2013
(K19, A18)

Da thump. Da thump. Da thump. Heart pounding out of its chest. Panting short breathes. Heaving up and down. Sweat streaming down the sides. Fabric clinging like a second skin. Limbs trembling like a small quake. Everywhere ached.

"Arthit!"

Shit! Arthit quickly got off the floor he was laying on. Did his mother catch him? Is that why she's calling him?

"Yeah?" Arthit hollered back. He nervously waited to see what she would say next. He leaned against the door. He couldn't hear anything except for some shuffling noise from downstairs, and the rapid beating of his heart in his ears. Moments later, and his mother still hasn't responded. Instead, he heard footsteps coming closer.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Arthit."

Arthit jumped at the sudden knocking on his door. The sound not only startled him, but it was so loud that it hurt his ears. He winced, and rubbed his ears. "Yeah?"

"Baby, why didn't you eat any of the food? I know you are upset, but you can't starve yourself. That's not healthy for a growing boy. What do you want to eat, huh? I can make it for you." Arthit's mom asked through the door her child still wouldn't answer. She knows her child is upset with her, but she agrees with her husband's decision. As parents, it's their responsibility to discipline their children. Arthit was being reckless and disrespectful.

That night, Arthit's mom woke up in the middle of the night to use the shared bathroom, and passed by Arthit's room. She noticed his room door was ajar, so she pushed it wider and walked in to discover he was gone. It was three in the morning. She had woken her husband up, and they frantically drove around the neighborhood and anywhere they could think of to look for him. They were worried sick. If Arthit hadn't finally text back at two in the afternoon the next day, they were ready to call the police. He completely disregarded their request for him to come home, and ignored all their phone calls.

"I don't want anything. I'll just eat dinner later." Arthit is relieved that his mother didn't catch him.

"Mom, I have put all the groceries away." Krystal came up behind her mother.

"Thank you baby. Talk to your brother. See if he wants to eat anything. He hasn't eaten all day."

"Okay, mom. I'll talk to him." Krystal tried to comfort her mother.

"I'm going to start preparing for dinner then. Maybe we should eat earlier since Arthit hasn't eaten yet." Their mother went downstairs to head into the kitchen.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Arthit, open up." Krystal said softly.

The door's lock clicked, and Krystal twisted the knob to step inside her brother's room.

"Oh my god, I'm so glad you got back before us." Krystal quickly blurted. She was so nervous for the past hour. Now, she can finally relax. She walked over, and sat on Arthit's bed with her legs crossed.

"Me too! I was on the bus, and mom's car was right next to me. I was so scared that she would look over and see me. I ran like crazy the second I got off the bus. It was so freaking close." Arthit plopped down next to his sister.

"That explains why you look so gross. I hope you didn't look like this when you were with P'Heng." Krystal pinches her nose. Arthit's sweaty body reeks. There were two giant pit stains on his shirt, and his hair was soaked with chunks plastered to his forehead.

"Well, we were moving things for a granny, so we got pretty sweaty doing that too." Arthit smiles brightly thinking about Kongpob.

"Was it Granny Suay? How is she doing?" Krystal asked.

"Yeah. Wait! How do you know Granny Suay? How come I've never met her before?" Arthit frowned. They've been going to the same school all their lives. How did Krystal manage to know Kongpob all these years, and those around Kongpob without him knowing? It seems so unfair.

"Sometimes, when I went to Jane's house after school, we waited for her brother at the foot of the hill. That's where Granny Suay's fruit cart was, and P'Heng would help push her cart up the hill everyday. Sometimes, when she had fruit cups leftover, she would give it to us for free. I usually try to buy something though."

"What? Where was I? So, that's why you sometimes brought fruit home." Arthit is so annoyed. He could have met P'Heng, no, Kongpob so long ago. They could have been together all this time.

"You were hanging out with your friends. Don't look at me like that. I know what you're thinking. It's not my fault you never put two and two together. Besides, things happen when they are meant to happen." Krystal shook her head.

