[Loy Krathong (ลอยกระทง) is a festival held every year on the full moon of the twelfth month in the Thai Lunar Calendar. The name could be translated as "to float (loy) ritual vessel or lamp (krathong)". Many Thais use the krathong to thank the Goddess of Water and River - Mae Kong Ka or to worship the Holy hair pagoda in heaven in Buddhist beliefs. The krathong is a small floating offering, traditionally made from the leaves and wood of the banana tree, and decorated with flowers, a candle and an incense stick. On the night of the full moon, people light the candle and the incense stick, say a prayer, and float their krathong down the river. Thousands of these will float down the river making for a beautiful and moving spectacle.]
***
Every time we feel uncomfortable, time seems to slow down. Even though in reality, my visit to Phum's condo was a week ago, only seven days, but it felt like seven years. It's good that I had a lot of unfinished works. So it was like I was distracted by work rather than thinking about Phum. Otherwise, I would have relied heavily on painkillers.
But I didn't know if that could be counted as a good thing or not. When the work was overdue, I didn't have time to sleep. I worked all night until morning. Then I woke up early in the morning and worked till the next day. Even though I knew that I shouldn't maintain this kind of routine that is harmful to my health, it really can't be helped. I was already used to this kind of life. A Life Devoted to Art... Where is it from? It sounds so good. The reason I rushed through my work until I was dizzy is because the deadline was approaching. Who would dedicate their life to art? They all dedicate their life to the deadline.
* Referring to Vincent van Gogh: A Life Devoted to Art (2009) The documentary investigates the complete story of Van Gogh
Now I feel as if I am a descendant of Leonardo da Vinci, one of the most famous and great artists in history. Da Vinci was a world-class genius, knowledgeable and talented in a variety of fields. He was an engineer, painter, architect, scientist. He was an artist whose work is legendary. But he didn't get much work done because he liked to ferment work and terminate his employers. He's my idol.
But the professors who gave the assignments may not agree with me imitating my idol. The important thing is, who am I to dare to compare myself to Da Vinci? When I was thinking about it, I had to rush to work to finish my work on time. Even though I may not be a great artist, I am an artist who can finish work on time.
After having to work till I forget to eat and sleep for many days, finally, the day I've been waiting for has arrived. The day I will be free. My works are all finished, brothers and sisters. Oh my gosh, they're finally finished. I'm going to bed now. When I was done with the final touches, I threw the brush away carelessly, then stepped back from the frame to admire my own work for three seconds. Good work or bad work? I don't know. I'm going to go to sleep now. I took off my stained t-shirt, threw my shorts on the floor, leaving only my boxers on, then turned off the lights, closed the curtains, and crawled into bed.
Rrrrrrrrr
Damn it! Who the fuck is calling right now? For the whole year, hardly anyone called me. Then when I go to sleep... it's as if they have the third eye. I let out a sharp breath, searching for my phone all over the bed. Seeing the name displayed on the screen, my anger increased a hundredfold. I pressed the answer button and slammed the question out of emotion.
"What the hell are you calling?!"
(November full moon shines. The water is high in the local river and the klong. All of us, male and female, gay, straight, tom, bi, lesbian, transvestite, go to Loy Krathong, Loy Krathong, Loy Krathong.)
*The first two lines is part of the song "Loy Krathong" (ลอยกระทง)
"What's wrong with you, Q? Is the spirit of Noppamas possessing you? You bastard, I'm going to sleep."
*Noppamas is a legendary figure from the Sukothai period. According to legend Noppomas was a consort of the King of Sukothai in the fourteenth century. She was said to have made the first krathong to float in the river on the occasion. To pay tribute to Nang Noppamas and her contributions, every year on the occasion of Loy Krathong, the Noppamas Contest will be held to choose the most beautiful girl to play Noppamas in the parade).
[Then what's wrong with you? Why are you often in a bad mood? Have Ong artist signed on to his paintings yet? Fuck you!]
*องค์ /ong/ is the classifier for members of royalty, monks and Buddha images
"I'll sign on your face! What's going on? Tell me quickly."
