My Moon, Chapter 1 pg 4
My Moon, Chapter 1 pg 4
Klai was sincere with everyone and always ready to adjust to his friends. But what he got in return… was so different.
“Today, our regular singer, Phii Nut, had some business and couldn’t perform. So, I’m here to sing instead,” came a playful voice from the stage, snapping Klai out of his bad mood for a moment.
He looked at the tall figure holding a microphone, one hand wrapping the black cord around itself to shorten it.
“The bar owner is a close senior of mine, and he forced a terrible singer like me to perform for you all,” Panli said, earning laughter from the crowd. He didn’t seem nervous or stiff at all, joking with the audience naturally. Klai figured he must have performed on stage often, as Panli showed no signs of stage fright.
“If I sing off-key or mess up… please forgive this makeshift singer,” Panli said in a charming tone, prompting another round of screams. Klai realized it wasn’t just New who was smitten with Panli—many women in the bar seemed to feel the same.
Klai shifted his gaze from the stage to take in the bar’s atmosphere. But he felt a pair of eyes staring at him. He briefly met the sharp gaze of their owner for a split second before looking back at his Coke.
Merk was watching him the whole time…
Klai knew he couldn’t keep avoiding Merk’s gaze by staring at his drink forever. So, he found a new place to rest his eyes, letting them wander further out. But the best focal point was, without a doubt, the stage in front of him.
He saw Panli laughing with the bassist, nodding to the drummer behind him before the heavy sounds of guitar, drums, and bass kicked in. Panli opened with a rock song. Klai thought someone with a constant smile on their face chose a great song—a catchy hit everyone likely knew.
And when the playful smile’s owner began to sing…
“Just one look from you, just you passing by. Just standing by your side, hearing your faint voice, it makes my heart tremble.”
The screams Klai already thought were loud grew even louder…
“But you let me down when you told me there’s no way we could ever be together because of my story.”
“…”
“Some say I’m this kind of guy, some say I did that. They say I’m no good, but they’ve never even talked to me.”
“…”
“In the end, I seem no good, though you never looked. When I challenged you to see, you somehow knew who I am from others’ gossip.”
This was Klai’s first time watching live music. He hadn’t expected much, but Panli exceeded all expectations. He probably didn’t know he was making someone like Klai, who wasn’t a rock fan, want to keep listening.
Klai thought it wasn’t just Panli’s beautiful voice that captured everyone’s attention, but his movements to the rhythm and that playful smile that kept the audience spellbound.
“Strange but true, that you’d leave me behind for that reason. Strange but true, that we judge each other like this.”
During the guitarist’s solo, Panli pulled the mic from its stand and walked over to stand beside him, teasing the guitarist with a familiar smile before moving to the front of the stage to sing the next verse.
“Some say I’m this kind of guy, some say I did that. They say I’m no good, but they’ve never even talked to me.”
“…”
“In the end, I seem no good, though you never looked. When I challenged you to see, you somehow knew who I am from others’ gossip.”
“…”
“In the end, I seem no good, though you never looked. When I challenged you to see, you somehow knew who I am from others’ gossip.”
Screams and applause erupted as the singer finished the song. Panli grinned widely, wiping his face and neck roughly with one hand. Klai thought he was wiping away sweat before he started chatting with the audience at Klai’s table near the stage.
A real man—
No handkerchief, no tissues.
“Klai, Panli is amazing... singing with such charisma. He’s no ordinary guy,” Mai said with a tone and expression full of admiration. Klai smiled. In all the time they’d known each other, this was the first time he’d seen Mai so genuinely impressed by something. “Even though I’ve never watched live music before... I think Panli did an incredible job.”
“Really incredible, Klai. I’ve been to a lot of places, but Panli is top-tier... the band played well too. Everything was just perfect,” Mai continued, praising Panli and the band nonstop. Klai let out a soft laugh, watching his friend, who was clearly very impressed.
However, his smile faded instantly when he noticed someone smirking at him from the corner of their mouth. Merk laughed when he saw Klai’s expression turn blank. If Mai weren’t sitting between them, Merk would probably have found a way to act overly familiar with him. At the university, Merk often took liberties, like putting an arm around his shoulder, hugging his neck, or grabbing his hand. Klai had shown his discomfort and called him out multiple times, but Merk kept repeating the same behavior.
Mai and Kant knew how persistent Merk was, so they both worked to keep him at a distance from Klai. Merk always got visibly upset when Klai’s friends intervened. There were several instances where he spoke or acted rudely toward them. Because Klai didn’t want his friends to have issues with Merk, he chose to avoid him whenever they crossed paths at the university.
Klai’s dislike for Merk was purely because of his behavior.
“Klai... can I get your LINE?” Merk asked.
Klai shook his head, rejecting the request immediately.
“Won’t you at least give me a chance, Klai?”
“I don’t like you, Merk. I’ve told you that multiple times.”
“You’ve never even tried opening your heart to me, man.”
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