After grabbing some food, the four of them started to walk.
It was already evening, and the sun seemed ready to step back for the night.
They had been so busy together that none of them realized just how much time had passed.
"Kao and Mok stood waiting, while Artit and Toffee walked behind them, still talking like they'd never run out of things to say.
"Phi... can I ask you something? I want to know more about you," Toffee said, his lips pulling into a pout. "You know so much about me, but I don't know anything about you yet."
Artit laughed softly and patted Toffee's head. "It's alright. Just like you said—little by little, we'll learn everything."
As they stood there, both of them could feel it: the tension between them was softening.
The gap that felt so wide yesterday was finally starting to disappear.
"If you have some free time, you could always come visit my condo," Artit teased.
He leaned in closer, his breath warm against Toffee's ear. "I can give you all the information you want there."
Toffee's heart hammered against his ribs.
"I... I want to take things slowly, Phi," he stammered.
But inside, Toffee's thoughts were screaming something completely different: "How can I go slow when you have so many suitors? I should move fast and mark you as mine."
The air between Artit and Toffee was warm, but between Mok and Kao, it was chilly—so cold it made Kao scared to even start a conversation."
Eventually, they all reached the parking lot.
"Mok, do you want a ride? I can take you... if you want," Kao said to Mok, hoping to spend more time together.
"No, I already have my car. You can go," Mok replied.
"Then... okay. I... I mean..." Kao hesitated, not knowing what else to say to stay longer.
Mok looked away, avoiding Kao's face.
Mok cleared his throat. He avoided Kao's face for a minute, trying to fix his cracked voice. He hesitated, unsure if he should speak.
"But... if I didn't have a car, I probably would have agreed to go with you," Mok said coldly, though his words were actually kind.
Suddenly, Artit and Toffee caught up from behind. "Mok, is everything okay?" Toffee asked, looking at Mok and Kao curiously.
"No... nothing, Toffee," Mok said. "I'm just tired. I want to take a rest; it's been a long day."
Toffee turned to Artit. "Then we are going, Phi Artit. I am also tired." Toffee said it, but his eyes showed that he didn't really want to leave yet.
"Mm... then go take a rest," Artit said with a soft smile, even though Toffee still looked worried about him.
"Then where are you going, Phi?" Toffee asked.
"The workshop. I have a group project I need to check quickly before I go to my condo," Artit explained.
"Then give me your phone," Toffee said. Without hesitation, Artit unlocked his phone and handed it to Toffee.
Toffee quickly saved his number, called his own phone, and saved Artit's contact.
"You need to call me when you get to your condo," Toffee said, keeping his head down because he was shy. "Also, take care. Earlier in the car... you didn't look very well."
As Toffee and Mok drove away, Kao watched them leave with a sad expression. Artit reached out and touched his shoulder.
"Mok is not easy. It takes time," Artit said. "But I don't think Mok hates you."
Kao looked at Artit and nodded, feeling a bit relieved.
"Let's go back to the faculty," Artit said. "The others are probably waiting for us."
Inside the car, the silence was comfortable until Mok spoke up.
"You... I didn't ask earlier because I didn't want you to feel uncomfortable," Mok said.
"But Toffee, why are your eyes so red? Even though you tried to hide it, I know you better than anyone. If you don't want to talk, you don't have to." Even as he spoke, Mok's face showed how much he truly worried about Toffee.
"Mok, I think he was sick," Toffee said. His face was still stiff as he remembered what happened in the car.
"Phi looked really hurt when we were coming to campus. Also... something feels different, Mok. It's like I already know him, even though we just met at campus.
"Hmm... maybe you two are actually meant to be together," Mok said. "What if time is connecting you both?"
Mok paused, then gave Toffee a curious side-eye. "Forget your sick sweetheart . Forget everything. I'm curious about something else..."
"What?" Toffee asked, confused.
"Toffee, what is your status? Are you guys in a relationship yet?"
"No," Toffee replied softly, looking out the window. "We are still talking. I want to get to know him more—I want to learn about his likes and dislikes first."
Mok nodded slowly, his eyes fixed on the road.
"You can take your time. Loving someone sometimes takes a long time.
Because we are humans, we can't love someone that easily. Even when we do love them, we have to think very hard before we can truly accept that we have fallen for that person.
It is easy to fall in love, but it's not easy to accept that person after you see who they really are."
Toffee looked at Mok and gave him a warm, encouraging smile. "Phi Kao is not a bad person, you know? He is really warm and caring. if you want to, you should consider him, Mok."
A shadow of sadness crossed Mok's face.
