WHYARU, Special Chapter 2:
“Phii Fai, besides the stuff on this list, could you grab some rice too?” Tutor handed the shopping list to Fighter, who stood at the door. “Sorry, Phii Fai, for making you drive back to get it again.”
“It’s fine, I can go. You sure you don’t need anything else?”
“Nope, just this. Thanks, Phii Fai.” Fighter nodded and closed the door. Tutor waited a bit, and when it seemed like no one was coming back in, he quickly grabbed a cake from the fridge and set it on the low Japanese table. Two candles, marking Fighter’s age, were placed on the cake. Then, Tutor grabbed a lighter he’d prepared and turned off the lights, waiting for someone to return.
Tutor was excited—admittedly, it was his first time doing something like this.
Even when he’d surprised his parents, Phii Tongtaa, or Hwahwa for their birthdays, he hadn’t felt this thrilled.
Tutor had known it was Phii Fai’s birthday since they got back from Krabi. He’d planned for a while how to surprise him. Initially, when he heard Fighter was celebrating at a restaurant with friends, Tutor thought he’d bring the cake there.
But when Fighter canceled those plans, Tutor had to switch things up, as evident now.
The cake was made yesterday. Tutor had spent the afternoon preparing it for Phii Fai.
They both made time and space for each other as usual. Tutor and Fighter didn’t meddle much in each other’s lives during school hours. At lunchtime, Tutor would eat with Saifah and Day, sometimes joined by Hwahwa. Fighter, too, rarely interfered when Tutor was with his friends.
They gave each other space and respected it. They weren’t overly clingy to the point of being stifling and only hung out when heading home together, which worked perfectly for both of them.
And that’s how it went. As Tutor said, he spent the afternoon sneaking off to make a cake at Phii Kae’s shop, then hurriedly stashed it in the dorm fridge that day. Good thing Fighter wasn’t the type to notice what’s in the fridge—once it was hidden behind something, he wouldn’t see it. Now, all Tutor had to do was take a deep breath, close his eyes tightly, and wait for someone to come back.
Tutor sat waiting for Fighter in the dark, fiddling with his phone. Then he saw a shadow at the doorframe. The sound of the lock jangling told Tutor that Phii had arrived. He quickly lit the candles and walked over with the cake, timing it so Fighter would see it the moment he opened the door.
Creak
“Why’s the light off—”
“Happy Birthday to You, Happy Birthday to You, ♬ Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday…” The clear voice singing from those small lips left the person who’d just walked in a few seconds ago overwhelmed with emotion, unable to speak. Fighter hadn’t expected Tutor to know it was his birthday, but seeing this, he was so overjoyed he almost wanted to cry.
“Happy Birthday to You, ♬”
“…”
“Happy Birthday, Phii Fai. Wishing you good health and endless happiness, this year and every year. From now on, Tor’s sticking with you, okay? Happy Birthday, my boyfriend.”
Fighter looked straight into Tutor’s eyes, the shimmering spark in them making it clear just how happy Phii was. In the end, Tutor could only flash a wide grin.
“Hurry up and make a wish, then blow out the candles, Fai.” “Mm.” Fighter’s silent wish was for them to hold hands like this until the very end, to overcome any obstacles together, for someone to understand him, and for that someone to love Tutor as much as he did.
Fighter slowly blew out the candle flames, then leaned in to kiss Tutor’s eyelids gently, lingering.
It was a kiss that sealed his wish, passing it on to the younger one too.
“Thank you, Tutor.”
“Mm.”
“Thank you, really,” Fighter said. Tutor nodded a couple of times before pulling away.
“Let’s turn on the light and eat the cake,” the younger said cheerfully, walking over to flip the switch. He set the cake on the low Japanese table, then grabbed a knife and plates. Meanwhile, Fighter followed, setting down the stuff he’d just bought from 7-Eleven nearby. Once done, he picked up his phone to snap a picture of the cake in front of him, beaming with joy. “Are you even gonna get to eat this?”
