WESTTHESUNFROMANOTHERSTAR, Special Chapter 4: With my Body, Heart, and Soul
Daotok
I moved a tall chair against the wall covered with patterns we had painted together. Arthit was also moving other items next to where others were, helping out.
“Is this enough?”
“Hmm.” I nodded, stepping back to look at the overall picture, thinking this angle should work.
Today is the day we are doing our pre-wedding shoot. Since I wanted photos that reflect our daily life, we decided to shoot at home. Therefore, I asked Cat to be our photographer and requested…
It’s been almost a year since Arthit proposed to me. We’ve been planning our wedding continuously while I finished my studies. We completed the marriage registration about a month ago, and now I’ve been a graduated for two weeks. I dyed my hair back to black a while ago after having it gray for a period. Many might be used to seeing my blue hair, but once my black roots grew out, I dyed it gray again, and now it’s back to black for the pre-wedding photos and the actual wedding because I think black suits best.
Soon, everyone arrived on time with all the equipment ready.
“This outfit looks beautiful.”
“Thanks.”
I wore a white shirt and black pants, while Arthit wore a black shirt and black pants. We agreed that shooting in the room with casual clothes would look like our everyday life.
“What about this hairstyle, should we set it?” Ter asked.
“We probably won’t, how about you, Arthit?”
“I won’t either, or should we style it a bit?”
“It’s up to you.”
“No, just leave it like this, it’s handsome enough. Let’s start taking photos.” And then our pre-wedding photoshoot began, starting at the painting corner we just set up. North and Ter helped with the lighting equipment.
“Just sit comfortably.” Cat said in a relaxed tone. I looked at the person beside me, and he looked at me at the same moment. We locked eyes and both smiled inadvertently, the shutter sound clicked. I looked down, feeling a bit shy, then looked up to smile at the camera.
The first photo, we looked at each other and smiled.
In the second photo, I slightly bowed my head while he kept looking at me. In the third, we smiled broadly, and in the fourth, our smiles were even wider. “Putting them together in one frame would be nice.” Said Cat. I nodded in agreement; the background of the first set was the wall where we painted together. Normally, I would sit here drawing with him watching from the side. We took photos in that setting too.
Next was by the window. We changed the curtains to white for a better look, sitting on the windowsill, looking at each other and then at the camera. Then we moved down to sit on the floor surrounded by the flowers we arranged together.
Ter handed me a bouquet to hold.
Cat would help us with the poses throughout. We had Arthit kneeling, bending down to kiss my forehead, surrounded by flowers and fluttering white curtains, all the elements making the photo even more beautiful.
Next, we changed the pose to have Arthit sitting with his back against the wall, with me sitting between his legs, leaning against his chest, slightly raising my face so our noses touched. Then we moved to a couple more poses before shifting to the kitchen counter.
I pretended to be cooking, turning my back to the camera but facing him. Arthit stood leaning against the counter, facing the camera but looking at me. We smiled at each other before the sound of the shutter clicked.
“Want to take a break?” Cat asked. I nodded in response, slumping down onto the sofa.
“How does it look?” Cat sat beside me, asking.
“Okay, what about you, Cat?”
“It’s fun getting to shoot a pre-wedding for friends like this.” He said with a smile, “What else do you usually do together when you’re in the room? So we can shoot more.”
“We work, he watches over me, I watch over him when he works…watch TV, play games, read books together, stuff like that.” I listed what came to mind. “Then can we move to Phii Arthit’s studio? We could use musical instruments as props.”
“Sure, there’s a piano too, a piano would be perfect.”
“Then let’s have Phii Arthit play the piano, with Dao standing beside, watching.
How’s that?”
“Sounds good.” I nodded.
We went to the studio as Cat suggested. There were various musical instruments, and I thought the piano would be the best. Arthit sat down as if he was playing the piano, and I stood watching beside him. Arthit unexpectedly kissed my hand, then we sat down to play together.
Finally, Cat told us to close all the curtains and light scented candles around, wrapping us with string lights in the pitch-black room, where only the soft yellow light from the candles and small bulbs were visible. The atmosphere was quite romantic for me.
“You can kiss now.” Cat said. Arthit immediately grabbed my waist and kissed me. Our lips met for a while, and after hearing the shutter click a few times, I tried to push him away, but he wouldn’t let go, pushing his hot tongue into my mouth. I felt embarrassed because we weren’t alone, there were some teasing comments from those around us, and eventually, he pulled away.
“Didn’t they say we could kiss?”
“Just a peck would have been enough.” I answered softly so others wouldn’t hear, hiding my blushing face. This time, Cat had us sit on the floor, still wrapped in lights, changing poses slightly. Once done, we took off the lights and went to look at the pictures.
