South; Beside the Sky. 

Chapter 25. Very happy.

"Do you think Phoon will meet you?"

"YES."

"Are you so sure?"

"What do you think?" I asked. Jo raised an eyebrow at my expression before smiling.

"I understand, Fah. My God." He sighed softly, looking rather satisfied.

"You've tortured him enough, haven't you?"

"A bit."

"A bit?"

“Yes, just a little,” I replied truthfully.

I took Phoon to the restaurant not only to tease him, but also to make him hesitate. I wanted him to feel the need to do something, especially when he was hesitant. At a time like that, it would be easier to approach him and convince him that I wanted to meet him at least once.

"And when do you plan to do it?"

"After the exam," I replied, as expected. It was still exam season, so Phoon would ask for more time to decide and use the exam as an excuse.

"There's still a long time to go."

"Not really," I said. "It's only about two weeks away."

“What do you think Phoon will do?” I asked Jo, glancing at Hill, who was sitting next to me, while Thit was lying on the table.

"Why are you asking me if you already know, Fah?" Jo replied with an annoyed expression.

"I wonder what my friends think about this."

"What if they don't agree with you?"

"Why don't I agree?"

"Did they fight?" Hill interrupted. "North must have thought Phoon would come to you, and Ter would side with Phoon. Maybe he secretly wanted Phoon to come too, but I'm not sure about the third party."

"The person named Daotok?" I asked.

"Yes, I don't know him."

"I thought she'd tell him to come," Jo said. "It was probably all her idea."

"Hmm," I nodded. I thought so too. "Initially, the odds of success weren't that high, but thanks to North, I'm sure Phoon will arrive."

"You should thank me."

"Thanks for what?"

"Because he's my boyfriend."

"Of course, when your boyfriend does something right, you take full credit," Hill said, shaking his head slowly. "North is the type to think ahead. I thought Phoon would come visit you."

“North probably wanted Phoon to get close to you right away,” Jo added.

"I don't think it was easy for North to convince Phoon, so there must be something else.

"Yes, maybe that's the main reason for all this," I said. I had a hunch about what it was. Although I wasn't entirely sure, it was the main reason for everything that had happened in the last year.

"Don't you want to investigate? In case there's something else you don't know."

"Phoon said he was glad I didn't know," she replied. "So I guess I don't need to investigate."

"But the problem isn't that big anymore, is it? Otherwise, Phoon wouldn't apologise."

"It could be, it couldn't be," I replied. The only reason I didn't investigate further was that Phoon didn't want me to know. If I had, everything would have been worse, especially his feelings, because he was so afraid I'd find out.

"But if that's what I think, that's no small thing."

“That sucks,” Jo said in frustration before leaning back in her chair.

"How do you plan to solve this problem, Fah?" asked Hill.

"Well, if it's as I think, and Phoon wants me to help him, the most important thing is his decision about what he wants to do," I said. Family matters were complicated, and outsiders had no right to interfere. If it were as I thought, I would respect Phoon's decision about what he wanted me to do.

"If he can't talk to his father, will you?"

“Yes, I made it,” I replied, smiling smugly at Jo.

"But I hope I don't have to."

“If I did, you’d feel guilty,” he nodded.

"It's okay, I'm used to it."

"What kind of person says she's used to doing bad things?" Arthit, who had just woken up, looked up to speak to Jo. "What are you talking about?"

"Why do you talk like you know?"

"You said you'd feel guilty, so it must be something bad," Arthit said, leaning back wearily in his chair. "I remind you not to talk too much to Jo. Hill didn't stop you, but if Fah turns out to be like Jo, what will we do?"

"You influenced him!" Jo replied, giggling.

"What are you talking about?"

"About the Phoon matter," I replied. "I'm just guessing, but I could be wrong because I haven't looked into it yet."

"You're always right with your guesses," Arthit said with a bored expression. "You only guessed, but you already had a solution."

"I'm sure I'm right. This method takes time, so I have to be prepared for it. If I'm wrong, that's okay. It's better than worse than I thought."

"Fah analysed everything with the information he had," Jo said. "He couldn't help it, but he didn't investigate."

"So, what do you say? Shall we meet?"

