'As time passes... we feel less sadness.'
'Right now, there's almost no sadness left, is there?'
'Yeah... there's only longing.'
'...'
'But it's a kind of longing that doesn't feel painful... because every time I think of Mom...'
'...'
'I feel warmth instead... like she's always with me.'
'...'
'In the past, I might have felt lonely, but I wasn't sad.'
'Glai... now we have each other.'
'Because I have you, Panlee... that's why I'm so happy.'
'...'
'And I believe that I'll only get happier as time goes on.'
'I'll make every one of your beliefs come true, Glai.'
'...'
'By the way... your stepmother, is she good to you?'
'...'
'I remember you telling me about her before, but I don't know much about her.'
'From what I've experienced... Khun Lin is a good person.'
'...'
'She's someone who tries to be a good wife, someone who makes an effort to adjust to others.'
'...'
'She's someone I think deserves a chance...'
'...'
'...to truly be part of the family.'
'Panlee's good one.'
The conversation I had with Glai before bed lingered in my mind even as I woke up. I couldn't explain why his words followed me into my dreams. If I didn't remember us chatting until we fell asleep last night, I might have thought that conversation didn't really happen.
I blinked a few times to adjust my vision. The white curtains were drawn open, letting soft sunlight stream through the glass doors into the bedroom. I frowned slightly when I realized the person in my arms was gone. Glai wasn't on the balcony either. Scanning the room, I noticed the slightly open bathroom door, confirming he wasn't inside.
"Glai..."
"..."
"Where are you?"
I called out in a hoarse voice as I sat up on the bed. Tossing the heavy blanket aside, I got up and walked out quickly.
"Khun Glai..."
"P-Panlee..."
I swallowed hard when I saw Glai standing with a well-dressed middle-aged woman. She blinked in surprise at me before looking away and focusing on the smaller figure instead. My eyes widened as I realized I was only wearing sweatpants.
"Khun Lin, this is Panlee..."
"..."
"My boyfriend."
"Oh, I see..."
I quickly raised my hands in a polite wai to Glai's stepmother. "H-Hello."
"Hello."
I glanced apologetically at Glai, who gave me a small nod. Gesturing toward the bedroom, I signalled that I would go change, then turned and walked back inside. A white towel was grabbed and draped over my broad shoulders before I entered the bathroom. My big hand reached up to rub my face in frustration, thinking about the three of us looking quite awkward. I prayed that my first impression of his family would not be negative.
But judging by Khun Lin's expression, she might have already assumed the worst. Seeing me shirtless and Glai wearing an oversized shirt with shorts could easily lead her imagination astray. I wanted to explain that we hadn't even been intimate yet because I wanted to respect Glai, but the awkward atmosphere had left me speechless.
I let out a deep breath before taking off my sweatpants and reaching out to turn on the water in the shower. The cold water that flowed over my body helped to soothe my hot heart very well. I don't know if it was because of the cold water or the possessive thoughts creeping into my mind, but an idea popped into my head. I realized there might be an advantage to this situation. If Khun Lin misunderstood and thought we had an intimate relationship, and she mentioned it to Glai's father, his father would definitely demand that I take responsibility for his precious son
And honestly...
I'm ready for that. I'm more than ready to take responsibility for Glai.
Just name the dowry...
I'll call my dad to prepare it immediately.
Smiling slyly, I shook my head at how perfectly everything seemed to align. After finishing my shower, I took extra time choosing an outfit, wanting to make the best impression possible. I settled on a branded white polo shirt and dark jeans, spraying my signature cologne before heading to the living room.
There, I saw Glai laughing with Khun Lin at the dining table. The owner of the sweet face with a gentle smile turned to look at me before saying...
"Glai thought you were just going to put on a shirt."
"If it were just that, Lee thinks it wouldn't look proper."
"..."
I stood by the bedroom door, not stepping inside where GlaiJai was sitting with Khun Lin. I never imagined meeting a loved one's family would be this hard, and now I didn't know how to act.
"In that case, I'd better go take a shower," GlaiJai said.
"..."
"Panlee, can you keep Khun Lin company for a bit?"
I nodded and replied, "Sure."
When I agreed, GlaiJai got up from his chair and walked over to me. He stopped right in front of me, smiling, then rose on his tiptoes to whisper softly in my ear.
"Khun Lin just wants to get to know you better, Panlee."
"..."
"Relax, no need to feel tense."
