitely be in trouble…
“All done.”
Klai nodded, then raised a hand to touch his slightly damp hair before saying, “Thanks.”
“Thank you, too.”
“…”
The small figure furrowed their brows slightly while looking at Moon, who had a calm expression. They stared at him like that before giving a faint smile. Klai didn’t understand why Panli was thanking him, and it seemed Panli could tell he was puzzled about something. So, Panli spoke up.
“Thanks for not being stubborn with me.”
Klai wasn’t stubborn with Sasin at all.
But his little heart…
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
It was the most stubborn… when he was near Moon.
Their conversation ended because Klai didn’t know how to respond. He could only lower his head to look at the gift bag on his lap while listening to the soft laughter of the person beside him.
“Mister Passenger.”
“Yes?” Klai instinctively responded, then turned to the person beside him who was laughing. Not only was he the good boy of that person, but now Klai was also Panli’s passenger.
“Buckle up, please.”
Klai nodded in response, using one hand to pull the seatbelt across his body before saying, “I’ve buckled up already.”
“Okay,” Panli replied, glancing at him before continuing, “Where should I drop you off, Klai?”
“My condo… Panli, drive past two traffic lights, then turn left, go straight for about five hundred meters, and turn right…” Klai paused and spoke more slowly, distracted by Moon, who was listening attentively and nodding the whole time.
Moon…
So ridiculously cute.
“The route to the condo sounds familiar…” Panli said, furrowing his brows as if deep in thought. “Klai, you live at SP Condo, right?”
“Yeah, yeah… Panli, you know this condo too?”
“I do… because a friend of mine lives there. I’ve gone to their place to watch football sometimes.”
“Oh.”
Panli nodded and flashed him a smile. He turned his attention back to the road ahead as the car, previously stationary, began to move slowly. Klai glanced at the person beside him, who was driving with a relaxed demeanor. Panli picked up speed slightly as the road ahead cleared.
Klai often rode in his dad’s two-seater sports car. He never felt the interior was cramped or confining, but today, Klai felt like he could barely breathe, even though his dad’s car and Panli’s weren’t that different. It was probably because he had a round, glowing moon right beside him.
Klai was completely tense…
“Hello.”
“…”
“Yes, Sasin speaking.”
“…”
“You’re done with it now, right?”
“…”
“Okay, I’ll pick up the car at the service center tomorrow.”
“…”
“Alright… Thank you very much.”
As Klai listened to Panli’s conversation with someone he assumed was a staff member from a car service center, he wasn’t surprised that Panli hadn’t driven his favorite car. Klai figured the car must have some issues. He, who had been stealing glances at Moon without realizing when he started, quickly looked away as the car began to slow down.
The traffic light ahead, changing from yellow to red, made all the cars come to a stop. Klai knew the traffic at this intersection would be stuck for a while. He tried to think of a good conversation starter to talk to the person beside him, but he didn’t know much about what Panli particularly liked or was interested in. Starting a conversation with him was quite challenging.
Right now, Klai was super jealous of Pie.
His friend could easily connect with others.
Unlike him right now…
But when Klai stole another glance at Moon, who was picking up his phone to tap on something, Klai immediately knew… a conversation between them probably wasn’t going to happen. Panli was likely scrolling through social media to pass the time during the traffic jam. So, Klai sat there, watching the numbers on the traffic light countdown.
But… opportunities don’t come often.
Come on, Klai… try a little harder.
The small figure nodded to encourage himself, mustering up courage again before turning to the person beside him to strike up a conversation. But Klai swallowed hard when he realized Moon was already staring at him.
“Traffic like this… boring, huh?”
“Uh…”
“…” Say something, Klai, don’t just “uh”!
Panli flashed a smile before saying, “You can be bored of the traffic… but don’t get bored of the person sitting next to you.”
“…”
“Is that okay?”
Klai… he’s okay.
But his heart… not so much.
Klai nodded stiffly and turned to look at the gift bag he was clutching, unable to meet the playful gaze of the other. “I… I’m not bored of you.”
Klai liked Panli way more than “a lot” already.
