YOURSKY, Chapter 8
“The money’s in my purse, go grab a thousand baht.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“And the things I told you to buy, I know they don’t cost more than five hundred. Don’t spend all the leftover money on snacks.”
“…”
“No need to look sulky. You can use it, but don’t spend it all because we’ll be eating at home soon anyway.”
“I don’t use your money, you know. Dad gave me three thousand baht for snacks before he left.”
“Fine… but it won’t last three days. You’ll spend it all on food.”
His mother’s words echoed in his head as he walked past a Hong Kong waffle shop. At first, Theerak thought his mom was exaggerating a little, but not anymore. No matter what shop he passed, he wanted to stop and try something.
It seemed the three thousand baht would be gone by the end of the day…
“Naughty one, do you want to eat anything?”
“Not yet, better not. Let’s finish buying stuff for Mom first, then we’ll see.”
“Okay…”
“Are you hungry already?” Theerak asked the tall man walking beside him. Muenfah, who had just put his phone in his back pocket, turned to look at him and gave a faint smile.
“Yes, when I’m with little naughty you… I tend to get hungry often.”
Theerak frowned, puzzled, before asking, “Why does you sound like Li? Li also said he gets hungry when he’s with me.”
“…”
“But Li gets hungry for cheeks. He said if he could eat both of my cheeks, he’d be full for a whole year.”
“Panli is so greedy, even wanting to eat his friend’s cheeks…”
“…” The listener smiled faintly, amused that his friend was being called out. Since they’d known each other, aside from himself and their teacher, hardly anyone dared to criticize Panli. But now, Theerak realized there was one more person who wasn’t afraid to call him out—and that was Muenfah.
“The reason I gets hungry so often is because I misses the times we ate together. you eat so appetizingly that it makes me feel hungry… It’s not like
Panli, who hungers for the stubborn one’s cheeks.”
“…” Theerak nodded jerkily, understanding the explanation from the taller figure. He sneaked a glance at the side profile of the taller man as they walked side by side. Whether from the front or the side, Muenfah still maintained his usual expressionless face.
But suddenly, those sharp eyes turned to meet his, as if aware that they were being watched. Caught in the act, Theerak could only look away to avoid guilt. In truth, secretly observing the other’s reactions wasn’t wrong, but even so, locking eyes with Muenfah was never a good option.
“If one day I want to eat your cheeks like Panli…”
Theerak looked up at the person who paused mid-sentence, leaving it hanging. “…”
“Can I take them back to the condo?”
“N-No… You can’t… my cheeks are mine, and I won’t let anyone have them…” Before he could think it through, the owner of said cheeks quickly looked up, locking eyes with the other and blurting out a refusal to protect his distinctive chubby-cheeks. How could Muenfah think he could just ask for them so easily? Last time, he stole his hand, and now he wanted to take his cheeks back to the condo. This was getting out of hand.
But seeing the taller man chuckle without showing any sign of disappointment at the rejection, Theerak immediately realized that Muenfah was just teasing him to make him blush. Fortunately, by now, he had built some immunity to Muenfah. The teasing words from this prankster could no longer embarrass him as they once did.
Feeling somewhat immune, he decided to fight back.
He wrinkled his nose at the person beside him and let out an annoyed grunt from his throat.
“Hmph!!!”
But how could his newly strengthened immunity stand up to such a wicked virus?
The tall virus, biting his own lip as if sharpening his fangs, spoke.
“With that face… you won’t let me eat your cheeks, but can I bite your nose instead?”
“…”
And just like that, the new strain of virus named Muenfah destroyed every bit of immunity in his body.
The smaller figure, who had been so confident that he could stand up to the other, once again turned into a coward, averting his eyes. Theerak sighed, trying to figure out how to manage his heart, which always raced at certain words from Muenfah. He realized that whenever he thought he could take on Muenfah, he was gravely mistaken.
Because he could never, not even once, win against Muenfah…
“But I focus on cherishing rather than hurting… I wouldn’t bite your nose until you cry and whines.”
Yes… with everyone’s Muenfah… not even once, truly.
The listener felt his face flush at the words “cry and whine.” forcing him to exhale to release the rising heat in his body. Imagining himself crying and whining to Muenfah made him genuinely embarrassed. It wouldn’t be much different from when he was drunk and begged the other to kiss his head.
So embarrassing T___T
But the embarrassing thoughts in his mind came to a halt due to a faint touch from someone’s hand. Theerak looked up at Muenfah, who was gently rubbing his back, as if wanting to get his attention to ask something. Instead of tapping his arm or calling out in his usual calm tone, Muenfah chose this method.
And this kind of touch… it feels like we’re already very close.
When in reality…
“When you come shopping, do you use a cart or just carry a basket, little troublemaker?”
We’re only just starting to learn about each other to move toward becoming close.
“A cart is better.”
“Then you go ahead first, little troublemaker. I will grab a cart and follow you in.”
“Okay.”
Theerak nodded before walking into the supermarket inside the mall. His eyes scanned around, looking for the items his mom had asked him to buy.
He wandered from aisle to aisle until he started feeling dizzy, but soon enough, Theerak found what he was looking for in the seasoning section. Caught up in the joy of finally finding the item, he only then remembered that he had left someone behind. He quickly turned around with a worried expression.
But that smile… a smile like the morning sunlight…made him feel relieved.
Muenfah was pushing a black shopping cart, following at a distance, smiling in a way that someone nearsighted like him—who didn’t like wearing glasses—could see clearly without any blur. Theerak wasn’t sure if it was real or just his imagination, but he felt that Muenfah preferred walking behind rather than leading. Every time they walked side by side, Muenfah would match his pace even though he could easily walk faster. Perhaps that’s why Theerak could see Muenfah in two places: by his side and behind him.
The reason for walking side by side was to see each other clearly.