“The lighting is beautiful.” I said, looking at the photos where our faces weren’t very clear because it was quite dim, but the soft yellow light made the tone of the picture very beautiful, especially the ones where we kissed; they were really good. “Let’s look at all the photos first and decide if they’re okay or if we need to take more. Actually, we could go outside to change locations.”
“Uh, let’s look first.” I stood with Arthit looking at the photos on the camera, realizing that we had taken quite a few photos. “Are they okay?”
“They’re okay, the photos turned out great. I never thought I could have such good photos.”
“Just not making weird poses is good enough.” I said, “Let’s go shoot outside next.”
“Okay.”
We packed our equipment into the cars and headed outside. Two luxury cars drove together to find a shooting location. We stopped at beautiful spots outside, took photos with Arthit’s car, and the last photo had the sunset as the background, the sky turning brick red, with the sun’s rays shining on us as we stood embracing each other. …
Arthit
I sat looking at the wedding favors and invitations in my hand, flipping them over with curiosity. Both were designed entirely by Dao. The wedding invitation had a watercolor painting of both of us. When you pulled out the inner sheet, my figure on the outer sheet would slide over to connect with Dao because the inner and outer sheets were connected at one point.
The inner sheet had a drawing of the sun and Daotok together, with the details written in Dao’s beautiful handwriting. For the wedding favors, we spent a long time deciding what to give. Dao wanted something practical that everyone could use, so we chose something simple but high-quality, like fountain pens, which were quite expensive.
We decided to have a traditional Thai wedding, with ceremonies like the procession with the dowry, the water-pouring blessing, making it a large event because my side had many guests – relatives, Direk’s guests, and my friends from various times in my life: high school friends, football friends, racing friends, drinking buddies, gaming friends, university friends, colleagues from the record label, and acquaintances from different generations.
On Dao’s side, there were only friends like North, Ter, and Phoon, and his relatives.
The groomsmen on my side were Hill, Fah, and Jo, while for Dao, they were those three friends.
The wedding was held at a luxurious hotel, where Dao designed the layout, the decor, the menu with gourmet food, and there was also a live band. We had one day for the engagement and another for the wedding. Unfortunately, Dao’s side asked for a very low dowry, stating they needed nothing more than my love and care for Dao, which Direk absolutely refused to accept.
I wanted Dao to redesign the wedding rings, but he said the ones I chose were perfect. So, we didn’t change or add anything.
We’ve been preparing for the wedding since I proposed, and once Dao graduated, everything started moving quickly. Within a few months, all preparations were complete.
I knew that not much would change between us after marriage since we were already living together like this. Marriage is just a way to honor and respect each other, to officially be life partners. Dao agreed to change his citizenship to American like mine so we could move together.
I placed the wedding invitations and wedding favors on the table. After hearing the familiar voice calling me to eat.
…
I woke up early because today was an important day for us, the engagement ceremony. We separated to get ready in our hotel rooms. I looked at myself in a dark gray suit. I don’t wear suits often because they’re uncomfortable, but today I couldn’t avoid it.
My hair was slightly styled. I didn’t bother with makeup since I thought I was handsome enough as it is. Soon after, I heard the door, turned to see Jo and the others entering, three of them in suits similar in color to mine.
“Ready?” Fah asked. I nodded in response, “We’ll start the procession soon.” “Okay, but I’m so sleepy now, it’s damn early.” I grumbled a bit, “You guys are carrying the trays, right?”
“Yeah.” Jo nodded, “But I won’t be the one to cheer.”
“You have to cheer.” I teased, meaning I wanted Jo to be the one to cheer during the procession of the dowry, but he wouldn’t.
“You’ve hired a band, haven’t you? They’ll cheer for you.”
“I want you to do it.”
“No way.”
Direk arranged for these three to carry the trays instead of relatives. Jo carried the tray with cash, Fah carried the tray with gold, and Hill carried the tray with diamonds and a check. All together, the dowry for today amounted to about two hundred million.
“I heard that when passing through the money gate and the gold gate, the gatekeepers can request anything from your side, my wife said she wants to see you breakdance.” Jo said. I turned to look at him immediately.
“Fuck, since when can I breakdance?”
“You can call a friend to do it.” Hill said, “I’ve seen others do it at other weddings.”
“And who can breakdance?”
“Terk might be able to, I’ve seen him post a clip.” Jo answered.
“Yeah, then why make it so complicated? Just give them an envelope.” I complained. The money and gold gates, not so bad, but if we get to North’s gate, I don’t feel good about it, you’re definitely going to mess with me.
Before we could talk any further, someone came to call for the dowry procession. Direk, in a black suit, was waiting with many envelopes in hand, someone handed me a bouquet of flowers, and Jo and the others picked up their trays. The procession was quite long because there were so many people.
It started with the sound of cymbals and drums, and the procession began to move down the hotel corridor. We could see a crowd waiting at the end of the hallway. The first gate was North’s, standing with Dao’s relatives.
