Love You Teacher

Chapter 9. 

Early in the morning, Sun woke up feeling groggy, his eyelids heavy as if weighed down. But as his feet touched the cool floor, he became more aware. He walked slowly to the living room, but then his eyes widened at the sight of Phopmek stretching in brightly colored workout clothes. Phopmek's face looked refreshed, as if he had just been fully charged.

"What are you doing, Uncle?" Sun asked in a sleepy voice.

"Get ready for something fun!" Phopmek replied with a wide grin, then went to get a new pair of running shoes for Sun. They were bright red, stylish sneakers with blue lightning-like stripes.

"New shoes, how are they? Do you like them?" Phopmek handed the shoes to Sun, who took them.

Sun flipped them over and examined them with interest.

"Wow, that's cool, Uncle! Is that for Sun?" Sun asked with sparkling eyes.

"That's right! Clap your hands as a signal! Let's unleash our powers!" Pobmek clapped his hands as a signal, and Sun nodded excitedly, his heart pounding like a drum, ready for an adventure.

The soft morning sunlight streamed down onto the grassy field. Sun ran around the field nonstop, with Sodchuen running close behind. The sound of their heavy breathing mingled. Sweat streamed down their faces like small waterfalls cascading down a cliff. Everyone looked exhausted, almost too weak to take another step, but Sodchuen still smiled happily. When Sodchuen couldn't run any longer, she nudged Jee, who was waiting by the sidelines, as a signal. Jee immediately got up and continued running with Sun.

When Sun returned to his room exhausted, he collapsed onto the sofa, oblivious to everything around him. He fell asleep in his running clothes as if under a spell. Mek and Jee sat nearby, observing Sun’s condition, staring at the slowly ticking clock. The silence in the room made time pass incredibly slowly. Everyone prayed that Sun’s sleep would be as short as possible. Finally, Solar woke up as an adult. Jee immediately recorded the time Solar woke up, a satisfied expression on his face.

The stopwatch on the mobile phone displays the title "Haven't slept at all."

Six hours—that's the number they recorded. Solar was working diligently at his desk when a Sodchuen walked in with a large stack of documents.

"Since we're not going to fall asleep anyway, could you please summarise the course curriculum for me?" Sodchuen said with a mischievous smile.

"Okay, sir. Just the documents for Grade 2, right?" Solar asked casually, cheerfully placing an even larger stack of documents on the table. Solar was stunned upon seeing the additional documents, "Grade 1-Grade"

"Six, then!" Sodchuen said in a cheerful voice.

Solar stared for a moment, his face pale as if his soul had been sucked out.

Twelve hours passed, and the timer on his phone continued to tick. Solar, sitting at his desk, began to feel drowsy. His eyelids drooped as if he were under a spell. Then, Pobmek quickly approached him and unexpectedly leaned down to kiss Solar on the cheek, startling him. Solar's eyes widened in surprise. Pobmek then handed him a cup of coffee. Solar took just a sip, and his eyes snapped open instantly. The bitterness of the coffee woke him up like a bolt of lightning.

As night fell, Pobmek carried Solar and laid him down on the bed in the bedroom. He slept soundly, exhausted, like a log floating on water. Pobmek glanced at his phone and saw that the timer had stopped for exactly 24 hours. He looked at the sleeping Solar affectionately before tucking him in and turning off the bedside lamp.

Time seemed to fast-forward. On the calendar in the living room, days that should have been Saturday were crossed out one after another, with Saturday's days being Saturday's days. Jee took turns staying with Solar, who had endured sleepless nights for several days, before going to bed himself. This continued for another eight hours. Then Jee switched places with Pobmek to watch over Solar.

Several days later, in the condo living room, a laptop screen displayed an updated slideshow; an image of a person appeared on the screen. The shape is now represented by blue, indicating that solar power has occupied more than 70% of the area, shifting from red to grey.

Then, Jee, who was sitting next to Solar, spoke in an excited tone.

"Breaking records! Solar has been sleep-deprived for 48 hours now. Soon, Solar must retrieve the body! But until that day comes, Solar won't have to go without sleep for a whole week."

"Really?" Sodchuen, who was sitting nearby, asked in a voice full of worry. Solar sat still, his face full of exhaustion. His eyes looked empty, as if he saw only darkness. He glanced at the calendar in the room as if counting down the days to something. Sodchuen and Jee, seeing Solar start to doze off, got up to wake him, only to find him slumped on the sofa.

