South; Beside the Sky. 

I barely slept all night because I was wondering what Phi Hill had said. Now, I sat in my chair, understanding nothing, my mind was blank, and drowsiness still loomed. I was used to this situation. I felt like my brain was working much more slowly than usual.

 

This morning it was sunny, but not too hot. I didn't forget to take a photo, and the sky was exactly the same as before. I took the piece of paper Phi Fah wrote yesterday and pinned it up. It became a daily reminder. If I were to experience something terrible one day, I could tell myself that everything would be okay. I decided to tell my friends the truth. Maybe the time had come. I felt ready enough. If I hadn't, they might have been suspicious. I had often avoided direct contact with Phi Fah. Ter and North had noticed, too.

 

Last night, our art club chatted online. I also decided to tell Dao everything. Dao and I have recently become close. He's a sociable person, in fact, cheerful and friendly. But, he said, he was betrayed by his classmates, including his ex-girlfriend. This made him reluctant to trust anyone. But he trusted me and told me everything.

 

When I heard Dao's story, I began to understand that everyone had to deal with something. It wasn't easy for him to face everything alone, but it was all over. Ter himself had had some bad experiences, especially when there was a misunderstanding with Phi Hill at his house. However, in the end, everything worked out for the best.

 

I thought everything would be better after meeting them all. But deep down, the family issues were still buried, like a knot that continued to hurt and gnaw at me. As Ter said, I hoped that if I spoke up, they wouldn't be able to help it, but they wouldn't go away. As for what Phi Hill said yesterday, when he told me to thank Phi Fah... I don't understand what he meant. People like Phi Hill never say things without a reason. He must have said it on purpose to make me think of her. Or was it some kind of allusion? Why, thank Phi Fah? What exactly happened?

 

I thought about this question all night. Finally, I got tired of searching for the answer, and suddenly, there was a knock on the door. I walked over to the door and saw Ter and North standing there.

 

"Hi," I said. "What did you bring?" North held a bag in his hand.

 

"Phi Johan's mom's snacks. She gave them to me, but there were too many, so I brought them to eat together," North replied as he placed the bag on the table.

 

"Oh, thank you so much," I said happily as I opened the bag to see what snacks it contained. "So, where's Dao?"

 

“He’ll be there soon, he said he was stuck in traffic,” Ter replied, walking over to get the bag of snacks as North sat on the bed.

 

“You guys are greedy,” I commented.

 

“Then don’t eat it,” Ter replied.

 

"Let's eat," North interrupted, looking around the room. "Let's sit down and eat together."

 

"On the floor?" I asked.

 

"Yes, why not?" he replied.

 

The three of us moved the snacks to the centre of the room and chatted together.

A few moments later, Dao arrived. We sat in a circle of four. We chatted and played until we forgot why we'd come there.

 

"So, what is our purpose here today?" asked North.

 

“About me,” I replied.

 

"Oh, right, about you," North replied, still munching on his snack. "I don't want things to get complicated. That's all I can say."

 

"Wait, I didn't mean that," I laughed. "What do you mean?"

 

"Well, I know it's your story. I won't bother you, right?"

 

"Why do you look so angry?" I laughed at North's annoyed expression. "I don't even know where to begin. How can I explain this to you?"

 

"Come on," she urged him.

 

“Is it that easy?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

"Come on, just tell me. I'll wait," he replied.

 

"You're impatient, North," I said. "It might be hard to hold back."

 

"What do you mean?" North asked. "Secret?"

“Secret,” I nodded.

 

"How secret?"

 

“How good are you at keeping secrets, North?” I asked.

 

“Oh, I don’t want to make you think too much,” North replied nonchalantly.

 

"But did you know that even the president once asked me to help him remember the nuclear codes?"

 

“Really amazing?” I asked, my eyes widening.

 

"Oh, I'm good at keeping secrets."

 

"Really?" Ter asked incredulously.

 

"Oh, I kept a friend a secret for years that he liked another friend, so..."

 

"Is that credible?" I asked. I smiled and said seriously, "Actually, I don't want you to tell anyone else." I continued, "This is a real secret; don't tell anyone. Especially not the doctor." Everyone began to look serious and frown, except North, who still looked relaxed.

 

“North,” I called.

 

"What is it?"

 

"Are you OK?"

 

"Why on earth? Do you think I'm someone who likes to reveal secrets?"

