"There you are, you bloody damn shit-lizards!!!"
Anyone hearing the roar and seeing the size of its owner would undoubtedly think trouble was imminent. The same thought struck the students in the cafeteria that morning, who scattered in all directions as Nakrob strode purposefully forward, shouting those words at two men who had just seated themselves.
Bang!
“Would you have stayed in hiding all term break if the semester hadn’t started?!” Nakrob threw his bag onto a nearby chair and crossed his arms, glaring at Tul accusingly, though his question was directed at Kon Hin.
He might not have been this furious if not for what had happened two days into the break. Calling to wish his best friend a happy birthday as usual, he had briefly overheard Tul’s voice. Then came the sound of something large splashing into water, followed by utter silence.
Yes, silence! After that, no matter how much he tried, there was no response. His mind raced with worst-case scenarios, wondering if his friend had been tortured nearly to death by his Chao-nai. Days passed, and then Kon Hin sent a message saying: broke my phone; talk when the term starts.
That was it.
His concern was dismissed with just two sentences. When Nakrob called back, his best friend ignored the calls, whether or not he had a new phone by then. Nakrob wasn’t feather-headed—he could easily imagine who had forbidden Hin from answering. He could even picture Tul hurling Hin’s phone into the canal himself.
The person whose guess was eerily accurate stood staring intently at his mixed-heritage friend.
“I didn’t come here just to show my face to you; I came here to study. Right, Hin?” Tul replied with a casual voice that, no matter how one listened, was provocatively insolent. His sharp eyes locked with Nakrob’s in an unyielding stare before shifting to glance at the person beside him, who offered a nervous smile.
Kon Hin glanced left and right, then did as his Chao-nai desired.
“Uh, yes,” he said.
“Bloody hell!” The irate Nakrob, annoyed from the very first day of the term, slammed himself down onto a chair, baring his teeth at Kon Hin, who obediently followed his Chao-nai’s wishes. He tried to ignore the apologetic gaze Hin directed at him.
“So, was your phone really broken?” Nakrob asked, though his eyes shifted toward Tul.
“It was. Here, see?” Kon Hin quickly responded, pulling out his new phone to show his friend.
The moment Nakrob saw it, his eyes narrowed further. He recognized this brand and model well; it had just entered the Thai market recently. But more importantly, he knew Kon Hin’s personality. There was no way Hin would buy a phone worth nearly fifty thousand baht. Even if he could afford it, he’d rather opt for one worth only a few thousand. Reaching out, Nakrob aimed to grab the phone to confirm he wasn’t seeing things.
Snatch!
But before his hand could touch the device, Tul abruptly grabbed Kon Hin’s hand and pulled it toward himself, cutting Nakrob off by a fraction of a second.
“Don’t. You’ll smudge it, and I’ll have to clean it again.”
“Bloody fucking shit-lizard Tul!” Nakrob growled once more, fully aware that Tul had just insulted him outright.
Tul, unconcerned with maintaining appearances in front of this friend, evilly gave a malicious smile in response. His grip on Kon Hin’s hand remained firm as his golden-brown eyes met Hin’s again. He repeated his words, this time as an order.
"Don't let him see it," Tul commanded.
What else could Kon Hin do but respond softly, "Yes."
Nakrob rolled his eyes in utter exasperation.
At that moment, a phone rang, but it wasn’t the one in Kon Hin’s hand. It was Tul’s. The owner glanced briefly at the number before standing up.
“I’m going to take this call. Do you want anything to drink? I’ll grab it for you.”
“I’d rather go get it myself,” Kon Hin replied.
“I asked what drink you wanted,” Tul shot back, his sharp eyes demanding an answer. He ignored the incessant ringing of his phone until Kon Hin hastily responded.
“A bottle of water, please.”
“I’ll be back soon.”
Before leaving, Tul gently pressed down on Kon Hin’s head affectionately, not sparing Nakrob—who stood there dumbfounded—a single glance. Then, the tall figure strode off in another direction to answer the call, leaving the two friends alone. Tul was confident Kon Hin would follow his orders to the letter.
“What?” Kon Hin asked, turning to meet Nakrob’s gaze, only to find his friend looking as if the world were ending.
“That was bloody damn cur-level insane,” Nakrob muttered.
"What do you mean by ‘bloody damn cur-level insane’?”