"We're heading back now," Sodchuen said, noticing Mek being drowsy.

"Yes, sir. I'll go down and see you off," Pobmek replied in a sleepy voice.

"If you can't handle it, don't push yourself, Solar. You might collapse," Jee told Solar out of concern.

"Okay, thank you, everyone," Solar nodded in acknowledgement, giving his friends a weak smile. He saw Jee and Sodchuen outside. Once everyone was gone, silence filled the room. Solar glanced at the desk calendar again. Today was Friday, and Sunday was circled with a red heart. Solar looked at it thoughtfully, as if calculating something in his head. 

He picked up his phone and texted his mother, Pranee. "Are you free this Sunday, Mom?" A few seconds later, Pranee replied.

For my son, Mom is always available :)

Solar smiled softly before continuing his text conversation with his mother. He saw Mek return to the room after dropping off Sodchuen and Jee. His face was still feeling drowsy.

"Come on...try not to sleep for another 12 hours, then go to sleep in the middle of the day."

"Tomorrow"

"It's Friday night... If I stay awake, I'll just have to wait and sleep on Saturday afternoon."

Solar glanced at the calendar again, mentally calculating the remaining time. He swallowed hard. "That means Sunday morning, I guess I will wake up as Sun."

"Hmm, yeah," Pobmek nodded casually. Solar heard that and nodded silently, listening. Pobmek continued to ask...

"Hey, so how's the situation with Pranee going? Have you set a date to meet her yet?"

"I already made plans, but my mom's busy right now," Solar lied with a deceptive calm expression.

"Hmm... I'll go wash my face real quick. I'll be right back," Pobmek said, walking into the bedroom. Solar watched him go. Once he was sure no one was around, Solar quickly opened the drawer on the counter. The sound of the drawer opening made his heart race as if he were committing a huge crime. He bent down and picked up a packet of allergy medication. 

The warning clearly stated, "May cause drowsiness." Solar took out one pill. The pill in his hand seemed larger than usual for him now. He hesitated for a moment before deciding to swallow it. But then Phopmek entered the room and grabbed his hand.

"What are you doing?" Mek pulled the pill from his hand and examined it, discovering it was an antihistamine. He was stunned for a moment.

"Solar... are you going to take some sleeping pills?"

Solar was speechless; there was no room for argument.

"Why did you do this...? You were going to get your body back, you know. Don't you want to get better?" Pobmek asked, his voice trembling with confusion. Solar sighed softly, as if releasing a heavy burden from his chest. 

"Why wouldn't I want to...? But will I die first if I keep doing this...?"

Solar's voice began to tremble; Mek froze upon hearing the question.

"I'm glad everyone's trying to help me... but right now I feel like it's going against nature, it's all out of place... You know, lately when I wake up each day, I don't feel happiness! Mek found Solar, his face full of guilt, tears welling in his eyes.

"Are we being too cruel to me? Even though I can't communicate with Sun... I can sense that he’s not okay. Do we really need to rush him out of our lives like this?"

Pobmek was speechless. He felt incredibly guilty and terrible about himself. Tears silently streamed down his face. Seeing this, Solar wiped away Pobmek's tears before taking his hand.

"Mek-khun, you know why I love you, right?" Solar said in a gentle voice. Filled with gentleness, Mek looked up at Solar with a puzzled expression.

During the rainy season in university, the atmosphere outside the library remained damp with the incessant rain. The raindrops were light but steady, like tears that would never dry. Solar stood under the awning by the window. He reached out his hand to touch the icy raindrops before sighing silently. The sound of raindrops from the roof echoed in his ears. He reached into his shoulder bag to search for something when a familiar voice called out to him.

"Solar!"

Solar looked up and saw Pobmek running towards him, breathless, from a distance. His student uniform was soaked and clinging to his body, revealing the muscular physique he always secretly admired whenever Pobmek finished showering. His hair was wet, but his face was beaming with relief. Solar immediately grinned widely, showing all his teeth in amazement.

"I knew you'd be here!"

"Wow, you always know everything. And were you already outside, or did you run to pick me up from somewhere?”

"It's the same no matter what, just go the other way around!" Solar smiled broadly, readily agreeing. Everything around them seemed to slow down as they walked to the same place under a single umbrella. Their bodies pressed close together, allowing Solar to feel the warmth from Mek. It felt as if the whole world had stopped spinning, just the two of them under that umbrella.