How could he ever be bored…
“Not bored… but you’re not smiling at me.”
Hearing this, Klai quickly turned and flashed a wide grin at Moon to prove he wasn’t bored at all. It was at that moment he saw Panli burst into laughter. He watched the person in front of him laugh with delight, then closed his smile and looked back down at the gift bag.
Klai… he wanted to look at Panli for a long time.
But every time he saw Moon smile,
Klai’s heart… it just couldn’t handle it.
Give him a moment to build some immunity, okay?
“I smiled at you already… I’m really not bored of you,” Klai said, eyes fixed on the gift bag in his lap.
“Just that little smile…” Panli said in a calm tone before letting out a soft chuckle. “But even that little smile… it’s already made the world so much brighter.”
Klai bowed his head even lower at Moon’s words, afraid the other would notice he was holding back a smile. His cheeks ached terribly because Panli’s “so much” made him want to grin even wider.
If Klai’s smile could make the world so much brighter…
…did he have any chance of his smile making the moon shine brighter too?
“Klai…”
Klai turned at the sound of his name. He saw Panli pulling a small brown paper bag from the driver’s side console. Panli opened it, checked the contents, and reached inside, adjusting something as if to tidy it up. Moments later, the small brown bag was held out to him, accompanied by the other’s smile.
“For me, Panli?”
“Yes.”
“…”
“Dee thought twenty shrimp weren’t exactly the most impressive birthday gift…”
He spoke while using one hand to open the bag, double-checking something inside. “So I decided to get this gift for Klai as well.”
“…”
“At first, I was going to ask Phii Dom to give it to Klai, since I didn’t think we’d meet so soon.” Moon shifted his gaze from the paper bag to meet Klai’s eyes, a playful smile appearing. “But it’s good we ran into each other first… so I got the chance to give the gift to Klai myself.”
Klai offered a faint smile and took the gift bag from him. “Honestly, just getting twenty shrimp as a birthday gift… I was already so happy.”
“…”
“It’s a really special gift…” Klai paused, as the next words in his mind made his face flush. He wasn’t sure if it was because Panli was so good at holding eye contact or if he was just too shy, but Klai had to look away from him and focus on the gift bag in his hands instead. “I’m really touched by Panli’s gift.”
“…”
“Hearing that makes me feel relieved.”
The small figure took a deep breath, then looked up to meet Moon’s gaze, who was sitting there with a subtle smile. “Thank you for both gifts.”
“You’re welcome,” he replied, pointing at the gift bag before continuing, “Take a look inside… I think you will like it.”
Klai nodded and opened the small brown bag. He couldn’t help but smile widely when he saw a tiny cactus inside. His slender hand reached in to pull out the miniature cactus in a white pot. The white clay pot had cute patterns that Klai thought were drawn with considerable skill, as the unique linework of the designs stood out distinctly.
And what made him smile even wider was the small rocket soaring toward a crescent moon surrounded by several stars. As Klai turned the pot to look at it from all sides, he noticed the English letters ‘HBD’ written on the other side.
“I already have one cactus at my condo… so getting this one is great. They can keep each other company,” Klai said with a joyful expression and tone before turning to the person beside him, who was smiling softly. “Thank you, Panli. I really love this gift.”
“Glad you like it.”
“…”
“After leaving the restaurant, I went to the mall to keep looking… to find a gift for you, but nothing caught my eye.”
“…”
“It’s not exactly that nothing caught my eye… I just felt like nothing would really impress you.”
“…”
“Until I decided to head home. At the exit near the parking lot, there was a small plant shop. The moment I saw it, I knew… I’d found the gift for Klai.”
Klai nodded as he listened intently to the story of how the other had thoughtfully chosen such a special gift.
“This shop has so many tiny plants… I didn’t know which one to pick for you…” Panli paused, pulling out a black phone to show him. “So I searched for the meanings of each plant.”
If Panli wasn’t someone who cared deeply for others, he’d definitely be the most sensitive person ever.
“Panli, you searched for the meanings of the plants right in front of the shop?”