"Promised by letter?"

"You sleep while we talk and ask a lot of questions when you wake up." Jo began to complain. "Knowing doesn't do you any good."

"And what do you need it for?"

"That's enough," I said, stopping them without thinking too much. Our table would be a mess if they were both awake at the same time. If one of us fell asleep, things would be fine. "Arthit, go back to sleep."

"Wow, if you're not Fah...!!!" I giggled at Arthit's words.

"Really, Fah, you should let Jo do it. He's good at doing the dirty work; he's made a fortune doing it."

"You who always ask me for money, do you have the right to talk like that?"

"I returned it."

"With flowers."

"How much?"

"One thousand per cent."

"What? Go get it from your father; he must have a flower garden."

"Next time you can't get back to Thailand, don't contact me. I'll let the piranhas eat you."

"I was just kidding, buddy. You always take everything too seriously."

"Stupid," Jo said, shaking her head and giggling. "But seriously, Fah, leave it to me."

"No problem."

"You've never done it, but I have, even though it doesn't make me feel good."

"I'm not that nice," I said sincerely. I'm only friendly with those who are nice to me. As a friend, I always treat them well. And because I'm quite patient, I rarely mistreat anyone. But those who behave badly don't deserve good things, right?

"I know."

"Jo, are you insulting Fah?"

"What? He said he wasn't well, I just said I knew." I heard Hill sigh beside me. Hill was as patient as I was. No one could have put up with Jo and Arthit if it weren't for us.

"You mean you know what?"

"If I were that good, why would I be with you?"

"Yes, but why do I feel like you're insulting me?"

"It's just your mind."

"You too. So are you saying we're all bad?"

"No, just a bad one, don't worry."

"This calms me down a bit."

"And it's you, Thit!!"

"You're fed up!!!"

Ah… I didn’t want to sigh and laugh, but I couldn’t help it.

"Shall we get back to the topic?" asked Hill, who had been silent for a while. Interrupting him. It was a good thing he'd stopped them both. "And where do you see each other after the exam?"

"Maybe somewhere quiet, because I don't think Phoon would want to meet me in person."

"Why?"

"I don't know, it's just a feeling."

I wondered if he wanted to see me as much as I wanted to see him.

"Do you know that your smile is as clever as Jo's?"

“Really?” I replied, slightly surprised, looking at the person sitting next to me.

"Fah's a wolf in sheep's clothing, don't you know?" Jo said, looking at me with her usual sly expression. "Someone's awakened something in him."

"Seeing so much tenderness, even he couldn't hold back."

I stood in the centre of the room, watching North, who was sitting in his chair. His eyes were full of mischief as he looked at me. I'd never felt so compelled to pinch someone's eyelids.

"Phoon, you're stupid."

"So what should I do?"

"Why not meet in person?"

"I don't have the courage."

"Wouldn't Phi Fah know?" North continued in an irritated tone. I turned to Ter and Dao, who were sitting on the bed. We were in my room, discussing what to do. I wanted to go see him, but I wasn't sure how Phi Fah would react when he found out it was me. Plus, I was nervous... because Phi Fah had said he loved me.

What Phi Fah said during our dinner—that he wasn't sure—coupled with the message in his last letter that he would go mad if we didn't meet, kept me up all night. My intuition tells me this man is dangerous to my heart. If we had met in person, I wouldn't have had the courage to do so. I couldn't do it. So today we met to discuss what to do.

North wanted me to meet him in person. Sure, he could, but I didn't have the courage. "What if Phi Fah didn't like my presence?" I asked softly as I collapsed on the bed. That was the main reason I was worried. Imagine if I approached and Phi Fah looked at me, disappointed. How would I feel?

"Stop overthinking it. Leaving is better than your disguise plan."

"But Phoon can't meet him in person," Dao retorted. "If I had to go, I didn't want him to know it was me, so we tried to disguise ourselves so Phi Fah wouldn't recognise me. I just wanted to see him and then leave. But it would have been so weird. Just thinking about it makes me feel weird." I stared at the mask, glasses, and hat next to the bed.

"If he doesn't know it's you, he must be blind."

“Come on,” I dragged the words out to North.