Tutor sat down beside him, teasing with a playful tone as he watched Fighter take photos.
“Come on, let me have this. My boyfriend made me a birthday cake, after all.”
“You’re so extra,” Tutor laughed.
“No exaggeration, you have no idea how cute my boyfriend is,” Fighter said, winking and raising an eyebrow at the person in front of him. He then picked up the cake on the table and handed it to Tutor. “Hold this for a sec. I’m gonna take a picture.”
“You’re milking it.”
“How can I not? My boyfriend made this cake for me.”
“Such a show-off.”
“Why, jealous that my boyfriend’s so cute?”
Phii Fai was being an absolute tease.
“Yeah, jealous. Wonder if my boyfriend’s as cute as yours,” Tutor played along with his senior’s joke.
“Not cute, but super handsome. And such a good kisser, he makes some people melt.”
“Self-praise much?”
“Wait, are you my boyfriend?”
“Maybe not.”
“No wonder you’re this cute.”
“…”
“Haha, gotcha!” Fighter ruffled his junior’s hair playfully before scooting closer to the cake-holding Tutor. “Can I take a pic with my boyfriend?”
What if I say no?”
“Come on, please? Your big bro wants it,” Fighter said, lightly nibbling Tutor’s ear, making him swat at Fighter’s arm. They took photos together for a while before finally digging into the cake.
“How does it taste?” Tutor asked.
“Delicious.”
“For real?”
“Yup, super delicious. Thanks, Tor.” Tutor nodded at Fighter’s words and gave a faint smile. He pulled out his phone, snapping a pic of the cake with just Fighter’s hand and lips visible, posting it on Facebook with a simple caption: Happy Birthday. That alone was enough to get a ton of likes and comments asking who was in the photo. Some correctly guessed it was Phii Fai, knowing it was his birthday, while others speculated it was Saifah, Day, or even Phii Tum.
When Fighter posted his own photo of the cake, it was like everyone instantly connected the dots about who it belonged to.
His caption made it clear it was Fighter’s—not just the cake, but the person who made it too.
‘Mine’
“Jealous much?” Tutor knew Fighter rushed to post the photo because he saw Phii Tum liking his post. Normally, Fighter would’ve posted stuff like this on his private Instagram instead.
I admit it,” Fighter shrugged lightly, unbothered. He didn’t mind, just found the older guy’s jealousy amusing.
“But I already told Phii Tum I have a boyfriend,” Tutor said.
“I know.”
“How’d you know?”
“Dew video-called me right when you were telling that Tum guy.”
“And you pretended not to know?” Tutor teased.
“…”
“You’re getting way too sneaky, Fighter.”
“I wasn’t pretending,” Fighter chuckled. “I just hadn’t had the chance to tell you that I know my boyfriend loves me like crazy.”
“Enough already,” Tutor wrinkled his nose and shook his head at the older guy. Fighter grinned and took another bite of cake.
“Oh, Phii Fai,” Tutor suddenly remembered something.
“Yeah?”
“Next week’s a four-day holiday. I’m thinking of going back to my hometown.”
“Nice, go visit your parents. They must miss you like crazy.”
“But I was thinking of inviting you along.”
“…”
Wanna come to my hometown?”
7:20 AM
So damn exhausting.
Fighter grumbled to himself. It was his first time on a longdistance bus, and the journey was grueling. He couldn’t sleep at all on the bus—his back ached, and it was uncomfortable. But he didn’t want Tutor to worry about his discomfort during the trip to his hometown.
Still, eight hours was too much. For the return trip, he was thinking of suggesting to Tutor that they fly back instead. He’d checked online earlier and saw there were flights from Chiang Khan to Bangkok.
Yes, Tutor’s hometown was Chiang Khan, a misty land beloved by tourists.
