Happiness always passes quickly.
Pathapee knew that this statement was always true. This time was no exception.
The three-day, two-night period passed by as if it were a lie. Merely waking up again, he found that the best birthday trip had already reached its conclusion. He packed, checked out, and not long after the large Japanese car entered the boundaries of Bangkok, awakening Kon Hin from sweet day-dreams to face reality.
The reality where he was the servant, while Khun Tul was his Chao-nai.
No matter how many times he fell asleep and woke up, this fact never changed.
“Is there something wrong, Khun Tul?”
But before they entered the domain of the Metthanun household, the large car came to a halt on the side of the road. This caused Kon Hin to turn and look over at the person who had insisted on driving. His sharp eyes radiated curiosity. The expression appeared normal, but deep down, how could the observer not know?
“What are you thinking about?” Tul responded with his own question.
Kon Hin's eyes, so dull that Tul had noticed when they left the hotel, told the story.
Kon Hin denied it initially, but upon seeing the interrogative glint in the other's eyes, his deep voice offered up some reasoning instead.
“Nothing... Just thinking I should thank the person who worked in my place for several days.”
Even though it was the least prominent thought in Hin's mind, it was still true enough to make the listener laugh.
"Then?"
Khun Tul raised an eyebrow, signaling that he expected a better reason.
However, the person who needed to respond had no idea what to say. If he said anything more, Kon Hin feared he might accidentally reveal what was in his heart.
Enough. These three days have brought more than enough happiness. Let it remain only as a memory, Hin.
Kon Hin whispered to himself, even as the heart within his chest screamed and cried loudly. He suppressed the pain as deeply as he could, and that was when his Chao-nai... smiled.
A smile that the observer dared not interpret. Yet the pain transformed into shock because...
Thump!
Khun Tul reached out, pulling the back of Kon Hin's neck closer, as the mixed-heritage man leaned forward swiftly, pressing his lips against the ones that dared not speak the truth.
A kiss that nearly set the recipient's heart ablaze.
A kiss devoid of the searing desire of yesterday.
A kiss that spoke the words of a cruel man: I am here.
It was not a gentle kiss, nor was it a sweet one. It was merely lips meeting lips, yet overwhelming emotions poured into the small heart. It was enough to bring tears to his eyes, redden his nose, and make his heart race. Both hands reached out, wrapping tightly around the other's shoulders. He closed his eyes, absorbing the intimate sensation that lingered close. Until the larger man slowly pulled away, only to meet his gaze directly.
"Even when we return home, everything will still be the same."
Kon Hin immediately realized just how much he had needed these words.
The words Khun Tul was using to promise that, even though the birthday trip had ended, his happiness would not end with it.
"I..." Kon Hin found himself unable to speak. Everything felt caught in his throat, but he took a deep breath to say...
"Thank you."
His Chao-nai said nothing more, merely pressing another firm kiss to Hin's lips before pulling back and sitting upright in his seat. He shifted gears, and the large car began moving once more toward its destination.
The distant gates of the mansion loomed like a prison, confining the feelings of both individuals. Kon Hin did not want to go back inside, yet the large car inevitably turned into the Metthanun estate. They returned to the reality in which Tul was the master's son, and Kon Hin was the servant—two people who could never belong together.
"You’re pretty unlucky."
"Sir?" Kon Hin forced himself to swallow his sobs and turned to look, only to meet an ambiguous smirk at the corner of Tul's lips.
"To be stuck with someone like me."
The car had come to a full stop, but before Tul stepped out, his close aide spoke in a voice so soft it was barely audible.
"Not at all, sir."
"What did you just say?"
Their eyes met once again, and Kon Hin spoke in a louder voice, brimming with confidence.
"It’s my good fortune instead."
The mixed-heritage young man stared into his eyes silently for nearly a minute before his sharp face broke into an even broader smile—more satisfied, more relaxed. His large hand reached out to ruffle his close aide’s hair roughly, almost affectionately.
"Remember what you said."
How peculiar it was that such a small gesture from Khun Tul—a playful tease—could make Kon Hin feel better than an entire day of intimacy yesterday. The atmosphere in the car lightened, filled with a strange, uplifting warmth that made Kon Hin’s heart swell to the point he feared it might burst.
Yet, happiness always seemed fleeting.
"Hello, P'Tul, P'Hin,"
The cheerful greeting came the moment the two stepped out of the car. It was from someone waiting near the house’s entrance, and as soon as Tul exited the car, Kon Hin’s heart sank to his feet.
"Khun Wadi."
This woman was Napawadi.
The exquisitely beautiful young lady smiled sweetly at the man beside him, generously extending that same smile to him as well.
Yet the abrupt end of happiness could not compare to the worry gnawing at Kon Hin—whether she had seen what had just transpired.