"I'm tired of love. I don't want to choose anyone right now."
"Mm... we have time," Toffee said gently, reaching out to pat his friend's shoulder. "You can take all the time you need."
They eventually arrived at the dorm. As the two of them walked toward the entrance to go inside, they both froze. Someone was standing right there , waiting specifically for them.
"Lamon... why? Why are you here? Didn't you leave with Phi Oat?" Toffee and Mok hurried toward him as Lamon stood shivering at the entrance of their dorm.
"Why are you outside?" Mok asked with worry.
"I... I don't want to be in my own dorm alone.
I thought it would be better if I stayed with you guys," Lamon said softly, his voice trembling.
"Let me check if you still have a fever," Toffee said, quickly pressing his hand to Lamon's forehead. "Oh, your temperature has gone down a bit. But it's still not good to stay out in the air. Mok, let's go inside. Lamon, you can stay with us tonight."
Toffee grabbed Lamon's hands and led him carefully into the elevator. Neither Toffee nor Mok asked him any more questions for now, worried they might hurt his feelings while he was so fragile.
"Mok, order something for him to eat. Lamon can't eat anything heavy right now. Get something soft," Toffee whispered.
"Mm, I'll order some rice porridge as soon as we get to the room," Mok replied.
Once they were inside the room, Toffee helped Lamon sit on the bed.
"Lamon, how did you know we weren't back yet? And why didn't you call us? we would have hurried back if we knew you were waiting."
"It's alright... I didn't plan to come at first, but then I..." Lamon trailed off, looking at his lap. "The warden told me you guys hadn't come back yet. She asked me to wait inside her office, but I refused."
"She must have been worried too," Mok said, setting his keys down. "You look so pale that even she noticed."
Mok and Toffee pushed their beds together so all three of them could sleep side by side.
Lamon sat in the middle, looking much smaller than usual. To lighten the mood, Mok started cracking his "old man" jokes, trying to make Lamon laugh. Slowly, the tension left Lamon's shoulders, and he began to smile.
Toffee grabbed his phone, planning to step outside to call Artit, but he stopped to listen to Mok for a second. "Mok, aren't you exploiting him?" Toffee teased. "Lamon, you don't need to force a smile. His jokes are pathetic—they're like something an old man would say, actually ... even an old man's jokes are better than his."
Lamon actually laughed this time. "That's what makes them funny," he said softly.
Seeing Lamon more relaxed, Toffee and Mok exchanged a look of relief. Their plan was a success.
"I'm going out for a minute," Toffee said, gesturing to his phone. He stepped out of the room into the quiet hallway and dialed Artit's number....
A few hours earlier before Toffee calling Artit...
At the workshop, Artit and Kao were busy checking the progress of their group projects. Artit stood in the middle of the room, his voice firm and commanding—the voice of a true leader.
"Okay, Win isn't here yet, so let's officially conclude tomorrow. Our work for today is done. Everyone can go back and rest," Artit announced.
The students cheered. In every faculty, the Seniors had so much work, third year is tough.
They can't relax anymore because they have to face the heavy work of senior students , that they practically looked like ghosts—pale and exhausted from staying up all night. They were more happy to leave early.
After the students cleared out, Artit and Kao were packing their bags to leave when May suddenly walked in.
"Oh, May? Why are you here?" Kao asked, surprised to see her so late.
"Where is Win? I need to ask him something important," May said, looking around the empty workshop.
"Win isn't here today, May," Kao replied with a smirk. "Why do you need him so badly when we are right here? "
May rolled her eyes and sighed. "No way, not you. I need a model for my project, and Win has the look I want."
"What? Am I not handsome enough to be a model?" Kao teased, puffing out his chest.
"No," May said flatly, making Kao pout.
Artit, who had been silent while checking his phone, finally looked up. He stared at May for a second and then spoke in a calm, knowing voice.
"May... she is coming back, isn't she?"
Mm... I know," May said softly, her voice sounding a bit heavy.
"Who is coming back?" Kao asked, looking confused.
"Nin. She is coming back from abroad," May replied.
"Chiya! (Crazy!)" Kao shouted in English, looking shocked. "I thought she stayed abroad because it was better for her there anyway," he added, shaking his head.
Artit looked at May's face, noticing her silence. "May, are you alright?" he asked firmly.
"I'm okay. I already forgave her. Nin has the choice to stay here if she wants," May said, trying to act like it didn't hurt.
But Kao wasn't as calm as May.
"But not after what she did to you! She was your girlfriend, I mean, your ex-girlfriend—someone you trusted.