[Loy Krathong! Today is Loy Krathong day.]
"Then what does this have to do with me? I'm not going to Loy. I've just finished my painting. I'm sleepy. I'm going to sleep."
[Okay, see you at 7 PM. Come pick me up. for. My fingers are swollen from playing guitar. My hand hurts. I can't drive. Plaid (sa got) shirt theme.]
"Hey, Q, Ai..." Tuh, tuh, tuh, only the sound of the missing signal was heard. I stared at the phone screen in confusion for almost a minute, not understanding if I was sending the wrong message or if the listener was lacking listening skills. And what did Q say before hanging up the phone? I don't understand a single thing. I only heard the last word saying something like God. I wasn't sure if it was Godzilla or God Chakraphan. And when I couldn't stand my friend's broken language so I had to be the one who paid money to call him back.
*Q said สก็อต /sà-gòt/ Scotch -> scotch plaid shirt
**God Chakraphan is a famous Thai country music singer
[Whatsapp Girl?] See how he answered the phone. I wanted to know what he's like. Try speaking with a bad pronunciation and rolling his tongue a lot, as if his tongue is tired.
"Can I not go? I'm sleepy. I've just finished my painting. It had just been finished when you called. Haven't slept yet."
[I'm not going to let you Loy at nine o'clock in the morning, Gollum. You have several hours to sleep. But if you keep talking to me, then you'll still be sleepy.]
I sighed in frustration, "Oh, so you're going to let me drive? I think there's probably traffic jams in front of the university today. It's better to take BTS."
[Come on Girl, it's stuck every day. I have a lot of baggage. It's not convenient to travel by BTS.]
"Then why don't you drive yourself? Why do you have to be a burden to me? What time do you want me to pick you up?"
[7 p.m., my dear friend.]
"Are you sure? What do you do if you get stuck in traffic and arrive late at night?"
[Fuck, no matter we go fast or slow, we'll Loy late at night anyway. Or do you want to be there early to watch the parade? Hahaha]
"You bastard." I scolded, but I laughed too. The laughter of Q pierced deep into my heart. Every time I heard the word parade, I always felt a sharp pain in my chest. The reason is because last year I was forced to be a representative of our faculty to participate in the university's annual Loy Krathong parade. I also got to play the role of the king.
Well, that bastard Q nominated me. That day, I wore a traditional Thai costume, fully dressed. But the king is shorter than the person walking with him. Because the queen wore high heels!
The disaster was that all the Fine Arts students, both seniors and friends, were waiting by the roadside to cheer me on. And they made some teasing noises and scattered flower petals. Some people pretended to kneel and shout 'Long live the King'. The badass Q was the culprit. He made a drawing of my face and then held it up while pretending to cry. I was so embarrassed. Meanwhile, the other people and the friends of the girl from the Pharmacy Faculty who played the role of Queen laughing and applauding all the way.
"I'll see you at 7 PM. So you've already made an appointment with those guys, right?"
[Yes Girl, it's not worth asking, we Loy together every year. Haha.]
See how crazy and impulsive you are, cursing your father who lured your mother like this. But we always spend time celebrating festivals together. Except for Valentine's Day when they disappeared for three or four days, leaving me alone. As for other festivals, whether it's Songkran, New Year, Ching Pret*, Buddhist Lent, buffalo racing, no matter what festival, we tend to act evil by dumping our family and choosing friends first. Even though sometimes our friends are even more evil by bringing their girlfriends along and don't miss a chance to showing their sweet moments all over town. Today is probably no different.
*The Tenth Lunar Month Festival or Ching Pred Ceremony is one of the most important traditions of Southern people in Thailand. The purpose of this tradition is to make merit for their beloved ancestors or relatives who had died.
"Okay, I'll go pick you up."
[Okay Girl, remember the plaid shirt. 😘 Mwah mwah. Bye.]
Heck, you can pretend to be a police patrolman. The thing I heard was not Godzilla. Haha. What Q said was sagot shirt (plaid shirt). This guy has a chronic mental illness that has never been cured. That is, he likes people in the group to wear group shirts.
