Toffee was almost ready. After packing everything, he grabbed his bag and waited for Mok.
"Oh, look who it is! The one who showers super fast but then takes a whole hour just to get dressed," Toffee teased.
"Toffee, can't I at least take a long bath?" Mok grumbled.
Toffee looked him up and down. "Mok, it's kind of weird. Why are you wearing your shirt like that?"
"Oh, I always wear it like this, Toffee," Mok replied quickly.
"No, you don't. You usually leave more than three buttons open because you hate buttons so much," Toffee pointed out.
Mok's face went pale. He started to panic, his fingers fumbling with the collar of his shirt.
"It's because I feel cold, that's why," Mok replied, avoiding Toffee's eyes.
"If it's that cold, why am I sweating? Am I the only one who feels hot?" Toffee wondered, looking confused.
"Shit... you jerk, Kao! You left so many red marks... if Toffee finds out, I'm dead. You jerk....you jerk, Kao... I will never..." Mok thinks in his heart how to kill Kao.
"Mok... Mok!" Toffee screamed.
"Ne... Ne..."
"Mok, tell me..." Toffee asked while looking suspicious at Mok.
"Aren't you hiding something, Mok?" Toffee asked, narrowing his eyes. "Like where you were last night or what you did all day?"
"Didn't I tell you? I stayed at my villa because I wanted a change of scenery. That's all," Mok insisted.
Toffee sighed, turning away. "Fine. I'm done talking to you."
"Stop sulking, Toffee. It's really not a big deal," Mok said, trying to smooth things over.
"Wait," Mok added, looking at Toffee's head. "Didn't you go to color your hair? When I called, you said you were going."
"Oh, that's a long story. I'll tell you on the way," Toffee waved it off. "Also, Mok, I made a new friend! From now on, he's our best friend."
Mok looked visibly annoyed, but Toffee didn't seem to notice.
"Don't be like that! His name is Lamon. He's a first-year in the Music Department. He's really cute and kind, so you'll definitely like him. Don't worry!"
"Wait a minute, let me show you! We already took some photos together," Toffee said.
As he was scrolling through his pictures with Lamon, a notification popped up from the university's main page. He clicked it without thinking. Suddenly, Toffee froze in shock. A female senior from the Mechanical Engineering department had posted something about Artit. Toffee immediately misunderstood, thinking the two of them were in a relationship.
Seeing Toffee look so upset, Mok leaned in closer to check the phone screen.
Since the post was from yesterday and Toffee had slept early, he missed it. Now, he looked just like a lost puppy.
"Toffee... Toffee! Toffee!" Mok called out.
"Ah! What? What do you want, Mok?" Toffee snapped back, startled.
"Why are you just staring at your phone?"
Mok asked. He suddenly grabbed the phone and saw the post by a senior named Pim.
"P'Artit? Oh, it's him—the one who said he'd submit your application," Mok realized. "But why do you look like an ex-boyfriend seeing a post about his old flame?"
"No, you're imagining things! I'm just... surprised," Toffee stammered.
"What's there to be surprised about? Did you meet him before? Toffee, answer me!"
"Mmm... I met him in front of our faculty. He kind of helped me out," Toffee admitted.
Mok looked at his friend's face. "Toffee, that look... don't tell me you like him. Tell me it's not true!"
Toffee didn't reply. Instead of denying it, he knew deep down he had already falling for him.
"Let me remind you, Toffee," Mok warned. "He doesn't seem like a simple guy. That's just the vibe I get. Plus, he isn't even your type! So how...?"
Toffee hesitated, struggling to find the words. "Mok, I don't know. I... I just..."
"Okay, okay, I get it," Mok sighed, trying to comfort him. "Let's go. You'll be fine. Or do I need to go punch him for you?"
"Mok! You and your fighting..." Toffee groaned. "Don't. I don't like that."
"Then let's go, or we'll be late!" Mok said, quickly changing the subject just to make Toffee smile again.
All the way from the dorm to the faculty, Toffee looked like a sad puppy who had lost its owner. Mok kept changing the subject over and over, trying his best to lighten the mood.