The procession stopped in front of the door. North, in a white suit, took the floating microphone with a smile, using it so that all the guests could hear. “As the first gate, and being a close friend of Dao for a long time, I want to test the attention you’ve paid to my friend. First question, what was the first movie we watched together?” North then handed the microphone to me. I took it, puzzled, my brain trying to recall the answer but coming up blank.
Damn, North, what kind of question is that? I can’t remember, man.
I whispered back:
“I can’t.”
North held back his laughter, whispering:
“I don’t know either, just answer something, come on.”
“Alright, I thought you had asked Dao about this.”
“Yeah, I asked, but I forgot, quickly, answer.”
“Uh…a horror movie about a witch, but I can’t remember the name.” I answered with what my brain could muster. North smiled immediately.
“Next question, what does Dao like?”
“The cat.”
“What part of Dao do you think is the most charming?”
“Uh…every part, but especially his lips.” My answer was met with loud teasing from others in the procession.
“The first place you traveled together?”
“San Francisco.”
“Okay, this shows you really care for my dear friend. So, before you can pass, I’d like at least twenty envelopes.” After North finished speaking, everyone in the procession waited to see if Direk was generous enough. I turned to see Direk counting out thirty envelopes into North’s hands without a second thought.
And we passed through the first gate, the second gate was Ter’s.
“I want to test your physical strength to see if you can protect and take care of my friend. Do twenty push-ups.”
I handed the flowers to Direk to hold for me, then got down to the floor and started doing push-ups, completing twenty with ease and speed.
“Okay, you pass, but…initially, I wanted to ask for just four or five items, but since the first gate got so much, the second gate doesn’t want to be outdone. I’ll ask for…fifteen envelopes.”
Then Direk counted out twenty envelopes. We arrived at the third gate, which was Phoon’s.
“I want to see you dance. If it’s to my liking, I’ll let you pass.” Phoon’s words made me freeze, amidst the cheering from the crowd around.
“I can’t dance.” I turned to say.
“Just a little bit is fine.”
“Can we change it to thirty envelopes?” I started to negotiate, dancing was something I was absolutely not good at, but my serious expression and negotiation meant nothing.
“Just dance. It’ll be quick.”
“Can I call for help?”
“Oh…sure.”
“North!”
“Huh, huh, what’s up, Phii?” North ran over from the crowd at the back, looking at me with confusion.
“Dance for me.”
“Come on, what dance?”
“Just dance whatever.”
“Ugh.”
The drumbeat quickened for North to dance. The short guy in front started moving his arms and legs. After just a glance, I felt itchy all over. Fuck, my brother, Jo, what did your wife make you do? The dance moves were so annoying, damn it. Laughter filled the air with delight. Soon, the dance, which was incredibly kickable, ended.
“You pass, this is the last gate. So, I won’t ask for much. But it’s up to the groom’s side to decide how much to give.”
“Fifty envelopes, give them all.” Direk said.
And another cheer rose up once we passed all the gates. It was time for me to go get Dao from the room.
After the dowry was arranged neatly, I stood at the door with the bouquet in hand, opened the door, and saw Dao in a matching suit sitting inside, giving me his usual sweet smile. I stepped in, kneeling in front of Dao.
Dao smiled wider, taking the flowers. I leaned in to kiss his forehead softly before standing up, took Dao’s hand to walk out of the room, and we sat down next to the table full of dowry trays. Behind us were our elders, my grandparents, Direk, Dao’s Papa, Dao’s Daddy, and Dao’s grandmother.
We sat in front of many people watching us, with multiple cameras recording the moment. After a while, the emcee announced it was time to exchange rings. I glanced at the person beside me, my heart full of happiness. Dao looked just as happy, his sweet face beaming with joy.
I gently took his hand, slowly putting the ring on his ring finger. After putting on the ring, Dao bowed, leaning down to place his head in my lap. I stroked his head affectionately, and then it was Dao’s turn to put the ring on me. I extended my left hand, and Dao carefully slipped the silver ring onto my finger.
And now…do I have to bow to Dao too?
As I was about to bow, Direk nudged me with his foot. I saw Dao trying to hold back his laughter, and the guests burst into laughter, indicating that I didn’t need to bow like that. Oh, well, I respect my husband, how can I let him bow to me alone?
Isn’t that unfair to him?
I raised my hands to bow and slowly knelt down. Dao, unsure what to do, just leaned in to hug me, preventing me from bowing further. The excitement grew louder, the sound of shutters clicking was intense, and Dao patted my back gently.
“Thank you.” He whispered sweetly.
I thought that was enough and pulled back. Then it was time to give garlands to our elders; no microphone was needed here. We started from the right with my grandfather first.
“Arthit…finally, my grandson is getting married properly. I couldn’t imagine the day you’d get married, but here it is. You’ve found someone you love who loves you back. All I want to bless you with is for this love to last long. No matter what you face, be considerate, respect each other, and take care of one another.” Next was my grandmother.
