"P'Peem, can I go to the bathroom. I need to pee."

"Go and release as if you've never done it before."

"I'm scared, Phi. Toey won't go with me. Can you take me there."

"You're such a hassle. Fine, let's go."

I stood up and took Matt to the bathroom. That rascal ran ahead of me, holding his little brother. And yet you told me you're afraid. I opened the refrigerator and looked for something for the others outside while waiting for Matt for a while. But it didn't take long before I heard him running back out.

"I'm done, Phi."

"Why are you so fast?"

"Hahaha, I'm scared. The pothos in the bathroom grows so well, P'Peem."

"You're all grown up that a dog can't even lick your balls, and yet you're still scared of ghosts."

Matt laughed. I threw him a green apple. Oh wait, it's not an apple, it's a jujube. Why is it so big? I'm starting to feel dizzy, or maybe I'm drunk. I asked Matt to help peel four or five mangoes that I found in the fridge. Eating sour fruits might help to sobber up.

"Oh, hey! You scared me, Phum! Don't sneak up on me like that." Phum had been standing behind Matt and me for who knows how long. I was so startled that I almost dropped the plate of mangoes. "What's wrong? Why the grumpy face?" He arrived without saying a word, just standing there with a stern look, glancing back and forth between Matt and me.

"What took you so long?"

"Oh, Nong went to the bathroom."

"And also peeling the mangoes too. P'Phum, do you want some?"

"No, whatever in my boyfriend's house. If I want to eat, I'll eat it myself." Mat was stunned. I was completely confused.

"What's wrong with you, Phum? He was just being nice."

"Then why do you have to be together, just the two of you? I don't like it."

Matt and I turned to look at each other before the half-breed kid burst out laughing.

"Ha ha, are you jealous of me and P'Peem? Oh man, even if you gave me for free, I'd still have to think about it." I choked on the jujube and my own laugher at myself before kicking Matt out of the kitchen. He ran off, yelling along the way. "P'Phum is jealous. P'Phum is jealous."

Everyone outside probably knows by now. It might have even reached Hua Lamphong.

I looked at Phum's fierce face with a funny smile. I reached out to take his hand and squeezed it gently. I still remember him saying that he's possessive, especially with things he loves and values. I'm glad to be something important to him, so I want him to know something: "In this life, if it's not you I will never fall in love with any other man. Remember that, you jealous fool."
...
..
.
"Let's play the Kings game." the same old game that Pan used to mess up with people he called friends. "There are eleven people and everyone has to play. Come on, you all know the rules, right? Whoever gets the king is the ruler and can command anything and ask any question. Okay?"

"I remember the last time we played. Q had to pole dance. Haha. Do you remember, Peem? Hahaha!" Q threw the nuts at Tan's head, who still couldn't stop laughing.

One card per person, everyone picked up a card and revealed it. It was so nerve-wracking. Even though the odds of being chosen were low with many players, if luck turned against you, you couldn't appeal for mercy because everyone will gang up on you. I didn't get picked often but Pan was the one who gets it the most. We all looked at each other nervously, waiting to see who got the king. We were all on high alert. Even Phum wouldn't let me see his card. I got a 3. I was so nervous!

"I got the king," Mick exclaimed with a wide grin, but we all started to feel uneasy. "I order number... 7 to dance to the song 'Nobody' (by Wonder Girls) Place your cards down!!!"

The unfortunate victim was Tan. Hahaha! Being drunk, Tan danced with his eyes closed. After finishing, he ran to hide behind a bush, probably embarrassed.

The next round, "I'm King." Damn it. Q got the King. Will I survive? He looked at everyone around him with a wicked smile. "Number 10, kiss number 1 on the forehead! Lay down your cards!" Oh my gosh, Beer and Pan.

"FUCKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!" Beer almost bent down at Q's feet to beg him to change the order. We quickly grabbed our phones and got ready.

"Who am I gonna kissing?" Pan asked with a cheerful face. He wasn't fazed at all; he loves games like this, almost sadistic. But Beer's face looked so pitiful. After the kiss (on the forhead), Beer rushed to open the faucet and wash his forehead, while Pan lay there laughing happily.

In the next game, Chan dealt the cards.

"What did you get?" I whispered to Phum.

"If I tell you, would it still be a game?" I glared at Phum. Hmph, he wouldn't even tell me that?

"Ahhhhhh, bros, I'm the King," Matt shouted happily as if he had passed the exam for the position of Deputy Chief (I heard that Matt studied Economics). Toey complained about why he couldn't get it. Matt was deep in thought about what to order, while the rest of us bowed our heads.

"I'll ask for number 9." I was completely lost. My heart was pounding because I was holding the number 9 diamond in my hand. Don't do anything crazy, Matt. I beg you.

"Where was your first kiss? Place your cards!!!"
It felt like a thunderbolt hit my forehead. I'm doomed. As I placed my card down, the crowd erupted in cheers. They immediately threatened, "If you lie, you'll lose your tongue," "Be a man, dude!" "Awesome, Matt. I've been friends with Peem for almost a decade and never asked him this."

