Peach Lover

Honeymoon Seat

 

"Are you crazy, Po? Why are you smiling to yourself?" 

 

"Meen," I greeted him as he turned around to serve me a panda-shaped latte art piece. He's my best friend; we both graduated with a degree in graphic design, but he unexpectedly opened his own coffee shop and became a #handsomebarista. 

 

If he hadn't designed the shop himself and won a world-level award last year, I would have thought he'd given all his knowledge back to his professors. 

 

"I was just lost in thought." 

 

And this enjoyable thing I'm talking about is this conversation. 

 

"Excuse me" 

 

"Yes?" 

 

“I apologise for being too harsh.” 

 

"Oh, you don't need to apologise." 

 

"But..." 

 

“I really like it.” 

 

"If you do it again, I won't be angry at all. " 

 

He was being incredibly sweet when we woke up. He didn't just apologise, but gently showered my face with kisses, like someone trying to soothe someone who'd been through a tough and violent war. He probably didn't realise that not only did I not hold a grudge, but I even boldly and openly said, "I like you.” 

 

It's a good thing the alarm interrupted me, reminding me I had to rush to work early; otherwise, I'd probably get devoured by Peach Lover again! 

 

"Hey, he's smiling again. This guy must be really crazy."

 

My thoughts of someone else were interrupted again by that same Meen, who kept labelling me as "crazy." I finally gave him a frustrated look and the middle finger, which made him burst into laughter before plopping down in the chair opposite me. 

 

"So, what made you come to my shop today?" 

 

"I was thinking of renting some space at your shop to hold an exhibition," I decided to get straight to the point, since I'd wasted almost half the day waiting for my friend to make coffee for customers. 

 

"I'll take both floors. What time are you free?" 

 

Meen’s coffee shop has four floors. The first and second floors are like any other coffee shop, but they are beautifully decorated and utilise the space more efficiently for customers than other shops. Meanwhile, the third and fourth floors are set up as an art gallery available for rent for exhibitions, which are very popular among students from nearby universities. 

 

"Finally, the time has come. You've let me keep procrastinating for too long." 

 

I nodded in agreement. "Damn it, you need some inspiration for things like this." If I'm going to hold my own art exhibition, I can't just let other people dictate my plans. 

 

"So, where did you get your inspiration from?" 

 

"Well...many things." 

 

I raised the latte art to my lips and suddenly felt my throat dry. Thinking about one of my "inspirations", the tall, imposing figure lying naked beside me in bed last night, made the image of the panda-faced figure that Meen had carefully crafted disappear into my throat. Yes, collecting is one of the passions that led me to rent this space from Meen today. 

 

Although I've always thought about holding an oil painting exhibition, what was still missing was a "theme" that would ignite that passion within me. 

 

"Hey, let me ask you something." 

 

“Huh?” 

 

"Do you really like eating peaches, or are you just... comparing them to your partner?"

 

"Hmm... both, I guess. And you? Have you ever eaten a plant fruit?" “I've never had it before.” 

 

"Then you have to try it at least once. It's incredibly fragrant, sweet, and juicy. It's both the taste and the texture I absolutely love." 

 

"Wow, you've made me want to try it right now!" 

 

"If you were me, you would have already tried it by now." 

 

“A?” 

 

"Oh, you didn't know that?" 

 

“What do you know?” 

 

"Well, when I eat the seeds and when I eat you, the taste is exactly the same, Po." 

 

I think it probably started with that conversation, because no matter how many times I think back to it, I feel the blood boiling in my veins—a strong desire to create something, and at the same time, a desire to be intimate with him. 

 

"Then I'll use that as the name for my exhibition." 

 

“What name?” 

 

"Peach Lover" 

 

“Can I?” 

 

"Of course, why not? Just hearing the name makes me want to attend!" 

 

And then I decided to name my first oil painting exhibition “Japo,” the same name as the account of the man who has given me so much passion. 

 

"Hey, are you even listening to me, Po?" 

 

"Huh?" I was so preoccupied with collecting things that it felt like my ears went deaf; I didn't hear what Meen said. "What did you just say?"

 

Instead of giving me a polite reply, Meen, who had initially been leaning back in his chair, suddenly narrowed his eyes at me, his face showing a look of dread, as if he sensed something suspicious was going on, and I was the culprit behind that suspicious thing he was watching. 

 

“What is it?” 

 

I believe in the motto, "The more you hesitate, the more you get cornered." 

 

"You're acting really strange, do you realise that?" 

