YOURSKY, Chapter 17
M.FAH: “I have finished class.”
Theerak: “I have finished the exam too. Right now, I’m working on a booth at the faculty courtyard.”
M.FAH: “Has little naughty you eaten yet?”
Theerak: “Not yet. I want to finish work first and then go eat.”
Theerak: “Phii Fah, you can go eat with your friends. I might finish really late, and I’m worried you will get hungry first.”
M.FAH: “All my friends have gone out to eat already.”
M.FAH: “Is little naughty you eating the usual?”
M.FAH: “I will buy some for you.”
Theerak: “…No need, Phii Fah. You should go rest. I already asked a friend to buy something for me.”
Muenfah knew he was worried and wanted him to rest after staying up for several nights, but he missed his “sea” so much that he had to do this again…
He picked up his phone and recorded a voice message to coax the other, “Can I come recharge with Sea?”
The reason he sent a voice message was because the other always softened when he heard his voice. And in less than a minute, a voice message came back.
He heard the laughter of Sea.
That’s how he knew Sea had given in…
“From the sound of it… Sky must be really tired… So, come recharge with me first.”
Muenfah smiled before heading to the canteen to buy crispy pork basil rice with a fried egg for him. The canteen was packed with students from various years since it was lunchtime. While walking to little naughty one’s favorite food stall, several juniors from his department stared at him. If he made eye contact, they’d quickly raise their hands to greet him, like the two secondyear juniors standing in front of the food stall.
“Hello, Phii Fah…”
Muenfah nodded in acknowledgment but didn’t respond, “…”
“Here to eat rice, huh?”
“No… I’m buying rice for Theerak.”
“Theerak, the head of the art department team, right?”
“Yeah… Are you guys from the art department too?”
“Khrapom. We’re buying rice for our friends who are still working.”
Muenfah glanced at the piece of paper in the junior’s hand before asking, “Is that the food order list from your friends?”
“Khrapom.”
“Does it have crispy pork basil rice with fried egg on it?”
“Let me check for you.” The two juniors looked at it together and nodded, “Yes, there’s crispy pork basil rice with fried egg for Rak.”
“You don’t need to order that for him…”
“…”
“I’ll order for Theerak myself.”
“Uh, yes, sir.”
Muenfah shifted his gaze from the juniors to the auntie who owned the food stall, busy cooking. She turned and gave him a familiar smile, saying, “Just a few more orders left.”
“What do you two boys want?”
“Everything on this list, please, Auntie… but take out one crispy pork basil rice with fried egg.”
“Wow… twenty-five boxes? You’ll have to wait a bit, dear.”
“Yes, Auntie…”
“And what about you, handsome?”
“Crispy pork basil rice with fried egg, please.”
“Fried egg not too runny, as usual, right?”
Muenfah gave a small smile and nodded, “Yes.”
“You’ve been gone for so long, but you still order the same thing when you come back.”
“…”
“Where’ve you been all this time? Studying hard?”
“Yes.”
“To-go or eating here today?”
“To-go, please… with ketchup and a spoon too.”
“Got it…” The auntie replied, then turned to the two juniors standing there, “His order is just one box. Can he go first, boys?”
“I was just about to say, Auntie… Let Phii Fah go first.”
Muenfah turned to the two juniors, who smiled at him, and said, “Thanks.”
“It’s okay, Phii Fah.”
“Let me pay for all the food for you.”
“It’s okay, Phii Fah…”
Muenfah knew well that his junior was being polite by responding this way. “Auntie… twenty-five more boxes of food for the kids. I’ll take care of the payment, okay?”
“Sure thing…”
“Thank you, Phii Fah.”
Muenfah nodded in acknowledgment. He stood waiting for the crispy pork basil rice with fried egg, thinking back to past memories. Before, he used to stop by this place regularly to eat his favorite dish—Yeam’s. On weeks when he missed her a lot, he’d eat this dish more often. But lately, he hadn’t come here because he’d been busy with studies and managing the shop.
He still ate crispy pork basil rice with fried egg as usual.
Just at a different place… but the menu stayed the same.
“Here you go…”
“Thank you… How much is it for all the food?”