"Whatever. Thanks for helping me though. Otherwise, I wouldn't have had a chance to see Kongpob today." Arthit smiled.

"What did you two do other than moving stuff for Granny Suay? Tell me something more interesting." Krystal is dying to know. She still can't believe her brother is dating P'Heng.

Arthit got up to switch on the ugly bamboo ceiling fan. It feels really hot in his room.

"Well, he made me a banana egg pancake for breakfast. It was really good. I kind of accidentally smushed it, but it was still very tasty. He said it was the first time he made it. Then we went to Granny Suay's house to help move some things. Afterwards, we shared a mango bingsu. And then I came home." Arthit retells the events with a blush on his face.

"There's got to be more to it. You can't lie to me. I see it in your face. Come on Oon. Spill it." Krystal tugs on her brother's sleeve. There's no way that's all to the story.

"Spill what? There's nothing to spill." Arthit said, but he couldn't hold his smile in.

"Did you two kiss? Who made the move? Come on. Tell me."

"Fine! Since you helped me today." Arthit looked at his giddy sister who was nodding her head and wiggling her body with a great big smile. Gosh, why is she so nosy?

"Well, he pecked me on the cheek once outside of Granny Suay's house, he fed me mochi at the bingsu place, and he...he gave me a brief kiss before I got on the bus." Arthit could feel his face heat up. It's so stuffy in his room.

"Omo... that's so cute! And P'Heng is so handsome. He must have been so smooth. Jane and I always think he's so naturally calm about everything, that he just comes across really cool. You should have seen him behind the kissing booth." Krystal recounts excitedly.

"I was there! I did see him at the kissing booth. Anyway, stop talking about my boyfriend like that. I need your help again." Arthit looked at his sister seriously.

Krystal frowned. This can't be good. But she knew that Arthit would make it a living hell if she didn't help him. All he has to do is cry or fume all night, and she wouldn't be able to sleep either. Resigning to her fate with an audible sigh. "What do you want?"

"I need to see Kongpob tomorrow again." Arthit gave his sister his sad puppy eyes.

Krystal returned the tactic with equally sad puppy eyes of her own. "But you can't go out. I have no more excuses to get mom out of the house. By the way, you haven't commented on my new haircut."

"It's very nice. It suits you. Now, help me come up with a plan. Do you think I can climb the window, and you can help me pretend that I'm home?"

"That's stupid and dangerous. I really don't think mom will leave the house tomorrow. She has already bought everything she can possibly need for the whole week." Krystal thinks Arthit was already really lucky today. He really shouldn't try to push his luck.

"That's why I need you to help me think. There's only thirty days left before he leaves, everyday counts for us. You have got to help us."

"Krystal!"

The two siblings could hear their mother calling from downstairs.

"I'll be right back. Hey, did you remember to put your phone back?" Krystal asked while she hopped off the bed.

"Oh shoot! Let me go put it back now." Arthit followed Krystal out of his room. Then they each headed separate ways.

"Hey mom, you called me?" Krystal stood next to her mom in front of the sink where she was peeling vegetables with a peeler.

"Baby, tomorrow I need to help Aunt Araya make desserts for spiritual offering. It's a last minute request. Her sister had cancelled on her, so she asked if I could help her. Do you mind if I make those dishes you wanted the next day?" Krystal's mom asked. She hated disappointing her children. Krystal was so excited earlier for her to make lemongrass beef stew. They had gone all over the fresh market trying to gather all the necessary ingredients.

"Sure. It's okay mom. I can wait a little longer. So will it take you long tomorrow?" Krystal wanted to smile, but she needed to feign disappointment. She had only requested for that dish just to stall her mother earlier anyway.

"It's going to take all day. I need to go after breakfast, and I probably won't be back until the evening. You know how it is. We have to make a variety of desserts for offering, not just one or two. That's why Aunt Araya needs help. I'm really sorry."