“The only grandchild of mine, this old grandma, is very happy that you’re getting married. I congratulate both of you. You two are very suitable for each other. May you love each other for a long time, my child.” Then it was Direk.
“Arthit, on such an important day like this, I’m very happy, do you know? I just want you to be happy in life. If you love someone, I only ask that person to love you back just as much, and Nong Dao is that person. Both of you are well-suited for each other. In the future, there might be many hardships. I just ask that you never abandon each other. As long as my only son is happy and well, I have no more worries.”
I bowed to Direk with the garland in hand, then moved to Dao’s grandma, followed by his Papa and Daddy. Once this part of the ceremony was over, it was time for the water blessing ritual.
We sat side by side, extending our hands forward for the blessing with water, receiving many well-wishes from the elders. It took quite some time to finish, after which we took photos with the guests, marking the end of the event.
We all returned to the hotel room we had booked, exhausted. Jo and the others helped carry the wedding envelopes.
“No ceremony for the groom to take the bride home?” North asked.
“No. There’s no bridal chamber around here, and going back to the house would be too much trouble, so we skipped it.”
“But I liked the part where you bowed to your wife.” Jo teased, and others laughed along.
“Yeah, truly admirable.”
“Of course. Whatever anyone says, I respect my wife.” I said proudly. It’s my wedding, I can do whatever I want, “But about your dance moves, where did you learn them?”
“How was my step?”
“Itchy as hell.”
“Heh, that was the point.” North raised an eyebrow, pleased with himself, “If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have passed Phoon’s gate.”
“Yeah, your dance steps were useful after all. What do you say, Jo?”
“Pretty cute.”
“Whatever your wife does, it’s good.”
“The guy who bowed to his wife at the engagement shouldn’t tease me, I’m trying so hard not to laugh, you bastard.” Jo teased, “Model husband.”
“Will you bow at your wedding, Jo?”
“No, no, no, no.” North interjected immediately, “Please don’t, I beg you.”
“And when are you guys getting married?”
“In Thailand, you still can’t get married. You might have to wait for the law to change or find a way to change nationality.” Hill said, petting his wife sitting on the sofa while he leaned against it.
“I proposed to North before you, but you got married before me, damn it.” Jo complained with a frustrated look.
“And you, Fah?” I turned to ask Fah.
“Same as Hill.”
“Oh.”
“…”
We chatted a bit more before they left the room. Now it was just the two of us. I moved closer, pushed Dao down onto the bed, and kissed him immediately.
“Wait, let’s shower first.”
“Okay, let’s do it in the bathroom.”
“…”
The shower sex took nearly half an hour. Dao fell asleep while we were soaking in warm water together. I carried the smaller person out, dried us off, dressed us, and even blow-dried his hair. After everything was done, I led him to the bed, pulled him into a hug, and gently kissed his forehead.
“I’m so happy today, thank you…I love you so much.”
…
Arthit
I scrolled through the photos from our engagement ceremony that the photographer sent. Cat was one of the photographers but couldn’t shoot the whole time because he had to hold the money and gold gates as well. It was a pity I had to wait inside, so I didn’t see the procession, but at least there were photos to look at.
North said that each envelope Uncle gave contained a thousand baht, so North, Ter, and Cat all got a lot of money. Of course, they had to share it with my relatives who helped hold the gates.
I saved all those photos on my device before posting them on social media to share the good memories. Arthit’s Instagram was full of pictures from the event, with many likes and comments. There were also journalists at the event because Arthit is quite famous, and those photos were featured in many news articles. In a few days, it will be the wedding. For the after-party, we invited many artist friends to add color and fun to the event, and Arthit will also perform. “Shall we practice?” Arthit asked as he walked in. I looked away from the computer screen to look at him.
“Uh.”
We agreed to play music during the after-party, with me on the guitar and Arthit on the drums, to add a little color to the event. We’d play about three of Arthit’s songs. Although it wasn’t a lot to play, it was my first time playing guitar in front of a large crowd, which made me a bit nervous.
“What if I make a mistake during the performance?” I asked.
“It’s fine. Who’s going to say anything about it?”
“I might feel a bit embarrassed though.”
“Don’t think too much about it, it’s our wedding, just relax.” Arthit said. I nodded in understanding, and we continued to practice.
Finally, our wedding day arrived. Since it was an evening event, we got ready in the afternoon, checking around to ensure everything was in place. The ceremony was held in the large hall of the hotel, adorned with many fresh flowers. The guest tables were neatly arranged, covered with clean white cloths, with areas designated for food and desserts.
I had designed what I wanted and where to arrange things, but when it was set up, it turned out even more beautiful than I had imagined.