"So what should I do? Not go?"

"Go, you have to go," North said firmly. "Put on your costume." I grabbed my items and put them on: mask, goggles, and hat.

"Hmm..." Ter stood up and stepped back to look at me. "Hmm, it's hard to tell. Yes, that's acceptable. Nord, come here and look from this angle."

North stopped beside Ter.

"Do you have to wear a fake moustache?"

"That's terrible," Dao said. "Really, if you walk down the street like that, no one will know you're Phoon."

"Really?" North's eyes widened in disbelief. I wanted to pinch his eyelids; it was so annoying. "That's Phi Fah, you idiot. Are you underestimating his observation?"

"North, you're the idiot," I cursed as I hit him with a pillow. "Really, he might figure out it's me, but he's not so sure, is he?" I said, getting up and walking over to the mirror.

"Put on a hoodie and pull your hat down so your eyes aren't visible," Ter suggests. Remove your glasses so your hat can slide down even further.

"Yeah, that should work," I said, searching my closet for a long hoodie and putting it on. I've seen Korean artists dressed like this at the airport; sometimes even their fans don't recognise them.

"Yeah, that's pretty good," North said, rubbing his chin. "If I passed out before Phi Fah, I'd laugh."

“I won’t faint, I’m fine,” I replied.

"I had planned to meet after the exam. What do you say? I have time, and I can use the exam as an excuse."

“That’s a good idea,” Dao nodded slightly.

"Where will you meet?"

"Hmm... it should be a quiet place. If I go out dressed like this, people will be suspicious."

"But, Phoon, you won't be able to speak to Phi Fah," Dao said. "He might recognise your voice."

"Oh... you're right. Then I'll bring a notebook and write something for him to read."

"It's just a meeting, really just a meeting. Poor Phi Fah," North said, shaking his head. "Don't forget, Phi Fah has to know in the end."

"Yes," I nodded at North's words. How could I not know? "But I wanted our first meeting as 'letterers' to be like this. After that, we'll see how it goes."

"Like testing the situation?"

"Something like that. If we meet and Phi Fah doesn't agree, it won't hurt too much."

"It still hurts," North said. "But it's better if Phi Fah knew it was you all along, and if he can't accept you, he's rejecting you now." I reconsidered my decision not to meet in person. At least this first meeting would prove whether Phi Fah was okay with me.

It would be really bad if we had to start over, and Phi Fah wouldn't be happy about it. We probably wouldn't be able to consider ourselves brothers anymore.

“I’m afraid I’m doing something wrong,” I said worriedly.

"Like? Accidentally burped?"

“No, North, I’m not going to burp,” I said, frowning.

"I'm doing something wrong."

"Are you afraid you won't be able to continue?"

"YES."

"Well, if it doesn't work, there's no other choice," North sighed as he collapsed onto the bed. "It takes forever to finish every time. It's tiring."

Did you write a reply letter to Phi Fa? Dao asked. I shook my head.

"No, I don't know what to say."

"If you disappear, it'll be like last time," Ter said. I nodded, remembering the last time I disappeared because of the "Cupid" incident.

"Tell him you'll meet him, but on one condition."

"Yes. Okay. I'll tell him not to bring it up if he finds out who I am during the meeting. At least, if he doesn't like it, he should act normal while we're together."

"Yes, tell him your terms," ​​North said. "Right now, the one who's crazy about you is Phi Fah. You just have to say the word, and he'll agree."

"North!"

"Ouch! You hit me again!"

"Thank you for coming."

Fah, I'd like to meet you too. It might seem a bit overwhelming, but I have about five conditions. I'm sorry if I make you uncomfortable, but I'm not very confident.

Thank you for your understanding. I'll be wearing a strange outfit to meet you. Please don't misunderstand me. I don't want you to try to figure out who I am; I just want you to see what I do. It doesn't matter if our first meeting doesn't go as expected; I'll accept the outcome. If you know who I am, please pretend you don't. I'll use notes to communicate with you, but you can speak too. I want to hear your voice. The meeting will be held at night in a quiet place. If these conditions are too complex, please let me know. Also, I want to meet after the exam, because I'm swamped with studying.

"What do you think?"