 

Uh... I know I might have acted strangely, but I'm confident I haven't said anything about the famous actor, Sasom, so there's probably nothing to worry about. 

 

"What's so weird about it? I'm perfectly normal." 

 

His face is expressionless right now, so there's probably nothing suspicious. 

 

"Don't fool me, Po. We've been friends for so many years. You’ve never been like this before. You zone out while talking, and just smile to yourself. Is that normal?" 

 

"So what do you want me to do? What do you want me to do...?" 

 

“You have love.” 

 

Ha! 

My eyes widened when Meen suddenly interrupted me like that, completely unfazed, and even pointed at me! "N-no way!" 

 

"Damn it, don't make things up! Me, in love? What were you thinking?!" "How many things in life actually inspire us to get up and do something new?" 

 

“I just…” 

 

"You're smiling so often because you're thinking about that person, aren't you? Who is it? Do you have a picture? I want to see."

 

Not only did he talk, but the guy who pretended to know everything actually held out his hand in front of me. It completely caught me off guard because he was almost entirely right. 

 

Uh... my inspiration for creating this exhibition comes from my collector. The reason I smile so often is that I've been thinking about him all this time. But the one thing that Meen did wrong was... 

 

Pop! 

 

"Damn it! Did you hit too hard?!" 

 

"I don't love anyone at all. Stop fantasising!" 

 

...I'm definitely not in love! 

 

What the hell does he expect me to love? I spend all day at home and at the convenience store. Even when I go out somewhere far, it's always with a purpose: eat, come back, buy something, come back, look around, come back. I don't have time to look around at the people next to me; it'd be a waste of time that I could be using to earn a living. 

 

As for the "collector" part, to reiterate, it's highly unlikely. It's true that he's changed my life a lot these past few days, and I'm more obsessed with him than anyone else, but that's because we share a common goal: I'm a "new crop", and he's a "Peach Lover." If love were to actually happen, or if I were to fall for a famous actor, it would surely end badly. Don't take it; it's not worth it. 

 

"Okay! If there isn't one, then there isn't one." 

 

Meen kept rubbing his hand, which I had hit him hard on the head with. "When the time comes, and you have problems, don't come running to me for help!" I shrugged to let them know I wasn't afraid, because it would never happen. 

 

"Hey, let me ask you something," I said, suddenly having an idea. I quickly put my coffee down on the table before taking a sip. 

 

"If... one day a nude video of me gets leaked, would you still be my friend?"

 

"What the hell is wrong with you again?" 

 

"Hey, I'm serious. If this were really true, would you still be my friend?" "Who did you hook up with, Po?" 

 

"Damn it, I was just asking..." 

 

"So you let him film you?" 

 

"Hey Meen, listen to me..." 

 

"So, you want to be a troll on Twitter, huh?" 

 

"Ouch! That hurts!" I yelled when Meen suddenly kicked my leg under the table with a forceful blow. It was pretty clear he wasn't okay with this at all. 

 

Just wait until Sasom and I release our first video, and you'll know who the first person is to call and yell at me. 

 

"Good! Now you'll stop being crazy." 

 

"I was just joking!" I chose to lie, then tried to cover it up by kicking him back. "Just a playful question, and you're getting so upset? You're not my husband, you jerk!" 

 

No, I'm not going to dwell on this anymore. I just wanted to test the waters a bit. Because I'm going to do it eventually anyway. But let's wait until someone downloads the clip from the web and releases it. Then I'll apologise to that idiot later. For now, let's change the subject. Here, let's lay out the exhibition plan so he can forget about what just happened. 

 

"So, what's the conclusion? When is the venue available for me to hold my event?" 

 

"Hold on, Po. Let me sort this out first." 

 

But it looks like Meen isn't going to let it go easily. Damn... I shouldn't have said anything; it's making things complicated. 

 

"Whatever you want to do, I don't mind. But I have one request." 

 

"Don't do it just to spite your father. It's not worth it, understand?"

 

Oh, if it's about that... 

 

"Don't worry about that. I don't even care if he's dead. Where would I find the reason to be sarcastic?" 

 

Because even if I were being sarcastic, he wouldn't care about me anyway. He didn't even come to my mother's funeral. 

 

"Okay, then I'll go grab my iPad. I can't remember when my booking schedule is free." 

 

After I confirmed Meen’s concerns and lied again, saying that the leaked video was just a joke based on a quote about "friendship" that I'd seen online, Meen finally believed me. 

 

So, while I was waiting for my friend to get his iPad, I reviewed what I had just said, and it gave me the same answer. 