At the entrance to the event, our pre-wedding photos were displayed in wellframed pictures. I stood looking at myself in the photos for a while; our smiles and gazes brought a warm feeling to my heart.
I’ve been very happy since the day he proposed. There might not be much change since we already live together as we did before, but now we’ll be legally married, which is a way to honor and respect each other.
Whenever I look at the ring on my ring finger, I can’t help but smile.
On the day our marriage registration was completed, I couldn’t help but cry with joy. I never thought that one day I would marry someone and move in together. Soon, we were called to get ready. I changed into my outfit in the dressing room, wearing a white tuxedo with a black trim on the chest, a black bow tie, and black trousers. My hair was slightly styled to look neat; this suit was tailored specifically for the wedding. It didn’t feel as strange as when I first tried it on, but I was still not quite used to it.
The sound of the door opening made me turn to see North and the others walking in, with North holding some snacks and chewing.
“Dao, these macarons are delicious.”
“Hmm, the chef is famous, enjoy it to the fullest.”
“Don’t tell him to eat to the fullest. He’ll eat until there’s nothing left by the end of the event.” North said, shaking his head slightly.
“It’s fine, there’s plenty of food and desserts prepared.”
Just like at the engagement, everyone was wearing outfits in the same color as mine.
“The event starts in another twenty minutes, guests are coming, you need to go out and greet them.” Said North. I nodded in understanding.
“Yeah, North, you’ll be singing at the after-party too, right?” Cat asked, furrowing his brows.
“I have to thank Phii Arthit for recognizing my talent, giving me a chance to shine. I’ve been practicing a lot too, ask Phii Jo, I’ve been singing the same few songs over and over these past few days.” North said confidently, “But I’m actually quite nervous. I’ve sung in front of a lot of people before, but that was just karaoke at a party.”
“You’ll sing just like when you’re in the room with me. When we’re together, you sing all day and night, to the point where I can’t even listen to the original versions of some songs anymore, it’s not familiar, I have to listen to your version of North’s voice.” Ter complained with a pout.
“Ha, you’ve been completely brainwashed by me, Ter.”
“By the way, Dao, North went to help the lighting crew at the stage.” Said Cat. I turned to look at North, who was standing with his arms crossed, looking proud.
“Really? And the technician couldn’t do it?”
“No, they were waiting for another technician who could fix it, and I was nearby so I heard it and offered to help so we wouldn’t waste time waiting. And I actually fixed it, damn, I feel like a genius.”
“Deserving of studying electrical engineering.” I praised.
“Of course, if I couldn’t do it, I’d lose all my face as Phii Jo’s student, hahaha, spread the word about this, Phoon, let everyone know how good I am.”
“You’re such a show-off.” Cat shook his head gently, “It’s time to go outside, I guess.”
“Okay.” I answered, and we all headed outside. I saw Arthit coming out from the dressing room as well. Arthit was in a black tuxedo, with a black bow tie, and black pants; black suits him well, and in this outfit, he looked even better. I was lightly styled to look elegant, similar to my hair.
I wore white, while Arthit wore black. Even though they are opposite colors, they matched well.
Arthit’s other friends were also dressed in black.
“This suit really suits you.” Arthit complimented as soon as I got close.
“Uh, same for you Arthit.”
“I thought I wouldn’t look good in this kind of suit, with my usual style and all.” “It looks good…just that the bow tie is a bit crooked.” I said, reaching out to straighten his bow tie, hearing the shutter sound from behind; it was Cat taking another sneaky shot.
“I couldn’t help but capture that moment, hah, that shot just now.” Cat smiled. We stood at the entrance to greet the guests. There were people sitting at a table to receive the envelopes from guests and hand out wedding favors. Arthit and I bowed to the guests as they arrived, which allowed me to meet everyone. Many were Arthit’s friends whom I didn’t know, many were Uncle’s guests, and only a few were my relatives since I don’t know many people, and the relatives invited were those we were close to.
After a while, I saw Phii Meen in a long white dress walking towards us with a beaming smile. I immediately smiled back.
“Wow. You both look great, congratulations. As Nong Dao’s mother and someone who has witnessed your relationship from the beginning, I’m genuinely happy. Finally, someone like Arthit has settled down.” Phii Meen said cheerfully.
“Yeah, put a lot in the envelope.”
“Oh, my, congratulations for real. Since you moved rooms, we haven’t seen each other much. I’ll go to the party now, but I must catch the bouquet later.” “Okay.” I smiled.
“When are you getting a new husband?” Arthit asked, frowning.
“Why? Whoever moves on, moves on. I haven’t, I still love only one person, what’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing, and why do you want to catch the bouquet?”
“For marriage in the next life.”
“Why are you in such a hurry to catch it?”
“I just want to catch it, why do you care?”
“I don’t care, you just love to tease me.”
“Hah.” then Phii Meen turned to smile at me, “I’m going in now, my child.” Before Phii Meen entered with her female friends, we greeted guests for quite some time until it was time to enter the event.