But the reason for walking behind…
“Are your shoes rubbing?”
“A little…”
…he wasn’t sure. He didn’t know if he could attribute it to Muenfah’s attentiveness.
Theerak lowered his gaze to his right foot. He was wearing an expensive pair of sneakers that Phii Dom had bought him last year, even though they often caused blisters on the back of his ankle. The reason he chose them as his companion today was that his favorite pair of sneakers had been torn apart by the naughty Moogrob, and his favorite flip-flops had been hidden somewhere by the mischievous puppy. Before leaving with Muenfah, Theerak had tried picking out shoes from his closet, but this pair looked the best and matched his outfit the most.
If it hurt, he’d just have to bear it. It was better than wasting time changing his clothes again.
Going out with Muenfah, everyone’s Muenfah, means I have to look good, right?
“Then why didn’t you tell me that your shoes were rubbing…”
“M-Phii Fah!… No need, really!”
The owner of the small feet stammered as he called out to the taller man, who was now bending down to inspect his foot. Muenfah propped up one knee and reached out to touch his foot. Without asking for permission, his large hand removed the shoe. Theerak tried to pull his foot back, but under Muenfah’s stern gaze, he had no choice but to let his foot rest on the expensive jeans of the man in front of him.
Theerak swallowed hard as he stared at the pale hands gripping his ankle. He was so embarrassed he felt like he might explode because Muenfah dared to do something like this in public. Even though he knew that others who saw it wouldn’t judge, assuming something must have happened to warrant this kind of inspection, or they might be curious but ultimately let it go since it wasn’t a big deal, Theerak still overthought it and felt shy nonetheless. He scanned the surroundings before letting out a relieved sigh, grateful that no one had walked into this section at that moment.
“You can’t keep wearing them… If you force it, it’ll hurt even more.”
“It’s fine, Phii Fah… I’ll just step on the heels.”
“These are expensive shoes. If you step on the heels, won’t you feel bad if they get ruined?”
Theerak pursed his lips, deep in thought. If he stepped on the heels, it would leave marks and the shoes might lose their shape. He’d definitely feel bad about it, but what else could he do? Theerak had been in pain ever since they walked into the mall. Since this pair of sneakers was made of genuine leather, the friction hurt more than with regular sneakers. But he had forced himself to keep walking because he didn’t want to inconvenience Muenfah, who had already been kind enough to drive him shopping in place of Phii Dom.
“No… I’ll just step on the heels.” Theerak said as he tried to pull his foot away from the taller man’s lap. But Muenfah held his foot in place with both hands before looking up to meet his eyes.
“Why did you wear this pair?”
“Well, it’s because of Moogrob… He chewed up all my shoes and even hid my slippers. And I felt bad for Phii Fah too. I saw you already waiting at the car… I didn’t want to make you wait too long. Plus, this pair matches the clothes I’m wearing… so I just grabbed them.”
Theerak told Muenfah the whole truth. The latter released his foot, letting it go free, before standing up to his full height. Just as Theerak was about to step on the heels of his shoes, a low, gentle voice stopped him. It sounded like Muenfah was thinking aloud, unintentionally letting the words slip out.
“Next time, I will have to carry some bandages for you…”
“…” Theerak thought it was a good idea. If Muenfah carried bandages for him when they were together, they could be used to patch up the leaks in that red lump of flesh—his heart—so that Muenfah’s words wouldn’t seep in and make it beat so fast like this.
“Wait here, stubborn one… I’ll be right back.”
“Where are you going, Phii Fah?”
“To find a pair of shoes that are more comfortable for you…”
The large hand that reached out to ruffle his hair, despite Muenfah seeming to be in a hurry and unlikely to waste time on small gestures like this, along with the smile he gave before turning and walking out of the section, made Theerak realize that no amount of bandages could ever patch up the leaks in that red lump of flesh.
Because the hole was as big as Fah’s entire torso.
Some things would just keep seeping through, no matter what.
…Not long after, the tall figure returned with a pair of white slippers. Theerak guessed Muenfah must have gotten them from the supermarket since the barcode was still attached to the shoes.
“Phii Fah, I think you didn’t need to buy new ones. It’s a waste of money. We’re going home soon anyway… By now, Moogrob has probably brought my slippers back, right?”
Muenfah pulled off the barcode before bending down to put the shoes on the smaller person. He smiled because he had guessed the size perfectly, even though he couldn’t remember the exact shoe size. “Just one pair of shoes for you won’t drain my bank account.”
It was undeniable that Muenfah was incredibly attentive to others. He could estimate the shoe size perfectly, and the sole of the shoes he picked was so soft it was hard to believe they came from a supermarket. After wearing this pair, Theerak didn’t want to go back to the pain of his expensive old ones. So, he decided to take his new “friend” home. “Then I’ll give you the money, okay? How much is it?”
He had to ask the price because Muenfah had already stuffed the barcode into his back pocket.
“Are you really going to pay me back?”
“Of course, I will. You already paid for it, right?”
“Yes…”
“How much? Once I finish buying stuff for Mom, I’ll pay you back for the shoes.”
“The price is both cheeks… wrapped up too. I’ll take them back to eat at the condo,” Muenfah said with a faint smile before bending down to pick up the expensive sneakers that had been taken off and placing them in the shopping cart.
Theerak stood there, mouth agape, watching the taller man push the cart ahead of him. It was the first time the taller man had walked ahead of him, and, of course, it wasn’t the first time Muenfah had caused him emotional confusion. Theerak didn’t know how long it would take to get used to handling this stoic man who gradually revealed the many tricks he had hidden up his sleeve.
Getting close to Theerak was easy… but getting close to Muenfah seemed difficult.
Really difficult to handle, indeed.
#However Many Thousand Skies
“Naughty one… what did your Mom tell you to buy?”
“Barbecue sauce… Mom said it’s a big jar.”