Nakrob shook his head, glancing after Tul before voicing his thoughts.
“Since when do phones costing half a hundred thousand come with a free extra one?”
Whoosh!
A rush of heat flooded Kon Hin’s face as he gripped his new phone tightly. He had wondered the same thing but hadn’t dared to ask the one who bought it for him, fearing Tul’s response might be something as casual as “I just wanted a new one, not a matching pair.” So, he decided it was better to let himself dream sweetly a little longer.
This thought made him handle the phone with extra care—not because it was expensive, but because it was from someone important.
Nakrob observed this with amazement. Just a few months ago, those two had been beating each other to a pulp, and now here was Tul ruffling his servant’s hair with affection. Nakrob wasn’t one to bottle up his curiosity either.
“So, you’ve been promoted from servant to Mia, huh?”
“What the hell!” Kon Hin jumped in shock.
“What nonsense are you talking about? If someone hears, they’ll get the wrong idea!”
“Oh, hardly the wrong idea. He won’t even let me touch you—talk about guarding his bone.” Nakrob’s tone was mocking, but it soon softened into a sigh. Looking at his close friend, whom he hadn’t seen in months, Nakrob noticed Kon Hin looked better than before. His expression was brighter, his eyes reflected happiness, and his body seemed stronger. Nakrob decided to let go of his earlier resentment. After all, if Tul had treated his own people well from the beginning, there wouldn’t have been any need for all those fights.
“Well, what’s the deal then?” Nakrob repeated his question.
The listener fell silent, glancing in the direction Tul had gone, then muttered a single word.
“Strange.”
“What’s strange, you or him?”
“Neither. I’m just not used to Khun Tul being kind, I guess,” Kon Hin dismissed, steering the conversation toward the courses for the semester.
The transition was clumsy at best, but Nakrob went along with it, perhaps because of the uneasy look on Kon Hin’s face when he said the word strange.
Kon Hin wasn’t feather-headed. Though he was happy with what he had received, how could he not know? When his Chao-nai came home separately, who did Tul meet, and what did they talk about? The issue of Khun Wadi was engraved in his mind, a constant reminder not to get carried away. But his gut told him this phone call wasn’t about Khun Wadi.
Recently, foreign numbers had frequently appeared on Tul’s phone. Kon Hin hadn’t meant to snoop—Tul hadn’t tried to hide them either—but since he never answered the calls, Kon Hin merely mentioned them after noticing one while Tul was in the shower.
The smile Tul gave then sent a shiver down Hin's spine.
Tul was doing something he hadn’t shared with him, which wasn’t unusual, as there was no need to disclose everything. Yet Kon Hin feared this might be the calm before a storm.
He worried it could turn into something like what had happened with Khun Than.
Despite his concerns about Tul, Kon Hin eventually forgot the matter entirely in the days that followed. The student council was in the midst of transitioning responsibilities to the incoming members, and the new semester had begun. Even with only a few courses, the professors seemed to have coordinated to assign work due every week.
Even now, Kon Hin was burdened with documents he had just picked up from the copy shop, his arms completely full.
Thud!
“Haah…”
He let out a heavy sigh. He was carrying too much—a backpack slung over one shoulder, thick stacks of documents, a rolled-up poster meant for the junior students, and a thick report he had tucked under his arm earlier, which had now fallen flat on the ground.
At this point, he wondered which part of his body he should use to pick it up.
“Rose will help!”
At that moment, the delicate hand of someone reached for the report, brushed off the dust, and instead of returning it, Rose hugged it to her chest and flashed a sweet smile.
“Thank you, Nong Rose.”
“P’Hin, where are you going?” Rose asked eagerly.
“To the classroom on the third floor,” he replied.
“Then I will walk you there! You’re carrying so much. Here, let me help.” Rose sweetly asked.
Before Kon Hin could refuse, the beautiful young woman grabbed the rolled-up poster and held it herself, smiling brightly with a determined look in her eyes, making it clear she intended to join him. This left Kon Hin momentarily speechless, but he eventually gave her a thankful smile.
He still owed this junior student a reply, but it seemed Rose had forgotten about it—which was for the best.
“Thank you.”
"See? It’s because of that smile! I can't help but fall for it. Oh, my heart, stop trembling so much, please," she said dramatically, clutching her chest in an exaggerated manner. Despite how awkward it might have seemed, Kon Hin couldn't help but laugh affectionately at her antics, which made Rose stomp her foot lightly and point at him in mock annoyance.