When they returned to their room, Cloud slumped onto the bed. He turned on the fan, pointing it at his face to dry his wet hair, but refused to pick up a towel. Solar, standing nearby, could only shake her head at the sight.

"Oh no, will my hair ever dry today?"

Solar hung his own bag on a chair before picking up a towel from the rack to give to Phopmek, but he accidentally dropped his bag. The sound of the small umbrella rolling out of the bag made Pobmek turn around curiously. Solar's face immediately turned red. He flusteredly tucked the umbrella back into his bag before awkwardly walking over to dry Pobmek’s hair from behind. Now, both of them were facing the same fan, unable to see each other's faces.

"Oh, you already bought an umbrella..." Phopmek's voice was full of surprise.

"Surprised," Solar replied in a low voice.

"Well... it's been a while..."

"So... that means..."

"Yeah, I was just curious to know how long you're going to keep picking me up like this," Solar said while drying Pobmek’s hair. Pobmek grabbed Solar's hand that was drying his hair, turned to talk to him, and looked him in the eye. Pobmek’s face immediately became serious.

"So... have you gotten an answer yet?"

"Uh... thank you for always being so consistent." They stared at each other in silence, a feeling of shyness building, causing them both to lose their composure. Solar quickly turned Pobmek’s face back towards the fan, and they both burst into happy laughter.

Silence fell over the condo once again. The atmosphere became heavy, like a large rock pressing down on Pobmek’s chest. Pobmek stared at Solar with eyes filled with guilt, forgetting that his actions over the past few days were hurting the person he loved. Seeing Mek settle, Solar spoke again, his voice full of emotion and gentleness.

"I love you for your consistency and for never rushing... But if you have to rush me to recover quickly, and we're both exhausted like this... then it's not right anymore..."

Solar's words pierced Pobmek’s heart like a hundred needles piercing him simultaneously. Pobmek listened intently to every word Solar said, silently, the heavy feeling of guilt in his heart intensifying with each passing moment.

"Besides... we might forget something important along the way..."

Solar spoke up, glancing at the calendar in the room. Pobmek followed his gaze and saw that Sunday was marked with a heart. Pobmek immediately realised something was wrong; his heart sank. He felt even more guilty than before.

"Sunday... that's our anniversary!"

"Yeah... that's why I want to go to sleep now so I can wake up on Saturday and be myself."

"Then on Sunday I'll wake up as Solar... I'll be with you..." The moment Solar finished speaking, Pobmek’s tears flowed uncontrollably. An overwhelming feeling of guilt flooded his heart, like a dam holding back his tears, about to break. Pobmek hugged Solar affectionately, like a remorseful child.

"Oh no, Solar, I'm so sorry! I was wrong!"

"Oh, it's alright," Solar said reassuringly, his voice laced with exasperation yet still filled with love. The two hugged each other so tightly that it was as if they wanted to merge into one person.

Silence enveloped the bedroom after Pobmek and Solar had cleared things up. Solar looked exhausted, almost powerless. Pobmek held the smaller figure tightly in his embrace, filled with love and care, gently running his fingertips through Solar's hair. Solar, burying his face in Pobmek's chest, could hear his lover's heartbeat and couldn't help but feel sympathy.

"I've been staying up for so many days... I don't know if I'll actually fall asleep."

How long is this?..."

Solar's words were so soft they were barely audible, yet every word pierced Pobmek's heart. He knew Solar was worried and wanted him to rest. He gently stroked Solar's head with his other hand and spoke in the softest voice he could manage.

"Don't think about anything anymore. Just go to sleep."

"um…'"

Solar only responded with that one word before his breathing gradually became steady, and he finally drifted off to sleep in Pobmek’s arms. Pobmek gently kissed Solar's forehead, as if afraid to wake him, before whispering softly to his sleeping lover.

"I hope we can spend time together this Sunday."

Pobmek gathered all his strength and slowly reached up. He pressed the bedside lamp switch, and the bright light instantly went out. Darkness enveloped the entire room.

The soft midday sunlight streamed through the curtains into the bedroom, creating a warm and tranquil atmosphere on the queen-sized bed. Sun slowly opened his eyes, feeling refreshed, like a flower revived by rainwater after a long period of wilting. He blinked repeatedly, trying to regain his clear vision after being shrouded in darkness.

