"Do you usually have breakfast, Khun Glai?"
The person who was about to take a bite stopped for a moment before answering, "I eat breakfast on some days."
"Why is that?"
"Because mostly I have morning classes, and when I wake up, I rush to get dressed and leave the house to go to university. By the time I get to the university, class is about to start, so I just go straight to class and eat after school..."
The person in front of him, staring at him with a stern look, made Glai quickly explain, "I leave early enough from the condo, Panlee. But in the morning, there's a lot of traffic... The earliest I can leave is around 7:30 AM, and my class starts at 9:00 AM. Some days, I have to be at university by 8:30 AM for the dress code check before class. So, I don't have time to stop for breakfast."
"There's a dress code check?"
"Yeah... The teacher checks if your clothes are appropriate, like how men's hair must not be too long. When you're studying aviation, it has to be neat like this."
Khun Prachan furrowed his brows as if thinking about something.
"But there's only one day that made me skip breakfast, which is Wednesday when we have the in-flight service class. The teacher is really strict about time and appearance—everything must be perfect..."
But since Glai was afraid that Panlee might think he was neglecting the issue and not trying to solve it, he explained something he had been trying to do all along. "But I used to buy bread and milk and keep them in the fridge at the condo. In the beginning, I would take them to eat, but later I forgot to buy supplies to stock up. Sometimes I rush out of the condo and forget to grab the bread and milk to eat..."
"And recently... you thought it would be better to finish class and then go out to eat later, is that it?"
Ah... Panlee knows a lot, huh? "Ugh... Yes, that's exactly what I thought."
"I understand everything, Khun Glai. I understand the urgency, too. From what I've heard, your department is quite strict, unlike mine."
"..."
"But from now on, you should try to eat whenever you have the time. If on a Wednesday when things aren't too hectic, don't forget to bring some bread with you in case you have some time before class to eat something."
"..."
"I think telling someone to change their habits right away is not easy. Even though we care a lot about the other person, we have to respect their choice to live their life in their own way. Because we don't know what challenges they might face..."
Khun Prachan paused before smiling at him.
"...For example, this coming Wednesday, you might plan to bring bread and milk to eat at school, but at night, there might be a lot of work to do, and you forget to stock up on food. Then in the morning, you have to rush out to school..."
"..."
"See? The situation can change at any time. So, I won't tell you that from now on you have to eat every day. But I'll just say that... if you're not too busy from now on, please try to carry a little something to eat."
Glai remained silent. Many people had been worried about him not eating breakfast regularly. Everyone usually reminded him to eat every day, and he tried to do so because he didn't want to worry anyone. But no one had ever expressed their concern in such a deep way as Panlee did. The words of Khun Prachan didn't make him feel uncomfortable or pressured because he chose to explain with understanding.
Sometimes when we make a mistake...
We might not want the reassurance of "It's okay,"
But we might just need "understanding."
Glai smiled before saying, "Thank you, Panlee, for understanding me. When I promised my family and friends that I would try to eat breakfast every day, but I couldn't do it, I always felt guilty because I knew it made them worry again."
"You don't need to feel guilty. You promised to try, and you've tried your best," Panlee smiled before gently touching his nose with the tip of his finger, continuing,
"I'm worried about you too, but I choose to understand that things like this aren't easy. For some difficult things, you might not be able to do it alone... From now on, let's try to do it together, okay?"
Glai didn't know exactly what they would try to do together, but just knowing the other person wanted to "try" with him made him feel warm inside.
"Mm... I'll try with you, Panlee."
"Yes... but first, you need to finish this shrimp fried rice."
"Well, Panlee kept talking to me... normally, I eat fast."
"Sorry!" Khun Prachan said while laughing. Because Khun Prachan kept asking about him as if wanting to get to know him better, Glai kept answering the questions, which led to him barely touching his fried rice.
Now, it felt like Khun Prachan knew everything about him, and Glai thought he couldn't let the other person get away with it. He should know about Panlee too, but he would try to ask questions that didn't invade Khun Prachan's privacy too much.
"So... do you eat breakfast every day?"
"Yes, I do."
"Don't you have morning classes?"
"Yes, but I usually wake up early..." Panlee seemed to notice something in his eyes and raised his finger as if to stop him. "But you don't need to feel guilty about not eating breakfast like I do, okay? Like I said, we're different. My department allows me to be late more often. The teachers don't check dress codes. Our circumstances are different..."
"..."
