My Moon, Chapter 1 pg 2
My Moon, Chapter 1 pg 2
“Yup, we do!”
“You’re at a bar and only drinking Coke, Klai? Seriously?”
Klai, who was pulling his phone out of his pocket, looked up at Thot, the only guy in the group and someone he wasn’t particularly close to. “I don’t like drinking alcohol.”
“Have you even tried it?”
“I’ve tried it, but I don’t really like it.”
“Thot… if he doesn’t want to drink, he doesn’t have to. Why are you pushing him?” Mai chimed in.
“Why are you pushing him? Mai, you’re making me sound like a bad guy here!”
Klai let out a quiet sigh as he watched Thot and Mai lock eyes, neither backing down. The two often bickered, their opinions rarely aligning. Even though Mai was a woman, she never showed the slightest fear of Thot. Back in the day, Mai used to hang out and drink with New and Or a lot. But once Thot joined the group, she started going out with friends from other faculties instead.
Klai’s group consisted of five people: himself, Mai, New, Orn, and Thot. They weren’t all close, having only formed the group at the start of their second year. Initially, Klai had two close friends, but they transferred to another faculty, leaving him to find new friends. Many others faced the same issue—friends in the group transferring out—because the aviation business program came with strict rules and regulations. After a year, some realized it wasn’t what they truly wanted.
Those who stayed and continued in the program had to find new friends, almost from scratch. During the first week of the semester, Klai met Mai. They hung out for about a week before meeting New, who later brought Orn into the group, followed by Thot.
The group’s dynamic took a hit when Thot joined. Mai and Thot frequently clashed, largely because Thot often shirked his responsibilities. But it wasn’t just him—lately, New and Orn had been dodging work too. The worst part, which Klai and Mai couldn’t stand, was that the three would agree to do their share of the work but then, when deadlines loomed, claim they couldn’t finish. This left Klai and Mai to pick up the slack to meet submission deadlines.
Because of this, Klai decided to call everyone together to address the issue. He was blunt, stating that if they continued to be irresponsible, he couldn’t work with them anymore, and they might have to part ways. Mai, unable to hold back, let loose a tirade, nearly getting into it with Thot, though Klai stepped in to stop it. The three, knowing they were in the wrong, apologized and asked for another chance.
Klai decided to give his friends a chance to change, and he also gave himself a chance to adjust to them. After all, they’d only known each other for a few weeks—maybe they just needed more time together. Klai figured no one enjoys starting new relationships over and over, even if it’s just friendships.
Because no one wants to walk back to the starting point when they’re already halfway there…
Klai knows this well… that’s why he’s trying to keep our relationship steady like this.
“Right now, you guys argue as much as you want. But when Panli comes out to sing, no more fighting, got it!”
“…”
Klai glanced at New, who was sitting and staring at the stage. New had once mentioned having a crush on Panli for months, but Klai didn’t pay much attention to it. He’d heard the name Panli before, especially during the university’s annual contest when everyone was talking about him.
And because his cousin is close friends with Muenfah, Panli’ older brother, Dom had shared some stories about Panli. Dom said Panli is studying in the Faculty of Digital Media, Graphic Design major, just like Dom and Muenfah, but he’s in the same year as Klai. That’s all Klai knew, but he’d never actually seen this Panli that his friend was so obsessed with.
“Last week… I heard New asked you to get Panli’ LINE for her, right?” Mai asked softly.
“Yeah… New saw me talking with Dom and Muenfah in front of the faculty. She probably thought I knew Panli too.”
“…”
“So I turned her down… and told her I don’t know Panli. I wouldn’t dare ask for his LINE anyway.”
“And did New believe you?”
Klai sighed, recalling New’s expression at the time, then shook his head slightly. “Doesn’t seem like she did.”
“Are you serious? … Just because you know the older brother, does that mean you have to know the younger one too?”
“…”
“New’s logic is so weird.”
Klai let out a soft laugh, watching Mai down her drink with an annoyed expression. Mai always spoke her mind, which made her seem a bit intense, but Klai liked that about her. It showed she was genuine—what she thought was what she said.
He shifted his gaze from Mai to the stage. Klai felt a pang in his chest when New brought up Panli. He suspected this drinking night wasn’t just about relaxing, as his friends had claimed. So he asked Mai to confirm he wasn’t overthinking it alone.
“If Panli is performing at this bar, doesn’t that mean New didn’t invite everyone here just to relax like she said?”
“I just realized it too, same as you…”
“…”
“At first, I thought we were just here to drink and have fun, but turns out it’s all about chasing Panli.”
Just as he’d thought.
Klai gave a faint smile to comfort Mai, who looked visibly annoyed, before saying, “Come on... think of it as sitting down for drinks to bond.”
“New gets all the profit, doesn’t she? The bill gets split among friends, and she even gets to meet the person she likes.”
Klai let out a soft chuckle before scanning the atmosphere of the bar. However, he noticed a tall, good-looking guy walking toward their table. Klai quietly sighed and lightly nudged Mai’s arm.
“I can understand them inviting Panli, but inviting this guy without telling us? I’m not okay with that.”
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