ᴏɴᴇ

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I sat in one of the few luxurious sports cars that existed in the country.
But instead of feeling good, I felt uncomfortable with the owner who was
now bragging about how rich he was and when he started working. If he
could, he would show me his bank book..

“Na, you're very good at making money. You are still young but you have
a lot of money..”

I responded without showing any emotion even when I felt so upset. What
was I thinking? I Should have followed my instinct. I should have known
better than to give that guy a chance. He had nothing but her luxurious car.
If I had to guess, he must have had a shady business that made him a lot of
money like some celebrities did lately.
"Do I have enough for you to give me a chance, Genlong?"

The driver was fast. I just pretended to admire him and now he was
touching my leg. I looked at his rough hand with disgust and removed it.

“You are fast.”

“I've been chasing you for a while. Why don't you say yes?”

“It has been two weeks. This is the first time I come to dinner. Is this a
long time?”

“If you don't like me, why are you getting in my car?”

I started to get angry but I was calm. I smiled at the corner of my mouth
feeling sorry for him.

“I wanted to know what would happen next.”

“Do you know now?”

“You didn't pass. Let's go home.”

I responded coldly with an attitude of indifference. It seemed like I had

hurt his ego. He had probably never been rejected like this before. He
looked upset as he turned the wheel to the side of the road. Exploding and
hitting the steering wheel with his hand.

“I am not a toy. You are playing with me?”

“Did it hurt?”

I looked at him, who was trying to be so dramatic.

“What did you expect from me? Did you want to see me cry?”

Why was he so angry? I didn't understand this type of person.

“You played with me! Of course it hurts.”

Why was he so stupid? I asked about the steering wheel, not about other
things.

“When did I play with you? Did I ever give you false hope? You invited
me to dinner. Here I am. Now I'm telling you it didn't work. That's all.”

“No one had ever done this to me.”

“Because those girls can be bought.”

I smiled bitterly. I had figured out why he was looking at me angrily..

“Didn't you get into my car too because I have money?”

“Naaaa!”

I sighed tiredly.

“I couldn't date a beggar. Yes, you have money, but in the bigger picture, I
am not within your reach.”

“Do you know who I am?!”

Suddenly, the guy had amnesia. These nouveau riche men who had just
started making money from their shady business for 3 to 5 years, were
always in a bad mood. They never had to wait. When they were upset, they
liked to brag about who they were and how great they were. But it wasn't
his lucky day, he had to deal with me at that time.

“Yes, I knew you have great connections, but do you know

what…” I looked at the owner of the car and smiled.

“Do you know who my father is?”

“If you didn't know, someone will show up at your house today. This way
you will know me better. Even a minister's son couldn't bother me that
much.”
We both stared at each other for a long time, as if we were fighting. I
caught him feeling nervous as I looked away from him. He wouldn't want
to do this.

“I'm sorry.”

“Stay sorry and leave me in a shopping center. And stay away from me
from now on. I won't let it happen again.”

Finally he dropped me off at the mall and left. He didn't even make eye
contact. I wasted my time with something stupid but at least I got rid of
something useless in my life. It wasn't totally a waste of time. So he wasn't
the one for me.nI decided to go on a date with Na because I wanted to try
something my fortune teller friend had told me. I had been waiting for two
weeks and last night it was finally my time. My friend who was close, was
plump, and also a famous fortune teller.

«Pan fortune reader»

I called my tomboy friend. She could read gypsy cards, telephone numbers,
car registration numbers and house registration numbers. She was good at
reading other people's horoscopes, except her own. The girls always left
her. No, I will not talk about my friend's private life. I wanted to talk about
my fortune that she read. Inlost 500 baht on it and the answer was...

“You are about to meet your soulmate. She is a girl.”

I complained to her a lot after hearing that. I didn't believe anything she had
said, even though she was my friend. That was nonsense. First, Genlong, I
could never date a woman. What a stupid guess! I was born perfect. If she
died wasting me with breasts, not a penis, how would the underworld react
to that! God did not make me with that mistake! I wouldn't give you any
reviews or comments. I should fool celebrities, ministers or someone who
would believe him. I had wasted my 500 baths and that was it. I shook the
idea from my head. I had a lot of fun things to do. I had a date with my old
friends from elementary school. A friend I hadn't seen in ten years. I
surprised myself by being excited about the meeting. I sacrificed my
Korean series and went out to watch it. I could still feel guilty about the
look in her eyes that day when I told her to her face.

“Leave me alone. You gave me lice.”

Her tears and sadness were still in my mind. It was such a small thing but I
felt so guilty. I didn't feel guilty now, but I could never forget it. I couldn't
forget to the point of feeling obligated to meet her. I arrived 2 hours before
the appointment time. I walked inside the mall with nothing to do. But it
was fine. It was better than dating a loser. I spent the time buying some
clothes that I wasn't sure I would ever wear. People were always staring at
me and making me feel uncomfortable. I grabbed some sunglasses from my
bag and put them on inside the mall. I hated the looks people gave me.
Even if it was an admiring look, I still didn't like it. I loved my privacy. I
didn't like anyone looking at me or being close to me. If I loved being the
center of attention, I'd be in an entertainment business right now. The
sunglasses helped me back off a little, at least people didn't know what I
was thinking.

While on the escalator, I encountered a pair of eyes staring at me rudely. I

paused and made eye contact under my sunglasses, letting her know I knew
she was looking at me.
Strange, she didn't give up. Should I fight her? A girl with a sweet face, she
wore square glasses with a ponytail, an old shirt but it wasn't dirty, she
looked at me curiously and made me feel uncomfortable.

“Everything is alright?”

“Beautiful.”

I felt dazed. She looked at me with admiration. I had intended to be mean to

her, but now I felt shy. I couldn't be mean to the people who admired me.

"Thank you,"

I smiled and didn't complain.

“Sorry then.”
“You are as beautiful as before.”

“Huh?”

I stopped when I was about to turn around and leave. The sweet-faced girl
smiled at me as if she had known me for a long time..

“It's me Gen....Aeoy.”

“The friend who had your hair cut because I gave you lice.”

I didn't know why I was so excited to see my old friend. We were quiet
for so long that there was an uncomfortable feeling about it. But if we
weren't close, it wouldn't be like that. I was happy to see her “Aoey.”

My friend from elementary school who looked mostly the same cute, except
for her glasses and her hair that was now longer. The structure of her face
changed because she was older. Her face, eyes, nose, mouth, looked better
than when she was young but nothing prominent about her. Why was she
like that? There was something I couldn't put a finger on.

“We haven't seen each other in more than ten years. I thought you
wouldn't want to see me,"

Aoey said as we sat at a pizza place. We didn't know where to go. The
pizza seemed easy.

“Yes, it's been a while. How are you?”

I noticed she paused a little, but she smiled at me anyway.

"I'm fine,"

she nodded.. I looked at her bag which seemed to be full of clothes.

“Did you just come from the northeast?”

“Yes, I planned to come to Bangkok and stay with a relative.”

"I see."

I didn't know if I should ask her more questions. I wasn't good at small talk.

“Where do you study now?”

“I took a second entrance exam but I didn't get into a public university. So
now I will study at a private university. That's good because now I have
more time. I work. I earn a little money.”

I felt guilty when she said she had to work for money. I've never had to do
anything like that since I was born. My parents gave me all the money I
needed. I felt bad for everyone who had to work harder in this world.

“And you Gen? Where do you study now?”

“I passed the exam, now I'm at university. My life is pretty

normal.” “Do you have a boyfriend?”

“No.”

"Come on,"

She said in disbelief.

“Are there any pretty girls who are still single?”

“I..I don't have a boyfriend.”

“Why not?”

“I never met anyone who understood me.”

I told her honestly and looked into her eyes. She looked at me thinking.

“I do not know how to explain it. I never met anyone who understood me,
who could make me feel sensitive.”
“Wow, you don't look like someone like that.”

Her sweet laugh under those square glasses made me laugh too. She paid all
her attention to whoever was speaking to her. She could make another
person feel good. While we were talking, Aoey took off her glasses and
wiped her face with a tissue. I looked at her with admiration. My heart
skipped a beat when she looked at me with her light brown eyes. My heart
was beating so fast. There was something in that second that made me
clench my chest tightly. It wasn't pain but I didn't know what it was. The
beautiful eyes were surprised to see me like this.

“Are you okay, Gen?”

"I don't know,"

I turned my face to the other side. What was happening to me! That was
crazy!

“I have a pain in my heart.”

“That's dangerous. I read it somewhere on the Internet. You should visit a

doctor.”

“Aoey, put on your glasses.”

“What?”

“Put them on.”

Aoey was puzzled before putting her glasses back on. That made me calm
down a little. We caught up like old friends. We talked about our fun
memories and when we stopped seeing each other because I had caught
lice. We laugh together.

“I was so sad then. I cried until I fell asleep because you hated me.”

“Very sorry. I wasn't a good girl. I still remember it.”

“I forgave you when I knew that we would see each other today. Now we
can get back on the road.”

“Yeah.”

After a while, it was time to say goodbye... I hadn't brought my car, so I

had to call a taxi. But I didn't want to be separated from her so I invited her
to share a taxi. I offered to drop her off at her relatives' house… But. I
saw
some hesitation in her gaze. Her face was full of worry, even though it was
a slight worry on her face, I still noticed that.

“Everything is alright?”

“Yeah. Everything is alright. Come on.”

I knew something was wrong, but I didn't want to put too much pressure on
her. When I asked her the address, she sounded so confused. She couldn't
explain the address and she finally said.

“Soi Rangnam.”

The taxi took us there, which wasn't too far from the mall we were at. Once
we arrived, I offered to walk her to her house, but she immediately refused.

“Not well. I can go from here. Please go. You'll need to find another taxi if
you let this one go. I will call you later.”

“OK.”

I responded and let her do what she wanted. I didn't believe her because it
was obvious that she was hiding something from me. But it wasn't my
business. No, it wasn't....my business. That or maybe my fault for
blaming
her for giving me lice so I paid the taxi fare and left to walk back to where
I had left her. She was still there in the same place, she seemed worried.
Her lip closed tightly. She tensed up about something. I now she knew it.
Was she a social worker?

"Aoey,"
I called her. She got scared and turned around to look at me.

“I don't feel good leaving you here alone. You don't have anywhere to go,
do you?

I said. I had realized it from the moment we were in the car but I hadn't
cared until that moment.

“N... No.”

“Do you still have lice?”

The girl with beautiful eyes shook her head..

“No.”

“So, you passed my evaluation. You can sleep in my house.”

“But…”

“That's all.”

I cut off the conversation and walked forward, as if to force her to follow
me. Damn! Since when was I such a good person? Well, it was my revenge
for blaming her for giving me lice.
 ᴛᴡᴏ
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We both arrived at my studio. The studio that my mother bought and gave
to me. I came only occasionally when I had a morning class or an early
morning exam because it was close to the university. Aoey put down her
big backpack and looked around her excitedly.

“What a beautiful room.”

“Then you spend a night here.”

The girl with soft eyes looked at me in surprise.

“What about you, Gen?”

“I'll go home.”

"No,"

Aoey shook her head. She really didn't want that and she didn't know why. I
sighed.

“If you don't want to sleep here, where are you going to sleep tonight then?
You called me because you wanted my help from the beginning, right?”

I said it openly and it made her feel disconcerted. The shame on her face
made me feel guilty.
“I didn't seek your help. But you're the only friend I have in Bangkok, so
I…”

“That's what Friends are For. Don't worry about that.”

No....that wasn't me. What I had just said was a quote I often saw on Twitter
or Facebook. I had never liked those kinds of cheesy posts, much less using
them with this girl with beautiful eyes. Why did I do that?...

"I couldn't stay here anyway. At least not

free.” “Can we talk about it then?”

“Yeah?”

I walked over to a small built-in couch near the door and crossed my legs. I
looked at her as she stood there thinking about what to say. I wanted to
know about Aoey's story. Why had she gone to Bangkok without a plan?

“Why are you in Bangkok, Aoey?”

“I'm here to study and get a job.”

She said without making eye contact. It was obvious that that was not the
only reason. There had to be something more.

“What about your parents?....Professor Salee, how did they let you come
here?”

“I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself.”

She argued like a little child. Teacher Salee was our teacher in elementary
school. She was a very strict teacher, straight as a rule. I was the daughter
of a great police officer in the area. She didn't care about that at all, I
remembered it well.

“Are you running away from home?”

“No.”
The quick response without thinking also made me understand the bigger
picture. The beautiful girl with pretty eyes looked like an adult woman but
she answered the question like a child. I saw some resistance in her. I was
asking her why she had run away from home.

“Well, you don't have to tell me if you're not ready.”.

“I didn't seek your help. I got your number from Yes. She told me that she
met you in Phuket and exchanged her number with you. I asked for it just in
case, I wanted to see you. I didn't think about it…”

“You don't have to explain.”

“I don't want you to misunderstand me.”

Not only did I like a girl but I also loved her honor. I smiled a little and
pretended that wasn't a problem. It really wasn't a real problem. I just
wanted to help her.

"Stay here tonight then. And stay here until you know where to go.”

"I won't stay,"

She confirmed.

"It's too comfortable. I don't like it.”

“??.”

I frowned when I heard her reason.

“What do you mean by too comfortable?”

“It is too good. You haven't seen me in ten years and now you're offering
me help. I gave you lice once, remember?”

Why was she so cute? Finally, I laughed out loud and begged her to stay.
“Please, I beg you to stay. Stay here tonight. If you leave, I don't think I'll
be able to sleep tonight.”

“Do you really care about me?”

Her question made me think twice about whether I really cared about her. A
friend I hadn't seen in ten years, did I really care about her?

“Ummm.”

The soft-eyed girl seemed stunned and looked away.

“I don't know why, but that makes me feel sorry.”

"Don't be cute."

I touched her hair gently in admiration.

“Spend a night here tonight then.”

The girl gently tugged on my shirt. I looked at her surprised.

“Yeah?”

“Sleep with me tonight, Gen.”

“I don't have lice.”

I burst out laughing at her funny statement.

“Are you afraid of ghosts? Is that why you want me to sleep here?”

“I'm not afraid of ghosts!”

She looked at me with confirmation. Even when I looked into her eyes
through her glasses, I still shuddered.

“Ok I believe you. I'll sleep with you tonight. But first I have to call home.”
“Okay, thanks, Gen.”

The girl smiled broadly at me. She made me feel sorry because I had never
done anything in my life to please anyone and make them happy. It could
be the same feeling when I released a bird, caught a fish, or made merits. It
was that kind of feeling. I smiled at her and went out to call my mom, I told
her that I would stay at the condo that night.

[Are you really staying in the condo? I hope you don't plan to spend the
night at some guy's house.]

My mother's voice from the phone mocked me, making me roll my eyes
almost backwards in mybrain.

“Don't bother me like that. Is dad there? He will send someone to the condo
again.”

[No, he is not here. I couldn't say that if he is here.]

“Where is he?”

[He said he had a work meeting.]

“Do you believe him? Do you have a lover?”

[Maybe.]

“Please call him.”

I chatted with her some more and hung up the phone. When I turned
around, Aoey was not far from me.

“Oh! Aoey, I already told my mom that I'll sleep here.”

“You are very close to your mother. That's good.”

“Yes, my dad too.”

“You got lucky.”

I looked at her and noticed the sad look on her face. I thought about Teacher
Salee again. She was very strict. She was not close to her daughter. We
should change the subject. I wasn't
good at comforting people, especially with family problems.

“Let's take a shower and go to bed.”

“You sleep so early.”

“No, I usually watch some Korean series before going to bed. And you?
What do you usually do?”

“I like listening to music, practicing my music and writing a novel.”

“Do you do many things and can you play music?”

“Yes, I can play a little. My older friend at school taught me how to play
this and that, but I'm not that good.”

“How about a novel?”

“Yes, I am a writer. I have some followers."

She also smiled with her eyes. That kind of smile made me smile too.

“I would love to read it from time to time.”

She seemed like such a happy girl. I felt a little uncomfortable when I heard
the noise of the shower. I mainly spent time alone. Now there was a girl
who stayed here but it wasn't that bad. I waited for her to finish showering
so I could go in. The sweet girl took a shower for about 15 minutes. She
came out in an old loose t-shirt and shorts. But that worn shirt didn't make
her any less distinguished. It could be the warm water, the heat, not
wearing glasses, or her long hair, or whatever. I could tell that Aoey was a
very pretty girl. Her mouth, neck, eyebrows, chin... all the features of her
face fit her. I watched as she dried her hair and didn't realize that I was now
checking her out. She didn't look so good when we were in elementary
school. I wanted to tell her to stop wearing those silly glasses and pulling
her hair all the time. I made her look so simple.
“You are looking at me?”

Aoey said and that made me jump like I had done something wrong. I
laughed nervously as I made eye contact with her.

“I'm sorry. I'm just surprised you've grown so much.”

“You grew up too. You looked good when you were young but now you
look even more perfect.”

I smiled and felt a little shy. I've gotten these kinds of comments my whole
life, but I didn't know why I was embarrassed when she said it.

“Do you have a boyfriend?”

“Because? You're flirting with me?”

“No!”

I responded immediately. Aoey laughed..

“How come you are so serious when they bother you? Have you never liked
anyone in your life?”

“Umm, no, I never liked anyone.”

“What kind of people do you like, I'm curious?”

“I want to know too.”

We both looked at each other in a moment of tranquility. It was a very

simple conversation but I didn't know why it made us both nervous.
Apparently, I noticed the discomfort first, so I stood up abruptly.

“I'll take a shower and then we'll go to bed.”

“Okay.”
My heart started beating again. Something squeezed the left side of my
chest but it wasn't painful. It was the second time today. I could get sick.
Mom would be very worried if I told her. I should go check myself at the
hospital. I shook my head trying to forget that topic and got into the
shower. Twenty minutes after that I came out after putting lotion on my
face. Aoey looked at her computer that she had brought with her. She
seemed to be searching for something on the Internet.

“What are you doing?”

“I'm reviewing the comments on my electronic novel. I uploaded the finale

today and got good feedback.”

“What is the history? I want to read it.”

“No, it would make me feel ashamed.”

“What?!”

"You should wait for the new story."

She closed her computer and gently placed it on a table as if

she didn't want to make a mess.

“Go to sleep, okay?”

I walked over to the switch, turned it off, and returned to my king size bed.
I had never shared a bed with anyone before. Only when I was young, I
shared a room with my brother, but that was a long time ago. It was a little
awkward. Where should I put my hands? I needed my side pillow.

“Sorry to disturb you. I will stay here only one night.”

“Where are you going after tonight?”

“There are so many places to sleep. I'll be fine. I have other friends in
Bangkok besides you Gen.”
I didn't say anything else. If she insisted that she was fine, it wasn't my
problem. I just acknowledged her and said goodnight. I couldn't see
anything else, not even my hands because it was a very dark in my room. I
felt weird having someone else next to me while I slept. I tossed and turned
all night because I was worried about holding her during the night, thinking
she was a side pillow. I wasn't sure how she would think if I did that. I was
always nervous about touching other people, even if she was a woman like
me.

The sound of the clock ticking on the wall was so frustrating. I couldn't
sleep because of it. Now the person next to me was already snoring. She
must have been exhausted. I turned to the side and pushed myself to look at
her. My eyes had already become accustomed to the darkness of the room.
How could she sleep so well while I was wide awake!

“Arggg!”

Aoey woke up scared while I quickly turned around pretending to be asleep.

The girl sat up with a heavy breathing as if she was scared by something. I
took a look at her. I saw Aoey put her face down on both palms of her
hands as if she was crying. She was crying? It was like a cry of silence.
Aoey lay down quietly and turned her back to me. I didn't know what
happened but my heart felt pain. What was it? Compassion?

“Gen, are you sleeping?”

Aoey asked me while her face was still far away from me. I didn't know
why I didn't respond to that, but I pretended to sleep.

“You sleep soundly.”

Aoey talked to herself. I, still pretending to sleep, turned around and put my
arm on her waist as if I was hugging her. She got a little scared and slowly
took my arm away from her. My stubbornness made me pretend to hug her
even tighter. I could feel the tense feeling from her, but I pretended to be in
a deep sleep.

“Ummm…”
The girl froze and tried to pull my arm out again. But I hugged her tighter,
so she stayed there without moving. My nose was at the back of her head.
She made me feel nervous and horny. I pretended to sleep like this for a
while. I didn't know how much time passed until Aoey closed her eyes and
her breathing became slow and steady. I realized that she had finally gone
back to sleep. Excellent! Now I had gotten her to sleep while I couldn't
sleep. Excellent!
 ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ
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“Why do you look so tired?”

My mom asked me when she saw me asleep on a big couch in the middle of
the house around 1 in the afternoon. I returned home to pack more clean
clothes and sleep in the condo again. My tiredness made my mom a little
suspicious.

“Did you really sleep in the condo? Why do you look so tired? You did
something wrong?”

“If it weren't for Leonardo Dicaprio, I would never do anything bad for any
man.”

I responded to my mom who woke me up after I took a 10-minute nap...

Thanks mom.

“Why do you look so tired?”

“I saw a ghost last night. I couldn't sleep.”

“We never made any merit after we bought that condo.”

“Do we need to do that when we buy a condo? But don't worry, the ghost
can't hurt me. I'll go pack some clothes.”

“Oh?”
My mom looked at me questioningly. I had prepared for that.

“My school schedule is out and I have a class in the morning. I don't want
to travel every day. I'm coming home to talk to you about this. By the way,
did you see Somkit?”

“Maybe he's in front of your dad's office. Have you seen your dad yet?”

“No, not yet. I'll go then..”

Since I rented my condo, I thought a lot about my old friend from school.
There was curiosity and concern mixed together. It was pretty sure she ran
away from home. But why did she leave? She only had 420 baht in her
wallet, she arrived in Bangkok, where the cost of living was so high that a
stocking would cost more than a hundred baht. Before going to my room, I
stopped by my dad's office. I didn't have enough time to talk to my dad, but
I wanted to talk to the aides close to him first.

“Hello, Uncle Somkit.”

“Hello Gen.”

Uncle Somkit was my father's closest aide. He was a 40-year-old man with
a lot of experience. He was an influential guy, especially in a gray area. He
wouldn't describe that area because my dad never wanted me to get
involved.

“I have to ask you a favor, but please don't tell dad.”

When I said this, the stern-faced man looked worried.

“It's nothing serious. I just want a little help. I wanted you to know
something. I don't want them to know everything.”

“What is it about?”

“I have a friend from primary school. I wanted to know something about

her. I think you can help me quite easily.”
That was not a difficult thing for Uncle Somkit. I did things much more
difficult and challenging than this. If my dad didn't have him as his
assistant, he wouldn't be there today.

“Do you want me to look up information about your friend?”

“Yeah.”

“What do you want to know?”

"Anything... anything. Is it too much trouble for you?”

“Tell me his name, his address. I'll give you something in a week.”

“Thank you.”

That was a tick in the checkbox. The next thing was to gather all the clothes
I didn't want and take them to my condo. I saw that Aoey was wearing old,
worn-out clothes and made a mental note to be sure to give her some of my
clothes. You should get rid of those old clothes. I bought a lot of clothes
and a lot of them and only wore them once because I didn't want people to
see me in the same clothes twice. I could give that to her. I felt guilty seeing
her wearing that worn-out shirt. I packed up and headed back to my condo
where I had left quite early that morning. When I arrived, I was surprised to
see a letter left on a coffee table in front of the couch. The messy writing on
the paper made me squint trying to read it...

(“Thank you for letting me spend the night. I'll contact you later. I'm happy
to see you, Gen.") After reading that short message, I felt so weak and tired.
I threw my Versace luggage, in which I kept my old clothes for her, on the
floor. What was wrong with her? She thought she could show up when she
wanted and leave when she wanted.
She didn't have much money with her to begin with. I canceled my plan to
spend one more night there and left my luggage at the condo. It should be
good that she left. I didn't have to worry or take care of other people. But I
wasn't sure why I felt a little weird, a little...Worried....
I looked in my car mirror wondering if I was really worried about her. I
knew I was a self centered person. I never thought about other people. Even
my mom was tired of me being so self-centered, I ignored my brother and
now I’m worried about those sweet eyes. No, it wasn't me. I should be
myself. My old self. I didn't care about her. It wasn't my business. I started
the car and got out. I listened to music while driving and also looked
around on the sidewalk until the car stopped at a traffic light. I looked down
the street and saw a stray dog. His body was as thin as a skeleton. He was
walking tired and collapsed on the side of the street, no one cared about
him.

Where was she going to sleep tonight? Was she going to sleep like that
dog in the street? My stomach clenched. I felt a sharp pain in my heart. I
saw the street light and took out my phone. and Googled something
quickly by typing...

"Where can I sleep without spending money?"

Google could tell you anything. I came across a famous website with the
same question I asked. The answer was certain..... Temple....I felt scared
thinking about sleeping in a temple. No, I wasn't afraid of ghosts. It was
more uncomfortable being a girl sleeping in a temple. My head hurts
thinking about the news on TV about a bad monk doing something to a girl.
I was such a sinful person but I couldn't help it. Her look was not normal. I
just didn't realize how pretty she was...

Temple... temple....There were so many temples in Bangkok. Let me think

if it were me, where would I go? I didn't have enough money to get into a
taxi. I didn't know the road well enough to get on a bus. The only thing to
do was walk. When I realized she would walk, I went back to my condo. I
wondered which direction she would walk. I, who never spoke to the
security guy or the receptionist, now smiled widely and tried to ask them a
question. It seemed to work, people always responded to it very well.

“Where is the nearest temple around here?”

“Is....”
I got the answer and followed the directions. I never realized there was a
temple there. In fact, I never knew the name of the road. My mom bought
that condo because someone couldn't pay her debt. So my mom took the
room and gave it to me. She rarely came there, but now I thought I should
come more often. I turned the car onto Soi 11, which was 4 blocks ahead. I
arrived at a small local temple. I wasn't sure I could have found this on
Google Maps. They shouldn't call it a temple. It was so quiet and deserted.
Even a ghost wouldn't live there.

I parked the car and got out, walking to look for her. I wasn't sure I'd find
the eye candy there, but I had to try. I couldn't think of anywhere else she
would go. Or... she would sleep in front of Seven-Eleven. How could I
think of my friend that way?I looked around the temple. People looked at
me with curiosity. People didn't know what I was thinking under my
sunglasses. I didn't like it when people looked at me. Not many people
liked to be watched. I walked for 10 minutes and felt very disappointed.
Aoey wasn't here. Most of the time, I was right about many things,
including exams. But if she wasn't here, where would she be?

“Gen.”

A clear voice called my name as I was walking dejectedly. I floated when I

saw her drinking milk and eating a piece of bread. She seemed so surprised.

“Hey.”

“Why are you here, Gen?”

I was a genius. I was smart, beautiful and a genius. She had to kiss me when
we got home.

“Aoey, why did you leave?”

I spoke coldly and took off my sunglasses. I looked at her fiercely.

"Are you fucking crazy? You just left a note!”

“No, but I hate saying goodbye.”

“Don't you hate sleeping in a temple?”

“Who told you I'm going to sleep here?”

“Is it not like this?”

“You're not smart, Aoey. You are not smart and it is very annoying. You
could act proud but don't make other people worry."

I grabbed her wrist and dragged her back to the car. But she
defended herself.

“Do not touch me!”

I blinked in surprise. Aoey seemed as surprised as I was. She crossed her

arms over her chest and turned her back to me. She looked at the snacks and
milk on the floor and changed the subject.

“Look! It's all on the floor, my first meal of the day.”

“If you are hungry, you have to eat rice, not have a snack.”

I tried not to talk about how she rejected me, but instead focused on her first
meal.

“That fills my stomach.”

“Hey!”

She got scared after I yelled at her. Then, I felt sorry for shouting so loudly.

“I'm sorry for being upset. Aoey, I'm so worried about you. Let's go home.
I will never let you sleep in the temple and you can't say no,"

I said before she could say anything.

“Please, come back to me.”

“Do what I say!”

Aoey was stunned and nodded when I was harsh on her.

“OK.”

Finally, she followed me to the car. We took her bag and got into the car. We
were in complete silence as we drove home. I knew it was me who was in a
bad mood.

“How did you know I was in the temple?”

“I guessed.”

“You are good. Is there something you don't know?”

I didn't know myself. That's what I didn't know. Why I had to search for a
long lost friend from elementary school. Why did I have to beg her to come
home with me? I didn't know and I didn't understand. Oh! That was so
frustrating.

“I don't know why you ran away from home.”

Silence... nothing came out of the soft eyes. There was something she was
hiding and she wasn't telling me. But it was fine, I had already gotten Uncle
Somkit to figure it out. He would know soon.

“But it's okay. It's not as important as where you'll sleep

tonight.” I sighed.

“You'll sleep with me from now on.”

“What?”

“I'm moving into the condo now. My class schedule changed to the
morning. My mom's house is a little far from my university. I don't like
sleeping alone in the condo.”

“Are you afraid of ghosts?”

“Yeah.”

This wasn't me. I wasn't sure why I had to lie...

“How could I stay for free?”

“I never said you could stay for free. I thought you would look for a

job.” “Yes, but it won't be enough for the rent, water and electricity

bills.” Now I was mad at her!

“More than money, you have to clean, take care of my things and find me
some food... Can you cook?”

The soft eyes began to nod in agreement. Her top bun jiggled as she nodded
and that made me smile.

“That's ok. If you're helpful, that's not a problem.”

“I'll stay with you until I can rent my own place. I will pay the rent and be
useful.”

“OK, it's a deal.”

“Deal!”

Finally....
 ғᴏᴜʀ
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

Lately I was confused with myself. I felt sorry for other people and begged
her to live with me. I didn't get any of that. If I needed a maid, I could ask
someone from my house but I had asked Aoey to move in with me for that.
It was stupid. Why did I do that? It had been a week since Aoey moved in
with me. I also didn't go home during that entire period.. It took me a while
to adjust, but I was already comfortable with it. We talked and consulted,
even when sometimes I didn't understand her.

“Do you know that you can mix fabric softener with water to clean the
floor? And the floor will be free of dust.”

“Oh really? That is awesome.”

I acted surprised. I didn't care what made my floor dust-free, I would have
liked to pay to have someone do it for me. But... well, she had started a
conversation. The soft eyes were now cleaning the floor with great skill. I
admired her for being so diligent and trying to be helpful all the time. Aoey
got a job at a convenience store. After that, she would come home and clean
my house. She did everything and I was never lazy.

“Will you have time to go to school?”

“If I study at an open university, I will have time.”

“Why don't you try an entrance exam at a public university?”

“I'm not that smart. I don't think I can compete with other people. I can
study anywhere. It doesn't matter.”

“We have such a different idea. My family pressured me so much when I

was in school that I should join government colleges. It is the first step of
your career. My dad even tried to bribe me with a Patek Phillip watch as
a reward if I entered.”

“Is that the name of a magician?”

“I just said it's a watch. It is a watch brand.”

The famous luxury watch did not seem to influence some people. If Patek
Philip was a magician, Lee Min Ho was a boy band singer. Did she even
know Lee Min Ho?

“You're smart. You don't have to study much. In fact, you don't have
to work and you can live comfortably. You're perfect... beautiful, rich
and smart,"

Aoey said and looked me in the eyes as if she wanted me to know that she
meant it. But every time I looked into her eyes, I felt so shy. I had to walk
away.

“You don't wear glasses anymore.”

“I'm cleaning. I do not need them.”

“Do you use it when you're at work?”

“Sometimes.”

“You have to put them on.”

“Because?”

“I don't know, but you should put them on.”

I looked at her directly despite feeling weak. I needed to tell her to do what
I asked and she nodded her head.

“Okay, I'll put them on.”

“You should wear your hair and not put on makeup.”

Aoey smiled after I made so many requests. I knew it was a lot to ask. I
didn't understand why her makeup bothered me.

“No, I won't.”

“Good.”

I was worried about her... She was so naive and beautiful. people could
hurt her.

“I think my salary from the convenience store is not enough. I should find
more work.”

“Aren't you working too hard? You are so

small.” “There will be something I can do.”

After Aoey finished cleaning, we sat next to each other and watched TV
together. That was another activity that I felt comfortable with. We talk
about Korean actors and series. We shared many interests and it made me
realize the meaning of intimacy. There was a knock on the door. I grabbed
a remote control and paused, leaving the actor's face
with his mouth wide open. Aoey got up and opened the door. I saw my
Great brother, who was now in his school uniform. He seemed surprised to
see a stranger answer the door.

“Is this room number 1725?”

Great, I took a few steps back to double check the number. I looked at him
and called.

"Come in, I'm here."

Great stuck his head out and saw me. He seemed so surprised to see that I
had a visitor or a friend.

"I didn't realize you had friends,"

Great pointed at Aoey with a surprised look on his face.

“My name is Aoey.”

The soft eyes that didn't wear glasses smiled at my brother. That left him
stunned.

“Great, you're being rude. Don't stare at

her," I said. He smiled and nodded

sheepishly. "Hello,"

Great said.

“You two look alike, Great and Gen.”

The soft eyes looked at my brother for a considerable time.

“If you were a man, you would look like this.”

“Why are you here?”

I cut off their conversation, annoyed with both of them. Great was carrying
a student bag, sat next to me and made a face.

“I miss you.”

“Come on.”

“That's true. Mom said you won't be coming home for a week. I thought
you had a boyfriend and that you should be here with your boyfriend. I
wanted to see what kind of man can win your heart. It turned out to be a
woman. Oh! Why did you hit me?”
I hit him in the face for not knowing me. He should know me better than
this. I was not an "easy" person. I opened the door to everyone but no one
has ever-invaded-me yet.

“Is that what you thought when you saw a woman?”

“It's still weird. I didn't know you had friends”

“Why not?”

“You're not a good friend. Oh! You hit me again.”

I hit him on the head so hard that the sound was like a drum. Aoey saw
everything and laughed out loud.

“You two are so cute.”

Aoey looked at her watch.

“Oops, I have to go, Gen. I cleaned everything already, you can make a
mess again. I'll clean it again later. Bye bye!”

“Okay.”

I responded and looked into the soft eyes as she was leaving.

“Don't forget your glasses!”

I remembered. Aoey walked back and smiled at me with her whole face.

“OK.”

Once my brother saw she was gone, he stood up excitedly and was about to
say something when Aoey ran in. She entered clumsily and overturned. My
brother was quick to support her but...

“Let go!”
The scream and force brought silence to the room. Great was as stunned as I
was by the loud noise and fierce rejection. I had never seen her like this.

“Sorry, in my rush I forgot my cell phone.”

“You must hurry.”

Aoey grabbed her phone and looked at me before leaving. I shrugged telling
her to go to work. Once the door was completely closed, when Great and I
were sure she wouldn't come back. My brother broke the silence.

“Your friend is strange.”

“As?”

“She looks sweet but at the same time she hides something inside .”

Great put his hand on his chest.

“Fascinating.”

It seemed like he was daydreaming.

“Do not be silly. Do you know what's fascinating?”

“Of course I know. She is like you. All men are also fascinated with you.
They want to know what you're thinking.”

“Come on! Know-it-all boy. Are you also fascinated with me?”

“I'm not fascinated by you. I've known you all my life. But your friend
Aoey…”

“You should go home.”

“What?! I haven't finished speaking and you've already changed your tone.
I'm here because I miss you. I haven't seen you in a week.”

“If you miss your mom, go home and see mom. I don't!”
“You have such a bad mouth. By the way, do you know if Aoey has a
boyfriend?”

“Go home!”

“What?! I am your brother. Stop kicking me out the door.”

“You are annoying. Go home!”

Great was confused, but he slowly stood up and grabbed his

school bag.

"By the way, don't tell mom that I'm with a

friend," I warned him.

“Because?”

“I'm not ready to explain. I don't want to explain to mom and dad, the same
way I have explained to you that I have a friend..”

“Why do you act as if you were living with your partner?”

He began to realize that I was really upset now. He finally left. Once I was
alone, I began to process what had just happened. Why did Aoey reject
Great's help? She just tried to help. It didn't seem normal. Should I ask her?
I waited until Aoey was home later. Once home, she let her hair down. Her
long hair was wavy after being tied up all day. I watched her movement
silently as she walked towards her. I leaned down next to her face "Aoey."

I said jokingly. The sweet eyes jumped as if she had been electrocuted. She
tried to hit me but I quickly blocked her hands, we both looking at each
other. I wanted to know how she felt, but She backed away once she
realized It was me.

“I'm sorry.”

“Are you OK? You don't look good at all."

I approached her but she quickly walked away from her.

“No problem.”

"Why did you try to hit me?"

“I just got scared.”

"That was a bit exaggerated."

I extended my arm toward her and, beneath the square glasses, l saw her
beautiful eyes.

"Let me see if you're okay."

I walked over to try again. Aoey stepped back and crossed her arms. Her
soft eyes looked into the distance in the other direction.

“You don't want me to touch you.”

“N... No... not like that.”

She looked so scared and nervous that I felt sorry for her. Her trembling
hand reached out to touch me.

“Look, I'm touching you.”

I grabbed her wrist and squeezed her hard. Her gentle eyes looked shocked
and scared. That wasn't normal.

“Why are you so afraid of being touched?”

“You can tell me, Aoey.”

Aoey's face looked so uncomfortable. I was now very curious about what
had happened to her. She looked at the ground and responded with a
whispering voice.

“I think other people are dirty.”

“Including me?”

I let go of my hand. I felt bad but I tried to be understanding. The people

were different. I hated geckos. She might be fine with that. It wasn't her
fault.

“You are different.”

“Oh?”

“I don't feel like you're dirty.”

"Why are you so afraid of me then?"

She looked at me with her sweet eyes full of tears. From that sad look I had
no idea what that meant.

“I feel dirtier than you and I don't want you to get dirt on yourself.”

What the hell was that? That was the end of our conversation. We took
turns showering and then went to bed. We both didn't discuss anything else,
but we weren't angry but the atmosphere was still heavy. I didn't know what
that was. So, I just wanted to do something… I didn't know why… I
approached Aoey, who had her back to me. I put my arm on her waist. She
was a little nervous, I knew she hadn't fallen asleep.