How could she just steal the work you spent a whole year preparing? I don't know, May... I just don't have a good feeling about this." Also even if you forgive her, we can't forgive her for what she did," Kao said, his face red with anger for his friend.
"Mmmm, okay, okay. Forget it. Cheer up!"
May said, forcing a smile to stop the tension.
Suddenly, May's phone rang. May took the call,and then looked up at Artit and Kao with a serious expression.
"We need to go to the bar," May said quickly. "Oat is there. We need to go now..."
Wait, wasn't he supposed to be with Lamon? Why is he alone at the bar?"- Kao asked.
How could I know!?" May shouted at Kao, her voice loud and sharp.
"Ohhh... you are so scary, May!" Kao cried out. He quickly ran to hide behind Artit's back, acting like a scared child.
"Let's go," Artit said. They all got into Artit's car and drove quickly to Paradox Bar. The four of them — Artit, Kao, May, and Oat actually own this bar together.
When they walked inside, they saw Oat sitting alone.
He looked terrible—like he had been left behind by everyone. His shirt was unbuttoned, and he looked completely drained of energy.
How many hours has he been sitting there?" Artit asked the manager, who had called May and was now hurrying over to meet the three of them.
"For a full three hours, khrab..." the manager said, wiping sweat from his forehead.
"Khun Oat has been sitting there and refuses to get up. He's already finished almost a whole bottle of whisky by himself."
Artit looked at his friend's slumped figure. "You can go now," he said shortly.
"Yes, khrab," the manager replied with a bow of relief before walking away.
The three of them stood in silence, looking at Oat, who looked like a man who had lost everything.
Suddenly, a cute guy walked up to Oat.
He walked over with a drink in his hand, slowly approaching Oat to sit close to him."
"Hi handsome... are you here all alone?" the guy whispered. He reached out and touched Oat's bare chest.
Oat's eyes snapped open. He was angry. He slapped the stranger's hand away so hard that it made a loud sound.
The whole bar went quiet, and everyone turned to look, thinking a fight was about to start. The guy rubbed his hand because it really hurt.
"Are they going to fight?" someone in the group whispered.
Meanwhile, the other guy's friends rushed over after seeing him get hurt.
"Are you alright?" one of them asked, looking worried.
The guy just shook his head angrily, refusing to answer.
"I belong to Lamon! Lamon is mine!" Oat's voice echoed through the whole bar. "I only belong to him! Who do you think you are!?"
Oat tried to stand up, but his legs were weak. He almost fell to the floor. Artit and Kao ran to him immediately, catching him before he hit the ground. They were both very worried.
"Is he crazy?" that guy asked, looking annoyed.
Kao, Artit, and May all started apologizing at once.
"I'm sorry, khrab," Artit said calmly to the stranger. "He is very drunk. How about this— all your drinks tonight are free. You don't need to pay."
The guy made an angry face, but he took the deal and walked away.
At the bar, Oat had already drunk way too much. Artit and Kao had to grab him and carry him upstairs to their personal VIP space.
May grabbed Oat's things and followed closely behind.
"Oat... Oat..." May called out, but he was fast asleep.
"Let him sleep. He drank too much," Artit said.
Kao began taking off Oat's shoes to make him more comfortable on the sofa.
"I'll stay here with him. You guys can go back," Kao offered.
"Then I'm staying too," May said.
Both of them looked at Artit, waiting for his answer. Their stare was so intense that he had no choice but to say he was staying.
"Okay... I'll stay," Artit agreed.
"Okay, done! Kao, order food. I'm hungry," May said, looking at Kao.
"Give me money then. May, you never give me any money!" Kao complained.
"Wow... Kao, are you short on money? Even a small kid knows that you are rich," May teased.
"Just put it on my tab, I'll pay you back later."
"Who told you that? Aren't you actually richer than me?" Kao replied, knowing May was just teasing him.
"So what? Give me food... give it to me....
Give me food... give it to me!"
May said, annoying Kao on purpose.
"Okay, okay, I give up. Wait here, I'll go order," Kao said as he gave in.
Artit's phone started ringing while he was watching his two dumb friends fight over some food.
Usually, he'd just ignore the call , but when he saw the screen, his heart skipped.
Even though Toffee had only saved his name as "Toffee" earlier, Artit had secretly changed it to "My Dear with Two Hearts" the moment he was alone.
A smile broke across Artit's face — he'd been waiting for this call all night. He hurried outside, wanting to get away from the noise just so he could finally hear Toffee's voice.
He didn't even wait for the second ring to finish before pressing the phone to his ear.
"Hello, ...phi.....
"Hello, Nong Toffee," Artit said very softly.