He hastily glanced at the car’s windows, despite knowing full well how thickly tinted they were. Still, his heart raced in unease on behalf of the man beside him. In stark contrast, Tul displayed an entirely calm and gentle smile, his long strides taking him toward her as though nothing at all had occurred.
"How did Wadi get here?"
The question made Wadi’s face take on an apologetic expression as she replied hesitantly.
"Well, I couldn’t reach P'Tul, and I got worried something might have happened. When your mother found out, she contacted P'Tul's mother. That’s how I learned that P'Tul and P'Hin went on a trip together. Then your mother invited me over for dinner today. I’m so sorry if I caused any trouble."
Her tone carried genuine regret, and even Kon Hin could tell she wouldn’t have been able to decline the matron’s invitation.
Kon Hin could easily imagine Khun Rasa's insistence, the kind of "invitation" that left no room for refusal. However, Wadi’s shy smile also hinted that she was glad to come along under such circumstances.
"It’s me who should apologize and thank you for indulging my mother."
"No, not at all. Honestly, I… wanted to come," she finished softly, though her voice was clear enough for the two men to hear.
That prompted Tul to step closer, standing beside Wadi, his sharp features still graced with a warm smile as he offered an explanation.
"I’m sorry Wadi couldn’t reach me. I accidentally dropped my phone into the water, and it’s still not working. I made you worry. That’s really careless of me."
Kon Hin watched the man who had just been by his side—who had spoken words that made his heart flutter and touched him to reassure him that the sweet dream wasn’t over—now stand beside the exquisitely beautiful woman. Together, they looked as perfect as gold branches and jade leaves.
It made Kon Hin acutely aware of how strained his smile was, painfully forced.
This was what was fitting.
This was what was deserved.
This, truly... is reality.
"Let’s head inside, shall we?" Khun Tul invited the slender figure, snapping Kon Hin back to awareness.
"I’ll excuse myself to put the things away first. Excuse me, Khun Wadi," he said politely before turning to unload the luggage from the car. It was as if he were no more than a mere chauffeur, erasing the closeness they had shared just minutes earlier. He suppressed the torrent of emotions surging within him, burying them deep.
But before the tall figure could carry both his and his Chao-nai's bags toward the back of the house...
"P'Hin."
"Yes?"
Hearing his name, he turned to find Wadi’s sweet smile. She had quickly stepped down to stand beside him, holding a small box he hadn’t noticed before.
"I heard yesterday was your birthday. Happy birthday, P'Hin."
Wadi extended the box toward him, causing Kon Hin to freeze. He shook his head firmly, his sharp features betraying his inner turmoil.
"I can’t accept this."
"Please do. I want you to have it."
"But..."
He wasn’t deserving of this gift. Whether it was something valuable or merely a pebble, he felt unworthy of receiving anything from Khun Wadi—a woman whose heart lay with someone else, and from whom he had no right to accept generosity after what he had shared with her chosen one the night before.
The guilt consumed his heart so thoroughly that the smile faded from his face.
"Please accept it. I truly wish for you to have it," Wadi insisted.
Kon Hin felt so uneasy that he could hardly breathe. He instinctively turned to glance at his Chao-nai, only to find Tul stepping closer to stand beside him. The weight in his chest grew heavier, but the situation was not what he had feared.
"Wadi wants you to have it. Just accept it."
"But..." He hesitated.
"Alright... thank you, Khun Wadi," he finally murmured, surrendering to the sharp gaze Tul shot at him. His reluctance was evident, yet he extended his hand to accept the small gift box, about the size of his palm. He expressed his thanks softly, his face strained, while Wadi’s sweet smile blossomed with delight.
"Happy birthday, P'Hin. I wish you lots of happiness," Wadi offered warmly.
The words felt ironic, almost mocking, as seeing her beautiful face left Kon Hin devoid of any happiness. Swallowing his shame, he forced a smile.
"Thank you."
"That’s settled then. Shall we head inside?" Tul interjected, leading Wadi into the grand house.
Kon Hin remained standing in place, watching as his Chao-nai guided the elegant woman inside, leaving him behind—a man with a heart full of pain.
This, then, is what it feels like to be punched awake from a dream.
~~~
"P'Tul, is there a particular model you prefer?"
"Honestly, I can use any model. Could you choose one for me, Wadi?"
In a bustling department store during the evening, a young man and woman stood before a display of various mobile phones.
Their presence together turned heads, as many couldn't help but think how perfectly they matched. One was tall, well-built, and irresistibly handsome, while the other was sweetly beautiful, her smile akin to that of a little angel. They enthusiastically pointed out newly released phone models that had just arrived in Thailand.