I let out a quiet sigh before whispering back, "Khun Lin is basically my mother-in-law... how can I not feel nervous, Glai?"
GlaiJai burst out laughing, then gently brushed his hand against my cheek as if to reassure me. He withdrew his hand and disappeared into the bedroom. I swallowed nervously, offering a smile to Khun Lin, who was waiting for me. Taking a seat opposite her at the dining table, I was met with her friendly smile.
"Hello again, Panlee," she greeted.
"..."
"Earlier, it seemed like we... caught each other off guard."
"..."
"The thing is, Nanny Jeab kept saying that GlaiJai probably hasn't had his favorite butter cookies in ages, so I volunteered to bring them over to him."
"..."
"But I forgot to tell GlaiJai I'd be stopping by."
"Um... Khun Lin, you seem younger than my mom. Maybe you can refer to yourself as 'Aunt'?" I suggested.
Khun Lin gave a faint smile and said, "Sure. I usually refer to myself like this with
Glai, so it works for me."
"Okay."
"No need to be so tense, Panlee. I'm not scary," she said with a laugh.
I sighed again and asked, "And what about GlaiJai's dad? Is he strict? Should I prepare myself?"
"Khun Phon is kind-hearted. He's not strict," she replied.
"Kind-hearted only with his wife and kid, perhaps?" I teased.
Khun Lin stifled a laugh and answered, "I think that might be true."
"Then I'd better be ready."
"..."
I watched as the friendly smile on her face faded and was replaced with a serious look. Khun Lin grew quiet as if holding back her thoughts. The silence between us became more pronounced, filling the spacious room. Though I'd never dealt with meeting a partner's family before, I knew I needed to break this silence.
"Auntie.." I began.
"Yes?"
"I truly love GlaiJai."
"..."
"I love him so much that... if it ever came to a point where someone had to suffer..."
"..."
"I would take on that pain for him. No matter how much it hurt."
"..."
"Even if it felt like it would kill me."
"..."
"I would bear it all."
Khun Lin nodded, her faint smile returning. "Thank you."
"..."
"Thank you for loving and being sincere with GlaiJai."
"..."
"At first, I was going to say that I hoped you'd love GlaiJai for a long time, love him deeply."
"..."
"He's a good person, sweet and gentle with everyone."
"..."
"I don't want to see him hurt, not even a little."
"..."
"But after hearing what you just said, I feel reassured now."
I nodded and gave her a smile before deciding to say one more thing. "I don't think I'll get to meet GlaiJai's father anytime soon, but if you ever talk about me to him..."
"..."
"Please tell him that I love his son very much."
Khun Lin smiled warmly and replied, "I'll be sure to let Khun Phon know."
"Thank you."
And thank you, Khun Lin, for being someone who truly 'loves and cares' for GlaiJai.
🌙🌙🌙
After Glai finished his shower, he joined their conversation. He felt much more at ease seeing how well his lover and stepmother got along. Glai thought that it wasn't just him who found joy in being with Panlee, Panlee also had a way of bringing smiles and laughter to those around him.
They chatted for a while before Khun Lin excused herself to return home. Glai suggested that they both walk her to her car, and after that, the two of them would go shopping at the mall as they had agreed.
"Have a safe trip"
Khun Lin nodded before replying, "Thank you..."
Glai watched as his stepmother climbed into the van, where Uncle Mai was waiting to open the door for her. He bit his lip, clearly mulling something over as he watched her. Finally, he decided to speak.
"Auntie..."
"..."
Khun Lin paused and turned back to look at him. She remained silent, trying to mask the trembling in her eyes with a smile. Glai took a step closer to his stepmother before responding with a smile as well.
"When I heard Panlee call you 'Auntie,' and you referred to yourself as 'Aunt' with him..." He glanced back at Panlee, who was standing behind him with a warm smile, before turning to meet Khun Lin's gaze.
"...it made me realize how much mutual respect we have for each other, so much, in fact, that it's created a distance between us."
"..."
"I know we both feel it, even though we've been trying to adjust to one another."
"..."
"But that feeling still lingers. I understand that the dynamic we had when we first met required a lot of formality and respect."
"..."
"And over time, we've both grown used to it, so we kept acting the same way. That's why there's this invisible barrier between us."
"..."
"But from now on, I think we'll be closer."
"..."
"Thank you for always caring about me, Auntie."