 

"You're not being sarcastic towards your father, are you, Po?" 

 

Never. 

 

After we finalised the exhibition details, Meen treated me to a Japanese lunch. He even helped me arrange a shuttle service (paying for it via his credit card). He took such good care of me, like we were husband and wife. I was incredibly impressed with my friend. 

 

Then, when I got home, my life went back to the same routine: organising my space, opening my MacBook, and getting back to creating book covers. I've taken on a lot of book covers this time, and the deadline is getting closer, so I have to push myself to speed up my work even more to get everything done on time. 

 

But actually, there are "some things" that, when you think about them, make you feel like you've "secretly escaped" from the usual loops of life. Like... 

 

Japo: I collect them. 

Japo: Are you going to sleep at my house tonight?

Japo: (Sticker of a deer with a questioning expression) 

Sasom: I'm working late tonight. 

Sasom: You go to sleep first. 

Sasom: (Godzilla sticker making an exhausted face) 

Japo: Okay. 

Japo: Keep fighting! 

Japo: (Two-finger Kwang Soo sticker) 

Sasom: (A sticker of a handsome Godzilla smiling and giving a cool thumbs-up.) 

 

For example, having time to rest by texting someone who seems like they're going to stay at my house has become normal. If it were before I knew the real Peach Lover, I wouldn't even have time to take a break and text someone other than my employer; I'd sometimes forget to go to the bathroom! It was really bad. 

 

Furthermore, I clearly feel that another thing that has changed my life from its old routine is that I've recently added more work to my schedule. Before, I was just rushing to meet deadlines, but now I'm thinking more deeply... if I submit work faster, I'll have more time for Sasom. That's it. 

 

I managed to finish two covers in less than a  day. Doesn't that mean famous actors have an influence on me? Like how their "Peach Lover" persona influenced my sexuality? 

 

The sky outside had darkened. I put down my pen and immediately closed my eyes to rest after applying the bright yellow colour to the cover of that strangely titled novel, "Don't Come Live with Shrimp SENIOR YEAR." I couldn't take it anymore. I'd better stop here, otherwise I'd go blind for sure. 

 

I ignored the comment from the writer using the pseudonym The Neoclassic, who was trying to explain the shade of yellow he meant, and got up to change my clothes. I intended to go find something to eat near the famous indie cinema, not far from the village. If I saw any interesting movies, I'd go see a late-night showing to relax. 

 

“Whoa...”

 

I didn't expect to exclaim "Wow!" At that moment, as soon as I opened the gate, the headlights of an oncoming car made me shield my eyes. It looked like their brightness was second only to a Toyota Fortuner! 

 

“Where are you going, Po?” 

 

"Oh! I thought you were finishing late?" I was surprised to see that Sosom was the one who drove in. "I thought you weren't coming tonight." 

 

"The director's wife is about to give birth, so we had to quickly cancel filming." 

 

The taller person showed their joy without trying to hide it. After all, no matter how hardworking someone is, who wants to work from morning till night? Nobody. They only do it because they have to. 

 

"So, where are you going? To the convenience store?" 

 

"It's further than that. I was thinking of going out to grab something to eat near the Indie Cinema on Soi 43." 

 

He frowned. "I've never been there. Is there anything interesting around there?" 

 

"Many things, mostly street food, and inexpensive too. But..." 

 

“Huh?” 

 

“You probably can't go with me.” 

 

It's a shame, really. I really wanted to invite him along, but if other people saw a famous actor like "Sasom Worapatchala Korn" having dinner there, we probably wouldn't be able to enjoy our meal in peace. 

 

"Hey, why can't I go too?" 

 

He looked genuinely confused, so I had to explain his celebrity status to him. 

 

"But celebrities are people too, you know. Celebrities want to go out and eat delicious food, too. People understand that these days." 

 

“And what about me?” I pointed to myself.

 

“If our photos get leaked, what will you say to your family?” 

 

For outsiders, I could just pretend we're friends and be done with it. But for the Woraphatchalakorn family, I don't think it would end that way. If his parents are telling the truth as Sasom described, they'd probably start digging into my past for ages. 

 

And just as I thought, the reason that was just brought up left Peach Lover speechless. It seems that you and Mrs Woraphat Chalakorn are going to have a serious argument. 

 

"But I want to go with you." 

 

But I couldn't bring myself to be cruel to Sasom. His dejected expression softened my heart, and I decided to find a way to help him, a method that wasn't entirely new but remained timeless. 

