The small person wearing a yellow t-shirt with a crescent moon pattern, which he got for free because he used the quota of the owner of the shop Once in a Blue Moon, was standing in front of the condo, waiting for his brother to pick him up. Last night, P'Dom called to inform that everyone was gathering at his Teerak's house before heading out. Initially, he decided to drive himself, but P'Dom said he would stop by to pick him up so they wouldn't have to drive in multiple cars.
Glai looked down at his cream shorts, which were about an inch above the knee, and smiled. Normally, Glai preferred wearing shorts at home and rarely wore them outside. Most of the time, he had to wear suits almost every day. Being able to wear comfortable clothes was what Glai longed for the most during holidays. Since purchasing these shorts, Glai liked it the most because the soft fabric made him feel relaxed.
Brinnnn ~
The sound of a vehicle accelerating caught Glai's attention, prompting him to look up. He saw a black van with heavily tinted windows turning swiftly into the condo. When the van stopped abruptly in front of him, the screeching sound of tires against the pavement echoed loudly.
Eeeeeek ~
At that moment, a memory of his mother's words from childhood resurfaced: 'Khun Glai, hold onto Mom's hand tightly. There are a lot of people around here, and someone might kidnap you into a black van with dark tints.' Though he knew it was just his mother's ploy to keep him close, Glai couldn't deny that this van made him believe her words, even if just a little.
Flick ~
Glai took a single step back as the van door slid open abruptly. A tall man, sweating profusely, jumped out in a rush and grabbed Glai's shoulders tightly. Glai clutched his dark brown backpack to his chest, swallowed hard, and shook his head in denial. Glai didn't have... tens of millions of baht.
"N- excuse me, little brother..."
"Y-yes..."
Smack!
Glai's eyes widened as he saw P'Dom smack the sweating man hard on the head. However, the man, now even sweatier, still didn't release his grip on Glai.
"You idiot, you're scaring him! If you need the restroom, just ask nicely!"
"N- excuse me, little brother... where's the restroom? My fortress is about to collapse."
"W-walk straight in and turn left. There's a restroom for visitors there."
"Th-thank you so much!"
Once the tall man, under siege, got his directions, he released Glai and ran into the condo. Glai watched him until he disappeared from his view.
"My friend desperately needed the bathroom... and the traffic was awful. He held it in for so long before making it to your condo," P'Dom explained.
Glai, who was focused on his brother's explanation, nodded before saying, "He must've really held it in for a long time. His face looked so pained."
"Yeah, and he seemed really frantic too," chimed in P'Hia, who had just stopped next to P'Dom, speaking in a lively tone. Meanwhile, another good-looking man, P'Real, shook his head with a look of frustration. Glai remembered meeting both of him for the first time during Panlee's soccer match.
"You guys are such a mess. One has to use the bathroom, the other gets carsick. What's even going on? And when we get to Rak's house, Fah will probably blacken my eye again," P'Real grumbled.
"Well, can you blame us? My dad's driver drives like a maniac. He overtakes every car he can't pass," P'Hia retorted.
P'Dom chuckled before draping an arm around Glai's shoulders. "You two wait for Goy here. I'll take my little brother to sit in the van first."
"Alright, alright."
"Let's go wait in the van, Glai."
"Yes, P'Dom."
Glai walked toward the van with his brother. However, upon scanning the passengers inside, Glai couldn't help but gulp nervously. He had never seen any of these people before. Although Glai had braced himself for the fact that most of the group would be seniors, the curious gazes and furrowed brows of the unfamiliar faces left him feeling unexpectedly self-conscious.
"No need to wonder... he's my little brother," P'Dom introduced confidently. Not knowing what else to do, Glai recalled a basic courtesy: greet his seniors with a wai. He quickly raised his hands to greet everyone in the van. "Sawasdee krub."
"Sawasdee krub ~"
"Hi there ~ Take a seat!"
Glai smiled as the seniors, both male and female, put their curiosity aside and greeted him warmly. P'Dom pointed to a seat in the first row, and Glai slid in, sitting close to the window so that his brother can sit next to them.
"The shirt you're wearing... is it from Panlee's shop?" P'Dom asked.
eGlai glanced down at his shirt and then looked up, offering a shy smile. "Yes, I just bought it yesterday."