"Answer now! Quickly!"

Besides the pressure from my friends, I sensed the handsome guy sitting quietly next to me was also pressuring me. I bit my lip, using all my wits and looked at my friends' cunning faces.

Someone please put a black bag over Q's head. Damn you, even Voldemort doesn't have as much of an evil aura as you, Q. He smirked and sipped his drink, looking at me through his glass.

"What kind of kiss?" I asked, trying to find a way to escape by digging into the ground.

"Kiss on the lips, don't play dumb."

Just wait until it's my turn, Q. I take a deep breath before answering loudly and clearly.

"The living room"

The day Phum came over to study at my house, that was my first kiss. I heard Phum's chuckle, but I didn't dare turn to look at his face. Why are you laughing? Afraid they won't know that you were the one who got it?

>//////<

"What! You did it right in the living room, Phum? My friend has parents."

"Shit, Q, we just kissed. We didn't do that."

"..................." Quiet. Why are you so quiet?

"Whoo! Look! There's eggs all over your face. hahahah" Q and Mick whistled so loudly it could measure about 8.7 on the Richter scale. By the time I realized I was dumber than a buffalo, it was too late.

Fuck! Did I just let a Phraya Lor pheasant out*? Damn you Q. You... you... you... no, all of them! They're all booing and laughing so hard that I couldn't bear the embarrassment. So I could only hide my face behind Phum's back.

[* original idiom ปล่อยไก่ (lit.) let the chicken out; (fiv.) manifest one's stupidity.
Phraya Lor pheasant is the national bird of Thailand.]

"Haha!" Phum didn't do anything, just sat there smiling. I hid behind him, catching the scent of his perfume mixed with alcohol and the sound of his laughter. He seemed so pleased with what was happening that it made me want to burry myself into the grass and disappear.

"Sit properly, Peem!"

"Hey, brother-in-law, get your face off my little brother's back. He'll disrobe soon."

[*Remember the reference about the tradition of Thai young men becoming monks for a short period before getting married in chapter 4? They disrobe after a temporary monkhood, and then they're ready to get married.]

By the time I could bring myself to face the world, they had just finished dealing the cards. Phum pinched my cheek playfully. While everyone else was busy checking their cards, Phum leaned down and whispered in my ear.

"Thank you. For the first kiss."

Maybe it was the darkness, maybe it was a hundred other things that cannot be known, or maybe the alcohol gave me the courage. We kissed each other softly.

"Ahem, this is in front of the house, not the living room. If you don't want to play cards, go play in the room." Tan hurriedly interjected. Said the guy dares to show love at any times and in any situations.

This time, Beer is the king. The person who got picked was Fang, who had to confess his love and kiss his own feet. After finished kissing, he tried to kiss Tan, but Tan ran away. Why did you say that you love him so much?

"Yesssssss!!!!!! I'm the king. I want to see people kissing" Pan bit his lip, wriggling, his eyes sparkling. What's that wild brain of your brain thinking about?

"Fuck, there are only men in here. And one more thing, in case you forget, Pan, everyone sitting here are friends." Beer shouted. I guessed he was still frightened from the incident. Poor guy, it doesn't seem like he'll ever get over it, hahaha.

"Why? Phum and Peem kiss each other just fine?" Oh, why are you involving us?

"Well, they're a couple. Don't be stupid, Pan."

"I don't care. I order number 2 to kiss number 6 on the cheek. Lay down the cards!!!"

When we saw whose cards they were, we were quieter than a graveyard because the numbers were Q and Toey. Wow, the biggest news of the year. The two of them were still motionless. It's time for my revenge. You're dead, Q.

"Hahaha, I'm going to record a video." Good job, Fang.

"Hurry up, be a man." I used his own words against him. It was so satisfying.

Toey looked very pale and shocked. If it were someone else, Toey would probably have rushed in and kissed him until he had to be kicked away. But with Q, who argues with him almost every second, forget about kissing—just speaking nicely is difficult.

"Hurry up!" It was the first time that Phum helped me. He pushed Toey to get up to go on a mission that would shake up the world.

"Hia Pan, pick something else ná, ná!!!" Oh, there's pleading, there's begging, but you're asking the wrong person, Toey. Don't you know that Pan thrives on teasing people?

"Are you going to sniff kiss or kiss? Choose one. As a penalty for daring to negotiate with me, I order you to kissing each other three times."

Heh heh, you should see Q's face. From pale to red, now it's dark green. Toey reluctantly stomped over to sit squatting down next to Beer and Q, with cheers from us and motivational music from Matt, his best friend.

"P'Q, turn your face this way." Toey ordered Q.

"Are you serious, Pan?" Q turned to Pan, seeking mercy.

"Do you dare to negotiate, Q?" Pan kept his stance firm.

"Hurry up, Q, stop stalling." urged Chan.

"Yeah, you're such a coward," I chimed in to back up Chan. I told you not to let it be my turn.  I know Q isn't easily provoked. He's the type to rather do the opposite of what people expected. But Toey, haha, you can't challenge him.

