"The owner, please wait outside."
"...Okay."
I held back a smile, watching Qin's face fall as the staff led Fluffy into the training room. Besides learning new skills, there were also other puppies of the same age for Fluffy to socialize with. I was starting to understand how parents feel when they secretly watch their kids on their first day of kindergarten. Fluffy glanced left and right, starting to panic when he realized both his dads were gone.
Fluffy and Qin are like two peas in a pod. If you put Qin in a room full of friendly, hyper people eager to make new friends, he'd be the only one sitting quietly, observing what everyone else was doing without starting a conversation. Fluffy was the same—he just flopped down, completely uninterested in whatever the other puppies were up to.
I watched the trainer working with each puppy. They were starting with the 'shake' command. Fluffy was half-cooperative—sometimes he listened, sometimes he didn't. There were some classes where owners could join in the training, but today wasn't one of them. And there was Qin, sitting there looking worried and stretching his neck to peek at his 'daughter' the whole time.
"Calm down, Papa."
"I feel bad for Fluffy."
I laughed softly and patted his head a couple of times. In the end, Qin sighed and said,
"Let's just wait at home. Seeing her looking so sad like this hurts my heart for some reason."
I nodded and led him to the car. It took less than ten minutes to drive from Qin's house to the dog training school.
"You're back so soon, kids."
"Hello, Ma. Qin's feeling down because Fluffy isn't warming up to anyone or playing with the other puppies, so we decided to come back home and wait."
"Ah, it's probably breaking his heart. Qin was the same when he was little. Always playing by himself."
"Ma, you're making me sound so pitiful."
"Alright, alright, come inside. I'm heading out for lunch with my friends, and Pa has errands to run. Behave while you're home alone, okay?"
We each got a kiss on the cheek before watching Qin's mom, all dressed up and cheerful, drive off in her car.
"You're so much like your mom."
"Yeah, Ma loves socializing. Pa's no different."
"Are you going to the café this evening?"
"I'll drop by for a bit when we go pick up Fluffy."
"Alright. What should we do until then? Want to play a game?"
"Sure."
Qin led the way inside, setting up the game console on the big TV. Lately, he'd been obsessed with retro games we used to play as kids, especially Metal Slug. He was so serious about it that on nights without work, he'd play until sunrise.
"Don't lose focus, Duang."
"Yeah, yeah, I'm trying."
"Set an alarm, or you'll forget to pick up Fluffy."
"What time do you want to leave?"
"Let's leave early and wait there, so Fluffy won't feel abandoned. Bring some treats as a reward too."
I smiled and nodded in agreement before we got lost in a world full of soldiers, zombies, mummies, and even aliens. Each level was ridiculously hard—enough to drive anyone crazy. I laughed every time Qin cursed, whether in Thai or English.
"Calm down, terrr!"
"I can't calm the hell down!"
"You're so funny."
"Let's change our strategy. Here's the plan..."
I watched his pretty lips move as he quickly explained the strategy for the stage we kept failing. Maybe I stared too long because he had to ask several times if I was even listening. I leaned over and gave him a quick kiss before saying, "I'm listening."
He sighed.
"Alright, let's go again. I got it this time."
"You didn't even listen properly.""I did!"
I repeated his whole plan back to him. He looked satisfied—so satisfied that he leaned in and kissed me as a reward. We got back to focusing on the game, so much that I started wondering—damn, am I even this serious about my studies?
Not long after, I cheered loudly while Qin cursed as the word
CLEAR
finally appeared on the screen.
Holy crap—I thought we'd be stuck on this level until graduation. T-T
"Happy now? You play like you're trying to win the world championship."
"I'm just serious."
"So am I. Especially when it comes to you."
"You never stop flirting."
"And I never will. I'll keep doing it just like the day I first asked you out."
"Oh, you mean when you kept sneaking glances at my collarbone?"
"Shut up."
Qin rolled his eyes at me, probably remembering that time. Back when we first started talking, it was awkward as hell, like we were figuring each other out bit by bit until we finally clicked. It all began with me bringing him snacks. Told you—food works. At least it got him to sit still with me for a while. Then came soccer games, befriending his friends, offering to walk him back to his dorm, and getting scolded every time I pretended to 'accidentally' stay for dinner. I kept sneaking glances at his collarbone until he smacked me on the head. And eventually, helping him with his work.He gave back to me in his own way—just as awkward, just as Qin-like.
"Hey, we still haven't gone to the beach together."
"Well, we're both free tomorrow, and there's no class on Monday."
"Let's go then! We can take Fluffy and drive straight back to campus afterward."
"Alright, I'll book a place. Somewhere pet-friendly."
Qin decided on his own, grabbing the MacBook from the sofa to search for accommodations. I just went along with whatever he said, so long as I got to pay.
"Half and half."