“Yeah, I told the shop owner… ‘Please wait a moment, I need to look up the meanings of the plants first. I’m buying one as a birthday gift, so I can’t just choose randomly.’” Once again, Klai wanted to say…
Sasin, you’re insanely cute.
🙂
“But I decided on a cactus because one website said it means… protection.”
“…”
“The meaning of a cactus varies across websites… Honestly, I think its meaning depends on the occasion when we give it to someone.”
“…”
“But for the occasion of giving this cactus to Klai as a birthday gift, I want it to mean…” Panli slowly revealed a bright smile. He pointed at the tiny cactus in Klai’s hand, then moved his finger away from its small spines to gently tap the tip of Klai’s nose. “This cactus will protect you from all sadness.”
Klai wasn’t surprised when he suddenly felt a tingling at the tip of his nose. Panli’s words made him feel as though his scarred heart was being soothed and gently embraced. At that moment, Klai lowered his eyes, staring at the adorable little plant pot to let the tears, which had welled up unknowingly, slowly fade away. But because he knew Moon was touching his heart so tenderly, the lump of emotions rising in his throat wouldn’t easily disappear.
Crying in front of someone he secretly liked, and who he was getting close to for the first time, would probably be so embarrassing…
Don’t cry, Klai… Absolutely don’t cry.
“Klai…”
Klai accidentally looked up and met Panli’s eyes, even though his tears were still welling up. He was about to lower his head to avoid his gaze again, but Moon’s eyes widened slightly, and he asked in a startled tone, “Klai… what’s wrong?”
“It’s just that… I like this gift a bit too much. When I’m really touched by something, I tend to cry.”
Yeah… for someone like him who doesn’t like lying,
This was the best excuse he could come up with…
Please, Moon, pretend to believe me just a little.
Panli let out a soft laugh before saying, “So adorable.”
Klai pressed his lips together and lowered his gaze again. He let out a quiet breath when he heard the word “adorable.” Klai admitted he couldn’t keep up with his emotions, as Moon’s words stirred a whirlwind of feelings in quick succession.
One moment, he felt so warmed that he was on the verge of tears.
The next second, he was blushing…
Klai needed to build emotional immunity fast.
“I’m sorry… for startling you, Panli.”
“No need to apologize… it’s just a small thing.”
“…”
“Then, should you like this gift a little less?”
Klai immediately looked up at Moon, shaking his head in refusal. “No way… I’ll keep liking this gift a whole lot, just like this.”
“If liking it so much makes you cry… maybe tone it down a bit. I won’t mind, I promise.”
Panli…
He’s someone who deserves so much love.
That’s exactly right…
Klai met the other’s gaze before saying, “…I’ll keep liking this gift just as much, but I won’t cry anymore.”
“Great job. Tears don’t suit Klai…” Panli said, shaking his head slightly with a subtle smile. “Though I say tears don’t suit Klai, I can’t deny that when I see Klai about to cry…”
“…”
“…it makes me want to tease him into crying even harder.” Moon bit his lip slightly before continuing, “I’m not a mean person who enjoys teasing others, but… how do I put it? It’s kind of like when I see kids crying, and I want to tease them into wailing even more.”
“…”
“Because it’s adorable… and I also want to be the one to comfort them until they stop crying.”
Moon is the gentlest tease Klai has ever met…
“…”
“Klai…” Panli called out in a calm tone before continuing, “Don’t let anyone see you cry, okay?”
“…”
“So no one will tease you.”
The second time…
Moon showed him care.
And the hundredth time…
Klai fell in love with Moon.
Klai didn’t usually cry in front of others anyway. So he nodded in agreement, thinking he could probably follow Panli’s advice. He wasn’t sure if Panli was just teasing or being serious, but regardless of what
Panli thought…
What he said in response,
What he tried to convey,
Not once did Klai ever mean it lightly.
Klai avoided meeting Moon’s gaze by focusing on the cactus pot in his hands instead. Panli’s eyes never left him. Even though Klai wasn’t looking at him, he could still feel those eyes on him. He figured it was probably his red ears that made him the target of that gaze. He wondered if his ears were as red as Thot’s tomatoes by now… They were probably red enough to stand out.