“Let me hug you. Maybe you'll feel better,"

I said as she continued to close her eyes. I rested my face on the back of
her neck and pulled her tightly, so she wouldn't feel "dirty."

“You don't have to worry at night if I pretend to hug you again..”

“Did you pretend to hug me?”

“Yeah.”

“Because?”
"If I hug you, you'll sleep better."

I told her.

"I'm going to sleep now." Don't walk away if you feel

uncomfortable.” “If I feel uncomfortable, will you stop hugging me?”

“No, I will continue hugging you. When you're nervous, you can wake me
up too. So if you sleepwell, I will sleep well too.”

“You are still self-centered like when we were young.”

Aoey stroked my hand gently as if thanking me. That night we slept

soundly, without Aoey waking up again.
 ғɪᴠᴇ
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

I liked winning...Aoey was always nervous when I walked past her or

when I touched her. So I tried to touch her as often as possible to break the
ice and create new habits. She seemed to function, still not one hundred
percent, but much better than before. Aoey got used to me touching her.
That made me feel like a winner. I was up for the behavior change award. It
felt good that she let me touch her, beyond great. I was sure that I was her
closest friend in this world. But her statement that day was still in my head.
It was deep in my brain. Why did she look at me differently than the rest of
the people?

What had I done to make her think I was cleaner than other people she
didn't want to touch? I was a little upset when she said I was clean and she
was dirty when she was with me. I was not a detergent. I thought about
many things as I watched her work in silence writing something in her
notebook. She caught me looking at her and said:

"I can't work if you're going to look at me like that,"

She said and looked at me making me feel likenI was going to melt.

“Do you have something to say?”

"No."

I stretched and looked away nervously.

“I think about how serious you are when you work.”

“I'm writing a novel. I'll post it tonight...how am I going to finish this if
you're looking at me.”

“I wasn't noisy.”

“But the way you look at me is strange.”

“Oh?”

“Feeling that you touched me.”

My face was stunned when she said that. Aoey laughed out
loud when she saw my face.

“Look, that's why I can't concentrate on work. Look! Instead of looking at

my computer, I'm now looking at you. Your eyes are so beautiful, how can
I look away from this?”

The smaller girl said and rested her chin on the palm of her hand.

“Don't look at other people like that.”

“Most of the time I wear sunglasses. But if you feel uncomfortable, I'll use
them.”

“It's the opposite of uncomfortable. I said your eyes are beautiful. If you
were a man, I'd be so sensitive.”

My heart was beating as loud as a war drum. It was pounding so hard, like I
had a heavy workout, especially when I looked into her eyes and blushed...
Why did I feel like that?

“Hey.”

“Yeah?”

“Why do you think I'm clean and you're dirty?”

Finally I asked her what I had in mind. She seemed nervous when I said
that. I wasn't sure if I asked her for something too sensitive for her.

“I said that? I don't remember. It may not mean anything.”

“Why am I cleaner than other people? Why are other people so dirty that
you don't want them to touch you?”

I looked directly at her. I was wondering why I was so curious about her.
I had it saved since the night before.. When she realized I was serious
about my question, she turned off her computer, took off her glasses, and
looked me in the eyes.

“You, Gen, are out of my reach.”

“Oh?”

I frowned. I started by challenging her, but now I was confused.

“What do you mean?”

“I always admired you, Gen. Since we were in elementary school. You're

pretty, proud, rich,with respectable parents."

The soft eyes shrugged.

“You were so charming and in control. You could tell people what to do.
You looked good even when you were self centered. And now you're the
same, beautiful, in control, charming, even when you speak, move or look.”

“These are just physical things.”

“There are other factors too. You are smart, you have good grades, you
come from a good family. You're perfect. Too perfect to be... a human
being.”

That! What was I, then?

“Compared to me, I have nothing. I was from the interior of the country and
arrived in the city with only 500 baht in cash. We are so different. I was
surprised that you let me live with you. Why have you never done less to
me?”

"Why would I do that?"

“There are so many things you don't know about me. If you knew, you
might think I was a piece of trash."

There was sadness in her voice. Her beautiful eyes were sad and I couldn't
stand that.

"You're not upset with me now, are you?"

“No, it wasn't an unpleasant feeling. You are different from other people.”

“Then try it.”

“Oh?”

I looked at the smaller girl and smiled. I gestured for her, who was sitting in
front of her computer, to come closer to me, instead of walking towards her.

“Come here. Let me touch you.”

Aoey looked at me bewildered. She stood up awkwardly and walked

towards me, she sat next to me and touched my arm gently, as if to prove
that what she said was true.

“You see? I'm not upset with you. I just don't feel like I belong here.”

I put both my hands around her face and forced her to look into my eyes.
Aoey was a little stiff when I touched her intimately like that. But she was
much better than before.

“I didn't realize it when I touched the arm. You have to do this."

I not only cupped her face with my two hands. I gently rubbed her soft
cheeks.

“Your skin is so soft. What cream do you use?”

“The same brand you're using.”

“Lick?”

“I don't know. I stole it from you. I wanted to be as beautiful as you.”

Our talk was so trivial. We just wanted to talk to each other.

"You're not afraid of me anymore, are

you?" I asked and she nodded.

“I think I feel good when you touch me. That's weird. I never felt like this
before.”

Aoey reached out her hand and gently touched the back of my hand. We
looked into each other's eyes. No words came out, just long eye contact.
The beautiful light brown eyes looked at me as if she was in a trance and I
was in a trance too. I didn't know what made me want to get closer to her,
closer to her....
Further… And more.. What was I doing?

-I don't want to talk to you now. Go back to your work.”

I got up to go to the shower and shook off that whole atmosphere by talking
about something else.

“Are you going to apply to any school?”

“No, I wanted to save more money..”

“When do you think you can do that?”

“I don't know.”
“Ummm..”

I let the topic drop and got up to shower and get ready for school. When
Aoey got into the shower, I quickly opened her notebook and looked
through her novel. What was the story?
What's the website, what's the pseudonym? Did I care too much about
another human being? That wasn't me at all. I cared about her future if she
didn't plan to go to school. Should I do something to help her? That wasn't
me at all...

I sat in a lecture room, pretending to listen to the professor, but instead, I

was reading Aoey's novel. I never worried about reading anything other
than reading for a test. I didn't even read Harry Potter. I just didn't like it. I
preferred to watch a movie or listen to music. But now I am reading Aoey's
book. It actually wasn't bad. I remembered an interview on television with a
celebrity who advised that if you want to read a novel with more pleasure,
replace the name of the celebrities you like with that of those characters. I
used this technique in Aoey's book. In fact, it was a good romance novel.
Many people also read it… I wondered what I had gained by publishing this
novel. She got nothing at all. It was a waste of time. What are you reading,
dear?'

“Ha.”

Aeh, my classmate poked her head out to see my phone screen. She raised
an eyebrow and smiled at me when I looked at her. She refused to notice
that I was upset by her nosy habit. She was a good friend, but I didn't want
to talk to her. I just didn't like making friends.

“This is Dekdee's website. I read there too. What are you reading?”

She didn't care that I was so angry with her now. Because now I was
reading the scene where they were playing naughty under a blanket.

“Oh! That was good. Aoey is a good writer.”

When I heard Aoey's name from Ja-Aeh, I felt very proud of my friend. She
was a famous writer.
“Yes, it's good.”

“It needs a good rewrite. It could be a self-published book.”

“What's that?”

“It is a book that writers write, publish and sell themselves... They can
make a lot of money. I think website writers do this.”

“Oh really? Good money? How much is good money?”

“I don't know either but I think they can make 6 digits. Each book costs a
lot and if there are many people they ask for it. They earn a lot of money.”

“Thank you my good friend.”

I smiled back at my friend for the first time with my heart 10 times
bigger. Ja-Aeh looked at me and was so shy because I caught her off
guard.

“What...what did I do?”

“Help a person pay their tuition.”

But when I talked to Aoey about the self-publishing book. She shook her
head in disagreement.

“No. I do not have money.”

I knew what her problem was. Money was never a problem for me, but
when I was about to say something, she immediately interrupted me..

“I wanted to work with a publishing house. I don't need to invest in

anything. If my work is good, someone will invest in them. I think it is
risky to publish my own book. What happens if no one asks for it? I will
lose confidence in myself. I think people like to read for free. That's what
they like.”

She was so troublesome. I sighed deeply and wrapped my arms around my

chest, looking at her agitatedly. I had no idea how much I was upset
because she said no to everything.

“Have you ever sent them to an editor?”

“Yes, I sent some but never got a response.”

“What happens if they never send any response? You will publish a book
in your next life.”

My tone was harsh because I was not happy that she refused to fight against
my faith.

“Don't worry. I will pay for your publication.”

"No."

Now her tone was harsher than mine. I didn't know why she had to reject
every offer I made as if it were something dangerous.

“Because?”

“It is none of your business. This is my business.”

Now there was silence between us. I nodded slowly when I heard that, she
realized that wasn't the right thing to do when I avoided eye contact with
her. Aoey quickly dismissed it.

“That's not what I mean.”

“Forget it.”

“No, we can't just forget about that. I just... I just..."

The girl bit her lip. I tried to walk away, but stopped after she spoke.

“I don't want you to feel sorry for me.”

“Oh?”
I looked at her curiously. Now the water filled those beautiful eyes.

"It's generous enough of you to let me stay here. If you help me more, how
can I pay you back?”

“I'm not doing it to feel sorry. I never thought of something like that.”

“I wanted to be your friend without you feeling like I was taking advantage
of you. It's enough to be my friend. People like you shouldn't get involved
with people like me at all.”

"People like me aren't that good."

I was upset at how she put herself down.

“I never did anything to be so good. I never made money. I never worked in

a convenience store. All I did was ask my parents for money.”

"In my opinion, you... are the best."

The beautiful eyes looked at me as if they were trying to get inside me.

“I wanted to climb up to you. I wanted to adapt to you. That's what I wanted

to do.”

“Hey…”

“Please don't help me. I'll take care of this myself. Please.”

My heart started beating fast again. My head spun a little. She didn't have
many friends. I didn't know someone needed to put in so much effort in a
relationship. Someone wanted to rise to my level and looked me in the eyes.
That made me so weak. I had to look away.

“What can I do if you say this?”

"Thank you for understanding."

Aoey looked a little uncomfortable before she slid into me and hugged me.
She still didn't like being touched, but she hugged me because she cared
about me.

“Don't be mad about what I said about it being none of your business. It
was not my intention…”

“Now I understand.”

The girl looked up from my chest and seemed surprised.

“Your heart beats so fast.”

“I also believe it. I wanted to visit a doctor. I think my body is not quite
right.”

“You should see a doctor. If you die, I will be very sad.”

I closed my eyes and turned away from her face mockingly but in reality I
was afraid of those beautiful eyes. I didn't want to get too close.

“Your sweet mouth. Are you worried about being homeless if I die?”

“I'm worried about not having anyone to hug... Gen!”

I sat on the floor exhausted. My heart was beating so fast and my body was
so weak when I heard that. I needed to eat something, I figured, but my legs
shouldn't be that weak.

“What happened? Have you fainted?”

The littlest friend wanted to pick me up, but I brushed her off and thought
I was losing to something.

"I'm fine. I'm fine. Don't come any closer,"

I hugged myself. Aoey paused and tilted her head looking at me like a
curious little kitten..
“What's the matter?”

“I am losing....”

“Hey?”

I didn't respond, but sat there in silence. Aoey looked at me the whole time
and didn't know how to respond to that.. I was losing to her!
 sɪx
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

“How much money can you earn selling a novel?”

I proposed the self-publishing novel project to my mother, who was an

investor. She looked surprised and laughed. I know, she could easily give
me money, but I had to ask questions and everything, to make it harder.

“Quite. Don't you have savings?”

“Yes, but I don't want my friend to know that I'm an investor. Money is
always a delicate topic.”

She once said that she doesn't want to lose a friend because of money.

"Don't do it then if she's so worried about it.".

I thought she was playing hard to get. I knew I didn't like begging. It was
exhausting..

“If you called your friend who owns a publishing house and gave her
money. I will remember it until the day I die.”

My mom looked at me with surprise. She gave me a kind smile. I never

asked my mom for anything. She knew I had a big ego. But if I begged her
so much, that meant it was a big problem for me. She nodded at the end.
“Ok, you begged for that. How did you meet this friend? I don't see that you
have many friends. Do I know her?”

“My childhood friend. I don't think you can remember it. I just wanted to
help her and I can see that she will make money. It may be little money for
you, but it's big for a girl.”

“I know. Are you someone's daddy long leg?”

“This is what great people do.”

“If my friend finds out that I was behind her success, she will be very
pleased and will appreciate me. If he were a man, he would kneel in front of
me, but if she were a girl, she would transform into a man and devote
herself to me.”

“Your life is complicated.”

It was even worse than a bad novel. In the end, I made a business deal with
my mom. We chatted for a while and I had to leave. I walked towards my
car but Somkit ran after me and gave me a big smile.

“Gen.”

“Yeah?”

“I have something about the girl you asked me about.”

“The girl I asked about?”

I looked at him having forgotten that, then I realized what he was talking
about.

“Ah... Yes, what's the update, please?”

I was excited to find out more about the girl I had been living with for two
weeks. Although we talked, we slept next to each other, I hardly knew
anything about her. She still didn't talk
much about herself. Finally I would find out what was wrong with her.
“It has a tough history.”

I was watching my friend, who was trying to heat up some pork meatballs
and was bragging about how good they were. I looked at her... for a long,
long... long time. I looked at her all over her body.

"Your friend had a sexual problem with her stepfather."

That was the reason she ran away. She didn't dare ask me or if she asked, I
didn't know if she would tell me. We weren't that close.

“Aoey.”

I called. She turned and gave me a sweet smile under those glasses I asked
her to wear to hide her eyes.

“Yeah?”

“How is Teacher Salee?”

"It's fine as always."

She looked at the microwave, showing no emotion. I thought it was strange,

so I walked towards her and stood next to her.

“Oh?”

She turned around and looked at me as I stood behind her.

“I'm much taller than you. If I hug you from behind her, I have to crouch
down."

I crouched down and hugged her after saying that. My arms wrapped
around her slim, tiny body. My chin rested on her shoulders. I smelled the
light fragrance of shampoo from her long hair. I felt so good that I didn't
want to let her go.

(“Aoey was an adopted child. She was shocked when her adoptive mother
kicked her out of the house, accusing her of flirting with her stepfather.
That's the reason your friend had to run away from home.") My eyes were
all teary when I heard that. I wasn't sure what that feeling was. It could be
pity. This little woman was kicked out of her home by a woman who raised
her. She didn't have another like she had before. She must have hurt a lot.

“Gen, are you okay?”

“You're much shorter than me. I can tell just by looking.”

I put my hand on her head. I don't know why I did that. She was amazed at
my clumsy approach. We looked at each other and I finally said what I
felt.

“You got me.”

“I just wanted to tell you that.”

I tried to walk away once I said that. But it wasn't that easy. Aoey pulled on
my shirt to stop me from pushing her away. She looked at me with a
serious face.

“What do you know?”

“What?”

“Do you know anything about me?”

The beautiful eyes searched for the truth in my eyes. I was now nervous and
worried about her tension..

“I need to know something?”

“Did you investigate anything about me?”

We both sat in silence. I felt bad and turned my face away. But I didn't feel
guilty about seeking the truth about who my roommate was. What she
did? Who was she? What had she been through? I had a right to know.

“Yeah.”
“Because?”

“I wanted to know why you came to Bangkok. What was your story?”

Her sweet eyes widened when she heard that. Aoey took a step back and
hugged herself as if to protect herself from me.

“Why do you need to know about me?”

“Why not?”

“I never interfere in your affairs. I never investigated…”

“You knew my story. Who I am? Where am I from?”

“And you don't know who I am and where I come from?”

“I don't know why you ran away from home. I was just worried.”

“Do not worry about me. You're just nosy. If you want to know about me,
why don't you ask me?”

“If I asked you, would you have told me that you ran away from home
because you had something with your stepfather?”

Because I was frustrated, she pushed me to use my sarcastic tone. I felt bad
after saying that. She looked at me surprised. It seemed like that was
something she was ashamed of, and I said it out loud to embarrass her
more.

“And now you know! Are you happy now?”

She yelled at me and ran out of the room. I stood there in silence. Why do
we fight? I just wanted to know more about her. Why was she so
important? Go if you want! No one has ever yelled at me like that. Did you
think I would give up everything? It just for those beautiful eyes? Even my
dad never yelled at me like that. Who did she think she was? She was just a
girl who had lice. I looked at the door nervously waiting for her to come
back in, as she should. But 10 minutes passed, and her soft eyes had not
returned.
I started to feel nervous. The clock on the wall said it was past 9:00 p.m.
Bangkok was not so safe. It was dangerous and she just went off like a
drama queen. Did she expect me to run after her?

OK! I would like to! I took my cell phone and some cash. I walked around
and looked for her. I never actually walked there. It was only driven..

“Hello, security. Did you see a small woman with glasses leaving here?”

“No, no one left here yet.”

"Okay,"

I responded and realized I hadn't left the building. I went back to the lobby
and called her on my phone. This time she wasn't a drama queen. She
answered the phone and told me where she was..

“I'm right behind you.”

“Oh?”

I turned around and saw her right behind me. Her face was still angry. I
saw her tears that made me feel guilty. But they seemed more like tears of
anger than sadness.

"You have to apologize to me now,"

Aoey said and hung up the phone. People passing by looked at us, but
quickly walked away when I looked at them. My first reaction was to fight
back when she gave me an order like that. Although I knew I could be
wrong.

“Because?”

“You're

wrong.”

“Don't you think I have a right to know that the person I live with has been
through something?”
I told her the reason, but that was not all. I didn't think she was a thief or
anything. I just needed to know the whole story.

“If you want to know, you can ask me. Don't snoop behind my back.”

“What kind of secret do you have? Are you a drug dealer?”

“Are you going to apologize?”

“Ok I'll go. This time I'll really go.”

I still didn't care about the threat. Aoey walked out of the lobby and almost
passed through the security desk. I bit my lip hard. My conscience was
fighting inside my head. A voice said to let her go wherever she wants. The
other voice told me to stop her before she left.nOh no! I was fighting with
myself.
The angel in my head won, I ran towards her. She was way beyond the
security desk. I had to take a bigger step to keep up with her. I finally
stopped in front of her and stopped to breathe..What was this all about?
What kind of drama was this where I was running after someone? Sonthat?

“Where are you going?”

“That's my business.”

I couldn't believe I had a moment like that. Was that what people did when
you fought with a friend?

“It's late. Let's go back.”

“No.”

“Do not argue with me!”

I screamed and glared at her when she refused to come back.

We stared at each other for a long time until Aoey looked
down.

“You don't apologize and you're wrong!”

Her tone sounded like crying. She made me stop in surprise.

“We are friends. If you want to know anything about me, you should ask.
Don't snoop. We all have a secret that we don't want people to know. Can I
have my own secret? Can l have my own space?”

I bit my lip hard. I've never had to say something like that in my life. Oh
damn! Don't cry in front of me. I couldn't stand that.

“I'm sorry.”

I finally said that. I never thought I had to say this. I always trusted what I
did and I never thought I had to apologize to someone like her who didn't
deserve that. I felt so weak, why was that? Aoey looked at me with her
sweet eyes filled with tears.

“Oh really? Are you really serious?”

“Yes, I didn't know it would bother you so much. I just worry about you and
wonder what I can do to help you.”

The girl gave me a very strong hug. Her crying face was now right on my
neck. I felt sensitive and very uncomfortable.

“I will not do it. I'll ask you if I want to know something and you should
start talking to me..”

“Please don't do it again.”

“Okay, I was wrong.”

“I was wrong too. I was too angry.”

She let me go and looked at me in a long silence. It was a very profound

moment that made me feel that in the entire world it was only us. The horn
of the passing bus woke us up from the moment our bubble burst. We let
go while I felt confused. Then, we continued as if nothing had happened.

"First, let's go home,"

I invited her. She smiled at me and grabbed my arm.

“We're going home.”

“Okay.”

“Home sounds cozy. I will call your condo my home for the time being.”

The word home sounded nice and warm, more so than the condo.

"It's so nice to know that there is someone who loves me in this world,"

Aoey said as we walked back.

“Who?”

“You, Gen.”

I smiled at the word 'love'. It gave a strange feeling.

“AHA.”

"I love you too, Gen, in case you didn't know."

My heart raced when I heard that. I realized that this could not be due to
any illness.
 sᴇᴠᴇɴ
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

A sketch paper in my hand was not the image of the project the teacher told
me to make. They were the beautiful eyes that I couldn't get out of my
head. I didn't know why but I remembered all the details. My heart
trembled even at my own drawing.

"I love you too, Gen, in case you didn't know."

After that night, that phrase had been in my head. Now I questioned myself
about what made my heart tremble. I was afraid of the answer I might get,
so I had to stop thinking. Friends say this kind of thing all the time. I just
wasn't used to it… The phone ringing brought me out of my head, back to
reality. I knew the universe was working in a strange way when I saw the
name of the caller. I had to calm down before answering the phone. I didn't
want to seem too excited.

“Hello Aoey.”

[Gen, I didn't know who to tell, but I thought of you. Listen to this.]

“Yes, what's up?”

[My novel will be published. An editor just contacted me. My dream

comes true now.]

Her happy voice made me smile. I would love to see her face at that
moment. Her smile must have been so big and her eyes must have been
smiling too.
“I'm glad for you. Let's celebrate.”

[I will cook.]

“No, I don't want to eat Chinese buns.”

[Yeah, whatever.]

When we hung up, I looked at my phone for a long time and smiled. I
never thought I would be happy because of someone else's success. I never
got too excited when I passed a test because I knew I would pass no matter
what. But seeing her happy made me happy. It was such a strange thing for
me. I did some research on where we should go out to celebrate. If the
restaurant was too fancy, Aoey might not be happy. She would think she
didn't deserve it. But the normal restaurant
would seem too ordinary. Should I let her choose?

I drove home happily. I planned to freshen up and we could go out and

celebrate. But once I was home, I saw Great, my brother. She sat with
Aoey and they chatted as if they were so close. He had gone there without
telling me.

“Hello Sister!”

He gave me a big smile as if he loved me very much.

“Why do you look like you're going to vomit?”

“Why are you here?”

My tone was cold when I saw him chatting with her.

“I'm here to see you. But I'm lucky Aoey is here, so I don't have to wait
alone. She told me that she is now an author and you two are going to
celebrate. Can I join?

“Because?”

“Celebrate.”
“Are you close to us?”

“Yes, I am close to you two. I just wanted to join in, why are you so picky?
Let me join.”

I was about to argue with him, but Aoey, who saw how much Great wanted
to go, interrupted me.

“We can take Great with us. The more the merrier!”

I gave her an angry look but she didn't seem to notice that. No, that wasn't
fun... But I didn't want the atmosphere to be gloomy, I had to let it come
together. That bothered me even more. Great and Aoey just couldn't stop
talking. I didn't have a chance to speak at all. I didn't remember the topic
but somehow Great mentioned me in the conversation. I don't know if
people like Gen will have true love in this life. I looked at him agitatedly
and sarcastically.

“What do you mean?”

“That's what I mean. You look down on other people all the time. Your
future partner also has to be a good follower because she likes to be a
leader.”

Great told Aoey and it seemed like she paid a lot of attention to this topic.

“Yes, I'm curious how your boyfriend will take it. Men like to be leaders,
you know?”

“I can be single if I can't find anyone who is smarter and better than me. I
haven't found anyone like that yet.”

“But it's love, you know. You could fall in love with someone who has
nothing better than you.”

Great said with a know-it-all attitude.

"I'll never like a loser like that."

I looked at him sarcastically.

"You could just give in to him."

He shrugged. The word ‘give in’ made me realize something. I looked at

Aoey but she still didn't know anything.

“I wonder what kind of people you will give in to.”

"No one,"

I said casually and took a sip of water. Aoey continued speaking.

“What is your type of boy?”

Was she forcing me to talk about the type of person I like? I looked at her
and she smiled.

“I never thought I had one before.”

"Does that mean you have one now?"

“As?”

The soft eyes looked at me through her glasses. I Looked directly into her
eyes.

“People like you with beautiful eyes.”

There was a silence between us. Aoey looked nervous and quickly turned
around, rearranging her glasses that fell on the tip of her nose. Great didn't
seem to notice.

“Yes, I also like people with beautiful eyes. Like you, Aoey.”

He said. I looked at him sarcastically when he just repeated what I said. He

had no brain. Why did he just say that to Aoey? Bastard!

"You have beautiful eyes too,"

She replied and rested her chin on the palm of her hand.

“I like your eyes too, Gen. If I'm going to be with someone, they have to
have beautiful eyes too.”

My heart was beating very fast and I began to realize what was causing my
heart to beat! abnormally. Now I knew what was happening to me.!I just not
only surrendered to her, but my sensitivity was also around her. I decided I
would never
give in to her. So I looked into her eyes again. I didn't know what she was
thinking, but there was a little war between us. I knew I would never give
up, even my heart skipped a beat as I looked into those light brown eyes. I
believed that my
gaze could be as powerful as hers. I didn't know how much time passed
until Great waved his hand in front of us to get our attention.

"What are you two playing?"

Looking at each other like that.

"Excuse me, I have to go to the bathroom,"

Aoey said and quickly left without looking at me again. Great looked at her
strange reaction and raised his eyebrows.

“What happened to her?”

“She needs to pee.”

“Why does she turn red then? And your face is red too."

Great looked at me curiously. I felt heatnon my face but she was upset
by her comment.

“Do you have too much free time to focus on other people all the time?
Are you paying that much attention to your school?”

“I just said your face is red. Because you are angry with me?”
“You are very talkative today.”

Great moved a little and looked at the direction Aoey had just walked away.
He checked to see if she had returned yet and quickly started gossiping.

“Did you help her with the publication of her book? Mom said you are you
playing the role of dad.”

“Shut up!”

I pointed to his face and asked him to shut up. I was worried that she might
hear this.

“Why did mom tell you?”

“Mom asked me if I knew your friend. I figured it had to be Aoey because

she's the only one you're close to. You're great, doing something like this..”

“Never speak of this again. Aoey can't know about this.”

“Because?”

“Stop being nosy!”

If people who were arrogant like Aoey found out that her book was
published because someone helped her, she would be sad and feel
worthless.

“Okay, I won't talk... but I need something in return..”

“What is it?”

“Can you help me with her?”

Great smiled sheepishly. My 18-year-old brother Casanova was a good-

looking boy who now had a dreamlike face.

“I like her.”
“But she is much older than you.”

“Only two years. I'm old enough to have a baby...hey! Why are you hitting
me!”

I hit him hard on the head that made such a loud noise. The people in the
restaurant looked at us with curiosity.

“What is this dirty talk! Respect!”

“I just wanted to tell you that I'm an adult. You can be my matchmaker. I
like it a lot.”

“No, I won't.”

“Then I'll tell her that you asked Mom to publish her book, not because the
publisher likes her book!”

We look into each other's eyes as if we were at war. Great's stubbornness

was very typical of him. He would get what he wanted. I sighed and gave
up.

“You have so many girls. She's my friend, can't you do without her? I don't
want to hurt her.”

“No one is going to hurt her. I promise I'll take good care of her if we're
dating.”

“Because she?”

"She's mysterious,"

He said frankly.

“I never met any sweet girl who was also very shy at the same time.”

It reminded me of the time when Great tried to help Aoey from breaking
down, but was rejected. It was the feeling of a kid who always got what he
wanted, but when it was hard to get, it was more fun. It was the challenge
that seemed fun to him. It would help... Why he thought Aoey wouldn't
accept it.

“I'll tell him you like him but I won't help. You have to do the rest
yourself.”

He gave me a big smile.

“It's enough. If you say something, Aoey won't reject me right away. Now,
she comes. Don't forget what you said.”

We all sat and enjoyed the meal without talking about it again. Aoey was in
a very good mood. She smiled and hummed a tune. It would be nice if she
was so happy every day. I asked her about my brother, although I was not
willing to do so.

“You don't have a boyfriend, do you?”

“Oh?”

Aoey, who was watching TV, now looked at me

curiously. “No.”

“You want to have one?”

“No.”

I smiled to myself and was satisfied that Great didn't get what he expected.

“I want to be with you, Gen.”

My heart skipped a beat when I heard that. But I tried to stay calm and
looked at her.

“You don't want a boyfriend but you want to be with me. What do you
mean by that?”
“I don't want to spend time with a boyfriend. I don't like anyone touching
me. A boyfriend will touch me, I prefer not to do that.”

“Are you so afraid of being touched?”

“I just don't like it.”

The soft eyes looked at me surprised.

“Why do you ask?”

"I guess I wanted you to be my girlfriend,"

I said jokingly. She opened her mouth in surprise. I reached out and closed
her mouth, laughing.

“I'm kidding. Great wanted me to ask you.”

"Are you a matchmaker now?"

“Great like you. He asked me to help him.”

The soft eyes looked at me differently now. She changed from a happy
mood to a confused mood so abruptly. I couldn't reach it.

“And now you're helping him?”

“What's wrong with that? Shouldn't I help you?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

I looked at her blankly. Aoey stood up to make eye contact with

me. "In this world, anyone could be my matchmaker, but not you,"

She said coldly. She went into the bathroom immediately and spent a lot of
time there. I was confused and I didn't know what had gone wrong..
Matching was the wrong idea.
 ᴇɪɢʜᴛ
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

Aoey and I had been living together for two months. Time flew quickly.
The calendar on the wall reminded me of the time. Aoey's book was now
in the process of being rewritten and should be on a shelf within the next
two months. Aoey told me that she would receive payment 4 months after
the book was already in the store. But I couldn't wait that long. I asked my
mom to transfer the money ahead of her because I wanted her to quit her
part-time job at a convenience store. She should be at school at that time.

That day, it was the first day in her life to have 6-digit money in her bank
account. She looked at her phone in disbelief, as if she were now in a
surreal world.

“My first payment is 6 figures, Gen.”

“I'm happy for you. You earned it yourself. I couldn't do it by myself."

I looked at my friend who now couldn't stop smiling. So, I told her right
away.

“You should enroll in school now. You don't need to work anymore.”

“How can I stop working? This doesn't mean you can earn it that much
again.”

“You can write another story.”

“It may not be as good as this.”

"I'll read it first if you care that much."

“Do you also read a novel?”

“Yes, I even read your published story. The one about the hero being a
prince and he was in love with the heroine who was born to a thief. Aoey
looked at me in surprise and covered her now pink face in shyness.

“You really read it. I am so embarrassed.”

“Because?”

“There was a love scene there. You might think I have a dirty mind.”

I smiled and looked at her adoringly. It was so funny because she posted it
on the Internet for a thousand people to read, but she was embarrassed
when I read it. I was just a reader in the publication.

“It's a beautiful scene. I wonder what you were thinking when you wrote
that.”

Aoey covered her face and shook her head.

“Do not make fun of me.”

“I'm paying you a compliment.”

“I don't know why when it's you I feel uncomfortable.”

“Okay, I won't bother you anymore.”

We both looked into each other's eyes in silence. But an alert sound from
Aoey's phone broke the silence. Soft eyes diverted her attention to her shitty
old phone. She frowned when she read it.

“Everything is alright?”
I asked curiously.

“Yes.”

Aoey turned her phone face down.

“I just need to be more serious about quitting my part-time job. What

should I do when I quit?”

“Write a novel?”

“I'll think about it.”

Aoey did not agree with my proposal. She left her phone in the same place
when she entered the bathroom. Curious, I grabbed her phone to see what it
was about. But her phone was so old that deserved to be in a museum. It
had to be a free phone.....My curiosity got the better of the old phone. I
managed to get it working. The last message on the screen was not open..

[SKYFALL: I miss you. Please come to work. I'm waiting for you.]

It bothered me to read that, but I realized the message didn't make her
happy. She wanted to quit her job. It was his colleague. But why did I
bother? Since I saw the message, I haven't spoken to Aoey again. I looked
at her dressed in the uniform angrily.

“Are you going to be calm today?”

I realized that my tone was too sarcastic. She looked at me confused and
asked me what was wrong.

“I'm not sure.”

“Resign today.”

“Because?”

“Because I said so.”

I looked deeply into her eyes.

“Why do I have to follow your order?”

“Do what I told you.”

“You're being irrational. I don't want to hear that. I will make my own
decisions.”

Aoey packed her things and left the room. I was left alone and upset. No
one had ever bothered me like that before. But she didn't care. I let her stay
there and published her book. Asking her to quit her job wasn't too much to
ask. I walked anxiously. I decided to finally follow her. I needed to know
which branch of the convenience store she worked at. I was surprised to
learn that the place where she worked on hershift was so close to the
condo. I didn't go into the store because my family took care of everything.
They bought all the things I needed and shipped them.

I watched her working inside the store. I felt upset when I noticed that many
of the customers were looking at her when they left, especially the men. She
was more beautiful than when we were young. She had lice growing up.
Her face was smooth but shiny skin. She didn't wear makeup, how come
she looked so good? Being beautiful could be dangerous. She should do
something to make her look uglier. Maybe when she fell asleep, she
should draw her face. It could be washed anyway.

I imagined so many things as I looked inside the store. I could see her near
the counter when people came and went.
Soon after, I saw a man with dyed blonde hair. He looked ugly rather than
pretty. He gave her a big, crooked-toothed smile. He obviously flirted with
her. I wanted to throw my shoe from outside. But I could only observe
from afar. However, Aoey seemed uncomfortable. That was him
SKYFALL.................................................................................................the
chat boy. I had to take some action, so that this guy would leave her alone.

I surprised myself, knowing that I was wasting my time hanging out at the
convenience store where Aoey worked. And I had to hide it from her too.
However, she had something else to do....she was there to.. Wait…
Almost
two hours later, when the SKYFALL boy went out to smoke a cigarette. I
took a deep breath and composed myself before walking in with a big smile
towards him.

“Sorry.”

The man who was now holding a cigarette looked at me in surprise. I gave
him a flirtatious smile that made him choke on his cigarette.

“Yeah?”

“I wanted to ask you something.”

“Yeah?”

He dropped the cigarette on the floor and stepped on it to put out the fire.
He wiped her hand on her shirt over and over again as if he were very dirty.

“Do you have a girlfriend?”

My direct question made him super uncomfortable. I flirted with him like a
pro.

“N...No”

“Do you have someone in mind?”

His bulging eyes looked into the store and shook his head like a

liar. “No.”

“That's good.”

I stood up and looked at the boy who was shorter than me, about 3
centimeters.

“If I knew you were trying with Aoey, I would hurt you.”

I had the ability to threaten people. My voice and cold eyes cursed people
and froze them if I was angry. The man in front of me changed from
surprise to not giving a shit when he realized I was threatening him.

"What do you think you can do to me if I go after Aoey?"

He went from being nervous to openly challenging me. I greeted my

father's boy whom I called earlier to wait. A big guy appeared next to the
blonde boy while I was standing on the other side.

“I think I can. You have the option of leaving it or not going to work or
study for two months.”

That was the end. SKYFALL promised that he would leave Aoey. Now
that I was bored waiting for Aoey, I returned to my condo and took a nap. I
woke up with a surprise to see the soft eyes sitting next to me on the bed,
looking at me..

“You scared me. What time did you come back?”

Aoey pressed my chest and told me to continue napping.

“A while ago, I watched you while you were sleeping..”

“Oh.”

“I don't feel good fighting with you. I'm sorry.”

She said with a sad expression. I had forgotten about that because I had
paid more attention to the blonde boy. I nodded in agreement.

“You don't have to apologize. I was being selfish. I was wrong too. Don't
worry about that.”

“I quit.”

“Oh good. Now you have time to study or write a novel. Whatever you
want to do, I support you."

I smiled and gently touched her cheek with the back of my hand. The soft
eyes took my hand and looked into my eyes.
“I will spend my time writing a novel. Now I have an idea for a new plot.”

“Which is it?”

“I'll let you read it. I'll write it just for you..”

“Ok, I'll look forward to it.”

“Wait until I'm brave enough, I'll let you read it. I promise.”

“What kind of novel needed bravery? But anyway, I'll wait.”

“Oh... Gen.”

“Yeah?”

Aoey now stood up and showed me her back when she said that..

“Next time you visit me, please come in. It's too hot outside.”

I jumped when I heard that. She turned around and gave me a smile. My
face turned red because I had been caught red-handed “You saw me?”

“Yeah.”

“Why didn't you say something?”

The soft eyes looked at me and smiled so beautifully.

“I wanted to know how you planned to reconcile with me.”

“No, I wasn't there to make peace with you.”

I was there to see the guy who tried to hit on her and I never did anything
wrong. I never had to reconcile with anyone.

"What you did makes me so excited."

She turned around and gave me a beautiful smile under those thick glasses.
"I love you, Gen,"

She said it as casually as if it were a normal statement. I froze at this

statement and responded with a controlled casual voice.

“Yes, because I am a lovely person. It's hard to resist.”

“What about me? Am I adorable to you?”

I nodded.

“Yes you are…”

"Do you love me then?"

-I'm proven. I need to sleep."

I collapsed back into bed and turned around with my back toher. My heart
was beating so fast and I felt the pressure of her words. I had just stopped
outside a convenience store, why did she ask me if he loved her? Did she
want me to confess my love? That was crazy!
 ɴɪɴᴇ
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

I had a lot more things to do since we lived together. I was her financial and
educational advisor. She got some money and was looking for an open
university to study.

“Here's a good one. It's close to our condo.”

“The cost of tuition is very high. I wanted to study where it is cheaper.”

“This is expensive, but you don't have to pay for the trip, you don't have to
get up early. It could be the same expenses in the end,"

I suggested it, but she was still stressed about it.

“Tuitions for 4 years are not cheap.”

“You can continue writing your novel. They paid you 100,000 baht. You
will have around 400,000 for 4 books.”

“Publishing does not mean that all books will make money.”

“You can publish it yourself. Now you have some money.”

The gentle eyes seemed to light up. She smiled brightly at me.