The first thing he saw was Pobmek dozing off, sitting on a chair beside the bed, watching over him. Pobmek’s hand was still resting on the edge of the bed, as if ready to hold his hand at any moment. Sun gazed at the white t-shirt Pobmek was wearing. It was their favourite matching shirt, the one Solar bought for their anniversary.

Sun slowly sat up, stretching as much as a lion awakens from hibernation. He glanced at the digital clock beside his bed, puzzled by the numbers showing exactly noon, but he still couldn't believe his eyes.

"Hey, Uncle, what time is it? I'll be late for school!"

"It's not too late. It's already Sunday noon."

Upon hearing this, Sun became suspicious. He quickly glanced at the date displayed on the digital clock. He said "SUNDAY" before seriously counting on his fingers.

"Huh? I usually sleep longer than usual, but this seems even longer."

"Even more than that, Uncle?"

Seeing Pobmek, a faint smile played on the corner of his mouth. His voice was weary from sleep deprivation, but his eyes were filled with relief at seeing Sun wake up safely.

"Yeah, that's right. We slept for almost two whole days. We must have been exhausted."

"I counted them."

"Really? But that's good. I slept well," Sun said without paying much attention. He stretched his arms and yawned again casually before letting out a comfortable groan.

"So, what should we do today? Do we need to go for another run?"

Sun's question froze Pobmek for a moment.

"No need. Just stay in your room today. Play with your toys. Consider it a gift for obeying his uncle all week. Sun's eyes widened with joy. His face was beaming with happiness. A smile as bright as a sunflower blooming in summer.

"Really?! Are you serious?!"

"Yes," Pobmek replied with a weary smile.

"Yay!!! Thank you, Uncle!!!"

Sun jumped and danced around happily, meeting Pobmek, before rushing out of the room like a storm about to destroy everything in its path. Pobmek, standing there, slowly changed his smile to sadness. At that moment, he felt like the biggest failure in the world because he hadn't celebrated the most important anniversary of his life with the person he loved.

Laughter and cheers echoed through the living room of the condo. Fresh and cheerful, Jee stood in front of the large TV screen, holding a game controller and moving according to the commands on the screen as if he were dancing along with the character in the game.

Beside them, Sun was jumping and dancing with boundless joy, his face beaming with a smile as bright as the midday sun. He was happier than usual. Further away at the dining table, Pobmek sat in front of his laptop, his head bowed, his gaze fixed on the happy scene before him. A gentle smile spread across his face. He felt like an outsider watching a movie with a happy ending, yet at the same time, relieved to see Sun so happy.

An image of a night sky adorned with millions of stars was projected onto the bedroom ceiling. Sun lay on the bed, wearing VR glasses and headphones, happily gazing at the stars. His face was filled with dreams and hope, as if the stars on the ceiling had transported him to another world of peace.

Pobmek found himself standing in the corner of the room. He didn't say anything, didn't do anything, just stood silently watching Sun, like a sculpture carved to stand in solitude. Phopmek slowly turned and quietly walked out of the room, leaving Sun to drift alone in his own world of happiness, filled with millions of stars.

Mek quietly walked out of the bedroom. He looked at the calendar hanging on the wall, seeing the red circle surrounding the "anniversary." His heart felt as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand, making it hard to breathe. Sadness and guilt overwhelmed him once again. He slowly closed his eyes, trying to reassure himself that everything was alright, but the empty feeling in his chest was like a black hole threatening to swallow him whole.

"I'm so sorry, man, that you missed your anniversary celebration with your boyfriend", Jee’s voice rang out. He looked up at Jee, who was sitting at the dining table, looking refreshed. Both of them looked tired and filled with the same guilt as he was.

"Uh... me too," Sodsuean added softly.

"Hey, it's okay. I think we're all at fault. Who would have thought?"

"I didn't think Solar would be dormant for almost two days like this."

He tried to act as normal as possible, but his smile now looked heartbreakingly sad. "But oh well, we didn't celebrate this year. We'll celebrate next year."

Jee and Sodchuen nodded simultaneously with sympathetic expressions.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Suddenly, there were three knocks on the door of his room. He raised his eyebrows in suspicion, wondering who would come to see him at this hour, before slowly walking to open the door.

"Surprise!" Pranee exclaimed cheerfully. She held a large box in one hand and struggled to drag a suitcase in the other. Pobmek quickly rushed to help. Pranee looked at him with eyes full of love and warmth.