Normal people would wear group shirts only when they graduate or when they're going to separate, right? But my friend, nooooo, whenever he's in the mood, he'll do it at that time. Every time we hang out, I always have a headache and waste time looking for the shirt that matches the concept that he calls for. I won't have money to buy paint and brushes because I have to buy the shirts Q asking for. And do I have it? That damn plaid shirt.
But let's put that aside first. For now, let me sleep. Until the appointment time, I have almost ten hours to sleep. Hurry up, hurry up, make the most of every minute. Take action!!!
...
..
.
Q and I arrived at the university at around 8:00 p.m. There's not much traffic, but finding a place to park was so difficult. If I had known this, I would have taken BTS. Another reason why I came late was because I had to wait for Q to get dressed. Normally, the bastard Q usually left house in a homeless state. Today I don't know what made him being so excited that he was so careful with his outfits and hair? The smell of his perfume filled my nostrils until I felt dizzy and nauseous. The coolest thing that stands out was his sugarcane-cutter shirt*. It's in red and purple. It's such a cool color, isn't it?
*Thai farmers often wear plaid shirts when they go to cut sugarcanes. There're many style tip articles like "How to wear plaid shirt to not look like you're going to cut sugarcanes"
I guess the reason Q was unusually excited was because tonight he will help Thai young people break the record for having sex on Loy Krathong day. The person who keeps the record will probably lose his title. What is the benefit of knowing that people like to have sex on Loy Krathong Day? Whoever can answer this question, give ten points. Why does it seem unusual to have sex on this day?
At the end of the year when the weather starts to get cold, the people and the surrounding atmosphere will become especially lively because it's close to New Year. When there are temple and riverside festivals like the Loy Krathong, couples would want to walk around. People would flirt with each other. It's absolutely normal. Instead of warning about safe sex, they come to find fault because they fear that this behavior will cause good traditions to be overlooked. I don't really understand what the elders were thinking. This matter must be dealt with by Q because he cursed them every year.
"They're all meddlers. People just fuck each other. What's the matter with them? Money to buy condoms, money to rent the hotel room, that's my money, right? When they organized a giant krathong contest and wasted the money in a stupid way, I still didn't meddle with them. How dare they ask for forgiveness from Mae Kong Ka*? Asking for forgiveness from my mental health. Just the wastewater and garbage that people throw into the sea every day cause the water to become pollute, kill fish, and destroy the underwater ecosystem. They ask for forgiveness by throwing tons of banana leaves and flowers into the water to choke her more. Heck, if I were Mae Kong Ka, I won't accept their request for forgiveness, I will curse them more."
*The Goddess of the river.
Therefore, from Q's advice, should we change to asking for forgiveness from the river by standing still, lighting a candle and singing P' Sek Loso's song "Mae"? Hahaha, but this one is a little too extreme.
I think what Q said seemed a bit narrow-minded. What should I say? Nowadays, we understand many natural phenomena much better, so we think that these things are normal. A river is just a river. Why should we worship it? We know how mountains are formed. Where do rivers come from? But if we go back thousands of years ago, when there was no science, humans were still humble towards nature. Human's lives depend heavily on water. Ancient civilizations all formed around river basins. It wouldn't be strange if they felt so grateful that they wanted to worship the river. The strange thing is, why do I insist on wearing a sugarcane cutter shirt as instructed by Q?
Loy Krathong Festival is another big event that my university organizes every year. There was an overwhelming crowd at the event, making it so packed that there was hardly any room to walk. But still, they flock together every year.
During the event, a vibrant array of stalls adorned the venue. Among them were stalls selling sweets, desserts and an assortment of other delightful foods. There were also numerous activities and games. Additionally, charming souvenir stalls dotted the area. Most of them were set up and run by students from various faculties and clubs. These stalls added a unique dimension to the festival—a touch reminiscent of ancient temple celebrations.