"That's okay mom. I understand. I'm going back upstairs now." Krystal quickly left the kitchen. She can't believe even the heavens are on Arthit's side this time.

Knock. Knock. Knock. "Oon!"

"It's open." Arthit answered.

Krystal went inside, and quickly closed the door behind her. Sporting a great big smile, she said, "guess what!"

"What? What? What?" Arthit matched his sister's tone of mysterious excitement.

"You're so lucky. Mom is going to be out all day tomorrow helping Aunt Araya. You just need to be back before dinner. To be on the safe side, come back by five."

"Are you serious? Then I can go see Kongpob." Arthit's eyes were gleaming with hope and excitement.

Krystal nodded vigorously. "So, what are you guys going to do tomorrow?"

"I don't know yet. He told me to plan something tomorrow, but I have no clue. Is lunch and a movie too boring?" Arthit asked. He really has no idea since this is his first time dating.

"Arthit, anything you do is special when you're spending time with someone special. I'm sure moving things for Granny Suay wasn't that exciting, yet you're all smiles. So, I don't see anything wrong with a meal and a movie." Krystal replied. It's mostly what couples do anyway on their dates.

"But I feel like I want to spend more time with him, and not just staring at a screen. We've been busy with activities for our last two dates. I want this time to be just about us." Arthit just really wants Kongpob to himself. He enjoyed helping at the orphanage and helping Granny Suay, but on both days they didn't get enough time for each other.

"That's easy. Why don't you guys just watch a movie at his house? That should give guys more time and privacy." Krystal suggested.

"Yeah! That actually sounds like a good idea. Why didn't I think of that? Let me call him. Can I use your phone? I put mine back already."

"Here."

Arthit quickly finds Kongpob's contact under P'Heng with a cute picture of him. He briefly glared at his sister before pressing the dial.

"Hello. Krystal?" Kongpob answered.

"No. This is Arthit. I'm just using my sister's phone." Arthit turned his back to his sister because she was shamelessly eavesdropping on their conversation.

Krystal was not deterred. She scooted closer, and wrapped an arm around her brother's shoulder from behind. Then she tilted her head next to the phone to hear what Kongpob is saying. Her brother gave up, and didn't bother to fight her.

"Oh, hey. What's up? What are you doing?" Kongpob's voice was suddenly much softer.

Arthit smiled hearing Kongpob's changed tone, and softer voice that he now knows is reserved for him. "What do you think if I came over tomorrow for lunch and a movie at your house?"

"Sure. That could be fun. What time will you be here? Maybe I can prepare something for lunch. I only know how to make a few simple things, but my mom says it's pretty good." Kongpob could be heard chuckling on the other side.

"Maybe around eleven. I can help you cook too." Arthit pursed his lips to keep himself from grinning like an idiot in front of his sister.

Krystal almost laughed out loud. Her brother can't even boil water. He has set the microwave on fire before. His presence in the kitchen is a hazard.

"Okay. I'll go prepare, and I'll see you tomorrow then. Bye."

"See you tomorrow. Bye." Arthit ended the call, and shrugged his sister off. His sister only laughed harder rolling on his bed.

"What's so funny?"

"You! Please come back alive. Hahaha. Aww...but you guys are so cute. I never would have imagined P'Heng to be so cute. Jane would be so jealous of you."

"Don't tell anyone!"

~~~~~~
AN: Sweets, I hope this filler chapter wasn't too boring. I wish I had a twin sister like Krystal.

Also, I realized that I forgot to add facts to the last update because I was too sleepy. I will add it later.

Facts: Krist really likes swimming, and he is actually very good at it. He wanted to audition for the national swim team, but his father was against it. In his new series "Who Are You," he did all of his own swimming and diving scenes.

I have also started another new story. It's called, "Wake Up, Bangkok!" I was inspired by Singto's mini series "Girl Next Room" and his live with Krist pretending to be DJ Tan. It's another fluff. Please check it out.

Stay safe,
Lana ❤️