Nong Toey bent down to kiss Q's cheek in a split second. This time, we all whistled and teased loudly.
Q kissed Toey back, taking turns until they were done. Both of them were either drunk, angry, or embarrassed, their faces were completely red. But they didn't complain like when Beer was harassed by Pan.

As it got later and colder, the fog came down. so I brought out some blanket to share with everyone. Except for Fang and Tan, who shared one together. Phum and I shared a blanket too, one hand holding a glass of liquor, the other holding each other's hand under the warm blanket.

[T/N: This is the second time they shared a blanket, this time they even holding hands 😌]

Tan was lying on Fang's lap, and Fang was leaning down to chat with him sweetly, like they were newly in love. Every now and then, they would turn their attention to us.

That damn Matt and Pan still keep gnawing at the mic. while Q and Toey went to the barbecue, fighting for the grilled chicken. They probably forgot about the kissing already.

"Chan, are you flirting with Beer's girl?" Phum asked Chan who was sitting typing a message to send to the girl under his care.

"Yeah, it's so annoying. I asked a friend to get her number, and she gave it. But when I called, she said, 'Bow already has a boyfriend ka.' So I asked more, and she said her boyfriend's name is Beer. After asking around, I found out her boyfriend is Beer the law school star. Damn, it's my friend. I almost stole your girlfriend, Beer," Chan said, looking annoyed. Beer just laughed, drunk in Khun Chai style.

"Bow from Accounting, right? I'm not dating her. She seems too wild."

[T/n: Beer, what did you do to make her believe that you're her boyfriend?]

"Those wild ones should meet Phum. He can calm anyone down. But it's unbelievable how his standards have dropped now. Don't you think so, Beer? Haha."

[T/n: Don't try to burn your friends' house on the first day of the New Year, Chan.]

Then the two of them laughed and clinked glasses. Tan, who was comfortably lying with his head on Fang's lap, still managed to chime in, saying that Phum knows how to pick people based on their height, not their looks. I was annoyed but couldn't do anything, so I let them be.

"Do you want to go on a trip, Peem?" Phum let go of my hand and moved his arm to hug my waist instead. Luckily, we were covered by a blanket, so no one saw. But even if they did, it wouldn't matter.

"Where to?"

"The beach."

"In winter?"

"Yeah, or do you want to go somewhere else? It's up to you."

I nudged his shoulder lightly. If he gets this agreeable when he drinks, I should get Phum drunk more often.

"I'm fine with anything. The beach sounds good."

"Hey, it's already 11:50 p.m. Where are the fireworks? Bring them here."

When Q called out, we got up to set off the fireworks in front of the house. We couldn't do it here because the gunpowder residue might fall on something, who knows. Pan and Mick led the way, with Q and Toey following closely, fighting over the bag of fireworks. Phum and I walked last. Tan and Fang stay behind. The lovebirds were too busy to join us. Chan and Beer were getting ready to call their girlfriends, and Matt was already passed out. 

"What are you doing, Mick?" Phum shouted at Mick, who was walking backward, smiling at us.

"I'm walking backwards into the new year, hehe."

"Oh? I thought you were walking backwards into the canal." After being teased by Q, Mick quickly turned around and walked normally.

"Whooooo, Toey is so excited (dtèun dtên), bro. It's almost the new year."

"Then dance (dtên)," Q teased his junior.

"You're crazy."

"Not as much as you."

"Toey is normal. It's you, P'Q, who's crazy."

"Really? My Nong is so normal, he can stand and talk to an ice cooler for ages. You're very normal, Toey."

We all looked at Toey and laughed. It's true; Toey likes to talk to inanimate objects. Come to think of it, they're both a bit crazy.

"Hey, it's almost midnight. I'll count, and you guys light the fireworks. 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... Happy New Year!"

The sound of fireworks echoed across all corners of Bangkok. Colorful fireworks lit up the sky, and cheers welcomed the year 2011. We were one of the groups adding beautiful colors to the sky tonight. It's a new year.

"Happy New Year, guys," said Q before dragging Mick back to drink more.

"Happy New Year, friends," Pan said to Phum and me.

"Yeah, Happy New Year to you too." 

"Happy New Year, Hia." We smiled and ruffled Toey's hair before he dragged Pan to hog the mic again. Then I saw Tan and Fang kissing to welcome the new year. I turned back to focus on the person standing next to me.

"Happy New Year, Phum. I hope you have a lot of happiness and only good things come your way."

" Yeah, I hope you continue to be a good thing in my life every year."

We smiled at each other and looked up at the beautiful fireworks in the sky. Some were far away, some were close by, but no matter where they were, the vibrant colors were equally beautiful.

Phum held my hand. Even though the fog was coming down and the air was cold, I felt warm holding his hand. Phum and I stood kissing under the bright fireworks, with the sound of "I'm Yours" in a Khon Kaen accent from Matt, Toey's loud voice asking to borrow his senior's phone, Chan teasing Tan and Fang, and Beer scolding Mick and Pan to stop tapping the soda bottles.

And the sound of my heart and Phum, synchronized together.

Happy New Year everyone ^^

TBC>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>