“Okay, I found it…”
“I found it before Phii Fah did. I saw it right from the start, but we were busy changing shoes…”
Muenfah watched the smaller person reach for a glass jar with a green and red label and place it in the cart. He then pulled a black phone out of his pocket, lowered his head, and scrolled through something on the screen.
“What else?”
“Hold on… let me check my notes first. I’ve forgotten everything…”
He had just slipped up… accidentally referring to himself as “little naughty you.”
“Naughty one…”
“Yes ~”
And that made Muenfah smile unintentionally too.
Theerak responded while still looking down at his phone, not glancing up at him even a little. His neatly shaped eyebrows furrowed as if he needed to concentrate hard. The smaller person probably didn’t realize he had let several things slip out unconsciously. Muenfah thought it was good that the other wasn’t paying attention to him, because if Theerak took an interest in him even slightly, he’d surely ask why he had just been called. If that happened, someone like him—who wanted to call out the nickname he’d given especially—would have to come up with another excuse.
Sometimes he just wanted to call him “naughty one” without questions or needing an answer.
“The other thing is oregano… What does Mom need oregano for, anyway?”
Muenfah looked at the person muttering to himself from head to toe. No matter what style Theerak dressed in, in his eyes, the smaller figure was adorable in every way. Right now, Theerak was wearing just a large navyblue T-shirt paired with cream-colored shorts, along with the flip-flops that Muenfah had bought for him. It was simple like this…
But still adorable nonetheless.
Anyone who said he wasn’t cute would get a kick to the mouth until their teeth fell out.
“Phii Fah, follow me! The oregano Mom wants isn’t on this aisle.”
“Yes…” Muenfah responded before asking when he noticed the smaller figure squinting at something on the shelf while walking. “Rak, are you nearsighted?”
“Yes, but not too much, just a little over a hundred… But I don’t really like wearing glasses, hehe.” The smaller figure replied in a soft, guilty tone.
“Is that okay, though? Can you see clearly?”
“It’s fine for daily life, Phii Fah. Things that aren’t too far away, I can see clearly as usual. But if they’re a bit farther, they start to get blurry. I’m not that nearsighted, so it’s not too inconvenient.”
“…”
“But from now on, I’ll start wearing them more often. It’ll help with my forgetfulness too, because since I don’t wear them much, I often forget to bring my glasses to university. Especially lately, the professor likes projecting slides on the screen, and since I like sitting at the back of the room, I can’t see clearly… I need to change and wear glasses more often now.”
“Wear them often so you get used to it. But if you feel dizzy at first, take them off and rest for a bit.” Muenfah furrowed his brows as he saw the smaller figure widen his eyes and raise his eyebrows in surprise.
“It’s true, Phii Fah! That’s one of the reasons I don’t wear them—when I take them off, I get really dizzy… Phii Fah you aren’t nearsighted, so how do you know? You’re so smart, Phii Fah…”
The family’s chubby puppy, the droopy-cheeked friend, and his stubborn little one stopped making a surprised face and cheerfully went off to find the oregano—though he still didn’t know what his mom planned to do with it. Muenfah secretly watched the bright smile while pushing the cart behind him.
The distance between the one leading and the one following…
It was just right.
“Found it! Mom’s oregano…”
“Can you reach it?”
“The stubborn one of yours? This is nothing…”
There he goes again… He’s in such a good mood after finding the oregano.
“Yes…”
And he slipped up again… This time, he accidentally became Phii Fah’s stubborn one.
“Hup!!!”
Whether he was Phii Fah’s stubborn one or someone else’s, right now, the smaller figure making noises to summon extra height made it clear he needed help. Theerak tried standing on his tiptoes to his fullest height, but he still couldn’t grab the small glass jar with the green lid. Muenfah mentally scolded the staff for placing such a small seasoning jar so high up, but on the other hand, he thought there might be a practical reason for it being there.
“Let me help…”
“I almost got it, Phii Fah!”
“…”
Muenfah knew there was no way the smaller person could reach it. When
Theerak said he could grab it, he thought his jumping would help, but Muenfah had already anticipated this. He stepped behind Theerak to grab the oregano bottle for him. The faint, pleasant scent from the jet-black hair wafted under his nose, as it always did when they were close. Perhaps it was this familiar scent that gave him the courage to rest his chin on Theerak’s head without caring about the people around them.
“Phii Fah! Get your chin off! You’re heavy…”
Muenfah chuckled in his throat before coming up with an excuse, as he didn’t want to move his chin yet. “I have to rest my chin on your head first because I smelled something stinky and felt faint. Can I rest here for a bit…?”
Muenfah then realized that it wasn’t just his chin bothering the smaller person—another part of his body was touching him too. He quickly withdrew the hand that had been holding Theerak’s waist before he got scolded even more. He was fully aware of everything when he rested his chin on Theerak’s head, but when he placed his hand on the smaller person’s waist, it must have been a slip.
“Hey!!! No need for that! I know you’re trying to tease me, Phii Fah. Why are you such a tease?”
The smaller person, who had just escaped his embrace, stood there pouting with displeasure. When Theerak got angry, it wasn’t intimidating like with others; instead, he became adorably upset. Muenfah, the one at fault, could only stand there feeling guilty, hoping the other would forgive him. But Theerak wasn’t going to let go of his anger easily, having been teased so many times before.
“Here you go, oregano. I got it for you, little troublemaker.”
“Oregano is oregano… How can you mix that with the fact that you teased me, Phii Fah!”
The oregano bottle was snatched from his hand. Theerak placed the small glass bottle in the cart before taking over pushing it himself. Now, Muenfah had to quietly follow the stubborn little one, all while thinking of ways to make up for the trouble he had caused.
“Little troublemaker…”
“What now?” Theerak asked while pushing the cart and walking quickly, not turning to look at him.
