HE, HIM, AND US (Complete ✅)

Welcome home

Earth 2

New Thitipoom's head is heavy. It feels as if A 20kg dumbbell is resting on it. Or a sack of Gabbro rocks. Jagged edges prick through the flimsy sack. He groans. Lifts his head as slowly as he can. His bones feel like powder and his mind has been invaded by white noise. Despite it all, a name spills out of his lips, "Tawan." He peels back his eyelids, careful not to hurt his eyes. The tired orbs take about 30 seconds to adjust to their surroundings.

It is the same bed. Same sheets. It smells like lemon and cider. But—there is no photo of himself and Tawan on the nightstand. This is home. Anguish is tart in the back of his throat. His eyes prickle. He wants to weep. But what good has crying ever done? It will only elevate his headache.

"Tawan," he repeats. Softer. The world feels lonelier. Colder.

He reaches for his phone by his bedside lamp. The time reads 8:00 in the morning. Below the time, he catches sight of today's date. 22nd December 2021. He jolts straighter. The movement makes his head hurt more. However, the pain in his head is a mote in the face of what his heart bears. The last he recalled, it was 2022! He switched places with Hin in 2021.

He frantically goes through his phone. The gallery. The calendar. There is nothing to show that anyone else has been here. Was it all just a dream? He quells the thought. It could not be. It felt so real. It was real. He would sometimes dream up a different ending for him and Tawan. But even his lovesick mind couldn't have come up with something so—concrete.

He marches to the calendar in the living room. Skips over the cans of beer he consumed on the night he was switched. Below today's date was a rough scribble. Mistine Taobao live. He had memorized the script for this event a few months ago. According to the calendar, he did so just last night. He would not be able to recall a word even if they waterboarded him.

He stumbles into the bathroom. Pops three aspirins into his mouth. He sends them down his throat without water. He listlessly brushes his teeth. Zones out in the shower. His skin is pale and pulpy when he exits after an hour.

If it were a solo event, he would've canceled. But he has some respect for his friend, Singto. He pats some blood into his cheeks. Throws on some clothes. He zips a white shirt and blue jacket up in a garment back. Then sets out for the GMM building.

Typically, he stops by the juice stand in the lobby. He orders one guava juice and a kale juice. Smiley Tawan could arrive at the building before him and still request that New get his juice. The nice lady at the counter starts making the order when it hits him. That version of Tawan does not exist. The reminder drops a block of ice in his belly. He shivers. He should have known any version of Tawan who loved him was ludicrous. He should quit drinking before going to bed.

He takes two cups of guava juice instead. Some fans are waiting in the lobby. They swoon and scream when they see him. He flushes a little at the attention.

"P'New, is the second cup for P'Singto?"

He looks down at his hands. He hopes the smile on his face is merry. "Yes, who else would it be for?"

They go into a frenzy. New knows they will quote him on this forever. It will feature in all of their fan-made videos and some of their fan fiction. What they do not know is that he, in fact, wishes it were for someone else.

The ride to the 30th floor is forlorn. He misses Smiley Tawan talking his ears off. His imaginary Tawan who just could not shut up.

P'Nook and P'Jack beam when he enters. P'Pugky waves at him with a makeup brush and continues with Singto's face. New bows to them. His chest feels yellower. He has missed these people. They are some of the few who stayed in his corner. They are his reality. He feels guilty for prioritizing their counterparts in dreamland over them.