 

"Then follow me." I quickly grabbed his hand and pulled him up to the bedroom. I opened the door for the person who had just looked dejected to transform into a cunning gentleman in an instant. 

 

"What? Change your mind and want to eat something else instead of rice?" 

 

"No way!" I yelled. "Go sit down and wait. Let me find something." 

 

Wow, if I knew he'd get over his sadness so easily, I should have just left him home alone! 

 

Heh! 

But it's probably too late to change my mind now. So all I could do was ignore the sound of laughter from the man behind me and quickly open the wardrobe to find what I needed. 

 

“Are you asleep?” 

 

"No..." 

 

The person I clearly saw sleeping on the bed sat up quickly. 

 

“Just resting my eyes.” 

 

"Are you sure? If you're sleepy, do you want to take a nap? I'll buy something for you."

 

"No, no, I want to go too." 

 

The sleepy-faced person kept insisting, so I stopped rushing and quickly gave him the items I had on hand. 

 

"Then hurry up and change your clothes so we can go." 

 

"So you want me to disguise myself, Po?" 

 

You, a famous actor, understand my purpose. 

 

"And we have to wear masks too?" 

 

"That's the most important thing." 

 

Disguising oneself as an actor is classic. I guarantee that if you wear my oversized purple hoodie with the black masks I stockpiled during the PM2.5 crisis, nobody will recognise you. 

 

The tall, imposing figure, who had just stood up to his full height, seemed to readily comply, agreeing to the disguise I had arranged. But...?! 

 

"Hey! What are you doing?!" 

 

“Huh?” Sasom turned around, frowning. 

 

“I’m changing clothes. Why?” 

 

"No, I was just thinking...well, never mind. I'll wait downstairs then." As soon as I finished speaking, I quickly went downstairs, started the car, and waited. 

 

I misunderstood earlier. At first, I thought he'd wear the hoodie over his shirt. I didn't realise he'd be wearing just the hoodie alone. So, when he took off his shirt to show off his toned physique after we'd been so close last night, I panicked and started thinking he was going to do something 18+ again.  Wow...that's so perverted, Po! 

 

My disguise trick worked really well. Even though people kept glancing at me periodically, even with only his eyes showing, Sasom was still handsome overall despite the mask; it seemed like everyone remained calm. Not hearing anyone mention the name 

 

"Sasom" (meaning "Sasomd") was a plus. It was acceptable.

 

“It's a bit difficult for you.” 

 

But if there's one thing that's really difficult, it's probably this: starting to eat the rice porridge. You can't take off your mask while eating, so you have to lift the bottom of it to scoop food into your mouth without anyone knowing who you are. 

 

"I only realised today how difficult it is to be famous." 

 

"Come on, reputation isn't always bad. It can give you many good things." 

 

"Such as?" 

 

"It's the money." I paused for a moment to pick up a piece of crispy fish and put it in his bowl of rice porridge. 

 

"I can paint ten pictures, and that's still not as much as you earn from just one event." 

 

"But my family is already rich, Po. I don't know why I would need so much more money." 

 

"Hey, you can't think like that." I paused again to nod my head in thanks for the sausage he offered. 

 

"Money from home is one thing, but the money from the entertainment industry is your own. Being able to use money you've earned yourself gives you freedom, a voice. No one can criticise you." 

 

"Yeah, you're right." 

 

Sasom nodded in agreement, but it was followed by a resigned sigh. So I started thinking of something that could help him forget his stress, and that's when I came across an activity I thought Sasom had probably never done before. 

 

"Little sister." 

 

The waiter immediately came over when called, and before I could order what I wanted, he smiled broadly and shouted to the owner. 

 

"Hey! I'll take the stir-fried morning glory myself. One plate for table three!" 

 

As soon as the waiter finished taking their order, the customers burst into applause and cheered loudly. Only Sasom looked very confused, then quickly beckoned with his hand.

 

"What is 'flying morning glory self-service'?" 

 

"You'll find out soon enough." 

 

Shortly after I responded like that, the same waiter brought an empty plate. When I pointed towards Sasom, he shoved the plate into the other person's hand and quickly led them to a suitable spot. 

 

"Okay, I'm going to throw it now." 

 

“Po!” 

 

It was as if the boss already knew what the "Self-Serve Stir-fried Morning Glory" dish was, because he turned around and called out to me loudly. But it was too late. Everything was already placed there. The waiter was holding the famous actor in place, while the boss himself was preparing to throw him the food. 

 

"Three! Two! One! Hup!" 

 

As the shop owner's countdown ended, the stir-fried morning glory flew through the air from the stove down to where Sasom was standing, and the result was...?! 