Khun Lin pressed her lips tightly together and nodded. She stepped closer to Glai and gently cupped his cheek, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
"GlaiJai... may I hug you?"
Glai nodded, stepping into her open arms. She embraced him tightly, as if she had longed for this connection. Glai lifted his hand to softly pat her back.
"Thank you for filling a part of our family," he said.
Khun Lin nodded lightly, holding him close. "..."
"I've always wanted to take care of you, but I was afraid of overstepping and making you feel uncomfortable..." She paused to steady her trembling voice before continuing. "Thank you... for letting me into your world."
Glai nodded in response, tightening his embrace. The warmth in her hug didn't lessen the lingering memory of his mother's touch. Every feeling from his mother remained vivid in his heart. But today, he finally understood what his father had meant.
Khun Lin wasn't here to replace his mother. His mother was still there, in her rightful place in his heart. Khun Lin was simply filling in the gaps.
"I love Glai, my dear."
"I love you too, Auntie."
Glai stepped back from the hug, watching as she wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. Khun Lin laughed softly and reached out to gently touch his cheek.
"Honestly, I should've taken more time off today. I could've treated you and Panlee to a nice meal."
"After my exams, I'll bring Panlee over for dinner," Glai promised.
"Alright, then. I'll tell Nanny Jeab to prepare her best dishes."
"..."
Khun Lin hesitated, as if something was on her mind, before asking, "GlaiJai... may I tell Khun Phon about Panlee?"
"..."
"... Or would you prefer to introduce him yourself?"
"You can tell him. I think Dad will be okay with me dating a man."
Khun Lin smiled warmly. "Alright, then."
"Safe travels," Glai said again.
"Thank you..." she replied, waving goodbye as she climbed into the car.
"Uncle Mai," Glai called as Uncle Mai slid the door shut.
"Yes, Young Master?"
"I've missed you," Glai said sincerely.
The older man smiled broadly and nodded. "I've missed you too."
Glai smiled back until the van drove away. He turned to find Panlee waiting for him with a soft smile. Walking up to him, Glai said,
"Sorry to keep you waiting so long."
"No matter how long, I'll always wait for you," Panlee replied.
Glai scrunched his nose at the tall person.
"..."
"After hearing that your dad can accept the fact that we're together, I felt a little relieved,"
"Is puppy afraid of your father-in-law?"
"Of course I am... I'm afraid he won't let me have you."
"..."
"If your father won't give Glai to puppy..."
"..."
"Should we just run away together?"
"It's always like this... you always make it so difficult."
Glai laughed before saying, "Stop being difficult, Panlee. Don't forget we still need to go shopping."
The big puppy grinned and nodded before wrapping his arm around Glai's neck and guiding him toward the parking lot. Along the way, someone called out teasingly from behind.
"Ugh... Seeing such a sweet couple makes my eyes want to go blind."
They stopped and turned around to find it was Ne.
"Watch out for your blood sugar, buddy... Take it easy."
"You idiot!"
Panlee said, his tone clearly annoyed, but Ne didn't seem to take offense. He just smiled slyly and winked at the two of them.
"Glai... my friend has been missing lately.. Have you seen him?"
Glai smiled before answering, "Which friend are you talking about, Ne?"
"Panlee, of course... he disappeared without a trace."
Glai looked up at the tall person who was hugging him, then said, "You've come to the right person... "
"..."
"Panlee is here at my place."
"Oh, I see now."
"Glai, you'll get..."
The big puppy spoke in a warning tone and pointed his finger at him, but in the next second, his stern face cracked into a smile. Panlee shook his head slightly and rubbed the back of his neck. Glai and Ne both burst out laughing when they saw how flustered the big puppy was.
"Stop pretending, Panlee."
"..."
"Just admit you're crazy about him."
"I'm not pretending."
Glai looked up at the tall man before asking, "Then, did the puppy accept it?"
"How is it that you can be this playful, Glai?"
The person being scolded tried to hold back a laugh before responding, "I just wanted to know..."
"Okay... I admit, I love and am crazy about you, Glai."
"Welcome to the '100 Baht a Day Association,' Panlee."
"What's that?"
"People in this association... their wives give them 100 Baht a day for living expenses."
"..."
"Got it?"
"My wife isn't that cruel..." Panlee said, looking down at Glai in his arms. "...Right,
Glai?"
"Right... I won't just give you 100 Baht. I'll give you an extra 50 Baht."
