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Perspective - Third Person
For many, Saturday morning is a respite, a time to lie abed until the sun hangs directly overhead. Yet for Pitchaya, morning begins at six o'clock, as he descends to take over the laborers' tasks of watering the garden, pauses to assist Auntie Jeab in the kitchen, and...speaks on the phone with his sweetheart while awaiting his mother's arrival for breakfast together.
"One moment, Ai'Pete... Mother!!! Where would you like me to set this?"
The person on the other end can only stifle a chuckle, aware that Ae is preparing items for sale at his family's shop that morning. Thus, he envisions the one who rises at four-thirty, lifting goods until sweat glistens upon him.
In truth, Pete's early rising owes much to Ae.
Ae, a natural early riser, wakes only slightly later on days following their nights together, yet still early enough to be prompt. This tendency leads the other to adjust his schedule accordingly.
"If you're busy, should I hang up for now?"
"It's all right. I've got my earphones clipped on… Nong Yim!!! No, no, not now—you can't play just yet. Uncle Ae is helping Grandma with her work."
"You're mean, Uncle Ae. I'm sulking now!"
The soft voice coming through the phone makes the handsome man chuckle, picturing the little girl holding up her thumb at Uncle Ae, who surely now stands nonplussed, at a loss for how to appease his niece.
"Indeed, indeed! Uncle Ae is mean, refusing to play with his niece." Pete echos the little girl.
In former days, Pete would not dare to tease like this. However, with six months of their relationship approaching, he feels emboldened to jest with Ae, hearing an exasperated sigh from the other end.
"I don't play with my niece, but I'm always playing with you."
Ah…
For one who seldom indulges in jest, Ae's retort leaves Pete silent, aware that this "play" does not involve pretending to be an airplane, as he does with his niece, but something much more strenuous, leaving him muttering softly.
"Perhaps I should go...you must be busy with work."
"Heh, running away, are you?"
"Uncle Ae is being impolite!"
Before Pete can disconnect, a bright little voice chimes in, making him break into hearty laughter, all hesitation fading.
"Yes, yes, Ae is being impolite... I really do wish you'd get drunk again."
"Bloody fucking cur, don't bring that up."
Pete knows well that Ae does not direct these words at him but rather mutters them in self-reproach, a form of bashfulness. Every time the subject of drinking arises, the one who knows full well what he does while intoxicated—yet cannot control himself—becomes so flustered he refuses to speak altogether.
"But I like it, truly."
"Ai'Pete, don't tease me."
"I'm doing nothing of the sort," Pete replies, stepping outside the house. It's now nearing eight o'clock, and since it's a holiday, he suspects his mother may come down later than usual. Just as he's bantering with the person on the line, he hears young Yim protesting, insisting she wants to speak with Uncle Pete, when his sharp eyes catch sight of a car turning to park in front of the house.
"Hm?"
"What is it?"
"Someone's here," Pete responds, narrowing his eyes toward the gate, where he observes someone stepping out of a Mini Cooper and waving in his direction.
He quickly turns to grab the remote and opens the electric gate. The visitor is… Delee.
"Oh, you've got a guest over? Shall we hang up?"
Pete nearly lets slip who's arrived but stops short, remembering their previous quarrel over this very matter. The words die in his throat, replaced with a simple phrase.
"Goodbye for now, Ae." He promptly ends the call, wishing to avoid any further tension.
He assures himself he isn't violating any agreement, given that he didn't arrange to see Delee alone—she came of her own accord, and the house is full of workers. Surely, conversing with a friend will cause no harm… perhaps.
"How did you manage to get here?" he asks, waiting until the car pulls fully into the drive. Stepping down to greet the young woman in her cheerful blue dress, he finds her smiling warmly.
"I stopped by for breakfast! Brought a few treats too... Have you started breakfast already, Pete?" Delee chirps, opening the car door and retrieving several bags, which prompts him to step forward and assist her as he replies.
"Not yet. Mother hasn't come down. So, what brings you here?" His question elicits a bright laugh from her, and she turns to look at him fully, though her unwavering gaze momentarily silences Pitchaya.
"Lom probably misses you… You only stopped by for a moment at Grandma's birthday, and you didn't even have time to go shopping with us. If I didn't come to see you, I'd probably be losing a friend by now," says the young lady with a soft, plaintive tone, pouting slightly.