 

"WELL.."

 

"It was just a joke. I know when something is serious," North said with a broad smile.

I sighed softly. "Okay, maybe it's not that serious for you. But this is my entire past, my life before I met you. I only want one thing: don't hate me," I said, clasping my hands.

As the room fell silent, my hands began to grow cold. The silence made me hear my heartbeat in my ears.

 

"Do you think we look like people capable of hate?" "Do you think we look like the kind of people you'd date?" Ter asked, glancing at Dao.

 

“Even if a cat scratches my face, I don’t hate it,” Dao said nonchalantly.

 

Those words made me hold back a smile.

 

"Then you can scratch me. But you have to take me for a tetanus shot."

 

"Okay, I'll start..."

 

I began to tell them everything: the whole truth about my childhood, Phi Fah, Fan, and my family. I shared every detail of the story, including the punishments I'd received. My story lasted almost half an hour. Ter listened seriously, as did Dao. But North seemed angrier.

 

“Shit,” North muttered in an annoyed tone.

 

“North, calm down,” I said, trying to calm his emotions.

 

"What happened to your father?" North asked sharply.

 

"North..." Ter scolded him gently.

 

I know North is impulsive. That's his nature, even if it can be tiring at times.

 

"Okay," I said. "I was a little angry, too."

 

"Oh, sorry, I shouldn't have said that," North said apologetically. I took a deep breath.

 

“Okay, North. You can talk, just say it,” I said.

 

"Um, I just wanted to say that not everyone is cut out to be a father." I nodded slowly, looking down at my tightly gripped hands. "But he's still my father."

 

“Wow, you are powerful,” North said in a sincere voice.

 

"Me?" I asked, confused.

 

“Yes, you are powerful, and you know it,” he replied.

 

"Truly..."

 

"Thanks for telling me everything," Ter said, standing up, kneeling in front of me, and spreading his arms. "Come on, give me a hug."

 

"...Ter," I called softly. Unconsciously, my tears began to flow. I slowly hugged Ter and rested my face on his shoulder.

 

"Uh... uh... uh..." North teased me. "You're a cranky kid." North came over and patted me lightly on the back, comforting me.

 

"Oh, little kitten." Dao also slowly hugged me, and I hugged him back.

 

“Thank you all so much,” I said, shaking.

 

After crying and hugging everyone, I went to the bathroom to wash my face. When I came out, I saw my naughty friends playing on my desk.

 

“What are you doing?” I asked.

 

"This is your dream, huh?" North asked, holding something from my desk.

 

"Um, what's wrong?"

 

"I thought you were an artist. That's why there are so many photos here," North replied, sitting in my chair. "It seems... strange."

 

“Good,” I replied slowly as I sat on the bed.

 

“Should I put my picture here? You’ll miss me a little,” North teased.

 

“No need,” I replied immediately.

 

"North is trying to mess with your mind," Ter said, sitting down next to me. Dao stood next to North, carefully observing the table.

 

"Do you write letters every day?" asked Dao.

“Yes,” I replied shortly.

 

"Oh, I'm too lazy to do that. I feel like I'm dying," he complained.

 

“I think I like to draw and write,” I said.

 

"Well, it's work," Dao replied. "We like to work."

 

"If we don't work, we don't have money. People have to have it and use it, right?" North said, taking out his wallet. He took out something and placed a photo of someone in uniform on the table.

 

"Do you have scissors?" he asked.

 

"North, what do you want?" I asked suspiciously.

 

"I want to put my photo here."

 

"Paste a photo?"

 

"Yes, there are no more photos. Here, cut them out." North rummaged through my desk drawer without asking permission. He immediately removed the blue background from San's photo.

 

"Glue!" he exclaimed.

 

"I have a book to read. Do you really want to cut that photo?" I asked, frowning. He was sincere.

 

"Here's your glue." I gave him the glue I'd found. I should have hidden it in the drawer.

 

“Do you want to take a picture of Ter and Dao?” he asked jokingly.

 

“Enough, I don’t want any more,” I replied immediately.

 

"Why not?" Ter asked suddenly. "Why are there only photos of North here? There are no photos of me!" he said, offended.

 

"I won't give up, Phoon. I won't give up. I'm hurt, Dao," Ter complained dramatically.

"Why are you so unfair, meow? You don't love his friends the same," Dao said seriously, adding a pout. Ter also pretended to be annoyed as he sat down next to me. What the hell.