"..."
"But I washed it already, P'Dom. At first, I was worried it wouldn't dry in time," Glai added quickly.
P'Dom chuckled, reaching over to ruffle Glai's hair lightly. "If the shop owner saw you wearing it, he'd be thrilled."
"I didn't tell Panlee I'd wear this shirt to the beach. I wanted to surprise him," Glai said with a smile.
P'Dom smiled and continued, "When Panlee decided to invest in opening a shop in Siam with his partners, he used to argue a lot with his older brother."
"P'Dom means P'Fah and Panlee, right?"
"Yeah, but it wasn't anything serious. Fah was just really worried about Panlee and still saw him as a kid."
"..."
"And Panlee was stubborn, not really listening to Fah. Back then, we were all so stressed. Sometimes, even during class, Fah would call to argue with Panlee."
"..."
"In the end, Fah couldn't stop Panlee. He secretly used his own savings, several hundreds thousand of baht to invest with his partners. On the shop's opening day, Fah went to see it. I still remember Fah saying when he came back... 'I guess my little sibling has really grown up.'"
Glai smiled. "Honestly, P'Fah's words have a deep meaning."
"..."
"It's like he wanted to say... Panlee is pretty amazing"
"Both siblings are so stubborn. They rarely say anything sentimental to each other," P'Dom remarked with a chuckle.
"But their actions clearly show they care deeply for each other."
"Yes... just like me and Glai."
The younger brother smiled at his elder brother before glancing at P'Real, who had just gotten into the car with a displeased look on his face. P'Real chose to sit in the front row next to P'Dom, while P'Hia and P'Goy sat in the second row. When the car door was slid shut by the person sitting closest to it, a voice from the back spoke up:
"Start the car, Uncle. Goy is done with his business."
"Yes, Khun Hia."
"You jerk, couldn't you just say 'start the car' without broadcasting my business?"
It wasn't just Glai who chuckled at the remarks of the two seniors; everyone in the car burst out laughing. Glai turned back to smile at his brother, thinking...This trip is going to be so much fun...
"Glai, my friends might be a bit chaotic," his elder brother commented.
Glai smiled again before replying, "Don't call it chaos, P'Dom. Let's call it lively instead."
"Oh... by the way, did Panlee mention that the resort we're heading to in Rayong belongs to his uncle?"
Glai nodded. "When we spoke on the phone before bed, Panlee mentioned it, but I didn't remember the exact date."
"Oh..."
At that moment, P'Dom's tone and gaze made Glai realize that his brother had noticed the shift in their relationship. It must have been the phrase, 'we spoke on the phone before bed,' which highlighted their closeness. If two people weren't close enough or didn't have a significant bond, they wouldn't sacrifice their private time to talk at such an intimate hour. Glai believed that most people would prefer to spend that time alone after a long, tiring day. But if someone made you want to spend that time with them...
Made you want them to be the last person to send you off to sleep...
...then that person must hold considerable influence over your heart. At this point, Glai wasn't sure what P'Dom thought. He hadn't intended to hide their rapidly developing relationship, but he hadn't explicitly revealed it either, due to various lingering concerns. Glai wanted everything to progress further before sharing their story and feelings with everyone.
P'Dom smiled, glancing at Glai's light yellow shirt before asking, "So... you and Panlee must be very close now, right?"
"Yes..." Glai thought that the phrase 'not lying, just not telling the whole truth' fit this situation perfectly. "We've grown much closer."
"Honestly, even if you hadn't said that, it's pretty obvious from the way you and Panlee interact."
"..."
"I'm glad you're close to Panlee... because now, besides me and your close friends, there's Panlee to be there for you too."
"Actually, I have to thank you, P'Dom, for introducing me to Panlee. If you hadn't invited him to my birthday, we wouldn't have become this close."
P'Dom smiled before teasingly asking, "So, this closeness... it's more than just friendship, isn't it?"
That was precisely what Glai intended to convey. He raised his hands, mimicking the word... "Just a little more than friends."
P'Dom chuckled softly and reached out to pat Glai's head before turning to talk with
P'Real about the quickest route to Rak's house. Glai pulled open the curtain by the window, gazing at the overcast sky. He wasn't sure if it was because Panlee had recently started joining him for lunch on some days, or if there was another reason why P'Dom began to suspect their relationship. But P'Dom's words reassured him that their bond was evident not just to them but to others as well.