"So, we just do our best in our own way."
It seemed like Khun Prachan could read his mind. "Mm, I won't feel guilty."
"Good job."
"How many days do you have morning classes?"
"Just one day. I only have morning classes on Thursdays. The rest are from noon to afternoon."
"Ah..."
"Do you want my schedule? I can send it to you on Line."
Glai widened his eyes before quickly waving his hand in refusal, "No, no need, Panlee. I was just asking."
"Ah... Do you want to ask anything else? I can answer everything."
Actually, there were a lot of things he wanted to ask, but he knew he shouldn't. "Uh...I need some time to think."
"Okay," Panlee said, laughing.
Since Glai planned to make more progress with Khun Prachan, he thought he should ask something to gather information to impress him. "Panlee, what kind of person do you like? ...I mean, what kind of person impresses you?"
When he saw the other person trying to suppress a smile, Glai immediately realized that he had said something awkward again. "Ah... Actually, it's the same question."
"What kind of person... Do you mean as a friend or a lover?"
Glai tried to steer away from the topic, but Khun Prachan seemed to find the shortcut and got straight to the heart. "Both, I guess."
Don't get too specific, Glai...
"If it's as a friend, I like people who are sincere, not selfish. Just these two things."
"..."
"But if it's someone I want to develop a relationship with..." The playful look in Khun Prachan's eyes changed to something more steady and serious. "I've never been specific about the kind of person I like. There's no special type."
"..."
"I just know that when I like someone, I don't set any conditions for him. I like him the way he is... Honestly, when I really like someone, I want him to be himself as much as possible."
"..."
"If he's worried that I won't like him, I just want to tell him... 'I like you just the way you are'."
"..."
"...I like you even on the days when you say, I'm not good enough, I'm not strong enough, I'm not always smiling.'" Khun Prachan smiled as Glai's heart warmed to the point of nearly bursting.
"..."
"...On those days, you may be the strongest or the weakest person. I don't care, because all I care about is... I like you."
"..."
"If one day you really like someone... you just need to be yourself, Khun Glai. Because I believe your true self will make them like you easily... and probably love you easily too."
How many people get advice from the person they secretly like, only to use that advice to make the person fall in love with them? Probably only Glai.
Glai thought he was lucky to have received direct advice from Khun Prachan. He thanked himself for having the courage to ask Panlee such questions, because Panlee's answers helped him narrow down the long path ahead.
"I'll follow your advice, Panlee."
Khun Prachan smiled before saying, "Khun Glai, believe me... this advice will definitely work 100%."
Does Khun Prachan know... that if this advice works 100%, Khun Prachan will have to be 'Panlee of Glai's heart' forever?
:)
Ding Ding
The bell hanging on the door will make a ringing sound when someone opens the door and enters the shop. Glai's narrow eyes shifted away from Khun Prachan to look at the new customer who had just arrived. The tall man, wearing a blue sports outfit, smiled warmly at him. Glai smiled back at the new customer, someone he had met before.
"Glai~"
Khun Prachan turned to look behind him as soon as he heard the voice calling him. When he saw that it was his friend, he sighed heavily.
"Goddamn Boss."
"My mom named me 'Boss,' friend... just 'Boss,' nothing more, no goddamn part in front of it."
The boss walked over and stopped at our table before grabbing an empty chair to sit at the head of the table. Khun Prachan looked at his friend with an annoyed expression, but Boss just smiled and alternated his gaze between Glai and Panlee.
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to play badminton with the girls..." Boss said, casting a sly look at Panlee. However, Khun Prachan shook his head slightly and picked up his glass of water to take a sip instead. "Want to play badminton with us?"
"No."
"I'm not inviting you to go beat up those girls... but to go find that guy Till."
"Till's back from China already?"
"Yeah, he just came back yesterday. Today, we dragged him out. We're going to hang out tonight."
"You guys didn't invite me, huh?"
"If I invited you, would you go?"
Khun Prachan, who was talking with his friend, turned to look at him before responding, "I'm going to stop hanging out."
"Ho... you little dog."
Slap!
"0_0"
Glai's eyes widened when Boss received a hard slap from Khun Prachan. The person who was hit laughed and gently rubbed his own lips. Glai thought that Panlee and his friends probably liked to play roughly because Boss didn't seem shocked at all.
"Who's the little dog, you bastard?"
"You, of course."