 

"Phoon loves me, you know that, right?" North said with a slight shrug. Then he took the glue and spread it on the photo he had just prepared.

 

"Whoever loses must accept their fate."

 

“Yes, as if this were your home,” Ter replied bluntly.

 

“Hey, Ter, you’re so cruel,” North said, laughing out loud.

 

“So what do you want, Phoon? Choose me, Dao, or the North,” Ter challenged.

 

“Why do I have to choose?” I asked, confused.

 

"Pick one. If you choose the North, you don't have to choose me," Ter said jokingly.

 

"We're together," I replied, holding back laughter. "What is this?"

 

“Can’t I have both?” I asked jokingly.

 

“Phoon, you’re so greedy!” Ter said, standing up and pointing at me.

 

"Who said we would love each other forever?"

 

"Oh, did you break up with me just to be with Phoon?" North asked, remembering that they had only pretended to break up.

 

"How could you do this?"

 

“You’re a piece of garbage, get out of here,” Ter replied dramatically.

 

"I'm hurt. Phoon, it's all your fault."

 

"What?"

 

"You took Ter away from me."

 

"Wait a minute!"

"Let's talk like men-

 

"Dao, please stop them," I begged. I hoped he could help me. But Dao just stood there, holding back laughter as he recorded this absurdity on video. At first, Ter and North pretended to argue over me, arguing at length about their relationship. But Dao was enjoying the moment, camera in hand.

 

"It's a love triangle. When North and Ter started dating, Ter dumped North because of the chocolate. Then Ter started liking Phoon, but Phoon chose North," Dao explained with a chuckle.

 

“It depends on Phoon, who should choose,” Dao added.

 

“I don’t want to choose just one person,” I replied.

 

“Life is about choices,” North replied.

 

“Then I choose Dao,” I said jokingly.

 

"Oh," North sighed deeply. "So, Ter and I will get back together."

 

"Fine, but you can't have my chocolate anymore. Man, I've learned to live with it," Ter replied jokingly.

 

"So, you're finally back together? You broke up yesterday," I said, holding back a laugh and preparing to take a deep breath. North was the type who liked to make a fuss. Ter usually did the same, so they often made the perfect lighthearted couple.

 

"Look here. Can I print this?" North asked suddenly.

 

"Could it be, why?" I asked curiously.

 

“I have to print this,” North said, making me stand up and peek.

 

"Why did you print Naruto's picture?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

"I want to stick my face on it," North replied nonchalantly. He printed the photo, cut out Naruto's body, and then stuck a photo of his face on his head.

 

“I attached it,” he said proudly.

"No, you're crazy!" I exclaimed.

“It’s already glued,” he replied smugly.

 

“Bastard,” I said resignedly.

 

Now, on the wall across from my desk, there was a picture of North with Naruto's body. It was ridiculous. Ridiculous. And the question is: do I have to sit at this table every day to read? Do I have to sit and stare at the face of "Northruto" every day?

 

"That's crazy," Ter said, nearly falling to the floor laughing. "And the head is bigger than the body, the drawing is too big!"

 

"Why Naruto?" I asked.

 

"I want to be Hokage," North replied with a smile. I could only sigh with a small smile.

 

"Please protect the village, Hokage."

 

"You understand, right?" he said with a satisfied laugh.

 

“Just take it,” North said nonchalantly, hanging the picture on my bedroom wall.

 

Suddenly, Ter snapped a photo of the big-headed Maruko without asking permission and stuck it next to "NorthRuto." Because Maruko's body parts were too small, Ter's face looked even stranger.

 

"Maru-chan... your face is getting weirder every day, huh?" I asked with a sigh.

 

"You like stars, don't you?" Ter teased.

 

"It doesn't matter," I said resignedly. I couldn't stop them anymore. If they wanted to do something, let them just do it. Soon, Dao chose to be Shin-chan. North also used Shin-chan's image for himself.

 

“Why do you have to join us like this?” I asked.

 

“I like Shin-chan too,” North replied nonchalantly.

 

"Yes, as you wish."

 

"Phoon, what do you want to be when you grow up?" asked North.

 

“No,” I replied firmly.

 

"So what do you like? How about being a cat?" North suggested again.

 

“No,” I replied again.

 

“Mai Chi? Cat Chi? That’s funny,” Dao said, chuckling.

