Toffee was completely lost in a daydream, standing still for so long that the dorm security guard had to tap him on the shoulder to wake him up. After a confused apology, he headed up to his room, only to find it empty.
Mok wasn't back yet.
He tried calling Mok four times—no answer. He tried calling Lamon—silence. "Why is everyone so busy today?" he grumbled, feeling a bit lonely.
He carefully placed P'Artit's gift on the table and lay down on his bed, staring out at the evening sky.
His mind immediately raced back to Artit. "Does he like me? No, I'm just a junior. He probably felt sorry for me because I looked like a wet, shivering duck. This shirt was probably meant for someone else, and I just happened to be the same size."
"Stop it, Toffee! Don't catch feelings. You'll just get hurt," he whispered, jokingly making a 'Sadhu' prayer to the heavens to let him forget these fluttery feelings.
He headed to the bathroom to wash away the "smell of a buffalo," but as soon as he saw his reflection, he froze.
Instead of turning on the shower, he stood there giggling like a fool, replaying every moment with P'Artit in his head.
Suddenly, he slapped his own cheeks. "How long have I been standing here?! This is bad. I think I'm starting to like him." He gripped his head in frustration.
The truth was, Toffee was the kind of person who had a very soft heart. He was someone who fell in love at the drop of a hat, losing his balance whenever someone was even a little bit kind to him. But no matter how fast his heart raced or how much he blushed, he was also the king of denial—he would never, ever admit he was in love until his heart was already far too gone to turn back.
After his shower, Toffee sat on the edge of his bed, looking at the clothes P'Artit had given him. He ran his fingers over the fabric, his heart feeling heavy.
"Should I really return this?" he whispered to the empty room. Deep down, he didn't want to. It wasn't just that the color was his favorite; it felt like holding onto a piece of P'Artit.
"Once I give back his jacket, that'll be it," he thought, trying to be brave. "If I don't see him, I'll forget him. It's just a temporary crush, Toffee. Don't expect anything." He scolded himself, wondering when he would finally learn. He had been hurt so many times, yet he still opened his heart like it was the easiest thing in the world.
Toffee was always the one who smiled for everyone. He was everyone's "comfort zone," the cheerful friend who made sure everyone else was okay. But when the door was locked and the lights were off, the smile would disappear. Behind that happy face was someone who still carried the weight of the past, someone who cried in the dark because he couldn't let go of the things that hurt him.
Without even drying his hair, Toffee lay down in the dark room. He didn't have the energy to turn on the lights. He just wanted to disappear into his blankets. As he thought about the scars on his heart, his eyes grew heavy, and he slowly drifted into a restless sleep.
He didn't hear it, but on the nightstand, his phone began to buzz. A message vibration broke the silence of the dark room, the screen lighting up again and again as someone tried to reach him.
After dropping Toffee off, Artit sat in his car for a long moment before driving back to his workshop, where a mountain of work was already waiting for him.
He didn't pull away immediately. Instead, he gripped the steering wheel, feeling his heart drumming against his ribs—twice as fast as usual. All the heaviness he had been carrying for so long seemed to lift just by spending those few hours with Toffee.
He felt a deep sense of relief, knowing he was even one percent closer to him now. He had wanted this for so long. He had longed for Toffee for what felt like forever.
Artit looked down at his hands on the wheel, the memory of touching Toffee's skin still fresh. A slow, genuine smile spread across his face. "What am I going to do to make you mine, Toffee?" he whispered to the empty car. "You're literally making me lose sleep."
Suddenly, his phone buzzed, breaking the silence. It was Kao.
"Artit! You finally picked up! Why did you hang up on me earlier before I could even finish?" Kao's voice was loud and annoyed.
"Too nosy," Artit muttered, hanging up again without a second thought.
The phone rang immediately. Artit sighed and picked up.
"You jerk, Artit! Are you really trying to mess with me?" Kao shouted. "Don't hang up!
Listen, I have to go somewhere urgently. Can't you fill in for me just this once?"
"Kao, didn't I already tell you I can't?" Artit replied, his voice flat.
"Oh, come on, Artit! Please! I'll do anything you want if you help me. Just this one time... please help your best friend out!"
Artit hesitated, but eventually, he gave in.
"Fine, I'll do it. But don't forget what you promised. You know how I am, Kao."
"Artit, don't you trust me? It's really urgent, that's why I'm asking!"
Artit smirked. "Urgent? You mean 'urgent' with your Nong, right Kao?"
"Artit! Don't tease me! I'm hanging up now... bye!"
Artit didn't even catch the last few words before his friend disconnected, leaving him alone with his thoughts and a lingering smile.
Artit headed back to the workshop, where the atmosphere was buzzing with energy. Even though the sun had already set, his group was still working hard, the sound of tools and chatter filling the air.
He wasted no time and immediately started focusing on the work he had left behind earlier. He wanted to finish everything quickly, his mind still slightly distracted by the memory of Toffee's smile.
Suddenly, a soft, familiar voice broke his concentration.
"Artit, where did you disappear to?"
He looked up to see one of his close female friends standing there, watching him with a curious expression. She walked over, leaning against his workbench with a playful smile, clearly waiting for an explanation for his long absence.