The moment Nin saw Bua confessing, her lower lip trembled and her hands shook; watching May's reaction, she knew instantly what was going through her mind.
'You like her...' Her eyes grew red. She caught May's wrist before she could pursue Bua.
'Stop her. Tell her you are sorry. Tell her you still love her.' Her grip gradually loosened just before May sprinted away. The echoes from the stairs rang in her ears, then faded into emptiness.
Staring into the darkness, she let out a quiet breath.
Everyone was watching. They were angry; Nin could feel the tension in the air.
"Hia... Talk to her..."
"Toffee... But..."
Toffee stared at the other seniors, non-verbally asking for the same thing.
"Nin," Oat called out seriously. "When did you come back?"
She didn't turn around. After a brief pause, she replied."It's already been weeks. I'm transferring abroad." She tilted her head slightly. "I'm going." Her voice caught, and the words she had rehearsed never came out.
Heading back, she glanced at the group, who were all filled with worry.
"Hia... Call them..."
"Kao... Bua isn't answering."
"Lamon... Are you crying?"
"Don't cry... Toffee..."
"Lamon..."
"Toffee..."
'It must be nice to have friends. Did I really miss out on something like this? What if I hadn't gone anywhere?' Holding back her tears, she stepped away. Ignoring the elevator, she chose the stairs.
As always, she wandered through her thoughts.
When her family was struggling for money, when she tried to sleep on an empty stomach, when she escaped from the life she didn't want, Nin had forgotten who she truly was.
A quiet sob broke the silence as salty tears dripped onto the dusty steps. Sitting near the staircase, she lowered her head.
"It's dark... I'm scared... I..."
Her small, frail voice went unheard as she covered her mouth.
"Nin..." A familiar voice called out.
She raised her head. "Phoon..." (Introduced in Part 1, Chapter 12.)
He was completely out of breath. The coat he had been wearing was now clutched in his hands. Sweat covered his face, showing that he had run through every floor of the building just to find her.
"Why... are... you... here?"
"Didn't I tell you not to go there? Why did you?"
"I... I didn't want to miss this opportunity. You know me. I'm a calculating person." Her tears went unnoticed by him.
"You are lying. Nin, I know you." He approached, taking a few steps before halting right where she sat. The overhead light flickered repeatedly, only to be swallowed by the shadows again.
Stretching out his hand, he said, "Let's go home. Everyone is waiting for you."
Shaking head, she rejected the offer.
"Nin... Come with me. I will go... far... Come."
Phoon just stood there with a lost expression.
"It's all because of you... Why did you come to my home? You killed Father... Why... Did you say you would live with us... Why..."
Beating her fists against his chest, she questioned him through her tears.
His whole body sank into deep regret—regret for not doing more. Catching her wrists, Phoon stopped her.
"Because your father never once blamed me. All he did was give me a weak smile before his last breath. How could I abandon a family when he died saving me?"
Her broken sobs brought him right back to that despair. "Sorry... Sorry..." He didn't know how many times he had uttered those words in his life.
"Why are you the one who always comes to me? My mother left... Why you..."
He gasped. "Because we are family. I didn't pretend or act. I just wanted to be there. When I went to school and picked up our younger ones, it made me happy. When I cooked for them, it made me want to earn more money. When I heard what they wanted, even when they wouldn't tell me, I wanted to study harder so I could give them whatever they desired. That's because we are family. I don't expect anything. I just want to stay like this."
Leaning her head against Phoon's chest, she listened to his words and breathed in his warmth and sweat, which only made her sob harder.
Phoon waited, just as he always did, resting one knee on the step, ready to give her a piggyback ride.
He eventually moved forward, and Nin quietly observed his shadow. Somehow, it felt lonely and even more fragile.
They went outside, knowing their path was longer than most. Still, they had a warm coat covering Nin's skirt to keep her from getting cold. That embrace belonged to two young boys who had been waiting for them at home.
...
"Kids, let's eat..."
Nin's attention stayed on Phoon as he prepared their simple dinner. The little house still had so many things that needed to be fixed. But two small pairs of arms were locked around her. They didn't know anything. Maybe they were just pretending not to notice so they wouldn't have to let go."
As usual, Phoon made sure the children ate first, ignoring his own growling stomach.
"Nin... Dig in... They want to eat with you first..."
She watched them, their eyes glowing.
A small smile appeared on her face.
The streetlights flickered here and there, emitting a weak glow. From the nearby canal, frogs croaked.
Filled with the aroma of food and the children's giggles under the smiling moon, the little house felt alive again.
Back on the terrace—
The text from May reached the seniors' group chat.
"They're okay."
Everyone sighed in relief at the same time.
A moment later, the younger boys also received a text from Bua.
Artit wiped Toffee's face. "Don't cry... I will buy you ice cream..."
Toffee hummed, hugging him tightly.
Mok gave a sweet soda to cheer up Lamon, promising to buy him food tomorrow.
Finally, they settled onto the red carpet, eating the food they had bought. Toffee said, "We can't waste food." The others simply followed his lead as if he were a gang boss and they were his underlings begging for a promotion. In fact, they were all terrified of his mood swings.
The pizza was cold so the chicken. Lamon took a piece with a disappointed expression. "At least the drinks are at the right temperature."
The cold French fries were still half-finished. Mok took a bite, and then he heard a complaint.
