Daotok's fingers moved swiftly over his phone screen, sending a series of messages to Arthit. His expression remained unreadable, the glow from the screen reflecting in his tired eyes.
[DAOTOK]: The hospital where she was treated.
[DAOTOK]: Relatives's house, vacation home, places she liked or felt attached to.
[DAOTOK]: Close friends, possessions, pets.
[DAOTOK]: The grave.
There was a pause. Then, Arthit's reply popped up.
[ARTHIT]: ??
Daotok exhaled, already anticipating the confusion.
[DAOTOK]: The place where your mother might be.
[DAOTOK]: Not just the house.
[DAOTOK]: Every place, every person, everything she's connected to.
[DAOTOK]: Try to think about it.
The typing bubble appeared and disappeared before Arthit finally responded.
[ARTHIT]: Yeah.
Daotok hesitated for a brief moment before sending his next message.
[DAOTOK]: In the worst-case scenario, the spirit might be lost.
He leaned back, waiting. Arthit was quick to reply, his tone filled with certainty.
[ARTHIT]: That shouldn't be the case.
[ARTHIT]: I've already performed a summoning ceremony at the church.
A small smirk flickered across Daotok's lips. Typical.
[DAOTOK]: 👍🏻
[DAOTOK]: Mmmm
A few seconds of silence stretched between them before Arthit's response came through.
[ARTHIT]: What?
[ARTHIT]: Damn, what is this?
[ARTHIT]: You sent this and then died right away?
Daotok let out a tired chuckle, shaking his head.
[DAOTOK]: No, no, I'm not dead yet.
It took mere seconds for Arthit to fire back.
[ARTHIT]: I was being sarcastic.
Daotok's fingers hovered over the keyboard, his mind racing. He had been thinking about this for a while now.
[DAOTOK]: I've been thinking about it.
[DAOTOK]: So...
[DAOTOK]: I've helped you a lot.
[DAOTOK]: I'm really tired.
[DAOTOK]: I have to go to a lot of places still.
Arthit's replies came fast, almost frantic.
[ARTHIT]: So?
[ARTHIT]: Are you going to ditch me?
[ARTHIT]: Don't, man.
[ARTHIT]: What do you want?
Daotok hesitated before finally sending the words.
[DAOTOK]: I want to exchange something.
A beat passed. Then—
[ARTHIT]: What?
Daotok glanced at the screen, a small, knowing smile tugging at his lips.
[DAOTOK]: I'll tell you later.
The last message from Arthit came after a pause, the uncertainty practically bleeding through the screen.
[ARTHIT]: Yeah.
Daotok sighed, locking his phone. He had a feeling this was far from over. Later that evening, Daotok found himself in a deep discussion with North at their usual spot. He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms as North smirked at him from across the table.
"North, I was just joking," Daotok said, shaking his head. "I wasn't actually going to hire someone to beat up my ex."
North tilted his head, eyes gleaming with mischief. "Come on, are you really going to help that guy for free?"
"I don't need anything in return. Maybe I'll ask for a meal, or a coffee."
North scoffed. "That's too little. Let him help you deal with your ex. Best payoff."
"I'm not interested."
"What's his name?"
Daotok hesitated before muttering, "Kram."
North frowned. "What?"
"Kram. K-R-A-M."
North burst into laughter. "What kind of asshole names himself Kram?"
Daotok sighed. "Can we not focus on his name?"
"But think about it—when you two were together, must've been a really calm relationship."
"...Why?"
"Because, you know, calm down?"
Daotok stared at him, unimpressed. The worst part? North started laughing again—loud, carefree, and completely unbothered.
"Alright, enough."
"What? That wasn't funny?"
"North, you laugh at anything."
"Yeah, but come on, not even a little smirk?"
Daotok sighed. "Hah... ha ha."
"Fake laugh," North noted, grinning. "But hey, thanks."
Daotok shook his head, but deep down, he envied how easily North found joy in the smallest things. He wished he could be that lighthearted, too.
"What many account is it now?" North asked.
"Probably... seven?"
"And they're not stopping anytime soon, right? Won't it get worse if he comes back?"
Daotok's silence spoke volumes.
"Okay, maybe he won't actually do anything to you. But so what? Do you really want to get back together?"
Daotok shook his head.
"How strong-willed are you, really?"
Another pause. Daotok exhaled, rubbing his temple. The mere sight of Kram's username, ONLINE-Cloud, had already disrupted his life enough.