"Oh, Mom!" Pobmek exclaimed in surprise. Sodchuen and Jee both stood up, bewildered, not knowing who the woman standing at the door was.

"Uh, everyone," Pobmek introduced in a hesitant tone. "This is Pranee, Solar's mother," he said, turning to look at Pranee. "Mom. This is the principal, Sodchuen, with Teacher Jee, a colleague from work."

"Hello, Mom," Jee and Sodchuen said simultaneously.

"Hello, hello!" Pranee smiled broadly at both of them. "Okay, Pobmek, open the box!"

"What is this?" Pobmek looked at the box in her hand with curiosity. Pranee chuckled softly before explaining, "Solar told me that if he didn't call me before noon on Sunday, I should come to your condo." She pointed to the box. "Here, I brought Solar's old toys. He said they might be useful for the treatment, and they're also to replace the toys Sun broke."

Pobmek smiled gently, feeling grateful for her kindness. The kindness shown to her son: "Thank you, Mom."

The bedroom door creaked open slightly. Pranee peeked in and saw Sun still lying on the bed, wearing his VR glasses and headphones. His hands were playfully grasping at the air. Seeing this, the mother smiled happily, not daring to interrupt her son's enjoyment. She could only watch him.

Quietly

"He seems very happy, this son of mine," Pranee said to Pobmek in a gentle voice.

"Should I call him for you, Mom?" Pobmek asked.

"No, thank you. I have something more important to discuss."

"Something important...what is it?" Pobmek asked back, with a hint of curiosity.

An anniversary cake was placed in front of him as he sat at the dining table. The table was beautifully set to celebrate the anniversary, and a small notebook was included.

Instead of cards and blooming flowers, the aroma of his favourite food filled the room, leaving Pobmek speechless. Pranee, sitting opposite him, smiled warmly and said...

"Solar asked mother to help cook the meal that Pobmek liked to celebrate with on his birthday."

"It's your anniversary, and you also have this."

Pranee took out a tablet and placed it in front of Pobmek, Sodchuen, and Jee, who were standing there. He stood quietly in the back, watching what was happening. On the tablet was a video clip that Solar had recorded. He caught a glimpse of Solar on the screen, wearing the same shirt he was wearing, which brought a faint smile to Pobmek’s face.

"Hellooooo! If you're watching this video, it means things went wrong, huh? I guess I didn't wake up on our anniversary." Solar's voice sounded playful, but also tinged with guilt.

"But don't worry, I have a backup plan! I asked my mom to help me handle it."

"Okay, get ready!"

Pobmek smiled with such joy that his eyes closed. His heart was pounding as if it would burst from his chest. The heavy feeling that had been weighing on his chest disappeared completely, replaced by overwhelming warmth and happiness. Solar cleared his throat slightly before continuing in a softer tone.

"Look at that Pobmek... Wow, it's been 7 years since we started dating, hasn't it? I remember you loved my mom's coconut cake, right? So I asked her to make a big one for you. I'll have her feed you, okay? Mmm..."

Solar extended his hand as if to scoop up some cake and feed it to Pobmek on the screen. Seeing this, Pranee smiled affectionately before using a spoon to scoop up some coconut cake. One piece was given to the Pobmek to represent the son.

"Mom... are you secretly imitating my mouth movements?" Solar on the screen said suspiciously, making Pranee flinch slightly because she really was doing it, causing Mek to burst into laughter.

"Oh, and don't forget to read the notebook too. Read it aloud, so it'll be more enjoyable." Pobmek followed the instructions, reaching for the notebook on the table and opening it. Inside was a familiar handwriting that he recognised by heart. He read it softly aloud, his voice filled with a variety of emotions.

"Even though I'm disappointed that I couldn't feed you the cake myself this year... looking on the bright side, it makes me realise... how much I miss you when we're not together, how much I want to see you."

Sodchuen and Jee listened deeply, moved and connected with the feelings. Solar wrote it in his notebook. "But I don't know... if I'll be better next year... But I promise I will make it up by making every day you wake up more special than today's anniversary." As soon as he finished reading the last sentence, tears streamed down Phopmek's face. Unable to hold back

"Oh no, you're crying again, aren't you? Such a crybaby. There, there, it's okay. Don't worry. "Tomorrow I'll wake up and give you a hug!"

Pobmek's laughter burst out while tears streamed down his face, and Pranee, Sodchuen, and Jee all hurried over, comforted him, and hugged him tightly, filled with overflowing love.