 

"Hey!" 

 

He caught it!  They collected and beautifully presented the stir-fried morning glory in a bowl, prompting other customers to cheer and applaud. 

 

“It stings so much!” 

 

The person who had just been turned heroic brought a plate of stir-fried water spinach and placed it on the table, his face full of annoyance towards me, but it was obvious he was quite happy. 

 

"So, did you have fun? Look, you're not sleepy anymore!" 

 

As expected, a burst of delighted laughter pierced through the mask. The fun from something he'd never done before seemed to have finally made the heavy burden on his mind disappear.

 

Very good :) 

 

"I'll take care of you now." 

 

"Okay" 

 

After we finished eating, Sasom offered to pay, which I had no problem with. In fact, it's great to eat for free! 

 

"Then let's go back." 

 

"Okay, we can go back now." 

 

I was the one who suggested we go back because it looked like the famous actor, who'd been working all day, must be really sleepy. But damn it, I shouldn't have! I turned around and saw a movie poster for a movie I really want to see. 

 

“What is it?” 

 

"No, nothing." 

 

"Want to see it? Shall we go?" 

 

I shook my head. "It's better if you go back so you can rest." 

 

"Hey, no problem. You can watch it. I only have one event tomorrow afternoon, so it's easy." 

 

“Really?” 

 

I'm secretly happy about this. I really want to watch it, but I'm also hesitant because I'm already collecting too many copies. 

 

"Really? Let's go see a movie." 

 

Without further ado, he grabbed my hand and held it tightly before pulling me across the crosswalk to the indie cinema where I usually go for late-night screenings. 

 

"I'll take two copies of this."

 

Sasom pointed to the poster. 

 

"Please choose a seat. This is the screen." 

 

"Huh? Is this a special seat?" 

 

I leaned forward to take a look at what was on display and asked the ticket seller about it. That's when I realised it was a set of three pairs of seats in the very back row of the movie theatre. 

 

"That one's a honeymoon package." 

 

"Okay then, I'll take this one. I'd like to have a honeymoon with my girlfriend :)" 

 

"You!" 

 

Even without taking off his mask, it was obvious that Sasom was giving them a mischievous smile. The ticket seller blushed, completely unaware that Sasom's remark was a blatant lie! 

 

"How could you say that?" If we were closer, I would have punched him in the arm. "People will misunderstand everything." 

 

"So what?  The staff don't even know who I am. Why should I worry about being misunderstood?" 

 

Oh right, the staff doesn't even know who Sasom is... I guess I'm overreacting again, aren't I?! 

 

Okay...then it'll be the same old trick. Just walk away and go into the theatre. Simple. No need to come up with another excuse. 

 

I pretended not to hear the other person's amused laughter before quickly leading the way to the honeymoon seat, which was a seat for two. It looked quite comfortable. 

 

“Soft.” 

 

After we sat down, he leaned in and whispered something close to my mouth. I agreed, but could only nod in response, not wanting him to sense how much a fluttering sensation my stomach felt from his whispered breath as he pulled his mask down to his chin!

 

Luckily, people were starting to trickle into the theatre. My choice to remain silent became a normal part of movie-watching etiquette, something everyone does. But once the movie started, Sasom's trouble made things even more unsettling! 

 

“Yes...you!” 

 

I quickly covered my mouth with my hand; otherwise, everyone in the whole school would have turned to stare! 

 

"What? I just leaned on you. Can't I lean on you, Po?" 

 

“But...but...” 

 

The fact that he leaned his head on my shoulder was one thing. It wouldn't be a big deal if he kept resting his head on my shoulder, if his hand didn't bump into me enough to… 

He's going to "reach" in and grab me without even going through my underwear! 

 

I involuntarily clenched my jaw and gripped the seat tightly as his long, slender fingers delved deep, almost reaching the point that would send shivers down my spine. He alternated between intensely squeezing and caressing my flesh, forcing me to clench my legs together, suppressing any urge to moan! 

 

But then it happened very quickly. 

 

"You?" 

 

I immediately nudged him to stop the collecting process the moment I sensed his restless hands had stopped working. But he remained silent, motionless like a robot whose batteries had suddenly run out. I leaned down to look at his face, only to find that... He's asleep! 

 

He had fallen asleep with his hand still gripping my thigh tightly, making me feel like a pillow or a doll that a little child could cuddle and hold to fall asleep. 

 

So what will happen now? Can't wake him up.

 

I can't concentrate on watching the movie anymore.  Someone, please help Po!