This year's simulation of the temple's façade is quite similar. Right now, the air is filled with a symphony of sounds: the MC's public relations speech, the crackling of firecrackers, the resonant strike of a gong, and the melodious singing of Likay. The performances of reggae, Mor Lam, hip hop, Lam Tad, and Manohra blend together, each loudly vying for attention, creating a cacophony where no single act will cede the spotlight to another. The sounds mingle to the point where they become indistinguishable.
* Likay is a form of popular folk theatre from Central Thailand
Mor lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan (northeastern Thai)
Lam Tad is a form of Thai folk music originating from central Thailand
"Lo!!! Hello!... I hear you. Now you can talk... Stop saying Hello, you idiot!!!" Q shouted into the phone.
The sound of music coming from all around caused us to have to shout to talk to each other. Q turned to look at me from time to time. I guess he was afraid I would get lost in the crowd. He signaled me to hurry and tighten the strap of the guitar case that was slung over his shoulder. Tonight there was a mini-concert for bands of students. There were many bands that would perform, one of which was my friend Q. 'Not busy with academics. Focus only on extracurricular activities' is his motto.
"Oh, Peem and I have arrived. I - said – we've – arrived!" Q continued to shout at the person on the other end of the line. Before they could find each other, I think they would die of breaking their throats.
"Where are you all? By the edge of Pond Anodard? Fuck you! Which side are you on? Oh! I know you're by the pond. But which side of the pond, you idiot? Ok, we're coming."
*Anodard Pond, a Tourist attraction in Si Than, Thailand. Well, it might be the nickname for the pond in their uni (maybe the pond in chapter 8 🤔)
Q hung up the phone impatiently then turned to speak to me loudly, as if he forgot that he wasn't talking on the phone anymore. "Hurry, Bilbo, I'm going to slap that bastard's mouth. Pan is at the side of Anodard Pond."
I burst out laughing. Q didn't need to tell me, I could guess who he was talking to on the phone just now. But my name isn't Bilbo. I'm not going to look for the ring.
...
"Hey, over there, those bastards over there."
I pointed it out to Q. Among the crowds of people milling around, a group of tall, imposing young men are always easy to spot. But this time, they seemed to be more eye-catching and have a special aura than ever before, because in addition to Chan and Tan, there were three other men standing there as well. And one of them was someone I didn't expect to meet here, at this time, when I wasn't ready.
'Ai Phum'
Just seeing him within ten meters, my consciousness started waving goodbye. My brain could only shout that I'm not ready to meet him yet. I didn't know why I didn't want to meet him. I couldn't explain it, just like right now I couldn't act properly. There was a strange feeling of excitement in my chest, like there were fire ants crawling inside. I thought it was probably from fear. I was afraid that I would somehow act suspicious and get caught by my friends. I had been diligent in keeping this shameful secret for a long time. If my efforts go down the drain because of Loy Krathong, it seems to be a bit of a disgraceful ending.
That day at the pub, I survived. Today I must survive as well. In a few days, it will be two months as promised. I'm close to the end of my karma. It's almost time to be free. Therefore, it is impossible to lose control now. I tried to give myself some encouragement. The reason I don't want to meet Phum is because I'm afraid that the secret will be revealed. That's exactly the reason. That sounds reasonable, right?
But the moment Phum turned around and our eyes happened to meet for a moment, I almost tripped over air. My legs tangled and I nearly rolled over and hit my head on the road like a toddler learning to walk. I had to quickly avert my eyes in another direction. But it's like I was only running away from a tiger to meet with a dwarf crocodile (hia), because when I turned around, I faced Beer's strange smile. He was walking directly behind me. I was slightly startled by his sweet yet creepy smile. When I saw it, I couldn't trust him at all. Of course! Is there anyone of Phum's friends who I can trust? This is a real question. Even someone who looks like a kind person like Beer. It's best that I should be careful.
When walking closer I then noticed that besides my male friends, there were also two pretty girls standing there. One was standing next to Chan, and the other next to Phum.
I nodded to greet my friends and gave a small smile to my new friends as I walked to the gathering point under a Chompoo Pantip tree. There were some people gathering around here. It seems that Tan's group has become the focus of attention of people again as usual.