"Just as I thought," I said, putting the letter back in the paper bag. I knew it would be this way. Phoon wouldn't come to see me in person, but he would do so without me knowing who he was. Since Phoon wasn't sure himself, he feared I wouldn't be comfortable if I knew it was him. But if I told him openly that I knew, I might make things worse. Phoon wrote in the letter that he wanted me to behave normally, even though I knew who he was. I had to trust him without telling him I knew who he was.

Hmm...

"After the exam?" Hill asked. I nodded. "And the place? It should be pretty private, right?"

"I know some places."

"Drive carefully, I haven't paid off the mortgage on this bike yet," Dao said. I sat on the bike with North at the wheel. Why are my hands so cold? I want to meet Phi Fah.

My heart was pounding. I tried to take a deep breath to calm myself, but it was so difficult. Phi Fah sent me a letter with the meeting date and location. We had finished our final exams. The restaurant is quite far from the city. The review said the view from the second floor was breathtaking, thanks to the balcony. Phi Fah had chosen a place far away. We were almost in Ayutthaya.

"North, don't overdo it. Hurry up," I said. I considered taking a taxi, but they said I might get lost, so North took me.

"I feel like I'm driving someone crazy. I feel uncomfortable."

"I'm just wearing a mask, a hat, and a hoodie. What's so weird about that?"

"Ask what's not strange. Just looking at you is enough to be suspicious."

"Stupid, everyone in the restaurant will see me."

"Don't stumble or fall, or your hat will fall off."

"I'm not that clumsy."

“Really?” North talked to me to calm me down, and that helped, but he wouldn’t be there to help me at the restaurant.

I'm meeting Phi Fah for the first time as the person behind the letters. Oh my God, I was so nervous my heart felt like it was leaping out of my chest. My mind was racing with a hundred questions. What if I tripped? What if they told me not to wear a hat? What if they looked at me strangely? What if the restaurant was packed? What if Phi Fah didn't get along? I couldn't stop thinking about things like that.

"We are here."

"That fast?!" I exclaimed in surprise. I was so lost in thought that we were already there. North stopped at the restaurant, out of sight. The restaurant was far from the city. The dim lights came on as the sun set, creating a wonderful atmosphere.

"Nobody."

"Yes," I nodded. A restaurant like this should be busy, but there was no one in sight. I only saw an employee waiting at the front desk. Phi Fah wanted to meet me, but I insisted on meeting at the restaurant.

"So how are you going to get home?"

"I'll take a taxi."

"Okay, I have to go now."

"North, don't go yet."

"Come on, Phoon. What are you afraid of now?"

"Not now, I've been scared for a while. I didn't even sleep last night." I held North's arm, and he was surprised to see the cold sweat on my face.

"You idiot, you're soaking wet and cold."

"I sweat a lot."

"Look at how you're dressed."

"So what should I do? There's nothing impressive about any of this."

"What can you do? Hurry up, being late will be worse."

"Okay," I took a deep breath and entered the restaurant. I glanced at North, who nodded before leaving. He left me alone. The first obstacle is the restaurant staff. Would it be acceptable for customers to dress in unusual attire like this?

Come in, we'll be waiting for you on the second floor.

I didn't answer; I simply walked up the stairs. I adjusted my mask, hat, and hoodie. The hat even covered my eyes. I was wearing a black hat, a black mask, a grey hoodie over the hat, jeans, and sneakers. This attire is not appropriate for Thailand.

I feel a little better. I went up to the second floor, which was also empty. I realised that Phi Fah had booked the entire place. The dim lights created a pleasant atmosphere. I saw someone sitting in a large chair suspended from the balcony. Just by looking at his back, I recognised him.

I pursed my lips unconsciously, looking back at Phi Fah. I knew our story would change forever the moment I approached. My heart trembled with fear, but I pressed forward anyway. I approached without being heard or seen by Phi Fah. I sat in an empty space next to the hanging chair. I didn't look at him, just lowered my head. My hands were clasped in my sleeves. No words of farewell passed between us.

The silence lasted about thirty seconds. I saw how close we were on the chairlift, only two handbreadths apart. Then a deep voice beside me spoke.

"Thank you for coming."