The sun sank into the sea.
No matter how many times someone witnessed that beautiful view, it never failed to amaze them.
As darkness settled in, vibrant lights illuminated the entire road.
Yet, in the midst of all that brightness, everyone forgot to look up at the brightest stars in the sky.
"Cheers..."
"Cheers!"
Their glasses clinked together.
Toffee laughed happily as he recounted old school stories involving Mok, making Lamon giggle. Phayu draped an arm over Lamon's shoulder and laughed along with him. As for Mok, he covered his face, insisting that he knew nothing about those stories.
Soon, their table was filled with chatter and old memories.
The small bar had only a handful of tables and chairs, but its Halloween decorations and glowing ceiling lights gave it a cozy atmosphere.
In the center of the room, a singer played a small guitar and sang, blending seamlessly into the night.
Oh... look at the stars for me...
In your light, I am so small.
But you never forgot... to look at me.
Maybe tomorrow, I too will become a star beside you.
Let's go, won't you come with me?
The guitar strings flowed beautifully with the melody.
Phayu recorded a video on his phone as Mok and the others nodded along, enjoying the music. Mok wished he could forget everything troubling his mind. It wasn't his fault, nor had he done anything wrong. But, beyond all expectations, he realized more clearly than ever just how much he longed for Kao.
"Mok, Mok..." Phayu shook his shoulder repeatedly. "The song is over."
"Oh! Mm..."
"Mok, are you really okay?" Phayu asked, sounding doubtful.
Mok didn't answer. Instead, he clapped to welcome the next song. Phayu was about to ask another question when Lamon suddenly collapsed onto the floor.
Thud!
What followed was pure chaos. Lamon started throwing up, making such a scene that they were lucky the bar owner didn't kick them out.
Eventually, they managed to calm him down and get him outside. The scene Lamon had made deserved an award. Fortunately, Toffee and Phayu had only drunk two glasses of beer each. Otherwise, the two of them might have turned the entire bar into an opera.
"Phayu, Toffee, hold him tight so he doesn't fall!"
Toffee wrapped one arm around Lamon, supporting his entire weight. Catching his breath, he murmured, "But Mok, is the taxi going to take much longer?"
"The app says half an hour," Mok replied.
"It would've been better if we'd taken the car," Phayu remarked.
"Then wouldn't the police have caught us, huh?" Toffee teased.
As they waited for the taxi, two cars suddenly crashed into each other right in front of them.
Screech! Crashh!
Smoke filled the air, making it difficult to breathe at first.
Gradually, the air cleared.
The three of them coughed as they looked toward the road.
A tall, handsome man stepped out of the car that had been hit and checked whether the driver of the car in front was okay.
That was all. No ambulance was called, and nothing else happened.
However, that wasn't the main issue.
The striking-looking man approached Mok as soon as he noticed him.
Cough! Mok backed away, expecting a fight, but the man simply asked him for money to pay his fare.
"Can I borrow some money? I'll pay you back. Also, give me your phone number."
What a rude man! However, the man's disheveled appearance and terrified expression made Mok suspect he'd just been in a serious fight.
For a moment, he felt sorry for him.
Just for a moment. A fleeting moment.
Little did Mok know that this brief encounter would change his life.
The next morning, Lamon was still out cold from his hangover. He threw up again before Mok and Toffee got him some food.
By late afternoon, they left the dorm and went home for the vacation.
...
Ring! Ring!
"Mok, dear, your phone has been ringing for a while now."
"I'm giving Noi a bath, Mae! Check who it is and answer it!"
Setting her laptop aside, Mok's mother picked up his phone, which had been ringing nonstop.
An hour later...
"Mae, who called?" Mok asked after finishing Noi's bath, completely soaked himself.
"Dear, look at you! You're going to catch a cold. Go dry your hair!"
"I'll do that, Mae. Just tell me who called!" Mok shouted from upstairs.
"Oh, it was your friend... What was his name again? Let Mae think... Ah, Ren! He said his name was Ren."
Mok's expression changed as soon as he heard that name. It was the last name he wanted to hear.
Ever since Ren had asked Mok for money to pay his fare, he had been calling him from different numbers to thank him.
Mok figured Ren would call once to thank him and leave it at that. Instead, Ren was stuck to him like dried glue on skin. No matter how much Mok tried to wash or scrub him away, he just wouldn't go.
Mok had absolutely no interest in him.
"But Mae, why are you smiling?"