Even though this is a familiar exchange between the two of them, the one watching her feels… oddly unsettled.
Perhaps it is because of what Ae recently said: She likes you.
That thought makes Pete look at his friend's face in silence, a question surfacing… Since when has Delee looked at me like this?
No… that's impossible. It's just a friend looking at a friend.
"I'm sorry about that day," he finally says.
"Then you can make it up to me later, right?" Delee replies with a cheerful voice that unsettles Pete somehow, though he cannot explain why.
He knows that if he goes out with her, he would either have to lie to Ae or they'd end up having another disagreement. He doesn't want to be seen as someone who chooses a romantic partner over a friend, but he also doesn't want to strain things with Ae.
"I'll try," he says eventually, a cautious answer that makes Delee raise an eyebrow slightly, starting to feel a bit strange about her childhood friend's demeanor. However, a moment later, she manages a small smile.
"'Trying' isn't enough. You have to make it up to me. Last year, how many times did we meet up… three or four, maybe? We used to go everywhere together. Never mind, though. let's go inside. The sun's getting strong," she says in her usual cheerful tone, even as she notices he seems preoccupied.
Her slender hand reaches for his arm and gives it a gentle tug, a touch that brings a faint flush to his fair cheeks.
"How long has it been since I've been able to link arms with you, Pete? Actually, I came today because I need to ask you for something."
"Oh?" Pete turns to her curiously, but at that moment…
"Ah, Delee, how have you come here? It has been quite some time since we last met," Patcharaporn greets the familiar young woman as she steps forward, prompting Delee to turn and offer a respectful greeting.
"I have come to share a meal today," Delee replies.
"Very well! It has been ages since we have eaten together. Come now, Pete, hurry! Your mother has been waiting until she is hungry. You have been waking up early these days," the mother responds with a smile, turning to invite her son, who remains puzzled about what his friend might request, but he smiles in acceptance and follows the two women into the dining room.
"Has Pete been waking up early these days?" Delee inquires.
"Yes, every time he is home from the dormitory, I see him awake at six or even five o'clock in the morning."
Pete has previously thought this was an ordinary conversation, but now he begins to notice several things. Delee seems interested in his affairs, yet he tries to tell himself that he is thinking too much, having been influenced by what Ae mentioned. Unbeknownst to him, Khun-nu Delee has been smiling slightly while glancing over at him multiple times.
~~~
"Pete, please help me by being my romantic partner," she finally asks.
And thus, the mystery that had puzzled Pitchaya is unveiled after their meal. Once breakfast concludes, the two of them move to the sitting room to continue their conversation. Upon merely asking if there is anything he can assist with, this request catches him off guard, and he remains silent, staring at his close friend, who is now blushing. He quickly waves his hand as she notices his astonishment.
"W-wait! It is not what you think! I mean, we should pretend to be a couple… pretend to be partners," she clarifies.
"Pretend to be partners?" Pete's shock transforms into curiosity as he coughs several times, nodding vigorously, his fair skin flushing pink.
"Ah...yes, yes. Pretending to be a romantic partner, not an actual one... it's just..." Delee trails off slightly, her head lowering a bit, and both hands clasped tightly together.
Her nervousness is plain to see, and this charming demeanor would easily soften the hearts of many young men. However, for the one man watching her now, he is filled with only questions in his heart: Why pretend to be a romantic partner?
"It's like this, Pete. I'm really tired of the guys in my faculty. One of them… Well, he's trying to court me. I already told him I wasn't interested, but he just won't give up. And it's not just him—there's also a senior... I feel so troubled by this because no matter what I say, they won't accept it. So, I told them that... I told them that... I already have a romantic partner."
Pete points a finger at himself, and she slowly nods, looking up at him.
"Could you help me, Pete? Just meet them for thirty minutes, that's all. If they think I have a romantic partner, they'll likely give up."
If this had been a year ago, Pete would have agreed without hesitation to help his friend. Though he is gay, he would still have done his utmost to act the part of a pretend partner, for Delee must truly be distressed; otherwise, she would not ask for his help. Now though... he finds himself the one feeling troubled.
"Is it too much to ask, Pete?" she asks softly when he remains silent. Her confidence that he will help her is waning, making her heart sink as well.