Chompoo Pantip (pink trumpet flower) 😍
"God dammit! When everyone wear the same patterns like this, it's even better than I expected. Perfect! Beautiful! 😘Mahw mahw"
Q was excited and ran up to pat everyone on the shoulder. He blew kisses, laughed happily, and swept his eyes to admire this person and that person before reaching his arm to hug Tan's neck who was trying to run away.
"Do you know that you guys are works of art? You are artworks of Mr. Superb that are displayed in an outdoor gallery. It's like the performance art of a world-class artist. Both the colors and the composites are amazing. Thank you very much, my friends! Thank you! You guys have truly never let me down. Let's be friends until the day we die."
[T/N: Perfect! Now it's time to go to the sugarcane field.]
"Look at you, I'm sure you are high on weed." Tan said jokingly, but not too far from the truth.
I could smell it from the moment I went to pick him up. He sprayed perfume until it was too strong, probably thought to cover up the smell. But ghosts could smell ghosts. Q is green*, as green as me. But he still couldn't beat Beer. Haha! Because Beer's shirt is duck-headed green.
*สายเขียว (literally means group green) is a slang term used to refer to people who enjoy smoking weed.
Meanwhile, Chan sported a vibrant ensemble adorned with an array of patterns. The multitude of designs made it challenging to discern specific colors, yet the outfit retained the essence of the checkerboard pattern theme.
As for Tan and Fang, they wore couple shirts. They looked very cool in black and white. It's as if they're afraid people don't know they're a couple. But that's not the issue. Because the spotlight of today's shirt appointment is! Is...is Phum and me. Damn it! We wore the same colors! Fuck, of all the shades in the world, how did I choose a blue and white shirt like his? Even though they're different layer and different brand, it's such a coincidence. The chance is one in a million but it's unbelievable that Peeranat could make it happen.
"Bam ka, this is Q and Peem, Chan's friend. This is my friend Bam."
[T/N: I don't understand why Chan used คะ/ka]
"Oh, ah, uh, huh? Really?" Q shouted, greeting Bam and sending a mocking glance at Chan.
"Hi Bam – Chan's - FRIEND." He purposely emphasized the word friend.
The person next to Chan giggled cutely. As for Chan, he pretended to glare at Q and didn't take it seriously. A smile was still painted all over his handsome face. I think Chan must have prepared himself for what he will have to face today by bringing Bam along because it's been a long time since he brought someone for his friends to get to know. So Q probably won't let this good opportunity slip away easily.
Chan has never had a girlfriend. When I say it to anyone, no one believes it. Ee Green's group also doesn't believe it. They think I help my friend to hide his status. But believe me, though he is handsome, well-mannered , has a rich father, and good at taking care of other people, he's really been single his entire life. Chan has never had a girlfriend, never had a serious relationship, never been in a relationship with anyone. He's comfortable to be with someone without being tied down. It is based on the terms and conditions of both sides. He says that you have the right to choose the type of relationship you are comfortable with, which I agree with. Society conditions us to believe that every person is born to meet their other half, that we need a partner in life, we need love. When someone is single or having a relationship that is different from the majority, they are seen as abnormal, even though in fact none of us are normal, I'd say. Especially an asshole like Q who was trying to tease Chan back sometimes like a pain in the ass because Chan teases him a lot too.
We stood and talked together for a long time. Mostly it was Q and Bam who teased each other. Bam seems to be a cheerful person and gets along easily with others. She and Q seem to share the same sense of humor. She happily accepted and sent jokes to Q and Q back at her. Bam studies at the Faculty of Accounting, but not at our university. As for the beautiful girl with a cute doll-like face standing there holding hands with Phum, her name is Mom. She studies at the medical faculty at the same university as us. Mom looks sweet and kind. When she smiles, the clear skin on her cheeks gradually turns pink.
Mom smiled at me with a shy expression. I smiled a little in response, but I wasn't sure if the smile I gave was strange or not. I wasn't sure if there was some awkwardness mixed in with my smile. I couldn't understand why I had to pretend to ignore the eyes of the person standing next to her.