We walked towards the dressing room first, waiting for the ceremony to start.
The sound of the emcee came on, starting with introductions, with two emcees, a man and a woman.
“We have the honor of being the emcees for the wedding celebration of Sivarach Akkharakijwattakul and Saranyapat Kittivanit. Please welcome our bridegroom couple tonight.”
“Let’s give them a big round of applause.”
The sound of applause filled the hall. I felt nervous, gripping Arthit’s hand tightly. The team waiting for us clapped and cheered in celebration.
We walked through the door to find many guests standing and waiting for us, leaving a path down the middle for us to walk. Almost everyone held up their phones to take pictures, with many journalists’ cameras pointed our way, creating a truly festive atmosphere.
The six groomsmen followed us in a procession, holding flowers. We walked through the crowd along the aisle, occasionally looking at the cameras hoping to capture beautiful moments.
My heart was beating fast with joy as I looked at the person beside me, filled with happiness.
My groom…
We smiled at each other, and at that moment, numerous cameras captured the scene.
Flower petals were scattered along our path. Before long, we reached the stage, with many guests gathered in front of it, while others took their seats at tables. Once on the stage, we could see the overall view of the event; our wedding was indeed a grand affair with so many guests.
The female emcee handed me a microphone, my hand cold as I took it. The male emcee beside her handed one to Arthit as well.
“Before we say anything else, may I ask if you’re nervous?” the female emcee asked with a wide smile. I brought the microphone close to my lips before responding.
“Very nervous.”
“And you, Khun Arthit?”
“I’m also very nervous.”
“Sir, I would like to ask about the day you proposed, what made Khun Arthit decide to propose to Khun Dao?” the male emcee asked Arthit. I looked at him, eagerly waiting for his answer.
“Because of love, deciding to propose to Dao wasn’t hard at all. I just thought I wanted to be with him, so once I decided, I went to pick out a ring. After that, I came back to propose to him. It was that simple; I had decided from the beginning that it had to be him.” Arthit’s answer elicited cheers and teasing from the guests. “And how about you, Khun Dao? At the moment you decided to say yes, what were you thinking?”
“Oh…it’s similar. It wasn’t hard to say yes because I had promised myself I would always be with him, no matter when or where, when he proposed. I was just stunned and then agreed without much thought, that’s all.”
“Yes, that’s very sweet, both of you. And Khun Arthit, what about Khun Dao impresses you?”
“I’m impressed by everything about him, his character, his personality, the way he speaks, how he takes care of me, and pays attention to me. Dao is the only one who can calm down someone as hot-headed as me. He’s always there when I turn around. At first, it wasn’t an instant impression, but I started to admire him more and more as we got to know each other, and eventually, I fell in love with him.”
“Wow, that’s very impressive. And what about Khun Dao? What about Khun
Arthit impresses you?”
“He’s cheerful, he’s lively, and being with him is fun. He’s easy-going, but when it comes to me, he becomes serious. He always loves and takes care of me. He hasn’t changed since the day he confessed his love. No matter what happens, he thinks of me first. He’s warm and cute in his own way, that’s what I admire about him.”
“Yes, may I ask, where and when did you first meet?”
“We first met because we were renting adjacent rooms.” I answered, “I had the chance to help him. At that time, we knew each other a little, and that was probably the beginning of his affection for me.”
“Is that true?”
“Yes.” Arthit nodded, “Because of that incident, he helped me a lot. I got to know him better and started to take interest, then I began to like him.”
“And how did Khun Arthit court Khun Dao after that?”
“Oh…he was persistent.” I said, laughing as I remembered the past, “At first, I wasn’t interested in love and rejected him, but he said I didn’t have to like him back, he just wanted to be by my side. After that, I started to open my heart because of his sincerity and seriousness.”
“That’s very romantic.” the female emcee smiled shyly, “What was the first place you went to together?”
“San Francisco.” I answered, “Not exactly for tourism, because I went to help him with some errands there, right from when we first got to know each other.” “Ah, I see, and do either of you have anything to say to each other now? Please go ahead.”
“Yes.” I started speaking first, looking towards Arthit. Our eyes met, “As I often tell you , thank you. I’ve said thank you hundreds of times because I truly feel that way, feeling like no amount of thanks is enough. I never imagined myself being loved and cared for by someone. I never thought about myself getting married. Arthit is the one who fills everything, making each day more meaningful.”
“I used to be afraid of love because of past disappointments, but with you Arthit, I thought it would be okay. you would never make me hurt. you keep every promise you made. I want to say thank you, really thank you.”
I bit my lip to hold back the tears that had started to well up at some point. Arthit gently wiped my tears away.
“I also want to thank Dao for coming into my life. Dao you have always pushed and supported me in everything. I am who I am today because of Dao. Thank you for being by my side, thank you for being my happiness every day. I will love and take care of you like this forever.”