Panlee raised his hand, ready to slap his friend again, but Boss raised one hand to cover his mouth before pointing at him. Glai wasn't sure what the boss meant, but the gesture made Khun Prachan hold back his hand.
"What's your deal? What does Glai have to do with this?"
The one about to be physically harmed lowered his hand before speaking. "A while ago, I passed by this store, and I saw you let Glai pet your head like a little dog."
"..."
"You usually don't let anyone mess with your head."
"..."
Khun Prachan pushed his tongue into his cheek while looking at his friend who was smiling wryly. Panlee, who was silent, furrowed his brows as if trying to figure out how to fight back, but eventually had to surrender, letting out a quiet sigh and muttering a curse under his breath.
"This time you win, you bastard Boss."
"Haha!" The boss laughed happily, slapping his knee loudly before turning to him.
"Glai... try calling Panlee a little dog."
"Fucking Boss~ Are you serious?"
Glai shook his head firmly in refusal. He wouldn't say it because Panlee probably didn't like being called "little dog." Even friends get slapped for saying it. Despite how nice Khun Prachan was to him, he wouldn't let it slide.
"I'm not saying it."
"Glai, trust me. Panlee won't do anything to you."
The person being persuaded looked at the boss. He pursed his lips and thought hard. Part of him was curious to see how Khun Prachan would respond, but the other part feared angering the person. Glai shifted his gaze from Boss to meet Khun Prachan's eyes.
Khun Prachan's expressionless face made Glai worried, but the fierce look in his eyes made it feel like he was being challenged. It was then that Glai decided to scrunch his nose at Panlee and say a certain sentence.
"Little dog, don't get mad at me."
The tall guy, called by a nickname he didn't like, let out a laugh before saying, "Soon, Glai's gonna get hit by Panlee for trusting Boss."
"Haha... just like a little dog. Doesn't dare do anything to Glai."
Slap!
"Ah, ow!"
"But dares to mess with people like you."
Boss, who got a hard slap on the head from the fierce Khun Prachan, raised his hand to rub his head lightly before sending a pleading look to Glai.
"Glai, my head hurts. Pet my head too."
Slap!
Before Glai could decide what to do, Khun Prachan slapped his friend on the head again. Glai saw Boss's head shake violently and swallowed, praying that his brain wasn't damaged enough to require a hospital visit. But seeing the boss laugh it off, he figured Boss would be fine.
"You've got a rash, you bastard."
"I'm done teasing now. You slapped me so hard that my brain's going to leak out, you bastard..."
Boss spoke while giving him a thumbs up before continuing, "But Glai, you did well. You helped me beat Panlee."
"You're gonna get hit again..."
"Haha!" The laughing person stopped abruptly, as if remembering something.
"Mmh... let's go find Tiw. It's been a while."
"Right now?"
"Yeah, soon we're leaving because we need to get ready to hang out."
"Then who will stay with Glai?"
Boss turned his attention from Panlee to look at Glai. "Oh, yeah, right."
"Panlee, go meet your friends. I'll finish eating, then I'll go wait by the number one football field."
Panlee stayed silent as if thinking, then turned to ask his friend, "What time are you guys leaving?"
"Panlee..." Glai knew Panlee was worried. He probably didn't want him to be alone. So, he reassured him to put his mind at ease. "I'm fine on my own. Really, go meet your friends."
In truth, if Glai asked to go with him, Panlee would probably allow it.
But he didn't want to do that...
Glai wanted Panlee to invite him willingly.
"Do you want to eat some more first?"
Glai looked at his shrimp fried rice, which was slightly finished, before deciding to speak a few words to ease the other's worry. "Yeah, I'm not done with my fried rice yet. There's still a lot left. Let me finish it."
"Okay..." Khun Prachan nodded, reaching into his pants pocket. He handed Glai his brown wallet and said, "...Then, Glai, take this wallet. When you finish eating, just follow Lee to the badminton court."
"It's fine, Panlee. I'll pay myself."
"Khun Glai, don't be stubborn."
"I'm not being stubborn... I just want to treat you sometimes." He spoke softly while accepting the brown wallet. Khun Prachan reached out to pat his head gently before standing up straight.
"This is Panlee's responsibility..." Khun Prachan said, grabbing his black shoulder bag. "See you at the badminton court, Khun Glai."
"Okay."
"See you later, Glai."
"Yeah, Boss."
"Such a polite way of speaking. My heart's melting."
"You bastard Boss! Just go already."
