I turn away from the sunlight seeping through the blinds, hitting my eyes. I stretch on my bed before sitting up, and the first thing I feel is...My sore throat.

 

I get out of bed early to make myself a warm drink. My throat feels so itchy that I lose my appetite. I assume it's because I didn't sleep well. I worked on a project until morning to distract myself. The cocoa powder dissolves in the hot water from the kettle. I flick my eyes to the entrance, open since morning, and the open back door. If the restaurant is open this early, it means either Sorn will clean the vacant room today, or Mee is out at the market to get ingredients. I bet on the first one since I hear the laundry machine from the back.

 

I slide the whale notebook open and check the name of the graduate who has moved out. The next box, which is supposed to be empty, is written neatly in blue ink.

 

'Mr Khobket Sawasdipak' Huh?

 

Khobket...? Why does it sound familiar?

 

I march to the back of the building and find a lanky man humming while flipping the laundry to hang.

 

"Sorn."

 

"Hmm?" Sorn focuses on hanging the sheet as if it's fun, not looking at me. He's the only one enjoying this. Cleaning is Sorn's happiness.

 

"Who's the new resident?"

 

"Oh, Kaning told me on the phone that he was your friend."

 

"Cough, cough."

 

I choke on my cocoa. It flows out of my nostrils.

 

"Huh?!"

 

No, no, no, no, no. I can never believe my ears.

 

I quickly call my sister, not knowing what she's planning or up to. A few minutes after I keep tapping the table, she picks up.

[Hello?]

"What the hell have you done?"

 

[What?]

 

"I'm asking what the hell you've done. Why will Ket move in here?!" I yell into the phone as Mee carries a Styrofoam container into the restaurant. I greet him briefly and go upstairs.

 

[It's nothing. Ket was looking for a place, so I gave him Luksorn's address.]

"I don't understand."

 

[Why are you upset? You don't love him anymore, do you?]

 

Her words hit me. I slowly let go of my frustration and stay calm. I no longer have feelings for him, but I don't want to see his face. It's worse that we go to the same university. I'll throw up if we see each other every day.

 

"I'm not upset. I just don't like it. You forbade me from seeing him. Why did you recommend this place?"

 

[It's the only place I know. Where else am I supposed to recommend?]

 

"There are plenty of condominiums in Chonburi—so many other dorms. A rich guy like Ket can even afford a house. Why would he stay here?"

 

[Ket fought with his family.]

"It has nothing to do with me."

 

[I'm just telling you. If there's nothing else, I'll hang up.)

 

Ning ends the call, leaving me in silence, stunned. Does he have to be closer to me after the fight with his family? I was the reason he was on bad terms with his family and sent abroad. I don't understand a single thing. How come Ning knows so much about Ket when she couldn't even look at him in the past? Seriously, no matter what my sister and Ket are planning together… When I find that out, I'll never forgive either of them.

 

I drop my backpack on the floor and sit next to it, ruffling my hair until it gets messy, shocking Fou. Even so, he doesn't ask. Aun is nowhere to be seen today. Given the past few days, he's as busy as Fou—tons of work to deal with.

Everything went well today. I put on my earphones, turn on the music, and close my eyes to take a break. No one bothers me, like usual. It's so peaceful that I feel like I'm going to fall asleep. But then, someone enters the room and ruins everything before my eyes. 

 

Ket puts his backpack on the table and settles into the chair with the two new members. Mi is painting at the table beside me. Oat skips the club activity to go somewhere. The other seniors come in one by one, changing the quiet room into a crowded one. I forgot that Fou set a meeting today.

 

Fou informs us about all the activities that will be held this year. I don't pay much attention to it. We'll mainly sell our goods from booths to increase our club's small budget. The seniors are discussing this year's products. Shirts are boring, and our paintings are constantly purchased.

 

"Oh, I forgot." The club president raises a piece of white paper over his head.

 

"I want you to participate in the applied arts contest this year. Last year, our university missed out on first prize in the recycling category. Let's work on some new ideas this time." He lightly flips the piece of paper.

 

"We'll go on a trip if we win."

 

They all holler. The others look enthusiastic about the contest, but I...

 

"Kieng."

 

"Huh?" I exclaim when Fou suddenly calls me amid the group.

 

"I'm not letting you get away this year. If you refuse to participate, I'll kick you out."