“That's true. I forgot I have some money now. I'll make the next one so
good that readers will pre-order it. I don't need the editor anymore.”
I looked at the beautiful eves and that smiled and that illuminate the whole
world with hope. It was the first time I felt happy with someone. I never
felt empathy with other people.. I looked at my watch and realized it was
time to go. I had a date with my mom. She wanted to talk to me about
something. I left Aoey to do school research at home.. I left home only to
find a surprise I didn't expect. My mom had set me up on a blind date....

“His name is Tod. He is my friend's son. He is a medical student.”

After my mom made the presentation, the man looked at me with dreamy
eyes, he just liked other boys.

“Yeah.”

“Why don't you introduce yourself?”

"I guess you already did it for me. Hi Tod, I'm Genlong. I am 20 years. My
dad is a man and my mom is a woman."

I wrapped my arms around my chest and leaned back in boredom. My

gesture gave my mother a headache.

“Mind your manners, Gen!”

"It's okay,"

Tod said in his low voice and looked at me adoringly. He looked at me

like I was a child and I hated that.

“It's okay, I know you didn't have time to teach her.”

I was immediately upset when I heard that comment. He implied that my

mom didn't raise me right.
-

“Big sarcasm.”

I smiled and so did he.

“I have to keep up with smart people.”

Strangely, I felt good about him when he wasn't bored. It made me more
interested in him. The meal passed peacefully, I even felt a little bad when
he spoke like that in front of my mother. After the meal, he walked me to
the car and apologized.

“I'm sorry for making that comment. I'm only human.”

“That was hard for the first time.”

“You're a problem.”

The handsome future doctor had already given me the nickname as if we

were best friends and smiled at me mockingly. It was strange that I
didn't hate him like I usually do with men..

“I’ll Leave.”

“Am I going to see you again?”

He raised his eyebrows at me. I shrugged.

“Even the wind..”

That was all I said. I didn't like giving false hope or misunderstandings. So I
got in the car and left. My mother, who was now sitting next to me, smiled
at me. She wanted feedback on the future doctor. I was agitated for her.

“Mom, I'm only 20 years old and I'm still studying. How could you
introduce me to a boy? Does dad know anything about this?”

“It doesn't matter. I'm just introducing you to a good boy. I didn't tell you
to get married tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. I evaluated this boy;
He is handsome, rich, well educated, he comes from a good family. He is
perfect. You couldn't find a guy like that again!”

“He is too perfect. I wanted to be the perfect one in the relationship.”

“Then you can marry yourself.”

“It's what I thought.”

“Well, try to hang out together. You are not losing anything. You are too
obsessed with yourself. You think you're the best in the world. Open your
mind. I don't like your way of thinking.”

“I'm living my life.”

“I'm worried about you. You're obsessed with yourself,"

She said with a very concerned tone. She seemed to be very worried
because I had no friends. She was worried I would turn into a heartless
bitch.

“I'm not that bad. I love dogs and cats. I love you and dad. I know how to
love..”

“What about men?”

“I don't have one now.”

“Something might happen to you.”

“What's that?”

“Another beautiful girl like you would have a new boyfriend every day. But
you don't like anyone. Many men tried to get you but you don't like any of
them. Be honest, do you like girls?”

His question made me stiff. I looked away trying to avoid her eye contact.

“What do you mean? I don't like anyone yet, but that doesn't mean I like
girls.”

“Well, I was just asking. Why do you have to be upset?”

“I'm not upset, mom!”

“Well, you're obviously upset. Your mood is changing. Do you have your
period?”

“I don't want to talk to you anymore.”

After dinner, I picked up my car home and drove back to my condo. There
were a lot of people who had bothered me in a single day. My mom
introduced me to a man. My brother passed by without warning. Great
welcomed me when he saw me enter.

“How's your blind date going with the guy who got you mom?”

I quickly looked at Aoey after that question. The soft eyes didn't make any
eye contact since I entered.

“You know everything, huh? Why are you here anyway?”

“I'm here to see you.”

“You knew I was with mom. Why the hell are you here?”

He knew that I knew why he was here. Great rolled his eyes and tried to
make up some excuses. Silly brother! He was so annoying.

“I want to see you. I knew you'd come back here. I also helped Aoey look
for a college.”

“How long have you been an expert on this topic? Go home. There are only
girls in this room. A boy in the room makes it even more difficult for my
routine.”

“Do whatever you want.”

“I'll get naked!”

I looked at my brother fiercely.

“Go home!”
“Why are you kicking me out? I wanted to be with you.”

“No, I want to be alone.”

“You are not alone. Aoey is here too.”

“I wanted to be alone with Aoey. Just the two of us. Come on!”

My unfriendly tone startled Great a little. He left reluctantly. I turned

around to look into the soft eyes. She was now surprised with what I had
just said. Then my face turned red....

"I just wanted him to get out of here."

“Okay.”

Aoey nodded and still didn't look at me. She didn't say much. I thought it
was strange because that morning she was still very talkative.

“Are you okay,

Aoey?” “I'm fine.”

I grabbed her arm but she let go. I felt rejected. My ego was bruised. Did
you know how many people wanted me to touch them? But she rejected
me.

“What's the matter? You're grumpy with me all the time,"

I asked frankly. She paused with that question, but still she turned her back
on me.

“I'm never bad-tempered with you.”

“You are now. You're mad at me for something and I want to know why."

My tone was now firm, but she still rejected it.

“I'm not in a bad mood.”

“If you tell me why…”

I approached her and did something! I never thought she could do it. I
wrapped my arms around her body. I rested my face on the back of her
neck. I smelled something nice.

“I will reward you. I do not want to fight with you..”

Wait...what was I doing? My legs just walked towards her and my arms
wrapped around her. I surprised myself and realized what I had just done 2
seconds later. But if she let go of me and left now, it would be even more
awkward.. Aoey was also startled. I could feel the tension in her body, but
after a while she relaxed and gently touched my arms.

“I'm not mad at you, really. But I don't know how to explain it.”

“Test me. I'm listening.”

She didn't reject me, so I stayed where I was. I rested my chin on her
shoulders. The smell of her hair fragrance made me relax and I didn't want
to move. Was I trying to be sweet?

“I don't feel good knowing that you went out with a boy.”

“Oh?”

I paused as she tried to explain.

“How can I explain this? I'm worried about you. I don't want you to meet
the wrong guy.”

“Do not worry about me. My mom already evaluated it. He is perfect, good
looking, well educated and comes from a good family.”

"So you like it now?"

Aoey shook my arms and took a step forward. She tried to escape from my
embrace.
“If he's so good, you should go out with him.”

“I didn't say I like it.”

“He is so perfect.”

Her harsh tone confused me. She was in a good mood and now she's not.

“He's good, but that doesn't mean I like him. If I like someone, it's just a
matter of whether I like him or not. That's all."

I wrapped my arms around myself and felt upset.

“If you were aman, I would think you were jealous of me.”

“Crazy.”

“Yes, I'm crazy because you're not a man, that's why I'm confused.”

That also made her feel uncomfortable.

“I'm just worried about you. I'm worried that if you have a boyfriend, you
might be distracted with your studying.”

“Is that what worries you?”

I smiled, now feeling challenged and happy. I thought I was cute for being
so confused.

“Maybe I worried too much. I'm sorry.”

“You don't have to feel sorry. We are close friends. It's normal for you to
worry about me.”

“Okay.”

Aoey looked at me.

“It's normal to feel worried about close friends..”

“Yeah.”

"Great kisses me on the cheek today."

She said..I opened my mouth in surprise. I felt like I had been hit with
something hard in the stomach. Inlooked at Aoey like she was so angry.

“And you let him do that to you?”

I yelled at her uncontrollably.

“Yes, I just wanted to know if you would be okay with that.”

I clenched my fist and looked fiercely into her eyes. Now I started to lose
control of myself.

“Were you okay with that?”

“Was”

A smile appeared on her face. Her bright eyes made me sensitive. I felt like
I was a little kid who got caught doing something wrong, but I didn't even
know what I did wrong.

“Did you feel anything? “

Aoey walked towards me and took off her glasses. She was shorter than me
and she looked at me, showing me her beautiful eyes.

“Do you feel worried about me?”

“Hey!”

“That's how I felt when I heard you went on a blind date with a man.”

Her sweet smile made my heart beat faster. Her sweet voice hypnotized me
and she made sure I followed every word she said.

“You mean Great didn't kiss you?”

“You know I don't like anyone touching me. I feel like everyone is dirty
except you, Gen.”

Damn! I forgot about that. I was so upset thinking about another guy
kissing her and I forgot about the possibility. She held my face with both
hands after seeing me dazed.

“What would you do if Great really kissed me?”

“You do not like it, right?”

“No. I do not like it.”

“That's weird. We both feel this

way.” “Yeah.”

“If we were men, we would be jealous, but we are just close friends.”

l averted my eyes to the ground. I asked her to wear glasses because I

couldn't stand those eyes.

"Yes, that's

true." I admitted

it.

"So, I don't feel so good today because I was jealous of you."

She seemed to be talking to herself and hugged me from the front. She now
likes to be touched by me. She was very different from how she was in the
beginning. I guess we were closer than before. I wrapped my arms around
her and hugged that small body tightly. I barely touched anyone like
that. It was strange that I let her do this. She was my first friend. My first
hug, my first jealousy.

“Yes, I was jealous too.”

I knew that wasn't normal. I was a smart girl all my life. So I was going to
be smart about this too. Now the lights were off and we both went to bed. It
was more than 30 minutes in which we werensilent. I pretended to be
sleeping but my head was full of what had happened. My head was like a
VDO replaying scene from that day back and forth. Aoey twirled from side
to side. She finally reached out to my arm, wrapped it carefully around, and
approached me. I could smell the
soapiness of her.

She was calmer when I hugged her. That happened quite a bit. She felt
calmer when I hugged her. She felt safe and slept all night. But now she
couldn't sleep because my heart was beating too fast. I noticed my heart was
beating very fast, It skipped a beat from those sweet eyes. Now I didn't like
myself

«Tell me, do you like girls?»

My mom's question now echoed in my head. Many feelings went through

me. I didn't even know what they were. I didn't feel bad but at the same
time I didn't feel good either. While I was fighting with myself in my head,
Aoey approached me and turned her face towards mine. Our faces were so
close to each other but I pretended to be sleeping. We were silent for a
long, long time. I thought she must be sleeping. But I felt like it was still
moving. The faint smell of soap was closer and I felt a light touch. in
my lips a

A kiss.

Her lips were pressed against mine softly. I couldn't open my eyes because
I was supposed to be sleeping. She stole a kiss from me. The thief turned to
the other side and breathed calmly. At that moment, I opened my eyes in
shock in the darkness. I had difficulty breathing because what had just
happened was unexpected. No, this wasn't what friends do.
It didn't feel like we were friends.
 ᴛᴇɴ
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

“Where are you going, Gen?”

I sat in front of a mirror, put on my makeup, looked at her from the mirror
and answered:

“I have a date with Tod.”

I remembered the name of the guy my mom set me up with on a date.

“You two are close. That's a little fast.”

“It's not that difficult because we have the right chemical. Like you and I,
we hadn't seen each other in a long time, but we also grew closer quickly."

I smiled and brushed my cheek for a finishing touch. Now I was ready to
go.

"Are you going to be late tonight? I'll wait for you for dinner.”

“It could be late. Don't wait.”

“Why are you going to be late?”

“I'm going on a date.”

I smiled and walked away. Aoey put on my shirt and was about to say
something, but I interrupted her.
“I'm in a hurry. We'll talk later.”

I left her alone in the room and left carrying a feeling of guilt. I had to get
rid of this shitty feeling as soon as I could! I didn't feel good being sensitive
to my close friend. Since the kiss, I planned to keep my distance properly. I
was born a girl and it wouldn't be good if I ended up having a girlfriend. I
thought that feeling between us might come from the intimacy we had. We
were too close and it was too awkward to tell her.

“Aoey, we shouldn't kiss. "I like a penis that you don't have."

I couldn't say something like that, no, never. I had a date with Tod. A boy
my mom introduced me to. I started a chat on a chat app. I flirted with him
and asked him out. At that moment we were sitting across from each other
and I had no idea what to talk about. I wasn't good at dating. Usually men
would make an effort, but this time I initiated it. I had to try to entertain
him.

“I'll invite you this time. Order whatever you want to eat.”

Tod smiled looking at me and raised his eyebrows. He wasn't like other men
who looked at me like a dog looking at a plane in the sky.

“That wouldn't be good. I'm a man. I can't let you pay. If your mom finds
out later, I'll be in trouble.”

“If mom knew that I asked you out, she would be happy. Please, she orders.
I'm rich..”

“You're so snobbish.”

I looked at him angrily. He smiled apologetically.

“And you get angry easily. I guess no one ever tells you this.”

"Why are you being unpleasant to me? I'm not here to pick a fight.”

“What you said could almost cause a fight. You were probably spoiled by
men. Do you have friends?”
“Yeah.. “

I responded feeling upset. I thought that by being the one who took the first
step I earned the right to talk to me like that.

“How can they be your friends?”

"We don't have to eat if you say something like that."

I pushed those heavy menus to the floor. Tod leaned back, hugged himself,
and shook his head.

“All you have is a beautiful look.”

I clenched my teeth tightly thinking about grabbing a huge glass in the

middle of the table and hitting it right on that future doctor's head.

“Let's be honest. I do not like you.”

“I don't like you either. You're a big mouth."

I couldn't help it. The future doctor laughed and took a sip of water in front
of him.

“I mean...I can't go out with you. That's what I wanted to say today.”

I looked at him, angrier than before. In my life, I had rejected people and
had never been rejected before. But now this doctor was saying that he
didn't want me in his life.

“I don't like you either.”

"Then why did you invite me?"

“I just wanted to get to know you more. Maybe I could like you but I
already realized that there is nothing I like about you.”

“Is this because I rejected you?”

"You don't deserve to look at me."

Now I was so upset that I felt ashamed. If I had a gun, I would shoot him.

“How did your parents raise you? You've never known disappointment
before. It is both good and bad.”

"Now you're criticizing my parents."

I got up frustrated.

“You are the biggest idiot I have ever met in my life.”

“Before you get angry, can you first listen to why I reject you?”

“No.”

“I'm dating someone and it's a boy…”

“I said n...what!...”

I sat up immediately surprised. Tod took a sip of water and clasped his
hands on the table talking again.

“You heard well. I reject you because I have a boyfriend. I don't want you
to feel anything for me.”

“I don't have any feelings for you.”

“I knew you didn't feel anything since we met on the first day. I'm
surprised you asked me out today.”

"You could have said no,"

I sighed and felt lighter. Now I was embarrassed that I had flirted with him
so much in the chat. His handsome face put her palms together and placed it
on the table.

“I'm here to ask you for help.”

“Help, do you want to ask a girl you just criticized?”

“Well, you're not well trained…”

I looked at him, because he kept criticizing me, but I didn't hate him. Maybe
what he said was true or he had what it took to say it.

“You want my help but you keep criticizing me. Should I help you?”

“You are a spoiled girl but criticizing yourself made you see the truth and
listen to me more.”

I rolled my eyes and looked out the window. But I saw someone standing
there looking inside. I had to pretend I didn't see her and looked away. Of
course I saw it. She stayed there. My heart shook. Why was she here? Did
she follow me? My heart squeezed uncomfortably at those eyes. I couldn't
breathe. I had to look at Tod now and beg for help because of the look in
my eyes.

“Are you OK? You do not look well..”

“I haven't been feeling well lately. How can I help you?”

I wanted to leave the restaurant even though we had just arrived and didn't
order anything. The future doctor raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“It could be a strange request.”

“Tell me, I'll help you if I

can.”

“I want you to pretend to be my girlfriend.”

“Oh?”

“I want to deceive my family. I'm bored of the blind dates they organize.
You're not seeing anyone now, are you?”

He looked for confirmation. I looked out the window from the corner of my
eye and nodded.
“No, I do not do it.”

“Then pretendto be my girlfriend. If you know someone, then we can

separate."

I paused and processed in my head... What was I getting out of this

situation? My heart skipped a beat when I saw her out of the corner of my
eye.

“I have a condition.”

I looked at him firmly.

“Tell me.”

“You'll pretend to be my boyfriend in front of someone too.”

He laughed amused.

“Deal.”

“Deal.”

I didn't know how I ended up there. The man I wanted to date to get rid of
that strange feeling with a woman turned out to be gay. He also asked me to
pretend to be his girlfriend. He asked me if there was no one in this normal
world. I met a perfect boy and he liked boys. I am a perfect woman and I
liked a woman too. She was my only and close friend! After a while, I tried
to look out the window. I didn't see her standing in the same place. I
thought about letting her go, but my heart was trembling now.

“You are just beautiful but you have such a bad character. Don't move your
legs like that.”

Tod smiled and looked at me. His big sarcastic mouth couldn't stop moving.
I wanted to poke him in the eye with a fork in my hand, he seemed calmer
when he said those things. The handsome boy asked me frankly.

“What do you have in mind?”

“Nothing, I have to go to the bathroom. I'll be back in a moment..”

I finally got up and looked for Aoey immediately. I ignored her when I saw
her standing there but now that she was gone I was looking for her. I
gripped the phone in my hand tightly. Should I call her? Would it be okay
if she realized I saw her there? My head was spinning as my finger dialed
her number. I was confused. Then I saw Aoey in a t-shirt, jeans, and her
old canvas shoes in a small alley next to the restaurant towards the
bathroom.
She picked up the phone with her voice shaking. I hid to see how she
reacted when she spoke to me.

[Hello Gen.]

“Where are you, Aoey?”

[I'm at home.]

She was referring to our condo. I sighed when she lied. Why did she do
that? She shouldn't have shown how she felt about me. We were just
friends!

“I'm in a shopping center now. You want something to eat?”

[No, don't worry. I'll get something myself.]

The soft eyes were silent and then asked.

[How are you, Gen? How's your date?]

“Alright. He's a good guy, unlike any other guy..”

I had a big mouth and liked men. I didn't lie to her. He really was different
from other boys. Now there was a long pause between us. I felt pain in my
heart for saying something like that, but I wanted to cut off whatever went
wrong between us. It would be better in the long run. I didn't want our
relationship to be worse.

[Aoey, now I have a boyfriend. I want you to meet him because we are
close friends.]
I squeezed the phone in my hand so hard I shuddered. The other end of the
line was so quiet until she finally said something.

[That was fast.]

She responded in a calm and controlled voice.

“Even if I have a boyfriend now. You are still my best friend.”

[AHA.]

“If you feel lonely, you can go out with someone. I can introduce you to a
good boy.”

[I have to go.]

She hung up the phone immediately as if she had enough. I dropped both
arms as if I had no strength. But I told myself that might be good. We were
both women. We shouldn't like each other, especially since she's my best
friend. It wasn't natural!
 ᴇʟᴇᴠᴇɴ
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

Since she thought I had a boyfriend, Aoey stayed away from me. Even
though we were in the same room, we didn't touch each other and we didn't
talk about personal things. The eye candy might be busy with her new novel
and her enrollment in school. She didn't have much time for me. I was also
studying a lot, I had so many projects from my teachers. So, we didn't have
time for each other. Time flew so fast. Aoey finally got into the college she
wanted, but what frustrated her was my brother, who also got into the same
college as her in the same class.

“I can study whatever I want. Mom and dad don't pressure me. I wanted to
study where Aoey studies.”

At that time he talked about her as if she were a close friend. Her soft eyes
didn't seem to care and now they were closer to each other than to me. How
come there was a wall between us?

“There will be hazing activity at the university for 3 nights.”

Great told me what would happen before they started school. I nodded and
looked at Aoey.

*Are you okay spending a few nights somewhere else?”

"Why wouldn't that be okay?"

Aoey and I made brief eye contact. The gentle eyes quickly looked away.
She was angry. Of course, she wouldn't be okay. She didn't like anyone
touching her. She would have a lot of physical contact in the hazing activity.

“That's good if you're okay.”

Since then, Aoey and I never touched each other again. Even when she
woke up from a nightmare at night, I didn't go near her. I wouldn't give
hope to her or myself. I tried not to get too emotional. But I was still
worried about her going to the hazing activity. I needed to do something to
help her. The day I had to go to university finally arrived. I took Great and
Aoey to college. The sweet eyes quickly said goodbye and entered with my
little brother. They both looked close to each other. I was upset to see that
and quickly called someone to fix it. Not long after, the person ran up to
me at the university gate and smiled broadly.

“It really is you, Beauty! This is a dream.”

“You're not dreaming. It's me here.”

“It still feels like a dream.”

“Nut.”

A man who threatened to cut his wrist once to get my attention. He still
looked at me like a loser who could never get to me. The tall guy looked at
me with admiration. I returned that with a nice smile. I never would have
thought I would have to see him again. Fortunately, he studied there and
was on a meeting for student activity.

“Can you help me with what I asked you for?”

"Here you go."

He handed me a big sticky pink card.

“Just hang this around your neck. You will be one of the members of a
board committee here. But don't let anyone catch you.”

“Thank you. I will take you to dinner.”

“Are you really going to invite me to dinner?”

“And a movie.”

I think it was worth the trade-off, although I felt a little disgusted with it. I
wanted to see with my own eyes to make sure Aoey could really get
through this period, despite the wall between us. Why am I so kind? Nut
made everything easy for me. He sent me an activity sheet. Many people
who didn't recognize me looked at me strangely. Nut introduced me as his
girlfriend. The reactions of the people were priceless. Even I was
surprised, but it was fine as long as I could avoid all the nosy questions.

The college welcome activities were singing the college song, writing your
dream, blah blahblah. I secretly looked at Aoey and she seemed fine with
them. Sometimes she would just stand with her arms around her because
she was afraid of being touched. What caused that? She seemed panicked
or afraid of being touched too much and that worried me. Then finally, the
icebreaker activity that the upperclassmen forced the freshmen to play
together.

Touch...

After all the friends gathered in a circle holding hands to sing a song, but it
wasn't a complete circle when one person refused to hold hands, that was
Aoey. She hugged herself tightly while all of her friends looked at her with
great judgment. A sweet senior approached her soft eyes to ask if she was
okay. I stood there, I watched everything that happened, but I didn't know
what they were saying. But everything seemed stuck. Suddenly, the older
man reached out and touched her hand, but she pushed him away from her
harshly.

“Do not touch me!”

That was what I expected.

“I did not do anything to you? Why is it so important?”

"I told you not to touch me,"

Aoey raised her eyebrows and looked at the boy who now seemed angry.

“Dirty.”

“Hey, that's too much. I took a shower. I'm not dirty…”

Another older girl immediately interrupted. She tried to stop everything, but
once she touched Aoey, it happened again.

“Do not touch me! Dirty!”

It was a disaster when Aoey became a freak in front of her elders and all
her friends. I felt sorry for her. I was about to step forward to help, but
suddenly, a tall guy intervened and stood between the elders and Aoey.

“Enough. If you don't like her, then don't touch her. Not worth it.”

The low and deep voice said loud and clear before turning to Aoey and
saying, "You can rest with me here."

Aoey looked at him and nodded. She followed the tall guy while I watched
from afar. I tried to look for those two where they were. I found them
sitting inside a stadium. I didn't know what they were talking about but the
situation seemed very tense. That handsome boy wrapped his arms around
him, looked at Aoey and left. Aoey stayed alone there for a longtime. After
a while, she hugged her knees and began to shake and cry…. Pain… .

I felt a strong sensation in my chest that made me want to scream. I almost

went crazy seeing her cry. Why did she cry? I worried about her. Who
would comfort her? When my patience reached its limit and I was about to
enter, that handsome older man returned and handed him a bottle of cold
water. The gentle eyes shyly wiped away tears and looked up. The boy
chatted with her standing for a while before sitting down next to her with a
good distance away. Now you have a friend… Bastard!

“Gen.”

The voice bothered me. Nut, came out to look for me. He gave me a big
smile after he finally found me and showed me
his 32 teeth. He looked like Godzilla with all these teeth.

“Nut.”

“I looked for you everywhere.”

Nut followed my gaze and seemed surprised “That's a problematic girl.”

“Yes, that's my friend.”

“Did you ask to come in because you're worried about this girl?”

“Yes.”

I nodded.

“She's a little strange, that's why I worry about her. I knew she would end
up like this.”

I looked at Nut and gave him the most beautiful smile as much as I could
and gently touched her arms flirtatiously.

“Nut, can I ask for your help to take care of her?”

He looked at me obsessively when he heard that. He looked like he was

almost crying when I flirted with him.

“Yes of course. I will take good care of her.”

“Tell your friends that he has some problems. She doesn't like
being touched by her or him…”

I paused and made up a story.

“She will go crazy.”

“Go crazy?”
“Yes, but she has to be here for 3 days. She can't spend 3 days like this.
Please help her,"

I smiled at him again.

“I'm going to book two tickets for a movie, okay?”

“Sure, no problem. No one will touch her in these 3 days. Everyone will
treat her well. I promise.”

“Thank you Nut and don't let her know I do all this.”

“Because?”

“She doesn't want anyone to know that she has a mental illness and only I
know. If you can't keep this secret... That's too bad.”

I played with him and disgusted myself. Nut quickly wanted to please me as
if he were my hero.

“I promise. Trust me.”

“Thank you.”

After asking Nut to help me with Aoey, I stayed to watch her a little longer
before heading home. The whole 3 days I was so worried about the eye
candy. I called Nut very often as if he was really my boyfriend. Nut
happily updated me on Aoey that she had managed to adapt. She had more
friends and no one touched her because they were aware of the problem.
That helped me calm down a lot. But she was still upset about something.

“Jade is helping Aoey closely. Now they are like close friends.”

Nut referred to that handsome older man who rescued Aoey like a hero on a
white horse.

“Aoey is a very popular first-year student. Everyone thinks she is so

mysterious. When she takes off her glasses, people say she is so beautiful.
But those people never met you, that's why they think she's beautiful.”
“Take off her glasses?”

I gritted my teeth and felt so upset that Aoey didn't do what I asked. Those
eyes invited trouble.

“At first she seemed like a problematic person, but now everyone likes her.
She is cute and calm, but don't touch her.”

“Enough. I don't want to hear it anymore.”

I finished listening and hung up immediately. Now she was popular. What
the hell was this? It had been 3 days so I went to pick her up from the
university. I sat in my car and watched her from afar. I wanted to see how
happy she was when she wasn't with me. A large group of friends followed
her and talked with her. They laughed and chatted as if they had had a lot of
fun. Aoey stood in the middle of the circle as if she were a star surrounded
by people. One of the people was Jade, that handsome senior. I wanted to
know if she would be happy when she saw me. I got out of the car and
waved at her, asking for attention. Everyone looked at me in shock but I
didn't care. I only cared about one person. Suddenly, when he saw me, her
smile faded from her face. Damn! This was frustrating.

Great who was also in the back, ran towards me when he saw me. He
seemed as upset as I was. When he caught with me, he began to inform me
about the things he already knew like gossiping child..

“Now she's a star. She may also win the popular vote. Look here, everyone
surrounded her like a star.

“Don't be a loser.”

“I will not give up. I'm just upset.”

I didn't answer anything because Aoey came over and greeted me.

“Hello Gen, how are you?”

How are you?... Really? It was such a distant question. We hadn't seen each
other in just 3 days, why did she ask a stupid question?
“I'm fine as always. Should we go back?”

“Okay.”

Her joy at being with her friends now disappeared into thin air, as if
swallowed by a black hole. I dropped Great off at my mom's house and we
went home. There was an awkward silence the entire way. At another time
she would have updated me with what had happened in the last 3 days. Isn't
that what friends do?

“I wasn't here for 3 days…”

The soft eyes said.

“Don't you want to know what my days have been like?”

“How are you? You look good though. You seemed happy. I saw you
smiling from afar.”

“You don't know how I feel but... forget it. I'm not that important.”

“How are you?”

“Nothing to update.”

"Why do you want me to ask then?"

I didn't pay much attention to the way I asked a question because I didn't
really know what to ask. Because I knew everything about her because of
Nut. I knew what her day was like. I knew about her more than anything
else. The soft eyes looked at me as if she was disappointed and sad. I was
surprised to see tears in her eyes. I lost before her tears...

“Since you have a boyfriend. You do not care about me anymore.”

“What did you say? Of course, I worry about you.”

“Just as you are now. I don't have anything important for you at all. You
didn't even ask me how I was the last 3 days. When I didn't say anything,
then you don't mind asking anything else. I knew that if you had a
boyfriend, I'd lose my place.”

“What about you? I am so confused. How did you lose your place?”

“Now. You don't care about me anymore. Not only now, when we sleep,
you never hug me again. You never come close to me again. You treat me
like I'm some kind of germ.”

“Aoey, I never thought that. It's just…”

I really didn't know what to say to her. How could I tell her that I didn't
hug her because I couldn't go deeper?

“I slept very soundly, so I didn't hug you.”

“No, because you have a boyfriend, so you distance yourself from me. It's
so nice to have a boyfriend,"

Said the sweet eye with a sarcastic tone.

“Maybe I need to get one myself.”

I bit my lip hard when I heard that. She wanted to have a boyfriend. I felt a
lot of pain in my chest. But what I had now was so unnatural, so I tried to
refuse as much as I could.

“It's actually a good idea. Maybe you can calm you down.”

“Then you can stop wanting attention.”

Aoey looked at me in disbelief and anger at the same time. She didn't shout,
but her voice openly showed that we were now at war.

“Good. I'm going to get a boyfriend.”

“Don't forget to present it.”

That was the last sentence we said before everything fell silent. She was so
happy with other people, but she threw some shit at me when she saw me.
How cool was this?
 ᴛᴡᴇʟᴠᴇ
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

I didn't know why, but Aoey and I were so distant at that time. We slept in
the same room but we didn't feel like we were together. But I guess part of
it was because of school. Both Aoey and I focused on studying and our
new social life.

A new social life...

That bothered me a little when I thought about what I talked about with
Great at noon. My brother told me about Aoey. He gossiped as if he were a
child whose toys were stolen by other people.

“She was now surrounded by friends her age and some older like insects
flying around a beautiful flower. She also had many friends. Now I was a
little jealous of her too. I thought that if you didn't help her with her
published novel, she wouldn't have enough money to study.”

I didn't like having that thought. I was now free of assigned tasks or
projects, so I spent my free time drawing in my sketchbook. I was frustrated
because many of the drawings in my book were of her beautiful eyes. I
wanted to talk to her but I was too proud to start first. I was Genlong. I
never gave in for anyone, especially a girl who gave me lice.

“Do you have a lot to study?”

I hated myself for starting the conversation. She made me go against all my
rules in life, damn it!
“Yeah.”

Her brief response bothered me a little. I gritted my teeth in response, but

Aoey didn't see that. I didn't talk about her much, so I had to keep talking to
her. I poked my head into her notebook and tried to read it.

“Why do you write the same things over and over again in each book?”

When Aoey saw that I read that, she took the book out of my hands. It
wasn't a very hostile action but she did raise her voice.

“So I can remember if I repeated them.”

“No…”

That note was for other people. I sighed and looked at her.

“Are you taking notes for other people?”

She looked at me annoyed because I kept rummaging through her things.

“My friend didn't come today. I made a note for her.”

“Is she paying your tuition?”

“I'm just helping her.”

“It's good to help other people, but don't be stupid.”

“I'm not a fool!!”

“Well, I don't like stupid people..”

That's how she became a friend, being used as a maid. I was curious about
what her life would be like in college, what kind of friends she hung out
with. I went out with Todd that day. He also took his boyfriend with us. I
didn't know how to react when my boyfriend introduced me to his other
boyfriend.
“This is my boyfriend. Singha.”

A tall, handsome, dark-skinned boy who you would never say liked men.
He acknowledged my existence by nodding. I liked to judge people when I
saw them. I realized this guy was... the best. Ohhh, my Tod was the
bottom! Maybe I had to read the novel Boy Love on the Internet to see how
they did it.

“It must be convenient for you to go out since you have me as your cover.”

“I have to, thank you.”

Tod and I were closer now since we talked openly about his sexual
preference. His family was very strict. He said his dad hired someone to
follow him and see where he went. It was difficult for him to see his
boyfriend. Her dad was stricter than mine, who had a beautiful daughter.

“I have a question that I have wanted to ask for a long time. Can I ask you
something?”

I looked at the two men in front of me.

“What's that?”

“If Tod is a medical student, Singha must be an engineer.”

I threw out a question and an answer at the same time. The handsome boy
shook his head.

“No, I study business.”

“So it is not necessary for a doctor to date an engineer.”

“Why engineer?”

Tod laughed when he saw me and seemed confused.

“Don't know. I saw it in books and on the Internet. BL novels are always a
story between a doctor and an engineer. I never saw anyone work as a
teacher, doctor, farmer, fisherman or bricklayer. It would be fun to
imagine a big, muscular guy covered in sweat at a construction site,
flirting with a woman saying, "I wanted to fuck you with this big, tight
muscle."

“Oh....”

“Who would read that…? “

“Because engineers sound great.”

“And the doctor has to be the passive one? Why are many doctors gay,
Tod?”

“I'm not gay. I only have a boyfriend.”

That was so absurd. Three of us had dinner together and chatted openly.
Singha seemed to like it. She talked a lot with me. If she wasn't with Tod, I
would have thought he was flirting with me. After a while, my phone rang.
It was for my date with Nut, Aoey's senior at her university, who helped
me last time. I said goodbye to the two men and went out to see Nut where
he said he was waiting. The tall guy was now waiting and looked nervous.
I didn't like this type of person. He didn't know how people without trust
could continue with his life. Bored...

“Nut.”

He turned around quickly when I called him..I was wearing the university
uniform because I had a class that morning. Nut was also in his uniform.

"You're here. Gen."

“Well, we have an appointment, I had to come…”

“I thought you could cancel it.”

“No, I won't do that. I told you I'll pay you for your help…”

“What help?”
Said a sweet voice behind me. I closed my eyes when I realized who that
voice was. I hated surprises, but I had to act really surprised.

"Oh, what are you doing here?"

Aoey was also in the university uniform. She came with that handsome
older man who helped her. And she didn't wear her glasses.....

“I was nervous, so I asked Jade to come with me.”

"And Aoey is here with Jade,"

I replied. Now they were so close to going anywhere together.

"So this is Gen, as beautiful as you said."

Jade smiled at me. I smiled back and tried my best to be nice to him, even
though I was very upset.

"Nice to meet you Jade."

I flirted with him with my eyes to test it, but it seemed like a breeze passed
through him. He focused just on her...it wasn't bad.. We all walked together
with Jade and Aoey walking in front. I walked with my arms around my
chest and whispered to Nut about the topic we discussed earlier.

“Aoey doesn't know that I was behind the hazing event, right? Did you tell
anyone about that?”

“No, I didn't tell anyone.”

“That's good... these two are pretty close, huh?”

I asked a trick question. Nut was upset enough to not realize what was
wrong. He kept telling me the story.

“Jade was the one who helped Aoey then. She was a hero in her eyes. Aoey
is a sweet girl. Jade likes sweet girls.”
“Really...?”

I said slowly and sadly.

“What about Aoey? She likes him?”

“Don't know. Today is the first date for both of us. If she didn't like him, he
wouldn't be here.”

I saw Aoey give us a look. I looked directly at her to let her know that I
knew she was watching. She turned to Jade and spoke to her with great joy.
She wanted me to see that.. Did she think I would care? Arrrrgggg! I was
angry, but no one could tell. Nut and Jade wanted to invite the girls. I
actually told Nut that I wanted to pay, but that guys had to be cool in front
of girls. The movie we bought tickets for was a horror movie, chosen by
Aoey.

I didn't know what the eye candy was thinking, but they all agreed. There
was nothing else to see anyway. There were 4 seats in a row. The boys let
us girls sit next to each other in the middle and they sat at the end on both
sides so when we were side by side I whispered: “How is your date?”

“It's good.”

“You chose a horror movie because you wanted to be scared and hug your
date, right?”

Aoey looked at me and said,

"How smart."

That short answer bothered me. Now she knew how to use a sarcastic tone
with me. But I shrugged and showed no emotion.

“Everybody knows..”

I wasn't the only one who knew how to speak sarcastically.. I stopped
paying attention to Aoey and looked directly at the screen. I had to say that
I wasn't a fan of movies like that. Even how well the makeup was done, in
my head I knew they were just acting. I could only imagine that people
acted as the director told them to. Each actor went home and lived their life
outside of the movie. They all had a life like us. There was nothing to fear
like in the movie. Paying money to see something like this was so useless
to me. Watching a movie was just a way to kill yourself sometimes.

But anyway, this movie was pretty good. The sound, the spooky scene, the
man hanging from the ceiling. Many people screamed in the cinema but I
just watched it without any emotion. From the corner of my eye, I saw
Aoey squeeze her eyes shut in fear. When the scene was about to reach its
climax, the soft eyes looked for someone to hold on to. She couldn't turn to
me because she had to act cold, but she couldn't turn to Jade either because
she didn't want to be touched I grabbed her hands, intertwined our fingers
and squeezed them tightly. Aoey was surprised and looked at me with two
big eyes. I didn't feel anything with the movie but I pretended to feel it
before it.

“Oh, I'm so scared.”

Shit...when would this end? When Aoey saw that I showed my weakness,
she was kind. When the next ghost scene came, she moved her face closer
to me and covered her eyes. I had to pretend I was scared too just to
comfort her. This wasn't me at all.

“Here they are again... noooo.”

Finally, the movie ended.. Aoey and I left the cinema holding hands. We
both forgot about the boys we had gone with. Jade
and Nut looked at us and smiled as if they were seeing something so
beautiful.

“Two beautiful girls hold hands. It's such a sweet thing to see,"

Nut said and that made Aoey realize what we were doing. She let go of her
hand and I wrapped my arms around my chest.

"You two must be so scared, but why did you choose a horror movie?"
Jade teased Aoey, who shrugged in response.

“A horror is supposed to be scary. It seems like someone is more scared

than me.”

She talked about me. I pushed my hair back and sighed.

“Well, it was a ghost movie.”

I looked at a watch on my wrist.

“Now it's late. I have to go home.”

“Really?”

Nut looked so disappointed.

“Will we go out together again?”

“If I'm not dead, it's possible we'll meet again. I have to go now,"

I said and looked at Aoey, who stayed still. I realized she was at a protest.
She wouldn't come back to me.

“We're going home.”

“I do not want to go.”

I looked directly into her eyes, which were now staring back at me
defiantly.