T__________T
To divert Panli’s attention from his red ears, Klai spoke up, “The drawings on the pot from the shop are so pretty, aren’t they?”
“You think they’re pretty, Klai?”
The one asked looked up to meet Panli’s eyes and nodded stiffly.
“Yeah, really pretty.”
Panli smiled and gave a slight nod, shifting his gaze from Klai to the cactus pot. It was then that Klai realized he might have misunderstood something.
“Panli… am I right that the shop painted those cute drawings on the cactus pot?”
Moon, who had been smiling softly, looked up to meet his eyes. He shook his head and said, “You got it wrong… I painted them myself.”
Now…
His ears must be as red as tomatoes by now.
Klai lowered his eyes to the cactus pot again. He didn’t want to keep staring at the tiny plant, but Panli’s gaze was truly dangerous. Klai thought it was best to avoid those playful eyes. If his heart started to waver, and he kept pushing himself,
Klai wouldn’t be able to control his rapidly pounding heart at all…
Right now, a small-scale war was raging in Klai’s mind. Countless thoughts clashed chaotically, as if his brain had split into two factions.
The left-side army urged him to find something to talk about with Panli. The right-side army told him to stay quiet if he didn’t want to be attacked by Panli’s cute words again.
Klai didn’t listen to either side, but he chose to stay silent to gather his composure and prepare for the next move. Every time Moon smiled and spoke sweetly, it felt like Klai was hit with a heavy punch, leaving his mind blank.
And some of Moon’s words…
“I saw you wearing a crescent moon necklace,” he said, pointing at the crescent moon pendant, before continuing, “…so I drew a crescent moon on the pot.”
“…”
Made Klai’s heart…
“Because I thought Klai probably likes the moon.” Fall into the depths of love again.
Klai thought it was because he was lost in love that he uttered this sentence: “Yes… I really love the moon.”
“Yes… I really love the moon.”
It was Klai’s confession of love.
But the true meaning of that sentence echoed only in his heart. Klai’s deeply meaningful message never reached the same moon, and it probably never would.
Because watching from afar like this was the best thing…
Klai didn’t feel disappointed by the lack of response, as Moon likely didn’t understand the hidden confession in his words. But Klai thought it was better that he didn’t know… because he was afraid Moon would feel uncomfortable if he knew someone was quietly watching him.
Because if one day that same moon disappeared,
Klai’s world would surely shatter.
Our conversation was interrupted by silence at some point, unnoticed. We locked eyes briefly after he spoke that sentence, before Panli turned his gaze away from him and back to the road ahead, as the traffic light changed from red to green.
The small figure tucked the cactus back into its bag as the car began to move. He placed Panli’s gift bag among the others, keeping it closest to himself. But the car hadn’t gone far before it slowed down and stopped again. Klai glanced at the large hand shifting the gear, then looked up at the traffic light, which had turned red once more.
“Can the police really do this? If they’re going to let it go like this, they shouldn’t bother.”
Klai pursed his lips and lowered his head when he heard Panli grumbling in an irritated tone. He thought the other was getting annoyed at the long traffic jam. Not knowing what to do, Klai just stayed silent.
Sitting quietly didn’t make things better.
But at least it didn’t make Moon more irritated.
“Klai…”
“Yes?” Klai responded and turned to the person beside him. Panli was biting his lower lip and slightly furrowing his brows. Assuming he was very annoyed, Klai flashed the widest smile he’d ever given in his life.
Klai was smiling the biggest smile of his life, Panli…
At that moment, Klai was glad he chose to give Moon a wide smile, because it made him laugh. Klai slowly closed his smile while watching the other lean his head back against the seat in a relaxed manner, looking at him with eyes… eyes whose meaning Klai didn’t understand.
All Klai knew was… Panli’s gaze at that moment
…was far too gentle.
“How did Klai know? That I was going to ask you to smile for me.”
Klai shook his head in denial before saying, “I didn’t know… but I thought in a traffic jam like this, smiling at each other might make us feel a bit better.”