“Are you mad at me for resting my chin on your head or something else?” He wasn’t sure if Theerak’s intense anger was due to being physically encroached upon too much, so asking tentatively like this seemed the best approach.
The smaller person stopped walking and turned to face him. Theerak still looked displeased but finally opened his mouth to say something.
“I’m not that mad about you resting your chin on my head because, at most, it’s just heavy. But I’m really upset because you keep saying my head smells bad or stinky… even though I wash my hair every day now. How could that be possible unless you’re just teasing me to make me lose confidence?”
“…”
“It hurts when I’m confident I’ve done well, but then we get accused otherwise…”
Muenfah gave a small smile. At first, he had overthought things, worrying that he’d have to keep more distance between them because he had unintentionally invaded the other’s personal space with his touch. But it wasn’t as bad as he thought, because that person was Theerak.
He now believed that someone as adorable as the world itself could unexpectedly change so many things.
Then I will let you punish me… as punishment for making you lose confidence.” Muenfah said before stepping closer to the smaller figure and offering both of his hands to the other. Theerak blinked rapidly, staring at his palms. “Hit me as many times as you want. I am letting you hit my hands.”
“…”
“Hit until you feel better.”
Theerak sighed before saying, “Five times, that’s it.”
The one being punished stood there listening to the soft slap sounds until all five hits were complete. If it weren’t for the sound confirming it, he wouldn’t have believed he was being hit because the touch was so light. The last time Muenfah had been punished by a teacher hitting his hand was in third grade, when he helped a friend who didn’t want to read a story in English class and ended up crying and skipping class. It had been so long he could hardly remember it. Today’s punishment brought back those childhood memories for him.
“If you tease me again, I’ll increase it to ten hits and deduct points from our closeness score too.”
“Can we skip the second part?”
“No… Otherwise, the punishment wouldn’t seem harsh enough. Getting hit only hurts a little, and in the end, a naughty you would just do it again without anything to fear.”
“So if I accidentally acts naughty and upsets you again, how many points will I lose?”
“When it comes to closeness, I give the max score of one hundred. Panli is at one hundred fifty, meaning we’re super close… unlike you. Right now, you probably have just five points. If you get deducted next time, it’ll drop to four.”
Can Panli transfer some points to me?”
Muenfah knew himself well—he was a quiet, reserved person with a cunning streak, but he rarely used that side of himself. Most of the time, Muenfah only employed his cunning negotiation skills when he wanted something from his mom. Otherwise, he never bothered negotiating with anyone.
That is, until he met this stubborn one.
“No… Closeness has to come entirely from yourself.”
“I will try. I’ll try not to let my points go into the negative.”
After finishing their shopping, Theerak complained that he was hungry. He wanted a hamburger, and since there was still time, Muenfah brought him to McDonald’s and offered to treat him to this meal. Muenfah didn’t object and simply watched the smaller figure standing at the counter ordering food from the employee.
He couldn’t really say no anyway…
“Add French fries too, please, the large size…”
“…”
“And one fish burger… What about you, Phii Fah?”
“I’ll have the same as you.”
“Then we’ll get another fish burger. As for the French fries, we can share since the large size is a lot.”
“…”
“Would you like to upsize your Coke?”
“No, no, just this is fine.”
That’ll be two hundred ninety-eight baht…”
“Just a sec…”
Muenfah, who had secretly prepared his wallet, pulled out a thousand-baht note and handed it to the cashier, cutting in front of the smaller person. Theerak stood there, mouth agape, before turning to glare at him in frustration.
“Here you go…”
“Thank you.”
“Phii Fah! I said I’d treat you!”
“Someone as small as you can’t treat me… I’m so much bigger. How could little naughty you possibly treat me?”
“It’s not about size at all. It’s purely about kindness.”
“Just knowing that little naughty you want to treat me is more than enough to make me happy…” Muenfah took the change and put it in his wallet before reaching out to gently pat the smaller person’s messy hair. “I earn my own money now. It’s only right that I treat you.”
“…”
“When little naughty you graduate and gets a job, then you can treat me.”
“That’s so far away…” the smaller person muttered, head lowered, voice soft.
“No matter how long it takes, I’ll wait.”
“Promise me. When I start working, you can’t steal the bill again, okay?”
“Okay…”
Muenfah, who wasn’t particularly hungry but craved a cigarette more, told the smaller person—who was happily munching on a hamburger—that honestly, he understood and didn’t force him to eat. The smaller one was even kind enough to let him go smoke by the car, but Muenfah chose to resist the urge to satisfy his body’s craving simply because…
He couldn’t leave little naughty one behind.
That’s why he sat there, watching the smaller person enjoy their meal. Muenfah picked up his phone to check missed calls and LINE messages, since he barely touched his phone when he was with little naughty one. There were messages from friends, group chats from university about a group project due next week, a message from Real asking about table reservation schedules in the shop’s group chat and, Mom – 3 Missed Calls.
Muenfah hesitated for a moment before calling his mom back. The reason for his hesitation wasn’t that he didn’t want to talk to her, but because he was worried she might have something important to discuss that would take a while. He wanted to be in a more convenient time slot to talk. Usually, his parents were abroad most of the time, and their communication wasn’t like other families who texted back and forth. His parents preferred to spend money on long-distance calls just to hear their son’s voice, valuing clarity and speed over typing. Even though technology had advanced, allowing free calls through apps with video options, some people—like his parents—didn’t care for that. They stuck to the old, familiar ways.
For instance, his parents preferred calling across countries because the phone signal was the most reliable.
If they wanted to see him, they’d fly back to Thailand and stay for months.
They said they didn’t like seeing his face without being able to touch him because it made them miss him even more.
As he held the phone to his ear, waiting for the call to connect, Muenfah glanced at little naughty one’s favorite ketchup, which had been nearly wiped clean by the fries. He picked up the small round sauce container and said “Wait, I will go get more sauce for you, okay?”