“Here you are…” The auntie said, handing him a handwritten receipt.
Muenfah reached into his pocket, pulled out his wallet, and paid her. Once everything was settled, he carried the plastic bag filled with food boxes out of the canteen.
As soon as he reached the wide courtyard in front of the faculty, he saw several second-year juniors setting up stages and booths for the open house event. He scanned the area, looking for Theerak, unsure where he was in the vast space.
“Hey, Ma, why’s Phii Fah here?”
“Is it time for the third-year seniors to check our work already?”
“We’re screwed. The work hasn’t progressed at all…”
“I told you to hurry up, Ma. But you’re just chatting with girls on LINE.”
Muenfah stood listening to the juniors’ conversation nearby for a moment before turning to three juniors who had stopped painting the backdrop and were giving him sheepish smiles.
“Uh, we were just…”
“I’m not here to check your work.”
“…”
“I’m looking for Theerak… Have you seen him?”
“Oh, Phii Fah’s here for the art team leader… Theerak’s over there, at the far end, by the marble table.”
“…” Muenfah nodded before adding, “But you guys need to pick up the pace. The third-years will come by to check your work this evening.”
“Yes, Phii Fah.”
When he looked toward the marble table area, he saw several second-year juniors gathered in a group. Among them was Theerak, smiling brightly. Without hesitation, Muenfah quickly strode over.
Along the way, several juniors glanced at him with worried expressions. They probably thought he was there to inspect their work, just like the three earlier had assumed. But checking the open house preparations wasn’t his responsibility. That duty fell to Ball and Dom, the seniors the professor had tasked with overseeing and guiding the juniors. Those two had been team leaders during their own second-year open house, and their work had impressed the professor so much that they were entrusted with this role.
“Hey! Phii Fah is here…”
“Let the team leader handle it… Tell him the work is almost done.”
“Yeah, yeah. I think that’s better.”
“We’re chill about it. Let the team leader deal with it later…”
His sudden appearance made several juniors visibly nervous. Muenfah stopped at the marble table where the small guy was sitting. Since the latter had his back turned, he didn’t realize Muenfah had arrived. However, the other juniors widened their eyes in shock and nudged the small guy, who was laughing.
“Rak, Rak, Phii Fah is here… Why did the third-year senior come to check on the work so early today?”
“Phii Fah is here?” The small guy looked up at him and grinned widely until his eyes squinted. “Phii Fah ~”
“Yes…”
Muenfah sat down on the marble table behind the small guy. The latter, sitting on the ground, scooted closer and leaned his back against Muenfah’s legs. He complained about his back hurting a lot since he’d been sitting and working on a sign for hours. The other juniors in the group seemed less worried once they realized he wasn’t there to inspect their work but had come to see Theerak.
“My back hurts so much, Phii Fah…”
“Want me to help with anything?”
“No need… I am just complaining for the sake of it…” The small guy turned to him with a faint smile. “Actually… I didn’t really want to complain. I just wanted to act cute with you Phii Fah.”
Muenfah smiled faintly and leaned down to whisper in the small guy’s ear, “Acting cute like this… do you want me to kiss your head?”
“No way… I want you to give me a massage instead.”
He looked at the cheeks of the small guy, which had a little paint on them. His large hand reached out to gently rub the spot to wipe it off, but the paint smudge wouldn’t fade.
“Is my face dirty with paint?”
“Yes… Who did it?”
“Panli. When he brushed it on my cheek, he said there was no paint… Such a liar.”
“I’ll take care of it for you.”
“No need, I can handle Panli… I’ll get back at him until he cries.”
Muenfah chuckled in his throat while ruffling the small guy’s hair. “Heh.”
The small guy grinned widely until his eyes squinted again and reached for a large sheet of paper to continue painting. Muenfah knew several juniors were watching the two of them, probably noticing a relationship that seemed more than just senior and junior, though no one dared to ask.
“Naughty one, want to eat something?”
“My hands are dirty… I’ll eat after I finish painting.”
“…Want me to feed you?”
Theerak turned to meet his gaze for a moment before smiling and nodding eagerly. “If it’s not too much trouble for you… please feed me some food.”
