Tangled Knot [KHAITHIRD/OFFGUN]

Chapter 5: Taki and Mitsuha

- I search for you, even not knowing who you are -

Last year...

Khai strolled into the multimedia room after class - well, him, after a hangover. He'd skipped that day's screenwriting class and several others due to a bad break up. If not for Lam threatening to kick him out of the group, he wouldn't be showing up at all. Even Bone's forced to stop by before his evening shift.

Turns out the project discussion lasted for no more than an hour. They just stayed there, hanging out and ordering food in. Normally, that's good news to Khai, but he wasn't in the mood.

He just got dumped by San. It's not breaking news for Mr. Khunpol to change partners like he does his clothes. His exes are all past. Some better or worse than the other, but no one really lingered. San was different. They fooled around, dated for a bit, and were good friends.

San was the one suggested they date for real and Khai easily agreed to it. Not knowing what a serious relationship actually is. Then he learned it the harsh way, how much of an asshole he'd been. San got hurt because of him. Because of his indecisiveness. After that he lost both a perfectly fine girlfriend and a best friend. That's how he came up with the policy of not dating friends.

Khai could still recall the sting of her slap and utter disbelief on her face.

"You have no love, Khai. You don't know what it is. Or... or you can only love yourself, don't you?"

They were carved into his core memory.

"Shit! Ai'Bone, let's get some drink."

"Calm down, idiot! It's still fucking noon. And unlike you, rich young master, I do have to earn my living."

"What, Khai? Not over your girl, yet?" Lam asked.

"That's so unlike you!"

"Damn, is she that good?"

Khai didn't feel like talking about it. Those guys weren't intending to deal with his emotional dumping either. He simply ignored them until they moved on from him. In the end, only Bone's hand remained on his shoulder, giving some comforting pat in silence.

They began to talk about girls then, particularly the pretty ones from performing arts major next door. Khai listened half-heartedly. Lam got up to put on the short movie produced by P'Shane, their senior, and starring Ployphat, the ex-Star of the faculty.

Ployphat is cute, lively, and charming in every way. Falls right into Khai's type. She's also incredibly talented in the way she portrayed two different persons who belong to the same soul. Khai used to talk to her. Pretty sure if he texts her now she would respond. But... he has no room for love again just yet. For now, let him enjoy the movie.

The story started off with Ploy dreaming of herself in old-fashioned braids, sitting by a wooden bridge. She kept having vision of the girl with her face, living a life opposite to hers half a century ago. Later, she met a man sharing the same fate as her.

Ploy and that man fell in love in the process of figuring out who their alter egos were, and how they're connected. Disturbing hints accompanied with eerie music. It led to the truth that they were tragic lovers who'd committed suicide together and drowned to death.

Khai enjoyed the tension and the unveiling mystery. Not so much the dramatic twist. But the storytelling was great. Not too depressing despite the plot but not casual enough to be a rom-com. He's usually not into love stories, but this one drew him in.

It's in the way they danced beneath flickering streetlights. Ate at a shabby noodle place in the depth of night. Rode the bus to the last station. The silly things they did together.