“It’s fine, Phii Fah. I will go get it himself.”
“No need, stubborn one. Sit and eat. I will get it for you…” he said while grabbing a sauce cup. Muenfah walked over to the sauce station. He queued behind a little boy who was struggling to reach and dispense the sauce. Seeing the boy tiptoe reminded him of someone currently chomping on a fish burger back at the table. Thinking of that stubborn little one prompted
Muenfah to offer help to the child. “Let big brother press it for you, okay?”
“…”
Muenfah placed both of his sauce cups on the counter before assisting the boy with the sauce. His phone, still connected to a call with his mother, remained pressed against his ear as usual.
“Thank you!”
“You’re welcome.” Muenfah nodded as the little boy raised his hands to thank him. After that, he proceeded to dispense sauce for the stubborn one waiting for him. With one hand holding the sauce cup and the other pressing the dispenser, his shoulder had to help prop up the phone against his ear.
[Fah…]
“Yes, Mom.”
[Are you busy, son? I called you several times, and you didn’t pick up.]
“Just a little, Mom. But I can talk.”
[Honestly, it’s nothing big. I just called because I missed you. Last night, your little brother called and talked to me for a long time. He complained that you don’t come home much, always staying at the condo, and that he’s lonely at home by himself.]
“Panli isn’t much different from the boy who cried wolf. He loves exaggerating.”
[What’s with you two siblings? So, do you ever come home, Fah?]
“I do, Mom. This morning, I stopped by the house. Today, I’m planning to sleep at home since I have an early class tomorrow.”
[Good, good. Go back and check on things sometimes, son. Nanny can’t handle everything alone.]
“I saw Nanny this morning, Mom. She said she missed me, so I’m going back today.”
[Okay, dear. So, what are you doing right now?]
“…” His mother’s question made Muenfah pause for a moment before he turned to look at the smaller figure eating a hamburger at the table.
[…]
“I’m with him, Mom…”
[Really, son?]
“Yes. I’m sorry I haven’t called to tell you anything, Mom. I’ve been busy lately, and I didn’t think things would happen this fast.”
[It’s okay, I understand… But everything’s alright, right?]
“Yes, it’s fine.”
[Is he still as cute as ever, son?]
“He hasn’t changed a bit from what you saw, Mom.”
[Then go be with him for now. We can talk later.]
“Yes, Mom.”
[Good luck, son. I’m rooting for you!]
“Thank you, Mom.”
Muenfah set down the ketchup cup before slipping his phone back into his pants’ back pocket as usual. The chili sauce cup was only filled a little because he knew the little troublemaker didn’t like spicy food—not even the sweet chili sauce. If it had even a hint of spice, Theerak would shake his head.
He had always known Theerak didn’t like spicy flavors and he knew exactly how much Theerak liked ketchup…
The one who knew everything so well walked back with both sauce cups and placed them in front of the little troublemaker as before. Theerak bowed his head slightly in thanks, and Muenfah simply smiled, thinking that if his mom were here to see this, the “real him” would surely seem even cuter than in photos.
“I’m almost done eating, just wait a sec, okay, Phii Fah?”
“Sure, Phii Fah will wait…”
#However Many Thousand Skies
“Jasmine garland!”
“Why are you shouting, Li? It’s just a jasmine garland, not Annabelle the ghost or anything.”
Theerak glanced sideways at his close friend who was washing vegetables next to him before letting out a sigh. Since he got back, his mom had been calling him to help nonstop until the hamburger he ate was practically gone from his stomach. All the guests at today’s party probably felt sorry for the tiny host like him, so they pitched in to help here and there until his mom started feeling bad about it.
That’s what it’s like being everyone’s Theerak, huh…
Doesn’t drown in water, doesn’t burn in fire.
Even when Mom uses me, I don’t have to do everything myself, .
Being I am pretty comfy, isn’t it?
“Did you buy a jasmine garland to put in my brother’s car?”
Theerak nodded slightly while shaking water off a fresh yellow bell pepper to put it in a large glass bowl. He then turned to look at Panli, who was washing cherry tomatoes but still hadn’t finished because he was too distracted by the jasmine garland.
“Yeah… I bought it to pay respects to Mae Yanang. What’s so shocking about that?”
“…”
“Don’t tell me you don’t know who Mae Yanang is… That’s too much, Li.
You’re Thai, you know.”
“I know everything down to who my mom buys from… But I was shocked because my brother doesn’t like the smell of jasmine.”
“O_O”
He really doesn’t like it. And Phii Fah actually let the jasmine garland stay in the car… Looks like I don’t even need to ask what I was going to ask today.
It’s already confirmed clear as day.”
“S-Seriously, Li?”
“Why are your eyes popping out? Are you shocked on my behalf now…?”
“It’s not funny… Does Phii Fah really not like the smell of jasmine?”
“Big time. When he was a kid, if he smelled jasmine, he’d feel nauseous and want to throw up. Now that he’s older, he can handle the smell, but he still doesn’t like it because it gives him headaches.”
Oh… The whole way, the jasmine scent must have been overwhelming.
Theerak was genuinely delighted, while Phii Fah was probably feeling queasy the entire time.
“You stupid little dog!”
T___T
“It slipped out, didn’t it, you chubby-cheeks…”
“I didn’t know, Li… I didn’t know Phii Fah didn’t like it.”
“Not knowing isn’t a crime. The one at fault is my brother… He forced himself to keep it in the car and didn’t say he couldn’t stand the smell. Good thing he didn’t get dizzy and crash the car with you in it.”
“You’re exaggerating, Li. Phii Fah isn’t that wrong. He was just being considerate of my feelings. If he told me to throw it away, it would’ve been rude, right?”
“Oh… you idiot. I’m on your side, and you’re defending my brother. What is this, a love triangle between the three of us?”