As they arrived in front of the faculty building, Mok suddenly grabbed Toffee's arm.
"Smile, Toffee! Don't look like a sad puppy. Is he the only man in the world? Just forget him," Mok said, trying to encourage him.
"Mm... okay," Toffee nodded, letting out a long, deep sigh.
"Mok, I forgot to tell you something. P'Artit's jacket... it's with me."
Mok froze, his mouth dropping wide open in shock.
"What?! Why is his jacket with you?"
"Wait why did he lend you his jacket !"
"Oh, that's a long story! Didn't I say I'd tell you later?" Toffee replied.
"I need to know right now, Toffee! I don't care," Mok insisted, his face becoming very serious.
"Mok, don't be like that. I..." Toffee started to hesitate. "I'll tell you everything, but only after our class, okay? Please say yes, Mok!" Toffee begged, looking at him with pleading eyes.
Mok gave in because Toffee kept begging him, so they headed straight to the classroom
The morning class ended quickly after the professors introduced the course. They also announced the winners whose entrance exam work had been selected, officially starting the semester.
As the students began to pack up, the tension from the morning conversation returned.
"Don't look at me like that, Mok! It's scary," Toffee complained. "I said I'd tell you everything, didn't I?"
"Fine. But Lamon just texted me. He's waiting near our faculty because his class is already over. Can we go get him?"
Mok let out a deep sigh as they headed out. Just as they try to left the lecture hall, classmates kept swarming Toffee to talk, almost pushing Mok out of the way.
"Hi Toffee! I'm Sky. Do you remember me? We talked in front of the faculty yesterday," one student said.
"Hi Toffee, I'm New. Nice to meet you!" another added.
"Hi, Toffee!" more voices joined in, as his classmates kept greeting him one by one.
While everyone was friendly to Toffee, they kept glancing at Mok but were too scared to get close to him.
"Oh, congrats, Toffee! You're famous now," Mok teased, nudging his friend.
"Mok... stop teasing me!" Toffee complained, blushing.
After escaping the chaos, they finally spotted Lamon.
"Lamon!" Toffee called out.
"Toffee!" Lamon waved back happily.
"Wow, Lamon, is that your violin?" Toffee asked, eyes wide. "Are you a violin major?"
"Mmm, I'm actually majoring in both Violin and Guitar," Lamon replied.
"That's so cool! Oh, then let me introduce you. This is my childhood friend, Mok. We're in the same department. Mok, this is Lamon from the Music Department."
"Sawadee khab," they greeted each other at the same time.
Suddenly, a strange awkwardness filled the air, as if they had met before.
Mok looked panicked, and Lamon started sweating.
"Aww, why are you guys acting like this?" Toffee asked, confused. "Have you two met somewhere before?"
"No!" they both shouted at the exact same time.
"Okay, now it's even more weirder," Toffee said, narrowing his eyes.
"Also, Lamon, why didn't you pick up my phone yesterday? I called you more than four times! I only saw you with P'Oat before I left. Did you get back safely?"
Lamon looked like he was hiding something. "Mmm... yeah, I got back safely. I just went to sleep early, so I didn't see the calls."
"Right, we were all really tired yesterday," Toffee nodded. "But Lamon, why are you sweating so much? Just unbutton your shirt a little."
"No! I'm cold, not hot," Lamon insisted quickly.
"How can I unbutton when my whole body is full of red marks? They are not just red, they are almost dark. "
"How many times did P'Oat suck? Even my nipples are painful now. Standing up is even harder," Lamon thinks while making sure no one can know about it, making sure Toffee cannot have even a single suspicion.
"What is wrong with you guys?" Toffee groaned. "You both look exactly the same with your shirts buttoned up to the top. Even I feel like I can't breathe just looking at you!"
Mok and Lamon both took a deep breath.
"It's... it's probably just the weather," Mok stammered.
"Oh, then I must be sick, because I feel hot now," Toffee said.
Mok looked at Toffee awkwardly. "You aren't sick." Then he glanced at Lamon, who gave him a shy, shameful smile.