Better

00 - Before The Sky Clear

🥔: I intentionally didn’t write the original title of this novel so that it wouldn’t be easily found. So I hope those of you who find this work won’t share the link or my account publicly. Let my account stay safe here.

This story hasn’t been adapted into a series yet. I’m curious about the plot, that's why I decide to read it. If you’ve read DuangQin’s story, you’ll know who the main character of this novel is. It’s Jettana, Duang’s close friend.

We'll also know a glimpse of Duang and Qin life after their trip in Chiang Mai, offcourse there will be our cute Fluffy (DuangQin's corgi)

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"Jettana, leave it beeeee."

"Warriors, this way! Take your drink!"

Yes.

My name is Jettana.

"Your friend didn’t come?"

"Duang went to Chiang Mai with his boyfriend."

"Damn, those love warriors."

I’m not like that. I don't believe in love.

I have faith in something that always seems to punch me in the face and call me an idiot.
I’m Jettana, and I’m not much of a lover.

Or maybe… I’ve never really loved anyone the way Dad loved Mom, the way Duang loves Qin, or the way you love someone—whether it’s one-sided, a friendship, or someone else’s partner.

I never have.

"So, what’s the plan tonight? Got a deal with anyone?"
"Tonight, I play the fisherman. If you give a man a fish, he eats for a day. But if you teach him to fish, he eats for a lifetime."

"That’s my boy."

"Cheers!"

I lifted my glass and grinned. Sometimes, the taste of beer or whiskey isn’t as satisfying as the atmosphere itself. I might look like a reckless person, but if you ask me, I don’t really throw myself into that label. I’m addicted to the vibe—the conversations with new people, the loud noises, the live music, the crowds.

And casual sex, like ordering food. You crave something, you get it. If you have enough appeal, you can take the campus star home with you.

Come on, what year is it? One-night stands aren’t strange anymore. As long as you protect yourself and don’t lose control, it’s just life.

Maybe it’s because I was raised in a Western way. My father passed away when I was two. I met my mother in Las Vegas. I was born there but grew up in Thailand. She moved back after marrying my stepfather, a full-blooded American, when I was fifteen. English was my first language.

But not many people know that, and it doesn’t matter much in my life. Even though I have an American passport, my face is undeniably Thai—because my real dad was Thai, obviously.

"Table Nine has arrived."

"Which one’s the bad-luck one?"

"The short guy in the blue shirt, shoulder-length hair. Is he your type?"

"Tonight, no pastels. Jettana wants something sharp."

If this were a coming-of-age movie, today would be the moment that changes the character’s life forever. Before the storm intensifies, the sky calms. Before the rain falls, we get careless and forget our umbrellas. Before we suffer, we grin wide and ask ourselves over and over, How could life get any better than this?