Today, the sour-faced man seemed brighter than any other time I'd ever seen him. But when their lover is around, anyone would probably be happy.
Suddenly I felt like I wanted to purse my lips. But it's better not to do it, or he'll know that I'm a bad person.
"Where are Pan and Mick? I came in a hurry to scold them. Where have they gone?" Q's angry voice called my consciousness back.
"He said he went to cut down banana trees to make krathong. Damn it! He has been gone for a lifetime. Maybe Phi Tani has broken his neck." Fang said in a harsh voice like someone in a bad mood.
*Phi Tani (Thai: ผีตานี) is a female spirit of the Thai folklore. According to folk tradition, this ghost appears as a young woman that haunts wild banana trees, known as in Thai language as Kluai Tani (กล้วยตานี). Legends of the Thai oral tradition say that this spirit may harm men, especially those who have wronged women, she will follow and break his neck.
If I were him, I wouldn't be able to stand his boyfriend either. It is very hot and muggy, but I was forced to watch Tan clinging to his boyfriend. Fuck him, he was acting like a baby, speaking in a slurred voice and plead with his boyfriend without give a fuck about anyone. Even though Fang scolded and pushed him away, he was unfazed. He once said that he was addicted to his boyfriend but I didn't think that he would be as clingy as Nougat like this. Well, I know that it's the honeymoon phase but does it have to be this much?
"Q, you don't have to ask about Pan. That bastard has been here since noon. But you two, what time did we make an appointment? And what time did you come here?" Chan threw a kick that almost landed in my face.
"And you were the one who made the appointment. But you're late."
Khun Chan, who is loyal to clock hands and calendars, began to preach. Q and I smiled dually and looked at each other sheepishly. Then, without warning, the motherfucker Q threw a grenade in the middle of my stomach.
"I'm not at fault. You blame Peem. He drove at twenty, you bastard. I thought about going down and calling the police to come and arrest him."
Twenty? Fuck you! We got stuck in a traffic jam. Everyone probably remembers, right? I once lied to Phum about not knowing how to drive, and now the secret room has been opened by my dear friend. Damn it.
I began to feel a strange chill on my neck, aware of a cruel aura and a pair of deadly eyes. It seems like I couldn't Loy Krathong today, I must Loy Angkan* for myself. I continued to look away and refused to meet his gaze. I didn't want to look at him. Why?
*ลอยอังคาร Loy Angkan ceremony is the scattering ashes ceremony on a river. Angkan is the ashes after cremation.
"And what about these damn shirts? Just both of you wear them is enough. But you lured the whole group to wear them. I'm so blind. And it's hot. What the hell is your concept? Q, who entered your dream?"
Tan complained and laughed. Let's talk about group costumes, it's a very strange thing. It's strange that we all insist on wearing what Q asks us to wear every time, no matter how stupid his concept is. Well, it's like Q has magic, we are all being hypnotized. If he says that this is today's concept, we will obey his order. But the matter of you and your big mouth, I'll make you pay for it.
"The concept of men wearing plaid shirts unhurriedly reach the climax."
[T/N: I don't understand this sentence ☹️ But it's definitely something dirty.]
"C*ck!"
Chan hurriedly raised his hands to cover Bam's ears, but she swiftly pulled them away. She assured him that she and her friends were accustomed to such vulgar language, even more advanced than this. We laughed at the exchange, yet Chan persisted, expressing his discomfort with her hearing rude words from his friends. He lamented, feeling as though it reflected poorly on their manners. Bam smiled widely and clung to Chan's arm tightly to console him. She said that it was okay, she didn't mind. And then he nodded and laughed. Then they were lovey-dovey. It warms my heart to see them together, even though my eyes were burning with jealousy. Yeah, but it should be like this when you see your friend with his girlfriend, right? I should be a little bit happy and a little annoyed like the way I feel about Chan. But with Phum, I feel... Fuck it! I'm too lazy to think.
"Actually, we're very polite people. Bam and Mom, please don't misunderstand. And you, no matter what you say, be considerate of your friends' girlfriends. Don't be rude. Got it?" Q smiled amiably at the girls.