“Do what I told you..”

“No.”

“Don't be stubborn.”

“I will do that.”
Silence...

Now everyone was looking at us. Aoey closed her lips tightly.

“I won't love you if you're stubborn.”

I wrapped my arms around myself and stormed out, I hoped the soft eyes
would follow me and she did. She followed me silently to the car. Even
when she listened to me, she was still
stubborn.

"Why did you bully me?"

The soft eyes looked at me sadly. I pursed my lip. Was she looking for a
fight again?

"I didn't try to intimidate you, but I just didn't like it when you're stubborn."

"Won't you let me do anything by myself? When I didn't do what you say,
you always say I'm stubborn.”

"Why did you do what I told you then?"

“I don't know.”

Aoey looked at me defiantly.

"I won't do what you say again."

"I won't love you then."

“Someone else will love me.”

"That guy Jade?"

I smiled.

“He only looks handsome but not interesting at all. Why are you in a hurry
to have a boyfriend, anyway?”
“You told me to get a boyfriend! This way I won't have to seek your
attention.”

I paused and realized I said that. So I was the one who pushed her to do
that.

“How are you going to date someone? They can't even touch you! And...
another thing, this world is so cruel. You don't have to rush to have a
boyfriend.”

“Do you have a boyfriend? You had a date with Tod in the morning and a
movie at night with my superior. What a bitch!”

“What did you just say?”

I was surprised by what she said.

“Slut, tramp.”

“You are insulting me?!”

“Better than nobody.”

The soft eyes opened the car door and sat quietly. She didn't say anything
else. I jumped into the car and continued fighting.

“Why did you insult me?”

“Why did you do that?”

“I just don't understand that you have a boyfriend but you went on a date
with Nut.”

“I can go out with whoever I want. I can have a few more men if I want. It's
my business, not yours.”

“I'll do it too.”

“No.”
“Why not?”

“I'm jealous!”

The atmosphere in the car was now dead silent. I was surprised by what just
came out of my mouth. Aoey was equally surprised and she wasn't sure if
she heard correctly.

“What did you just say?”

"I said I was worried."

“No, you said you were jealous.”

“No, I didn't do it.”

“I'm nearsighted, not deaf.”

“I feel dizzy.”

I collapsed against the window, pretending to faint. Aoey shook my body

in disbelief but I closed my eyes tightly. I didn't know how to get out of
that situation. She still insisted even when I fainted.
.
.
.
Crazy... That was crazy.
 ᴛʜɪʀᴛᴇᴇɴ
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

Since I said that word, Aoey seemed to be in a good mood. She looked at
me all the time trying to find something there. I realized that I did a lot of
suspicious things and I had to do something.

“Tod will come today.”

The soft eyes that were happy, now didn't look very happy anymore. I
pretended not to see her.

“Why will he come here?”

“I just wanted him to visit me. I wanted to show him my world. I wanted to
introduce my most important friend to the boy who is important to me
because they are both important.”

I win… I left her speechless and she didn't have a smile that made me feel
weak. She wasn't very happy but she didn't show it too much. Tod arrived at
the condo not long after that. The handsome boy was kind enough to bring
some snacks and present them to each other.

“Here is Aoey. She is my best friend. This is Tod, my boyfriend, the

handsome boy looked at me with surprise. He didn't expect this kind of
presentation. Aoey said hello and tried to smile as much as she could.

“I should be going? Now that your boyfriend is here.”

“No, why go? Two important people in my life should meet.”

This was a small studio with limited space. Three of us sat in the corner of
the living room while Aoey arranged snacks on a plate.

"Something's wrong,"

Tod told me quietly.

“What are you saying?”

“You. Something is wrong with you.”

He smiled at me while he looked at Aoey.

“Your best friend is strange too.”

“What is strange?”

“Your eyes.”

I felt analyzed, so I shifted my sitting position uncomfortably. Tod liked to

analyze people and I couldn't seem to hide it. When we saw each other on
our first day, he looked right through me too, remember? I considered
whether he should continue covering up the truth or tell her. But this wasn't
the right time to say anything. I could only ask for help.

“From now on, you must follow my example, my conversation, even when
you disagree. Please keep in mind that it is an act.”

“Something wrong?”

“Please.”

"Well, I guess I have to help."

"Here you go,"

Aoey announced with snacks and drinks. She sat up and smiled happily but
awkwardly. Why did she have to make it so obvious? Couldn't she repress
her own feelings?
“Do you still have gay men following you?”

The handsome man who took a drink looked at me with amusement. But he
had to follow whatever my example was.

“Yes, sometimes.”

“How did you handle them?”

“What can I do?”

“If I were you, I would scare them away. It was difficult to be born as a
human being. They shouldn't be gay. Do you know that in ancient
times they would be punished? I do not like it.”

I tried to be unpleasant but I didn't agree with what I had just said. Aoey
sat there silently as Tod became more involved.

“They didn't do anything to us. Gays are not bad people..”

That guy needs to be punched in the face. He didn't follow my example.

“They are not bad, but they are not normal people. If you are born a man,
go ahead and be a man. Just like women, they should like men, not girls. It's
so unnatural that I don't like it."

I took a sip of water and thought of something else to say.

"I had a woman flirt with me once, I shoo her away as soon as I can."

“What did you say to her?”

"Sick,"

I said while looking at Aoey, who avoided my eye contact, so I emphasized

a little more: "You too, Aoey. If a woman flirts with you, you have to reject
her, people might think you are sick too. You should stay away if you are
dating those types of people.”
“If you are crooked, I will hate you too.”

There was a dead silence between all of us. I heard a fly flying around a
trash can clearly. Aoey smiled awkwardly at us.

“I never dated a woman.”

“Good for you.”

“I'll go to the convenience store downstairs. Do you want something from

there?”

I looked into her soft eyes and shook my head. I assumed she wanted to
quietly escape somewhere to process what I had just said. I heard the sound
of an elevator and was sure she
had just left. Tod began to argue with me openly.

“What was all that? When did you have something against the third gender?
You talked shit, if anyone heard that, they would want to kick you in the
face.”

I looked at Tod and leaned back on the couch exhausted. I rubbed my

entire face with both hands tiredly.

"Was I really being unpleasant?"

“Do you want to send her a message?”

The handsome man was intelligent. He understood that there was something
between the lines. I nodded in response.

“Yeah.”

“You two like each other.”

“No!”

I quickly rejected that statement.

“She likes me.”

“Does she know that you knew this?”

“I don't believe it. I guess I never showed her that I know.”

I wrapped my arms around myself like a shield. Aoey's reaction to what I

said made me feel pain on the left side of my chest. I felt like someone was
hitting me over and over again.

"You should tell her frankly, instead of doing this."

“That could end our friendship. We are friends and we should not get
involved in that type of relationship.”

“Do you think your friendship will still be there when you're doing this?
Stopping seeing her might be better for both of you.”

“I don't want to stop seeing her. I wanted to be with her like that.”

I responded normally but the handsome boy could read me. There was a
long pause from Tod that made me wonder what he was thinking.

“What?“

“You feel the same way she feels.”

“No!”

I shouted nervously and that made the situation even worse.

“Too much emotion.”

“Not really.”

“When there was someone chasing you and you wanted to say no, how did
you do it?”

“I'm just telling them no. That's all.”

"Why can't you do that to her?"

“She is my close friend.”

I bit my lip.

“My first close friend.”

“You're not good at lying.”

“What do you want me to do? What do you want of me?”

I started to get angry at him and tried to take control of the situation by
getting angry. But this way could only work with someone who fell in love
with me, not with Tod. The handsome boy cupped my face with both of his
hands and forced me to look into his eyes. His dark eyes looked into mine
and now made me release my anger.

“You can tell me everything like when I told you that I like boys.”

“I..”

“Tell me the truth.”

How close were we? There was a voice in my head that screamed don't
admit it, don't tell it. On the other hand, I felt like Tod was my brother and
I wanted to tell someone about this. If I said it, would it come true? The
fact that I'm not normal.

“I don't know.”

I averted my eyes.

“I always feel weak around her.”

“Does that mean I'm not normal? I'm jealous of her. Is that supposed to
happen?”

“Being gay or lesbian is not a mistake, Gen.”

I turned my back on him.

“How is it not a mistake? Look at me!”

I pointed to myself.

“I was born with everything. You don't see how perfect I am. I was born
beautiful, rich, well educated. Do you know that I can speak 3 languages,
Chinese, Thai and English?”

“How could someone so perfect have that black spot in their life?”

“Why is the love between two girls a black spot in life?”

“Society is not so open nor do I open myself to that.”

I said with a trembling voice, whether it was sadness or anger, I didn't

know but I couldn't accept myself for that.

“No.”

“If you want to be so perfect, date a man and have the most miserable life.
If I were you, I would want to be happy. Perfection does not give you a
good life.”

“You may be okay with imperfection in life, but I'm not. Not Genlong. If
you think it's okay to be gay, why are you lying to your family then?”

At first, it was just a discussion, but now it became a discussion about

LGBT. I never hated them, but I wasn't ready to live in their world either.
What would my parents think of me? What would the people around me
think of me?

"I'm not going to argue with you now. We can talk later when you are
calmer.”

The handsome boy stood up and walked towards the door. I felt
uncomfortable for making him angry. It wasn't even part of the problem. He
then suddenly turned around to comfort me.
“Be yourself, Gen. Just be happy with who you are. Be brave with the one
you love even when you have to leave your comfort zone.”

Tod left while I was still confused with a strong emotion. I didn't agree
with what he had just said. He was one of them. He could say whatever he
wanted. Humans were social animals. If you didn't care what other people
thought, you had to live in a jungle. I was part of that society. I wouldn't
break any rules. I was a normal person. I was a woman. I had to stop this
absurdity as quickly as I could! After telling myself that, I sat on a sofa
hugging my knees and waited for Aoey to return. But for a long time, the
sweet eyes did not appear. The convenient store was very close to the
condo.

I got up and decided to go look for her. She was still frustrated by the
conversation. I could just call her but I wanted to talk to her face to face.
But while I was waiting for an elevator I heard a scream not far away.
Damn...I knew that was her voice. I followed the voice and found it hiding
in the fire escape. The sweet-eyed girl hugged herself, crying silently and
she covered her mouth with her hands, trying to cry as quietly as
possible.What I saw made me feel so heavy in my chest. I was angry at
myself for feeling so much for her.
I was a woman. I shouldn't feel anything for this woman. It wasn't good!

“Hey.”

She jumped once she heard my voice. The soft eyes looked up and wiped
away the tears immediately, but that was a little late.

“G..Gen, what are you doing here?”

“I have to ask you, what are you doing here?”

I wrapped my arms around myself trying to cheer myself up like when I

tried to intimidate other people.

“It's enough to be like that.”

“What you are doing now.”

I had to be clear with her because it was necessary.

“You make it too obvious.”

“What do you mean?”

She seemed so surprised, so I said it frankly without hesitation.

“You like me..”

There was a silence between us. Aoey was now frozen in shock.

“I don't know why you have something for me, Aoey. We are both women.
More important than that, we are friends."

I bit my lip in pain, but I thought it was time to deal with it.

“I don't want to lose a friend like you. I never had a close friend before and
you are the first.”

“You are my first in many topics. You are my first friend in elementary
school. You were the first one who gave me lice. You are the first person I
wanted to be with. But if you have feelings for me, I think it has to end.”

Aoey's tears ran down her cheeks. Her soft eyes looked down at the ground,
no words, no response from her. I wanted to bite my tongue and I fell dead
now. But I loved myself and couldn't see myself becoming a weirdo.

"I might hate you if you do that."

Aoey looked at me in shock. I felt so sorry for her that she was now looking
at me with tears on her face. What am I doing now? Why did I hurt her so
much? I could pretend it never happened.

“I'm sorry.”

“Ok, fine. We already have it clear. Let's go back.”

I walked ahead of her, but I didn't hear any footsteps following me. Aoey
was in the same place looking at me seriously.

“From now on, I will leave this.”

“You're just my best friend.”

Her words hurt me so deeply that I would rather die. But all I did was nod
my head and walk back without showing any emotion. Once I turned
around I grabbed my heart. Was it the right thing to do? I did the right
thing, right? Women are for men. I did the right thing...
 ғᴏᴜʀᴛᴇᴇɴ
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

From that day on, Aoey and I were very estranged. I started sleeping at
home instead of the condo. I felt selfish for running away while Aoey had
nowhere to go. I vanished from that place even though I was the owner. I
didn't know how Aoey was doing right now. I cared about her, but I
couldn't show it. When I returned to spend time at the condo, there was a
big wall around each of us. We were at a distance, without touching each
other, much less speaking. I was there out of duty, which was all. I feel so
skinny now. I didn't eat much and slept less. I wore sunglasses because my
eyes had
dark circles around them. I didn't realize something was wrong with me
until my mom made fun of me.

“Is your heart broken?”

Her statement made me freeze. Growing up for 20 years in my life, I had

never experienced a broken heart before. I didn't want to admit that it was
either. Without sense. I was the one who rejected her, but why did I feel so
bad.

“Gen.”

I rolled my eyes when I heard Great shout my name. Now what?

“What?”

“You have to help me.”

My little brother was now kneeling next to my chair where I was eating
with my mother. I looked at the self-absorbed brother and slowly removed
his hands from me.

“You're so annoying. What is all this for?”

“I am losing.”

“Lose what?”

“I'm losing to Jade, my superior, and other men who are chasing Aoey. She
is now very popular. She is the star of the faculty.”

My brother was now whining like a child. I pretended not to

pay attention, but in reality I was all ears. The star of her faculty... didn't
surprise me. The first time I saw him I realized how handsome he was.

‘What do you want me to do?”

“You have to tell her to stop being so flirtatious.”

“Coquette? Aoey?”

I asked in disbelief. Great insisted, nodding his head.

“Yes, I don't know where she learns to do that, flirt with her eyes. Is that
yours?”

“No, why would I teach her that? We barely talk lately.”

"Are you two fighting?"

“No, not really.”

I didn't give a clear answer because I didn't know if our last talk considered
a fight or not.

“If you're not fighting. You have to do something. I really like Aoey.”
“You've been chasing so many girls in your life. You don't really need my
help.”

“But this is Aoey. The mysterious Aoey that I never get close

to.” “That means other people can't either.”

“Yes, but it would be better if she stopped flirting. It's so torturous. Please
help me.”

Great shook my arms looking like he wanted to cry.

“Or you flirt with those men who tried to get to Aoey. When they see you,
it would be easy to change their target.”

“Are you reading too many bad romance novels? That strategy won't work
in real life. What if there is an upcoming top model flirting with you, would
you still focus on Aoey?”

“Of course not.”

He was such a sincere person… I didn't answer anything else. I'd let him
deal with it and pretend I didn't care, but considered what to do. It wouldn't
be so much of a flirt. I wanted to know if those men were really good
enough for Aoey. Well, I was her good friend after all. I decided to go back
to my apartment that night after Great told me about those men, although I
pretended not to care. But I ended up frustrated when I found out that she
came home late. It was
already 9 at night but she was not at home.

I sat in the condo lobby waiting for her, either out of concern or jealousy
that I didn't know. My eyes looked for her and waited to see when she
would enter. Finally I saw a small sedan arrive and Aoey got out of the car.
She had short hair... I didn't know if she was a boy or a girl. I hid for fear
that she would see me. Once she passed my hiding place, I followed her
around pretending that I had just returned from a convenience store to buy a
bottle of water even though our fridge was full of water.
"Hey,"

I called her, who walked to the refrigerator for cold water. Her soft eyes
didn't even look at me. There was an icy feeling outside of her.

“Hey.”

“Why did you come home so late?”

“I'm an adult. I had things to do,"

Aoey turned to look at me. She didn't have glasses on like I

asked. I could clearly see the changes in her. More beautiful...
She had her makeup on.

“What were you doing so late?”

“You never spent time here again and I never asked you.”

This was her way of saying ‘leave me alone’. She bothered me a lot and I
wanted to shake her and yell at her to stop being so annoying. But I could
only cross my arms, lift my chin and look at her.

“Whose car was that?”

“Did you see that?”

“Yeah.”

“How could you see that? Were you in the store? Since when do you buy
things from here?”

“Since my close friend worked there and retired, sometimes I just use their
service.”

Aoey shrugged as if she didn't care how much I paid attention to her. She
walked back to the couch casually.

“My friend.”
“man or woman?”

“Because you want to know? Is it important for you?”

“You changed.”

“Life has to move on... how long are you going to be standing there? Sit
down. I wanted to ask you something because you are my close friend.”

I sat in a space next to her on the couch. I looked into her sweet eyes with
surprise and sat next to her. I wanted to know where this would take us. She
was firmer and not shy like before. She changed a lot.

“What's happening?”

I Said.

“I wanted to ask you about my love life.”

She was playing with me… I acted surprised to make her feel like I was
paying attention. She wanted to know if I acted happy to hear her love
story, how she should react to that.

“I heard from Great that you are very popular. Many men chase you.”

“I don't wear my glasses anymore.”

“Can you study without them?”

“I use my contact lenses. Thanks to my new friends who taught me how to

put on makeup and wear contact lenses. I never realized that I had many
men who love me.”

“No less than you.”

"What do you really want to ask me?"

I answered. Aoey shrugged.

“Love life.”

“What's up with that?”

“I have 4 men chasing me now. Who should I choose?”

I looked her in the eyes to look for any nonsense, whether she made up
those numbers for a dramatic reaction or not. But Aoey wasn't a liar and I
was good enough to know when she was lying to herself.

“You have to choose the best one that you like. Is there someone you like
more?”

Which boy did you like more than me? This was the real question. Aoey
paused and sighed.

“Everyone is good, including Great. Everyone has their strength. One is

always good to me since the first day we met, that's Jade.”

“AHA.”

“Phong, who left me today. He is my classmate. He's a rich guy and he

treated me like a princess.”

“AHA.”

“The other one is called Mint.”

The name took me by surprise. It was definitely not a boy's name.

“Mint?”

I caught her smile at the corner of her mouth, but it quickly disappeared as
she continued her story.

“Yes, Mint. She is a woman.”

I didn't know why I felt tense. The soft eyes in front of me tried to test me
with something. I once said I didn't like women who acted like men. She
tried to make me angry.

“AHA.”

“She's nice and sweet. She has beautiful fingers..”

The last sentence made me bite my lip patiently. I tried to stay still to
manage the anger inside me. I had to pretend to answer her love enigma.
Otherwise; I wanted to pinch her cheek. Why the fingers? There were so
many things to look at instead. Why would I care about fingers anyway?
She wasn't rude at all, but why was I so upset “You're so weird. You look
at people's fingers.”

“Great is the last one. He is perfect and has beautiful eyes.”

Aoey looked at me as if she was trying to hypnotize me…

“Like you.”

She flirted with me...tried to hypnotize me like she did other guys. I knew
this trick well because I also used it when I wanted to flirt with someone. I
laughed and looked away.

“Too many chosen ones could confuse you. All are good. I was just like
you. I was so confused about who was the best, who I should date. I ended
up not seeing anyone.”

“Do you have many men chasing you?”

“Maximum 13 men at the same time.”

I boosted to a number of men. She paused for a moment and nodded.

“You are beautiful. That's not a surprise.”

“If you ask me, I suggest you take some time to make a decision. If you
don't like anyone in particular, everyone can be your friend. If in the end
you don't choose it, you can be friends.”
“Who is the best of the 4?”

Aoey asked. She didn't understand what I tried to tell her. She didn't have to
choose now.

“Well, Great is.. .”

“Because he is your brother?”

“He has beautiful eyes like me. You might like them."

I looked directly at her and now she turned around. I smiled at my victory.

“I'll go to bed now. Let me know when you can choose. I'm glad I could
help you tonight.”

I had such a big mouth even though I had an unstable emotion. She had 4
men chasing her even when she was barely wearing makeup. What
would happen to her when she learned to do her makeup perfectly? I
became too obsessed with her story too much to not know myself. The
story of the
men chasing her bothered me a lot. I wanted to talk to her more about it, but
I didn't want to be obvious. I suggested she look for a boyfriend. Why
should I be upset then? Aoey called me when I tried to calm down by doing
my manicure.

“Hello Aoey.”

The bad thing was that I felt happy when I saw her calling as if it were the
first time she called! I needed to calm down. I had just had a rollercoaster of
emotions.

[The thing is. ]

There was some hesitation in her voice. I adjusted myself, stretching my

back to try to hear her.

“What happened?”

[I have to ask you a favor. It's okay if you can't help me.]
“You need money?”

[I would never do that. The thing is, my friends and I had a task to do
together, but we have nowhere to go. Can I bring them to your condo?]

“Of course, I thought it was something serious.”

[Very sorry. However, I don't know when we will finish. I don't want you
to feel uncomfortable.]

"I can come home if that's better for you.'

[But this is your condo. I can't kick you out of your condo.]

“Don't worry about that. This is a group task, right?”

[Thank you very much, Gen. Wait a second.. .the owner of the room said it
was fine. Mint, you have to give your ID card when you arrive. You can
park in Gen's parking spot. There are 2 parking spaces we can use.]

“How many friends you invited to?”

[Around 5.]

“Is that Mint....your friend?”

There was silence on the other end. I had no idea what that silence meant.
She might be thinking of some excuses...why was she quiet? Give me a
straight answer if there is nothing to worry about.

[Yes, we are a group of 5. Mint will also go.]

She brought that girl to our space. I almost spoke my mind, but I had to
stop myself. I responded kindly.

“Well, you have to work on your homework.”

I hung up the phone and pushed the hand away from a woman who was
painting my nails. Now on the back of my hand I had nail polish. The
people inside the nail salon looked at me nervously. Damn! You little
scoundrel!
 ғɪғᴛᴇᴇɴ
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

“Do what you need.”

That was my last sentence. But then, what was I doing now inside my
condo where Aoey's friends were everywhere? In fact, I had a plan to have
dinner with my dad and watch a TV drama with my mom. But I
immediately changed my mind when I heard the name ‘Mint’. I spun the
wheels 180 degrees backwards only to be sitting invisible in my own condo.
I wasn't sure why I was here. All the money seemed useless because there
was only one person who actually did the work.
Of course, it was Aoey.

The girl with glasses opened 4-5 books around her and wrote the report in
her notebook while her friends chatted and ate fruits and food at the table
while some drank beers bought outside..They treated this place like a bar.
They looked ready to dance after finishing the report. How could she have
friends like that?

"Everyone seems to work very hard at their homework."

I looked around and said it out loud, but I didn't mention it to anyone in
particular. But those people seemed to have little responsibility. No
one seemed to care and they responded

“We've already done a lot. Aoey just needs to finish up a bit, right, Aoey?”

Aoey turned to her friends and nodded. She didn't pay much attention to the
conversation and returned to her work. She looked like a silly girl who was
being used. I couldn't stand what I saw, so I got out of bed, watching TV,
and turned off Aoey's computer screen. The sweet-eyed girl looked at me
surprised and also angry because I interrupted her work. But I didn't care at
all.

“It's just a little work. Do not waste your time.”

“It's not just a little work. There's a lot.”

“I thought they had just said a summary.”

“I don't like stupid people. Especially those who allow themselves to be

used. If you work hard to get other people to get the same grade as you, you
might as well fail for the whole group... I'll be very upset if you don't.”

I only spoke quietly to her. But my tone was sharp and strong enough for
her to follow. She seemed to agree with me but she refused to fault the
issue..

“I told you it was a bit of work.”

Aoey closed her laptop now. The big fat girl with glasses said as if to
support what she said before.

“Come on! Let's celebrate. We are all approved. Let's relax.”

What the hell did you do other than eat, gossip, and be fat? She even tried
to get me into her direct sales business. But I stopped her immediately when
I told her that my mother owned a company. My mom was smart. She got
money from stupid people who deceived stupid people. That was...direct
sales.

“Now we're done…”

Aoey looked at me shyly. She asked me how I would handle her friends.
But she seemed weaker than I thought. Why did she have to please them so
much? But they had no way. It was a waste of time talking to people like
that. There was no sign from any of them that they understood what Aoey
tried to say indirectly. Aoey and I were still called for her night party.
“Come on! Let's celebrate. We're sure to get an A grade. What game
should we play? The king's game?”

I looked at another cute but quiet girl who sat silently from the beginning.
A smile appeared on her face after her friends suggested the game. Of
course, I knew about this game. The game where you had to touch each
other. It was a challenging mental game. It was a game to play with friends
and used to break the ice between people. It started with rock, paper, and
scissors.
Some dancing and then it went downhill from there.
Take off your socks, take off your clothes, hugs, kisses. If you didn't want
to lose, you had to do it. The people who started playing didn't want to
lose.nThat was well planned but in the wrong place because I was here to
play too.

“How do you play that?”

I looked at Aoey who was so painfully innocent. She was so stupid, dah!
How could I not know this kind of game while I was so fast?

“We will do a draw. Whoever has the paper that says "king" will give order
to the people. The king will assign you two numbers, for example, number
2 and number 5 are kisses on the cheeks. Whoever got those numbers has
to follow the rules.”

Aoey seemed stunned because she realized that this game would have some
contact.

“What happens if I don't want to do it?”

“Then you drink. The real rule is to take off your clothes, but we're in a
student uniform. There are only 2 pieces of shirt and skirt. We'll get naked
pretty quickly.”

“Are you going to play, Gen?”

One of Aoey's friends called me as a close friend. I didn't like it but what
I could do. Those were her friends. If I made it too obvious that I didn't
like that, it would also be hard on the sweet eyes. She was already so
helpless.
"I'll just watch. I couldn't drink."

I declined the invitation but saw out of the corner of my eye

that one of them raised her eyebrows in question. But I didn't really care. I
sat on the outside of the circle and watched the game. Everyone played
well. The order was fun. Some were reciting a poem, looking into each
other's eyes. The orders were mostly sweet. Some told the story of the first
kiss, telling the story of oneself, of one's family, something no one had
known before..

“The king's order No.3 to talk about your first love.”

Everyone looked for number 3. Aoey finally raised her hand.

“Tell me when you had your first love.”

Mint, a sweet-looking little girl who sat silently for a long time, asked
Aoey. This game was created to help her. Ok, I'm going to pay more
attention to the game now.

“I don't know... I didn't realize it was love then.”

"You didn't know it then, which means you knew it now?"

The fat friend reached for the glass of whiskey and drank it. That was the
cup for the loser of the game.

“I think I knew it.”

“Who was?”

“I will not say.”

Aoey answered short.

“But I'm going to tell you the story.”

The soft eyes did not turn to look at me. I reached for my in-ear headphones
and put them on but I didn't turn on the music because I still wanted to
know who her first love was.
I never asked her this and now I was curious. Everyone had their first love.
I had one too. I secretly loved my art teacher when I was in 3rd grade
because she looked like a pug, the dog liked it but mom wouldn't let me
have it because she didn't look good. My mom's reason was because the dog
didn't inspire her. Her nose was too flat.. Was that called love?... I guess so.
I always loved her because I wanted a pug.
But wait, no, I didn't join the game. I didn't have to tell the story..

“Someone I couldn't reach. I couldn't even imagine going out. I could only
watch from afar.”

The soft eyes said slowly and it shook my heart. Why I felt like she meant
me. Because Aoey once said that she wanted to climb up to me. Wait, I had
to listen.

“It was a very delicate relationship. I almost lost a friend…”

That was absolutely me.....I pretended to look away. I felt my face hot from
shyness. That was me. I felt like she was saying I love you in public. Damn!
That's why I had to use headphones and pretend I didn't hear anything.

“Your friend? Who was so high? Prince William?”

“That's all.”

“What?! That's not enough,"

Mint continued. The soft eyes gave way, drinking all the whiskey in the
glass and shrugging their shoulders.

“I give up. Let's keep going.”

After an hour, the game continued. As I predicted, some clothes and

accessories such as watches, rings, necklaces, and socks were removed.
Now there was a touching part.

“No.5 takes No.2's hand.”

Aoey and another friend with glasses raised their hands. I could
immediately see the uncomfortable look on her face.

“I can not do it. I give up.”

She drank a shot glass with the bottom...In the end, most of the drinks went
to Aoey. The sweet-eyed skin now turned red. Her eyes were red and she
looked like she couldn't control herself, but still she didn't let anyone touch
her. I started to worry about her. She was ordered to gently touch a friend's
cheek 3 times. I couldn't stand to watch her take another drink, so I
interfered.

“I will play for her.”

I pushed away Aoey's hand that was now reaching for another glass. I
approached the fat girl and touched her cheek 3 times. Everyone looked at
each other and complained.

“That's cheating.”

“This is my home. I have the privilege. I'll play for Aoey and I'll play for
you..”

Aoey couldn't sit up straight now. I supported her against the bed and
inserted myself into her place. I hated losing and won't lose. I would never
drink either. I couldn't drink anyway, so I had to win. It was the only
option.

“No.2 recites the multiplication table backwards from 12 to 9..”

I smiled and did what she told me to do, which took everyone by surprise.
She also ordered me to recite the Chinese language or do something
challenging that they never thought I could do. Now they enjoyed
challenging me more..
Here were the most challenging orders. No 2 upbooks No 7' with one hand.
Perfect, I got number 2, I started looking for number 7, which was me. This
game was definitely planned. But I would move on. My bra was undone,
inside me I was so empty. So anyway, they couldn't take my tits away.
“Feeding snack No.1 to No3. by mouth Mint and me again....”

“No. 2 look into the eyes with No. 1 for 1 minute, whoever loses must have
a drink.”

Did I have to say who versus who again? I won the staring game. My eyes
were the most dangerous weapons of all. If someone stared at me, I would
lose like I was cursed or end up obsessed with me.. I once looked into the
eyes of a very rich man in 3 minutes and was able to order a Hermes
perfume. Was it great or what? Mint lost and now her face turned red after
taking a drink. I wrapped my arms around myself like a proud winner. Like
I said, I would never lose.
No way!

“No.3 and No.1 have to kiss for 1 minute.”

That was definitely her plan. They must have planned to use that on Aoey
but now she had already fallen asleep. Mint looked at me excitedly. That
made me feel so upset. This must be your plan to get Aoey. But now it
didn't go as well as planned. She would catch me in her place. If I lost, I
would have to drink but I couldn't do it. l couldn't stand losing either. But
kissing this short girl! I couldn't breathe well and didn't know what to do.
But now I was part of the game. Mint
crawled closer to me like a tiger slowly approaching its victim. I looked at
her angrily and that made her stop.

“This is a game. If you don't kiss me, you will lose and have a drink.”

“I'm not gonna lose..”

Mint smiled and walked over while I bit my lip patiently because there was
nothing I could do. Suddenly… A large, heavy wallet slammed hard into
Mint's face. Everyone turned towards the direction where the wallet came
from. It was Aoey who glared back at her angrily.

“That's my Gen!”

“Leave Gen alone.”

The drunk girl was very angry. I had never seen Aoey in this version before.
She was upset, angry and fierce. She had a queen's look about her. Her
friends tried to take Mint away from me because they were worried
something would happen. Mint seemed very upset at having received a hard
blow to the face from her.

“She's very drunk, just forget it. Let's end the night here,"

I said abruptly. It was good news because if I were to kiss this girl, I would
have to clean my mouth and a dentist would have no work to do.

“This is a game and it's not over yet.”

“You really want to kiss me, huh?”

"N...No, no,"

She quickly changed her answer.

“If you lose, you have to drink.”

Aoey grabbed the bottle that was now half empty and drank as if it were
water. Everyone was surprised to see that.

“Are you happy now? The game is over. Get out of here!”

Everyone looked at Aoey in surprise. I approached Aoey and hugged her to

calm her down.

“Please go home.”

“So can you touch Aoey now?”

Mint looked at me and Aoey suspiciously. This girl must have known that
her soft eyes didn't like to be touched. That game had to be a way for her to
demonstrate it, out of curiosity.

“Yes. I can touch her but not other people.”

I said sharply and looked at Mint. I sent out a fierce energy that made her
move away from her.

“You two are strange.”

Now it was just us after everyone left. Aoey stood still in the same place
because she was very drunk. I sighed after seeing her so drunk and helped
her up.

“Get up. I'll take you to bed.”

“Were you really going to kiss Mint?”

Aoey asked with a drunken voice. She made me laugh.

“If I have to do it, I will. I do not want to lose.”

“I helped you.”

“Yes, that was a good thing.”

"No, I helped you because I don't want you to kiss anyone."

The sweet eyes full of emotion looked directly at me.

“If you're going to kiss someone, it should be me…”

“Oh?”

I was pulled forcefully by my neck towards her before she pressed her lips
against mine. I could smell the alcohol breath from her mouth. The smell
made me feel dizzy. I pushed her away from me.

“What are you doing?”

“I kiss you.”

“You're so drunk.”
“Drunk is good, so I'm brave enough to do something this crazy.”

After finishing the sentence, she pushed me down and pressed her wet lips
on mine aggressively. It seemed like she didn't know how to do it, but she
did the best she could. She surprised me, but I slowly followed her lead
with curiosity.
I kissed her back… I slid my tongue into her mouth while using both my
arms around her neck. I was in a position of surrender. The little girl let out
a low moan from her throat. She was so dizzy, but I finally turned that little
body over so she was lying on the floor before I changed so I was on top.

“My Gen.”

Aoey slowly opened her eyes to look at me. Her light brown eyes longed
for me. I couldn't resist that, so I leaned down to kiss her again and started
doing what I wanted. My instinct that I had been repressed now surfaced
and I unloaded it on her small body. She put her arms around my neck.

“Gen... Gen..”

Her low moan drove me even deeper. I sprinkled kisses all over her face as
I used my hands to unbutton her student shirt one by one. Even though I
had everything she had, I was so fascinated to feel her. The pleasant
smell... Her soft skin...
Her moan… Her lips.....and the exchange of moisture between our tongues.
What could I do with this small body?

“My Gen.”

“My Aoey.”

We both looked at each other for a long moment. Those light brown eyes
hypnotized me until I almost stopped breathing. I forgot who I was and
what I was doing. I lean towards the small body again and...

“I'm going to pass out.”

“Oh.”
“Hey.”

“Zzzzzzz.”

“Sleeping?”

I was stunned and grabbed her face with both hands. She fell asleep even
though she was calling my name a few minutes earlier. Her breathing was
now stable and her pretty face looked like she had fainted. I was stunned.
What was even more shocking was...what the hell was I doing? I looked
around and was aware that my hands were on her glistening breasts. Her
shirt was unbuttoned by me. I sat on top of her and my breathing was now
short and rapid. My feelings exploded and got no release. I wasn't drunk,
not even a little bit. But now I was in this position on top of her. It got me
back in a big way!
 sɪxᴛᴇᴇɴ
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

I could not sleep… I felt so confused. I lost my first kiss. Well, I didn't
count when she stole a kiss from me while I was asleep and I pretended I
didn't know. It was just a touch on the lips. But that was a long and intense
kiss, much more than a simple touch. All night I felt adrenaline rushing
through my body. I was up all night, so I sat down and finished Aoey's
report. I thought I would do better than her.
I'd let it go this time. I admitted I wasn't thinking. I simply followed my
own desire and abandoned my own reasons. Friends didn't do that to each
other. I didn't know why Aoey did it. It could be an act due to alcohol or
intentional. But what scared me was my conscience.

My life... I couldn't have this dark area. I was a woman and I should be with
a man. You shouldn't kiss a woman. But I could still feel its smoothness
and softness in my hands. I looked at my hands and looked at her sleeping
body on the bed. I felt so nervous. That was just by using my hands. What
would happen if I did more than that? What if it changed from my hands to
my mouth? Oh! No! I couldn't stop thinking!! Finally, when the sun rose,
Aoey woke up with a bad hangover around 11 am. I looked at her with
understanding. I made her a supplemental drink to help her feel better. The
beautiful girl looked at me in surprise.

“When did I fall asleep? I felt like I fainted.”

“What do you remember?”

“Nothing..”
That had to be a trick. She was trying to get back at me when I pretended to
pass out in the car. Aoey was vengeful, but at least she pretended to forget
about it. That saved my face.

“I was so drunk last night. I drank too much.”

“Did you do something strange last night?”

I wanted to test the little trickster girl.....But regardless of whether she could
remember or not, I decided I was going to have to talk about what
happened because I had to put out that forest fire a second time before there
was a third. I was Genlong. I had my own rules and I wouldn't have any
dark spots in my life. Drunk is drunk. That kiss didn't count. I still had my
first kiss.

"You kissed me last night,"

I said normally. She seemed surprised but more surprised than embarrassed.

“Don't you remember anything at all?”

“I fainted. Please don't be offended.”

“I could be lying if I said I wasn't offended. You kissed me when there were
so many people.”

I couldn't explain what happened to other people. I stood up, wrapped my

arms around myself and looked at her demandingly. I wanted to see her
reaction. But Aoey was always Aoey, so innocent. She believed every lie.

“I kissed you when no one was here.”

“I thought you said you couldn't remember.”

“But it seems that if you remember…”

She had no answer for that. She must have felt ashamed. I also felt bad for
cornering her like that. But if I wasn't firm about this, more headaches could
arise. Being mean to her was the only way to stop her. I didn't want to feel
like an ant and I wanted to run into honey all the time. It was so dangerous
for me, so I had to be bad.

“If you were drunk, I wanted to tell you that your subconscious was very
scary. We are friends. No friend kisses friends like that. If that was your
plan…”

“You explain it as if it were something so bad. But you kissed me back and
pressed me against the bed. That was also your subconscious and you didn't
even get drunk.”

I'm speechless. Both my arms fell to my side. I pinched myself deeply with
my nails. I was under pressure. What I had done the night before was
dangerous. What the hell! I would never admit that I felt… Sensitive too. I
couldn't say that. I couldn't let that happen.

“Emotion of the moment..”

“I simply respond to your emotion. It's human nature. I followed whatever

stimulated me. If someone else likes a man, a security guy or a taxi driver,
she would kiss him back if she was horny. That is normal.”

“I excite you?”

I didn't know how to answer that question. I paused for a long time before
finding some reasons to support my explanation.

“I just reflected on what you did.”

“I was drunk last night.”

“You should never drink again.”

“But you didn't do it. How come you respond with so much emotion if you
don't feel anything for me…So why did you kiss me?”