Muenfah smiled faintly. He picked up the lunch box, placed it on his lap, and opened it to pour ketchup over the fried egg. Sea sat with his mouth wide open, waiting for the first bite from him. Seeing this, Muenfah quickly scooped some rice and fed it to the smaller guy.
“Is it delicious?”
“Delicious…”
“Where’s Panli?”
“Panli and Type went to buy more paint. As for Joy, she’s sick, so I told her to go rest.”
“Sea, you are always so kind…” He’d been like this for a long time. Back during freshman orientation, if a friend was sick, he’d help them and take them to rest in the infirmary.
“She is really sick, not faking it… I have to understand my friend, you know ~”
Muenfah smiled faintly and fed him another bite. The smaller guy, chewing away eagerly, hadn’t had a moment’s rest because friends kept coming to ask about work. If there was a task he wasn’t confident about, he’d ask for advice from him.
“Okay… we think it’s better to go with your suggestion.”
“Sure, then let’s switch to yellow.”
“Okay…”
He watched the smaller guy discussing work with friends in the department. Theerak got along well with everyone. It wasn’t surprising that his classmates chose him as the group leader, because his gentleness made everyone feel at ease and free of tension. Theerak made him realize that…
A leader doesn’t have to be the most skilled They just need to be someone ready to listen and understand others.
“Everyone, the food’s here…”
Muenfah shifted his gaze from the smaller guy when he heard that voice. It was the two juniors he’d seen at the food stall, now handing out lunch boxes to the friends who were working.
“Everyone… we’ll give you your money back for the food later, okay?”
“Huh, why?”
“Because Phii Fah covered the cost for all of us.”
The smaller guy turned to look at him and flashed a sweet smile. “Fah is so kind.”
“…”
“Thank you, Phii Fah! / Thank you, Phii Fah!”
Muenfah just nodded as usual before turning his attention back to the person in front of him. “Naughty one… open your mouth.”
“I want to smile a bit more first.”
“…”
“Thank you, Phii Fah… Thank you for caring more about others…” He reached out and gently touched his hand. “I am really proud of you, Phii
Fah.”
“It’s because little naughty you keep encouraging me that I could change himself… Thank you too.”
“I will keep cheering you on forever…”
At that moment, Muenfah thought of two sentences he’d once heard. He couldn’t recall them perfectly, but he remembered the gist: “Good love leads us to a better path,” and “A good lover makes us want to be a better person.”
He thought these two sentences were true because, from the moment he fell in love until today, he never wanted to step back into his old world again. Muenfah knew well that if he returned to being the version of himself that belonged to Theerak—ignoring everyone around him—he would lose Theerak…
And to keep him, he had to become a better person than before.
“What’s Phii Fah doing here?”
“…” Muenfah shifted his gaze from the person in front of him to his younger brother, who sat down on the marble table beside him. “And why are you sitting next to me?”
“I just got back from the paint shop. I’m exhausted as hell, let me rest a bit.”
“There’s space on the ground…”
“Then why can’t Li sit next to Phii Fah?”
“Because I’m annoyed.”
“The only one not annoyed is that chubby-cheeks over there…” Panli said as he moved to sit on the ground beside him. “Do you have enough money, Li? If not, I can go withdraw some from accounting for you…”
“I’m short fifty baht, but no need to bother withdrawing it. I’ve covered it.”
“Don’t come collecting from me later.”
“Yeah, yeah…” Panli replied before pinching the smaller guy’s cheek once.
“But can I charge interest by pinching your cheek?”
“No way!”
“Why not?”
“Because it hurts…”
Muenfah let out a laugh when he heard the smaller guy answer his friend in a soft voice. Panli frowned slightly and turned to look at him.
“Don’t tell me you’re here to feed chubby-cheeks…”
“Yeah.”
“I thought you were here to check on work.”
“Nope ~” He leaned in closer. Panli seemed to want to tease the other to annoy him. “Phii Fah’s here to feed this one instead…” After saying that, he pointed his index finger at himself.
“Don’t do that, you naughty one… or I won’t be able to resist pinching your cheek hard again.”