"No, you've spoiled me enough already, with all these expensive things."
"If it makes you happy, nothing is too expensive."
"Who am I even talking to right now?"
I pretended to lie absentmindedly on the floor, only to get a loud thump on my chest from him. In the end, I had to sit up properly and hand him my debit card from my wallet so he could pay for the accommodation—a pool villa by the sea, and most importantly, every area allows pets.
Qin looked really happy as he started packing things for his daughter's first beach trip. Let me tell you, his fashion sense isn't just limited to me or himself—Fluffy's collar alone? Countless styles.
"Which color should we take?"
"Blue."
"Might as well take them all."
I wanted to say,then why even ask me, but I held back. His hands are heavy. T_T
"Qin, it's time to pick up your daughter."
"Okay, let me grab some treats."
"I'll wait in the car, okay?"
"Yeah."
And I'm really curious what the trainer will say about my and Qin's daughter, lol.
__________
"Fluffy is very smart. The trainer said she listens well and has better focus than other puppies her age. She can already give a paw sometimes—Khun Qin, try asking for her paw often, so she remembers the lessons."
Qin nodded, glancing at Duang, who was sitting not far away, playing with
Fluffy and smiling.
Just like her papa.
A reward is definitely in order.
"You're in trouble now, Fluffy. I bet the trainer said you were naughty."
"Duang."
"Huh?"
"Let's go."
"See? We probably need to drop out of school—why else would your papa rush us out like this?"
"Even with a dog, you tease."
"Look at her face, though!"
Duang laughed out loud at Fluffy, who seemed to understand human language because she looked sad, glancing back and forth between him and Qin. If she could talk, she'd probably be asking, What did I do wrong, Papa?
So adorable.
"Why do you keep kissing her, Duang?"
"I can't help it. She's just like you."
"The trainer said Fluffy listens well and stays focused. You're the best girl, aren't you?"
Qin said as he turned the steering wheel, driving away from the training school and toward the family business. Duang pressed his nose against Fluffy's head repeatedly, praising her and teasing that Papa was just joking earlier. Qin listened as Duang started chatting with Fluffy about their beach trip tomorrow.
"Fluffy, do you know what the sea is?"
"..."
"Tomorrow, we're going to the beach. Pa will take you on a banana boat— how about that?" Duang gestured animatedly.
"You're so random."
"I want her to be a bit bold. She's a girl, but she should play like the boys."
"Isn't she bold enough already, Duang? You buy her the weirdest stuff without thinking."
The one being scolded just laughed. He loves it—whether it's squid-shaped hats, army outfits, or anything silly—if Duang sees it, he buys it for Fluffy without hesitation.
"Oh, by the way, did you know Jetana went to Korea again?!"
"Maybe he's just traveling."
"I doubt it. He's flying back and forth like a maniac. And in business class
too. Is his family selling drugs or something?"
"I'll find out for you."
"That's the spirit. We're on the same team, right?"
"Or maybe Jetana will tell us when he's ready." Qin shrugged.
"He's so secretive."
"Maybe he doesn't want anyone to take it too seriously. If things don't work out, it's easier to pretend nothing ever happened."
Duang thought about it and sighed. In the end, he just didn't want his friend to get heartbroken. But how can you control anyone's heart? And if Jetana really had a partner in another country, how would that even work?
I mean, look at me, I can't even be apart from Qin for a day without losing my mind.
"Fluffy, do you miss Uncle Jetana?"
"Bark~~"
"See? She definitely misses him. Should we FaceTime him later?"
Duang shook his head, but Qin immediately chimed in, "What can we do? Our daughter is already head over heels for Uncle Jetana."
Duang wanted to argue, but—well, it was true. Jetana had a way of making Fluffy go wild. Normally a quiet puppy who doesn't play with anyone, themoment Jetana shows up, it's like someone hit the turbo button. And once Jetana leaves, Fluffy is so exhausted that she just lies on the floor panting.
But Qin always smiles the whole day afterward—he likes seeing his daughter burn off some energy. With how chubby she is, she definitely needs the exercise.
"My leg's gone numb, Fluffy."
Next month, we're definitely getting scolded by the vet—both Fluffy and your Papa. Qin scrunched his nose, playfully annoyed at Fluffy, who whimpered softly.
"Alright, let's put the leash on. We're almost at Papa Qin's shop."
"What should we eat tonight, Duang?"
"Up to you. I'm fine with anything, but we'll probably need to get takeaway. I doubt they'd let Fluffy in around here... Right? Right?"
And then Fluffy got smothered in kisses until she had to twist around and playfully nip at Duang's hand, trying to stop the endless cuddling. When we parked in the lot, Duang took charge of walking Fluffy while Qin checked the inventory with the staff. Duang waved goodbye to Qin, telling him not to worry. He strolled along with Fluffy until they unexpectedly ran into another corgi, something that didn't happen often.