She cornered me again. She wanted me to confess that I loved her, but I
didn't even want to hear that.
“I admit that I felt something last night but it wasn't love that I was looking
for.”

“Is it so difficult to admit that you like me?”

“Yes.”

“We are both girls and I, Genlong, will only date a man.”

I saw the pain in her eyes. I had to turn the other way. My heart was also
aching. The harsh words that came out of my mouth made me feel so bad. I
didn't understand why I had to torture myself either. Should I let my
feelings flow naturally? But I didn't feel good either… Two women in
love…. Two women kissing…. Two women leaving…. Two women
having sex.

"If I hadn't fainted last night, how far would we have gotten?"

The smallest girl broke the silence.

“Why did you pretend to be asleep then?”

I looked into her eyes to show her that I knew her plan. The sweet eyes
looked at me with surprise.

“I was worried that if we slept together, the next morning might not be as
good as we thought because you are like that.”

“You can't accept your true feelings.”

“It was good that I put you to sleep.”

“You don't admire how you feel and you might feel disgusted afterwards.”

I didn't understand those types of people. I always wondered how those

people could handle other people's judgment. I didn't hate them, but I told
myself I would never be. So I was embarrassed! I couldn't stand that. I
was sensitive now because we were too close. The only way to make me
stop that feeling was Aoey have a boyfriend or Let her get out of my life.
“I won't talk about this again. You have to get over it as quickly as you
can.”

“Is it that easy?”

Aoey said angrily.

“Is it so easy for you to forget someone?”

“If we are not in the environment, we can do it.”

“What do I have to do?”

“If you don't have a boyfriend…”

I held my breath and said the following sentence like a bad bitch.

“You have to get out of here, out of my life.”

“Why are you so mean, Gen?”

Aoey's face was now full of tears. That made me very sad. It wasn't easy for
me to do something like this either.

“Don't make me hate you, please.”

"We are together,"

My beloved brother told me happily. That was two days after Aoey and I
had that conversation. To be honest, I was very upset. I was the only
person in the world who knew how I felt but couldn't express anything. I
pushed her and now she found her way out. Hanging out with my little
brother...
Great. She chose to have a boyfriend, rather than get out of my life. I felt
hurt. I pushed her as hard as I could while she was still trying to get close.
Poor girl.

“What's wrong, Gen? Why are you so quiet? You look like a sad puppy.”
I looked at my brother angrily. I just heard the bad news that they were
dating and now he was calling me puppy. I wanted to bite his head off.

“Well, take good care of her but try not to touch her.”

One good thing about that was that she could still know what was
happening. At least I could give some advice. Great also understood that
Aoey had this untouchable status. If it were someone else, they might not
understand it. But how could my little brother handle that? It must be
difficult for him. I talked to Aoey as if nothing had happened. We were
close as always. I tried to forget all the dramas that happened between us.
Aoey now was telling me about Great. I thought you wanted me to know all
the details. But at least they couldn't touch each other anyway.

“Nut, my eldest, asked me about you the other day and smiled and looked at
me.”

“How did you two meet?”

I pulled my hair back like I was in an advertisement.

“I am beautiful. He chased me, why?”

“He said he wanted to go out to see a movie again. Why did you date a guy
like that?”

“I give everyone a chance.”

“Wasn't it because I was on the Student Committee? You look at him with
distrust. Now I was feeling a little tense.”

“What do you know?”

“I knew from Nut that you watched Aoey from afar. You are so cool.”

Great bumped my shoulder with his as if he was proud of me.

“And you told Nut to take good care of Aoey. I wondered why all the elders
were so nice to her. You were in the back.”
Don't let Aoey find out.

“Stop trying to be cool. It wouldn't be a problem if she knew. She will thank
you.”

“She doesn't need to know.”

The more she knew, the deeper she would go. I thought it was better to keep
some distance in the relationship. It would be good for me too.

“I want to kiss Aoey.”

My brother said it out loud and there was no connection in the previous
conversation. I looked at him and smiled. They just started dating.
How long will this last?

“I want to finish inside her. I want to have sex with her.”

I choked on water from my nose and mouth. I coughed hard, very hard.
Great looked at me and cringed. He understood why I was so surprised.

“Y... You. What the hell happens to you? She is my friend.”

“That is normal. I'm a man. You are my sister. I can talk to you about this.”

“But I am a woman and you are talking about my close friend.”

“Should I take her to a doctor to treat this strange habit she has? Why can't
I touch her? It seems like he hated everyone in the world. Is it the same as
you?”

I paused and considered what I should say.

“Well, I can't touch her either.”

“It's really not normal if you can't touch it either..”

“Maybe you're not the person she really loves.”

“Why is she dating me then?*

Because of me... I wasn't happy because I didn't want to admit the

abnormality in me. After packing my bags and saying goodbye to my
parents, I drove to a shopping center. I had a date with Tod and hoped he
would also bring his boyfriend, Singha. I was just there to be his excuse.
Damn! Why did I accept this? It was like a waste of time.

“You two really don't need me here. No one will know that you two are
dating. I feel like a third wheel here.”

I was a third wheel everywhere I went, both Aoey and Tod. How was being
single so depressing?

“I didn't ask you to come today for an excuse or anything. Singha and I just
wanted to see you.”

The handsome boy turned to his boyfriend and gestured for him to confirm
it.

“Are you so in love with me?”

“I think you might feel alone.”

“Because?”

“Aoey has a boyfriend now. You must feel bad.”

I rolled my eyes. I blurted out a few words that Aoey was dating. They
seemed to blame me. I saw it published. I didn't know where the best seller
was, but I could help boost the sale by buying them all at a bookstore as we
walked. I excused myself to go in there. Aoey's book was already. I had
just spent my money on over 10 of the same books. Tod looked at me
surprised when he saw what I did.

“Are they for a gift?”

“Yes, I will give it to someone, but I don't know who yet. I will buy them
first.”
“What is the book about?”

The handsome boy grabbed one of the books and read them.

“A love novel?”

“Yes.”

“Who wrote this? Why do you have to buy so many?”

“Aoey?”

I barely said a word but he already knew the answer. Well, he was always
smart. I could never hide anything from him.

“Can you put this in my car, Singha?”

I made a request that also sounded like an order. Tod looked at me and
shook his head. She turned to her boyfriend and asked him kindly.

“Could you help her please?”

No protest from Singha. He carried all the books I bought and walked back
to the car in the parking lot, leaving me alone with Tod. Tod seemed a little
upset that I gave his boyfriend an order. But I did not care. Men were
supposed to help women anyway.

“Why are you looking at me like that? I can't stand it alone. I am a small
woman.”

“If you want to ask someone for help, you should ask nicely.”

“Gen.”

Aoey's cheerful voice made me nervous. I was afraid he would catch me

buying all her books. I turned around slowly and tried to look as normal as
possible.

“Hello, Aoey. What are you doing here?”

Once I turned around, I saw that she came with a group of friends from
college, including Jade, a senior who was competing with Great. That short
woman wasn't here. Was she dating another guy? I didn't realize she was
capable of doing that.

“I came to see my book that is on sale today....Hello Tod.”

she greeted,

“Hello.”

“You are here with so many people.”

I looked around and they were the same group of friends that had gone to
the condo. I thought I'd stop seeing those lousy friends. They took
advantage of her, without any respect. You should only see them for tasks,
but not to be around. I had to talk to her about it.

“I'm a good person. I have many friends.”

That sounded strangely sarcastic. It meant that I wasn't nice and that's why I
didn't have many friends. She was a troublemaker.

“What will you do after that?”

“We will go to dinner as good

friends.” Oh. here we go again.

“She will invite.”

Aoey's fat friend who we had met but never remembered her name said. I
looked at Aoey and felt upset.

“You are so rich. You invite everyone.”

“I want to apologize for my bad behavior the other day.”

I looked at her friends and wondered if they had any idea how hard Aoey
worked for her money. Now I had to spend at least a thousand baht on these
useless friends.

“That's great. I'm hungry now too. I smiled at Aoey innocently. I'm your
friend too. Let me go with you. Tod will invite everyone.”

Tod looked at me and smiled. I said without asking him but I knew that,
that amount of money was very little for him. If he wasn't rich, my mom
wouldn't have introduced him to me.

"Are you okay with this?"

Aoey asked and looked at Tod. The handsome boy looked like he was
thinking and shrugged.

“The more the better.”

The agreement between Tod and I was that we were dating because of
his actual situation at home. He had to be my boyfriend in front of Aoey.
Her boyfriend, Singha, was asked to return home first. Otherwise; It
would be too suspicious. We ate at a barbecue restaurant in the shopping
center.
Everyone in the group was wearing student uniforms, while Tod and I were
dressed casually. All eyes were on me because they were curious about me.
They seemed impressed with my beauty and curious about what kind of
watch I wore.

“Pateck Philip.”

I said it when Aoey's fat friend (I still couldn't remember her name)
poked her head out to look curiously. She asked through her nosy act.

“It was a gift from my father when I passed the entrance exam for the
Faculty of Architecture at Chulalongkorn University. It cost around 2
million baht.”

Everyone at the table was silent. Tod looked at me and shook his head, but I
didn't care. Well, I was born rich. That wasn't my fault.
“Your friend is so rich, Aoey.”

One of the friends named -Jao- (not sure why I could remember his name)
said casually but I recognized the sarcastic tone. I still remembered when
we played a game that night at my condo but today I was being hostile. But
I enjoyed it when people didn't like it. I had fun bullying others.

“I'm not just rich. I am very rich. I said confidently and put a piece of pork
on the grill. And I'm beautiful too.”

“I can tell how rich you are from your condo. The condo is right in the
center and with elegant decoration. There must be more than 5 million.”

“There are 7 million.”

I continued.

“The common fee is 30,000 baht per year and there is also a gym and a
saltwater pool.”

Aoey looked at her friends with an apologetic expression. She felt sorry for
them. I didn't see why I had to do that for them. They judged people by
their accessories and messed with my watch. That wasn't my fault

“Oh, my new iPhone Black 128 Gigabyte is ringing and vibrating.”

I saw the name of the caller and quickly grabbed the phone and left.

“Excuse me, I have to answer.”

I quickly got up from my seat because I couldn't stand the look in her eyes.
I felt so uncomfortable even though I was the one who tried to intimidate
them. I couldn't understand how Aoey became his friend. The biggest
problem was the one calling me now, Great. If he only knew Aoey was
here with a boy, he might go crazy. I was surprised that it was her
boyfriend but he wasn't there. How could I let her come with someone
else?!

“How about Great?”

(How come you are in the middle of Aoey's group?) I quickly looked
around looking for him. I had to be close to somewhere, I didn't feel good
about this.....

“Where are you?”

[Do you know anything about Aoey seeing the other man?]

“I said where are you?”

[I'm in the restaurant... you!]

The screams from the phone made me run back immediately. Now he was
rolling on the ground fighting with Jade. When I enter? I just left. Tod,
the only man there, stepped between two guys. Got some crossfire. Great
was now drunk with anger. I do not hear anything. I was so angry.

“Great! Enough!”

I yelled at him, but he didn't seem to hear anything at all. There was chaos
in the store. Other customers got up from their seats and ran out of the
restaurant. Aoey, who wanted everything to stop, rushed to stop them, but
Great pushed her hard until she crashed into a hot grill filled with hot soup.
Her arm was scalded by the hot soup.

“Hey!”

I yelled at her and ran, but she pushed my hand away with hatred. Aoey
looked at me with contempt as if it was all my fault.

"What!"

I asked in a state of shock.

“This is what you wanted, right?”

“What do you mean?”

“You destroyed everyone around me. You called Great here to humiliate
me. You won, now everyone hates me. No one wants to be my friend and
now just because I'm in love with you, you hate me for it.”

“If you hate me and push me away that hard, I will leave your life, Gen.”

“I'll hate you too, Gen!”

 sᴇᴠᴇɴᴛᴇᴇɴ
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

It had been a disaster. Great destroyed things in the restaurant and we

ended up at a police station. Uncle Somkit was there to help solve the
problem.
Uncle Somkit came home in the same car as us. He quickly glanced at
Aoey and realized that this was the girl I asked him to investigate. But he
didn't say anything. We sat in silence the whole way until I took Great and
Uncle Somkit home and then I left with Aoey back to the condo. I realized
there would be a storm soon. Aoey seemed to be seething with anger at me
and I was prepared for what was to come. I was determined to respond.
Suddenly when we were at home.

“I'm going to move.”

My heart dropped to my ankles. I prepared for a big fight but not to hear
that she wanted to move out

“Where will you go?”

“There will be somewhere I can go.”

"Are you trying to get back at me?"

“No, but two people who hate each other can't live together.”

Finally, she got straight to the point. I stood with my arms around me and
looked into the gentle eyes that now looked so angry. I wanted to see
how far she would go. Go ahead!
“When did I hate you?”

"Haven't you realized that you hate me?"

Her breathing was short and rapid. She clenched her fist tightly.

“You destroyed my relationship with all my friends. You boasted about

your money and belittled my friends. You treated them like shit! Why did
you do that?!”

“Well, they really are a piece of shit.”

They didn't deserve to be her friends. They took advantage of it and judged
people from outside of it. I could tell by the way they looked at me.

“But they are my friends.”

“I'm your friend too.”

“Friends shouldn't do what you did. You called Great at the restaurant to
make things worse..You told Great that I had a date with Jade.”

"So you were on a date with Jade?"

I was interested in that topic. The jealousy inside me was boiling and now
I wanted to fight.

“You are a whore.”

"It's my own business. I can see whoever I want to see. I can do what you
do too.”

"I'm not surprised..."

I looked at her and thought of the most painful word that occurred to me. I
decided to throw a hand grenade directly at her face.

“I'm not surprised your mom thought you were flirting with your
stepfather.”
Aoey's hand hit right on my face. It was hard enough to make me lose my
balance. I was stunned with a pain in my cheek. The soft eyes squeezed her
fist so hard. I was filled with rage now that I felt guilty for saying that.

“Bitch! How could you say that? You know nothing!”

“What should I know then? Tell me.”

“One thing you should know is that you are the worst friend I have ever had
in my life. I hope you are happy alone and die alone.”

The girl chose the worst insult she could ever think of. She was
overwhelmed with feelings and guilt. She knew she shouldn't say that, but
now she was shocked by what she had just said.

“Okay, now I know.”

“Know what?”

She continued and pushed my chest. She wanted a fight.

“Now I know I'm a bad friend.”

“This is when you should deny it. If you say you're a bad friend, it means
it's true. You hate me!”

“Whatever you wanted to say.”

I was so weak now. My brain was numb and I was confused and I wanted to
leave. I turned to leave the room.

“Why do you hate me so much? Is it because I love you?”

I clenched my fist and said nothing. The crying from behind shook me.

“Is it so bad that I love you? Is it so bad?”

“I do not hate you. Actually it's an opposite, a total opposite."

I turned around to look into her soft eyes.

“I hate myself for that. Please

understand!”

“I do not hate you. I hate myself for being like this.”

We both looked into each other's eyes. My tears rolled down my cheeks but
I wiped them away with the back of my hand. I didn't want anyone to see
my weakness.

“I hate myself for being so confused. I hate feeling immense pain, but I still
can't accept myself. I envy you because you can express what you feel. But
I can not…”

"You're embarrassed to admit that. How are you going to express it?”

The soft eyes grabbed my wrist when I turned around about to leave.

"What do you mean you don't hate me? Does that mean you're…”

“Don't say it Aoey! Do not say it!.”

“What happened to your face? Did you fight with her?”

“She thought I called you to get her with another man. I wanted to tell you
that Jade is not her boyfriend. They are friends.”

Even though I fought with her, I tried to cover up for her and fix her
situation. Damn! I was Genlong. I was supposed to be a bad girl, not a saint
like this. Great hugged me as tight as a python. I tried to push him away
from me.

“Let go! What are you doing?”

“ I’m very sorry. I don't want you to get hurt like that. I'll explain it to
Aoey.”

“Just explain your issue.”

I went back to my room and closed the door. I didn't want anyone in my
space. No one could see me weak, especially when I was sad. Tears were a
sign of weakness. I had determined that no one would ever see my tears
except myself. But Aoey did it that day. She made me feel guilty by saying
that. I felt bad because she thought I hated her and she wanted to destroy
her. The worst thing was that I said what I felt. That was wrong? Was it
sinful?... When I was tense, I liked to relax by soaking in a warm bathtub. I
thought the tension would come out of my pores and go down the drain.
But the tension continued to boil in my heart. It was sadness, but not
annoyance. This is how sadness felt..

I felt so much pain when the person I love looked at me disgustingly. The
worst of the worst was that she was my best friend and I fell in love with
her. Could I fall in love with my best friend? My phone rang as my
thoughts drifted. I saw the name of the caller and answered the phone by
turning on the speaker. I was still in the bathtub.

“What do you want? I'm in the bathtub.”

[You must be stressed to get in the bathtub.]

No one really knew that this was the way I released my stress. Only people
within the family knew.

[Aoey is here to see you. She can't get in. Open the

door.] I sat down immediately. My heart was beating

fast.

“What? Where? Here at home? How can she know where my house is?”

[I brought her here. Now it's in front of the room.]

I hesitated before answering.

“No. I want to be alone today. Tell her to go away. Please take her back to
the condo and don't touch her.”

I didn't try to play hard to get it or anything, but my eyes got really swollen.
I didn't want anyone to see me when I was weak. After a warm bath for an
hour, I felt lighter and a little

dizzy.. “Gen. Gen.”

I frowned when I heard a scream somewhere. I saw Aoey standing outside

looking at me. I thought she was gone. I didn't open the window or realize
she was there. I closed the curtain to tell her to leave. But she was still there
by the window, she stayed where she was. Why was she pressuring me? I
wasn't ready to talk.

“Great!”

I knocked on Great's door. He smiled because he knew why I was there.

“Why didn't you take your girlfriend home? I said I don't want to see her.”

“She's so stubborn. She insisted on talking to you today. She chose to wait
there.”

“She wants to pressure me.”

“You should talk to her.”

"I'm not ready to talk."

“Well, she'll stay there all night. Do you know how many people die from
dengue?”

I growled at him and wrapped my arms around my chest. I wasn't that easy.
If it were easy, I would have too many husbands by now. Many men
pressured me in many different ways. But no one had achieved it until then.
I couldn't let a girl succeed today.

“Give her some mosquito repellent spray!”

I turned to go back, but Great grabbed my arm and looked at me like a

puppy.

“Please, sister. I don't want her to get sick.”

“No!”

But actually.....I went down to see her in silence. I stood there silently
watching her as she tried to get the mosquitoes off of her. I looked at her
with a mixture of feelings of adoration and frustration before coughing
lightly just to get her attention.

“Why are you organizing a party for mosquitoes?”

The girl turned around and jumped away immediately. When she jumped
out of her seat, my face was so close to her. Her face almost collided with
mine. I took a step back and spoke to her with my arms crossed over her
chest.

“Oh, it's good that you're finally here to talk to me.”

“Your tone is totally different from last night. Don't you hate me anymore?”

I said sarcastically but I also expected her to respond but she didn't say
anything in return. Aoey stood there with a sad face. I wasn't sure
what Great told her, but she changed completely.

“I was crazy.”

“Do you know when people are most sincere?”

I crossed my arms and looked directly into her eyes.

“When they are drunk and angry.”

“I'm sorry.”

She gave up so quickly. What was I supposed to do now? Had she finished
answering me? She had to stop with those puppy dog eyes. Damn!

“You didn't do anything wrong today. It was me. I despise your friends and
called Great to fight you. Oh! I'm a bad friend and I'll die alone like you
said.”
I emphasized what she said. I could not avoid it. Aoey looked like a sad
puppy now with tears in her eyes.

"Hit me,"

She said sadly. That made me feel so weak.

“What?”

“I know what I said made you very sad. Please hit me back."

She put her face closer to my face. She looked like she was prepared for a
kiss instead of a hit. I took a step back. She was flirting...again. I turned my
face away nervously. She seemed to know that I was nervous.

“Or we are both half to blame. Today I misunderstood you and I got upset
with you. And you also said something unpleasant to me. I think we're even.
So let's get through this.”

I realized what I told her about her stepfather. That made me feel guilty. I
never felt guilty in my life before. Even when I killed a gecko when I
closed the door, I blamed the same gecko for being there and staining my
beautiful door. I kind of let it all go because I felt so guilty for her. What
was wrong with me?

“What did Great tell you? Why are you completely changed?”

“I know how good you are to me.”

“Oh?”

“You asked your mother to publish my book, right?”

You rascal! Finally she told her. I bit my lip hard in anger. I had to put him
in his place today. Bastard!

“I read it and I think it's good. I think you will make money, so I posted
it. If it's not good, the publisher won't do it. It's bad for them too, you
know."
I looked her in the eyes and crossed my arms.

"Go ahead and get mad at me. You can hate me more than you already do.
I did something you didn't like.”

“I'm not angry and I don't hate you.”

“Because?”

“Love blinds me and makes me forgive.”

I paused and pretended I hadn't heard her. I almost fainted. She waited for
this moment, didn't she?

“Let's just say I'm not a good person. I'm a bad friend like you said.”

“What kind of bad friend would go out of her way to help me? You also
bought all my books.”

“When did I do that?”

I was surprised because I was pretty sure she didn't see that and Singha had
put them in the car.

“Great, show me your trunk. He said you bought them all and kept them at
home. You did it to help me, right?”

“Who would be so crazy? I bought them for my friends.”

"I didn't know you had so many friends."

Now I was nervous. The sweet eyes cornered me. I had no way to escape.
What was that? She was such a different person than the one had hit me
with. And those eyes...

“You helped with my homework by getting my report an A.”

“Oh really? An A?”

I said with surprise, but then I realized that I was supposed to be angry.

“I had some free time.”

“You went out with Nut because you asked Nut to watch me during
orientation.”

She looked at me with her flirtatious eyes. I assumed that was what Great
said too.

“I called Nut and talked to him. He told me everything you did that day.”

What else did she know? Did she even know that I was imagining seeing
Justin Bieber naked swimming with me on a date? I shifted nervously when
I saw her flirtatious look. I didn't feel comfortable with this feeling. I felt
shy.....

“We are friends. I was worried about you as a friend.”

“You are my close friend. I should know you better... but I didn't. I said
something stupid and it hurt your feelings. Please, I'm sorry.”

Please? Her eyes and her tone...where did she learn to do that? And that
sweet talk? As if she knew I would melt hearing that. It worked very well. I
looked around nervously, but it seemed like her eyes were a strong magnet
that attracted me. I couldn't focus on anything but her. I was sweating...
hot.

“Did you say you should get to know me better? What do you know about
me?”

“You're kidding yourself that you don't feel anything. But you feel them...
so much.”

The smaller girl took a step forward. My legs got so weak when she came
closer. I stopped when I could no longer move back, my back was trapped
with a tree trunk. She looked at me and smiled triumphantly for having
cornered me.
“Do you like to have the control. You are a perfectionist who cared a lot
about what others think of you. But deep down I see that you are very
pretty.”

It didn't sound nice to me. I heard and thought those were not good traits for
a good friend. But I felt very shy because of the way she looked at me.

“It doesn't sound nice.”

“You are pretty in my

eyes.” “Hey!”

I called her to make her stop. She expressed too much of her feelings.

“I told you before not to show…”

“I love you, Gen.”

“I know. You say it often.”

“I love you and I want you…”

The soft eyes looked at me. She hypnotized me and grabbed my hand and
pressed it on her left breast. I felt her heartbeat.

“I want to swallow you whole. If I can…”

My throat went dry in surprise. I could collapse on the ground. She played
an offensive game this time. I was only chased by boys, but never by a girl.

“I don't understand.”

“It's not too difficult to understand. Or should I kiss you?

“Oh?”

The smallest girl said jokingly and stood on tiptoe, so her lips were right on
mine.
"You have to understand that I'm crazy about you."

“Do you know what you're saying? I told you before that I was not a
lesbian.”

"Let's see how far you can go."

She smiled mockingly.

“When you're ready, I'll be here.”

The girl pulled my neck with both hands and put her lips next to my ear.

“See how far you can go. I'll make you admit how much you love me.”
 ᴇɪɢʜᴛᴇᴇɴ
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

She knew me......Despite my reluctance and rejection, my actions were the

opposite of what I said. The soft eyes advanced aggressively. She had been
waiting for this moment for so long. Our relationship seemed to suddenly
improve after we dragged our feet for months. The soft eyes stopped hiding
her feelings and showed it obviously. She made it seem so normal. Close
friendship relationship.

Girl VS Girl.

That day before going to sleep, Aoey took my arm and wrapped it around
her like we did before..I resisted at first, but then I thought the slightly
sweet smell of her soap attracted me. I just went with the flow. I thought it
was the soap that attracted me to her. She was more aggressive than she
was. When I thought she was already asleep, she turned
around and kissed me on her lips, and intentionally called me to make sure I
knew she had kissed me.

“Gen, are you sleeping?”

“I wanted to play the King's Order game again.”

Damn! Imagine how much self-control it took to avoid feeling like a part of
her body. That smell, that voice and those sweet lips close to me.

“Oh! My arm hurts.”

I woke up because I remembered that I had burned myself with the frying
pan. I opened my eyes and saw her looking directly at me and I smiled
slyly.

“Still awake.”

I quickly pushed her head towards my chest to avoid those complacent

eyes. We slept like that all night while I tried like crazy to calm down. I
struggled hard saying my prayer to distract myself.

«This was me, Genlong....who never lost»

This was the first time Aoey spent a night with me at my mother's house.
The sweet eyes acted a little shy in front of my mom and dad. I felt a little
awkward introducing my friend to my family even though Great should do
that job.

“You have a friend to have a pajama party.”

My mom said while looking at Aoey. It seemed like she recognized her
from somewhere..

“She gave me lice, remember?”

“Professor Slim, right?”

“No, Teacher

Salee.” “Yes, that's

right.”

She recognized Aoey and looked at her with admiration.

“You are much more beautiful as an adult woman. Where did you have
plastic surgery? I want to do it too.”

“She doesn't have operations, mom.”

“You are so Beautiful. Where did you get it from? From your mom or your
dad?”
My mom continued her chatter, but Aoey suddenly felt tense when asked
about her family.

"Aren't you supposed to go to your poker card club?"

I quickly changed the subject.

“How did you know?”

She asked, surprised as she placed her clutch under her armpit.

“I've never seen you go anywhere other than a poker club. Come in please.
There is a place here only for the conversation of young people,"

I said frankly. She complained gently but still walked away when she
understood that it was only Aoey, Great, and I and we walked towards the
dining room. She had prepared an American breakfast with ham and
sausages. Great, who tried to sit next to Aoey, was hit by me. He grumbled
and crossed the table to sit across from us. We all sat down and were about
to start eating our food.

"Let's change,"

Aoey told me. She was asking me why we had to change plates, but then I
looked at the plate she put in front of me. I saw a heart-shaped tomato
sauce. She was flirting so early in the morning. I looked at her again but
didn't say anything. It was such a cute flirt that made my heart beat faster.
But I couldn't show anything, especially when her boyfriend was sitting
right in front of us. I couldn't make it more obvious.

“Just like that, huh?”

I whispered back. Aoey shrugged.

“Ahha.”

“Is this your real self?”

I whispered to her without looking at her.

“I never met you in this version. I thought you were very

shy.” She smiled slyly.

“I'm like that only with you. There's no point in being shy if the
relationship isn't moving forward. I might as well give it my all. In my life,
I have never flirted with someone like that.”

“This is not flirting. This is being a whore.”

I knocked just to get the attention of Great, who was now eating breakfast. I
smiled and slid the plate towards him when he looked up.

“Aoey drew you a heart but she's too shy to give it to you.”

Great looked very surprised and turned to look into the sweet eyes with
admiration.

“You don't have to be shy. I'll be happier if It comes from you.”

I looked at Aoey as a winner, but it seemed like she didn't care. She
grabbed a bottle of ketchup and pulled another one onto her plate.

“I have a lot of love for you. I can give everything I can.”

The little eyes slid me another plate with a heart. She rested her chin on her
palm and smiled sweetly.

"Let's see how long you can last,"

She whispered. Cunning...

"So you're not mad at Great anymore after he caused all that trouble
yesterday?"

I changed the subject. Great, who was admiring a heart on his plate, looked
up and growled at me.

“Why do you mention this?”

“I'm curious. How come she got angrier with me than with you who caused
so much trouble yesterday?”

“I said I'm sorry and Aoey doesn't hold a grudge. She can't stay angry for
long. How cute!”

Great openly admired Aoey. Her soft eyes smiled back but said nothing.
Aoey didn't hold a grudge, huh? If he saw what happened the day before, he
wouldn't say this.

"You're not mad at Great but you exploded at me."

I looked at her shrewdly. Aoey leaned close to my ear. She was openly
trying to seduce me because we were both girls. It didn't seem obvious. Her
lips touched my ear softly.

“I am full of lust only for someone I am in love with.”

I froze because I didn't know how to respond to that. I felt so warm with a
trembling heart when she whispered in my ears. Aoey sat down normally
and took a sip of her drink. I was still frozen.

“What happened? your face is red.”

Great asked while I was still shocked and I answered him without thinking.

“I'm hot.”

“It's hot. The sausage... It's hot. Now I'm full."

I got up to leave.

“I'm going to take a shower.”

“I'm with you.”

Aoey continued flirting without much suspicion. The soft eyes were now
looking at me seductively. She was trying to beat me. I looked back and
motioned to her with my fingen “Follow me if you're in.”
I didn't want to lose this time. She was stunned by my response. Both Of
our faces now turned red. Our imaginations were now flying so far away,
when our reality was barely visible to us. I thought you were the only one
who knew how to seduce?

“Lead the way, I will follow you.”

Aoey still answered me. I turned around with soft eyes following me. My
heart beating hard. I didn't know what to do next. I just seduced her without
any expectations because I wanted to win. When we finally got to my room,
only the two of us could talk openly to each other.

"I thought you said you were going to take a shower. Here I am.”

The sweet eyes mocked me.

"You're so insistent today."

I crossed my arms and looked at her.

“I told you I like you.”

“But…”

“I'm not asking for your permission. I intentionally seduce you into
admitting that you like me too.”

“I do not like you.”

“Really?”

Her tone was more sarcastic than convincing. I was annoyed by her tone.

“Ok, I believe you.”

“You have to believe me. Don't forget that we both have boyfriends.”

I reminded her that neither of us were single. What we were doing now was
wrong.
“I can break up with Great if you want.”

"Why did you go out with him then?"

“You told me he's the best, remember?”

“Why did you believe me?”

“I love you. Whatever you say, I believe you.”

“Hey…”

“Do you love me, Gen?”

The soft eyes asked mockingly. It didn't seem like she was expecting an
answer.

“If you love me, you have to believe that I love you. Like I believe in what
you said.”

I looked at her and sighed. She wasn't like that when we met. She was quiet
and shy. Where did she get all these flirting techniques? Was it an online
novel?

“I will take a shower. Oh! I'll shower alone…”

“Oh, come on, what a coward! You didn't say that before."

The verbal challenge bothered me. But I thought the soft eyes knew what to
say to get under my skin. I tried to ignore those verbal taunts.

“Work harder.”

“I might let you take a shower with me one day. I'll let you rub every inch
of me.”

“Maybe one day.”

“What?”
I entered the bathroom while she was standing with a red face. I didn't
realize that I had never flirted like that before.
Damn! I flirted with so many guys and didn't feel anything, but I felt
something with this girl.

Aoey and I were in the same condo again. It felt like a couple that fought
and then got back together. When we got home, I couldn't help but be
sarcastic with her.

“Are you not moving anymore?”

The soft eyes now looked at me angrily.

“Is that for me?”

"Well, I was just

asking," I shrugged.

“I wonder if you really move, where are you going to be? Are you going to
stay with your college friends?”

When I pressed the question, she walked up to me and gave me a cute

guilty face.

“You should forget many things I said. I'm stupid enough not to see through
all those friends.”

She found out from Great that a friend in that group told him she was with
Jade. She felt guilty blaming me for causing all the problems.

“It's good that you realized how stupid you are. I don't like stupid people
who think they're smart.”

“Why do you have to be so bad? I know you're not a bad person, but the
things you say can really hurt people. You should be more careful with
that.”
I looked at her and contemplated. Was it my imagination that I thought
she was more open to telling me things than she was before? Fighting
made us feel closer to each other...

“Are you going to see the same friends again? I have to meet them at the
university anyway. I can't turn my back on them. We still have to do some
tasks together.”

“I'm about to tell you not to burn the bridge..”

“I may have fewer friends now.”

“I am your friend?”

“I don't wanna be your friend.”

The soft eyes flirted again. My heart was beating fast. I had to pretend I
didn't hear that.

"I'll talk to you more often, then."

She gave me a sweet smile. How come she looked so cute? Or maybe she
was always like that but I pretended not to see her. Oh! I was losing to her.
I used my hand to push her face out of my way. I didn't want to talk
anymore. After a while, her phone rang. I could immediately notice that her
mood changed. She was cheerful but now she was frowning. I turned
around to see who she was talking to.

“Don't call me again!”

She threw her phone on the ground and stepped on it. She looked so scared
that I had to rush over and give her a hug.

“What happened Aoey! Are you OK?”

I shook the one who now stood motionless with tears in her eyes. She
looked at me and let me go.

“Do not touch me. I'm dirty."

She crossed her arms over her chest.

“Hey.”

“I'm going to take a shower.”

She quickly turned around and went into the bathroom without a towel. I
stood there and looked at her broken phone on the floor. I didn't care if the
phone was broken, but I did care who had called her. Who?
 ɴɪɴᴇᴛᴇᴇɴ
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

After last night, Aoey was cheerful and acted as if nothing had happened. I
assumed she didn't want me to ask her about what happened. I realized
there was a problem, even other people saw that face full of smiles. I didn't
think it was a real smile. But... I had to pretend like nothing was happening.

“Your phone is broken now. How can I contact you?”

“Telepathic contact.”

The soft eyes smiled mockingly. She seemed very comfortable when I
didn't protest her flirtatiousness. I liked it too.

“Buy a new one.”

“No, I don't have anyone to contact.”

“Me.”

"I'll see you at home anyway."

“Don't you want to call me and tell me you love me on the phone?”

I joked. The soft eYes smiled and shrugged.

"I want to show it in other ways."

The vague meaning gave rise to so many interpretations, so I simply
ignored it. I took the car key and was about to leave. She looked at me,
who was not wearing a student uniform.

“Where do you go today?”

“To visit a friend.”

I didn't explain anything more and she didn't ask for more details. She
might have thought that it was a friend I was working with for an
assignment. I didn't want to answer any more questions either. I drove to a
nail salon to get a manicure first. I saw some beautiful colors last night, so
I wanted to paint my nails first before doing anything important... which
was… Buy a bird.....I did some research that a bird could be a friend and
live in a condo. Aoey liked to say that she had no friends. I had the idea of
getting her a pet, a talking pet, a bird. I had to choose between a parrot and
a myna. Many people had pet parrots, and I wanted to be unique, so I chose
a Myna. I asked Somkit uncle (he was always my choice to help me) to
find that bird because I had no idea about birds. The older man made an
appointment with me to deliver a cage “Here it is. A myna.”

“To talk to?”

“If you train him, he will surely talk. What happened, why do you want a
bird now?”

“I want to speak with someone.”

“Poor.”

I looked at him and realized that it was actually my fault that he said I
needed a friend..

“Thanks for your help.”

“I also wanted to ask you if you have seen my handcuffs.”

"Wives?"
I said with surprise.

“How can I know that?”

“I don't know if I accidentally left them in your car when I took you to the
police station the other day. I don't know where they went.”

“I'll search for them. I'll let you know if I find them."

I smiled at him and thought about other things. Well, he was the only one I
could ask for help.

“I wanted more help from you.”

“Yeah?”

I handed over Aoey's broken mobile phone..

“Can you take this to fix it, please?”

“In this state? Why don't you buy a new one?”

I actually bought a cheap new phone to put Aoey's old SIM card in. I
wanted to give it to him, but then I changed my mind. I wanted to know
who the last call was. I wanted to talk to that person, so I chose not to give
him the new phone.

"There's something important here,"

I lied. In fact, I wanted to see what was on this phone.

"Can you fix this for me, please?"

“No problem. Did you take out the SIM card?”

“Yes, it's done. Please fix it.”

“OK.”
“Thank you.”

I said thank you and took the bird, our new member home with my colorful
and shiny nails. But once I opened the door, I stopped when I saw Great
sitting there. Uncomfortable... -

“You're here again.”

“What? What kind of greeting is this? Wow, what is this,"

The nosy Great walked in and took the cage out of my hand. -

“What kind of bird is this?”

“Myna.”

“Do you have a bird? Since when do you want a pet? You even kill ants
every time you see them.”

“I'm not that bad. The bird is for Aoey, so she won't be too alone.”

Aoey looked at me in surprise.

“You said you don't have many friends to talk to. I bought you a myna. He
can talk.”

“Nice.”

Aoey gave me a big smile. I don’t know what she meant, that I was
pretty or that the bird was cute. But she made me feel so shy that I looked
away.

“How do I teach him?”

"I don't know,"

I replied.

"You might have to talk to him every day. It's all yours. You can teach him
whatever you want him to say.”
The soft eyes walked beside me and whispered to me.

“I'll teach him to say. Aoey loves Gen.”

My heart pounded once I heard that. My patience was falling apart. The
soft eyes looked at me as if hypnotizing me. I thought I was already falling
there. I immediately snapped out of the moment, mesmerized and looked at
her..

“What's happening?”

“Nothing. I'm just jealous. I wanted to look into her eyes too,"

Great told Aoey. I just shrugged and walked away.

“You can look at it now. I'm going to watch T.V.”

Aoey washed the dishes and did her homework as usual. Great was now
sitting with me.

“Why can't I touch her? I'm her boyfriend."

He got upset.

“She doesn't like that. Why would you touch her anyway?

I said with some agitation..

“But I'm her boyfriend. If I can't touch it, what's the point then?”

“Break up with her if you can't stand that.”

“Gen, I'm serious! Can you give me better advice? Can we take her to a
doctor?”

“What kind of doctor can cure this?”