"Mok, he's such a sweet boy! When he asked for our address, I gave it to him. He said he was going to visit us. Oh, let me make him something to eat!"
"What?!"
"Why are you shouting at me like that, you brat?" Mok's mother scolded him before abandoning her remaining work and heading to the kitchen.
"Mae... Mae!"
Woof!
Mok turned around, shook his head, and silently asked, 'What do you want now?'
Woof! Woof!
Although Noi had just been bathed, he was already running around with his fur still wet, refusing to let anyone touch him. He was in a terrible mood, unable to stand being bathed without his consent.
Woof!
That bark was a warning.
"I got it! I got it!"
That day, Ren arrived with plenty of gifts and stayed until dinner. Mok had already told him to leave several times, but the only reason Ren didn't spend the night was that Mok kept giving him warning looks.
Dinner was interrupted when Toffee arrived with a special dish his father had made, only to find Ren sitting there. Mok had already told him about the incident at K-9, but the car crash and its aftermath had been even more dramatic.
Toffee practically ran for his life to escape.
After that, Ren visited frequently, and Mok's parents grew very fond of him.
Later, Mok, Toffee, Phayu, and Lamon went to watch Ren's car racing competition. Despite their age difference, Ren fit in with them perfectly.
...
Days later...
4:00 AM...
[Group Chat: Losers But Smart]
(Ren): "Kids, hello... Wake up... Why is everyone still sleeping?" (Read)
(Mok): "Hey, old man, it's quite odd to ask that this early in the morning." (Read)
(Phayu): "Even the crows haven't woken up yet!" (Read)
(Bua): "Guys, I'm a little hungry." (Read)
(Phayu): "Our little girl woke up early today."
(Toffee): "Show some respect, Phayu! Bua, sorry, Phayu is a loosehead!" (Read)
(Phayu): "Y-You..." (Sad emoji) (Read)
(Ren): "Then what about me? I'm an elder!" (Read)
(Toffee): (Ignoring Sticker) (Two thumbs up)
(Phayu): (Ignoring Sticker) (Two hearts)
(Bua): (Laughing emoji)
(Mok): (Likes Toffee's sticker)
(Ren): "So petty! Unfair!"
(Ren): "Hey, Mok, your car repair is almost done. Get your property deed and come to the workshop."
(Ren): "Hey, Mok."
(Toffee): "P'Ren, he must have already gone back to sleep, hehe..."
(Ren): "Damn..."
(Phayu): "Buy me breakfast, Phi Ren..."
(Ren): "Go, you crow. I've had enough of you for the day."
Just an ordinary morning conversation.
And just like that, the break came to an end, and classes resumed as usual. The campus was bustling with activity as the new semester began, and everyone was welcomed with open arms.
"Mok, are you going to pick up your car this evening?"
Mok nodded as they made their way through the crowded hallway and climbed the stairs to their classroom.
They packed the old painting materials into a plastic bag and arranged the new supplies at their seats.
With a long sigh, Mok sat down after finishing the cleanup. He encouraged himself inwardly, making a quiet promise to do better this semester than the last.
"Y-You... Jerk..."
A commotion suddenly broke out at the front of the classroom, where a classmate was arguing with a stranger.
"Isn't that Fon?"
"You're right!"
Mok immediately got up and hurried over to Fon. He grabbed the hand of a stranger who was about to hit Fon.
Anger flashed in the boy's eyes as he tried to pull his hand free. "Who are you? Let go of my hand!"
"Please make some room," Toffee requested as he squeezed through the crowd toward Mok.
"Mok, let go of his hand. Otherwise, this will turn into a bigger problem," Toffee said gently, trying to calm him down.
"What's the issue here?"
"Who are you guys?"
"None of you are even from this department, are you?"
Their classmates kept questioning the intruders, while more students gathered around Mok and Fon. Even those who had been too scared to intervene at first eventually joined them.
Although the troublemakers tried to leave quickly, the department professors caught them red-handed and took them, along with Fon, to the office.
Gradually, the noise died down, and the crowd gathered outside the classroom dispersed. Still confused about what had happened, Mok remained there until Toffee took his arm and led him inside.
Someone in the class then showed them a trending post on the college's main forum.
(A student and professor are in an immoral relationship)
A blurred photo of two men leaving an office at night was attached.
Views: 12K | Shares: 2K
(The post alleged:
"Here's the story. Student 'A' seduced 'B' Professor. Their relationship hasn't been confirmed, but something is definitely going on. 'A' must be receiving help with his marks.")