Glai had worried about how to reveal their evolving relationship to everyone, knowing that things changed day by day and that he couldn't predict what tomorrow would bring.
Tomorrow...
They might become more than just 'close friends.'
Or they might remain as 'close friends.'
No one could know—not even the two of them.
Because the unpredictable nature of the future brought unease, but what truly caused anxiety was the thought of how others might perceive them.
Afraid of being questioned about things they didn't have clear answers to.
Afraid of taking too long to define their relationship, letting others speculate before they could provide clarity.
P'Dom's words made Glai realize that the future and other people's thoughts were beyond his control. Accepting that even with superpowers, he couldn't manage these two things, he decided to let them return to where they belonged. Let the future unfold in its own time. Let thoughts remain with their rightful owners.
No matter what the future holds, it's a matter for tomorrow. No matter what others think, it's their thoughts, not ours. But if someone were to say that sharing their relationship with others is important, and asked for his opinion, Glai would simply say...
Relationships are like planting a tree. We don't need to announce that we're planting it or explain the complicated process to anyone. Others aren't interested in the sowing, fertilizing, or daily watering; they just root for its growth. They don't help it grow faster.
Letting the tree grow steadily with just our care is best. There's no need for others to anticipate or monitor its growth. When the tree stands strong and beautiful, they'll see it for themselves, without the need for explanations.
Realizing this, Glai knew that no matter how their relationship changed, it remained a matter between the two of them. Only they could truly understand its significance. Today, Glai unlocked another layer of his feelings...From now on, Khun Prachan better prepare. Because a more courageous GlaiJai might just be bolder in taking action...
...
Fid ~
As the car turned and parked beside another white car, the senior sitting near the door quickly slid it open, as if unable to stay in the vehicle any longer. P'Dom turned to nod at him, signalling him to get out of the car. Glai stood up and followed P'Dom out of the car, glancing at P'Real and P'Hia, who hadn't stopped arguing. Throughout the ride to Teerak's house, those two kept quarrelling until the driver had to stop the car so they could settle their argument about the route. Even now, as they got out of
the car and walked toward P'Fah, they were still at it.
"Glai... let's switch to Fah's car," P'Dom suggested.
Clutching his backpack tightly to his chest, Glai turned his attention away from the bickering seniors and nodded to his brother. "Yes, P'Dom."
"I'll head inside to see Babe first. Want to come along?"
Glai scanned around, looking for someone, and upon spotting Khun Prachan smoking under a large tree, he turned back to smile at his brother, who was waiting for an answer.
"You go ahead and see P'Babe, P'Dom. I'll go put my bag in Fah's car first."
"The backpack isn't that big... You could just bring it with you," P'Dom replied.
"Uh..." Glai hesitated, glancing between Khun Prachan and P'Dom. Seeing his reaction, P'Dom nodded with a smile.
"Oh... well, go ahead and store it, then."
Glai smiled before replying, "Okay."
The small figure smiled faintly while hugging the backpack tighter to his chest, then walked toward the tall figure smoking under the tree. When Khun Prachan noticed him approaching, he quickly dropped his cigarette to the ground and stubbed it out with his foot before moving to stand by the back of the white van, waiting for him.
Glai couldn't help but smile as he observed Panlee, who was dressed more neatly than usual today. His hair was styled as usual, revealing his face, and he wore an oversized white shirt paired with cream-colored shorts and brown leather sandals. To others, Khun Prachan's outfit might seem ordinary, nothing special compared to usual.
But to Glai, when someone is special to us, even if they appear ordinary to everyone else, they remain the most special in our eyes. Glai stopped in front of the taller man, meeting his gaze. Khun Prachan reached out to gently pat Glai's head, as he often did, speaking softly.
"Lee thought you'd drive yourself here. I was about to call you just now."
"Initially, I planned to drive myself, but last night P'Dom called to say it'd be better if I came along with him, so we wouldn't need too many cars."
"Oh..." Panlee nodded in understanding before scanning him from head to toe. Then, with an unusual stern expression, he wagged his finger. "Those shorts are a bit too short, you know."
