Walking into the coffee shop today was not like every day that had passed before. Aksorn brought with him the heavy burden that composed his form in his feelings and thoughts. Every gesture throughout the waiting for someone was therefore filled with anxiety that could not be hidden in any way.
Not long after, the young woman appeared. She wore a light yellow dress with one fabric bag. Her face was thoughtful, no less than his. Aksorn waved his hand immediately when he turned to see her. She therefore slowly stepped toward him with fear and trepidation.
She had been sitting at the table together for a while already. The sounds of conversations inside the shop were noisy and chaotic, but between them it was completely silent. Aksorn was the one who chose to break this awkwardness that had arisen first by raising his hand to call the staff over.
"What would you like to drink?"
The young woman startled, lifted her face to look at the person who was looking toward her wanting an answer, and could only utter a sound with great difficulty.
"Cold peach tea, kha."
"Two glasses of cold peach tea, khrap." Aksorn turned to tell the staff before the silence continued once again. It was at that moment that she inhaled a breath before looking at his face seriously.
"My name is Peach, by the way."
"Ah..." Aksorn raised his eyebrow, perhaps because of the overlap between the menu he had just ordered and her name that caused a cruel joke. "I am Aksorn, khrap. You probably already know."
"Uh, I already know. But, the reason for asking you to meet today is..." Peach hesitated, her fingers tapping the table lightly with hesitation that was beyond control.
Aksorn did not press her, sitting waiting for the answer calmly. His gaze was fixed on the two water glasses that the staff brought to serve at the moment when the silence was still continuing.
Until around the glasses there was water clinging as mist, the young woman then decided to speak it out.
"Actually, I knew you from reading 'Aksorn in Memory.'" The round, large eyes met directly with the puzzled eyes of the young man. Aksorn was not sure if what he was hearing was merely wind whispering past his ear or not.
"What do you mean, khrap?"
"I knew that novel along with other people, you see. And it probably wouldn't be anything strange at all if I didn't feel uneasy that the name Aksorn was odd, until I tried searching for this name and found that there is a person with this name, which is you."
"After that, you followed me then?"
"At first I wasn't interested, you know, but I often saw you at the coffee shop and then remembered that Songjam said you like drinking coffee. And almost every time, you also sat reading books, which is like Aksorn in the novel. Until I started to be sure that you are the real Aksorn when I tried going to the book shop that is closest to the university. You work there."
Aksorn went silent, pondering for a while because in the past it was probably himself who never noticed that there was someone watching. Even though he should scold himself that he should be more cautious, strangely he felt safe that someone had found him.
"But I know Aksorn only in the angle that Songjam mentioned in the novel, that's all. So I didn't know if I should tell you or not, until just a few days ago when you realized that I was following you."
"I was just startled."
"It is startling for real, isn't it?" She replied evasively, before staring at his face seriously for who knows how many times. "That means, Songjam also has a real existence then..."
The young man swallowed the sticky saliva down his throat with difficulty, not knowing because of what reason, but this was the first time he chose to reveal his own secret for others to know. Aksorn lowered his eyes, before nodding in acceptance in the end. Peach's eyes widened only slightly. It was so minimal as if she had prepared her heart to know this matter already -
"I thought so..." The sweet voice spoke up softly. The young woman lifted the water up to drink just one more sip before giving it to him. "You probably think I am a stalker for sure."
"No... not at all. Actually, I thought you were the one who wrote that story instead."
At that, the young woman opened her mouth wide, staring at him as if what she had heard just now was the most bizarre matter she had ever heard in her entire life.
"You also don't know who is the one who wrote that story then."
"No, khrap. The truth is, I am searching for that writer as well. I want to know how he knows the matter that happened to me and Songjam."
"Meaning that your story wasn't written up?"
Aksorn nodded in acceptance once again. He didn't want to believe it either that the thing that happened to himself was real.
"Not just the character, but the story in that novel.... is it real, kha?" Peach's voice was filled with alarm. "Is there anyone else who knows this matter, or not?"
"No, khrap, I have never told this matter to anyone."
"How is that possible, a matter like that...."
"I don't want to believe it either, khrap."
Both went silent, letting the ice in the glass melt in complete silence. Until it was the young woman herself who sighed with worry.
"I believe you, you know."