"Did you get home, Phi?" Toffee asked.
"I'm at the bar. I didn't go back to the condo," Artit said.
"Oh? Phi, are you drinking?" Toffee asked.
"No! No way... I'm not drinking," Artit rushed to say over the phone. He was worried Toffee might misunderstand him, so he suddenly started explaining exactly why he was at the bar.
I'm staying here because Oat drank too much and it's hard to get him back to his place tonight," Artit explained.
"P'Oat... he's drunk?" Toffee asked in surprise.
"Yeah... he drank so much he can barely walk a few steps," Artit replied.
"We're at Paradox Bar. The four of us own it together."
"So I'm staying here with him. Don't worry," Artit said. But his voice sounded low and heavy to Toffee.
"Okay, I get it. You don't need to explain so much, P'," Toffee said.
Artit went quiet for a second, then whispered, "I want you to know me. This is the place where I share memories with my friends. So, Toffee... next time, can you come here with me? Will you come into my world?"
"I will come.... didn't I say that I want to know more?" Toffee said. He was already blushing and couldn't speak.
"Then... how was P'Oat?" Toffee asked.
"He's sleeping," Artit replied.
"If he wakes up, can you tell him Lamon is with us? He is safe and okay," Toffee requested.
"Mm... I'll tell him," Artit said. Then, his voice grew more serious. "Toffee... can I have a date with you tomorrow?"
"No," Toffee said. "I have class in the morning and then I have to go to the music club."
Artit's face stiffened when he heard "music club." He didn't like the idea of Toffee being around other people especially jay.
"The music club is always crowded," he said, trying to sound casual but failing. "I'll go with you in the afternoon. Don't go alone... okay?"
"Mm... okay," Toffee said, smiling on the other end.
Then I'm coming for you tomorrow,," Artit said... "I'll see you in a few hours. I'll be right there at your door in the morning."
"Toffee giggled, a shy smile spreading across his face, while Artit stood there in disbelief that he had actually said it out loud."
"Mm... Phi... good night, khab."
"Good night, Nong..."
They both hung up. Toffee leaned his forehead against the wall,
Toffee smiled, in disbelief that he actually spoke to him.
Toffee's phone cover had a weightless, cute small cat toy hanging from it—a cute black and white cat.
After hanging up the phone, his shyness made him to touch it.
He was lost in the world of Artit and touched his lips while thinking about the kiss, playing with his cute cat.
But he accidentally broke it.
"Ohhhh... I broke it! My custom-made Cattie... Cattie... don't die!"
Hearing the crying voice, Mok and Lamon hid behind the door to see what was going on.
They saw Toffee sitting on the floor, looking down. They both came out from the room and asked what happened.
"Mok... my Cattie... it's gone!"
Mok also sat down because he saw the broken Cattie. Meanwhile, Lamon was confused and asked, "Can't we just buy another one?"
"It's custom-made! Only a few were made!" Toffee started crying. "My Cattie!"
Mok cried out, "My money! I spent a lot... give me Cattie! Give it back!" Mok started protesting for Cattie, while Lamon thought twice—was it really a correct choice to stay here with these two?
The Cattie war ended shortly after. After all the crying, Mok and Toffee came to an agreement that they would never bring up Cattie again.
But still... there is a need for justice for our Cattie.
Shortly after they all went to bed , but the three of them—Toffee, Mok, and Lamon,didn't sleep at all. Instead, they stayed up talking and laughing all night, forgetting about cattie.
The air felt different around Artit after he cut the call.
He pressed his phone hard against his chest. He closed his eyes and whispered to the night air, "I miss you, Toffee."
Even before he could miss Toffee more, another call came...
The phone rang...
"Hello khrab... this is Mim khrab," a sweet voice said.
"Hello? Oh... is this really my Mim?" Artit asked.
"Mim is really angry! My two brothers didn't call me at all !"
"I'm sorry, we are kind of busy," Artit said softly. "Did Mim take her medicine? Are you studying well?"
"Mim already took her medicine, and my studies are okay. But where is P'Oat? My sweet brother forgot me!"
"Mim, don't say that. He is working on a project. I will tell him to call you." Artit paused. "It's already late. Take a rest and don't play with your phone. Don't be so dramatic—sleep early."
"Okay, good night... I miss you."
"I miss you too. Good night."
After the call cut, Artit stayed there. A person came upstairs and approached him.
"Isn't Mim's treatment almost done?" Artit asked with a command tone.
"Khrab, in a few months it will be finished," the person said.
"Prepare for her to come back. Arrange everything," Artit said. He then left and went back inside.