 

"That's funny," North added. "Speaking of cats, which cat are you missing?"

 

"Doraemon," Ter replied quickly.

 

“Oh, come on, you’re so fat,” North laughed.

 

"North," I called flatly, trying to stop him. But it seemed too late. North began printing a picture of Doraemon, deliberately reducing its size to fit the wall. Then he took a photo of my face, cropped it, and attached it to Doraemon's body. Now I was officially Doraemon, with a head larger than usual. The wall, once filled with "Fan" pictures and photos, has transformed into a cartoon gallery. All the cartoon characters look ugly and strange. I feel sorry for the "Fan" photos that have to be placed next to these images.

 

“When you’re reading a boring book, looking at these pictures helps reduce stress,” North said with a satisfied smile.

 

"I think this will only add to the stress," I replied, pointing to their strange faces. "Look at those faces. There's even a picture of your student ID."

 

“Damn,” I muttered, shaking my head.

 

“Your face is so swollen, North,” Ter commented after seeing North’s passport photo.

 

“It’s because the light was too bright, so I squinted,” North replied defensively.

 

"How can you squint like that? Usually, I just look at the camera," Ter added. "But Dao's photo is quite beautiful." Dao smiled shyly, accepting the small compliment.

 

We sat in a circle again as usual. Then North invited us to play Pok Deng, a game we'd played before. Back then, Dao would tell me my fortune and talk about love. But this time, I'd completely forgotten about it.

 

"Let's try divination," North suggested enthusiastically. He had always been interested in divination. He even admitted that his hobby made him look a little ridiculous.

 

“I don't see anything today,” Dao said.

 

"Why?" North asked curiously.

 

“It looks covered… I can’t see it,” Dao replied, shaking his head.

 

"Oh," we nodded in unison, understanding the situation. "Oh, it's Dao," North murmured, looking at Dao.

 

"What's wrong?" Dao asked, frowning.

 

"Such accurate horoscopes... do you really have these abilities?" North teased, suddenly looking at Dao along with me. Dao remained silent, smiling faintly.

 

"So, I'd like to ask..."

 

"Phoon," North called to me in a trembling voice. North was the kind of person who would dare to face anything, but one thing scared him: ghosts.

 

“I don’t have that kind of ability,” I replied curtly.

 

"I don't have any," I repeated with a sigh. Dao just smiled faintly before going back to playing cards.

 

"Oh, but what about that gift you were talking about?" North asked suddenly, as if remembering. "You said there's something called Ren you still have?"

 

“Still well preserved,” I replied.

 

“I want to see,” North asked curiously.

 

"Okay." I stood up from the circle of cards, picked up four boxes, and placed them in the centre of the room. Everyone immediately focused their attention on the boxes.

 

"Who's that Ren?" North asked as he turned over one of the boxes. Then he opened it to see what was inside.

 

“Do you think this is your mother?” Ter asked as he opened another similar box.

 

“Smile, I want it to be true,” North replied with a small smile.

 

"So, Ren, is that you?" North asked, looking at me.

 

“I don’t know,” I replied, shaking my head.

 

“That’s probably the name your mother gave you before your father changed it,” North said, trying to guess.

 

"I don't know where to look for evidence or information," I replied, bored. I simply played with the box that had Ren's name on it.

 

"What should I do?"

 

“If you send it to the wrong person, it can be funny,” North said with a chuckle.

 

“Oh, what if I sent it to the wrong person?” I nodded, agreeing with North’s ridiculous idea.

 

"If that were your mother, what would you do?" North asked seriously. I was speechless. Look... If that's my mother, what will I do?

 

“Will he recognise me?” I asked softly.

 

"I don't know, but I want to meet her," I replied sincerely. "I'd like to go and ask her everything, but I don't have the courage. I don't know where to start."

 

"Find her," North said abruptly. His words made me turn to look at him.

 

"Let's find out. At least I'll keep you company," he said with a small smile.

 

"Look at this..." Dao's voice suddenly made us all turn around. Dao was holding a model robot that was inside one of the boxes.

 

“This figurine is a limited edition,” Dao said, noting its details.

"Really?" I asked, my eyes widening in disbelief. I crawled over to get a closer look.

 

"Yes, it was only produced in the second year after its launch. And that was just the beginning of the year," Dao explained.

"Wow..." I looked at him in shock. "So it's rare?"