"Glai! Stop messing around with Ne..."
"I love Glai so much... he's so good at it."
"I'm the only one who loves him, you idiot!"
"Calm down, I'm just messing with you."
"I'm jealous of anyone, no exceptions."
Glai laughed before saying, "Aww, don't be mad, puppy. I'm not teasing you anymore."
"..."
"Who could be mean to a puppy, right?"
"Panlee... when my wife says things like this, my heart melts on the floor."
"Do you think my heart doesn't melt?"
Ne burst into laughter upon hearing Panlee's words before saying, "So where are you two going?"
"We're going shopping for the room," Glai replied.
"Wow... Panlee, are you planning to move in with Glai permanently?"
"At this point... I don't think it's worth asking."
Ne laughed before suddenly stopping, his eyes widening as if he had just remembered something.
"I've been teasing you... damn, I forgot that my wife asked me to buy Pepsi. I'm off now!"
Glai smiled as he watched Ne scratch his head and walk toward the supermarket, which was not far from the condo. He looked up at the tall person, who sighed in exhaustion.
"Why are you sighing, puppy? You're sighing so loudly..."
"I'm tired of having a friend like this," the tall man replied.
The listener laughed and followed him to the car. Glai sat beside him in the front seat, strapping on his seatbelt. The man behind the wheel leaned over to check if everything was in order for him. Their faces were so close that Glai could almost feel the breath of the other person on his nose. Glai held back his smile as the image of the big puppy being flustered came back to his mind.
Glai bit his lip slightly, feeling both affection and amusement towards the other person. At that moment, he moved both his hands to gently hold the puppy's face...
Their eyes met.
And...
Kiss...
Glai kissed the puppy on the lips.
Kiss...
Glai kissed the puppy's left cheek.
Kiss...
And Glai kissed the puppy's right cheek.
His slender hands pulled away from the handsome face and placed them back on his lap. Glai bit his lip to suppress a smile as he saw Panlee's eyes widen. The tall man remained silent, staring at him. Though Glai was the one who started it, his heart raced just as much as Panlee's.
Glai finally broke into a wide smile before saying, "Puppy..."
"Glai... why did you suddenly pounce on me like that? Where did that playful side of yours come from?"
"I don't really know either, but suddenly, I wanted to hug my puppy."
"You've gone too far... You've really gone too far."
The listener laughed before saying, "I bet you like it, don't you? Getting all these kisses?"
"I do... I do..." Panlee said, leaning back against the seat. "But sometimes, Glai, you need to give me a moment to gather myself."
"..."
"If you keep attacking me like this... I might just have a heart attack."
"Well, if my puppy has a heart attack and doesn't recover... then I'll be single."
"Glai... you'll get it later."
The person being scolded laughed, his eyes narrowing, before reaching out to rub Panlee's cheek. "I'm just teasing."
Panlee bit his lip and shook his head slightly, as if trying hard to control himself. Glai, fearing he might get pounced on, quickly moved his hands back to his lap before saying...
"Puppy... let's go."
The big puppy nodded slightly, chuckling under his breath. He turned his attention back to the road ahead as the car started moving away from the condo.
Glai secretly glanced at the person beside him, thinking...
If this world didn't have the moon, it would surely be sad.
But there could be nothing sadder than...
A world without 'Panlee.'
🌙🌙🌙
"Glai... where should I put this?"
"Just put it in the storage cabinet."
"Okay..."
"But Panlee's popcorn can be placed on the counter. You're going to eat it soon, right?"
"Yes..."
The two of us had been organizing the items we bought at the store for a while now because Panlee had gotten so many food and household items. Glai gave a slight smile as he put food in the fridge, remembering our conversation when we were at the bookstore.
'Panlee, this event looks fun.'
'What kind of event is it? Is it something like a book fair?'
'It's probably similar but smaller than a book fair. They also have live music at night.'
'Do you want to go, Glai?'
'Panlee...'
'Huh?'
'Come to think of it... we've never really been on a date together.'
'We've already gone on a date...'
'Huh... where?'
'We went to watch a movie together.'
'That doesn't count.'
'...'
'Tomorrow, let's go on a date... at this event.'
'Can I take two minutes to calm down before agreeing?'
'Puppy...'
'Glai, think about my feelings. I've been asked on a date, so I have to be a little shy about it.'
'...'
'Two minutes have passed...'
'So, do you agree?'
'Okay, I agree.'