“A psychiatrist! There must be something causing this problem. Even you

can't touch her, right?”
No, I can touch her and I was the only one who could touch her. But I didn't
tell him that. I didn't see the point in telling him.

“How are you going to explain to her about taking her to the doctor?
Because I wanted to sleep with you, so I'm taking you to the doctor?”

“What a bad excuse.”

“Is it true?”

“Yes it's true.”

I hit him on the head with a feeling of disgust. Was that the only thing he
thought about?

“She is my friend. Be nice to her. You can have sex with other girls but
not with Aoey. I said with a very serious tone. She looked at me feeling
guilty. Now she treated me like her older sister.

“I really like her.”

“If you really like her, you will wait as long as it takes. Otherwise you
can break up with her and date other people.”

Now he was upset with me because I told him to break up with her all the
time. My brother got up and threw a pillow on the couch.

“I'm not going to talk to you now. I'm going home. Aoey, I'm going
home now.”

Aoey turned around but didn't say anything to him. I noticed that she was
not warm towards him. It was a little cold. I wasn't surprised that Great
didn't feel like things were moving forward. He couldn't even touch her, let
alone have sex with her.

“Hey.”

“Yeah?”
I walked over to her, who was washing dishes in a small kitchen sink.

“Have you ever wanted to see a psychiatrist?”

I expressed my concern. Aoey looked at me in surprise.

“Why would I need one?”

“Well, you don't let anyone touch you. It must be something a doctor
could…”

I didn't finish my sentence. The soft eyes approached me and hugged me

with her face on my warm neck. It was like a cat trying to find a warm
place. I was stiff because she caught me off guard.

“Here I can touch you.”

“What about other people?”

"I won't touch anyone except you."

The smaller girl looked at me and seemed like she was trying
to kiss me. I turned my face away and backed away carefully.

“Do not joke.”

“I'm fine. Do not worry about me. If I can touch you, I'm still fine."

She smiled at me.

“I just want to touch the person I chose to touch. I'm fine.”

“Poor Great. My brother is very upset because he can't be near you. He

worries me that you two will break up over the issue.”

“That is what I want.”

“I don't want Great. I wanted you, Gen.”

The soft eyes meant it. I felt guilty for forcing Aoey to choose.

“You should break up with him soon because he's too

excited.” "I'll do it right away when I can,"

She said flirtatiously.

"But you'll have to replace it, Gen."

"You're too good at flirting now."

“Nah, I have to try harder with people like you. People who don't accept the
truth.”

She smiled and stopped because I remembered something.

“Speaking of doctors, I have to go see one.”

“What happened?”

“There is something strange here. I found it here

“

She raised her left arm and touched the side of her breast. I looked at her
and worried about the illness that many women had.

“Do you have a ball?”

“It could be, but I'm not sure. Feel this. I'm not sure if I'm too paranoid."

I reached out and felt the side of her chest without thinking. I didn't find
anything strange......

“Nothing here.”

“Yes there are.”

Wait… I felt like she was cheating on me. Aoey smiled slyly and looked
at me like a cat that just caught a mouse “Here... is my heart. Please take
it.”

I was losing again. Finally, the myna was one of the members of the
house. I tried really hard to get him to say something. I thought it might be
a mute bird, and couldn't learn to talk.

“Uncle Somkit, did you give me a sick bird? The bird made no sound at all.
I'm not even sure if he's still breathing or not. Does the bird inhale and
exhale through its nose?”

I spoke to Uncle Somkit on the phone and at the same time searched for his
handcuffs which he said might be missing in the car.

[You have to try hard. I heard some birds can actually talk.]

“It's so hard to get him to say a word. Did you forget to put the batteries
in?”

I looked around my car and sighed.

“However, I don't see your handcuffs. It's not in my car.”

[Okay, okay. I'll buy new ones. It's a shame. They were new... by the way,
your phone is fixed.]

“What happens with all the information? Is there?”

There was silence on the other end of the line. I had to repeat my question.

"Are you okay, Uncle Somkit?"

[Is this really your phone?]

That serious tone scared me immediately. I could feel there was something
more to it than that. But I insisted that the phone was mine.

“Yeah.”
[Nothing. Come get your phone.]

“Something must be wrong. Otherwise, you wouldn't be so serious.”

I tricked him. He was so uncomfortable that it shook me.

“What did you see on my phone?”

[If it's your phone, what can I say then?... I'll return it to you at your condo.]

"You're not calling me about the handcuffs, are you?"

There was no response from the other side. It was the first time he hung up
on me without saying goodbye. 30 minutes later, he arrived at my condo
in a van and gave me Aoey's phone back.

“Here it is.”

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

"I thought you had something to tell

me."

We looked at each other for a long time. He finally threw both hands into
the air as if he had given up.

“Okay, I'll say it.”

“Yeah.”

“Is that you in the photos?”

“Photos.?”

I didn't say anything because I still wasn't sure what he was talking about. I
turned on the phone and searched through photo files I'd never looked at
before. At first they were normal photos, but in the end, there were photos
that shouldn't be there. Nude photos. I swallowed a large lump in my throat.
They could be images from the Internet. But my heart trembled with fear
that this was something real and not what I thought. Aoey's photos… Aoey
videos....

“I don't want to say anything now. Has anyone else seen this?”

“The guy who fixed it and me.”

“Please don't tell dad.”

“You haven't told me if it's you or not. But I think she looks like you but
she's not you.”

The girl did not look happy at all. I bit my lip hard but said nothing.

"I'll talk to you later."

I walked away from him and scrolled through those photos. Each image
was taken in a different place, at different times, but it was the same girl.
Some VDO clips came with sound and I had to mute them. I couldn't see
her face clearly, but she was the same person in the photos and videos.
What I was very sure of was that mark on her shoulder. I wanted to
confirm if it was her. I needed to prove something.

“Hey.”

“Yes.”

The soft eyes that were writing a novel in their notebook looked at me...

“Did you ever get an injection in your shoulder when you were young?”

“Maybe.”

“Do you have a big scar there?”

“I don't know.”

“I can see?”
She was surprised but ready to show me her shiny, smooth shoulder. I
sighed when I saw nothing there. Ugh... that wasn't her.

“They didn't give me an injection here. It was the other side.”

She rolled up her sleeve on the other side to look for a scar. It was on her
shoulder. I was stunned.

“Gen, are you okay?”

I didn't know what happened to me. It could be disappointment or whatever,

but I couldn't speak. I went into the bathroom and locked myself there for
hours. Why did he take those photos?!... Why did you take those videos?!
 ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

I couldn't sleep... and I couldn't look at her for 3 whole days...

The soft eyes tried to talk to me as usual. Even though I tried to act as
normal as possible, I still tried to avoid her. I was so confused and obsessed
by those videos and photos. I had questions in my head WHY did she take
those photos? Was she within her right to do so?... That was her phone
number. She took it and kept it. I was the one who intruded on her privacy.

“Are you okay, Gen? You've been looking strange for a couple of days..”

“Oh? I'm fine.”

Even though I knew it wasn't normal. I couldn't look at her like before. I felt
disappointed..

“Did I do something to bother you?”

“Nothing.”

“I love you, Gen.”

I looked at the person in front of me who had just told me she loved me but
didn't know what to do. I could only walk away. I took my bag and decided
to go out but I had no idea where to go. But I couldn't be in the room with
her. I couldn't handle it. I didn't know if I could ever handle it. It would be
best if I went home to sleep...
“ I’ll go home.”

Before I left the condo, a small hand tugged at my shirt. I couldn't look at
her again. I took her hand off of me and walked away like a heartless bitch.
People these days had sex when they went out, it was normal I guess. I
never realized she had a boyfriend. She disgusted anyone who touched her.
My heart was shaking like I had too much caffeine. I had to find something
else to do to occupy my head. I focused my tension on my study. I finished
assignments as if it would help me graduate..Arrrgggg!! I couldn't even
drive consciously. How could I finish my homework? Fuck it!

But as I sat, my phone rang with a tone that was completely unfamiliar to
me. But that wasn't my phone. It was Aoey's phone… I put her SIM card in
my new phone. I looked at the calling number. No name was shown. She
never saved the number. I paused for about 10 seconds to reconsider
whether I should respond or not. My curiosity overcame everything. I hit
reply and started talking.

“Hello.”

[I called you and you didn't answer or call me back.]

I frowned at an older man's voice. The way he spoke was authoritative.

“Who is it?”

[You are not Aoey.]

I thought a little before answering.

“Aoey is in the shower. I'm her friend. Who should I tell that she called
her?”

[A friend? Good. I want to ask you something. I'm her stepfather.]

He introduced himself and that made me a little nervous. I thought about

what Uncle Somkit told me about his stepfather..

“Yeah?”
[Aoey left home many months ago. She never called again and I wanted to
know where she is now.]

“She's with me. I'm Gen.”

[Gene?]

“I'm Gen.”

[How do you know her?]

“I've been friends with her since elementary school.”

He wanted to know where Aoey is now. If I told him I was a friend in

Bangkok, he would know she was there now. One thing he didn't realize
was that he was now talking to me, Genlong. I was too smart for him.

[Where are you now?]

“I'm at home.”

[Ha!]

“What's that?”

He was upset that I didn't tell him my location. Finally, my boring day had
something fun to do.

[I mean what province are you in now]..

“Aoey didn't tell you where it is?”

[I wouldn't ask you if she had told me.]

"Why don't you ask her then?"

[Hey you!…]
He seemed to be fed up with me. But I finally told him where I was because
I wanted to know more about him.

“I'm in Bangkok.”

[Ok, that's it. Tell Aoey to call me as soon as possible.]

"Yes,"

I replied coldly without a proper goodbye. I looked at the phone for a while
after hanging up. Something didn't feel right. Why would a stepfather calls
his daughter? Even her mother, she never called her. He was just a
stepfather. I wanted to know. I would do everything I could to find out!
The real Aoey couldn't call him back. I chose to text her instead. From
Aoey's last reaction when she picked up the phone, those two were not on
good terms. He would be able to read. He couldn't be that stupid, but he got
angry easily. He couldn't be that smart.

[Aoey: What do you want?]

That was all I sent and waited for. There was no greeting, no rude words. It
was just a simple sentence. Not long after, the stepfather called again but I
refused to answer. He should know that she didn't want to talk to him. The
phone was silent for about 10 minutes. I finally sent a text message after no
one answered. I misspelled and used strange words. He was not well
educated and tried to fight me, a much smarter college student.

[Stepfather: I'm going to see you in Bkk.]

Why would a stepfather want to see her? Her relationship wasn't good to
begin with.

[Aoey: For what?]

Another 5 minutes passed.

[Stepfather: So you can do your job. It has been a long time.]

I did not feel well. What kind of job was she talking about? I was shaking
even though there was nothing in that sentence. Should I continue?.. Yeah…
No..

[Aoey: What job?]

The last sentence sent shivers down my spine.

[Stepfather: Wife job.]

I kept that story to myself for a long time. I waited for her stepfather to
contact Aoey again. After 1 week, the relationship between Aoey and I
was awkward. Her soft eyes tried so hard to get closer to me, but I tried
harder to avoid her.

“Gen.”

Aoey finally stopped me by standing in front of me.

“Why do you avoid me?”

Wife… That stepfather's word was in my head the whole time. I couldn't
shake it off. I wanted to ask her the truth but I couldn't. Was she really
having an affair with her stepfather? She betrayed her mother… Did you
seduce him? She didn't seem to be defending herself in the videos. Was
there something more to that? I was too serious to ask her. I chose to stay
silent.

“No, I didn't avoid you.”

“You don't sleep here and you don't talk to me when you do. Did I do
something you didn't like?”

The smaller girl shook my arm.

“Did I make fun of you too much? Did you feel uncomfortable?”

“I have so many tasks. One day I didn't have time to shower.”

“Really?”

We both remained silent. As I was about to say something, my new phone

rang with her number. The ringtone that rang at this moment made me feel
numb. I couldn't answer the phone. I couldn't move. Aoey looked at my new
phone in surprise.

“When did you buy a new phone? Where is your old phone?”

“I have two phones... I have to go to university. That must be my friend

calling. I have to go now.”

I removed her hand from me and walked over to my bag. I took out both my
phones; the new and the old in the bag. I ignored her and acted casually.
After we broke up, I looked at the phone immediately and of course. It was
the stepfather.
Good time. A message came in from the same number. He seemed upset
that he had to text instead of talk.

[Don't you dare avoid me. Pick up the phone.]

The phone rang again. I hung up the phone to show that I wouldn't answer it
and to make him angry. It worked. The next message arrived.

[I'm in Bangkok now. Meet me at 99 Peep In Hotel. If you still ignore me,
I'll show your videos to the world!]

He exploded and blurted out the code word. He was a stupid and short-
tempered person who had just threatened Aoey for something she was
unwilling to do… Blackmail.. At first, I wasn't sure if Aoey had consented
to this relationship or not. She didn't defend herself in the clips, but from
her messages, she didn't. She didn't fight back, but that didn't mean she was
willing to. I gripped the phone tightly in my hands. It was time to find the
answer for myself. I wanted to meet her, he would have to see me.. I had to
find out the truth today!

“Yeah.”
I didn't know where that damn hotel was. Fortunately, you could find
anything with this Google Map technology. I had a feeling it wouldn't be
too safe if I went there alone. I asked Uncle Somkit for help to send
someone with me, just as backup. I arrived at a cheap, low-quality motel
that I would never have dreamed of entering in my life. Here… Aoey's
stepfather sent me her room number. I knocked on the door when I got to
the room. I felt pain in my chest. What kind of place was that? I had to
come here to meet this kind of person,really? After the knock, the door
opened. A short white-headed man looked at me in surprise.

“Who are you?”

“I'm Aoey's friend.”

There was surprise on his face before he recovered.

“Who is Aoey? I don't know you.”

“Are you the man in the video?”

I showed Aoey's phone and played the video to the bald man.
She was surprised before he started speaking again without any sign of
guilt.

“Maybe or maybe not. You can't see the face anyway.”

“Just this statement made me realize it was you. How long have you been
using this to blackmail her?”

“It's none of your business…”

“Grab him.”

Uncle Somkit's big, thick hand grabbed the old man's neck and pushed him
into the room. The other man who worked for Uncle Somkit invited me
into the room before closing the door behind him. He tried to keep all the
noises inside.. There was only a bed in the middle of the room and a large
mirror on the ceiling. It was to reflect when someone had sex there. I stood
with my arms crossed over my chest and looked around. My heart felt so
much
pain. Was this what my best friend had to go through? How long did he
torture her?

“Who the hell are you?”

“How long did you do this?”

“It is none of your business.”

A click was heard. The sound was Uncle Somkit, who pulled the trigger and
now stuck the other end into the old man's eye. He looked pale now. I still
crossed my arms and felt a sharp pain in my chest.

“She wasn't willing to do that, was she?”

“Go ask your friend if she was consented or not.”

“You blackmail her!”

I grabbed the gun from Uncle Somkit's hand angrily and shoved it into his
stinking mouth.

“How could you do this to a girl who had her life ahead of her?”

Tears rolled down my face in pain. My face must have looked like I was so
crazy. The bald stepfather now started talking to me better.

“Please do not kill me.”

“Do you have more photos and videos? Uncle Somkit asked in his calm,
cold voice.”

Uncle Somkit hugged me and slowly took the gun from my hand. He placed
me on his back.

“No.”

"Liar,"
I said with my hand clenched tightly.

“I'll kill you!”

“If you kill me…”

Aoey's stepfather tried to get up and argued with me. He looked like a stray
dog cornered and wanting to get up for the last fight but Uncle Somkit
pressed his head with the tip of the gun.

“I'm going to release those photos.”

"So you have more... I'll find them all."

I tried to control my emotions and my voice.

“Even if I had to search all over the world.”

“You really don't realize your situation here, huh?”

Uncle Somkit explained with a bit of anger. But her stepfather was a stray
dog. He would fight for his life.

“Go ahead, kill me! I won't die alone.”

“We all die alone. Let's see if you really want to die like you said..”

I said angrily and looked deep into his dark soul through his eyes. No one
ever wins if I stare an them, especially with my anger.

“Please do not hurt me.”

“Did Aoey ever tell you this?”

“How dare you say that after the shit you've done?”

I came out when he said that. I couldn't stand another minute in that room.
It was so disgusting and made me want to vomit. Uncle Somkit took the
phone from the old man's hand for safety reasons and followed me.
“What do you want me to do with it?”

“I want him to leave... to leave this world.”

“But it wasn't you in the photos and videos. I think we just left them…”

I looked at him angrily and that silenced him immediately.

"I'll take care of him."

Killing someone is a big deal. I'll teach him a lesson. He wouldn't dare do it
again “If your own daughter were raped and blackmailed like that, what
would you do?”

Uncle Somkit did not answer. I knew his answer well enough. He would
never just teach someone a lesson if it were his daughter. I smiled
sarcastically at him.

“Yes, that's what I thought."

I pressed my lip hard and clenched my fist.

“Can you pretend that nothing is happening today?”

“Because?”

“Someone can easily do this if it were me in the video.”

He looked at me and sighed. I asked Uncle Somkit to still know who was
in the videos and I was about to lie...

“You know your father doesn't like a liar.”

"I'm an exception for my dad."

I looked at him with a smile.

“Please ignore what happened today..”

It was such a heavy day for me. Manicure in the morning wouldn't help
either. While I was stuck in the car at the red light, my head filled with
Aoey's story. I wanted to distract myself, so I grabbed my phone but
accidentally dropped it on the floor of the passenger seat next to the driver's
seat. I ducked under the seat but felt something hard and cold. I wasn't sure
what that was, so I grabbed it and was surprised to see it. Handcuffs…

They were under the seat the entire time. The light turned green, so I didn't
have time to pick up the phone from the ground. I drove back to the condo
and put the handcuffs in my bag. I still couldn't get the story of what had
happened out of my head. It wouldn't be easy to forget it. I returned to the
condo at almost 9 pm because I talked to my dad for a long time. Aoey
walked directly towards me when she saw me enter. She seemed nervous
because of my cold reaction in the last 3 days.

“Have you had dinner yet, Gen? let me cook you something.”

I looked into the soft eyes that tried to make up for any mistakes. The
mistake she didn't make. I felt sorry for her. My eyes were full of tears and
I felt so guilty for thinking badly of her. Why did I feel disappointed? I
shouldn't feel disappointed for someone who had been through hell.

“Are you crying, Gen?”

“N... No.”

I tried to cover myself and shrugged my shoulders.

“I'm allergic to something. I'm going to take a

shower.”

I left my bag on the table in front of the sofa and went into the bathroom.
This was the first time in my life that I felt so dark. My heart was filled with
hatred. I asked... to get rid of someone. After learning Aoey's story and
trying to connect the dots myself, I went to see my father. I was close
enough to him, but I never knew what he was doing deep down. I knew that
he was a high-ranking government official, that he was powerful. I didn't
know what he had to do in the past, to have everything like today. He did
everything so that I had what I had today.
“My princess, why are you crying?”

My dad was surprised when he saw my swollen eyes. He knew I didn't cry
easily. If I cried, it must have been a big deal. I was his favorite daughter.
He was so proud of me. When he said my name, I saw love and adoration
in his eyes..
My princess... that was my name and only he could call me that.

“I wanted to ask you a favor.”

“What's that?”

I told him Aoey's story but I pretended it was my own. I handed him the
phone with the photos of Aoey without a face.

“They are blackmailing me..”

He cried and bit his lip hard. I realized I wouldn't let that happen easily. She
didn't ask anything else. He was ready to handle the problem for me.

“I'll take care of this. It won't be your problem anymore.”

It should be something I felt good about. But I felt so depressed. I was not
happy. I was scared and I felt immoral. My head and my heart were in
conflict. Someone was about to die... die because of my lie.. I spent about 1
hour showering. I had too many things on my mind. When I was stressed I
always spent hours in the shower. I thought water would take away bad
things from me. When I felt a little better, I left to go to bed… But…

“Gen.”

I saw Aoey holding her phone tightly. Her face was full of tears and
shame. I knew immediately that her soft eyes now knew that I knew her
story.

“Hey.”

“Why do you have my phone?”

“Are you checking my bag?”

“That's not important. I ask you why you have my phone.”

Her trembling voice shook me. I wanted to give her some excuses, but It
could only make things worse. I decided not to say anything, but I walked
towards her to comfort her.

“Do not touch me. Stay away.”

When I entered, she quickly walked away. Her face now looked like she
had seen a ghost or something horrible in life. The smaller girl pulled at her
own hair and shook her head.

“Anyone in this world can see this, but not you! You do not!”

“Hey.”

“If you hate me, how can I continue living? Stay away.”
 ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ-ᴏɴᴇ
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

Her eyes were filled with fear and disgust. I looked into the sweet eyes with
so much sadness. I wanted to console her but she refused and walked away
from me. She wasn't upset with me, but she was too upset with herself to be
around me..

“I don't care about that, Aoey.”

“Why did you do this? I told you not to interfere in my affairs. I don't want
you to know my dirty problem.”

Dirty... I was mad at myself even more because I misunderstood her for the
past 3 days. It hurts me that she couldn't do anything to cure her.

“I know everything.”

“No.”

She pulled at her own hair in desperation. She did not know what to do. I
rushed to hug her but was pushed so hard by her anger.

“I told you not to touch me. Do not touch me. I am dirty.”

“No, you're not dirty. To me, you are a naive girl. You are like a girl. Come
to me. Don't walk away,"

I told her and opened both my arms to hug her, I wanted her to come in. But
she shook her head. Her face and eyes were so confused. She looked like a
small bird shaken by fear and danger.

“Why do you lie to me? You saw those videos.”

The soft eyes grabbed her own heart in pain. Her face was full of pain. I felt
the pain as much as she did. Why did I feel so much pain? How come I
cared so much about her?

“I can't be here.”

She looked left and right nervously searching for something. She ran to the
closet and started taking out her clothes. I saw her nervousness and knew I
had to do something. I glanced at some sparkles in my bag. They were
Uncle Somkit's wives.
I needed to calm her down… As Aoey took out her clothes from the closet,
I walked behind her and touched both of her
shoulders and forced her to turn around. She was about to shake me, when I
quickly put her handcuffs on her. They clicked.

“What's that?”

Aoey looked at her hand in confusion. I quickly blocked her other wrist.
She was now locked by handcuffs.

"I'll keep you here."

She tried to take them off. I looked at her and sighed. You should know
better that the handcuffs won't come off easily. Even a bully couldn't get
out of it, how could she plan to get out of it?

“Can you calm down first?”

“I'm out of here.”

“You are not calm enough.”

“Let me go.”
I pushed the sweet eyes to the other side of the closet door and blocked it
with my arm. I was so tired and now I had to handle it. I understood why
she was acting like that. But I wanted her to calm down and we would fix
the problem together.

“Where are you going? There's nowhere you can go. I won't let you go
anyway. You have to be here with me.”

“Do not get close to me. I am dirty.”

She tried to get away from me even though there was no room for her to
leave. I hated the word 'dirty' she used. I thought she would hate it as much
as the word 'stupid'.

"I never thought you were dirty."

I approached her and smelled the soap on her body.

“You smell nice.”

“You know what I meant, Gen.“

"What do I have to do to prove that I didn't think you were dirty?"

I never thought you were disgusting because of your bad experience.

“You didn't notice the way you looked at me the last few days.”

The soft eyes looked into my eyes. Her eyes were now filled with tears. I bit
my lip and was angry at myself for looking at her like that.

“I was upset with myself.”

“I'm very sorry for doing that. But now I understand everything. I didn't feel
disgusted with you.”

I moved my face closer to hers. Now I could no longer suppress my sexual

instinct. I licked the tears from her face with my tongue.
"I didn't feel disgusted with you."

The smaller girl resisted. But her nervousness made me feel

powerful. I now understood men who abused women. I wouldn't treat her
like that, but it felt good and I was so much better than that old bastard.

“What are you doing, Gen?”

“Show you that I don't dislike you.”

I gently touched my lip to her soft cheek and moved down to her bare neck.
She tried to resist, but I used my hand to pin her against the closet door.
Her resistance now felt weaker. Her soft eyes still weren't sure how to
react.
Now I felt naughty and put my hand on her shirt and explored her chest
with my wet lips.

“Gen…”

“Where did you feel dirty?”

“I'll clean everything.”

I looked into her eyes. Aoey looked surprised and shocked at the same time.
I smiled at her and jumped on me. I was on the defensive then, but now I
was on the offensive. I pretended I knew how to do that just to calm her
down. So it seemed like she knew what she was doing… Aoey didn't seem
to be a professional at this either. She followed my example. She was a
little shy, but that was cute. Now it was natural to follow how we felt. I
didn't know what to do either, but It flowed naturally. We both growled in
our throats. We were both breathing heavily. I paused and rested my face on
her shoulder as if I needed a break. Aoey didn't say anything. She just
stared at me the whole time.

“Do you feel better?”

I asked a little shyly.

"Yes."
She nodded.

"I'll make you feel even better."

I looked down at her wrists that were locked.

“I can't get close to you because your hands in the way.”

"So..."

She raised her arms high and put them above my head and pulled me
towards her.

“Alright?”

I smiled. The soft eyes seemed to forget what happened before.

“What are you going to do?”

“Make you feel better.”

I pretended to have so much experience in this even though I had never

done anything like this before. But I had to cleanse the wounds in her heart
or at least make her forget the pain for a short time. I touched my hands
gently on all parts of her body. My wet lips gently touched further and
further down her face.

“How about here?”

I asked.

“That too.”

“Where else do you feel dirty?”

I knelt in front of her. Her soft-eyed face was now red. She bit her lip and
thought. Then she grabbed my hair with both of her hands and said
nervously.
“Here.”

“I feel bad here.”

I unbuttoned her shorts with my hands. I felt uncomfortable but in a good

way. There was no turning back from there. If I had the choice, I would do
it again and again. I looked into her eyes again. I looked at her
obsessively. I never did that before. I knew she could feel it too.

“From now on, don't feel bad again.”

“Gen.”

“Don't run away from me again. Otherwise I will be angry with you.”

“What am I to you then?”

“Whatever.”

I smiled slyly.

“Whatever makes you happy.”

I touched her most sensitive part. She was stiff and unsure, but she braced
herself to stand.

“You're mine, Aoey.”

“Ahhhh.”

Her small body shuddered. Her body was so hot at that moment. Her moan
was low in her throat. Her hands that grabbed my hair tightened even more.
She woke me up to go deeper.

"Gen... it's..."

Aoey gasped and shuddered. I pressed my face against her midsection and
accelerated faster and harder.
“I can't stand anymore.”

I stopped and looked into her eyes,

“Do you want me to stop?”

“Do not make fun of me.”

I smiled and continued with what I had been doing before. Her moan began
to shake me. I didn't feel like myself either when I heard her moan. I wanted
more...what else could I do?

“Gen... I felt like I was about to explode.”

Let it go.. I didn't say it because I couldn't stop doing what I was doing.
Finally, the first explosion hit her.

“AAAAAHHHHHHH.”

The smaller girl screamed and sat up weakly. Aoey sat in front of me and
rested her head on my shoulder panting. I cradled her small face and looked
into her light brown eyes and smiled atahe “Do you feel better now?”

“I'm surprised…”

The soft eyes used their wrists intertwined on my shoulder.

“I didn't know I could feel this even if I had sex before.”

“Forget it. Just forget it.”

I gave her the best kiss I could have given her. She kissed me back
passionately. She put her arms over my head again and brought her lips to
my ears and whispered to me.

"Is it okay if I... want it again?"

She was so shy even though she tried to seduce me before. I smiled and
nodded.
“I also want to do more.”

I smelled her bare neck and gently bit it seductively. The pleasant smell of
soap that I never thought I would be obsessed with was now turning me on
so much. I was still thirsty, so I unbuttoned her long-sleeved white pajamas.
Her soft skin showed because she didn't wear a bra when she was ready for
bed. But her arms were still cuffed and she couldn't take her shirt off. She
now only showed parts of her body. I wanted to explore those covered
parts. I was more pleased that she was totally naked. What else could I do? I
wanted her so much. I wanted to do more. The smaller girl was now shy
because I looked at her obsessively. She covered her face with her hands.

“Do not look at me like that.”

“It's too late to be shy. I already did so many things to

you." I took her hands away from her face.

“Now I will do it step by step. Let me taste you.”

I looked at it as a delicious dish. I pushed her to lie down on the floor,

raised her cuffed hands above her head, and opened her shirt in half. Her
shiny, smooth skin in front of me invited me to try. The light sweet smell
pleased me even more. Should I bite her? I wanted to destroy her.

“Ummm.”

“Gen…”

I let a low moan leave my throat. I couldn't control myself. I felt like a
hungry animal that doesn't let anyone touch its food. Aoey was surprised
by that. I had to admit that I was lost in that lustful feeling. There was no
more Genlong snob.
I didn't know who I was anymore... I could be worse than Aoey's stepfather
when it came to my sexual instinct.

“Do not be angry with me. If I did something too harsh…”

I couldn't stop myself and bit her nipple.

“I don't know... ahhh, but I couldn't contain myself.”

My heart was beating faster. I felt like I was about to drown with my short
breathing. I release so much heat from my body against hers. She didn't
respond, but her hand gripped my hair tighter. Maybe she was trying not to
shake my confidence.

“Alright. You can do whatever you want with me. Only you."

She pushed my head to the same lower position.

"Eat me... Eat me all you want."

Not that I needed approval, but once she gave the green light, I raised both
knees to make my way through..

“I'm going in.”

Whatever I did, I did it to the end. I never left anything half done.. I
remember from when I was young, that I refused to do something if I wasn't
good at it. When I was young, my mom let me choose between learning
guitar or learning piano. I chose the piano because it was more luxurious
and not too hard on my fingers. I was so good that I won so many
competitions. I always wanted to be on top of everything. I learned to speak
more than 2 languages because speaking only Thai and English was too
common. I asked my dad to send me to China. I came back fluently. I chose
the best university in the country. I prepared and read books 3 years before
the actual exam. I wanted to enter the faculty of architectural design. I
learned and practiced drawing a lot until I entered. My dad celebrated my
success with a 2 million baht watch, probably the most expensive watch a
student could wear, just because I asked for it. I got into everything. I
always did the best I could. I've never done anything halfway until now...

Hey. I was shocked by what happened that night. I was now sleeping in
bed with her hands still cuffed. But she was restless with the mission half
done. I went into the bathroom and watched lesbian porn on the Internet.
The site was so unsafe with viruses and malware, but I saw it anyway and it
made me realize I made a lot of mistakes. Damn! Who would have thought
I
would have sex with a woman? My God.. I did everything with my instinct.
We had our excitement flow, but my freshly painted rainbow nails stopped
them. Did I really have to explain what happened? There were many other
ways to get us to the other end of the rainbow, but in my opinion, the
mission was not complete. And now I looked at my stupid nails with
hesitation.

If I cut my nails, Aoey would be happy. If I kept my nails, I would be

happy. Which happiness was more important between Aoey and mine? I
was the cool girl with a beautiful manicure.nWhy did I care about the
happiness of others? I deserved to be happy, but why did I have to worry
about how other people felt? It was my happiness I would keep my
beautiful manicure!!

“Gen.”

Aoey's voice brought me back. The soft eyes woke up and walked towards
me. She was surprised to see me resting on the toilet at 3 am.

“Yeah?”

“What are you doing?”

“I could not sleep.”

Aoey looked at all the tools around me and became even more confused. I
had a laptop on my lap, nail polish remover in the sink, and a nail clipper in
my hand that I hadn't used yet.

“You should go back to bed.”

“I want you to sleep next to me.”

Her sweet voice melted me. We look into each other's eyes and walk away.
We just did something together.

“I'll follow right behind you. let me check something.”

“What are you watching?”

“Nothing.”

Aoey looked at the screen and her face immediately turned red. She
understood it right away.

“Why do you have to look at this?”

“I'm... learning something. I didn't complete the mission. Now I know what
it is.”

“What is it?”

“Do I really have to tell you? It's a little awkward to

say.” I looked at the nail remover and nail clippers in the

sink. “I have to cut my nails.”

I immediately changed my mind when she stood right in front of me.

Was this the cool Genlong? I valued other people's happiness more than
mine. What a crazy idea!
I could write a novel. The girl who lost her manicure. I would beat the
famous Harry Potter. She gave me such a sweet smile. Her soft eyes giggled
and she nodded her head..

“OK I understand.”

“Go back to bed. I'll follow you in a minute.”

"Let me help you cut your nails."

The smaller girl grabbed the nail polish remover from the sink and soaked it
in a cotton ball.

“It's faster if I help.”

All my doubts about my manicure were gone. I watched as the soft eyes
adoringly groomed my nails. I looked at her and wondered why everything
happened for the first time with her, my first friend.. My first lice… My
first concern… My first time having sex...with wives for the first time
“You're scared of me?”

I asked but didn't look her in the eyes. When I remembered what had
just happened, even I was afraid of myself. I never would have thought I
had that animal instinct.

“Did I look like I was scared?”

“Don't know. Maybe you don't want to talk about it. I don't want you to
feel weird about that."

I said embarrassedly.

“If you feel good about it, it will be good in the long run.”

“Long-term? Does this mean this will continue?”

She didn't seem scared like I think she was. She was more relaxed knowing
that. At least I made her happy...I guess.

"Were you happy, Aoey?"

I asked and then immediately felt shy about my question.. Aoey

paused, then nodded and smiled.

“If I am happy. You are my happy machine,"

She said and gave me a sweet smile. My heart skipped a beat when I felt in
love. I would never admit it, but it happened.

“Hey.”

“Yeah?”

I finally said something after a long silence.

“You're my first love, Aoey.”

I said this while we were doing our manicure at 3 am in the
morning. It was the first time I told her that someone loved her.
 ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ-ᴛᴡᴏ
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

Aoey looked at me surprised by my confession. She looked up from my

hands and into my eyes as if she was trying to hypnotize me. I almost
stopped breathing. Her beautiful eyes were filled with tears. I reached out to
wipe them away in surprise.

“What happened, Aoey?”

“Really?”

“Do I look like a liar?”

It bothered me a little that she didn't believe me.

“No, not like that. I never expected you to say this... first love? And now?”

Aoey looked so confused. I sighed with a smile and shook my head.

“Of course, you are still my first love. If I don't count my art teacher who
looked like a pug. But now I know that wasn't love. I just loved the dog, but
my mom wouldn't let me have it.”

I thought about that with disappointment. My mom was so bad.

“My heart is about to burst.”

Aoey didn't listen when I complained about the dog. She touched her own
chest in the heart area. She looked like she had had a heart attack. Is he that
crazy? I laughed and took the laptop off my leg, sitting on the floor with
Aoey.

"I thought you knew how I felt for a while. Why are you still excited about
this? You're overreacting?”

“You're not the kind of person who would say something like that. You
moved me. I thought you were so blind.”

“Yes, that was me.”

I reached out and gently caressed her back. I laughed at her reaction. She
must have been really surprised.

"I guess I don't need to clean my nails today. I'll be busy telling you to stop
crying.”

“You don't have to clean them.”

“OH.”

I shrugged, but I thought Aoey had different ideas about it. The soft eyes
now pushed me to the bathroom floor and kissed me aggressively. I raised
an eyebrow in surprise but let her do whatever she wanted. After kissing
me, she went down to my neck. Both hands tried to get into my shirt. I
grabbed her hands by surprise to stop her.

“What are you doing?”

“I wanted to do it. I don't have nails.”

“ What!?”

“I want to do it.”

I sat up surprised. Aoey stood up confused. She didn't understand what

happened.

"Are you going to do that to me too?".

“Yeah.”

“You will do it to me.”

My direct statement made it awkward between us. We had done something

before but it was still very new to say it out loud.

“We take turns doing it.”

"I don't think so."

I was so nervous about the idea. Aoey tensed up immediately.

“Do you mind if I do that to you?”

“No, I don't know, but…”

I swallowed a lump in my throat. I didn't know what to say, but I didn't

think we were that close yet.

“Why don't you let me do it?”

“I want to do it to you.”

“I want to do it too.”

We look into each other's eyes without wanting to back away. I was so
confused. Were other people fighting over something like that?

“What happens if I don't let you.”

“I won't take no for an answer.”

How come it was a serious fight now? Aoey, who usually did what I
said, stood by her response. For me, doing it to her was more of a bonus.
I was the one in control, not a follower.
I would never let anyone control me, especially in that

matter. "That's a shame because I won't let you do it,"

I said firmly. I couldn't believe she was full of determination.

“If you love me, you will do what I told you.”

“But you just said you love me, so why don't you do what I told you?”

I closed my eyes patiently and waved my hands to reject her reaction.

“We finished talking today because we cannot find a solution.”

I got up and walked towards the bed. I lay on my back and turned my back
to her. Aoey got up and did the same. Did other couples argue like this too?
The atmosphere was very tense all night. I couldn't sleep and I had no idea
if Aoey was sleeping or not. We both woke up at 6 o'clock when the alarm
went off. We showered, got dressed and left for college. I actually had a
class in the afternoon but I just needed to get out of the house because I had
no idea how to handle that situation, the give or take situation. She had no
friends to talk to about it. I could only ask one person. Why did it have to
be this guy?

“What a surprise! You are here in my college.”

Tod, who was at the same university as me, sat down to chat with me. He
could already tell that I had a bad vibe.

"What made you so cranky?"

Vulva blue it was... but I didn't say it. I shifted nervously. I didn't know how
to start the topic. I started chatting about this and that.

“Are there any real men in this faculty?”

The question that made me nervous made Tod look at me and shake his
head in boredom.

“Not all doctors are homosexual.”

“Well, many bisexual novels are like that. Even you are gay,"
I looked at him and tried to move on to the topic.

“Are you a receiver or a giver?”

“No! We are not talking about this.”

“Yes, we are!”

I complained out loud. In fact, I had gone there to talk about this topic, but I
couldn't ask him directly. The handsome man looked at me and was
confused. He tried to understand what I was thinking.

“What's wrong with you, little devil? Are you here to ask me if I'm a giver
or a taker?”

“I wanted to know. I don't need to know about you. I just wanted to know
about this...bisexual people like you,"

I said awkwardly and realized my face was red.

“Can you be a receiver if you are a giver?”