"French fries are hard..." Looking at Lamon, Mok sighed. He quickly stuffed a mouthful into his own mouth, chewing happily to prove they were delicious since he was the one who bought them.
"Phi Kao... isn't that beer?"
"Right. Do you want some, Phayu?"
"Well..." He glared at his friends. Mok was already shaking his head, Toffee warned him with his eyes, and Lamon simply focused on his pizza.
"Just a little..." He quietly took the red disposable cup and drank from it. "Tasty," he mumbled.
Seeing him drink, the others became interested.
Licking his lips, Toffee tugged at Artit's shirt. His eyes spoke for him. 'Hia... Can I have a little?' His puppy face pouted. 'Can I...?'
'Don't fall for it... Don't fall for it... Don't...' Artit handed the red cup to him.
"Only a sip, baby..."
After that, it was history.
"Don't bite, Toffee..." Artit whined.
"Chicken..." Toffee muttered. "Lamon... You are fat..."
"Ahhh!" Lamon started crying, dropping his half-eaten pizza slice onto the floor.
"Ohh!" Phayu suddenly shouted. "Look at that! Something is flashing in the sky."
With quick reflexes, Lamon stopped crying, and Toffee paused too. Everyone was already watching the sky in confusion."I think... it's an alien."
"Alien..." Toffee whispered. "Hia... I'm scared..." His legs clung to Artit's waist.
On the other side, Lamon froze.
"Lamon... Lamon... There is no alien. Don't worry." Hearing Oat's voice, Lamon simply let out a soft hum and leaned heavily against his shoulder.
"What are you looking at?" Mok asked.
Kao's lips curled to one side as he thought to himself, 'His tolerance is high. I want a clingy Mok.' Then his head fell onto Mok's lap.
"Kao... Kao... Don't pretend you are drunk..." came a low, threatening voice. Mok avoided his seniors' stares. Still, one hand rested on those smooth strands of hair.
"Wait... Phayu, don't fall..." Oat caught him.
"Guys, help me... I can't hold two of them... "Phayu... He is sleeping.... Artit... Mok...." he pleaded, but they ignored him.
When one trouble ended, another took its place.
One by one, they carried the drunk boys into Kao's condo.
...
"Where is the bed... Where...?" In the dark room, Oat wandered around blindly.
"Phi Oat, I have an idea." Mok's voice was heavy. "Take two mattresses from the other rooms. We can sleep in the living room."
"Toffee... Give me a minute. Don't bite..." 'What is he dreaming about to bite me like this?' Artit wondered. "Mok, give me a hand..." Artit begged.
Quickly, they pushed the couches to one side. Near the glass balcony door, they placed two large mattresses. After removing their socks, Artit carefully laid Toffee down, then Lamon. They even wiped their faces and feet.
"So cold... Shi..."
"Lamon, don't swear..." Oat scolded, but his words were little more than air.
"Oat, I'm going back to the terrace. Little Noi is still out there."
"Mmh. Don't forget to grab the remaining food, they will kill us if we leave a mess."
Artit gave a thumbs-up.
Thud!
He gently closed the door, stepping outside.
Meanwhile, Phayu was playing with the kitchen tap.
"Damn it..." Oat bolted toward him when he saw it. After that, it became a wrestling match to see who was stronger between Oat and Phayu.
Everything gradually settled back to normal, but one pair was still in the bathroom. Lightly patting his back, Mok let out a breath. "Why did you drink so much?"
Taking his hands off the wall tiles, Kao replied, "I smell. Let me wash up."
"Anyone will smell if they throw up. Kao, lift your arms." Mok slipped off Kao's clothes and continued cleaning him up.
"It's cold... It's cold..."
Ahhhh!!! Kao's head almost touched the floor.
"Wait... Almost done." Mok rinsed him off using the small shower attachment. A muffled, bubbly sound came from Kao's throat as he gargled water, making it even harder for him to keep his balance.
"Cute..." The whisper escaped his lips. Mok coughed to cover it up, his eyes darting across the room as if checking if anyone--even a ghost--was listening.
After changing him into thicker clothes, Mok carefully sat him down near the wardrobe.
"Sorry... Sorry..." The weak apology continued.
Mok leaned closer to catch his words. "What are you sorry for?"
"I tried..." Kao closed his eyes. "Tried to... In front of everyone..." Then a soft breath brushed against Mok's face. His lips lightly grazed Kao's.
Tracing his fingers through Kao's hair, Mok wondered what those unfinished words meant before the older boy smiled faintly, blinked his eyes open for a second, and then dropped back onto his shoulder with a soft snore.
...
"Noi... Little Noi..."
Barking happily, the pup ran toward Artit.
"Just a minute. Let me grab these." Gathering the bags in one hand, Artit scooped up Noi with the other, letting the cold, fluffy pup curl inside his unbuttoned shirt.
"Sorry... I'm late..." He then took the elevator and headed back to the room. But the pup had already fallen fast asleep. He was completely exhausted from playing with the younger boys and secretly eating all the fast food scraps that fell. His tiny brain was full of thoughts about what to eat next...
Clack!
A soft white light woke him slightly as Artit placed him on the pillow where he always slept.
"Sleep well..."
Noi didn't know who had said that. All he did was return to his dream world.
"Don't we need to feed him...?" Artit asked quietly.
Oat and Mok exchanged a silent glance. Seeing how cutely the pup slept, neither of them wanted to wake him up.