 

What? You can't do this to me! I sit in sadness for a short moment before Mi settles by my side.

 

"Why did Fou say that?"

 

"Because Professor Saman once visited our club and complimented him, I guess?" someone chirps over us. Oat, who has been absent for days, appears in front of me all of a sudden.

 

"He rarely gives compliments, so Fou wants him to be involved, not just sitting here stupidly like this."

 

"Wow, King must be great at painting."

 

"He is, Mi. Besides that, his creativity is top-notch."

 

"Nonsense," I grumble. Oat and I are the only sophomores in this club, but we're not that close. Oat is like a ghost, not staying in the same place for long. Had Fou not pointed out we were the only second-year students here, I would've assumed I was the only one.

 

"I'm praising you."

 

"I'll participate, too, though I'm only good at anime characters." Her blushing cheeks draw attention from the guys in the club. I stare daggers at them, making them avert their eyes. Don't even think about this. I'm protective of this girl.

 

"Have you ever gotten hit on?" I ask Mi, and she cracks a dry Laugh.

 

"Yes, but I'm not interested."

 

"What kind of person do you like?"

 

The girl goes silent, slowly turning red from her face to her ears as she glances at the club president. Oat and I meet each other's eyes simultaneously. You can tell she's into him even from afar.

 

"I can't tell you." Mi looks down at her lap.

 

"What about your type?"

 

"182 centimetres tall, with beautiful eyes and dark brown hair. Loves painting. He might look careless at times, but he's responsible!" She describes her type to me. 

 

Oat and I flick our gaze to the club president again. He did say he's 182 centimetres tall. Are his eyes beautiful? Well, they are. They're long like leaves.

He definitely has dark brown hair. He likes to paint. Even though he sometimes looks careless, he's the club president who keeps the art club going to this day. Mi has feelings for that motherfucker Fou without a doubt.

 

"I hope it works out, Mi," Oat laughs in worry. It's known that Fou cares about nothing except art. He's inactive like a sloth. I can't fathom why Mi likes someone like him. My eyes catch someone glaring at me with his arms crossed. I mouth words to mess with Ket.

 

What-the-fuck-are-you-looking-at?

 

Why did I fall for someone like him? Oh, Ket wasn't like this back then. He looked solemn on the outside, but he was very attentive on the inside. But now...

 

He's emotionless physically and mentally. I don't like him. No matter how I look at it, I don't like him! I don't remember when I fell asleep. I recall getting irritated after looking at Ket, putting on my earphones, and listening to music until I drifted off. The sky is already dark when I'm awake.

 

There's no one else in the room besides that bastard who came back into my life for an unknown reason. Fou is nowhere in sight, but he should be back since his backpack is left here. Mi has probably gone home.

 

I sit up slowly and yawn. It's been days since I had enough sleep. After recharging my energy, I feel refreshed. It's not that refreshing because of the man scowling at me.

 

"Got nothing to do?"

 

"It's cool in here."

 

"Why are you back?"

 

I actually don't want to converse with him. I wish to ignore him and exit the club room as if we're strangers, indirectly pressuring him to return to his mountains. However, I drag my chair over and sit opposite him, driven by the thing eating at me. Ket looks like he needs to poop. He clears his throat and hides his smile.

 

"What's so funny?"

 

"Nothing."

 

"Then why the fuck did you laugh?"

 

"Who?"

 

"You were stifling a laugh."

"I wasn't." He puts on his usual emotionless face.

 

"Why did you come back from England?"

 

"I graduated."

 

"Why didn't you apply for a university in Chiang Mai? Why did you come to Chonburi?"

 

"I wanted to." 

 

I fight the urge to smack his head.

 

"But you hate the sea."

 

"Right."

 

"Then why did you come to the sea?"

 

"I have something to deal with."

 

"Why did you rent the same place as me? Are you afraid I won't remember your face?"

 

"No. I just wanted to. The room is nice."

 

"What a pain."

 

"Oh, yeah?" Enough!

 

I've had it! Giving up, I walk back to get my backpack and leave in a deadly rage. I open the door to find Fou coming back with Mi. Judging by the bags of food, they must've gone to the street behind the university.

 

"Kieng, your face," Mi says while Fou tries not to laugh. When I glower at him, he keeps a straight face and suppresses his laughter. What is Mi talking about? I rub my chin. I shaved last week.