Tod looked at me skeptically. I thought I saw a small smile at the corner of

his mouth, so I didn't want to look at him.

“As far as I know, people are different. Some are born givers. Some are
born as recipients. Some may change.”

“Why is it so confusing?”

“It's an individual thing.”

“I wanted to know... if you are receiving... I'm curious…”

I turned the subject around nervously..I felt so nervous and about to faint
when I had to say something like that.

“Does it mean that the giver has power over you?”

“No one thinks about things like that. And you?”

“Well..”.

“Because? You like women?”

It felt like he knocked me out with a baseball bat with that question. The
handsome boy looked at me smiling. He always knew what I was thinking.

“Is it Aoey?”

"Tod... Please, pretend you don't know... pretend we just chatted about this
topic."

I rubbed my face with both of my hands. My face felt burning. The future
doctor in front of me laughed so happy to see me speechless.

“You have to let it go naturally. You is not heterosexual. Ummm...I don't

know much about that either. But I think you and Aoey…”

“You two should take turns.”

“Bye bye!”

I quickly walked away because I couldn't stand talking to him anymore. It

was a wrong decision to ask that future doctor. I only told him my private
story so he would laugh at me. My God! How did I end up so tense about
that topic? It was stupid. I had just had a love confession and a sexual
experience, but somehow I didn't want to see the sweet eyes. Because of the
issue that had not been resolved. It wasn't a fight… But we didn't end it
peacefully. But I couldn't escape forever. I had to go back to the condo to
face the truth. Aoey looked at me when I got home. I opened the handcuffs
in the morning. We still haven't talked about last night. There was
something hanging in the air between us. Something uncomfortable.

“Are you at home?”

“Yeah.”
That was not a normal question. She never received me with that reaction. I
was at home obviously. Something was so uncomfortable.

“'ll go to the shower. I'm so dirty.”

I felt lost and needed an escape. I spent a good 30 minutes showering and
came out in a t-shirt and shorts. Aoey was now watching TV while she
took a sip of soda. She gave her full attention to the television. That was
good. I didn't have to avoid her too much.

“You don't want me to do it to you because you don't want to feel like
you're losing your power, right?”

That direct question was so unexpected. The smaller girl asked with
seriousness in her voice. What the hell was this? How come she was so
brave to talk about it more than me?

"Mmmm...yes, I want to be in control,"

I said and looked into her eyes.

“I like to be in control. That's me.”

“Even in that?”

“I like to hear you moan.”

Now we both turned red talking about it. Let's do it if I want to talk openly.

“It excites me even more.”

The soft eyes looked at each other in surprise. A glass of water in her hand
fell to the ground. I had to yell at her.

“The water, Aoey! Water!”

“ahhh... ok... Can you please dry it with a towel?”

“OK.”
Aoey sat on the bed while I grabbed a piece of towel from the kitchen, sat
on the floor and dried it. Usually I didn't do this, but now it was so awkward
that I preferred to keep me busy with something… But.. . .The unexpected
happened when the soft eyes lifted one of her legs and put it on my
shoulder. She wrapped her legs around my neck and pinned me there. I
looked at her with confusion. Soft eyes looked up at me and she pushed
herself up with an elbow on the bed, leaning back
seductively.

“Ok, I'll let you be a giver.”

“If you like being in control so much, I'll let you.”

It was really unexpected. I never thought I'd see eye candy do something
like that. My heart was beating faster and now I was distracted. I stopped
drying the floor and approached her. I crawled over her body and sat on top
of her.

“Where did you learn to do this seductive movement? What made you give
up anyway?”

“Because I love you. I thought you might be happier if I do what you told
me."

Her soft eyes grabbed my neck and pulled me towards her. Those seductive
eyes led me to a deep desire.

“Let's see how far you can control me.”

"Nothing I can't do, including this."

"That's good..."

Aoey said with a playful tone.

“Eat me then.”

I leaned towards her and smiled.

"Don't beg me to stop then."

I didn't know how long I slept, but I knew it wasn't morning because the
sky outside was pitchblack and I still felt groggy. But what surprised me
was that someone was up and looking at me adoringly. Even though we
slept in the dark, I still felt and saw those eyes quite clearly. My eyes were
already adjusted in the darkness. I could see her eyes clearly.

“Are you awake?”

“I can't sleep.”

“Because?”

“I felt like my heart was going to explode.”

I tried to force myself to sit up, but gentle eyes pushed me down, gently
gesturing for me to continue sleeping.

“Go back to bed. I just wanted to see you while you sleep.”

"It's too late."

I rolled onto my side to look at the clock on the wall.

“Do you have a class tomorrow?”

“Yes, but I couldn't close my eyes even if I wanted to.”

I sat down despite her protest. The blanket that had previously covered her
now fell away, showing her bare chest. I could still see them clearly even
though we were in the dark. It was a little awkward, but I had to act calm.
We just finished our mission... It may be normal that I am still alert and full
of adrenaline. But how come I was so tired? Was it just me who was
judged? Or was I too old? But we were the same age.

"I'll stay up with you then."

“You care so much about me. Is it because you are my owner now?”
I was surprised by that strange question. Aoey was a very simple person.
Since she tried to seduce me...and now we did it.

"Let's see how far you can last."

I still remember what she said before.

“I'm worried you can't sleep. Maybe you haven't tried hard enough.”

“Oh?”

"I'll help you sleep better."

I leaned down and kissed her bare shoulder. Aoey raised an eyebrow and
smiled.

“I'm curious how you're going to do that?”

“I'll do the same to you. But if you still can't sleep, I'll keep doing it.”

It seemed to work. Aoey slept until morning after I relaxed her a little
more... being naughty with her. I felt proud to have done everything so
perfectly. I couldn't stand doing things halfway. It had to be the best.
Whatever I did, It had to be the best. Otherwise; I wouldn't even have to
start… This too.. I studied, or I would call it obsessively studied, how to
give and how to take. I watched lesbian porn, read a bisexual novel and did
a lot of research and it was worth it. I did it well. I woke up that morning
happy and did my routines. I even made a toast to Aoey. I never did that
for anyone. Aoey woke up after she grabbed a big t-shirt and put it on. That
was the only thing she was wearing. We both look at each other and smile.
Should we be more shy?

“You get up so early, Gen.”

“Yes, I was wondering that too.”

“You are in a good mood?”

“Yes…”
I shrugged.

*I guess.”

“Why are you in a good mood?”

"It could be for giving you a good night's sleep, I guess,"

I said proudly and put food on a plate and gave it to

Aoey. “Here is your breakfast. This is all I can do.”

“You ate me and now you are also showing responsibility. I should flirt
with you first. I shouldn't have waited so long.”

The soft eyes bit into the food and smiled sweetly at me. My heart was
beating loudly like a drum. I've never felt this way about anyone before...
ever. That girl was the first girl who had such an effect on me.

“Kitty.”

“Oh.”

I called Aoey and smiled. One word that could describe how I felt about her
was Kitty. Kitty was so adorable, mysterious, seductive and stubborn.

“Don't know. I think it's kind of cute.”

“Monkey.”

Aoey told me again. I was surprised that she called me that. I gave her such
a cute name but mine was monkey, really?

“How come I'm a monkey?”

“I like a monkey with red cheeks. I wanted to call you as master and you
were as naughty last night as a monkey.”

“That doesn't sound great at all.”

“Little monkey.”

The soft eyes had fun calling me by that name despite my protest.

“Are you angry with me?”

“This thing won't make me angry.”

“You really change. Before, you wouldn't tolerate this word... it's so nice.
You are my Gen. My little monkey.”

That morning the world was so rosy in my eyes. I looked at her, who was
now chewing a piece of toast with deep feeling. I bit my lip trying to stop
myself from hugging her. I was so madly in love. I better look the other
way.

“How was it last night?”

“What do you mean?”

“How much score would I get?”

I smiled in the corner with pride. I did the best I could at everything,
including sex. I was proud and ready to take full scores like the entrance
exam I took or a piano competition in many settings.

“6.”

“What?”

I looked at her in surprise and blinked in disbelief.

“What is the total score? 6?”

“10 of course.”

“Why did I only get 6?”

I looked at her in disbelief. I really thought I did a very good job. She
looked at me innocently and bit into the rest of her toast, brushing some
bread crumbs from her hands.

“I just gave you a score as you requested.”

“You should get a full score. Did I do something wrong? Did you not
come?”

I felt like I was hit on the head with a club. My confidence was gone. I did
everything right... I cut my nails.

"Of course I came."

The little girl walked to the refrigerator and casually poured herself a glass
of water. She annoyed me even more.

“If you finished, why did I get 6?”

“My instinct tells me that you are 6.”

“Where are the other 4?”

“It doesn't matter.”

“Of course It does.”

I was a perfectionist. I should have her best sex because I gave it to her.
Why did I only get 6?! Or did she just say she came and didn't?

“Are you okay, Gen?”

The soft eyes walked towards me and looked at me sweetly.

“If you want I'll give you a 10 out of 10.”

I looked away. My confidence had been shaken. She must be so

disappointed in me. She should expect more from me.
"Don't try to be nice now."

“Did you do your best?”

The soft eyes looked at me gently trying to comfort me. I sat up straight and
pretended I hadn't tried my best.

“You can try again.”

I grabbed her shirt and pulled it off her head. She looked at me with surprise
but she didn't protest.

“Let's see if I can do better..”

 ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ-ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

7 out of 10… I was a little out of it all day. Aoey and I went shopping. The
soft eyes grabbed this and that in the basket and turned to me to make a
comment.

“Do you like this brand?”

“Whatever.”

My brain wasn't here. All I thought about was the score, I had almost gone
crazy. I barely made eye contact with Aoey. She didn't feel like the best to
me. My confidence was not as high as before, just because of one problem.

“Why are you so quiet today?”

The soft eyes joined me and smiled.

“Are you thinking about the score?”

I took a step back with lack of confidence, but she grabbed my arm tightly
and didn't let go.

“You don't even look at me..”

“I didn't make you happy.”

“When did I say I wasn't happy?”

"I got 7 out of 10,"

I said with little confidence. Aoey smiled sweetly.

“You have to learn to accept the truth. You just have to keep practicing it.
There is no runner who can win a marathon without practice.”

“We are not running a marathon. We're talking about…”

I paused and realized that we were in the supermarket. It was not the right
place for this topic.

“I had studied for that. I don't need to practice. But I still got a 7.”

“Is punctuation that important to you?”

“Is important for me. It's my happiness."

I bit my lip and sighed.

“It made me realize now that I'm not the best at everything. It made me
realize that I'm not good at this.”

“You can compensate me with something else then.”

“Can this be compensated?”

I said with low self-esteem.

“How can I do that?”

“Don't know. How about you give me a smile

now?” “But. ”

“You are happiness. If you are happy, I am happy.”

I looked at her impressed. I knew she cared about me, but I didn't realize
she cared about me that much. I Looked into her eyes and smiled
awkwardly.

“Whatever you want me to do, just tell me.”

The soft eyes looked at me shrewdly and tiptoed to my ear, where I knew it
was my most sensitive part.

“Tonight...I have a dessert to serve you, straight to your

mouth..” I squinted my eyes thinking about what she wanted to

say.

“Ok, let's see how tasty that is?”

“Are you capable of finishing me? I am very delicious.”

I challenged her with my eyes. I couldn't resist the seduction. I leaned

towards her until our lips touched, even though we were in the middle of a
supermarket.

“I will chew you... there will be nothing left in my mouth.”

Aoey smiled at the corner of her mouth. Her light brown eyes looked
directly at me and said mockingly.

“Let's see how much score you can make tonight.”

So embarrassing...I got 7 out of 10...again. Now I was obsessed with it. I

couldn't talk to anyone but Aoey. I had to talk to the girl who gave me the
grade. Wasn't that awkward? The sweet eyes supported me a lot. But now I
have lost my confidence. Aoey had to make all the decisions about
everything. Now I look like a loser… Great visited us that day. My brother
always arrived with a smile. I noticed Aoey's awkward reaction, but she
tried to hide it as much as she could.

“Can your bird say something now? Did you teach him something?”

“No, I do not have time.”

“Why are you so busy?”

I quickly looked at Aoey, who was now pouring water into a glass for the
visitor. I saw a smile at the corner of her mouth.

“I'm working on my exam.”

I checked my score every night. I never got anything higher than a 7. That
was crazy!!!

“What is your exam?”

“The exam after class. Don't you ever have to take a test? Enough
questions. Why are you here anyway?”

“I miss Aoey and you. Because? Am I not allowed to be here?”

Great turned to Aoey and smiled.

“Do you miss me, Aoey?”

"Um,"

The short answer left room for interpretation. I felt bad for my brother. He
called Aoey many nights to chat, but Aoey always ended the conversation
within 2 minutes and hung up the line. Why were they going out anyway?
Aoey didn't spend time chatting with Great when he was there. Instead, she
did her homework all the time. She always did that when he visited her. I
felt sad for my brother. When Aoey entered the kitchen, she quickly asked
him a question.

"Are you coming off like a second grader? Does not go anywhere. You
seemed so stiff when you talked to her. This is not you at all.”

“And you think I feel good about this? Aoey never gave me a chance. I do
not know why. We only had lunch together at university. We never went
out on a date, watched a movie, listened to music, never anything.”

“I think you should separate from her.”

I said frankly, but not for myself. It was so he would understand.

“I do not love her. She chose me. She must have feelings for me. I have to
do something.”

“What's that?”

“I want to take her to the beach.”

I understood it immediately. I looked at him as if my eyes were knives that

could cut him into pieces.

“You know she won't let you touch her.”

“There must be some way that works. What about alcohol? When a woman
drinks, it becomes easier.”

“Bastard!”

Aoey, who had just left the kitchen, saw my face and wondered what was
going on.

“What happened? What are you two talking about? You look so serious.”

“I said I want to take you to the beach.”

Great said immediately as I was thinking of a way to stop the plan. I

couldn't let my brother do something so horrible. Don't do anything so
horrible to Aoey.

“Oh really? It would be so romantic to go with Gen.”

The soft eyes completely forgot that Great was sitting right there. When she
mentioned romantic she didn't really include my brother.

“Do you want to go, Aoey? My family has a house on the beach.”

Great continued as Aoey looked at me and smiled seductively. Aoey forgot

to cover those seductive eyes of Great.

“If Gen goes, I'll go too.”

“Don't know. Let me think about it."

I cut off the conversation. Great didn't sound very happy. I might also be
upset with Aoey because she wanted to take me with her everywhere. After
we all stayed silent for a moment, Aoey changed the subject and asked me
for help.

“I will vacuum. Can you fill the bottles with water please?”

“OK.”

“That is sweet.”

Aoey continued with things while I walked to the refrigerator and did the
job she asked me to do without complaint. Great look between Aoey and
me back and forth. She quickly got up and followed me like a duckling.

“What happened? Do you do homework now?”

“We help us. Because?”

“You are not a good person. You are a dictator who tells people what to do.
What made you do what Aoey ask you to do? This is great.”

“Oh?”

I never realized I got too invested in eye candy. If Great hadn't mentioned
it, I wouldn't have remembered my past self. What made me get up and fill
the water bottles?...

“That's true. Since when did I become a good person?”

Once I realized what happened, I put down all the bottles and went back to
watching TV. Aoey, who was now vacuuming, looked at me and asked in
surprise.

“That was fast.”

“I don't think it's my job. Why do that?”

“Because I ask you to.”

“Why would I do what you ask of me?”

"Because you said you would do whatever I asked because you don't
perform well."

I got up immediately and walked to the refrigerator, filling the bottles.

Great, saw what happened but didn't understand anything? My brother
walked towards Aoey and asked in confusion.

“What did you do that's not so good?”

"Bad score,"

The sweet eyes said without an explanation, which made Great feel even
more confused.

“What score?”

“A test.”

“Did your score go down? You?”

Great looked at me in disbelief. All the conversations made me

blush. Damn! Couldn't stop asking? It was my black hole in life.

“We all have ups and downs. Can you stop asking?”

“You're never wrong about anything, except when you were drunk
and kissing other people..”

Aoey turned off the vacuum cleaner immediately and paid attention to the
story. I looked at Great with hatred. Why the hell did he dig up this shit?

“Kiss other people?”

“Yes, this little miss was perfect when she was drunk, she was a crazy girl.
She wasn't herself at all. Mom loves to tease her more. She will trick Gen
into drinking if she wants to see something funny.

“This must be the reason why you're not going to drink.”

It was awkward listening to Aoey talk about it. She continued to press Great
for more information.

“Why did she drink then, if she knew she couldn't control it?”

“She's so weak when it comes to drinking. All of us in the family knew it.
Alcohol is not always amber in color. Sometimes it has no color. Mom
changed her glass with Vodka once. She was so drunk then.”

“Be quiet! Don't you have something else to talk about?”

I filled the bottles with water and turned around only to see Aoey smile
at the corner of her mouth. She seemed to enjoy finding out about my
other mistake.

“I would love to see it.”

“I won't make that mistake again. You won't see it.”

I realized that the sweet eyes were now so curious to see me drunk. But I
was too smart to be a fool again. I was fooled by my mother once, I would
not be fooled by this sneaky little sweet pea again.

“What about the beach?”

Great continued the same conversation. I shrugged and changed the subject.

“Don't know. Let me think about it. I need a bathroom.”

I quickly got up and walked to the bathroom to avoid answering the

question. I just wanted to be left alone because I was upset with Great, who
so obviously showed that he really wanted to touch Aoey. I, who was his
sister and Aoey's secret lover, couldn't make any decisions. He sounded
like a bad person. If I said yes to the beach, Aoey would be at risk with
my
brother. If I said no to the beach, I felt very sorry for him "I said don't
touch me!"

A scream came from outside. I had to get up from the bathroom and ran
out. I saw Great standing stunned with a red hand marked on the side of his
face. His soft eyes stood there trembling.

“What happened?”

“Why can't I touch you?”

Great exploited.

"So why are we dating anyway?"

"Then leave it, leave it now,"

Aoey shouted back. Great, who was usually playful and cheerful, was filled
with pain.

“Damn!”

Great kicked my coffee table hard and left the condo without speaking to
me. Aoey stood there trembling. But when I walked towards her, she ran
into the bathroom and quickly rinsed herself off where Great touched her.

“What are you doing, Aoey?”

“I don't feel well.”

Then she grabbed a bar of soap and rubbed it into her skin over and over
again. I had to stop her by grabbing her hands to make her stop and hug her.
She had some really bad scars.

“You are clean. Trust me, Aoey.”

“I want to clean it one more time.”

She still felt dirty. I had to confirm that she was clean by raising her clean,
soft arm to my face and kissing it. I rubbed my face on her arm.

“It's clean now. Trust me if you love me.”

She seemed calmer once I did that. The soft eyes looked at me with tears in
their eyes. She hugged me and openly showed me her weakness.

“I love you. My Gen.”

“You have to see a

psychologist.” “I am not crazy.

I'm fine."

She immediately refused.

“Seeing a psychologist doesn't mean you're crazy.”

“You can cure me, Gen. I don't need a psychiatrist. You hugged me and
touched me.”

He took my hand and put it on her face. She grabbed my other hand and
shoved it into her shirt.

“But Aoey…”

“Please help me.”

I sighed deeply and comforted the gentle eyes. I needed to take her to a
psychiatrist. She needed treatment. Aoey was now sleeping in the bed
while I researched the treatment. Tod called me while he was at the
investigation. He was a doctor with whom I felt confident and safe.

"How are you, Tod?"

I said in my normal voice but there was no response from the other end of
the line. I stopped working and paid more attention to the conversation.

"Can you hear me,Tod?"

“Gen... I want to die.”

“What!? Is this a joke?”

I laughed, but there were no comments from my fake boyfriend.

“Sing abandoned me. She's seeing the other guy now.”

“Oh, Todd.”

“I don't know what to do. I can't talk to anyone but you. I want to die..”

“Where are you? I'll go see you.”

“I'm in my condo.”

“Send me your location. I'll go see you right now.”

I dropped everything and got out of bed. His voice was so bad. But Aoey,
who I thought was sleeping, grabbed my arm and squeezed.

“I will not let you go.”

“Are you awake? Let me go first. I have to go. Everyone needs me now.”

“It's 11 pm now. Don't go now.”

“And? It's only 11 at night.”

“This is not the time to go meet a guy at his condo. I will not let you go.”

“This is important. He really needs me now.”

But my explanation made the gentle eyes even firmer. She seduced me
immediately.

"I need you now, Gen."

The soft eyes looked at me with deep determination.

“I am not important to you?”

I didn't have time to explain. I got up and got dressed. Although I didn't
know where to start. How could I explain the story of my fake boyfriend
who was dumped by the other guy and now wanted to commit suicide, in a
short period of time? This world was so full of shit.

“Gen.”

“Yeah?”

She quickly put the handcuffs on one of my wrists...click.

“What are you doing?”

“You're mine.”

“Aoey, this is not the time. Don't do this now,"

I said with my strong voice that usually worked for her.

“Do what I say.”

The soft eyes quickly placed the other side of the cuffs on my other wrist.
Now I looked like a prisoner.

“Aoey, let me go now. This is a serious matter.”

She raised my cuffed hand above her head. Now it seemed that I hugged the
small body tightly with my tied arms. It was such a strange and sexy
position at the same time. The smaller girl now wrapped both legs around
my waist making it harder for me to walk.

“Do not go.”

“I'm angry now, Aoey.”

Soft eyes kissed all over my face and moved gently towards my ears. She
knew where my weakness was.
“You can't stay mad at me for long, I know.”

“Eat me now.”

“Aoey, it's not the time.”

I was hypnotized by the sweet brown eyes.

“Please... eat me.”

I tried to be strong as the little girl playfully ran her little fingers from my
ears to my neck. She teased me with her soft lip around my chin to my neck
again. Ok...now I was shaking.

“Why are you doing this to me, Aoey?”

“On the bed or on the door?”

Finally I kissed her back. Both my legs walked back to the bed. I was
worried about both sides...here or there. I needed to fix that problem first.
Tod's problems seemed to be less now that my sexual instincts got the
better of me. Wait a little... Tod. Aoey seemed to have more problems than
you. I was worried about Tod but didn't know what to do about the current
situation. This wouldn't take long time. The pretty boy could wait. I lost to
her again...
 ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ-ғᴏᴜʀ
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

I couldn't leave my apartment, so I asked Tod to go there. Aoey was even

more angry. Lately, I noticed that she was so spoiled. Now she knew that
she could make demands because she was loved. I sighed when I realized
she wouldn't try to understand.

“Why do you ask him to be in our space?”

I looked around my studio and felt a little strange. Now, this was our space.
It sounded cozy.

“It's just a visit from a friend.”

“That's your Boyfriend.”

“Great was here too. I do not have any problem with that.”

“Great is your brother.”

“But he's your boyfriend..”

“Why are you arguing with me? Can't you just let me win sometime?”

She raised her voice at me, something she had never done before. I looked
into the gentle eyes that were now lost. She pouted and didn't apologize, but
she went to bed and left me alone, getting confused. I better change the
subject.
“Take off the handcuffs. I won't know how to explain this to Tod..”

“Don't let him in if you don't want to answer any questions. How can he
visit a girl at 1 am? What kind of man is this?”

“If you had let me out earlier, it was only 11 at night.”

"Why didn't you leave then?"

“Who seduced me?”

“You could say no.”

“I was handcuffed, I was harassed. Who could say no to that?”

I waved my cuffed wrists in front of her face as she sat on the bed.

“Please unlock this.”

“No.”

My guest had arrived. She knocked twice until I walked to the door. I had to
hide my wrists by covering them.

"I'm sorry I asked you to come here,"

I said with guilt on my face. The handsome boy looked horrible now but he
still gave me a weak smile. I invited him in. Tod paused and smelled
something in the air.

"What?"

I asked. Tod looked at me and responded casually.

“I smell like sex.”

“You're crazy. There is no smell of sex.”

“Yes... I can smell fresh sex. It's a hormone... it's…”

“Are you here for the nonsense?”

I pretended to act normal even though I was so embarrassed. How could a

doctor know so much?

“I could be confused. My nose is funny.”

Tod looked at Aoey who was sitting on the bed. Her soft eyes acted like a
child. I had to make some noise to remind her to be nice to him.

“Hey.”

She turned around to look with an expressionless face and said hello to Tod
coldly.

"Hello, make yourself at home."

Then she headed to the kitchen to avoid him. Tod, who saw what
happened, immediately knew that something was wrong with Aoey.

“Very sorry. Did I make you fight?”

“Don't worry about that. It's a little cold.”

“I really don't know who to talk to. You're the only one who knew my
story.”

I reached out my hand and gently touched his arm. I never comforted
anyone in my life except Aoey. My life is so strange now. Suddenly, I had
a close friend, a brother, and a partner...both a man and a woman. The
handsome boy looked at my handcuffed hands in surprise.

“Why are you handcuffed?”

“Ummm...we were playing. Forget it.”

I quickly changed the subject because I didn't want to explain what

happened.
“What happened to you?”

“You two were playing at 1 am?”

“I said forget it. What happened?”

“Sing told me he likes women. He wanted to break up with me..”

“Oh?”

I was as surprised and confused as he was. Could a man who was dating
another man change his mind about another woman? Was he lying to that
woman? Won't it be an excuse why he likes another boy?

“No, he really likes that woman.”

“But he's gay.”

“He's not gay. He just liked me.”

“Is that possible? If a man likes another man, then he is gay.”

“When you like Aoey, are you gay?”

“N... nooo. I never said I like Aoey.”

I never told anyone about this relationship. I didn't know how to react. Only
Aoey and I knew. I had to act as if nothing had happened. If no one knew
what happened between us, there was nothing between us.

“You looked uncomfortable. You are usually so confident and never

stutter. I'm pretty sure I smelled good. I smelled love everywhere in this
place.”

My face was so hot at that moment. I could iron my student uniform with
my face now.

“So you're a lesbian?”

“No, I'm not a lesbian.”

“You see. You only like who you like. It just happened to be Aoey, who
happened to be a woman.”

“I had never heard of this definition before. I thought if you're a man and
you date a man, then you're gay. If you are a woman and you date another
woman, then you are a lesbian.”

“That's so narrow to look at. We can love who we love in this world..”

“Can I love my mother's husband? Or my grandmother's husband then?”

“You know it has to be morally acceptable. Don't ask for something you
already knew.”

Tod walked up to the bird in a cage and looked at it for a long time. Today
the handsome guy just wanted to have a friend. He just wanted to talk to
someone. Sometimes, people just wanted someone to listen to their
problems.

“That means that you two are not homosexuals, but it turns out that you are
men who love each other. I'm fine?”

“I could say it like that.”

“Can I ask one more question?”

“Yeah?”

It was so nice to have someone like him who opened up my view of the
world. I could ask and learn a lot from him..

“Did you insult each other like men do in a bisexual novel?”

“Sometimes, but not very often, because if it's too much, we become just
friends. Because?”

“I read some bisexual novels. That's how they talked. Just wondering if they
do that in real life. Novels often claim to be based on real life.”
“It seems like you like bisexual novels.”

I was curious to know more about his life and wanted to talk shit to him for
a while.

“I love history. Can I try something with

you?” “Try what?”

“I wanted to call you son of a bitch. You deserved to be screwed and they
left you. Who the hell would want to be with you!”

I said it with a mocking tone but mixed with a cunning tone.

“Gen.”

"Did they break your damn heart? Ha ha. You deserved it. I really wasn't
surprised he left you.”

“I'm kidding. I just wanted to talk like a child. I never curse, but I wanted to
try with you.”

I gave him my cutest smile, so he could forgive me. I finally got back at
him for being a bad mouth to me. Fucking Todd.
You fucking deserved it. I was happy now. I should change the topic now.
The mockery was done.

“Where were we? You don't like men but you like Sing.”

I knew he was a little upset, but I acted so innocently. I returned to his

serious topic, so he could forget what I just did.

“I like Sing because he was Sing. I never liked any other boy.”

“You talk as if you could like girls.”

“I dated women before.”

I was the one who was surprised now. I needed to read more about this
type of bisexual novel on the website. I needed to update my view of the
world. They might like men but they were not homosexuals. Fucking Todd.
Piece of shit. I was so happy with the bisexual world.

“Have you ever slept with a woman?”

After hearing the question, he turned to me and smiled at the corner of his
mouth.

“Guess.”

I looked at him in disbelief. I felt sweat break out from my back. The
handsome boy saw my reaction and laughed. He turned to the bird again.

“Is this a Myna? You can speak?”

Good. Let's change the subject. I wasn't ready to find out that Tod, who had
a boyfriend, could date a woman and have sex with her.

“I want to train him but he doesn't speak. It must be a dumb bird.”

“What do you want me to say?”

“Well.. .”

I hadn't finished my sentence. Aoey came out of the kitchen and looked at
the two of us who were just chatting. In her mind, it might seem like we
were flirting.

“Gen, I'm very sleepy. It's too late."

The soft eyes looked at Tod critically.

"Is it okay if I ask you to go home? I couldn't sleep with anyone else in the
house.”

The handsome man looked at me and smiled.

“I just arrived not long ago. But if you really need to sleep…”

“Why don't you go for a walk? I wanted to be alone with Gen.”

That was Tod, who always made me nervous from the first day we met.
I touched my forehead feeling a little headache. I felt like I was in a
silent war between a smart, handsome man and a dumb, jealous girl.

"Gen..."

Aoey called with a serious voice.

“Do you really want me to leave?”

“Everything... please.”

I wanted to scream out loud because I was in the middle of the war. The
handsome man responded with a laugh.

“I'm kidding. I'll be leaving soon.”

“You can go now.”

"You're very jealous."

The handsome man caught Aoey off

guard. “I like men. Do not worry about

me.” “Oh.”

“It's the same as you and Gen. You like the same sex. I like the same sex
too.”

His revelation made Aoey very surprised, but I denied it because I wasn't
ready to admit that I like the same sex “Stop misunderstandings, Tod. Aoey
and I are not lovers…”
Aoey looked at me with her sad puppy eyes. She made me feel so guilty.
But what should I say? Tod was still my boyfriend. Aoey still had Great as
a boyfriend.

“It's true.”

“Eat me!”

A high-pitched, squeaky voice came from a cage in the corner of the room.
Three of us froze. The little bird jumped into the cage and showed off his
new ability.

“My Gen... Eat me now..”

I rushed over to the cage immediately and hugged it tightly as if to silence

the unpleasant bird. But the more I hugged it, the more the bird grunted,
gasped and moaned.

“Eat me here... Good... Oh, Gen good girl..”

“My Aoey. You are delicious. You are

delicious”

This time it was Aoey who rushed over and hugged the cage because she
didn't know what to do either. Our faces turned red as tomatoes. Damn!
There were so many things I taught him to speak, but he chose to repeat
these words. Tod looked at us both and covered his mouth with his hand in
surprise. He smiled before bursting into laughter.

-You two made a great show in front of the bird, huh?”

He laughed with satisfaction. His laughter made me very angry. I bit my

lip hard. I promised myself the bird would be in a frying pan tomorrow. I'd
eat the damn bird!

“Tod, please pretend you don't hear this.”

I begged and almost cried. The handsome man stopped joking and
stopped laughing. He understood what I was like.
“Thank you for making me laugh so much after such a bad day.”

He placed each of his hands on our heads.

“You are both sweet. Even the bird can tell how much fun you had
together..”

“Oh no! I said stop.”

I wanted to cry.

“Okay, I'll stop. I'll go now. And you, Aoey, don't hate me. Gen and I are a
fake couple. I went out with her to fool my family. In fact, we could sit and
talk about it for a long time, but it was 2 am now. It wouldn't be a good time
for a long story. I would tell you the next day.”

Aoey was stunned and then ashamed of what she did. She was rude to him
at first.

“OK.”

“I’ll leave. I may stop by here sometimes. I'm not myself now. I hope you
do not mind.”

“No.”

The gentle eyes were very pleasant now. I said goodbye to him and waited
for him to leave at the door. I felt bad and pitied him, but there was
nothing I could do. Before leaving, he looked at both of us and asked us
the last question.

“Before i go…”

“Yeah?”

“If you're not going out…What are you two?"

I thought he wanted to tease me for asking that question in front of Aoey.

As if he wanted to see my reaction when she asked it in front of Aoey. I
gave him an angry look. I would shoot him if I had a gun.

“Best friend.”

Aoey responded in a neutral tone but there was some implication of sadness
in it.

"Best friends who love each other,"

I said.

“We are both in love. That's our relationship.”

 ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ-ғɪᴠᴇ
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

Tod looked at the bird again for a while, thinking about what to do with it.
I was free of the handcuffs now. There were so many words! I taught him
words but he chose to moan and scream in front of the handsome boy who
liked to make sarcastic comments. That was so embarrassing.

“Do you know that image and ego were the most important things to
Genlong?!”

“I will eat you!”

I shook the cage like a crazy living being there flew in panic mode. Aoey
took the cage and moved it away from me as if to hide it like she was trying
to hide some medicine from a little girl.

“Don't be violent.”

“You didn't listen to what he said in front of Tod. How good it was, Tod.
What if it was my mom or Great? Oh! I can't imagine it."

I grabbed my own hair angrily.

“Should we let him go? Or interrogate him?”

“Just teach him something else. It's not his fault. We don't teach him
seriously enough. We just focused on something else.”

The soft eyes reminded me of reality.

“We did that in front of him as if we were teaching him to speak. If you
wanted to blame someone, maybe I was the one who did it... too loudly.”

Why did the conversation make me blush? I coughed and shrugged.

“I'll give the bird the benefit of the doubt.”

“Next time I will be silent.”

“No, that's not good.”

“Because?”

“I like hearing your voice.”

We were silent again. I thought our conversation again went too far. But I
liked it. It was uncomfortable but I liked it. It was like a verbal kiss..The
soft eyes looked at me seductively.

“Just my voice that you like?”

"Are you flirting again?"

“I did nothing. Just asking.”

Aoey came in behind me and wrapped my waist from behind. She put his
face into my neck passionately. She had so many emotions today. At night,
she was playful and seductive. At midnight, she was jealous. And now she
was very submissive to me.

“I wanted to stay mad at you but now I'm so tired.”

"Why are you angry with me again?"

I laughed and looked at her playfully.

“You've been angry with me often

lately.”
“If you had told me about Tod, I wouldn't have been so stupid... and I
wouldn't have had to seduce you.”

"So now you're saying it was my fault you seduced me and handcuffed
me?"

I looked at her and now she was trying to hide her face in my neck. She
wouldn't want to make eye contact with me. I thought she was very cute.

“How many times did you eat me today? Do you remember?”

"I don't know, but the bird clearly remembered your voice."

I touched my forehead thinking.

“If the bird had talked like that when Great was here, we would be in big
trouble.”

“Why would he be here? I already broke up with him.”

It reminded me that Aoey just fought with Great today at noon.

“It's just a fight. You haven't broken up with him yet.”

“Then I'll tell him to break up with me. So it's good for both of us. We
don't have to worry when the bird speaks again.”

“The talking bird is a problem.”

I laughed and sighed.

“Let's go to bed.”

“Don't you want to eat me one more time?”

“I thought you were sleepy?”

“I love you a lot.”

My heart beat fast every time I heard that. I didn't know if it could be
normal when I heard it.

“Ummm.”

"It was nice to hear you tell Tod that we love each other,"

The smaller girl spoke as she put her face in my neck. Her voice was nasal
and she began to shake. I realized she was crying.

“What's happening? Why are you crying? We were just talking."

I sat up straight as he held her in front of me. Aoey was now kneeling on
the ground looking at me. Her eyes were filled with tears but there was no
feeling of sadness. I wiped the tears from her face with my finger. I looked
at her with adoration and surprise.

“Why are you crying baby?”

“It's like a dream. You fell in love with me. It sounds impossible.”

“Why is it impossible? I think I told you I love you from the first time we
slept together."

I laughed. She cried then and now she was crying again...

"You're way out of my league. It's impossible for me to get

you.”

“What good does it do me to be praised so much? What do I have that

makes me so different from you? Why do you think you don't deserve
me?”

“For me... you are like a princess. It's good enough to be your friend."

She continued talking.You are always outstanding. All the teachers loved
you. You are smart and rich. You have something that shines.

“That sounds more like a Christmas tree than a person.”

I laughed, which made her laugh too.

“I think you also realized that you are better than other people. Have you
ever imagined seeing someone like me?”

I didn't say anything because that was exactly what I had just said. I never
had the idea of being interested in a childhood friend who gave me lice
when we were young. Not to mention she was a woman.

“It's like Great told you that I lost you... I didn't feel anything when we were
young. After looking into your eyes when we met again, that always makes
me cringe.”

“Since the first day we met? I think you always said you were disgusted by
people who like the same sex..”

“I just wanted to get you

away.” I admitted the truth with

shame.

“I wasn't okay with myself feeling sensitive about you. I knew how you felt
about me at that moment. I was really mean to
you then.”

“Then you have to make it up to me for making me sad.”

I leaned in to kiss her, but Aoey pushed me away..

“I did not mean that.”

“What!”

I was surprised, but I still acted great.

"How would I compensate you then?"

“Let's have a date.”

“Oh?”
“Let's go on a date. Like other couples, hold hands, kiss and end it in bed.
That is what I want. Can you do it for me?”

I agreed with surprise. It was such an easy trade-off. I thought it would be a

little more difficult. The small girl gave me a sweet smile and walked me
to the bed “That's very nice. Let's have a date tomorrow. Yey!”

“You're that happy. Where do you want to go?”

“Let me think. But any place is good if I go with you.”

I grabbed her face with both hands and pulled her in for a kiss and looked
into her eyes.

“Yes, that's true. Anywhere is good for you.”

I thought it would be easy... but there was nothing easy in this world. Our
dating plan was derailed once Great was there right in front of the room. He
cried and begged Aoey to come back to him. Four of us sat and chatted in
the same room. Tod was here too. That's why there were four of us. And for
safety reasons, the birdcage was hanging outside on the balcony. If he was
lucky, the wind could knock the cage down to the ground floor. He was
lucky I didn't fry him! When Tod was home alone, he was very depressed.
Aoey and I were the only two happy people looking at the other two
unhappy people. What should we do now...

“I will break up with Great today.”