He knew it, Lee would definitely comment on this. And of course, Glai knew exactly how to handle it.
"Even if the shorts don't pass..." Glai said, loosening his embrace on the brown backpack and holding it by his side to reveal the shirt he was wearing. "...the shirt is okay, right?"
At that moment, the sunlight seemed dull compared to the radiant smile on Glai's face. The stern look on Panlee's face gave way to the familiar playful sparkle in his eyes. Panlee probably wanted to scold him for wearing shorts, as he had warned him about the strong sun at the beach, but when he saw Glai wearing the shirt from the Once in a Blue Moon brand, he couldn't bring himself to do so. He pointed at Glai with a smile.
"Well played."
"I know you're warning me out of concern, but please don't scold me, Lee. I love these shorts so much that I wanted to wear them to the beach."
"If it were just concern, I wouldn't scold. But it's not just concern, it's because I'm possessive, too."
"..."
The words concern and possessiveness may not seem too different, but their meanings are worlds apart. Understanding the meaning of possessiveness all too well, Glai felt so flustered that he was left speechless. Seeing him standing quietly, Panlee placed both hands on Glai's shoulders and spun him around, examining him before muttering softly, as if only for himself to hear.
"It's hard to accept, but I'll try because you like these shorts."
"..."
Had Panlee not confessed to being possessive just now, Glai might not have understood that statement. But with possessiveness clarifying its meaning, Glai realized that for someone possessive, accepting such things was no small feat, it was genuinely difficult.
Panlee turned Glai to face him again, and Glai smiled as their eyes met. He thought Panlee might not realize that his possessiveness had already crossed the line of being just 'close friends.' It didn't matter if Panlee wasn't aware because at least he had admitted his feelings and expressed them directly, unlike before, when he would mumble only to himself.
It was a good sign.
It showed that his consistent efforts to flirt had made Panlee feel something beyond just liking.
"Lee, after all that inspection, does it pass?"
"If it didn't, it'd have to now. You've already worn it, plus you emphasized how much you love these shorts."
The listener burst into laughter before saying, "You're like a teacher inspecting uniforms, Panlee."
"And between a teacher and me, who's stricter?"
The little one furrowed his brows slightly, as if pondering. "If I'm honest... it'd have to be you, Panlee."
Panlee smiled proudly before saying, "Of course. A teacher does it as their duty, but I do it because I care... It's naturally different."
Sometimes Panlee's bluntness was so overwhelming that Glai couldn't keep up. Even though he'd become much better at handling such situations, he had to admit that he wasn't yet skilled enough to counter Panlee's words. They were like bullets piercing straight into his heart, leaving him frozen as if his soul had been taken away.
"..."
"Do you want to bring the backpack with you or leave it in the trunk?"
And the one who revived him was the same person who had just left him lifeless.
"At first, I was going to leave it in the trunk, but I've changed my mind. I'll take it with me."
"Okay."
Feeling his face heat up from Panlee's knowing gaze, Glai avoided eye contact, opting to look elsewhere instead. He saw P'Babe, P'Dom, and the other seniors getting into the car. When P'Fah boarded last, following Teerak, Glai turned back to Panlee.
"Panlee, let's get in the car."
"Okay."
He led Panlee to the car, its door wide open. Glai raised his hands in a polite wai and smiled at P'Fah, who sat in the front row with Teerak, before stepping inside. Looking around, he noticed many familiar faces in Fah's car, making the atmosphere far less suffocating than the one in P'Hia's car.
"Do you want to sit with us, Glai?" P'Babe, who was sitting by the window in the second row, asked with a concerned look. She must have thought that Glai wasn't. very close to anyone on this trip and wanted to take care of him. Glai looked at his brother, who was sitting next to his girlfriend. P'Dom smiled and lightly patted the seat beside him, inviting him to join them.
If Glai chose to sit with P'Babe and P'Dom, he wouldn't be able to sit with Panlee, as there was only one empty seat left in the second row. Although the two of them hadn't agreed to sit together before getting on the van, Glai thought they were probably on the same page about it. He glanced toward the long back row that was completely empty and then replied to his brother's girlfriend.
"It's okay, P'Babe. I'll sit in the back instead."
He smiled at the two of them as he made his way to the empty back row. While walking there, Glai heard someone ask with a concerned tone, "Do you want to sit with me, Glai?"