 

"You leaving? I bought you something." The club president lifts a bag of fried meatballs, but I don't want to eat them. I've lost my appetite, furious.

 

"Yes."

 

It doesn't take me long to arrive at Sorn's restaurant, but people look at me and giggle all the way on the minibus. I'm not suspicious of anything until I'm about to ascend the stairs and Sorn appears out of the kitchen.

 

"Oh, Kieng."

 

"Hey."

 

"What's that on your face?"

 

Sorn isn't the only one pointing it out. Mi also said that. I frown at Sorn. What's with my face? Mee cranes his head out of the kitchen and looks at me. He bursts out laughing like a madman.

 

"Why are you laughing?"

 

Sorn fumbles in a drawer and hands me a small mirror. I check my face in it.

Whiskers. Freaking whiskers. There are three lines in black ink on both my cheeks.

It's not hard to figure out who the culprit is. When I woke up, I was in the room alone with that bastard. I clutch the mirror so hard my body shakes. Ket, you son of a bitch!

 

The clock on the wall ticks. I sit cross-legged on the floor with my arms crossed over my chest on the second-floor balcony while Sorn plays a game on his phone on the stairs. The restaurant is closed today. We only prepared the ingredients for tomorrow, the weekend, when it'll be especially crowded. I've been frowning since the early evening until now. 

 

"You hate it that much?" Sorn asks after his cookie character falls off the cliff to its death. I glare at him.

 

I've rubbed my face with my cleanser until it swells, yet the trace of the black-ink whiskers remains. Don't ask who else saw them. Tong was out to get his letters like usual, and Tou unexpectedly returned home at the same time as me. Everyone saw them, including the minibus driver.

 

"I hate it."

 

"Because it's your ex?"

 

I sigh softly. It's no surprise that Sorn is aware of this since he's Ning's best friend. Ning probably tells him about her worry.

 

I know that well. The first time I stepped in here, Sorn took care of me as if we'd known each other for a long time.

 

"Isn't it good that it's over? I don't know why he's back."

 

"He might have a reason."

 

The sound of Cookie Run starts again as the phone owner pays attention to the game more than his distressed brother. If there's a reason, why now?

 

'Ket went to the airport this morning.'

 

I froze in front of the gate of the Sawadipak house, my fists clutching around the polished black steel pickets as if I was scared they would disappear. A lump got stuck in my throat, robbing me of the ability to speak. My head was full of Why?'

Why didn't he tell me he'd leave? Was I in a place where I didn't deserve to know?

 

I dragged my weak body away and flopped on the grass. This was the first place I headed after running away from home. I hadn't understood anything since I got caught dating Ket. After that day, my dreams were torn into bits.

 

Ket had changed. He wouldn't talk to me or tell me he'd study abroad. He didn't even leave anything for me, as if all the time we'd spent together meant nothing.

The first teardrop trickled down, followed by the second, third, fourth, and fifth. Soon after, as the rain poured down from the sky, I sobbed alone. I tried to look for the stars, yet they disappeared far away.

 

BAM!

The sound of a car door being shut comes before the doorbell.

Sorn puts his phone in his pocket and turns to me, his eyes showing visible concern like the first day.

 

"Are you Ket?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Your room is on the second floor."

 

"Okay."

 

He walks through the restaurant to the stairs—that face. The man who left me heartlessly without saying goodbye is right in front of me. Mee strides past me with a huge suitcase as Sorn hands Ket a key before returning to the restaurant.

The darkness makes it hard to spot Ket's faint aura. It feels like he's far away. Still, it's not a challenge to pinpoint that this is the same person as the one two years ago. I haven't looked up at the night sky for two years.

 

"You drew the whiskers on my face."

 

"Any evidence?"

 

I advance toward him and point at the trace of the whiskers on my cheeks.

 

"Quit acting dumb. You did it, right?"

 

"I'm asking for evidence. You were asleep. You can't just accuse others."

 

If my gritted teeth could make a sound, it would sound like I was ready to crush his bones.

 

"You got the nerve to mess with me."

 

A smirk flickers on the corner of Ket's lips. He seems content to get me worked up.

We hold each other's gazes for thirty seconds, and I'm the one shaking in anger.

Okay. I admit it. His return is driving me insane.