It was Fighter’s first time here. The place felt much quieter compared to Bangkok at the same hour.
“You okay, Fai?” Tutor turned to him with a small smile as they boarded a songthaew to head into Chiang Khan’s town center.
“I’ll manage.”
“Don’t make that face. Come on, show some spirit.”
Alright, I’m trying,” Tutor said, giving Fighter a thumbs-up with a faint smile. Fighter couldn’t help but wonder if Tutor was teasing him, though he doubted it. This was just Tutor’s way of life, and Fighter was simply stepping into it.
It took nearly an hour and a half to drive from the city to
Chiang Khan. The atmosphere here was calm and unhurried. Honestly, Fighter was starting to fall in love with the place. As they walked along the street named after Chiang Khan, he could feel a culture absent in Bangkok—both in the way of life and the people. Every time he raised his camera to snap a photo, his affection for Chiang Khan grew.
Some shots even captured kids playfully photobombed his frame, as if it were a game.
“Almost there, Phii Fai.”
“Really?” Fighter tried to keep his voice from sounding too excited, but he couldn’t help it. His heart pounded like a drum. This was his first time meeting Tutor’s parents. Though he’d met Phii Tongtaa, who was kind and easygoing, he still felt nervous.
“Yeah, up ahead. See that sign for the made-to-order food place?”
“I see it.”
“That’s my house.”
“…”
“Don’t be so nervous, babe,” Tutor teased, playfully patting Fighter’s shoulder.
“How can I not be nervous? I’m about to meet your mom and dad, man.”
“My parents are nice and pretty open-minded.”
“Yeah, I know.” From their son and daughter, Fighter could already guess what they’d be like.
Tutor led Fighter to a wooden house down one of the alleys. It was a modest three-story building. The ground floor was a made-to-order food shop, likely not open yet. The second and third floors were living spaces, with a cozy balcony overlooking the street.
The atmosphere was so pleasant that Fighter couldn’t resist taking another photo.
What made him love this place even more was the absence of fences between the houses. It spoke to the Chiang Khan way of life—or rural life in general. The whole village probably knew and was close with each other, as he’d heard, unlike Bangkok, where neighbors sharing a wall might argue over parking or street space.
“Dad, Mom, Tor’s back!” Tutor shouted into the house, making the people preparing things turn to look. A middle-aged woman rushed out and threw her arms around Tutor, as if afraid he’d vanish. Meanwhile, a middle-aged man stepped forward, placing a hand on his son’s head. Fighter watched the scene with a warm feeling—Tutor’s parents really were as kind as he’d described.
“How was it, Tor? Tired, son?”
“Not at all, Mom. And…” Tutor paused for a moment before reaching out to pull Fighter, who was standing awkwardly nearby, closer. “This is Phii Fai.”
“Hey, Dad, Mom.”
“Hey, son. How was the trip, Fai? All good?”
“Yeah, it was fine, just a bit tiring.”
“Hm? Tired? How’d you guys get here? Didn’t you fly?”
“No,” Fighter replied. “We took a bus last night. Got here just in time.”
“You came by bus?” Dad asked.
“Yeah.”
“Nong Tor!” Mom shouted her son’s name loudly, while
Tutor, who’d gone to pour himself some water, turned back. “Why didn’t you bring him by plane? These days, plane tickets and bus fares are about the same!”
“Well, I…”
“Don’t mumble! Just because you’re stingy doesn’t mean you have to make him suffer too.”
“I’m not stingy!”
“You can use the money in your account sometimes, you know. Your dad and I aren’t struggling like before. Phii Tong sends money regularly now—it’s enough for the whole family,” Mom scolded her sulky son. Tutor knew their family’s situation had improved, but he was still frugal and saved because they’d struggled with money before. Things only got better just before Phii Tong left for Germany. Mom said Phii Tong got a hefty bonus from her company, which cleared some debts, fixed up the shop, and left some savings for emergencies.