No profile picture, no messages, just that name alone had sent him into a downward spiral of cigarettes and alcohol.
"See? You can't even answer," North said knowingly.
Daotok clenched his jaw. "It's contradictory and strange," he admitted. "I hate him. I don't want to think about him, but... sometimes I still feel happy remembering the good times."
North studied him carefully. "Do you still love him?"
"...I don't know."
"If you were sure, you wouldn't have needed to make a promise not to go back to him."
Daotok remained silent.
"Do you still want to love him?"
"No. I really don't."
"You're just in the process of moving on," North reassured him.
Daotok nodded. It was probably something like that.
North hesitated before asking, "Are you crying?"
"No."
"How much does it hurt?"
"It doesn't hurt. I just feel... a little shaky. But if you're asking if I'll go back to him—no."
"What did he do?"
"I caught him in bed with our friend."
North's jaw tightened. "Seriously?"
"Yeah. And before that, there were the lies, the sneaking around, the money he borrowed but gave to someone else. He even stole my work and sold it."
"Wow," North muttered. "How long did you date?"
"Two years."
"Must've been two really shitty years."
Daotok let out a humorless chuckle. "Yeah... but I had fake happiness."
North exhaled. "You have that special ability, don't you? Why didn't you know he was lying?"
Daotok shook his head. "I told myself love didn't need to be analyzed. You just trust."
"But deep down, you knew," North said. "You just didn't want to face it."
"...Yeah."
A comfortable silence stretched between them. Then North smirked. "So. About Kram. Let's get your P'Thit to help. You don't have to hurt him. Just keep him away."
Daotok arched a brow. "Really?"
"And if that doesn't work," North grinned, "then hit him."
Daotok pressed his lips together, lost in thought. What North suggested wasn't necessarily a bad idea, but asking for help like this wasn't something that came naturally to him. Relying on others had never been his style.
"We don't even know each other that well. Won't it be weird to ask him for help out of the blue?" he finally said, glancing at North.
North tilted his head slightly, a smirk playing on his lips. "Don't know each other? I think you two know each other a bit more than you're letting on."
Daotok raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"
"So, what is he to you, P' Thit? The guy next door?"
"The cigarette seller guy."
North let out a short laugh. "Yeah, okay, let's leave it at that."
Daotok exhaled slowly, rubbing his fingers against his temple. "So, what's the verdict? Are you going to ask him for help?"
"No, better not. It's fine."
North clicked his tongue. "Why are you so stubborn?"
"You're the stubborn one, North."
"Well, I just thought... since he owes you, you might as well make it useful. Think about it carefully, because aside from this, there's nothing else he can really repay you for. P' Thit has a few uses, like being a pawn in a game."
Daotok fell silent, mulling over North's words.
"...Hmm."
"Well, whatever," North said, shrugging. "But, you know what? It looks like you're hesitating. That makes me strangely happy. It's like I've accomplished something in life by convincing someone like you."
Despite himself, Daotok felt a small smile tug at the corner of his lips at North's enthusiasm. "Hmm... maybe it's not such a bad idea," he admitted, more to himself than to North.
The reality was, there wasn't much the cigarette seller guy could do to repay him. Maybe lunch or drinks at best. Buying coffee or whatever—it wasn't really necessary. And on top of that, the guy had been making him work a lot lately. Daotok sighed, feeling the weight of his dilemma.
"Yeah, at least it'll relieve me of one worry," North replied, crossing his arms.
"What's that?"
"Honestly? I'm kind of leaning towards not wanting you to get back with that guy because he's really terrible. But I'm too involved now, and if I make a big deal out of it, it'll look bad. So, if one day you change your mind and want to get back with him, I'll just stay neutral. It'll feel like I'm protecting my friend, trying to keep them from going back to their ex, but in the end, they still do. I don't want to make a big fuss. Let's have P' Thit make a noise instead."
North's words hung in the air as Daotok considered them. They chatted a little longer before North excused himself and left. Once alone, Daotok climbed the stairs to his room, throwing himself onto his bed. His thoughts swirled, refusing to settle. Part of him wanted to brush everything off and just focus on work. But another part of him couldn't help but wonder—what if, after two months, he really did come back?
At some point, exhaustion won, and Daotok drifted into a light sleep. He woke up a while later, feeling sticky and uncomfortable. Groggily, he realized he had forgotten to turn on the air conditioning. With a sigh, he peeled himself off the bed and took a quick shower. Freshened up and ready to go, he grabbed his bag, preparing to head out to the café as usual. Just as he was about to leave, his phone buzzed with a notification.