“Now you see, Phii Fah, why he gets his cheeks pinched so often… It’s because he keeps making that face.”
“So annoying, huh ~”
“Yeah, tone down the cuteness a bit.”
While feeding the next bite to him, Muenfah glanced at the watch on his wrist to check the time. He had an important presentation in the afternoon, so he needed to leave a little early.
“Naughty one… I’ll have to leave in a bit, okay?”
“I totally forgot—you have a presentation this afternoon, right?”
“Yes…”
“Then go ahead, Phii Fah. You can leave the rice box here. Once I finish work, I’ll get up and eat myself.”
“Just a few more bites and it’s done. I still have some time…”
“Oh, has a third-year senior come to check on the art team already?”
Muenfah shifted his gaze from the person in front of him to the familiar voice. Ball stood with his arms crossed, grinning mischievously as he looked at him and the little troublemaker. Meanwhile, Dom just laughed and walked off to inspect the work.
“I’m not here to check the work…”
“Then what are you here for?…I was secretly hoping my friend came to help lighten the load.”
“I’m here to feed Theerak.”
“Damn it, you’ve left me speechless…” Ball smiled and walked over to check on the group with Theerak. “Kids, how much is left to do?”
“The biggest part left is probably the backdrop, but Theerak says it should be done by this evening.”
“The event’s tomorrow, chubby-cheeks. Will you make it in time?”
“We’ll make it, Phii Ball. Today, Theerak’s taking the rest of the work home to finish, and tomorrow I’ll come set up early in the morning.”
“Okay, I’ll swing by tomorrow to help check things again.”
“Got it…”
“And you, Fah, what time are you heading to the presentation room?”
“Give me ten more minutes, then I’ll go…”
“I had Tim take the work to the room already. You can leave a bit later if you want.”
“No worries. I was planning to check the work one more time before the presentation…”
“Alright.”
Muenfah lowered his eyes to the small person gently nudging his leg. The little one smiled and snatched the food box from his hand. “…”
“Phii Fah, hurry and go check your work. I know you’re worried about it…”
“…” Day by day, this person understood him more and more. Muenfah reached out to ruffle the little one’s hair before saying, “Then I’ll see you this evening, okay?”
“Good luck, my talented one,”
“Heh,” He moved his hand from the jet-black hair to lightly caress a soft cheek. “Phii Fah will do his best.”
Muenfah gave the small person a smile before casting his gaze toward the distant earleaf acacia tree. He still remembered the feeling of watching Theerak from afar so clearly. Back then, all he could do was sit on a wooden bench, smoking a cigarette, watching the little one participate in freshman activities. If he wanted to talk or vent, only the earleaf acacia was there to listen.
But everything had changed now. Now, Muenfah was in the very spot where those freshman activities once took place. He sat at the marble table, seeing that bright smile up close. The hand that once held a cigarette now held a spoon to feed his beloved. And the earleaf acacia no longer needed to hear him because Theerak had started to hear the sound of his heart…
#However Many Thousand Skies
“Finally done, woo!”
“Yay!!”
“Sob… It’s finally over.”
Theerak smiled as he watched his friends cheer with joy. This project was important to everyone because it was the only group assignment the professor had given in this course. They’d all put in a lot of effort and dedication. Everyone worked together until evening almost every day of the week to finish it in time for the event, even though many had conflicting class schedules. Still, they managed to find time to help each other throughout.
“Everyone… we’re really thankful, thank you so much for taking the time to help with this project. If we messed up anywhere, we’re sorry, everyone…”
“You did an awesome job as team leader, chubby-cheeks.”
“You’re a leader who’s a feast for the eyes and ears… I could just sit and watch Rak smile forever.”
“Hey, Inn! Are you flirting with my friend?” Type asked his classmate.
“Not flirting. Just stating the truth.”
Inn was a classmate who always greeted him whenever they met and liked sitting next to him in class. But since he knew a lot of people in the department and was constantly approached by others, he didn’t think much of it—until the day before yesterday when Type told him that Inn had asked for his LINE ID.