Glai watched the two tall figures walk out of the restaurant before glancing down at the brown wallet in his hand. When he opened it, the first thing he saw was a family photo of Khun Prachan. Now, Glai was starting to realize who Panlee took after. He looked so much like his father, while P'Fah looked more like their mother.
Glai laughed softly at the picture of little Panlee, who had fair skin. He was smiling widely with squinted eyes, sitting on his father's lap. Khun Prachan must have been cheerful since he was young. Glancing to the other side, he saw another boy with a calm expression sitting on his mother's lap. Glai shook his head slightly, feeling affection for the two siblings, who were so different from each other, from their personalities to their appearances. He looked at Panlee's parents, who still looked younger than their age, thinking...
Thank you for everything that brought your parents together. Because if your parents hadn't loved each other, I wouldn't have the same moon to love today. Thank you.
...
After finishing his meal, the small guy left the restaurant and headed straight to the badminton court. Before leaving, Glai asked a staff member for directions to the badminton court. She suggested taking a shortcut through the second football field as it would shorten the distance. Glai decided to follow her advice.
The shortcut led him to the badminton court faster than expected, but there was a small downside—it brought him to the back where there was no entrance. Glai looked up at the large badminton court, resembling the gym at his high school, and scanned the area for an entrance with hope.
But he had to accept that he would need to walk around to the front entrance. Glai hurried to the corner of the building and raised the brown wallet and notebook in his hands. Glai smiled to himself as these two things reminded him of someone. When he lowered his eyes from the important things in his hands, he looked up and saw several cars parked in front of the court, with many large trees around. He thought that if he walked to the corner of the building and turned right, he would probably reach the entrance.
But just as he was about to turn the corner, two tall men walked out from that direction. Glai didn't know why, but he chose to stop walking when he saw that the people appearing were Panlee and Boss. They stopped near a large tree not far from the court. Boss handed Khun Prachan a white cigarette.
Glai was about to walk over to Khun Prachan, who didn't seem to notice him standing at the corner of the building. However, when he heard Boss's question, Glai paused. He then decided to hide behind a large tree nearby to avoid being caught overhearing their conversation.
Glai apologizes, Khun Sasin.
I didn't want to eavesdrop that much.
I just wanted to know...
"Why do you say 'ka' 'kha' to Glai?"
The person being asked, who was exhaling white smoke from both mouth and nose, went quiet for a moment before speaking. "Do you think he's cute?"
"He is cute."
"Yeah... that's the reason."
"..."
"The truth is, I don't just use 'ka' 'kha' with Khun Glai. Any polite words that seem cute and suitable for him, I'll use them."
"..."
"I don't even use 'krub' or 'kha' that often, but recently, I've been using 'ka' 'kha' with him because I feel like using these words makes me seem gentle. It makes me seem better, not because I think he looks cute like a woman and decided to use these words with him."
"..."
"But I also observe his reactions. I don't just use words based on my own whims without noticing him. Khun Glai doesn't seem to dislike it or feel uncomfortable. When we talk, he looks comfortable, not awkward, not scared of me... that's enough for me. How others see it from now on, I don't care."
"Calm down... I'm asking because you don't usually speak politely to anyone. With the women you've talked to, it's rare for you to end your sentences with 'khrap'."
"...Even though I don't speak politely to everyone I talk to, it doesn't mean I don't treat them well. I always respect everyone and try my best in every relationship, but when it comes to speaking politely..."
"..."
"Khun Glai made me think of this phrase: if you want others to treat you a certain way, you have to treat them that way... I want to hear him speak politely to me all the time, so I have to speak politely to him."
"..."
"The reason for this is simple."
"Does he speak politely to everyone?"
The red light at the tip of the cigarette glowed as Khun Prachan inhaled nicotine again. "That's his right. If he wants to speak politely to everyone, it's his right. I can't stop him."
"..."
"Did I answer everything? Are you done being curious, you bastard?"
"One more question."
"What..."
"Have you ever seen something and felt like it was the cutest thing in the world?"
"Yes."
"What made you feel that way?"
Glai didn't expect it, Khun Prachan. He didn't expect it to be 'Glai Jai' either.
"When I saw the Winnie the Pooh stuffed toy that my mom bought for me in 2nd grade."
"Haha, it's so cute!"
"Yeah... at that time, I thought it was the cutest thing in the world."
"What about now?"
"I still feel the same."
The small person, who had been secretly listening to the conversation, smiled slightly and thought, "It's good that I don't expect it," because hoping to be the cutest thing in the world to Khun Prachan might be too far out of reach.