Aksorn released a smile out easily, because whether it was merely to preserve feelings or not, he felt grateful that she spoke like that.
"And I also want to apologize as well."
"Apologize?"
"Well... suddenly I was following you like a psychopath. Isn't it scary, then? Not to mention that in the end I couldn't help you at all." Peach's smile faded dully, similar to the water in the glass that had diluted until no sweet taste remained.
"But I feel more at ease having talked about this matter with you, you know, khrap."
"You are the real genuine Aksorn, you know." She smiled, it was a brighter smile while staring fully at his face. "The Aksorn who likes to bear everything alone, he really exists, doesn't he~"
The young man's eyebrows that had knitted together earlier relaxed, before our laughter sounded up upon hearing like that.
At this point, even though Peach was not the writer he was searching for, Aksorn also got to know that venting heavy and severe matters for someone to listen to was not a bad thing at all.
Especially in this situation, the two people not knowing each other well might be one cause that made him choose to mention the matter that should be a secret. Because if it was a familiar person, it probably wouldn't be an easy matter at all to tell that a supernatural matter had really happened to him.
"Why don't other people doubt the existence of you and that novel, hmm?" Peach spoke up while both walked out from the coffee shop together.
"Other people might think that it is just a made-up story, I suppose, khrap."
"Or I am too nosy, you know."
"If it wasn't you, I would probably be in a bad way as well."
Peach who was walking beside turned to look at the young man's face once again before a slender hand slid in to pat his shoulder lightly as consolation.
"If you don't know who to vent to, you can tell me anytime, okay? Even if I can't help anything at all."
"Thank you, khrap." Aksorn smiled in acceptance. It was at that moment that both walked to arrive in front of the university where the bus line that he had to ride was stopped exactly. "I have to continue working."
"At the book shop, right, kha?"
"Yes, khrap. Would you like to go together or not?"
"Can I?"
"Of course you can."
Peach raised her eyebrow, before quickly stepping her leg out immediately along with a smiling face that turned to tell with a playful voice. "Hurry up then! The bus is about to leave, you know!"
Both half walked and half ran up onto the bus together. It was the rearmost seat itself where the conversation continued as if an endpoint could not be found.
"You said that you are searching for the writer of 'Aksorn in Memory,' right?"
"Ah... khrap." Aksorn answered after turning to pay the fare for both the part that was his and hers with the bus conductor already. But in the end Peach also returned her own money to him anyway.
"How is it, kha?"
"At this moment I know the address of the person who uploaded the novel already. In another few days I will go find her to see first. I don't know if I will get anything or not as well, khrap."
"It's so very complicated, isn't it?"
"That's right, very complicated, indeed." Aksorn nodded in heavy acceptance. He could speak about it as if it was an ordinary common matter to this extent.
"We study at the same place, but getting to know each other through this matter feels strange as well, doesn't it, kha?"
"The point is that, even friends in the classroom who know me and are reading that novel, there is still no one who thinks at all that that one is really me."
Laughter sounded up as acceptance and it made both become people who laugh easily all of a sudden, before a gentle wind blew through the window to snatch away the attention first. Each person each focused on their own thoughts that were arising in their hearts. Aksorn could only hope that at the moment the young woman was confused with the matter she had just known today, part of her decision even if only a little but if she believed him some it would probably be good.
Phîi Nai leaving the shop to go buy rice again was the thing that Aksorn concluded after leading the female customer inside. In the late morning-period when there aren't many customers, the shop owner often disappears like this always. He thought that if he resigned and turned to rob Phîi Nai's shop, he might get rich faster than being an employee for tens of years even.
"Feel free to look around, khrap. I will take the bag to the store first." Aksorn turned to tell before walking into the back of the shop, picking up his own apron to wear then quickly walking to find the young woman who was standing rubbing and feeling one book. "That book is fun too, you know, khrap."
"Just a few days ago I was still reading your story. Coming today I became your customer instead." Peach told while turning to look at the books around the shop.
"You don't have to buy because of courtesy, you know. If you want to read any book, sit and read for free at the shop. There are tables to sit, there is coffee to drink."
"You are quite a scary employee, you know, kha."
Aksorn shrugged his shoulders, letting her continue choosing books quietly. As for him, he moved away to handle sweeping the shop like every day. Until the sound of the bell at the front of the shop rang, the silence therefore vanished immediately.