Why, then, was Tul shopping for a phone with Napawadi? For that, one must go back a few hours earlier.
It began when Rasa reprimanded her stepson in a stern tone, questioning why he hadn’t answered his phone. His explanation—that his phone had fallen into water—caused the mistress of the house to show visible displeasure, her expression briefly darkening.
However, in an instant, it shifted to a gentle smile as she instructed Tul:
"Then Tul, why don't you go with Nong Wadi to buy one? Can you, dear? Help him pick something out. If he goes alone, he always ends up buying outdated, cheap models."
With this decree from the woman Tul loathed as much as his real grandmother, the two of them ended up at the department store together.
Although the situation irritated him, none of his frustration showed on his face. Instead, Tul wore a gentle smile, his warm eyes focused on his companion as she compared two phone models, trying to determine which felt more comfortable in her hand.
"P'Tul, which one do you like better?"
They’re all the same.
"And what do you think, Wadi?"
Despite his thoughts, Tul responded with a slight smile, prompting Wadi to deliberate further.
"I support the newer model," the beautiful young woman remarked, albeit uncertainly.
From what she knew, P'Tul was a man far more grounded than his polished outward appearance suggested. He seemed to be fine with using anything, leaving her unsure if he would agree with her choice.
However, Napawadi believed that new things were inherently better than old ones. Even though she did not mind using affordable items, her financial status allowed her to use expensive products without any concern.
The price of this phone was nothing extravagant—especially for someone like P'Tul, the eldest son of Khun Trai.
Tul, for his part, gave a slight, approving nod and smiled faintly, though he had no particular interest in the matter.
In truth, he hadn’t broken his own phone; he had broken someone else’s—the phone of someone close to him. As this thought crossed his mind, the corners of his lips lifted involuntarily.
He vividly remembered why Kon Hin’s phone had ended up ruined.
Because of me, of course.
Tul let out a quiet chuckle, unable to resist the memory of Kon Hin’s shocked expression when the phone plunged with a splash into the pool. There was no doubt the poor man had been utterly devastated. The person who truly deserved a new phone wasn’t him, but Kon Hin. Yet, even so...
"Then I’ll take this one," he declared, deciding on the newer model as the young woman had suggested.
"Let me call the salesperson for you," Wadi offered enthusiastically.
The tall man nodded and gave her an affectionate smile, which made her cheeks flush pink. She quickly looked around for a salesperson, spotting one nearby. The employee immediately rushed over, eager to assist.
"Do you have this model in stock?" Wadi inquired.
"Yes, we do. Which color would you like, ma’am?"
"P'Tul, which color do you prefer?"
The speaker picked up two phones in different colors, holding them near his face. Tul paused to think for a moment, then pointed to the space gray model and allowed Napawadi to handle the conversation with the salesperson, comparing the price and storage options. It was as if the other person were his attentive girlfriend, while he simply followed her lead. His sharp eyes drifted to the space gray phone that Wadi had returned to its original spot.
Then, the corners of his mouth curled into a wide smile.
A smile that caught the attention of those around him.
A smile that everyone assumed was for the delicate young woman.
But the smile, in truth, wasn’t for Napawadi.
"I’ll be right back. I’m going to the restroom." Wadi said.
"Do you want me to come with you?"
"No, it's fine. I’ll be just a moment. You can stay and wait for the phone."
After handing her credit card to the salesperson, Napawadi excused herself to the restroom, politely declining the offer for Tul to wait outside. Tul had no objections to being the thoughtful man standing outside waiting for his girlfriend. This time, however, he simply nodded and watched the beautiful woman walk out of sight.
Then, the tall figure turned back to the same salesperson.
"Excuse me."
"Yes, sir?"
"I want one more of these."
"Yes?"
Tul did not pay attention to the other person's look of surprise and confirmed with a smile.
"I want the same phone, one more, please. Oh, and just put it in the same bag, no need to separate the bags. Here you go." The speaker pulled out the same credit card that had just been used to buy another phone and handed it over to purchase the second phone, identical in model and color, and without needing to guess, it's clear who this phone would belong to.
The person whose phone he intentionally broke.
Tul hadn't been excited about anything for a long time. No, rather, there hadn't been anything that excited him more than the ongoing resentment he held toward his own grandmother. But now, the man who had devoted himself to revenge was smiling even wider. He wondered what he should do to get Ai Hin to take the phone.
Looks like he’d have to force him.
"Is this phone for your romantic partner?" the salesperson asked amiably, probably thinking of the beautiful woman who would surely be surprised. Tul raised an eyebrow and smiled in response.
"Yes, it's for my romantic partner."
But the "romantic partner" in question was someone else, someone who could make him laugh.
Once again, this smile wasn't caused by the beautiful woman named Napawadi.