 

"Exactly," Dao replied with a small smile. "I saw a lot of people looking for it. Only a few made it."

 

"Really?" Ter asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

"Yes, I've been collecting things like this since I was a kid. I want one too," Dao said, staring at the robot with sparkling eyes. He really liked it.

 

"Where was this done?" I asked curiously.

 

“Japan,” Dao replied.

 

"So we have a little clue," North said. "This gift was sent in 2008. Probably from Japan. But there could be many possibilities."

 

Well... as North said, there are many possibilities. The person who sent the item could have been in Japan at the time or purchased it there as a tourist.

 

"We think the sender may have been Japanese," Dao said.

 

“Why?” I asked, turning to look at him.

 

"Because at that time, only a few foreigners knew about this model. Production was limited, and the company wasn't very well known. Only the Japanese were willing to buy it," Dao explained.

 

“That means most of the buyers are Japanese, right?” I asked again.

 

"Yes, it is very likely," Dao replied.

 

"But there's a chance someone else was told to buy it," Ter added.

 

“That’s true,” I agreed.

"But at least this item should be shipped from Japan to Thailand," Dao said. "This type of model is easily damaged. It shouldn't change hands frequently," he added. "This type of model is easily damaged. It shouldn't change hands frequently. So, shipping it once from Japan to Thailand is sufficient."

 

“Oh,” I nodded, starting to understand the situation.

“If we can find the person who shipped this model from Japan to Thailand in 2008, maybe we can find the sender,” North said enthusiastically.

 

"But how do we find it?" I asked doubtfully.

 

“That’s the problem,” North said.

 

"Is it possible that this model was sent by just one person?" Ter asked.

 

"Yes, it's possible," North replied. The four of us remained silent, mulling over the possibility. But ultimately, we couldn't identify the person who had sent the gift. After a while, I put the box back. We talked again while playing cards together. The conversation eventually turned to my family. All three of us agreed that my situation was a huge dilemma because, after all, he was still my father.

 

"So, is that why you like Phi Fah?" North asked. I nodded slowly, embarrassed. When people asked me directly, I felt uncomfortable.

 

"Why is this all a coincidence? He's also a friend of Phi Hill and Phi Johan," Dao said with a smile.

 

“It must be fate,” North added.

 

“What a coincidence,” I said with a small smile.

 

"So what are you going to do? Is it okay to continue?" Ter asked.

 

"It's not good. I'll die from this discomfort," I joked.

 

"Well, we all noticed. Ter even told me he felt there was something weird between you and Phi Fah," North said.

 

“Do you think Phi Fah is angry?” I asked doubtfully.

“I don’t know, but he said hello to me yesterday,” I said, trying to explain.

 

"And you, North? If someone told you this, would it bother you?"

 

“What the hell, damn it? If it bothers you so much, just go away,” North replied nonchalantly, making me and the others laugh.

 

"You guys are so calm," I said with a small smile. I enjoy being with my friends and Phi Fah, but my dad is becoming increasingly suspicious of me.

 

"Why did he do it?" North asked.

 

"He's afraid I'm going with Phi Fah."

 

“Okay, let’s go meet him,” North said nonchalantly.

 

“No,” he shook his head slowly toward North.

 

"If Dad finds out, he'll probably transfer me to another school. Plus, he likes to think I'm a liar."

 

"I don't want to be what they accuse me of. I lied to P'Fah once. I still feel guilty today."

 

"Oh, so what should I do?" North asked, annoyed. "I don't know how to give advice. How? What should I do if someone asks me if I have a secret crush on someone? Should I flirt with them?"

 

"You're the type who gets carried away easily," Ter said to North. "There must be a way to complain. Do you want to talk to P'Fah?"

 

"Anyway, I want to talk, just a casual chat. I just want to see how he's doing."

 

“It’s not that difficult,” Dao said calmly.

 

"Come?"

 

"Cat. Do you promise not to come near or interfere with P'Fah?"

 

"YES."

 

"So there's no need for you to tell Tonfah it was you; that's the end of it."

 

"What?" North frowned, confused. "You mean that bastard has to wear a mask when he talks to P'Fah?"

 

"North, you're an idiot," Ter said. "Then what should we do, Dao?"

 

"How about writing letters? Meow likes writing letters, doesn't she?"

 

"Ah. Exactly. Write a letter."