“It’s not just feeling a bit better… It’s unbelievable that you could make me stop being annoyed at the police.”
Klai smiled and said, “The police will have to come thank me then.”
“Thank you.”
“…”
“This isn’t the police asking me to thank you, Klai.”
“…”
“I wanted to thank you, Klai myself… Thank you for making me smile.”
Klai nodded and gave a faint smile. “My pleasure.”
“Do you speak so politely with everyone?”
Klai nodded. “Yes, I talk like this with everyone.”
“Even with close friends, you speak so politely?”
“With close friends, I just don’t end with ‘khrap’… but I talk the same way as I do with Panli.”
“Oh…” Panli smiled before saying, “Then let’s just be acquaintances for now.”
“…”
“I’m afraid if we get too close, the word ‘sir’ will disappear… I want to hear Klai speak politely too.”
“…”
“Speaking politely and pleasantly… not everyone can do that.”
We can be close, Panli… don’t just be an acquaintance like this. I promise I’ll always speak politely to you.
“But if I accidentally speak impolitely to Klai, I’m sorry… because
I’m not usually someone who speaks politely.”
“It’s fine, Panli. You can speak normally with me, I’m okay with it.”
Panli smiled and said, “Klai is always so kind.” Thump, thump, thump, thump.
Suddenly, the calm heart started beating hard. Klai thought it wasn’t just Panli’s words that made his heart race like this, but also that look in his eyes again, combined with Panli’s relaxed tone and casual demeanor.
Panli’s naturalness…
It’s making my heart flutter…
“Is Klai usually someone who doesn’t smile easily?”
Caught off guard by the rapid-fire questions, Klai furrowed his brows in thought before answering, “…Not really, but with people I’m not close to, it takes a bit of time.”
“With people you’re not close to… do you not smile at them much?”
“No, it’s not that… I do smile, but just less than with people I’m close to…” Klai raised his hand to rub his ear, feeling a warmth rush through him. “I’m shy, you know… so I’m not too good at smiling or talking with others.”
“Oh… I get it now.”
“But it’s not that I don’t like talking to others… I want to be friends with everyone, but I’m not great at approaching people.” Afraid Panli might think he wasn’t trying hard enough to connect with others, Klai explained further, “I’m trying to change myself… I’m practicing talking more now so I can get along with people more easily.”
“You don’t need to try that hard… just being yourself is already good.”
“…”
“People who want to get to know you will find a way to do it themselves.”
“…”
“…Like right now, I’m trying to figure out how to see that smile from earlier again…” Panli said while picking up his black phone and tapping on it. “With someone I’m not close to, I have to put in a bit of effort.”
Yours,
Right now, it feels like Klai is in a dream. He doesn’t think Panli would want to see his own smile, because every day as he watches Moon, Klai longs to see that smile.
It’s no different for him.
That’s all…
It’s enough.
For someone secretly in love.
Suddenly, a melody from a song heard years ago plays from Moon’s phone. He leans his head back against the seat, relaxed as always. Klai watches the other, who gives a faint smile while looking at the phone screen. As the singer’s voice begins, Moon shifts his gaze from the screen and locks eyes with him.
“You keep watching me, always staring, wondering what I’ll do, like
I’m some kind of player.”
“Have you heard this song before?”
Klai nods in response. “Yes.”
“This might just work.”
“I steal a glance and accidentally look at some girl. Not every guy means to do it—it’s just a slip of the heart. I try to talk to you, make you understand why guys like to look, like to stare at girls.”
Klai doesn’t know what Panli is about to do, but he knows he has to keep listening to the song, because Moon’s eyes say so.
“It’s normal when I see someone as beautiful as you… I can’t help myself. I just want to know…”
“…”
“How much I love you… but you never trust me. You never give in. I feel suffocated, want to let you know.”
At this moment, Moon starts singing along softly with the singer’s voice. Perhaps because Klai has heard this song before, he knows the next part is a fast rap.