[☁]: It's just morning here.
[☁]: Is it still dark in Thailand?
[☁]: I'm thinking about stopping by for a cappuccino.
[☁]: Are you still drinking cappuccinos?
[☁]: I drink it and think of you.
[☁]: Just a few more things to do, then I'll be ready to come back to Thailand.
[☁]: I can't wait to see you soon.
Daotok's fingers hovered over the screen as his brows furrowed. He stared at the messages for a long moment before his thumb moved automatically, blocking the sender—just like he always did.
Why was he trying to come back? He shook his head, slipping his phone into his pocket. There was no point in dwelling on it. He grabbed his bag and made his way to the elevator. Just as the doors slid open, another notification pinged.
[ARTHIT]: Talk to me for a minute.
Daotok sighed, typing back.
[DAOTOK]: I'm about to go out.
[ARTHIT]: Where?
[DAOTOK]: I'm at the elevator.
[ARTHIT]: Wait for me.
[ARTHIT]: I'm on my way.
Daotok stared at the screen, his thumb hesitating over the keyboard. His heart gave an uneasy thump, but he quickly shoved his phone into his pocket, stepping into the elevator. The doors slid shut, sealing him in with his thoughts.
☆☆☆☆☆
After receiving a message from Daotok in the afternoon asking for details about his mother, Arthit wasted no time. He called Direk, his trusted aide, to gather all the necessary information. Once he had the details, he immediately contacted the kid again. The response was brief—his neighbor was heading out. Not wanting to wait around, Arthit decided he might as well tag along.
By the time he made his way down, his neighbor was already standing by the elevator, his hands tucked into his pockets. They stepped inside in silence, the soft hum of the elevator filling the air as they descended.
"Which shop?" Arthit asked once they reached the lobby.
"Same Starbucks as before," Daotok replied, his voice even.
Arthit glanced out the glass doors of the building. The sky had darkened considerably, the clouds heavy with the promise of rain. "You want me to come with you? Looks like it's about to pour."
A slight nod was all he got in response, and with that, they made their way outside. The air was thick, carrying the scent of impending rain as they walked. It wasn't long before they arrived at the familiar café, the sound of chatter and the clinking of coffee cups welcoming them.
"Did you get the information?" Daotok asked as soon as they found a table.
Arthit nodded and began relaying what he had learned. "I asked Direk about the people my mother was close to. Turns out, there aren't many. No relatives, no real close friends. So, the chances of her staying with someone else are pretty much nonexistent. We do have a vacation home, though. I completely forgot about it since we stopped going there after she got sick. Direk says it's been left untouched, but if we need it, he can have someone prepare the place."
Daotok listened attentively, occasionally nodding.
"As for her things, she was fond of old keepsakes—stuff that belonged to my grandparents. Direk has those at his place. Pets..." Arthit hesitated slightly before continuing. "She had a dog, but when she got sick, the doctor said it could trigger an allergic reaction, so we gave it to a shelter. Direk tried to track it down after she passed, but it had already been adopted. As for hospitals, mom has only ever been in LA," Arthit said. "There are two vacation homes, one in Phuket and one in Hawaii."
Silence settled between them for a moment before Daotok spoke. "Ah okay"
"Do you think people stay attached to their pets even after they've passed?"
"I would," he said simply.
Arthit frowned slightly at the response. He wasn't sure what to make of it, but he let it go. "Alright, I'll have Dad find out who took the dog."
"Yeah."
"Anything else?"
"That's more than enough, honestly. I appreciate it."
Arthit leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers against the table. "So, do I have to go everywhere with you?"
"I guess so."
"Well, that's a little weird," Arthit muttered. He wasn't usually the type to worry about inconveniencing people, but for some reason, he felt a bit guilty about dragging Daotok around for this. "So, what's in it for you?"
"Hmm?"
"Come on, tell me what you want. I don't want to take advantage of you."
Daotok was quiet for a moment before setting his pen down on the tablet he had been absently tapping. "Can you help me with my ex?"
Arthit blinked. "...Huh?"
He wasn't sure if he had heard that correctly.
"I mean," Daotok clarified quickly, "not help me get back with them. Just… prevent them from interfering with me."
Arthit narrowed his eyes, still trying to make sense of the request. "What? Explain."
Daotok exhaled through his nose, as if reluctant to elaborate. "He's coming back in two months. I just need you to keep him away from me."