The applause was overwhelming after our speeches.
“Do you two have anything more to say?” asked the emcee, inviting us to continue.
“Yes, I would like to thank everyone for attending our event today.” I began addressing the guests, “We are both very happy that everyone took the time to come to our wedding, thank you so much. I’d like to thank the Kittiwarnich family, my small family. Thank you, grandma, for raising and teaching me well, thank you, Papa, for always caring and being attentive, thank you, mother, for looking after me, and thank you, Gavin, for always being by my side.”
“And thank you to the Akkharakijwattakul family for the warm welcome and for taking good care of me. Thank you to everyone involved in making this day possible.”
“Khun Arthit, please.”
“I want to thank my father and my family for raising and nurturing me well. Without my father, I wouldn’t be here today. Thank you to Dao’s family for their warm welcome, for believing in me, for giving me Dao to love, and for allowing us to marry.”
“Thank you to all the guests who came today, thank you to all my friends for taking the time to be here. This is a day where I am very happy.”
“Please, a round of applause for our grooms.” the female emcee’s voice rang out, followed by another round of thunderous applause, “Next, we invite the fathers of both grooms to come up and give their blessings.”
Then, Uncle Direk in his black suit walked up to the stage amidst applause from the guests.
“Hello, honorable guests. I am Direk Akkharakijwattakul, the father of Arthit. I might speak a bit long because this is a day I’m extremely happy about.” “Arthit is my only son. From the day he was born into this world, I promised myself to love and take care of him the best I could. After my wife passed away, it was just the two of us. I told myself I would do everything to ensure he never felt like he was missing anything.”
“Perhaps because I indulged him in everything, Arthit became quite self-willed and a bit mischievous, but I ask only one thing: don’t cause trouble for others. My sole desire is for him to be happy every day, doing what he wants to do.”
“Dao is the one who made Arthit brave enough to follow his dreams, leading him to become the famous artist he is today. Dao supports him from behind in every success. I am very happy that they both love each other and have decided to stay together. They might differ in some ways, but it’s a perfect match: one is hot, the other cool; one is self-willed, the other indulgent, like pieces that fit together perfectly.”
“I wish for them to love each other like this forever. No matter what obstacles come their way, may they overcome them. I want to thank Dao for coming into Arthit’s life, for taking care of him and being attentive. Thank you to Dao’s family as well, thank you.”
We clapped for Uncle’s words, and when he turned to us, we bowed in thanks.
Then it was my aunt’s turn to speak.
“Hello. I am Thasakon Kittivanit, Nong Dao’s father. First of all, I want to thank all the distinguished guests for attending my son’s wedding today, just like Direk. I might speak a bit longer than planned.”
“Nong Dao is also my only son. Dao is quite quiet, not one to talk much or socialize with others, he likes drawing and reading, almost like he lives in his own world, making it very hard for him to open up to someone.”
“But Arthit broke through that wall and stepped in. I knew that anyone Dao would open up to would be extraordinary, and that turned out to be true when I got to know him. Arthit is an exceptional person, he’s both talented and capable, cheerful, articulate, and gets along with everyone, so our family adores him.”
“With his sincerity, our family agreed quite easily to let our only son marry him. After they started dating, Dao seemed much happier, from someone who rarely smiled to someone who smiles often, from someone who spoke little to someone much more talkative.”
“I was very worried about Dao, but knowing he has someone to look after him like this, I can relax. I know he will never make my son unhappy. I want to wish them both a long-lasting love and much happiness in their married life.” After my Papa finished speaking, applause rang out again. We didn’t forget to bow in thanks, and then she stepped down from the stage.
“Yes, and now it’s time for our bridegroom couple to cut the cake, symbolizing the start of a smooth life together.”
“Yes, please come forward.”
Then Arthit took my hand and led me to the cake. Together, we held the knife, slowly cutting into the large white cake.
After cutting the cake, the emcee invited all the single people to stand in front of the stage to catch the bouquet. I turned my back and threw the bouquet behind me. After throwing it, I quickly turned to see who caught it. I saw Phii Meen spreading her arms to block others, and in the end, she was the one who caught it. “Squeal! Got it!” Phii Meen’s voice rang out with joy, and everyone applauded in celebration. Then it was time for the after-party. The emcee told us to go rest and get ready.
We walked back to the dressing room. This time, we used the same room.
“We’re about to party, I’m so excited.” I said as I took off my tuxedo.
“There’s a surprise too.”
“Hmm?”
“It’s a surprise for you. I’ve never surprised you before. So, there’s a little surprise.”
“Oh, I’m a little excited now.”
“Just wait and see.”