That’s when Theerak realized Inn had a crush on him…
“Then I should also state the truth that your work isn’t neat…”
Everyone turned to look at the deep voice coming from behind. Muenfah and his group of friends walked into the open area and split up to inspect the work. Theerak fell silent when he saw the tall figure standing and looking at the backdrop with a displeased expression.
“Damn… are we screwed?”
“If we’re screwed, just let them know it was Inn who did it…”
“Didn’t that idiot Inn see Phii Fah hanging around Theerak at noon? And he still dared to mess with his person?”
“Phii Fah never bothers with juniors, not in a hundred or thousand years…
Oh man, he’s pissed now.”
The whispers from classmates reached Panli’s ears intermittently. He sighed, silently agreeing with the others—In really wanted to test the waters, didn’t he?
“You three were in charge of this piece, right?”
“Uh, yes…”
“Is there a problem with the work, Phii Fah?” Theerak quickly stepped toward the tall figure. Muenfah didn’t answer him but stared at the three friends instead.
“Are you three satisfied with your own work?”
“Uh… yes.”
“I’ll have some other seniors come take a look too, so you won’t think I’m personally biased against you…” Muenfah nodded toward Phii Ball, who was inspecting a booth. “Come check out this backdrop…”
“What’s wrong?” Phii Ball looked at the backdrop for a moment before saying, “I think it needs another layer of paint. It’s a bit too thin.”
“Does you have to inspect the work too?”
Theerak’s heart sank to the floor when he saw Muenfah standing with his hands in his pockets, smirking. The latter walked up to Inn and spoke in a calm, steady tone.
“A friend asked me to help…” Muenfah stared at the junior without breaking eye contact and continued, “…If I’d been the one inspecting from the start, you’d have been done for ages ago.”
“No matter which senior inspects, it’s the same. These kids probably don’t know that last year’s project—the one the professor praised the team leaders like me and Dom for—behind the scenes, the one who worked their ass off was Fah. He practically did everything.”
“You don’t need to tell me, Ball… If someone doesn’t listen, just let it go.” “…”
“I check the work for real, no personal bias… But since you won’t admit the work’s incomplete and asked like that…” Muenfah paused before saying, “Do you have a problem with me or something?”
“…”
“If you do, let’s talk privately… For now, keep things separate.” “…”
Muenfah glanced at the junior, shook his head, and walked off to check other work. Theerak let out a relieved sigh that no chaos had erupted. He knew Muenfah had a short temper, but he hadn’t expected him to be this intimidating when annoyed.
It was like some kind of aura radiated from Muenfah.
An aura that felt chilling…
#However Many Thousand Skies
“So, we’re just changing the font, right?”
“Make it bigger too… But I already told the juniors.”
“Okay, okay…” Phii Ball nodded and turned to him. “Then, Rak, I’ll leave it to you to remind the others.”
“Sure, Phii Ball…”
“I’m heading out. Got a meeting.”
“Yeah.”
“See ya, chubby-cheeks.”
“Bye…”
Theerak stood watching the tall guy sitting on the marble table with a tired expression. Muenfah had been checking work for hours without a break, even fixing the sloppy details himself. Theerak smiled faintly when he noticed paint stains on the Chinese tattoo.
Khun Muenfah really fit the phrase, “Speak less, do more.”
“Phii Fah, are you really tired?”
“Not too much…”
“Sky, you are always so stubborn…” Theerak said as he sat beside Muenfah, pulling a handkerchief from his pants pocket and grabbing the paint-stained arm to wipe it. “Let me clean it for you.”
“It’s fine. I have to shower at the condo before heading to the shop anyway.”
“If I don’t wipe it…” Theerak smiled while watching the Chinese characters become clear again as the paint faded, “The word ‘love’ won’t stand out.”
Muenfah chuckled in his throat and reached over to ruffle his hair. “For me, even if something covers it, it’s still clear.”
“…”
“Is little naughty you going back with Babe today?”
“Yes… Phii Babe just called to say she’ll drive to pick me up here in ten minutes.”
“Okay.”
“…” Theerak put his handkerchief in his pants pocket and smiled at Muenfah, whose expression remained calm and composed. He shifted his gaze away from him and instead looked at the evening sky.