Glai turned to look at the person who had spoken and gave a faint smile. "It's okay, Rak. The back is empty."
After settling into the back row, Glai smiled at the tall figure who followed him. However, his faint smile faded as Panlee chose to sit in the second row next to P'Dom instead.
Glai blinked in confusion, realizing he might have been the only one thinking they were on the same page. Perhaps Panlee preferred to sit with his senior. Glai stared down at his brown backpack before taking out his earphones to keep himself company while sitting alone in the back.
"It might be lonely, Glai..."
The small figure looked up at Rak, who spoke with a tone and expression of concern. Glai wanted to tell him that it might indeed be as lonely as he said, but not too much so because he'd have music as his companion. Just as he was about to respond to reassure Teerak, someone in the second row interrupted.
"It won't be lonely..."
As soon as those words were spoken, Khun Prachan got up and came to sit in the back row with him. Glai turned to look at the side profile of the person beside him, only to meet his gaze. Panlee's smile made Glai lower his gaze back to the earphones in his hand. It was then that Glai realized how much he had become a worrier since falling deeply in love with this 'moon'. Just now, he admitted that he let his heart fall to the ground without bending down to pick it up... perhaps because he didn't have the strength to.
When we let someone become the moon in our hearts, The moon isn't just the moon anymore. It becomes our entire world.
"Do you think this little puppy would really let you sit in the back alone, Khun Glai?"
Glai looked up at the person beside him. "I just thought Panlee might want to chat and have fun with the seniors during the ride."
"If you had chosen to sit with P'Dom earlier, I would have taken the seat where I could see you the entire time... But if you chose to sit somewhere else, I would've found a seat as close to you as possible."
"..."
"Just like now, I'm sitting beside you... I didn't want to sit with anyone else, I just wanted to sit with you."
Glai smiled and locked eyes with Khun Prachan. At that moment, the heart that hadfallen to the ground was lifted back to its rightful place. But it wasn't Glai who picked it up, Panlee did. Glai nodded in understanding and then asked,
"Were you just trying to scare me earlier?"
Panlee burst out laughing before replying, "I'm not that mischievous, Khun Glai."
"..."
"P'Dom whispered to ask for a cigarette because he didn't bring any, and he was afraid P'Babe would scold him. So, I sat there to give him one."
"Oh..."
"I was only sitting there briefly. You already looked so down. If I had stayed longer...how much more down would you have been?"
Glai didn't know if he would've been more down, but he knew that when his heart had fallen to the ground earlier, it felt empty and hollow. It was like being adrift alone in a vast universe, and not seeing his usual moon in that universe left him feeling more desolate than ever.
The little one leaned his head against the broad shoulder beside him and wrapped both arms around the thick arm of the person next to him. Glai decided to do this to chase away those feelings.
"Maybe I'd feel the same..."
"..."
"...or maybe just a little more."
Khun Prachan brought a free hand to gently stroke Glai's arm. Glai then felt something soft land on his head, not the tip of a nose, but probably the other's cheek pressing against his hair. Even though the rest of the van was noisy with chatter and laughter as it started moving, Glai clearly heard the words spoken softly, in clear contrast to the atmosphere around them.
"No need for more... This much is already too much."
"Just having you nearby... I'm not lonely anymore."
"You little rascal."
A sweet smile spread across Glai's face as he heard Khun Prachan's soft laugh. Glai silently thanked himself for being brave enough to hug Panlee's arm, as the touch brought his smile back. In truth, the one who could steal everything from him and the one who could give everything back was only Khun Sasin.
"Did you bring earphones, Khun Glai?"
"Yeah, I like listening to music on long trips."
"Can I listen with you?"
"Sure, but there's a condition..." Glai looked up at him without letting him go. "From now on, we have to sit together on every trip."
"Deal."
Once Panlee agreed, Glai began untangling the messy earphone wires while still holding onto the other's arm. One side of the earphones was handed to Panlee after he managed to untangle them. Glai put on the other side and pulled his phone from his pocket to plug in the earphones and prepare to play music. He turned to look at the person beside him, who was gazing at his phone screen.
"What song do you want to listen to, Panlee?"
"I want to hear what you've been listening to over the past two weeks..."