"Chill, chill."
Duang crouched down, hugging Fluffy, who looked like she was about to pounce on the other dog. She was definitely her dad's daughter—so feisty. The other dog was a male too. What if our baby doesn't like boys?
"Oh, isn't she cute~"
The tall guy crouched down to pet Fluffy's head gently. ...He looks familiar.Have we met before? "Hey, can you not tease other people's dogs so much?"
"But she's adorable. What's her name?"
"Ah... Fluffy."
"Whoa, that's such a cute name! But actually, this is my boyfriend's little brother's dog—his name's Koro."
Finally, Duang realized who the guy was—it was that couple he met at the big concert at Qin's faculty. And the casually dressed guy with long hair and a ton of accessories? That was Shinta, the bassist from No Bad Days.
Whoa... If Qin had been here, he'd probably be blushing like crazy. He's totally got a crush on the bassist.
"Fluffy looks so strong and healthy!" Dr. Aei gave a thumbs-up to the proud owner, who was beaming. Duang made a mental note to tell Qin—he'd been going above and beyond to find the best food to nourish their daughter.
"Is this corgi imported? It doesn't seem like it's from a Thai breeder."
"Yeah, my boyfriend imported her from Taiwan. There's a farm here, but they bring them in from Taiwan."
"Same here! Koro's from Tokyo!"
"Ah, that makes sense. He totally looks Japanese."
"Well, Koro's owner is Japanese."
"I see. He's so well-behaved—much calmer than Fluffy." Duang gave a dry laugh.
"Koro's a scaredy-cat. He doesn't have many friends."
"Fluffy's the same, honestly. Haha."
"But it looks like they want to be friends."
Duang watched as the handsome, cream-colored corgi named Koro sat calmly while Fluffy excitedly sniffed around him. Shinta, still holding Koro's leash, raised an eyebrow as the dogs slowly warmed up to each other.
"They just want to play together."
"Is that what you think?"
The guy being questioned didn't answer—instead, he squatted down and started speaking to his dog in Japanese. Duang started to sweat a little. Even their dog was bilingual, just like Qin. Honestly, they could be twins. Qin's mom spoke English to Fluffy, and Qin himself sometimes did too. Their daughter could understand both Thai and English. Meanwhile, this other dog seemed to understand Thai, Japanese, and English.
T_T
__________
"So, did you really meet him yesterday?"
"For real! I was sitting there waiting while Fluffy played with that boy for ages. You missed it."
"Fluffy, can you promise not to grow up?"
I burst out laughing because Qin looked so heartbroken that their daughter had been playing with a boy for almost thirty minutes. Honestly, yesterday, I only chatted with Dr. Aei briefly—just about dog care, behavioral observations, and upcoming vaccine schedules."Fluffy, Pa's asking if you'll stop growing. Will you agree?"
"I don't want Fluffy to have babies."
"You're getting way ahead of yourself. She just played with a boy for a bit."
"I don't want her to have a boyfriend either."
"You're about to cry, aren't you? Haha."
I scooped Fluffy up for more cuddles. Poor thing—her legs were probably sore. And really, I couldn't figure out why her dad was so overprotective. Oh, by the way, we're almost to Hua Hin. We left at the crack of dawn, planning to let Fluffy stretch her legs on the beach. She's probably super excited since it's her first time seeing the sea and so much sand.
"Hey, can we stop by 7-Eleven?"
"Hmm? What do you need to buy?"
"Condoms."
"..."
"What? I paid for the pool villa, so we better make it worth it, right?"
"You're giving me a headache."
"Or you could skip it, but no complaining later."
"You're such a tease." He flicked on the turn signal and parked in front of 7- Eleven, sighing as he took Fluffy from my arms. I blew him a playful kiss—earning myself a middle finger—before hopping out to buy condoms. And while I was at it, I grabbed some lube too—just in case we went for a few rounds. I mean, I'm nothing if not prepared. T_T
"I'm back. Got you some fruit juice too."
"Thanks."
"Aw, you sound so sweet~"
I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before shutting the door and buckling my seatbelt. We drove for a little while longer before finally arriving at the villa.
It was as luxurious as expected, and they took excellent care of our dog. There were even dog massage services, a mini spa, and a salon. Qin looked pleased as he handed Fluffy's leash over to the staff for her to get a massageand unwind after the long car ride.
"Yes, as long as my wife is happy, I'm happy too."
"The room is so spacious, you could bring eight more friends to sleep over."
"The swimming pool is okay too."
"Come here and let Duang give you a hug first. You've been driving all day. Thank you, my good boy."