"What the hell? Is he that persistent?"
"Yeah, just keep him away until the very end."
Arthit let out a deep sigh, rubbing his temple. "So, let me get this straight. You want me to play bodyguard and make sure your ex doesn't bother you?"
"Exactly. North suggested it. He didn't want to do it himself."
"Of course, he didn't." Arthit shook his head. The whole thing felt ridiculous, but at the same time, he couldn't deny that it piqued his interest.
"Alright, fine. Give me the details."
"Huh?"
"I need to know what I'm dealing with if I'm going to do this. Give me the details of your ex."
Daotok hesitated but finally relented. "His name's Kram. He's probably around twenty-three now."
"So, a guy?"
"Yeah."
"And why two months?"
"He's finishing his studies abroad."
"You got a picture?"
"No."
"Great." Arthit sighed again, leaning back. "And what exactly am I supposed to do? Threaten him? Insult him?"
Daotok shrugged. "Whatever works."
"This is so damn complicated," Arthit muttered. "Why not just tell him to fuck off and end it?"
Daotok didn't answer. Instead, he picked up his pen and went back to his tablet, dismissing the topic entirely. That alone told Arthit everything he needed to know. This wasn't a clean break. There were still things left unsaid between them, and that was always messy.
Arthit sighed "When are you going? I have been busy lately."
"I'll go alone. The Phuket house isn't far. I'll handle it. You just need to cover the expenses."
"Fine. Just don't steal anything from my place."
"I won't."
Arthit stood up, stretching. "Alright then, I'm leaving."
"Wait a minute."
He turned back, brows raised. "What now?"
"How do I get back?"
Arthit groaned, running a hand down his face. "Shit, I forgot you came with me. Do I have to wait for you?"
"Well, you invited me along, didn't you?"
"Asshole," Arthit muttered under his breath before flopping back down onto the couch. He scrolled through his phone in frustration, regretting his earlier offer to accompany Daotok. He hadn't thought this through at all. Now he was stuck waiting for god-knows-how-long. He picked up the iPad from the backseat of the car, flipping through a book to pass the time. His gaze flickered toward the café window where his neighbor was still working.
Would it be so bad if he just left and made him find his own way back? Probably. He could already imagine the complaints he'd hear later.
☆☆☆☆☆
Daotok didn't like waiting. The moment he got the information about the cigarette seller guy's vacation home in Phuket—along with the possibility that the man's mother might be staying there—he made the decision to check it out himself. Phuket wasn't too far, and sitting around waiting for someone else to handle it felt like a waste of time.
After landing, he rented a car and followed the GPS coordinates that had been sent to him. The drive was peaceful, the sun casting golden streaks across the horizon as he made his way toward the secluded property. When he finally arrived, he pulled up in front of the house, his eyes scanning the exterior. It looked exactly like what he had expected—large but not extravagant, the kind of place meant for relaxation rather than luxury.
He took out his phone, snapped a picture, and sent it for confirmation. The reply came quickly.
[ARTHIT]: That's the one.
Daotok slid the key into the lock and pushed the door open, stepping inside.
The air smelled faintly of cleaning products, confirming his suspicion that someone had been in to prepare the place beforehand. It was spacious, well-maintained, and neatly arranged—nothing out of place.
His routine was always the same. He moved through the house systematically, checking every room, every possible hiding spot. He opened closets, peeked under furniture, even checked the bathrooms. As expected, there was nothing. No signs of recent occupation, no forgotten belongings, nothing that suggested the man's mother had been here at all. He sighed, pulling out his phone again.
[DAOTOK] : Nothing here.
After locking up, he stepped outside and stretched, debating what to do next. He still had some time before heading back. Instead of wasting it, he decided to take a walk around the area, enjoying the fresh ocean breeze.
His peaceful moment didn't last long. His phone vibrated, signaling a new message. He glanced at the screen and immediately frowned.
Him again.
[DAOTOK]: [Sending contact list]
[ARTHIT] : ?
[DAOTOK]: My ex.
[DAOTOK]: I came to check Phuket today.
[DAOTOK]: Help me out.
[ARTHIT]: Yeah, sure...
☆☆☆☆☆
With a resigned sigh, Arthit accepted the contact request.
[ARTHIT]: [Added you]
[☁]: Who's this?
[ARTHIT]: What's your problem, asshole?
Arthit exhaled sharply, shaking his head. This is going to be a headache.