"You laugh even though I said my heart is trembling! P’Hin, that’s cheating."
He admitted he truly found this junior endearing.
Similarly, when Rose saw her handsome senior smiling, she couldn’t help but smile back as she stepped closer to stand beside him.
"Let’s go, third-floor classroom!" If she weren’t holding back, she’d have asked to link arms with him.
“Yes, ma’am,” Kon Hin replied, observing her cheerful demeanor, which remained constant no matter the situation.
"Did you go traveling during the break?"
“Aha, are you trying to say Rose got darker? Even though I applied sunscreen!” Rose looked at her slightly tanned skin and pouted. "I should’ve worn long sleeves, huh?"
“No, I didn’t mean that at all. I was just saying you look refreshed, like you fully enjoyed your break.”
“Is that supposed to be a compliment? It makes me sound like I just goofed off the whole time,” Rose said with a scrunched nose, though she quickly returned to smiling sweetly. "And what about you, P’Hin? This is your final term, right? Are you planning to continue your studies?"
The young woman asked with genuine interest, quickly adding more.
"I spoke with Professor Danai, and I heard that the professor invited both P'Hin and P'Tul to continue their studies. But it seems no one has given an answer yet."
The professor had asked them since last term, but Kon Hin thought it was probably just a casual question. It was just at that moment when they reached the faculty notice board, and his sharp eyes caught a flyer for a scholarship to study abroad. Rose noticed it too and giggled.
"Wow, that’s a perfect match. I think P'Hin would be a great fit!"
"What’s a good fit?" Kon Hin frowned, confused.
"A foreign student, of course!" Rose said with a dreamy expression.
"Like a Thai student in England, with a slight smile and looking polite. P'Hin would definitely suit studying in Europe. Someone as calm and deep as you is perfect for there. As for someone overly confident like P'Tul, he’d be better off in America."
Kon Hin didn’t understand what Rose was basing this on, but he laughed along, glancing at the announcement before shaking his head.
"I’ll probably be working instead."
His Chao-nai had already made it clear that after graduation, he would join the company of Khun Trai. If asked whether he wanted to study further, he would, if given the chance. His parents, who only completed middle school, always emphasized their gratitude towards Khun Trai for allowing their son to receive a higher education. If he could study more, it would be great, but starting work right away was just as exciting.
Kon Hin looked forward to the day when he could work side by side with P'Tul, a day he had been anticipating for years.
The thought made him smile widely.
"Where to? Next year, I will be submitting documents for an internship," Rose said excitedly, though it sounded more like playful teasing.
"If I’m the one training you, it’s going to be tough," Kon Hin teased back.
"Oh wow, how tough? Will I be shackled and handcuffed? I can handle anything!" Rose joked.
"Eh?"
Kon Hin paused, looking at his junior who seemed to be carried away, and she gave an awkward smile.
"Heh, I was just kidding. Got a bit carried away."
But Kon Hin couldn’t help but think of someone who liked to torment him on the bed, and then his mind drifted to the orders from a few weeks ago… as part of P'Tul's birthday gift.
Suddenly, Kon Hin’s face flushed with heat, and his companion noticed.
"P'Hin, are you thinking something naughty? Your face is all red!"
"No, no, not at all!"
"Oh my, if you think like that, you should go ask my mom for permission!" Rose laughed cheerfully as she walked ahead towards the third-floor classroom.
Kon Hin, on the other hand, felt like if he had one free hand, he’d rub his face hard because the thoughts in his mind were not about the beautiful girl lying on the bed, but rather about him underneath P'Tul.
This is broad daylight, for crying out loud, Kon Hin!
With a quick shake of his head, he hurried after his junior, trying to clear up the misunderstanding.
~~~
"Today I need to stop by the office to pick up some documents," Tul had told Kon Hin earlier that morning.
After both of them finished their afternoon classes, Kon Hin found himself standing alone under the faculty building, questioning whether he should just go home or go somewhere else. But today, he didn’t want to go home. Having plenty of free time left his mind wandering further than just what was visible or audible.
The young man was sure that whenever he had free time, his thoughts would inevitably drift to his Chao-nai not heading straight to work, but instead stopping by to visit Miss Napawadi. The sharp pang in his chest was something Kon Hin did not want to feel. He wanted to maintain his position as someone close to Tul, and thus, jealousy was a dangerous emotion that shouldn’t arise.