“I wasn’t planning to make Phii Fai take the bus forever, Mom,” Tutor said with a pout, making Fighter raise an eyebrow in curiosity.
“So you were messing with him?”
“No way!”
“Then why’d you make him take the bus?”
“I just wanted Phii Fai to see how I live, how I travel,” Tutor said, pressing his lips tightly and glancing at Fighter. Mom, watching, could only shake her head with a sigh.
“Alright, alright. For the return trip, book a flight back to Bangkok. Not sure if there’ll be seats left if you book lastminute,” Dad chimed in, breaking the silence.
“I already done that.”
“See, I told you Tor was teasing him,” his mom said.
“I’m not teasing.”
“Come on, let’s eat. You two haven’t eaten yet, right?” Tutor’s dad turned to Fighter with a smile.
“Not yet.”
“Come, come. I’ll whip up some spicy stir-fried sea bass for you. Five minutes, and it’ll be delicious, guaranteed.” Fighter nodded and stepped into the restaurant. After setting down his things and bag, he wandered around, inspecting the house turned-eatery with curiosity.
The restaurant had a distinct Chiang Khan vibe but still felt modern. The atmosphere was inviting, and the prices were reasonable. No wonder it was doing well.
“Phii Fai, what’re you looking at?” Tutor asked as Fighter was flipping through the menu.
“Just checking things out. The place looks really nice.”
“Right? Phii Tong designed it. It was her first project after graduating.”
“For real?”
“Yup. Must’ve been five or six years ago. Back then, Dad hadn’t gone bankrupt yet, so he hired Tongtaa to design this place as a birthday gift for his older sister, my aunt. But the restaurant wasn’t used for anything—no rentals, no sales, just left empty. Then our family hit hard times, Dad went bankrupt, and we moved here and opened this restaurant as you see it now,” Tutor shared his life story without hesitation, like he was opening up about how it all began. “It was tough at first, probably because Dad refused to ask for help from my aunt, even though she offered a lot of support.”
“Wanted to make it on his own first, huh?”
“Exactly like that.”
“Sounds like someone I know around here.”
“Yeah,” Tutor admitted that his stubborn, self-reliant personality came from his dad.
“And this thing about booking a bus ticket to Chiang Khan… was it so I’d see what your life’s like?”
“…”
“You wanted me to understand how tough it’s been for you, to see if I could handle it, right?” Fighter voiced his thoughts. He’d figured it out when Tutor told his mom. The reason behind it was clear, and it felt good—Tutor was opening up his world, letting him learn more about his life and what it was like.
“Yeah, pretty much.”
“You’ve let me into your world, Tor. Now you’ve gotta open your heart and step into mine too.”
“I’m already open.”
“Just open up more,” Fighter turned to look at the younger man standing beside him. “I know you, you know me. Let’s slowly get to know each other’s true selves like this, okay?” “Okay,” Tutor smiled, and Fighter couldn’t help but ruffle his hair affectionately.
“You two, food’s ready! Come eat so you can rest afterward,” Mom called out to them.
“Mom, don’t you want me to help serve the food?” Tutor asked.
“I’ve got Joi and Tan helping already. Tor, take your friend upstairs to rest. He looks like his back’s killing him, and his face screams ‘no sleep.’ I feel bad for Fai,” Mom nagged until Tutor pouted slightly.
“I’m fine, Mom,” Fighter said with a smile, though truthfully, he was exactly as she described—sleepless and exhausted. Meanwhile, the smaller guy beside him had been comfortably leaning on his shoulder the whole way.
“Fine or not, I don’t care. Eat, then go shower and sleep properly. You can help out after you’re rested,” Mom insisted.
“Okay,” both of them agreed with Mom and Dad, then started eating together. The atmosphere at the table was so warm that Fighter felt it too. Mom and Dad never cut him out of the conversation, making him feel like part of the family.
Leave a Reply