“It seems like that person likes little naughty you, huh…”
“Uh, Phii Fah, do you mean Inn?” As soon as the question left his lips, those sharp eyes turned back to meet his again. The orange sunlight brushing across Muenfah’s face made Theerak see his own reflection in the other’s eyes even more clearly.
“Yes.”
“Inn asked Type to get my LINE for him, but I didn’t give it…”
“…”
“…because I don’t like Inn.”
“Don’t like Inn…”
“…”
“…So, is there someone you do like?”
“…”
Muenfah’s question threw Theerak off balance, stripping away his sense of self. His heart, once so obedient and easy to control, turned stubborn again. He thought the question wasn’t too hard to answer—after all, the pounding lump in his chest and the loud thumping sound were already clear enough answers.
But putting those feelings into words…
…It wasn’t easy at all.
“The naughty one probably doesn’t like anyone, right?”
“…” Theerak pressed his lips together tightly and lowered his gaze. If he simply answered, “Yes,” Muenfah might think he didn’t like anyone at all, when that wasn’t the truth. But to speak the real truth right now… Theerak still couldn’t do it.
“Babe’s here.”
“Uh, yes.”
He stood up and followed Muenfah, who led the way as usual. Muenfah walked him to the car, just like always. Along the way, Theerak tried to muster the courage to say something to him. He once thought confessing his feelings would be easy—just say it and be done.
But now he knew… it really wasn’t that simple.
The two of them stopped beside Phii Babe’s car. Theerak took a deep breath before saying, “Uh, Phii Fah…”
“Yes?”
“I, I…”
“…”
“I’m heading back first, okay?”
Muenfah gave a small smile and opened the car door for him. “Sure. I’ll call you tonight, okay?”
“Yes.”
The car door was closed by the tall figure. Theerak waved goodbye to the person dropping him off before the car pulled away from the university. He let out a big sigh before speaking.
“Yes… I have someone I like…”
Wow, you’re bold enough to say it now, you chubby little pup. Why couldn’t you say it to his face? T___T
“What did you say, Theerak?”
“N-No, nothing, Phii Babe.”
“Are you okay?…You’ve been quiet ever since you got in the car.”
“Phii Babe… can Theerak ask you something?”
“Go ahead…”
“How long did it take for Phii Dom to confess his love to you, Phii Babe?”
“It took a while… but even before he confessed, I could tell we had feelings for each other because his actions made it obvious. It was like we were just waiting for the right moment.”
“The right moment… what does that mean?”
“I’m not sure how to explain it, but I’ll try my best to make it clear… The right moment isn’t something we set in stone, like, ‘I have to confess to him on Valentine’s Day.’ It’s more like a time when we just know… ‘This is it, the moment has come.’”
“I’ll just know it myself, Phii Babe?”
“Yes. Dom said… you’ll feel like everything has fallen into place. You’re in the right place at the right time… and you’re ready to confess to that person.”
“…”
“For me, confessing love made everything clearer. But it’s not more important than actions. Some people are tight-lipped and good at hiding their feelings. Those types—like Dom—secretly show their love through what they do.”
“And you waited for him, right, Phii Babe?”
“I didn’t just wait for Dom to confess one-sidedly… I was waiting for my own moment too…”
“…”
“I waited for the day when my feelings overflowed so much that I couldn’t hold them back anymore. If that day came, I’d tell Dom how I felt about him. But he ended up confessing first because he felt it was the right moment.” Phii Babe said with a laugh.
“…”
“Who confesses first doesn’t really matter, you know. Because in the end, we love each other anyway… What’s important is that we wait intentionally…” As the car stopped at a red light, Phii Babe took her eyes off the road to meet his gaze before continuing, “Wait for that day when we don’t know if it’ll be us or them who says it first…”
“…”
“…And when that day comes, you’ll realize it was worth the wait.”
Phii Babe helped him understand himself and so many other things. The reason he couldn’t tell Muenfah how he felt probably wasn’t because he lacked courage—it might just be that he needed to wait a little longer.
Theerak responded to his older sister with a smile.
“Yes… I will wait patiently.”