But feelings were something that couldn’t be controlled. Whenever they weren’t together, all he could see was the image of the perfect couple—a man and woman who seemed meant for each other.
These thoughts caused Kon Hin to grip his phone tighter, trying to shake off the heat in his chest and hold on to the calmness he had always maintained. Glancing at the birthday gift brought a small smile to his lips.
While Kon Hin never cared much about his own birthday, Tul didn’t seem to care about his either. Yet, this year felt different.
Kon Hin didn’t want to be the only one thinking that this year was special. He wanted his Chao-nai to feel the same way. So, instead of taking the skytrain home, Kon Hin called a motorbike taxi to take him to the nearby shopping mall.
He wanted to find a birthday gift for his Chao-nai.
"That day, I want to see you naked, pleasuring yourself on my bed."
Suddenly, Tul’s voice interrupted his thoughts, and a blush spread across Kon Hin’s face. It was an odd sight for the handsome young man who was standing there rubbing his face in the middle of a busy mall.
That part, he had to give, but he was looking for something else entirely.
Kon Hin felt embarrassed as he thought to himself. There was not even a shred of doubt that he didn’t want to do it. On the contrary, he was actually looking forward to that day. Despite everything that had happened in bed, his Chao-nai would only look at him, spend time with him, and be with him alone.
He knew that since the day he said the words "I love you," an unknown selfishness had started to gnaw at his heart.
Once again, Kon Hin shook his head and began to wander through the mall, wondering if he could find the perfect gift for his Chao-nai.
Although Kon Hin was just the son of a chauffeur, he had saved up some money. As he grew older and began taking care of Tul, Trai gave him a salary. Since he lived in the house and ate in the house, Kon Hin had money saved up, though it wasn’t to the extent that he could buy a mobile phone worth fifty thousand baht without thinking, like his Chao-nai could.
He walked around the mall, stopping at one shop after another, still unsure of what to buy. He racked his brain, trying to think about what his Chao-nai would like. He soon realized that the one thing his Chao-nai wanted most was something he couldn’t provide—being in charge of Metthanun. Moreover, Tul wasn’t attached to material possessions. He didn’t need branded clothing or to dine at fancy restaurants. His Chao-nai was simple, easy to please, and that made picking a birthday gift even harder than it already was.
He kept thinking until he found himself standing in front of a display case filled with expensive pens.
Tul could easily use a five-baht pen without a second thought, but after much deliberation, and considering that after this semester, his Chao-nai would start working full-time at the company, Kon Hin decided that he wanted to get him something practical, something he could carry around. So it ended up being a pen.
He hoped that Tul would like it.
After that, Kon Hin spent another half hour deciding which pen would be the best fit, which one had the right design, and finally settled on a sleek, black pen, smiling widely at his choice.
When Kon Hin received the engraved pen in its simple gift box and held it, his smile grew wider than before, drawing the attention of several girls who couldn’t help but glance at the handsome, well-built young man. Among them was one woman who nudged her friend.
"That guy is handsome, Wadi."
"Why are you staring like that? He’ll probably get upset," Napawadi whispered, warning her friend, but she couldn’t help but glance at Kon Hin too before her eyes widened in surprise.
"Hey, where’s Wadi going?"
Wadi didn’t answer the question, instead walking up behind the handsome man and smiling.
"Phii Hin."
Whoosh.
"Khun Wadi!!!"
The surprised, flustered reaction from the man in front of her made Napawadi laugh brightly, her eyes sparkling. She glanced around, hoping to see the boyfriend she’d just started dating a few weeks ago, but there was no sign of him.
"Today, Khun Tul went to the company," Hin added.
It was clear enough for the man to speak with a dry voice.
"Oh, I wasn’t looking for Phii Tul," Wadi quickly redirected her gaze back to Kon Hin, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"So, what are you doing here, Phii Hin?"
"Um, I’m just buying something," Kon Hin replied, quickly hiding the plastic bag with the store's logo behind him. Wadi didn’t pay much attention, as her friend Nid nudged her arm eagerly.
"Who is he?"
Nid looked at the tall man with sparkling eyes. Not only was he handsome with sharp features, but his physique was also impressive, easily inferred from the student uniform he wore. She urged Wadi to introduce them.