Glai raised an eyebrow slightly before asking, "The songs I've been into over the past two weeks?"
"Yes."
Even though he wanted to know the reason behind it so much, Glai was not the type of person who liked to pry. So, he chose to play the song he had listened to two weeks ago, as Panlee wanted.
"This song, I listened to it a lot during that time."
"What is the name of the song?"
Glai looked away from the phone screen after typing the song's name, before looking up at Khun Prachan, who leaned in closer to him, until their faces...
Too close...
Panlee smiled mischievously and looked at him with a flirtatious gaze again, before speaking playfully, "Did you mean two of us or the name of the song?"
"Both, actually."
"..."
And while they were still gazing at each other from less than a foot away, the melody of the song 'Glai Pai' began to play.
'Glai Pai, I don't want you to go, I don't want to come in, staying here might be fine, it's too clear, if it's too clear, it might not be as touching, just enough, it might not be too much.'
Glai thought that listening to this song alone was already emotional enough, but with Panlee listening with him, it made him even more sentimental.
'Can I get closer to you little by little, slowly sinking into your heart, until I find my love for you.'
'...'
'Don't find out what I'm thinking just yet, let me dream a little longer. Just this is enough, even though it might be vague, it might just be a small dream, but I'll keep waiting. If it gets closer, I'm afraid you'll pull away, drifting too far from me, never to return.'
'Just a little, I need some space, I might have to pull back a bit, but no matter how, my heart won't change, I love you because I want to love you, and I don't want to love in vain, no matter what, I won't change my mind.'
The song looped into the chorus again. They still hadn't broken eye contact. Glai swallowed before loosening his arms from Panlee's thick arm to create some distance.
'Can I get closer to you little by little, slowly sinking into your heart, until I find my love for you.'
But it was when the car suddenly turned right at a high speed, as if returning to the opposite side of the road, that the force of the turn caused Khun Prachan to be thrown toward him. Glai raised his hand to his chest to brace against the force. Panlee's face leaned in so close that... their lips gently touched.
The smaller person widened his eyes in shock, then gently placed his hand on his lips. Although it couldn't exactly be called a kiss, because it happened so quickly and their lips didn't fully meet as in the romantic movies they'd seen, Glai still felt that he had given his 'first kiss' to Panlee. Khun Prachan bit his lower lip gently, then looked at him with a playful gaze... a mischievous look before he spoke softly,
"I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention earlier."
"N-no problem, I understand..."
The smaller person replied while placing both hands on his lap, and he lowered his gaze to his phone instead. The incident had caused him to lose focus and not listen to the song that was still playing. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, pressing his lips together tightly.
'Don't find out what I'm thinking just yet, let me dream a little longer. Just this is enough, even though it might be vague, it might just be a small dream, but I'll keep waiting. If it gets closer, I'm afraid you'll pull away, drifting too far from me, never to return.'
The last lyrics of the song made him so embarrassed he could barely handle it. He lifted one slender hand to rub his ear, which felt warm. In fact, Glai felt warm all over. He wanted to run into the sea to cool down, but the car slowing down due to the traffic jam made him have to accept that...
They would probably have to stay close for many more hours...
"I think maybe we were a bit too close earlier."
Glai turned to look at the person beside him, who was smiling faintly. "..."
Khun Prachan raised a finger to touch his own lips before pointing to Glai's lips, as if to emphasize clearly... "When the car turned... our lips touched."
"..."
Glai was too embarrassed to look directly at him, so he turned his face away. Then Panlee gently nudged his arm, causing him to turn and look.
"W-what is it, Panlee?"
"The song is over... but can I hear Glai Pai again?"
Glai nodded and pressed play for the song Glai Pai once more. And as the melody, which made him embarrassed almost to madness, started playing again, Glai pretended to look away to help himself feel less shy. But it didn't help much. He admitted he was disappointed that he couldn't remember the feeling of his 'first kiss,' but when he thought it over, there was one thing more memorable than the feeling of that first kiss.
That was... the smile on Khun Prachan's face.
Even though it was just a small smile, it reassured him that Panlee didn't think to reject him. Glai didn't know how Panlee felt at that moment, but he only knew one thing...
If they got even closer...
Panlee might like 'Glai Jai' more than the song Glai Pai by far.
:)