But it doesn't mean that Glai Jai won't ever have the chance to be the cutest thing in Khun Prachan's world someday. Maybe someday Glai Jai will be Khun Prachan's number one.
"Then, is Glai as cute as that Winnie the Pooh?"
Thump, thump, thump
Boss's question made Glai's heart race. The temperature in his body soared even though he hadn't yet heard the answer. Glai thought that even if Khun Prachan said "No," his heart would still race and not calm down. He looked at the tall person, who was biting his lip, seeming to hold back a smile. Khun Prachan shook his head slightly while releasing white smoke into the air.
"No."
"..."
"Not as cute as Winnie the Pooh... because Khun Glai is way cuter than that." Boom!!!
Khun Prachan's clear and sincere answer made Glai's heart swell rapidly, finally bursting. The small person turned his back against a large tree and let his weak body slump to the ground. Glai squatted down and raised his notebook and wallet to cover his flushed face. He tried to hold back his smile but couldn't.
Glai Jai is so crazy!
He's embarrassed again. Stop it right now!
Control yourself!
T_____T
But I can't believe it....
Glai Jai beat Winnie the Pooh from Khun Prachan's mom.
"Hasn't Glai come yet?"
"I'm about to text him."
The small person, feeling extremely embarrassed, quickly pulled out his phone to silence it. Last night, he had left the sound on, afraid that his dad would call in the morning and he'd miss the vibration alert. But it seemed like the world hadn't played a trick on him for a long time, and now it wanted to give him a chance to prank him.
His finger slid to silence the notifications but didn't make it in time.
Line~
;______;
Panlee must have heard the notification because even he could hear the two talking so clearly. They weren't far from each other; the only reason they couldn't see each other was because the large tree hid their figures and blocked their sight.
P.Panli: Glai Jai, have you finished eating?
Glai was about to open the Line app to reply, but then the person texted again.
Line~
Line~
Line~
Oh no... Glai
Why didn't you silence it earlier? The small person felt flustered and didn't know what to do. He calmed himself before silencing the notifications and opened the Line app to respond to Khun Prachan's messages.
P.Panli: Where are you, Khun Glai?
P.Pani: sends a sticker
P.Panli: sends a sticker
Glai looked at the sticker of a rabbit tilting its head with a confused look and a symbol "'" above the fluffy character's head. His fingers were about to type a reply when the person, who was sitting and looking at the screen, felt like someone's shadow had crossed over his body. Glai swallowed thick saliva and glanced at the black sneakers of someone who had stopped beside him.
Glai decided to look away from the phone screen and looked up at the person above his head. At that moment, he met the familiar eyes of Khun Prachan, who slightly furrowed his brows before reaching out his hand to grab Glai's head. The other hand held a black phone.
"Khun Glai... what are you sitting here for?" He said while waving his phone in front of Glai's face. "Lee was worried, so I texted you. But I heard the notification sound every time I sent you a message, so I followed the sound."
"..."
"And I found the little rascal sitting here."
"Well..." What should he say? Glai tried to come up with an excuse quickly. At this point, whether Khun Prachan would believe his excuse didn't matter anymore. But he couldn't let Panlee know he had been eavesdropping on their conversation... "The little rascal is about to faint."
Wait...
Why did you refer to yourself with the nickname Khun Prachan just used? Who taught you to do that, Glai Jai?
This is bad.
;______;
"Really?" Khun Prachan's eyes widened in surprise before he leaned down to look at him. He put his phone in his pocket, and both hands gently held Glai's face. Then he said, "Your face is all red. It was really hot when you were walking, wasn't it?"
"Y-Yes... that's why I came to rest here."
The person who seemed worried kneeled down in front of him, then turned to shout for his friend. "Boss!"
"What's up~" Boss responded cheerfully as he walked toward them, but his face showed surprise. "Glai... what's wrong? Why is your face so red? Are you sick? I'm freaking out. What should we do, Lee?"
"Khun Glai is about to faint. You go prepare a fan. I'll take Khun Glai to the field."
"Okay, okay, I got it." Boss quickly ran off. Right now, Glai felt really guilty toward Khun Prachan because he looked so worried. Glai kept apologizing in his heart and promised he wouldn't do it again. But besides the apology, Glai also wanted to say...
Thank you, Khun Prachan,
For always being concerned...
And for always being everything to Glai Jai.