"You came quite early today, khrap."
"I was going to invite you to go eat rice together, you know." The newcomer spoke up while sitting down on the table at one corner of the shop familiarly. Aksorn saw that therefore picked up the teapot that Phîi Nai had brewed to go place for him immediately.
"Should we buy food to eat at the shop together, Phîi? At this moment Phîi Nai is not at the shop, khrap, don't know when he will return." The junior employee sat down opposite, propping his chin looking at Khiao who nodded in easy acceptance.
"Okay then. What do you want to eat, then?"
"Anything, khrap." Aksorn quickly answered offhandedly because at this moment he had an important matter that he must talk with the person in front first. "This Saturday don't forget, okay, khrap?"
"I won't forget, you know. At seven o'clock in the morning Phîi will go pick you up in front of the dorm."
"Let's switch driving, okay, khrap? It's quite far. Phîi driving alone definitely won't make it."
"Phîi is not worried about that matter, though. More afraid that we will not find the house of the person we are searching for." Khiao spoke with worry. Both are merely outsiders who have no definite destination at all even. Not even knowing if the house owner will welcome us or not.
"If we don't find it, what should we do..."
"It's nothing, you know. Consider it as going on a trip together, then."
Before both would divert attention from each other when hearing the sound of footsteps that even though trying to step lightly already sounded up. The person being looked at smiled widely as a greeting to the stranger who was knitting his brows staring at her seriously and intently.
"That is, I was going to ask if I can unwrap this book, uh." Peach evasively told Aksorn who stood up to her immediately. The junior employee turned to look back and forth between both customers before being the one to introduce for both to know each other.
"This is Phîi Khiao, khrap. This is Peach, my friend at the university, khrap."
"The person who came lurking around in front of the shop the other day." The young man's summary caused the one accused to only make a pitiful face accepting the guilt alone.
"At that time Peach had a reason that she had to follow me, khrap. At this moment we understand each other well already, you can be at ease." Aksorn laughed to cover it up, before gesturing his hand toward the young man who still kept sitting staring at the young woman's face to catch faults all the time. "As for Peach, this is Phîi Khiao, is...."
Both listeners went completely silent, staring at the face of the speaker who was knitting his brows at himself when he didn't know how to introduce as well. The status of him with Khiao then?
"He is a regular customer here, you know."
"Hello, kha." Peach raised her hand to wai but the other party instead lowered his eyes with Aksorn's sentence at that time that she had to be the one to break the complete silence that arose instead. "That is, I am interested in this book but it is in a seal, um."
"Oh! You can unwrap it right away." Aksorn quickly answered when the young woman lifted the book she was holding to show. At the same time as that, the young man who was sitting stood up before stepping his leg toward only a few steps.
"If that's the case, Phîi will go buy rice first, then."
"Peach, will you eat rice together or not, so I can ask Phîi Khiao to go buy for you."
"It's fine, I think I will buy the book and then go back, actually." The young woman quickly told to refuse even though that Phîi person did not stare at each other suspiciously like at first anymore.
"Phîi is going then."
"Khrap." Aksorn turned to tell the young man who was stepping his leg out from the shop immediately. Leaving behind only Peach's gaze that looked after with apprehension before whispering to tell him softly for just the two to know.
"Coming to meet the real one like this, Phîi is quite scary."
At that, he therefore let out laughter immediately.
"Phîi Khiao is like this, you see. But actually, he is very kind, you know."
Peach nodded in acceptance. Listening to the conversation, both also seem quite close together. But the thing that the young woman spoke up after that instead prodded some lump in Aksorn's heart to waver.
"It's no wonder that Songjam would be possessive of you to that extent."
That is the thing... Even though he read in the novel that Songjam often felt displeased when he mentioned the young male customer who likes to come buy books and come send him at the dorm often, until later Aksorn chose to not mention Khiao if not necessary. But he just knew that actually, the thing that Songjam felt all along between the relationship of him with this Phîi person is the symptom of one possessive junior. Or perhaps he already knew but just didn't want to think it by himself one-sidedly.
When Peach spoke out without hesitation, it increasingly made Aksorn want her to explain for him to listen scene by scene. Because for him, the feelings that he must experience and encounter by himself are always difficult things...
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