Careful, or the third person’s getting punched in the mouth.”
“Look at this! It hasn’t even been long, and you’re already making me the third wheel when my brother came into the picture later. Man, people are something… How am I supposed to compete with the person in your heart?”
“You dog-faced jerk!!!!”
Panli burst out laughing until Theerak wanted to shove a bell pepper in his mouth, but all he could do was huff in his throat, afraid that if they fought, Panli would pinch his cheeks until they hurt.
“But no matter what, today I’m going to ask my brother about you and get to the bottom of it.”
Theerak, who was about to walk out of the kitchen, froze mid-step when he heard that sentence. He pursed his lips, thinking hard, before setting the jar of bell peppers down on the counter and turning to his best friend.
“If you ask, what’s going to happen, Li?”
“…”
“Will everything change a lot?”
“What are you afraid will change?”
“I just feel like the encouragement I give him makes him such a lovable person, a Muenfah that everyone in the world would want. If what you’re thinking is true, I might start feeling different… I wouldn’t dare get as close to him as before because I’d be afraid of giving him hope if I don’t end up feeling anything. But if it’s not true… the one who’ll pull away is Phii Fah, and then he’d lose someone like me who gives him encouragement.”
“…”
Can we just let things go on as they are, Li? Just let it flow naturally. Would that be better…? I mean, do I still want to know how he found out about non-runny omelets, ketchup, or that chocolate ice cream from whoknows-where? Yeah, I do. But if it means trading that for something changing, I don’t really want to know anymore.”
“In all the time we’ve known each other, this is the first time I’ve seen you overthink a relationship…”
“I just realized how damn complicated relationships are… whether it’s with friends, family, or lovers. You know I care about everyone who comes into my life. Even someone I’m not that close to, like Phii Fah, I’m starting to care about. I’m scared he’ll go through something bad, scared he won’t want to smile anymore.”
“…”
“I just want him to be able to smile a lot, and right now, he’s smiling so much, Li. If that goes away, I think I’d be really sad.”
“I think the reason he smiles so much is because of you…”
“…” There was no denying it because when they were together, Muenfah really did smile a lot. Even if Theerak didn’t believe it was because of him that the other smiled, those frequent smiles always served as a reminder.”
“Let’s just say I won’t ask Phii Fah, about this… I’ll let this curiosity keep tickling my heart like this because I think it’s better to let it go. Let my brother and you get closer little by little. No need to feel awkward if our feelings don’t align… To put it simply, in short, things are damn good right now. My brother smiles so easily he’s barely recognizable as Muenfah anymore. And you’re still as cute as ever, end of story.”
“End your life with that dog face of yours… You can never keep talking nicely for long.” Theerak said, shaking his head lightly before grabbing a glass jar to hold. He could only partially understand what Panli had said, but what he fully grasped and agreed with was, “Things are damn good right now. My brother smiles so easily he’s barely recognizable as Muenfah.” Honestly, this was enough… just right.
Theerak handed the jar of bell peppers to his older sister, who was preparing to chop them, and Phii Babe handed him a basin of marinated chicken to take to Phii Dom, who was skewering meat in the backyard garden. The little guy carried the basin toward his destination. He saw Phii Dom, Muenfah, and Type sitting on a mat spread out on the grass. This time, Joy couldn’t make it due to an urgent errand—such a pity for her, missing out on delicious food.
The three of them were so focused on preparing the barbecue that they didn’t notice he’d been standing there for a while. But soon, Muenfah sensed him and looked up at him holding the basin. He gave a faint smile before extending the arm with his watch toward him.
“Little troublemaker, could you take off my watch for me? It might get dirty with sauce.”
“Sure…” Theerak handed the basin of marinated chicken to Type and bent down to unfasten Muenfah’s favorite watch.
“If Theerak is the troublemaker, then what am I as your friend, and what’s this junior, Type?”
“Depends on how you guys act…”
Muenfah’s reply made the two others sitting there skewering barbecue burst into laughter. Dom smiled, thinking that Muenfah was still Muenfah—a quiet guy who asked little, answered little, and loved throwing sharp remarks that made the asker want to end the conversation.
But whenever Muenfah was with Theerak, he stopped being Muenfah. He turned into the evening sky, full of vibrant colors. And Dom believed that every hue on this sky was painted by Theerak.
“Done… Where should I put it for you? Should I leave it with Li?”
“If Panli gets a girlfriend, he’ll sell my stuff… So, troublemaker, put it back on for me.”
“What if I sell it instead?”
“Then you take the money and use it. I will go buy it back himself.”
“Double standards, huh… This watch was a gift from Mom, you know,
Pradipat. Did you forget?”
Panli, who had walked over with a basin of marinated pork and set it on the mat, raised his voice in dissatisfaction.
“…”
“You give in to everything, let it all slide. You’re ruining the reputation of the men in our family.”
“Don’t get cocky, Panli.”
“No need to be polite to me here—we’re all family.”
Phii Fah always showed respect to his younger brother in front of others. He wouldn’t use harsh words or casual terms like “I” and “You” [กู-มึง]. But when it was just the two of them, they were like typical siblings—teasing, bickering, and throwing around “I” and “You.”
“Jerk…”
Type burst out laughing as soon as he saw the handsome senior scolding his own friend, while Muenfah scolded with a calm expression and steady tone. However, it was so clear and firm that even someone like him, who was just sitting and listening quietly, felt a jolt in his gut—seriously emphasized. So “Don’t provoke him, Li, and Phii Fah, don’t scold Li either…” the smallframed guy who was putting on a watch spoke up to intervene. He didn’t really want to hold onto this expensive watch, but he was afraid the sauce might actually get on it, so he agreed to wear it for now.
“Hey, kids, are you all done yet? I’ve already lit the stove for you.”