(Photo: A blurred picture of A and B painting together at an art café near Park XX.)
"'A' is a real slut..."
"Dogshit, dogshit, dogshit..."
"Eat dogshit, huh..."
"Yuck! I wanna puke just looking at this."
"They'd better stop coming to campus."
"Is this place full of immoral people?"
Comments poured in beneath the post and its shared photos. The college forum wasn't used only by current students. Alumni and retired professors checked the page daily, too.
Toffee handed the phone back. Reading the article and the vile comments made them deeply uncomfortable. Regardless of what people claimed or how they portrayed Fon, who gave them the right to talk about him like that or attack him?
Cyberbullying was never okay, and the mental pain it caused could last long after the attacks ended.
Despite everything that had happened, classes continued as usual and ended before noon.
"Did you hear? The professor was suspended for a year!"
"I heard the management couldn't afford to lose such a talented professor, which is why they made that decision."
"Then what about Fon?"
"Who knows? Either way, our class is famous now because of a few people."
Whether it was frustration over the way people were speaking about Fon or simple irritation with their gossip, Toffee grabbed an unused brush and threw it toward them before glaring at the group.
After the four finished gossiping, they walked outside together. Still visibly annoyed, Toffee took a deep breath and smiled at Mok, who responded with a reassuring thumbs-up.
...
"Toffee, the car won't be ready today. It'll only be fixed next week. Ren just sent me a message."
"Then how are we going to get to P'Ren's place?"
"He said he's coming to pick us up. Here's the plan: Phayu and I will go in Ren's car, while you, Lamon, and Bua can take Bua's car."
"Okay, let's do that, Mok."
The two waited for Ren under a tree outside their department.
"Mok, Toffee..."
Hearing someone call them from behind, they turned around.
"Fon...?" they both exclaimed.
Panting, Fon reached out and took both Mok's and Toffee's hands.
"Ha... Ha... Give me a second to catch my breath! Do you know how long I've been looking for you two?"
"Fon, is there a problem?" Mok asked.
Fon shook his head.
"Rumors? I don't care about those at all. But thanks... Thank you, Mok. I didn't think you'd step in."
Mok nodded, silently conveying that it was no big deal.
"Fon," Toffee called softly, "are you really okay?"
Fon hummed in response and smiled. Just then, a car pulled up beside them. Looking at the vehicle, Fon explained, "I've known the professor since I was young. We've been in a relationship since I was still in school. When people found out back then, I went through a lot of situations just like this."
Toffee listened in complete shock.
"Anyway, thanks!"
"Toffee... Toffee..." Mok patted his shoulder.
"It's nothing. I was just a bit surprised. Sorry," Toffee replied.
"It's okay. Well, Toffee... It's not your fault. Anyone would be surprised. It's not a happy story, either. After my mother died, we started living together. He fed me, taught me, and basically became my family. When I realized I couldn't let him go, I confessed to him directly. It wasn't easy for me, but that's when I found out he liked me too."
"Okay, Toffee, Mok. I'm heading out!"
"Bye!"
Fon gave them a warm smile, as bright as the morning sun, before getting into the car.
"Ready to go?" the man in the driver's seat asked, gently running his fingers through Fon's hair.
From the passenger seat, Fon noticed the bags filling the back seat.
"P'North, how many times have I told you? I don't need anything!"
"Fon, don't say that. Everyone uses new ones."
"You're just...!" Seeing Fon sulk, North quickly stopped himself.
"Don't waste money like this. If we save it instead, we can buy a small house together when I graduate from college!"
"You already have a part-time job, Fon, so stop working."
"No. But, P'North—"
"Answer me."
"Khrap, Sir..." North saluted like a police officer before driving off.
"What about the suspension?"
"Suspension or a breakup? Guess which one I'd choose."
"Ah, I don't know..."
"Oh, babe! Okay, okay, I choose suspension..."
"Look straight ahead and drive, old man!"
"Hey, I'm only 26 years old! Who are you calling an old man?"
North pinched Fon's ear as he scolded him. When Fon complained that it hurt, the two started arguing and squabbling all over again.
But despite everything, they still loved each other deeply.
Gently rubbing Fon's ear, North leaned closer and whispered into it.
"I love you... Fon."
"I'm not giving you a star today. Today, I only like you. I don't love you..."
"What?... Babe..."
"Give me the star... You always do... Give me... Gimme..."
"Focus on the road, old man!"
"Babe…"