~~~
At the same time, Khun Pathapee sat still at the foot of the bed in the small workers' room. His sharp eyes stared at the palm-sized gift box with a look full of worry, confusion, and discomfort. His heart was restless, not understanding why.
He knew that this must be something valuable, but he didn’t want it. He didn’t want to see it. If possible, he even wanted to throw it away.
"It's not that I don't know, Ai Hin. It’s because I know that I have no right to feel that way," thought the man who hugged his knees tightly, burying his face against them. Because of this feeling... jealousy.
Though born into the status of a servant, willing to do everything for Khun Tul, Kon Hin was still a man with flesh, blood, and a heart, a heart that had just encountered happiness.
For the past several days, he had been screaming in pain, claiming that Khun Tul was his, that he was his man, even though he knew he shouldn’t.
Having a romantic partner for several days was causing him pain to the point of nearly dying.
On days when one had never felt happiness, they wouldn't know what suffering was. But once experienced, once felt, seeing Khun Tul drive off with Khun Wadi brought a heart-wrenching pain that words could not explain.
It hurt so much that even moving seemed terrifying, as though darkness was closing in from all directions, slashing at the heart that struggled to survive, mercilessly.
Kon Hin admitted that right now, he was afraid... very afraid.
Khun Tul, I wish I could turn back time to three days ago.
To the time when I was happy.
Kon Hin pressed his lips tightly together. He wasn’t sure how long he had been sitting in this position, only that the outside was dark. He could only turn to look at the gift box again, trembling hands reaching out to open it in fear, then discovering that inside was... a watch.
"It feels like a mockery."
It wasn’t Khun Wadi mocking him, but seeing the watch seemed to answer Kon Hin's question about wanting to go back to three days ago. The ticking hands of the watch moving forward told him that time never turns back, never waits for anyone. It only moves forward, and that made his sharp eyes fill with clear tears.
"You shouldn’t have given it to me."
A watch that was obviously valuable, and he, just a servant in the house, couldn’t even think that Khun Wadi simply wanted to win his favor. Those eyes, that smile, those warm hands that handed him the gift, spoke of a woman who was so sincere, so pure, so clean, far beyond the thought of attaching bad intentions to her.
The purer Khun Wadi was, the more inferior he felt.
"Can you take it back?"
And give me Khun Tul back.
Splash!
The tears that had welled up in his eyes finally fell, as Kon Hin buried his face against his knees once more. He didn’t even think about reaching for the watch to admire its beauty. Just holding back his sobs, just not crying, was more than enough. Especially with the unworthy thought of wanting Khun Tul back, which was even less forgivable.
But he couldn’t stop it.
He wanted Khun Tul back.
The thought grew louder and more terrifying, echoing relentlessly.
Click!
“What are you doing so shadily, Ai Hin?”
Gasp!
Whoosh!
He had been so lost in thought that he hadn’t heard the door open, startling violently when the voice of the very person he had been thinking about pierced the silence. Quickly, he rubbed his face against the pants he was wearing to dry his tears on the fabric, just as the room lights blazed on.
“You…”
“Khun Tul, what do you need? I’ll take care of it right away.”
Kon Hin tried to ignore the curious tone of the other man, lifting his head to offer his usual polite smile, pretending as if nothing had happened. But this was Khun Tul—the man he had been with his entire life. If Kon Hin could sense Khun Tul’s torment, why wouldn’t Khun Tul sense his unease?
“Sigh. This morning, you still looked fine. I’m gone for just a few hours.”
Without asking what had happened, his Chao-nai simply walked in, closed the door, locked it, and came over. He placed a bag on the side of the bed, climbed onto the same bed, glanced briefly at the luxurious watch, and then closed the box without saying a word. He simply pushed it to the other side of the bed.
Grab!
“Tired as hell.”
A strong arm wrapped around his shoulder, and the master—who refused to show weakness to anyone—rested his head against his subordinate.
“Driving back was exhausting. Thought I’d get a break, but I had to head out again. Let me just stay still for a moment.”
That was all Khun Tul said, but for someone whose heart ached, it felt comforting.
The pain eased, the torment subsided, and it felt like he could breathe again.
Kon Hin hesitated for a moment before lifting his hand to wrap around the mixed-heritage man's waist, deciding to lean his head back against the close-cropped one. His sharp eyes closed because...
Khun Tul had come back to him.
The moment the tall man embraced him in return, Kon Hin realized he was in trouble. Serious trouble.
Before this, he had wished for this man to have someone by his side—someone deserving, someone who could heal the wounds in his heart. But now, he wanted to be that person himself. So much so that he didn’t want that perfect woman to enter either of their lives.
Kon Hin knew it.He was truly in trouble.
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