We changed into casual, comfortable clothes and went outside to find that all the lights had been dimmed significantly, replaced by colorful moving lights, and the music had changed from the initial soft tunes to something more upbeat. The first performer was Arthit himself. He stood in the center of the stage with male dancers in black hoodies. As he started singing, the dancers moved to the beat. I stood beside, cheering him on.
He’s so cool…
The way he held the microphone, every slight movement was charming. People in the event were swaying to the fun rhythm of the song. After a while, Arthit walked towards me, took my hand, and led me to the middle of the stage, singing while hugging me. When he finished the verse, he turned and kissed my cheek, eliciting loud cheers and teasing from everyone.
Then other artists took the stage to sing, some from Arthit’s label, others famous artists. Most were international artists, but of course, many Thai people would recognize them. Arthit joined in for every song.
I went down to stand with friends at the front of the stage.
“How’s it going?” I nudged Ter, who was swaying to the beat.
“It’s so fun, amazing, Dao. You got so many artists of this caliber to come. It’s like a concert of top artists, it’s the best.”
“Exactly.” Cat added, “Such a surprise. Isn’t Dao going to sing too?”
“I can’t sing, I’ll just stand here and support.”
“Phii Arthit was so cool, especially with the first song he sang with dancers, the performance was great.” Ter complimented. I nodded and smiled in acknowledgment. Soon, the song ended, and it was our turn, mine and Arthit’s, to perform. I played as we had practiced, and it seemed everyone enjoyed it. After we got off the stage, we went around to ask for feedback.
“How was it?”
“It was great, Dao was really good. We didn’t know Dao could play the guitar so well, from what we overheard, everyone was surprised. They said they didn’t expect both grooms to be so musically talented, you match each other perfectly.” Ter said. I nodded in understanding.
Then it was North’s turn to sing. North has a naturally beautiful voice, so there was no issue. Although he seemed a bit stiff at first, he did well.
Then came the final performance, Arthit’s voice announced:
“I have a little surprise before the event ends, please welcome Jill Winston!” As Arthit finished speaking, everyone in the venue cheered excitedly. The stage lights focused on a man walking out from behind the stage. I stared in astonishment, momentarily forgetting to breathe.
North, standing next to me, shook my arm vigorously.
“You, you, fuck, Jill! Jill Winston, damn, isn’t he super famous? Fuck, this is so worth it, him being at this event!”
I looked at the person on stage without responding.
“Jill is a special guest for this event. I brought him to surprise Dao because Dao really likes this artist. Dao, come up here.” Arthit called through the microphone. I slowly walked onto the stage. Jill was the solo artist I admired the most; he was one of my inspirations to learn guitar.
I’ve always wanted to go to one of his concerts, he’s incredibly famous, known as one of the top artists in the world.
Jill greeted me with a smile. I greeted him back, being close to my favorite artist made me quite awkward. I wanted to express my admiration and say I’ve been a fan for many years, but I was too shy to speak.
“Thank you.” I turned to thank Arthit, giving him a kiss on the cheek as a thank you, which made the guests scream even louder.
Soon, Jill began to sing. I stepped back off the stage and watched his performance closely. I heard people around me saying how amazing it was to have Jill here, that this was the best wedding they had ever attended. Hearing this, I couldn’t help but smile.
After singing three songs, Jill thanked us for the invitation and gave us his blessings, and the after-party ended with fun and memorable moments.
The guests gradually left. It was time for us to rest. I felt more exhausted than I did at the engagement. Arthit had been supporting me back to the room since who knows when.
“Do you want me to help you shower?”
“Uh, please.”
And then Arthit took care of bathing and dressing me. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was ready to fall asleep, but I couldn’t help but notice Arthit bringing in a large bag into the bedroom.
“What’s that?”
“Envelopes, we need to count them first.”
“Oh…uh, let’s see.”
Arthit sat leaning against the bed. I moved closer, lying down with my head on his shoulder.
“Damn, Jo, three million in cash, I’m not kidding, he’s truly Jo.”
“He’s amazing.”
“Fah and Hill each gave a hundred thousand. That’s pretty good. Oh, they put it in their and their wives’ names.”
“That’s still quite a lot, a hundred thousand is already a lot.” I said, and then Arthit continued to open more envelopes. Some had a lot, some had less, all mixed together. “Arthit.”
“Hmm?”
I moved my face closer, gently kissing his cheek.
“Happy wedding day.”
Arthit turned to meet my lips, his hot tongue exploring my mouth, our tongues intertwining for a long time, stirring up emotions. He slowly broke the kiss.
“Happy wedding day.”
Arthit stood up, made me lie on my back, and straddled me. He leaned down, nuzzling into my neck. I tilted my head slightly to give him better access.
“Will anything change, Arthit?”
“Nothing will change, I’ve never changed and won’t change. I’ve told you that before, right?”
“Uh. I’m the same.”
“Hmm, I know, I love you a lot.”
“Uh, I love you too, my dear husband.”
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