My Moon, Chapter 30 pg 4
My Moon, Chapter 30 pg 4
“Not yet, Auntie.”
“Still a lot left, right?”
Klaijai furrowed his brow, seemingly deep in thought, before saying, “Actually, there aren’t many left. Because the other day, Panli’s friends came over to watch football at the room, and I brought out the cookies for everyone to eat.”
“Oh... then I’ll bring some more this time, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Panli, which football team do you support?” the father-in-law asked.
Panli thought to himself... their father-in-law and son-in-law relationship couldn’t possibly be shaken over something like this. With that in mind, he decided to say, “Can I skip answering this one? I’m afraid my score might go negative if we don’t support the same team.”
Poj, who seemed calm, composed, and very polite, burst out laughing so loudly that everyone at the table widened their eyes in surprise. Phii Jeab, who had just walked out of the kitchen, stood frowning as she looked at her boss.
Panli smiled, knowing he’d earned full points from his father-in-law. Klaijai’s father tried to stop laughing before reaching out to pat his son’s head.
“Klai... this one, I like. I like him a lot.”
“...”
“Humorous, polite, and knows how to carry himself...”
Klaijai smiled and turned to look at him, “No one could dislike Panli, Father... Everyone who talks to him ends up liking him.”
“...”
“Especially Klai, who likes Panli a lot, a lot.”
Klaijai is the “naughty one” who knows exactly... how to torment him.
And the naughty one also knows... how much he has to endure the torment
of not being able to tackle him.
Klaijai is the naughtiest of them all...
After finishing dinner, Ms. Lin invited Klaijai to help Phii Jeab make butter cookies in the kitchen. The father-in-law, Poj, then invited Panli to see the newly built koi pond from the previous week.
Panli watched the large, colorful fish swimming in the spacious pond, the water flowing from the waterfall creating ripples on the surface. He gazed at the scene with delight before turning to the man beside him, who pulled a cigarette pack from his trouser pocket. Poj smiled as he lit a cigarette.
The truth is...
His father-in-law is probably the same type as him.
Polite, gentle, and kind to those he loves.
But when he’s alone… he’s a man with a fair bit of roughness.
“Want one, Panli?” he asked, offering an expensive cigarette.
“No, thank you.”
“Do you usually smoke?”
“I do, but not when I’m with Klaijai.”
Poj smiled with satisfaction before raising the white cigarette to his lips. As the white smoke was released, he said, “Same here… I only smoke when I’m alone.”
“…”
“I built a fish pond to pass the time, you know, for when I come out to smoke.”
“…”
“…Truth is, it’s also to ease the loneliness. When Klaijai isn’t home, I feel like something’s missing.”
“I understand that feeling well…” Panli shifted his gaze from his father-in-law to the ripples on the water’s surface. “Whenever I have to be apart from Klaijai, I feel the same way every time.”
The listener chuckled softly before saying, “And now he has to stay at my place for three nights. Won’t you be terribly lonely, Panli?”
“Just three days… I can still manage. But any longer than that, I don’t think I could handle it.”
“I really like straightforward people like you.”
“Panli… can I ask you something?”
Panli turned his gaze from the fish pond to the man beside him. “Of course.”
Poj exhaled another puff of white smoke, his sharp eyes piercing into Panli’s before he spoke. “If one day… you no longer love Klaijai the same way, would you still be able to be friends with him?”
Poj’s question felt like a massive fist slamming full force into his face. Panli felt a heavy, aching pang upon hearing it. It meant the other man was still afraid and worried. Poj likely wanted to prepare himself in case his beloved son, Theerak, ended up heartbroken, so he wouldn’t lose his own balance in the process.
Panli fell silent before saying, “Honestly… I can’t even imagine that day.”
“…”
“I can’t picture a moment where I’d stop loving him.”
“...”
“I’m not trying to make myself look good… and I’m not saying this to put you at ease either.”
“…”
“But I really can’t imagine it.”
“…”
“If you asked… if one day Klai stopped loving me, could I still be friends with him?”
“…”
“I can somewhat picture that question because it’s about his feelings. It’s possible that one day he might stop loving me.”
“…”
“But even so… I don’t think I could be friends with Klai. Because I didn’t love him like that from the start. I don’t think I could bear seeing him with someone else.”
“…”
“I wouldn’t be friends with Klai… but I’d be an ex who keeps looking out for him from a distance… and still loves him the same.”
“…”
“…like the first day I realized I loved him.”
“...”
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