#However Many Thousand Skies
Theerak sat on the floor of the room, cutting paper to make name cards to hand out to the younger students attending the open house. He glanced at the clock on the wall before grabbing his phone and placing it beside him. Not long after, the black phone vibrated with a notification.
M.FAH: Calling video
He smiled faintly at Muenfah’s consistency. No matter how busy he was, when it came to “Phii Fah time.” he’d always get to see that same familiar smile.
Theerak answered the call and propped the phone on a chair to keep it at eye level. He saw the tall figure pacing around a bedroom, seemingly busy.
But soon, Muenfah stopped in front of the camera, buttoning up his shirt and grabbing a black bottle of cologne to spritz all over himself.
“I thought you would already be at the restaurant by now…”
[If I hadn’t stopped to shower at the condo, I’d be at the restaurant by now.]
Muenfah replied while putting on his wristwatch, flashing that same smile at him. Today, Muenfah looked even more handsome than usual—probably because he’d styled his hair to show his forehead and was dressed entirely in black.
“Spraying cologne today and dressing up so sharp… Is there an important guest coming to the restaurant?”
[Yes, today my aunt asked me to take care of a guest for her.]
“No wonder… you are all dressed up so neatly.”
[I figure aunt’s guest is probably around her age, so it’s better to dress properly… she said they’re really close too.]
“Oh…”
[So what’s little naughty you up to?…Why’s there paper scraps all over you?]
“I’m cutting paper to make faculty name cards to give to the kids coming to the event.”
[A kiss on the head for you…]
“Sure…” Theerak laughed until his mouth stretched wide at that phrase. Last week, he’d been swamped with studying and working so hard that he’d complained about being tired a lot. Muenfah had taken to saying “A kiss on the head for you” whenever he wanted to comfort him. “I feel less tired already.”
[your new cologne smells really nice.]
“Really?…But the old scent was good too.”
[Should I wear it tomorrow for little naughty you to smell?]
Theerak smiled faintly and rubbed the back of his neck… He could never quite get used to Muenfah. “…”
[But you’d have to smell it right here… to get the full scent.]
Theerak looked up at the person on the phone screen. Muenfah bit his lip and pointed a finger behind his ear. He lowered his eyes again and continued cutting paper. Muenfah wasn’t teasing him—he really did spray cologne there.
But he wouldn’t dare smell it…
“…”
[Naughty one… look up at me for a sec. I’ve got to go soon.]
Theerak looked up as requested. When he gazed intently at the tall figure, he realized…
Muenfah looked ridiculously handsome today, T___T
“…”
[Once you’re done working, hurry to bed, okay? Tomorrow, little naughty you have to set up the event early in the morning.]
“Okay…”
[Tomorrow, I will come by in the afternoon, but in the morning, Ball and Dom will go help check on the work first.]
“Alright… If tomorrow you have something to do, you don’t have to come in, okay? I don’t want you to rush.”
[I am only busy in the morning… Either way, I have to come cheer up
Sea.]
“Thank you, Sky.”
[I will head out now, okay?]
“Sure… Take care ~ Take care ~ Bye!”
Theerak hung up the call with Muenfah and continued working. However, a notification sound grabbed his attention perfectly. The message on his phone screen made Theerak break into a smile. M.FAH: Good night, naughty one.
Fah sent him messages like this every day. Theerak picked up his phone, typed a reply, and then left the chat to look at the photos in his album.
The picture he took of Muenfah at the beach stood out in an album named “My Sky.” It was the only photo selected for this album. Theerak had asked Muenfah to send it to him. He wanted to keep it to look at when he was alone.
Theerak had set a family photo as his lock screen. He’d never thought of changing it to anything else. He’d also once thought he wouldn’t change his wallpaper—a picture of Charlie Brown standing and grinning—but now, as he sat looking at Muenfah’s photo That irreplaceable smile…
In the end, Charlie Brown, who’d been with him for almost two years, was replaced by Muenfah’s picture. When Theerak locked his screen, he’d see the family photo, and when he unlocked it, he’d see Muenfah.
Theerak smiled while thinking…
He didn’t love Charlie Brown any less but after getting to smell that head…
Theerak was falling more and more in love with [the scent of] Muenfah.
#However Many Thousand Skies
TBC
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