The smile that appears on Panli’s face right now…
Don’t tell me Panli is going to…
“Hey, one, two, three… I’m not a bad guy. Just want to say I’m not a player. If you get it, OK. If you don’t, I’ll be stumbling, confused, and hesitant. If you shut me down, I’ll get in the mood, D, A, R, K.”
Yes… Moon is rapping live for him.
“I want you to know, when I look at pretty girls, every time I do it, it’s my curse, my karma. Every guy slips up. If I wasn’t hesitant in my heart, I wouldn’t confess my honesty… I’m not lying, I just never said it.”
Panli didn’t raise his hands or gesture like the rappers Klai had seen on TV. Instead, Panli just smiled and locked eyes with him while rapping his verse.
Klai shook his head lightly, not expecting him to be so bold. But everything Panli did was to make him smile widely again.
Moon had succeeded… Because of his charm.
It made him smile even wider than before.
The tall man chuckled softly before turning off the music on his phone. Now, Panli was smiling and looking at him. Klai thought he might be embarrassed because Panli raised his hand to rub the back of his neck before pointing at him.
“You’re smiling…” At that moment, a bright smile spread across his handsome face. “I put in all that effort… If you didn’t smile, I’d probably be pretty disappointed.”
Klai laughed before saying, “Looks like Panli will have to rap more often… Because that was really good just now. Not a single stumble.”
“I just rap randomly when I’m stuck in traffic… to kill boredom.”
“…”
“But I’ve never rapped in front of anyone like this.”
Of course… there were probably many people Panli had sung for.
But if he said it like that…
It was clear… Klaijai was the first person Panli had rapped for.
Klai nodded, still grinning widely. This time, he really couldn’t stop smiling. Even though Panli seemed shy about what he’d done, he still held his gaze.
“I knew I’d be embarrassed… but I still wanted to make you smile.”
“…”
“Seeing Klai smile made it… totally worth it.”
Klai flashed a wide smile at Moon again, in return for his effort. “Thank you for making me smile.”
“It’s a trade, isn’t it? Klai makes me smile too.”
Moon’s smile at that moment…
Made Klai realize… that the moon’s light was actually brighter than the sun’s. Klai wasn’t basing this on any theories he’d studied, but on the truth right in front of him.
This moon was too radiant for the sun to compete with…
“You can park up ahead, Panli. I’ll walk from there.”
“You’re carrying a lot, Klai. Let me drive you all the way in.”
Moon turned the car into his condo. Klai pointed to the parking lot, indicating to park there. As the car pulled up behind another vehicle, Klai unbuckled his seatbelt and grabbed the gift bag on his lap, preparing to get out. Fearing he might forget something, he scanned the seats again. Seeing Klai searching, Panli reached to turn on the car’s interior light.
“What you looking for?”
“Nothing… just checking if I dropped anything.”
“Oh…”
Knock knock
The sound of tapping on the window made us both freeze and look toward the noise. Klai frowned, spotting a tall man he’d seen around the condo. The man tapped the driver’s side window again, as if asking to open it. Panli sighed softly and muttered, “That asshole… recognizing this car again.”
Klai guessed the man was Panli’s friend. Moon pressed the button to lower the window. The man outside flashed a smile, rested both hands on the door frame, and leaned in to peer inside.
“Buddy! No football watch party today… so what’re you doing at my condo?”
Panli glanced at him briefly before turning back to his friend. “I’m dropping off KhunKlai.”
‘KhunKlai.’
Few people called him that. Klai felt a warmth in his heart whenever his mother used to say it—she was the first to call him “KhunKlai.” But after she passed, it felt like the name died with her. Even when Phii Jeab or Uncle Hmai used it, it never carried the same warmth.
Yet, Panli brought “KhunKlai” back to life. Hearing it from him warmed Klai’s heart. He touched his chest, watching Panli talk to his friend.
His heart didn’t race.
It was calm…
And smiling with joy.
“You look familiar,” the friend said.
“KhunKlai lives in your condo… you’ve probably seen him around,” Panli replied.
“True…” The friend grinned at Klai. “I’m Ne. If we cross paths, feel free to say hi.”