For Delee, she has never seen Pete as just a friend. No, ever since she reached the age when one starts feeling interest in the opposite sex, her eyes have been fixed on this childhood friend.
Pete is kind, gentle, devoted to his mother, attentive, even to the smallest matters. He is the kind of man whom any woman would easily fall for, and she is no exception. All this time, Delee has seen that, no matter how much he has grown into a perfectly ideal man, Pete has never changed in the least.
They say that a man who has everything will be a flirt, yet Pete has never been that way. He remains the same Pete she has always known, so much so that she finds herself secretly wondering if he might feel the same about her.
When they were children, the adults would often say they were well-matched. They would comment on how it would be wonderful if they married when they grew up. This notion has stayed with her ever since, though her grandmother has started to dismiss it.
Because Pete is not the eldest heir of the family, with several cousins preceding him, and because his parents are divorced, with Pete choosing to live with his mother, some say he may not be appropriate. However, none of that ever changes Delee's feelings.
Regardless of what others might say, she only cares about how Pete feels about her.
Now though, Delee suddenly feels as though Pete is more distant than before, and the unease gnaws at her. They attend different universities and see less of each other lately, so it is not surprising if, during that time apart, someone else enters Pete's life. This concern leads her to fabricate... no, the story she tells Pete holds a kernel of truth. In fact, she can handle those men pursuing her just fine on her own. But it is an excellent excuse to get closer to him.
And while she is confident he will agree, the response she receives is completely unexpected.
"I'm sorry, Delee. I can't help you with this."
"Why not? It's just a pretend relationship," she protests, trying to persuade him despite her disappointment.
"It's not about whether it's real or pretend... it's just..." Pete pauses for a moment, seemingly deciding something, then lifts his gaze to meet hers.
"I already have a romantic partner."
"No... that can't be true..."
If one asks how Delee feels, it is close to shock, leaving her unable to speak. She only murmurs faintly, staring at her friend, frozen in place, while Pitchaya himself struggles to explain.
"Please don't be upset with me, Delee. I really want to help, I do. If it is anything else, I'm more than willing to help you—but this, I simply can't... I don't want my partner to misunderstand." Pete speaks honestly, for he senses what those glances mean, and so he needs to tell her.
"It's not that my romantic partner doesn't understand, but matters like this are difficult to discuss. They likely wouldn't want me to play the role of anyone else's romantic partner, even if it's just a made-up scenario... I'm truly sorry. So very sorry."
"Since...when?"
The slender figure asks, her voice almost a whisper, hands trembling as though beyond her control. Her beautiful eyes begin to sting as though tears will fall, prompting her to look down at her hands.
"Since July."
"Wh...why didn't I know? Why..." Delee bites her lip until it hurts, her voice trembling audibly, causing Pete to feel a pang of guilt.
"We haven't seen each other, so I didn't have the chance to tell you..."
"But we have seen each other, Pete. We have! At the very least, we chat over LINE, but you never once mentioned that you had a partner." The young woman stands abruptly, staring at her friend, who visibly reacts with surprise.
"Delee, I—"
"Six whole months! Aren't we close friends? Or have I been imagining it all along? Yes, I must have imagined it alone!!!" Her voice rises slightly, an outburst of pent-up emotion upon realizing she is too late—half a year too late—after always believing Pete would choose her in the end.
"Delee, I'm sorry."
Yet the pained look in his eyes makes her press her lips tightly together. She knows she is making her friend uncomfortable, but she can't bear to listen any longer.
"I...I should go. I'm sorry. Forget everything I've said." With that, Delee grabs her purse, turns, and walks swiftly out of the house before the dam of tears can burst.
Watching her go, Pete closes his eyes and runs a hand over his face, feeling at a loss.
Should he go after her to explain, or leave things as they are?
"Ae was right. Why didn't I realize this?"
"Pete."
Whip.
"Mother," he says as he lifts his face at the sound of her voice.
His mother is watching him with sympathy as she moves to sit beside him.
"I heard everything." Her words make him close his eyes, bowing his head until his forehead rests against his clasped hands.
"Mother... I truly had no idea. All this time, I saw Delee as a close friend—the best friend, one who has never left my side... But I didn't know. I didn't mean to hurt her."
Grasp.
