Anupap sat eating breakfast in silence. Atikom showered quickly and joined him, carrying the scent of soap.
The young inspector smiled with satisfaction, watching Anupap keep his head down, focused on his savory rice porridge.
"Mmm... smells delicious..." Atikom settled beside him. "You make the best food in the world. If you cooked for me every day, I'd probably get fat as a pig."
"More like an elephant," Anupap couldn't resist the jab—given Atikom's massive frame.
"I'd accept being an elephant."
"Major, I'd like my computer back. I need to get some work done, if you'll allow it."
"Of course..." Atikom's voice was sweet as he ate quietly before suddenly declaring, "I figured it out... why you keep switching between calling me Captain and Major since my promotion."
Anupap looked up, meeting the young officer's gaze.
"When you're irritated with me, you call me Captain. When you're calm and collected, you call me Major."
"Are you saying I lose my mind when I'm angry, Captain?" Anupap's voice took on an edge.
"No, no... just when you're annoyed."
"I just called you Captain. What am I annoyed about, Major?" Anupap lifted his orange juice.
"Well, uh... you're annoyed about seeing me undressed on display," Atikom put on a mock-shy expression. "Maybe thinking I deliberately flashed you."
"Captain!" Anupap caught himself.
"There it is—exactly what I meant." Atikom pointed triumphantly, grinning wide.
Anupap sighed. 'So his theory holds true after all.'
"From now on, I'll just call you Captain every time," Anupap stood, moving to wash his juice glass.
"Can't you call me something else? I don't want you to call me Captain, neither Major, but I'd like you to call me..."
Anupap spun around, studying the teasing man with narrowed eyes, waiting silently for him to continue. But the young officer just smiled and returned to his breakfast with apparent relish.
"I know exactly what to call you now," Anupap remarked before leaving the kitchen.
The two young men drove back to Bangkok near noon. Anupap mentioned needing to finish work that evening to meet a client deadline the next morning.
Atikom felt deeply satisfied with his beach house kidnapping results. Anupap had grown closer to him, though still showing occasional irritation—brief moments that felt more like playful banter.
During the drive, Anupap engaged him in conversation, seeking his perspective on advertising as a television viewer. He was preparing an important soft drink commercial featuring a famous singer.
"Everything else is manageable. Scheduling is the biggest challenge—we get one or two days at a time. We need to shoot at various beautiful southern beaches. Bank Nitinai has to fly back and forth. It'll take weeks to finish. If we could get his full schedule for over a week straight, everything would wrap up quickly."
"So you'll be down south for an entire week?" Atikom didn't want the young man traveling so far, especially now that they'd grown closer. He couldn't bear being separated from Anupap.
"Not just one week—definitely longer than that." Anupap made an exasperated face.
"If I could help, what would you give me?" Atikom suggested casually.
Anupap turned to him, puzzled. "How could you help... help with what?"
"I don't know. I just want to help you somehow. Get your work finished quickly. If you're gone that long, I couldn't stand it..."
"Captain, stop joking around. I'm genuinely stressed about this."
"There it is again—calling me Captain when you're annoyed. You were calling me Major just fine earlier."
"Then I won't call you Captain anymore." Anupap thought he'd forgotten about the morning incident, but here it was again, being used to tease him.
Music from the radio filled the silence. Anupap froze. That song that stirred his soul was playing again, the one he'd heard driving back from Atikom's Kanchanaburi commercial shoot.
Anupap sat perfectly still, absorbed in the melody...
"…"
Atikom glanced at the young man beside him, now sitting motionless. 'Is he angry about something?'
"…"
"Khun Nu?" Atikom couldn't help asking.
Anupap turned with a faint smile. "Just listening to music. It's my favorite song."
"…"
Atikom relaxed—Anupap wasn't angry, just lost in the song's mood. He wondered about the lyrics' meaning. His broken English from those classes barely helped—he'd learned just bits and pieces.
"…"
'Who is Anupap thinking about... me or someone else?' Atikom burned with curiosity but didn't want to disturb the young man's reverie.
"…"
The singer's resonant voice faded. Anupap returned to the present world. Atikom couldn't contain himself—he'd caught the word "love" once. 'That's the only word he understood.'
"Beautiful song," Atikom ventured.
"The meaning is lovely. It brings back so many memories." Anupap smiled, thinking of Atikom's smile, but overlaid by Chavis's. Both smiles that made him feel airborne, floating far away, both that made his heart race, left him not himself, just at different times, different places.
"Explain it to me."
"Didn't you say you studied English for working with American investigators?"
"Well, yes, but they don't sing in high-pitched voices like that. I only caught the word 'love.'"
"CDs are everywhere with lyrics included. Ask someone to translate for you."
"Hey, why do you keep calling me 'Khun?" Atikom protested, changing the subject.
"I said I wouldn't call you Captain anymore. I'll call you 'Khun'—one short word. Saves breath." Anupap's voice turned cool.
"I thought you'd call me something else... like..." Atikom left the sentence hanging for Anupap to guess his meaning. This form of address issue wasn't settling down anytime soon.
"Should I call you Police Major Atikom then? Your full official rank?" Anupap feigned seriousness.
"If you're not tired, be my guest," the young officer raised an eyebrow.
"I'm curious about something—what does that song mean to you?" Atikom pleaded, returning to his original question.
"Just an ordinary love song."
"An ordinary love song that had you sitting transfixed like you were in a trance. Who were you thinking about?" Atikom's voice carried hurt.
"I was thinking of P'Bud," Anupap smiled mysteriously. "Why do you want to know?"
"I want to know, want to know if there's any space for me in your heart," Atikom began revealing his feelings more openly.
"With your huge frame, you'd take up all the room."
"I'll squeeze myself down to P'Bud's size," Atikom's voice softened.
"That's insane. If you were P'Bud's size, my heart would break from shock," Anupap laughed. Atikom was deliberately mimicking Sombat. "I'll tell P'Bud on you."
"Don't... then P'Bud won't be fond of me anymore."
Atikom meant 'P'Bud won't cheer for us anymore.'
"Khun Nu. I want you to know that I want to be alone in your heart. I don't want anyone competing for space. You know I'm big—I need lots of room." Atikom released his left hand from the steering wheel to grasp Anupap's, squeezing gently to transmit his feelings. He wanted to pull the blushing man into his arms but feared being scolded.
'Wait a little longer... soon I'll do more than just embrace,' Atikom thought, smiling with contentment.
This beach house kidnapping hadn't been wasted at all. He savored these brief moments of happiness...
The young police officer didn't yet realize that love's journey contains intertwined joy and sorrow, a spectrum of emotions with both laughter and tears. Sometimes bright as morning sunlight dancing on ocean waves in glittering beauty, before afternoon heat becomes scorching and waves crash with thunderous force. Sometimes like dark storms, howling winds that leave you barely able to stand...
***