"Introduce us, will you?"
"Oh, this is Phii Hin. Phii Hin, this is Wadi’s friend, Nid," Napawadi introduced the two, and Nid immediately caught the earlier conversation.
"Are you a friend of Phii Tul?" Nid asked. "I overheard earlier."
Without hesitation, Wadi answered her friend, "Yes, he’s Phii Tul’s childhood friend. He’s not just a house servant."
But before she could continue...
"No, I’m the driver for Khun Tul," Kon Hin corrected.
"Huh?" Nid’s eyes widened in surprise, and Kon Hin repeated himself.
"My parents work in Khun Tul’s house, so I work for him too."
"...Oh, I see."
Nid’s initial excitement turned into a more reserved demeanor. Napawadi noticed this shift and felt uneasy, but criticizing her friend would be too awkward, so she simply exchanged an apologetic look with Kon Hin, who smiled, signaling that it was no problem.
However, seeing Kon Hin so accustomed to this kind of treatment made Wadi even more uncomfortable.
"Well, since you’re already getting a birthday gift for Phii Tul, why don’t you just ask him? Isn’t that part of your work?" Nid quickly changed the subject, returning to the previous conversation.
When the topic came up, Wadi nodded eagerly.
"Phii Hin, do you happen to know if Khun Tul wants anything recently?"
Kon Hin tightened his grip on the plastic bag and answered politely.
"No, I don’t know."
"Oh, I see," Wadi said, her face falling a little as she continued, "Khun Tul’s birthday is coming up soon, and I still can’t figure out what to get him."
"Oh, it’s not that hard. I already told you, just wrap yourself up with a bow and give yourself to him."
"Nid!" Wadi scolded her friend, her cheeks turning bright red.
"Don’t be shy, Wadi. We’ve already told you not to waste time. If someone else beats you to it, you’ll be embarrassed. Khun Tul’s charm is off the charts, right, Phii?" Nid turned to Kon Hin for support, but didn’t wait for an answer.
"Here’s an idea: you could have Phii Hin trick Khun Tul into thinking that your friends are throwing him a birthday party, and then you just show up alone at the event. Have it at a fancy restaurant in a hotel with a beautiful view. That’ll make Khun Tul happy, and it’ll be super romantic."
"Are you crazy?" Wadi shyly smacked her friend's arm, stealing a glance at Kon Hin, who still had the same neutral expression.
"Crazy or not, it’s worth a try. It’s just like before. Khun Tul did the same thing with you, didn’t he?"
"And then, boom! A huge bouquet of flowers, and he kneels down to propose!" Nid continued eagerly, ignoring Wadi's shy glances at the other man. Since her friend and Khun Tul were already together, why overthink it? Everyone wants to celebrate their birthday with their significant other.
Hearing this, Wadi began to warm up to the idea.
"Do you think Khun Tul would like it?"
"Do you like it?"
Wadi nodded shyly, still excited every time she thought about that night. Even though the flowers he gave her had withered, she had kept some of them to make dried flower bookmarks to keep with her.
"See? Now just offer yourself on a platter to him."
"Nid!!!" Wadi was so embarrassed, she didn’t know how to react. Her friend playfully pinched her cheek in affection.
"Come on, Wadi, stop being shy. You and he are already a couple. Are you going to act like this every time you see him?"
"What?"
Nid teased her friend in a playful tone, mostly for fun. The more Wadi blushed, the more she wanted to tease her, but it made the silent man who had been standing there speak up with a deep, strong voice. When they turned to look, his serious expression made Wadi falter.
"What's wrong, Phii? Why are you raising your voice?"
"Ah, no, it’s nothing. I just heard... I heard that you and Khun Tul..."
Nid was puzzled by the pale face of the man in front of them, but because she was more focused on her friend, who was blushing so hard, she only teased her more by saying it out loud.
"Well, you're already a couple, right? Isn't that right, Wadi? Khun Tul brought you a huge bouquet of flowers and kneeled down to ask you to be his girlfriend, didn't he?"
"That's not true! Khun Tul just gave me flowers, he didn’t kneel or anything."
"Really? Well, believe me, once the adults talk, you might have someone kneeling down to ask you to marry them right after you graduate."
Nid continued to tease Wadi cheerfully, not noticing that the other man had turned as pale as paper, his eyes... filled with a look of deep anguish and torment.
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