I opened my arms, waiting for Qin to walk over.When he finally did, I hugged him tightly, kissed his cheek and the top of his head. Then, repeatedly thanked him. The two of us started unpacking and putting things in place. I brought watercolors and all kinds of drawing supplies. We'll probably go sit by the beach, enjoy the sea breeze, and find something to do while waiting to take
Fluffy for a massage. Qin said he wanted to take a shower because he felt a bit tired. I guessed he might sneak in a little nap.
"If you're still not sleepy after your shower, come find Duang outside,okay?"
"Okay."
"Or should I help you shower?"
I got scolded for that. I just laughed and carried my things outside to paint. The cool sea breeze lifted my spirits. The sea at this time of year was so clear that I quickly grabbed my film camera to capture it. I wanted to keep these memories both as photographs and as paintings.
I sat mixing colors, sketching with a pencil, listening to the sound of waves hitting the shore, and watching a bird glide back and forth, playing with the cool air... everything felt so perfect.
"I'm sleepy."
"Oh, you're done already? That was quick."
I was busy painting the blue hues when I asked without turning around. Qin slipped his arms around me from behind, resting his face against my back and mumbling about being sleepy. I told him to lie down on my lap, and he obediently did just that.
"Should Duang stop painting and take you to bed?"
"No, keep painting. I want to see your picture."
"Then, once I'm finished, Duang will carry you to bed."
"You can just nudge me. I can walk on my own."
"No way, I want to carry you."
"Look at my size, Duang," he said slowly, and then he fell asleep. I brushed his hair gently, letting the cool breeze and the sound of the waves lull him into sweet dreams.
And when I finally finished my painting... I ended up carrying him to bedanyway. :)
___________
"Will you be okay, Duang?"
"Of course, as soon as I catch her, I'll hold on tight. She won't drown."
Already in the pool wearing just swim trunks, I reassured Qin to stop worrying. But how could he not worry? This was his precious little girl.
"Fluffy, come here, come to Pa."
"Woof!!"
"Let her go, Qin. She won't sink, trust me."
Qin sighed before releasing Fluffy into the pool, which the accommodationhad assured us was pet-friendly. The only problem was that Fluffy had never swum in a pool this deep and wide before.
"Good girl, come here, quickly."
The one wearing a thin T-shirt smiled widely, dipping his legs into the pool, watching the father and daughter play in the pool, realizing to himself that happiness is as simple as this.
Fluffy paddled her way to Duang, licking her other owner's face before barking loudly to urge Qin to join them. But the pale-skinned one shook his head, unwilling to get wet because he didn't want to bother showering again. Instead, he grabbed his phone to record Duang and Fluffy playing.
Once he was sure Fluffy could really swim, he began tossing her into the water again. That silly dog, easily excitable, demanded to be thrown in again and again.
"Fluffy, don't bump into things too hard."
"Swim! Pa's scolding you."
"You should play gently too. You're acting like a boy."
"You're just like my mom, Qin. Always fussing over the smallest things. My dad would just say, 'Go on, kid, if you hit your head, we'll stitch it up later.'"
"I can't do that. Fluffy is still small."
"Then how about we swim back and forth together, or would you like to race with Papa?"
Qin sighed, watching his boyfriend race a dog in the pool. Honestly, Fluffy was already six months old, but to him, she was still that tiny puppy sitting blankly among the other corgis. Just like how he still saw Duang as the same person who had nervously asked to date him on that first day.
"What are you looking at?"
"At you."
"Why? What's wrong with Duang? You're looking at me like you're about to cry. Are you okay?"
Duang carried Fluffy out of the pool, and the little corgi seemed to know playtime was over as she shook off the water, drank a little, and lay down, watching her two dads as they suddenly turned serious.
"I don't know."
I really don't.
"Maybe I'm just happy you're still here."
"And where else would Duang go?"
I don't know anything. When I have Duang, it feels like I don't need to know, don't need to guess, don't need to worry... I don't even have to think about whether tomorrow will be good or bad.
"I told you from the beginning that I prepared everything to love only you."
Because I'm sure that today, I have Duang. We have each other like this.
"So cheesy."
"But someone's ears are turning red."
"Thank you for bringing me to the beach, Papa."
"I'm going to melt. Should we stop now?" Duang laughed as our noses brushed together, and we tilted our faces just right—both knowing what came next. The kiss was as perfect as always.
"I love you, Duang."
"I love you too, Qin."
"Woof!!"
"Okay, okay, I love you too, Fluffy." We both burst out laughing when our mischievous corgi barked right after our love confession. She stayed there, looking expectantly, until Duang had to address the person sitting with his legs dipped in the pool—who had just leaned down to kiss him—and say,
"You have to tell Fluffy you love her too. She's not giving up."
And as always,
"Sigh..."
Duang and Qin.
Just the two of us.
"Papa loves you, Fluffy."
"Woof~~"
With the simplest happiness in the world.