Hearing this, Patcharaporn places her hand on her son's, squeezing it gently as she speaks in a soft voice.
"It's not wrong that you didn't know, Pete. Nor is it wrong that Delee has feelings for you. Now that you know though, and do not share those feelings, telling her directly is the best course—better than letting it drag on endlessly, my son," she says, encouraging him, though he responds with a heavy tone.
"But Delee... may not think of me as a friend anymore." The young man, concerned for his friend, expresses his fear, to which his mother smiles gently.
"Time will help everything settle, dear. For now, it may be difficult, but I believe that Delee, of all people, will understand you." Having watched the two since they were young, she has no regrets that her son hasn't fallen in love with Delee, who possesses all the qualities one could hope for. No matter what path her son chooses, she is prepared to support him wholeheartedly.
"Yes, Mother. I... I'll be alright." Finally, Pete takes a deep breath, forcing a smile for his mother. He squeezes her hand in return, not wanting to cause her worry, and then says almost absent-mindedly.
"Anyway, I'll call the jealous one and let him know first."
"Is Ae the jealous one, or is it you, Pete?"
Thud.
His mother's question makes him freeze momentarily.
"Uh, I mean... I... Well, I should probably go finish my homework." With that, he quickly excuses himself, not out of reluctance to share with his mother, but because that teasing smile makes him feel unexpectedly flustered. He hurries upstairs, realizing that this confirms his mother knows... and likely has for quite some time.
As for what he must tell Ae... he needs to share everything that happened today.
I don't want to keep anything from Ae—not even that Delee came to see me today.
~~~
"Out all morning, were you?"
"How did you know I wasn't home?" Meanwhile, the "Pheuak Monkey" himself, making the most of his day off, is perplexed as "Ai'Tinn" calls him the moment he steps off the bus, already aware he's been out.
"I have my ways of knowing."
"Are you clairvoyant or are you Abdul like Ai'Pond?" Khaen asks, now genuinely suspicious whether Ai'Tinn has someone tailing him. Truth be told, these days, Tinn can always find him without a call.
"What are you doing today?" Tinn changes the subject.
"Fine, if you won't answer... Well, I am going to watch a movie today. P'Champ's group got free tickets, so I sweet-talked my way into tagging along."
"What's wrong with watching at my place?"
"It's not the same, man! Sure, your setup's great, but watching with other people's a different vibe. Besides, lately whenever we watch at yours, we never finish a single movie. Something always interrupts halfway." As for what that something is… well, they both know.
"Come on, don't complain. Let me have my fun. My ears are nearly numb from P'Champ's teasing. He said if I wanted free tickets, I should ask you for them. They even ribbed me about kissing you on the football field. I had to slap on my 'thick-skinned' face just to score one ticket." Khaen rattles on, and before Tinn can prod further, he cuts off.
"Alright, alright, I see them now. Talk later."
See them? Right. He's actually half an hour early; the others are probably running late.
Shrugging, he pockets his phone and glances around, deciding he might grab a bite before his seniors arrive. The iconic "M" symbol nearby calls to him, pulling him toward it, if not for—
"Fancy meeting you here."
Whip.
Chance meeting, my foot!
Khaen spins around to look behind him and silently curses, staring in disbelief at the person he least expected to run into here.
It's not Ai'Tinn but… his older brother.
Indeed, the person standing in front of Kirakorn is none other than Tul, a tall and slender man dressed casually in dark jeans and a short-sleeved shirt, flashing a grin that makes Khaen scratch his head awkwardly.
"Chance meeting? What nonsense! Your house is on the other side of town. How'd you wind up over here?"
Khaen isn't gullible enough to believe that this encounter could happen by mere coincidence. The other guy has no reason to be in this area whatsoever. Last he heard, Tul's office is downtown, so what's he doing in the outskirts?
"Haha, alright, alright. I came to see you, then."
You came to see me? What for?
Khaen can only point to himself in bewilderment before muttering under his breath, "What the hell? The whole family's weird… And how'd you even find me?"
He directs this last part to himself, though Tul replies anyway. "Wasn't hard… that phone of yours," Tul nods toward the device in Khaen's hand, prompting him to frown deeply.
"Why don't we sit down and talk? I saw you eyeing McDonald's; go ahead. I haven't had it in a while myself."