[T/N: Look who's talking 🤮]
"I saw only you talking rudely." Fang said quietly. Q laughed loudly before being kicked in the butt by Tan.
"So what should we do? Shall we take a walk around the festival first or just go to float krathong?" Beer, who had been smiling quietly for a long time, asked for the others' opinion.
"Bam, do you want to take a walk first?"
"Whatever. It's up to Chan's friends."
"And Mom, what about you?"
Nosy. There is only one word to describe Q, that is 'nosy'. His girlfriend is standing right next to him. Why did you interfere? I don't know. But if Mom were Phum's girlfriend, so what about Mew that I've met, and Yam I've heard of. Who are they?
The curiosity made me turn around and look, but I had to quickly avert my eyes when it turned out that I had already been stared at. Phum raised the corners of his mouth like he was sending me a teasing smile. But I pretended not to notice, not acknowledge his existence and in the end, I looked away. I don't know what the consequences will be. It might make him angry. It might make him dissatisfied. Or he might not feel anything at all. I don't even know.
"Mom is listening to Phum ka!"
Q's teasing voice made Mom's blush cheeks look even more adorable. When I saw it, I felt sorry that a cute person like this was dating a badass person like Phum. Or is Phum just badass with other people but a good boyfriend to Mom? Hmmmm, it's possible.
"Er Q, when are you guys going to perform? What time?"
"What time is it, Beer?"
"Oh, are you going to perform too, Beer?" I asked, surprised. Beer smiled widely and nodded shyly.
"Uh, I can play, but I'm not very good at it. Just then Q invited me to join them for a drink, so I joined them." Finished answering me, then turned to tell Chan. "Probably 10 p.m. But we'll go on standby for an hour."
"Then let's disperse into pairs and meet in front of the stage at 9 p.m. OK?" Tan suggested the idea which everyone agreed with. Chan didn't hesitate and hurriedly took his close female friend and walked quickly into Dentist Faculty. But wait a minute, go in pairs... How about me?
"Peem, come with me." Tan pulled my arm and acted like he'd drag me to go with him.
"Hey, it's okay. Go with your boyfriend. I don't want to be a third wheel. I'll go to our Faculty with Q...oh!"
Apparently Q had disappeared. I turned left and right to find my dear friend Q until I was able to see his back heading straight towards the Faculty of Communication Arts. Buffalo! Can you warp? Damn, you're so fast.
"He went from the moment that Beer finished saying the word 'standby'."
Fuck you, you really are a criminal in nature. You invited me to come here and you left me like that.
While I still didn't know what to do, two voices spoke at the same time, "I'll walk with Peem." But only Beer spoke until the end of the sentence. I and everyone else all turned to look at Phum, waiting to hear what he would say, but there was only silence and a fierce face.
"Don't you have anyone to hang out with?" I turned to ask the person who offered to be my guardian this evening. "It's ok. I can go with you." Beer laughed, revealing his dimples.
"Hey, so are you flirting with my friend, Khun Chai?" Tan smiled mockingly, teasing me and Beer.
This bastard, once he has a wife, likes to play matchmaker all over the place. So I kicked him in the leg. By the way, but Beer's nickname is 'Khun Chai'? Oh, that's damn right. I'll have to call sometime.
"I won't let you flirt with him because I already reserved him as my sister-in-law." But Fang quickly avenged his boyfriend and gave me a mischievous wink.
But who will be whose sister-in-law? Even though it sounded confusing, I didn't dare to kick Fang, because a certain aura around him warned me not to even try. From playing head-slapping, Fang might actually cut off my head, so all I could do was release the reptile to lick his leg instead.
*Release a reptile, according to Thai beliefs, is considered to release bad luck.
"What the hell are you guys talking about? I'll just walk alone. That's it."
I heard the insane murderer laugh of the couples coming from behind as Beer's long, heavy arm slung across my neck. And the last sentence from Mom that I could hear said:
"Phum, Phum ka, what's wrong?"
TBC >>>>>>>>>>
Translator note: Phum ka, what's wrong? Are you having a heart attack? Oh poor you!