Glai had passed by a bookstore and saw a promotional sign for the book fair taking place at the Siam Museum the following day. He had always wanted to go to a book fair with his boyfriend, and now, he decided to make his own dream come true by inviting Panlee on a date to the event.
Line~
However, the notification sound from someone's phone pulled him out of his thoughts. Glai closed the fridge and turned to look at the tall figure, who was staring at his phone with a worried expression. Panlee furrowed his brows and sank down onto the long couch. Glai couldn't help but feel concerned, so he walked over and sat next to him.
"Is something wrong, Panlee?"
"That chubby cheeked guy... he messaged me."
Glai frowned slightly and asked with concern, "What's wrong with Teerak?"
"He messaged me asking what I was doing. Normally, he doesn't message me like that, so I just told him I was watching a football match."
"..."
"When I asked if something was wrong, he wouldn't answer."
"..."
"But then he asked if I was free tomorrow morning."
"..."
Panlee furrowed his brows as he stared at the message on his phone. "I think he wants to talk about P'Fah."
"..."
"P'Fah has secretly liked Rak for a long time. Recently, P'Fah has been pursuing Rak, but Rak hasn't fully realized his feelings yet."
"..."
"I think Rak probably knows his feelings by now."
"..."
"He probably wants to confess to Lee first that he likes P'Fah."
Glai nodded in understanding. He had an idea that the two of them were in the process of getting to know each other, but he didn't know much about their relationship status. In fact, Glai even thought that P'Fah and Teerak were already a couple, given how the two of them acted, it seemed more like a relationship than just senior and junior...
To be honest...
When he saw P'Fah and Teerak together,
Glai couldn't help but feel like he was seeing his own couple...
"So, what's bothering you, puppy?... It doesn't seem like a big deal."
"..."
"If Rak really know how he feels... it's actually a good thing."
The big puppy sighed quietly, then pulled him onto his lap, sitting him on his strong thighs. Glai met Panlee's gaze for a moment before asking the person who looked even more worried.
"Puppy... is something wrong?"
"We have a date tomorrow..."
"..."
"I don't want to postpone it."
At that moment, Glai understood the reason behind Panlee's concern. He gently placed both of his hands on Panlee's face and kissed his lips.
"You don't need to worry about it."
"..."
"You just need to balance your time, that's all."
"..."
"In the morning, you can go to see Teerak, and in the evening, we'll go on our date as planned."
"..."
"Does that sound okay?"
"Glai..." Panlee looked deep into his eyes before saying, "I don't want you to feel like you're less important than anyone else. You're my lover, and you'll always be the most important."
"..."
"We've already made plans..."
Glai gave a soft, comforting smile to soothe the troubled heart of the other. "Panlee...I understand everything."
"..."
"I understand that... someone like you, who loves family and friends, must be feeling a lot right now."
"..."
"I know it's hard for you. You don't want to break our date, but you're also worried about P'Fah and Teerak."
"..."
Glai smiled as he met Panlee's eyes. "Panlee... you don't have to reduce the importance of others just because we're in a relationship."
"..."
"Family, friends, and lovers, they're all equally important."
"..."
"Your situation with Rak makes me think about our own relationship."
"..."
"If it weren't for P'Dom, Gun, and others who helped us, we wouldn't have the love we do."
"..."
"So, your situation with Rak needs someone to help, too."
"..."
"And that someone has to be you, Panlee..." Glai leaned in and kissed the puppy on the lips once more before saying, "Tomorrow, go and help Rak and P'Fah as best as you can."
Panlee smiled and then asked, "You're not overthinking it, are you, Glai?"
"..."
"Really, Panlee... I'm not overthinking it."
"..."
"Lovers have to understand each other."
"..."
"Understanding each other from the heart... understanding what kind of person they are."
"..."
"Just like how I understand that you love your family and friends so much... You can't be happy if you don't see the people you care about happy."
"..."
"And if you're not happy... how can I be happy?"
The big puppy wrapped both arms around him and said, "Thank you. Thank you for understanding me."
"I'll always be ready to understand you."
"Tomorrow, I'll hurry back to pick you up for our date."
"Mm... I'll be waiting."
"..."
"I'll be waiting to hear good news from P'Fah and Rak too."
Glai spoke while gazing at the moon. Panlee kissed his lips softly... They exchanged a kiss.
They shared sincere feelings with each other.
And, as always, they shared their love.