“Goddamn chatterbox,” Panli grumbled, waving him off. “Go wherever you’re going… stop clinging to my car.”
“Always annoyed with your friends, huh?” Ne teased, laughing.
“You know you’re annoying me and still don’t bother to change, huh?”
The cheeky guy laughed with amusement, then held out one hand to Panli. “Gimme five hundred… if I get it, I’ll disappear as far as your eyes can see.”
“What the hell? You live in a million-baht condo but you’re mooching off your friend?”
“When my wife punishes me by taking my wallet… she left me with just a hundred. I’m heading to 7-Eleven, and I don’t think a hundred’s gonna cut it.”
“And if you hadn’t run into me?”
“Then I’d make it work somehow.”
“You idiot!”
“Come on… think of it as helping a friend stay alive.”
“That’s what being a whipped husband gets you,” Panli said while pulling out his wallet, shaking his head slightly as he took out a purple banknote. “Learn to be a bold househusband, you jerk.”
“Sure… you’ll get it when you have a wife.”
“Get what?” Panli, who was about to hand over the purple banknote, quickly pulled his hand back, waiting for an answer.
“You’ll get that… you have to strictly follow your wife’s rules.
Otherwise, you’ll end up like me.”
Panli burst out laughing, then handed the purple banknote to his friend. “Good answer… I was gonna make you pay me back, but now you don’t have to, cause I like your answer.”
“You’ve got potential, man.”
“Potential for what?”
“Potential to be scared of your wife.”
“No way.”
“We’ll see about that.”
“Go on, you jerk… go get some food.”
“Bye.”
Klai smiled as he watched Moon let out a quiet sigh. The guy quickly rolled up the window as his friend walked away. Panli turned to look at him with a small smile.
“Sorry about that, Klai… my friend’s always chaotic like this.”
“It’s fine, I get it.”
“But you don’t have to worry, Klai. He doesn’t usually mooch off people. His family’s got money, but this time, his girlfriend must’ve really laid into him.”
Klai gave the other a smile and nodded. “I’m not worried. If I see your friend again, I’ll say hi to him.”
“No need to talk to him, Klai… he’s the dreamy type, you won’t get anywhere talking to him.”
Klai laughs when he sees Panli frowning while speaking. Right now, he seems like a stubborn child, but Klai can guess why Panli doesn’t want him talking to his friend. Panli is probably worried his friend might say something bad about him.
But from what Klai can tell… that friend seems friendly enough.
It’s not like what Panli thinks…
At this moment, Klai gathers his courage and looks at Panli’s face. They lock eyes for several minutes, until his rapidly beating heart signals a retreat. Klai flashes a smile at Moon, grateful that today he made him smile the widest in his life.
“Thanks for dropping me off.”
“You’re welcome.”
The smaller figure opens the door and carries gift bags down from
Moon’s sports car. He stands there, smiling at the person inside the car.
Since the car windows are tinted completely dark, Klai can’t see Moon.
He doesn’t know if Panli will turn to look at him.
But Klai will stay right here.
He’ll keep sending smiles to Moon forever…
Yet, the dark window slowly rolls down, and the car’s interior lights, previously turned off, light up again. Klai sees Moon smiling back at him. He lets one hand leave the steering wheel, as both of Klai’s hands are full with gift bags. All he can do is nod in acknowledgment.
“Klai…”
“…”
“If you see me at the university… feel free to come say hi.”
“…”
“But if I see you first… I’ll come say hi to you.”
Once again, Klai breaks into a wide smile. He nods happily before saying, “Yeah… I’ll come say hi to you, Panli.”
“You got it.”
“…”
Our conversation comes to an end. Yet, the car window remains open, allowing Klai to capture Moon’s smile a little longer.
Klai gazes at Moon until the very last second, before his smile is hidden by the dark window. And he still stands there, watching until Panli’s car drives away from the condo.
The small figure, laden with bags, looked up at the crescent moon in the dark sky. Even though the original Moon was gone, he had left a smile with him.
Klai would remember…
On this birthday,
The moon orbited around him for hours.
🙂
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