But the one who could truly stop the sibling war was probably his mother, who walked in to check on things. Everyone nodded in response, and Phii Babe, who was carrying a bowl of freshly chopped bell peppers into the garden, nodded as well.
“Oh, but why doesn’t that pile of barbecue skewers have any pineapple? Did Theerak order Phii Dom to set some aside just for himself?” His mother shifted her gaze from a batch of barbecue skewers that had everything skewered on them except the pineapple, which her son didn’t like. “What did I tell you, dear? Don’t be picky, okay? Everything has its benefits.”
“N-No, I didn’t tell Phii Dom to do that, Mom!” The small guy quickly waved his hands back and forth to deny it.
Everyone awkwardly looked around for the person who made these skewers. Every barbecue skewer typically had meat, tomato, pineapple, and bell pepper. Some skewers missing bell peppers weren’t surprising since Babe was still chopping more to add because there weren’t enough at first. But there was plenty of pineapple, yet it wasn’t skewered onto that particular batch of skewers—
A batch that was sitting on a plate next to Muenfah…
“Well, Dom said Rak doesn’t like pineapple, so I didn’t put it on the skewers.” Muenfah explained.
“Oh, I see… Next time, don’t indulge him too much, Fah. He’ll get used to it and become picky.” his mother said.
“Yes, ma’am…”
“If he were that picky, his cheeks wouldn’t be sagging to the floor.” Babe teased.
“Then I’ll go cook for Grandpa first. Once you’re all done, wash your hands and put the barbecue on the grill, okay?”
“Yes, ma’am…”
“Yes…”
Theerak frowned, lost in thought, before turning to look at Muenfah, who was quietly sitting and skewering more meat. The pineapple thing probably wasn’t much different from oily omelets, ketchup, or chocolate ice cream. He was certain Phii Dom wasn’t the one who mentioned it because Phii Dom often forgot that the fruit he disliked the most was pineapple.
Theerak wanted to ask Muenfah directly, but as he’d once told Panli, if asking might lead to a change, Theerak would rather let it go for now. His relationship with Muenfah wasn’t stable enough yet—it was just beginning and still quite fragile. Pressing too hard might tear it apart. But Theerak also didn’t plan to ignore it until the doubts in his heart piled up into a mountain.
He’d just wait… wait for a more suitable time.
#However Many Thousand Skies
“Rak, grab me the ketchup bottle.”
“No way… Take the chili sauce instead.”
“What’s wrong with my life? I never get what I want.” Panli grumbled but took the chili sauce anyway. Not long after, his playful best friend handed him the ketchup bottle too.
“Do we have morning classes tomorrow, Fah?”
“Oh, nine o’clock.”
“Are you taking a sandwich? I’ll ask Babe to make extra.”
“Should she make extra? No need to feel shy. When Dom has early classes, we always make some for him.”
“No worries, I don’t eat breakfast.”
“Just drinking coffee, huh, Phii Fah…” Theerak said before stuffing a piece of chicken barbecue into his mouth. Muenfah, sitting beside him, didn’t respond but simply reached out to playfully rub the face of the watch on Theerak’s wrist.
“Complain…”
“Let someone nag you for once. Besides Ma, no one else can nag you about breakfast.”
“Maybe it’s not Rak that’s the stubborn one… it’s Phii Fah who’s the stubborn one.”
“Just not eating breakfast—how’s that stubborn?”
“Everything about you is stubborn, Muenfah.”
Muenfah gave a small smile before biting his lip when he saw the smaller guy wrinkle his nose at him again. Neither of them seemed to notice that everyone at the dining table was watching. The playful teasing between Muenfah and Theerak made everyone feel so embarrassed that they lowered their heads and focused on eating their barbecue instead, unable to keep watching.
Babe, who had been bravely observing for quite a while, now felt shy as if she were watching a romance movie. She thought that both Muenfah and Theerak were unaware that their facial expressions and the look in their eyes resembled people flirting with each other. His younger brother didn’t show much reaction—compared to the other, it was barely noticeable. Given Theerak’s naturally clingy and friendly personality, joking around with Muenfah wasn’t anything unusual.
But Muenfah… he didn’t hold back at all.
The way he looked at Theerak… was it really that obvious?
“Hey… I think it’s true… right?”
“Huh?” Dom, jolted by his girlfriend nudging him with her elbow, responded in a high-pitched tone.
“Right?”
“…”
“We’ve got some talking to do tonight.”
Dom shook his head before digging into his barbecue to stock up, knowing he’d probably be in for a long interrogation tonight. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Phii Fah, you really should eat breakfast sometimes. I’m being serious here.”
“…”
“Breakfast is super important. I eats every morning—even if there’s no class, I still wake up to eat and then go back to sleep.”
“Isn’t that just because you’re a big eater, you chubby-cheeks?” Type teased.
“Not at all… it’s really good for your body.”
“Then tomorrow, I will wake up and eat breakfast.”
“Phii Fah… you heard that, right? I’m telling the nanny about this.”
“Why do you have to tell the nanny?”
“Because the nanny’s been dying for you to eat breakfast, but you always brush it off. you eat sometimes, then stops, until the nanny finally gave up.”
“Wow. Then Phii Fah you really have to start eating again—make the nanny happy.”
“Okay.”
“Phii Fah, you don’t eat, how should I punish you… People who don’t keep their promises need to face consequences, right? But this time, I don’t want to deduct points either.”
Panli frowned in confusion. He didn’t understand a single thing his friend was saying to his older brother. It was as if the two of them were speaking a language only Muenfah and Theerak could comprehend.
“You can confiscate my cigarettes. If I don’t eat breakfast tomorrow, you won’t bring them back to me.”
“Can’t he just buy new ones?” Panli asked.
“But I won’t buy new ones. I’ll only take them from him.”