With that, Tul heads into the restaurant first, leaving Khaen's mouth slightly agape. He considers turning on his heel and making a break for it, not keen on conversing.
However, Tul remarks coolly without looking back: "If you wish to know how Tinn managed to find you, then come dine together for a meal."
With curiosity outweighing his apprehension, Khaen thus follows the other man.
Soon a breakfast meal is placed before each of them (just like siblings, they pay for me again), Khaen begins to gaze suspiciously, also looking around to see if there is a man in black (?) as in the movies.
"What are you looking at?"
"Do not tell me that you send someone to follow me. This is a clear violation of personal rights." The imaginative one says in a serious tone, prompting laughter from the listener.
"The reason you followed me is that you wish to know how Tinn finds you too, and not just how I found you, is it not?"
It is indeed equally frightening.
Khaen thinks while observing the person who bites into a hamburger with a demeanor so commonplace that he genuinely wonders if this is the same person who once harmed Tinn... He seems to get along too easily.
"Then how does Tinn find me?" Khaen speaks politely not out of fear, but because he has thought that, regardless, the other party is older.
Moreover, Tinn has firmly insisted that no trouble should arise, so Khaen reluctantly decides to speak respectfully, lest he be accused of lacking propriety.
At that moment, the person who is about to insert the straw into the Coke glass points the end of the straw at the phone on the table.
"Do you know that iPhones have a tracking app?"
Snap.
This time, the listener immediately lowers his gaze to his phone, while in his mind he draws up images from several months ago.
"Tinn has had it set to link with his device ever since he gave you the phone."
Wait, what—hold on! So, the fact that Tinn always knows where I am is no coincidence? No wonder! Lately, every time I leave the house, he calls at just the right moment!
The listener grits his teeth, unwilling to reveal his ignorance about how to turn it off, deciding instead to save it for a reckoning with Tinn later. Then, suddenly realizing something, he jerks his head up to look at the other person.
"And how do you know Tinn bought this phone for me?" he asks, to which Tul responds with a laugh.
"He brought it to your house..."
"In fact, this meal is in exchange for learning how Tinn tracks you, is it not?... So, I'll throw in a bonus: I know Tinn bought two of the same model. From there, it's easy to guess who has the other one...the person who—"
"What exactly do you want?" Before Tul's sentence is even finished, the Pheuak Monkey cuts in.
Listening to Tul talk, Khaen immediately understands just how closely the other has been following his brother's life, and a chill starts creeping up on him.
The mixed-race young man laughs, observing with an amused glint in his eyes.
"Don't look at me so unkindly. I simply dislike being misunderstood, so I've come to set the record straight..."
"Misunderstood in what way? I know everything you've done already!" Khaen's controlled tone finally flares as he asks harshly, though it doesn't seem to faze the older man in the least.
Instead, Tul calmly reaches into his pocket, takes out his phone, and begins tapping away while saying,
"Tinn told you that I accused him of using drugs, right?" The question makes Khaen narrow his eyes slightly.
"It's not an accusation," he affirms, steadfast in what he's heard, just as…
"A notification from LINE sounds, but Khaen doesn't look up, his gaze fixed on his partner's adversary, who gives a nod towards the phone.
"Go on, take a look." Although Khaen wants to ask why he should bother, he quickly grabs the phone and opens it.
Even as he wonders how this person managed to get his LINE ID, the image he sees is intriguing enough to keep him silent. The person in the picture is unmistakably Tinn. His hair is longer and he appears younger than he does now, but it's clearly Tinn.
Swipe.
Khaen moves his finger to see the next image right away, guessing from the dark setting that it was taken in a club. Beside Tinn, a foreign woman in a short dress stands close. As Khaen continues scrolling, he finds an image of his partner holding some kind of white powder.
"What…is this?" he mutters.
The answer comes from the man calmly sipping his Coke.
"Tinn never told you he used drugs?"
Just then, Khaen's phone rings, breaking his shocked silence. Seeing it's his senior calling, he answers quickly and speaks in a rush.
"Phii, I'm not free anymore, so give the ticket to someone else. Bye." Finishing his words, he ends the call and shuts off his phone, his voice firm as he speaks.
"What exactly do you mean by what you said?"
At that moment, the demeanor of the one who has never once conceded begins to change.
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