Everyone knew how addicted Muenfah was to cigarettes and how heavily he smoked. Having his cigarettes confiscated wasn’t a promise to be taken lightly—he’d have to follow through for real. Something as simple and ordinary as eating breakfast, which was easy for others, seemed to become an insurmountable challenge for Muenfah.
Just smiling and eating breakfast… it’s not too hard, Phii Fah.
“And how will I know if you have eaten breakfast?”
Muenfah handed over his phone to him. “Can I have your LINE?
Tomorrow, I’ll send you a picture of my breakfast.”
Theerak glanced at his older sister, who was staring at them. Muenfah was only asking for his LINE; he probably didn’t need her permission for that. But for some reason, he kept looking at Phii Babe anyway.
“Babe, can I have Rak’s LINE?”
“Uh, sure,” Babe replied to the bold request. She wasn’t sure what was happening because she couldn’t quite figure it out, but something told her to go along with this person.
“Babe has given permission, so I, can I have little naughty you’s LINE?”
“It’s already in the group… just add him from there, Phii Fah,” Type suggested, noticing his friend wasn’t responding to the senior yet.
“I want him to give it to me willingly.”
At that moment, Theerak took both the phone and the pack of cigarettes from Muenfah. He didn’t know what kind of chaos might unfold after this as they grew closer, but no matter what, Theerak believed everything would turn out fine. And it would surely be worth the friendship he’d gained.
Getting close to Phii Fah… it’s another good thing in life, isn’t it?
A party always has an end. After eating barbecue for a while and chatting for some time, everyone said their goodbyes and parted ways. Theerak wanted to see his friends off at the front of the house, but since Panli told him to go back and help Phii Babe and Phii Dom with the dishes, the small guy gave up and returned to the kitchen. Meanwhile, the two siblings from the Pisut family went to pay respects to the mother and grandfather before heading out.
“Phii Fah… are you free tonight?”
“Is something up?”
Panli, who was following his older brother to the car, gave a slight shrug. He wanted to ask his brother something. Asking during the party didn’t seem appropriate, and asking right in front of their friend’s house felt too obvious.
Even though Theerak didn’t come out to see them off this far, there was still Type walking out of the house. The matter he wanted to discuss was somewhat important, and Panli thought they should talk seriously in a private space.
“I’d like to talk for a bit…”
“Late tonight, go wait on rooftop. I’ll come up to meet you.”
“Okay.”
“…” Muenfah nodded before getting into the car. He could guess what his younger brother wanted to talk about. Panli was his brother, not someone else. If he wanted to know, he’d have to answer.
#However Many Thousand Skies
Theerak, sitting on the steps in front of the house, was staring at the white slippers Muenfah had bought for him while waiting for Moogrob, the little pup, to finish its personal business in his mother’s flower garden. Today, Muenfah had left a whirlwind of questions swirling in his mind. Theerak was mature enough and not so clueless that he couldn’t see or sense what was going on. When alone, he tried to carefully reflect on it himself. Though he had almost no experience in matters like this, Theerak thought that what Panli had said might hold some truth.
But he didn’t believe it.
He didn’t even want to entertain the idea that Muenfah could actually like him.
The flood of confusing emotions that had hit him in such a short time made Theerak start to discern the special feelings more clearly. He’d never felt his heart race for anyone before… never lost himself like this. It all made him realize something different was stirring in his heart—a special feeling reserved for just one person, not something he could feel for everyone.
And right now, Theerak was certain it wasn’t love.
Maybe it was just something fleeting, something that only happened in the beginning. If he got closer to Muenfah, even just a little more, that person might stop affecting his heartbeat altogether. Theerak decided he needed to get a grip on his emotions. He wouldn’t let this chaotic confusion shake the budding closeness they’d just started to build.
When he told Panli he wanted to let things flow naturally, he meant it.
And because he wanted it to keep flowing, he was determined to protect this relationship.
“Moogrob… No way!! I won’t let you bite these slippers, no matter what!”
His hand quickly snatched the slippers off the ground as Moogrob looked ready to sink its teeth in. The moment the little pup saw him stand up and turn toward the house, it gave him a pitiful look. Theerak guessed that the reason it sat there with its tongue hanging out, not budging, was because it really wanted to chew on his new slippers. Normally, Theerak would give in to Moogrob’s whims, but this time, he couldn’t let it slide.
He’d just realized that some things with sentimental value could make your heart stronger, pushing you to protect them so they’d stay with you longer. Like how he couldn’t let Moogrob chew on these slippers—because he wanted to preserve the good memories the other person had given him for as long as possible.
LINE ~
The notification sound snapped Theerak out of his thoughts. He pulled his phone from his pants pocket. As soon as he opened the LINE app, he saw a message from someone.
M.FAH: Troublemaker…
Theerak placed the slippers on a high shelf to keep them out of Moogrob’s eager reach before plopping back down on the steps. His fingers hovered over the keyboard, typing a reply, only to delete it and start over. He repeated this several times, all while inwardly scolding himself for feeling nervous about chatting on LINE. He shouldn’t feel this way—they’d already met in person before.
But chatting here feels different somehow…
M.FAH: You’re still awake, right? Because you opened my message.
Theerak: Yes, I’m still awake.
M.FAH: It’s late. You should sleep now, okay?
Theerak: Okay. You too, Phii Fah. M.FAH: Okay.
Theerak was about to exit the chat window, but then Muenfah sent something back.
M.FAH: [send, a, voice]
Theerak’s eyes lingered on the message for a moment before he pressed play to listen to the voice message.
Theerak heard soft music playing in the background. He guessed Muenfah was probably at the shop—around this time, customers were just starting to pile in, nowhere near the other’s usual bedtime as he had assumed. Following the music came Muenfah’s low chuckle from his throat. He remembered it well because Muenfah often laughed like that when they were together.
And finally, there was Muenfah’s deep voice…
“Good night, you little troublemaker…” Wishing good night as usual.
#However Many Thousand Skies
TBC
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