My cute kitty was angry because Great interfered with the happy day we
had planned since the night before. She was so upset and she couldn't keep
it up. She was upset with him even before she showed up to ruin our date.

“Don't do that now. You're angry and Great was so sad. I pity
him.”

“And you don't feel sorry for me?”

"Why did you go out with him then?"

“I did that for you.”

"What are you two complaining about?”

Tod looked at us both as a warning. He seemed to know what the story was
here and he wanted Aoey to tone it down.

“I want to talk to you, Great.”

Aoey got up to talk to Great outside. But my brother seemed to know what
was coming. He was still sitting in the same place.

“No, I want to sit here."

She took her drink out of her bag and put it on the table.

“I want to be in a good mood today..”

I looked at a bottle of Vodka on the table and sighed. It must be my dad's

alcohol collection. Now what?! Is he going to be a drama king?

“It's too early to drink, Great.”

“I'll drink it now. It makes me happy.”

Aoey looked at my brother annoyed. The eye candy was usually calm but
now I was seething with anger.

“If you want to be happy, just go home and drink. Why are you here?”

"Hey,"

I said in my normal tone but gave her a warning look. After she realized
that I meant it, she vanished into the kitchen.

“I'll be right back.”

I got up and followed her to the kitchen. Her soft eyes stayed there, sullen. I
grabbed her cheeks to calm her down.
“Oh! That hurts.”

“Why do you have to be so angry? Great is here to talk. He doesn't ask you
to marry him.”

“I'm upset. Why does it have to be annoying? My way of acting is so

obvious. He should understand that I don't like him and that he should go.”

The more I got to know her, the more I realized she was stubborn. I smiled
and realized how stubborn she was, but she was so adorable.

“You have to fix this yourself. Don't be picky. We can have a date
tomorrow.”

“Can we really do it tomorrow? We can go at night. I'll take you to a nice

restaurant, we'll watch a movie, I'll come back and we can make love,
okay?”

The soft eyes looked at me with bright eyes. In fact, I had a class the next
day. I had many tasks to do. I would finish my homework that night, finish
some work with my friends in the morning, and go pick her up at night.
That should be fine.
Such a busy, great life.

“Now you're smiling. Smile at Great when you leave. Do it for me please.”

“OK.”

The gentle eves rose reluctantly but still did not go.

“Is there anything else?”

“Can I kiss you now?”

“There are people outside.”

“It is exciting. Let's see if they catch us.”

“Are you that naughty?”

I quickly leaned over the door to look outside. I didn't realize she was that
kind of person. She liked the excitement, the mild masochism. although she
was a little sexy.....

“Fast!”

She hurried. I leaned towards her. Her soft eyes wrapped her arms around
my neck. We kissed passionately for a long time as if we weren't going to
stop until someone saw us. Her naughty hands moved under my shirt and
seduced me to dive deeper into it. I pushed it because I was worried it
would be too long. I gasped.

“You're so naughty.”

“I want to take off your clothes.”

When we left, Great and Tod looked at us but didn't say anything. I was
paranoid that they would know what Aoey and I were doing. The soft eyes
came out in a better mood. She smiled at Great when I asked her to do it.
She now looked like a little girl who had just received candy from her.
Sassy Girl..

“Drink some water here, so you won't be too tired.”

The handsome man looked at me with a smile as if he knew something. I

looked at him in surprise, even Aoey was surprised.

“Why should I be?”

“Don't know. You looked happy.”

I had a glass of water from Tod, who was always a know-it-all. I drank the
whole glass in one go just to cover it up but... the taste of the water was a
little different. I panic… l've finished. Great looked at me happily. The
vodka my brother brought there with him was now in my body. I knew
immediately that nothing would ever be normal again. Aoey looked at
everyone confused.

“What happened?”
Great who tried to talk to Aoey now explained everything to her because
he wanted to see her sweet smile.

“I'll show you what Genlong was like in another version.”

Damn!

It was just a glass of vodka. It was good! I tried to stabilize my situation. I

looked at everyone sitting around me. As long as I could look at them in
the eyes, I was fine. It was just a glass of alcohol in my body. A little later,
it would come out as sweat or urine. Who would get drunk so quickly?
When my mom tricked me into drinking back then, it was much, much
more than this. This was nothing. I am invincible! Everything was normal.
We all chatted casually. The sky was bright outside. My myna bird was
cute as always. Now everything was under control. I heard the growl of a
tiger from a dark cave with a hermit coming out with a staff in his hand, he
waded through the water and told me… The goddess!

Wait, how come I was in a cave with a hermit now? She was now wearing a
green traditional Thai dress. There was a traditional Thai music band on a
cliff there. Real fantasy shit! I don't feel normal now. Where was it? What
year was this? I didn't feel like myself now.

“Gen.”

A voice called me from my imagination. I opened my eyes to see Aoey

wiping my face with a wet towel.

“Aoey... What happened? How did I end up here?”

I tried to sit up but I couldn't. Both my hands are clasped above my head
with a lamp on the headboard. What is this?

“You're so stubborn. I had to do this.”

“Lock me up like a prisoner?”

"You were so drunk,"

Aoey paused and threw the wet towel into the bucket of water angrily. You
kiss everyone. How did you do that?! I looked at her without understanding.
She couldn't remember anything. All I could remember was a cave, a hermit
and some water... oh and a tiger. She might really enjoy the story. What a
story!

“I can not remember anything.”

“I know! You know how I feel?”

"I really don't remember."

I bit my lip guiltily. I thought I could hold on. That was because of Great, a
bastard. He used me to entertain Aoey, just to get to her. I felt bad seeing
her grumpy face, so I hit her playfully with my knee.

“Don't get angry. I can't make it up to you now. I'm tied up. Can you free
me please?”

“No.”

"My arms are sore,"

I said angrily. I could break the cable I had tied myself with but I would
have to explain it to Mom and that would sound strange. Since I was
handcuffed with a lamp cord, I took her out immediately. What else could I
think of when I said I was handcuffed with a lamp cord?

“I want to punish you.”

“I didn't know what I was doing... I kissed Tod and Great, what about you?
Did I kiss you too?”

The soft eyes grimaced and then turned red. Then, I realized I should have
done something to her too. Wait... Did I do it in front of Great and Tod?
Wait wait wait...

“What do you think?”

“What did I do?”

Aoey rubbed her neck and showed several marks on her bare neck. She has
so many kiss marks on her neck. I was surprised and felt heat run through
my face, now throughout my body.

“Did I do it in front of other people?”

“Yes, but I ran to hide in the bathroom just in time.”

"That's a relief,"

I sighed.

“At least you were able to escape.”

"No, you went into the bathroom and we hugged each other."

The sweet girl unbuttoned herself, revealing teeth and kiss marks all over
her body. I almost fainted. Damn! Was that in my subconscious?

“Did I do something else?”

“Well…”

“Further? Oh please!”

“Tod and Great rushed to help me. They dragged you out of the bathroom
and locked you in here.”

“Great, bastard!”

I got angry when I realized that all my good image had disappeared in front
of Aoey and Tod. Now I had nothing to defend. Damn! Motherfucker! I
will kill him!

“Very sorry. I hurt you. I'll make it up to you,"

I said apologetically. The soft eyes looked at me and smiled.

“How are you going to do that?”

I saw that sly smile and realized she was planning something. Aoey, was
now half naked because she showed me all the marks on her body. She
crawled towards me slowly like a hungry tiger walked towards its prey.

“I'm asking you. How are you going to compensate me?”

“An appointment.”

“We already agreed on that. That does not count.”

“We can make another appointment then.”

“No, that's boring. One date after another date.”

Her small hand slipped under my shirt while I couldn't protect myself. I
looked at her with a warning look as she tried to stop her evil cunning plan.

“No.”

“What are you going to do now?”

“I have legs.”

“Are you going to kick me?”

She sat on top of me and crossed her arms.

“Ok, kick me now.”

“Come on Aoey. Stop playing. Untie me now,"

I said casually, but I was actually worried that she might do something.
Aoey leaned over and leaned on her two arms, looking at me with her
seductive eyes.

“No.”
“If you're naughty, I won't go on a date with you.”

“You won't be mad at me for long. You'll take me, I know it."

Eyes soft, she put her hands inside my shirt and went down to touch the
most sensitive part she had ever touched before. She touched me playfully.
I bit my lip, angry and sensitive, but still I didn't give up.

“I'll be so mad at you.”

“It must be so embarrassing, not having control.”

“Hey!”

I screamed when her hand was now more invasive. I jumped.

“I'm angry now and I won't forgive you.”

“You still have control.”

"Ummm..."

I tried to be quiet but it seemed like I had lost to her. She pushed harder
pulling my pants off my feet.

“No…”

"Tell me... tell me what to do."

Aoey now wasn't the same girl I knew when we were young. She was
totally different from when we met again recently. She was now bossy and
demanding, changing from a kitten to a feral cat. I was confused, I wasn't
sure if I liked her or didn't like her now. She kissed my belly playfully and
moved down. Her hand played with my nipples. I was quiet. I tried not to
express anything but my body said otherwise.

"Wait until I'm out of this.".

“I will free you whenever I want…”

She finally did something that no one in this world would ever do to me.
She went down and touched my most sensitive part with her soft lips…
That was a power play. Touching the most sensitive part for me was how
to show control. That's why I couldn't go out with just anyone. I didn't
want anyone to have control over my body. Especially that part..

“ Ummmm....”

I couldn't help but moan uncontrollably. My voice gave her some emotion.
Her brown eyes looked at me hungrily and whispered.

"Tell me.. .tell me what you want me to do. You have the control.”

I took a deep breath, raised my head and looked into her eyes. I looked at
her with lust.

“I'll tell you.”

She seemed happy, seductive, fun and obsessed more than before.

"Eat me,"

I gave an order. I felt like a boss now.

“You have to keep eating until I tell you to stop.”

“I will chew you little by little.”

Aoey licked her lips before diving in...

"Don't say it. Do it until I cringe, otherwise it'll be you!”

I pushed myself when she showed she could do it.

“Oh ahhh.”

"I'll show you I can do it."

The new sensation that I had never felt before was from her soft touch. At
first, I tried not to make a sound, but now I couldn't hold it in anymore. I let
a moan escape my throat when her lips touched my most sensitive part. I
couldn't stop.
I wanted to scream but my body and brain were still lost. My temperature
was rising. My body heat was sent everywhere. The more I moaned, the
more Aoey enjoyed it. Her small hand playfully touched everywhere. Her
hands went where they wanted to go.

“Don't come yet... no.”

The little girl begged as she pulled her shirt over her head and leaned
towards me.

“I want to hear you. Now I know why you like to listen to me.”

"Aoey... please."

I almost cried when my body was at its peak. I had to beg him.

“Please finish me. Don't torture me.”

“Let me enjoy your body.”

The smallest girl whispered in my ear and bit it.

“I love every part of you.”

"I love you too Aoey."

I said like a drunk. My brain was all over the place.

“I love you so much that I could die.”

“Well... I'm happy that you love me so much.”

I made long, deep eye contact with those brown eyes.

"Gen, you should know that in this world, there is no one I would love more
than you."

She reached into a drawer next to the bed and took out the key.

“After you're done, it's your job to tell me how much you love me.”

“Okay. You breaks up with me then.”

“I'll let you tell me how much you love me all night.”
 ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ-sɪx
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

Vodka, Myna and wives....3 things I tried to stay away from in this life and
the next! I woke up almost at dawn. The sky was still dark, waiting for the
sun to shine. I looked at the person lying next to me. She was exhausted like
me. How could Aoey and I end up there? Not only me who was already
awake, Aoey, who hugged me all night, now moved and smiled at me. Her
eyes were shining and full of love.

“How do you get up so early? Why did you look at me like that? Are you
mad at me for what happened?”

I looked at her angrily. She wouldn't let me free if I didn't do what she
wanted.

“Knew well?”

"I couldn't get enough of you."

I saw her joy. That was not the same Aoey. She was totally another
woman, another version that no one will ever see except me. How good
was that? It seemed like there was also another version of myself that I
myself never knew. And only Aoey could see this. It was this love. we
became someone
we never knew just because of this person, this one person...

“Why do you love me, Aoey?”

I wanted to know why I never asked her why she loved me and was
obsessed with me. The other men who pursued me were because of my
looks and my wealth, but those were external factors. Ummm....we are all
judged by the outside. I figured Aoey would also watch from outside first.

“Don't know. I never had a reason. I knew that when I looked at you, being
with you made me happy. Do you know why you love me?”

I paused when I thought about it. I don't know why I love her. We were
friends when we were young, but once we met again, my heart became very
unstable. Eye contact, being with her, made me happy. I felt the same way...

“Umm....now I understand.”

“Do you understand what?”

“That we love each other.”

That was love. I only felt love. I didn't need to look for a reason. There
were so many handsome men chasing me, but it didn't make me feel the
same way. With her I felt full. I felt
sensitive. Everything was fine.

“If I were a man, would you love me the same way, Gen?”

"I don't know."

I rubbed her soft arm gently and went down towards her curvy waist like an
explorer.

“I like that you are a little girl, with beautiful eyes. You have something
those men don't have. But I never looked at other women because none of
them looked as beautiful as you.”

“I'm not as beautiful as you.”

“Then I have no reason to love you. I just love you.”

"Then we have the same reason."

The smaller girl turned me to the other side and got on top of
me. She leaned down and kissed me on the chin.

"I just love you."

We simply love each other. That's all.

“How are you Todd? Do you feel better now?”

I went out to see Tod at his university. I was in a very good mood because
of what I just went through. I was in love and most importantly..9 out of
10.
. . Aoey told me my score in the morning, which surprised me. She made
me wonder what made my score go up so much.

“Because it wasn't you who did it. I was doing it too. Actually it was a 10
but I didn't want you to be so proud."

What a clever and shameless girl... But I successfully achieved a near full
score. When I entered her college with the handsome boy, all eyes were on
us, but I was used to it.
I was beautiful...

“It's good that I study a lot. It keeps me busy, so I don't have time to think
about it. But I can't forget it...I saw Sing and the new girl going to the beach
together.”

“How did you see that? Were you a shellfish there?”

I asked him sarcastically. The handsome man laughed and shook his head
when he heard my sarcastic comment.

“Your beauty was gone when you made that kind of joke.”

Sometimes I wanted to kill this guy. I was here to check on him!

“I saw it on his Facebook. They seemed in love... It seemed like they had
been together for a long time even though we just broke up.”
“He cheated on you?”

“I don't know.”

“How did you meet?”

“I practice sports....”

The short story was that Sing joined Tod's basketball game. They both had
the right chemistry of the game, football, and then the relationship
developed. They both knew their stories. Sing told Tod about his family
and how tough he was. He didn't have money to study. His parents
separated while Sing lived with his grandmother. Tod felt sorry for him, so
he lent him some money… Wait!

“Was there any money involved? Don't you think he was a scammer?”

The handsome man immediately rejected the idea when he first heard about
it. He said angrily and rejected being fooled.

“I'm not stupid.”

“Love blinds us.”

“And you think the reason Aoey is with you is because you benefit her or
something?”

Now I was the one who strongly rejected it. Aoey would never do that. I
was confident,

“Don't compare Aoey to a pimp like Sing. Aoey never asked me for
anything.”

“But you are supporting her financially. If you weren't rich, do you think
Aoey would be with you?”

“Tod!”

“It's the same thing.”

"No, it's not,"

I answered. I really got angry. It was a waste of time being there.

“Don't compare your cheap love with my love. I am not dumb.”

“I'll see how intelligent a person like you will be. If you discover that the
people you love with all your heart are with you only for your money.”

I looked at the man angrily. I knew he was so sensitive now, but it was too
much. He never crossed the line and attacked my love.

“Then be with yourself. If I'm stupid, at least she's still with me. Unlike
you... how much did you pay? He still left you!”

I returned to my condo in a bad mood but... love made me happier. I saw

the sweet eyes working seriously on her computer. She could be a wild and
sexy cat or she could also be a serious person. When I was upset, I usually
relaxed by taking a bath, but to my surprise, just one look at Aoey,
working, now my bad mood just disappeared… Beautiful...

“What are you doing? You look so serious.”

Aoey looked up from her computer and made eye contact with me and sent
me a sweet smile..

“I'm writing a new novel.”

“What is it about?”

“Our love.”

“Hey?”

“I'm telling the story of our love, but I added some of my imagination. It's
good.”

The smaller girl smiled so widely. I could feel happiness in her. I walked
over and sat behind her. I gave her a hug from behind her and smelled
the
nice clean soap on her.

“Are you telling my

story?” “Yeah.”

“Am I a man or a woman?”

“You are a man, of course... You are my love. My Gen. My original plan
was to write it just for you as a love letter, but now we're already in love,
so I'm writing it for other people to read now.”

The soft eyes kissed me on the cheek before returning to her screen.

“Let me finish this. I need to concentrate.”

“You kicking me.”

“I'm shy when someone is reading my work.”

The sweet girl was now writing here and there. I walked towards the
refrigerator. Although I told Tod that I was sure about Aoey, to be honest, I
was shocked by what Tod said. If I wasn't pretty. If I didn't have
money...would she be interested in me?

“Gen.”

“Oh?”

I picked up a glass of water and drank it while thinking about so many

things in my head. Aoey, who was now typing on her computer, said
casually.

“I already broke up with Great.”

What!? Water splashed from my mouth. I could almost see a rainbow if

there was sunlight. Aoey looked at me and laughed when she saw my wet
face.
“What happened? Why do you have to be so surprised?”

“Did you break up with Great? How is my brother now?”

“He didn't listen. I said I wanted to break up with him. He just hung up
immediately. I think he didn't want to hear it either. He might not be too
interested in me anyway. We never held hands, we never kissed. It was like
the love of kindergarten children.”

I heard her cold voice telling me the story in confusion. Her soft eyes had
so many angles, some were so cute and sweet, and some were so cold. She
was charming and terrifying at the same time.

“Did you tell him the reason?”

“Yeah.”

“Which?”

“I have someone else..”

My brother might go crazy now. He was the youngest of us and was never
disappointed by anything. He must have been crazy at home and talking to
my mom. Now I started to worry
about him. I should go home and check on him.

“Did he ask you who he is?”

“Yeah.”

“What did you say?”

The soft eyes looked at me seductively. Two brown eyes looked at me

playfully.

“Guess.”

I was worried about Great and also wanted to know what he knew. I drove
home to see my mother walking in a circle, looking very worried. I figured
it must be a big problem.

“Where's Great Mom?”

“He's gone crazy upstairs. He beats the drum so loud. Dad's not at home.”

Great was my mom's most beloved son. I was my dad's most beloved
daughter. When Great did something wrong, Dad punished him with rules
and punishments. He was afraid of my dad, but his mom spoiled him. I
went up the stairs to shudder at the sound of the drum. When the door
opened, Great paused for a bit before continuing.

“This is too strong.”

“Aoey broke up with me!”

I closed my eyes and listened to him like a child crying. His whole life, he
left other girls because he was handsome, rich and had a car. Once he was
dumped by someone who didn't care about that. He went crazy. What could
I say... Aoey's other option was better. I was beautiful, rich and intelligent.
But I shouldn't be proud in this situation.

“Your relationship was not progressing. Breaking up could be a good

option. It's good for you too.”

“But I like it. She is the one that not even I could touch. I just wanted to be
with her. At least being her boyfriend was like we were linked by an
invisible thread.”

What was that nonsense...?

“Now she cut the invisible thread. Move on and get a new girlfriend. That's
all. Whoever you want, just spend your money. We have a lot.”

“Can you stop talking like it's easy? If you like someone enough, you won't
say things like this.”

Great said.
“But what do you know, you can only love yourself.”

“Don't look down on me. You don't know everything about me. If they let
me, I won't be crazy like you. If the girl finds out that you are misbehaving,
she will only confirm her decision. I can tell you this because I left so many
guys before. That wet trash.”

My little brother threw down his drumsticks and walked towards me

pleading.

“You are close to Aoey. Can you talk to her please? I've been thinking about
what happened. In reality, nothing had happened. I only tried to touch her
once. That wasn't a big deal, not big enough to break me up.”

“Let me ask you something really... Do you really think you get along with
her? Or are you just pushing?”

He was reluctant to answer that. I felt guilty trying to talk to my brother

about breaking up with the woman I love. Was that confusing?

“I don't mind. I like it. I love her. I really want to know who she is, go on a
date.”

“Didn't he tell you?”

I felt relieved. I knew that if she really told him, he would react differently
towards me. Because I was the big piece of his thorn.

“Yes, he did, but I don't believe her.”

“What did she say?”

“She's dating a woman.”

Now my heart dropped to my ankle. I wanted to look normal but I knew I

wasn't normal.

“What do you think?”

I barely made eye contact with him. Great didn't notice anything and shook
his head.

“I do not believe her. It's an excuse she couldn't understand. She can
date anyone except a woman. It's just an insult. If only I knew who she
was, I would beat her up.”

"No, you won't."

I looked at him with contempt. Uncle Somkit, my father's assistant, would

never hit me. But what I said made him even more angry.

“Why not! I don't care if she's a woman. Whoever steals who I love. I
will beat everyone, man or woman. I don't mind.”

My little brother walked over to the drumsticks and picked them up from
the floor. He returned to the drum and began to beat them madly again. I
looked at him and sighed with concern.. What a headache. I drove back to
my condo. What a headache! I drove around worrying about something
stupid. I barely had time to study. As I waited for the elevator, long arms
wrapped around me from behind. I almost screamed.

“Cuckoo.”

“Aoey... it's

scary.”

I rubbed my face nervously. The soft eyes smiled at me. In her hands, she
carried so many shopping bags.

“Are you here for the purchase?”

“Yes, I saw you here, so I snuck up behind you. When you're scared,
you look so cute."

It was so different from her serious work mode this morning, from when
she was so cold talking about Great. Now she looked like a kitten playing
with me, wanting me to take her in

“Don't give me that sweet look.”

“Don't you love me?”

“What should I say?”

I laughed and nodded with a red face.

“I love you like crazy.”

“My heart beat so fast hearing you say that. I'm hot.”

The soft eves were happy and playful. She was so direct and open about it. I
sometimes felt that she was a man who talked about sex so openly.

“Don't be too lustful.”

“I'm only like that with you. I want to do that somewhere other than the
condo. Should we go to the parking lot?”

I wanted to faint hearing her plan. I thought she was joking, but she
changed the direction of the elevator to the parking lot. I was so confused,
but I still followed her easily...

“Hey, I think.”

“Come on! Let's do it. We are here. Where's your car?”

“Are you serious? I thought you were joking.”

"Why are you following me then?"

“What happens if someone sees us?”

I smiled at her but she responded by jumping happily and responded

casually.

“Then we stop, and we continue when they are gone.”

she was so cute.....I was so in love with her. No matter what she did, I fell
madly in love with her. I tried to restrain myself from going all out. But it
seemed like my head and my heart weren't cooperating.

“You look so happy, Aoey.”

“Yes, I haven't felt happy like this in a long time. I don't remember the last
time I felt happy. It could be when I got to kindergarten. You have taken
away my happiness since then.”

"So you were obsessed with me?"

“I admired you when you were so angry that I gave you lice and I ran to a
barbershop and asked them to shave my head but my mom wouldn't let
me.”

I laughed and remembered the story. She seemed to be obsessed with me

for a long time. It was strange that when we met again, I was obsessed with
her too. How did it happen? She turned to look at me when I fell silent. We
made eye contact before she smiled at me and moved her hand around me.

“Why are you looking at me like that? I'm shy.”

“You make me happy. You are like my happy

vitamin.” “I can not wait. Let me hug you.”

I pulled her hand and pushed her towards the back of a pillar, to hide from
the people. I looked around for cameras to make sure no one could see us. I
kissed her passionately. I kissed her with enough passion to get started. I
pushed her when I thought it was enough just for fun.

"I think..."

I said reluctantly,

"I think I'm lost with you. What did you do to me?”

“So good. I don't have anything I'm good at. I'm just good at this, maybe it
will help us get closer…”
“Silly! I don't like you for sex.”

"Then why do you love me?"

The low voice that interrupted us scared me. It was the voice of a man. A
man I knew too well. I slowly turned around to see Great standing there
with his fist clenched in pain. Aoey and I were not prepared for this. Now
there was no escape.

“Are you in love because they both have breasts? You are sick!”
 ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ-sᴇᴠᴇɴ
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

The three of us were in a very uncomfortable situation. Great looked at us

disgustingly. Worst of all was the disappointed look in his eyes that he
sent me. He cut me in pain. I couldn't run away from this. The truth was
the truth. I stood in front of him and sighed.

“We're just in love. We are not sick.”

“Bitch!”

Great shouted as loudly as a maniac.

“You two are women, what part is not sick? Men are supposed to be with
women. What do you see when you are naked?”

“For Great please. You lose.”

“How can I lose if you don't respect the rule? You stab me in the back.”

I looked at him angrily. Damn! My brother said I cheated. He always won,

but being told I cheated was too much.

"Great....Please, this is the truth,"

Aoey said coldly. Her tone was so distant, so different from when she spoke
to me before. Her soft eyes crossed her arms and she looked at him with an
empty feeling, no expression, nothing there..
“Do you want me to accept that you are in love with my sister? You are the
one who agreed to be with me. Why did you do this?”

“You can't stop loving. You can't even break up with me. How can you
expect me to stop loving Gen and love you?”

“Why did you go out with me at the beginning?”

"Just to get revenge on Gen,"

Aoey said expressionlessly. Great's eyes were filled with rage.

“Gen said that if I date anyone, it should be you. So I chose you. That's all.”

“Please stop, Aoey.”

I told Aoey to stop talking. The more he talked, the worse the situation got.

“Okay.”

Aoey stopped talking when I told her. That bothered Great even more when
he realized that I was the one in control and he also realized that he was just
a pawn in the game.

“Aoey how could you do this to me? You treat me like a dog, even
though I love you more than anything.”

“What did I do to deserve your love? We never hold hands. We just talk.
Why do you feel so much for me?”

“Me just like you. Why do I need more reasons?”

“Yes, Gen doesn't have to do anything. I just look at her and I'm crazy.”

“Please stop. Why do you keep hurting me?”

Great yelled so loud in the parking lot. I didn't like being the center of
attention, especially something like this. It was embarrassing.
“Please go home, Great. Let's talk at home.”

"I'm not going anywhere."

Great turned to Aoey and glared at her.

“I respected you all the time, I never did anything to you but not today, not
anymore.”

My brother took a big step towards Aoey slowly. I looked at it and made an
assessment of how I should handle it.

“Great... back away.”

“Even if you don't like other people touching you. Today I will do
whatever I want. I think you can touch Gen. I'll do the same so you can get
used to me too."

Great charged towards Aoey as I expected. As soon as my brother touched

her. Aoey screamed as loudly as if she had been hit with a hot iron
immediately he let go of her and took a step back. He must have been
surprised by her scream.

“Aoey....Aoey, are you okay?”

“Great, you're like my dad. You act like my dad.”

My little brother started to get nervous. I quickly ran and hugged her. Aoey
pushed me hard and screamed like crazy.
What was happening to her? What did I have to do?

“Gen, I haven't done anything.”

“Go home.”

“Gen…”

“I told you to go home.”

He walked away nervously when he was told to go home. I pulled her close
to me and let her scream into my shoulder, at least to make the crying
quieter. I hugged her for a while to calm her down.

“I'm Gen, Aoey.”

“Dirty. . .”

Now people began to gather around us. I looked at everyone to get away.

“Move away.”

It worked. They all walked backwards, but still turned around to see from
afar. Aoey cried for more than 10 minutes. Her face was full of tears. I
thought she might be dehydrated from this. Once she started to calm
down, I spoke to her calmly.

“It's okay Aoey. I'm here. Let's go

home.” "I want to take a bath."

Aoey started to be herself again after not saying anything for a while. Can
you take me upstairs?

“You can walk? Do you want me to take

you?” “Can you?”

“I watched a Korean series. You are small. I should be able to do that. Do

you want to try?”

The soft eyes nodded and felt a little better. I carried her on my back and
walked towards the elevator. I didn't know how she felt at that moment, but
it seemed like she liked riding me like a horse.

“You're so cool now, Gen.”

“Carry you on my back? Did you see how people look at us? Some are
laughing.”
“Do you care about other people more than me?”

“If I did, I wouldn't carry you. I have never done this to anyone nor let
anyone do this to me. You are the first one..”

“It seems like I'm the first in everything.”

I laughed. It was true that she was my first everything. Did I spoil her? But
it felt good to hear it like that. I felt like they were hugging me. I felt
loved...

"You should be proud that no one in this world can do this to me."

I paused before asking,

"It wasn't an accident that Great was there, was it?"

She didn't say anything but that was the clearest answer she could give.
Aoey planned for Great to be there. Otherwise, she wouldn't ask me to have
sex in the parking lot. I figured she wanted Great to know, so we wouldn't
have to explain. She could be crazy sometimes.

“Are you mad at me? Hit me if you want.”

“Love makes me be blind and forgive you..”

“You are an imitator. That's my line.”

The smaller girl wrapped herself around me so tightly. It seemed to make

her feel better now. She scared me to death.

“Gen, marry me.”

“What?!”

I laughed and turned my face towards her which was now resting on my
shoulder. -

“Really?”
“How can I live without you?”

“How did you live then?”

“For me... you are my oxygen, my happy vitamin, my everything. If I don't

have you, I'll die.”

“You're a sweet talker.”

It felt so good I almost exploded. In recent years, I searched for love like
other people but it was always empty. No man ever fulfilled me. But the
most shocking thing was that a woman, whom I carried on my back,
complied with me. And she became obsessed with me as much as I
became.obsessed with her.

“Let's wait until we both graduate and if we're still together, let's get
married.”

“Really?

Her cheerful voice surprised me. Now we were in front of the

condominium. I started to get tired even though she was a little girl.

“Yes, now get off. We are here.”

“It's home. It's our home."

The soft eyes wrapped both legs around my waist like a monkey that
refused to come down.

“Let's get married and live just the two of us.”

“Very well, you decide.”

I only said yes because I knew we couldn't really get married. We could
only be together and live together… I didn't know how my family would
react. Great, he was shocked by what happened. I was wondering how far
he would go with this. My mom could know everything now.
“Why are you so quiet?”

“Oh nothing. Can you get off now? You started to get heavy.”

"I will get off but on one condition,"

The soft eyes told me sweetly.

“Give me a shower.”

“Oh?”

“This will be another first story of yours. Give me a shower, please,

please..”

She was so sweet. I smiled and sighed.

“Just a shower then, no more than that.”

As soon as I said that, the sweet eyes whispered in my ears with her sexy
voice.

“Let's see if you can hold on.”

This line again......I seriously investigated her illness after what happened.
Although I had never done anything like that. I usually asked someone to
do it for me. But I took this matter seriously, contacted people, did my
research and called the doctor for an appointment. Aside from that, I also
had one more appointment.....I crossed my arms, crossed my legs and
looked at the person in front, Tod, who disappeared from me for 3 days.
And now he was back and acting like nothing had happened. How could he
do that? Did she think I would let it go?

“I'm sorry.”

Oh!....I didn't expect it.

“What is this? So unexpected.”

I tried to act I said even though I had already forgiven him “I was so
unstable then. I reacted too strongly when you said something sensitive. I
just don't want to admit that I was cheated on. It was very embarrassing to
realize that I was cheated on. I am an intelligent person who was deceived.”

I looked at him with understanding. She never lost to anyone. It was

unacceptable to be called stupid. It was painful. But she gave up too
quickly..

“I know. I understand. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't angry. But I understand

how you feel, I will forgive you.”

“Thank you.”

"Is that all you want to talk about?'

“I wanted to apologize from the first day but I didn't want to call you. But
now there is something.. I need to talk with you.”

“What is it?”

I took a sip of water..

“Your mom called to ask if you and I are really dating.”

“Oh?”

I almost choked on the water. I wanted to act normal, but I was surprised.
Wait, I need to calm down.

“When did she call you?”

“This morning.”

My mom seemed to know about me. She had no doubt who told her about
it. Great was always a spoiled child. He knew something would happen but
many days had passed and things seemed calm. I thought Great would get
over this and not make it a big deal. He was still a child anyway. Damn!
Then messages came to my phone.
[Aoey: Gen... your mom is here at the condo..]

[Aoey: I don't know what to do.]

[Aoey: She's playing with the bird now.]

I jumped right away. Tod followed right behind me although he didn't know
what it was.

“What happened?”

“My mom is in my condo.”

I panicked.

“She's playing with my talking bird.”

"Damn!"
 ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ-ᴇɪɢʜᴛ
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

Tod and I were now in front of my room. That was the first time I felt that it
was very scary inside the room. What would happen if my mom hit me
when I came in because she found out that she was dating a woman and I
covered up for myself with a man? A man who was also dating another
man… But mom didn't know anything about that. She had no idea how
much my mother knew about me. But if she was already there, that meant
she knew enough. Now mom would know that Aoey lived here with me.
That damn bird!

“Do you think that damn bird has already told my mom about Aoey and
me?”

I said nervously. The handsome boy looked at me and also smiled

nervously.

“Have you ever taught the bird any new words since then?”

“I have so many things to do in life. How would I have time to teach the
bird?”

"Well, what about the time you have sex then?"

The bird may even moan like you.

“Tod!”
I wanted to faint. I could never win an argument with that bad mouth. But
now was not the time for this. First I needed to see my mom in that room. I
looked at him and sighed.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Can you kiss a girl?”

This is a good time to make it up to me after you made me angry. After

talking about the plan, I opened the door and kissed Tod. Kissing a boy
was very different from kissing a little girl like Aoey. I had to stand on
tiptoe and pull his collar towards me. His short mustache around his lips
tickled me and I could smell the light citrus perfume of him. Unlike Aoey,
who mostly smelled like clean soap. Our kisses were like a hot young
couple who just agreed to take the relationship to the next level.

"Oh... you're here too."

Even though we completely knew she was there, we had to pretend we

didn't know. I acted surprised and tried to fix my shirt, which I had just
unbuttoned, and my hair, which I just shook to look sexy, to look
appropriate again. She looked at us both and raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, I'm here and Aoey is here too.”

My mom gestured to Aoey, who was now looking at me with a sharp and
fierce gaze. Her eyes were much scarier than my mother's. But what could I
do now? First I had to fool my mother. Then I would make it up to her...

"Why don't you call me before you show up here?"

"If I called first, I wouldn't see something like that."

Her voice wasn't angry. She shrugged as if that was no big deal.

“Kissing is fun.”

“Mother!!”
I called in a state of shock. I intentionally wanted her to see that, but she
didn't have to mention it like that.

“Why are you here?”

“I want to visit the condo I bought. Can't I be here?”

From the look in her eyes, I could tell she was testing me and wanted to see
how far I could go. I put on a big kissing show just for her. I had to give
my best. I started the lie and I could see it through to the end!

“Yes, you can, but you should at least tell me.”

"Do you bring Tod here often?"

She changed the subject immediately. She tried to relate it to her question.
It could be difficult because bringing a man to my house wasn't me at all.
But I started the lie!

“From time to time.”

"Just like today,"

Mom smiled and looked at Aoey.

“Is it Aoey who visited you at home last time?”

“Of course. You remember her, right? You want to ask where she had her
plastic surgery done, you also want to get them done."

I walked towards Aoey, hugged her arm and rested my head on her
shoulder like a close friend.

“You're still here. I thought you were going home.”

I walked in and saw her working alone on her computer.

“She came back here. Now you can go.”

“Really?”

Mom and I stayed silent. Aoey didn't look me in the eyes. It seemed like I
was in the corner and mom was the winner. I hated losing, even against my
mother. But I didn't know how much she knew.

“Do you also have a bird?”

She changed the subject again and turned to the myna who was now in a
small cage. She gave him a pitying look.

"It was Uncle Somkit's."

-It's a big bird in a very small cage. Poor him. Do you know that this type of
bird needs a larger cage, to be able to grow and lay eggs or build a house
for it.”

“You're a know-it-all.”

I said jokingly. My mom crossed her arms over her chest and raised her
eyebrows.

“I had one once and he could talk.”

“I didn't know you had a bird like this.”

“You never asked.”

My playful mother still talked about the myna.

“Do you know what I taught him?”

I wanted my mom to forget about Aoey, so I kept talking to her about

whatever she wanted to talk about, world economy, Barack Obama,
Prayuth Chan-ocha, price of gold, price of gasoline. Whatever!!

“What was that?”

She smiled and told me.

“Eat Aoey.”

“My Aoey. Delicious... oh, that's good.”

I almost fainted, but luckily Tod was by my side. He caught me in time,

otherwise I would hit my head on the ground. My mom stood there trying
not to laugh. She was happy to see me lose my mind. She enjoyed teasing
me and she stood still making the bird sound.

“What happened? You fainted? So sensitive. Why weren't you scared like
that when you taught the bird to talk then?”

“I'm sorry. I couldn't stop the bird. It's so talkative.”

“Do not faint. Sit down and talk to me,"

My mom looked at Tod and Aoey.

"Both of you wait outside, I want to talk to Gen alone,"

She said to Tod and Aoey casually. Aoey and Tod left the room. Only my
mom and I stayed. In my life, I never lost anything, but there was
something in life that I had to give in to.

1. Aoey's eyes

2. my mom

My mom was playful. She had fun making fun of me, especially when I
was in situations like that.

“How are you my love? Were you really about to faint?”

"Why didn't you tell me you knew everything?"

“I wanted to see how far you could go. You also lied to your brother. How
come you end up like this?”
Her voice wasn't angry, but it was still playful. She wanted to joke to see
my reaction more than anything.

“Okay, go ahead, mom. How is Great?”

“Devastated. Teenage stuff.”

"Aren't you here to give me a lecture?"

I said and looked at the ground.

“I hurt, Great, your dear son.”

“You are also my daughter. Don't say that. I spoiled him because he is the
smallest. But I still love you.”

“I want to know everything. I won't judge. I want to know it from you.”

“What did he say?”

“That you stole his girlfriend.”

I hunched my shoulders down. It was really my fault. It sounded strange

that a sister would steal a girlfriend from a brother. And now I was telling
the story to my mom.

“It's my fault. I really stole his girlfriend.”

My mom leaned back on the couch and looked at me. I didn't know where
to start the story, so she helped me.

“When did you two like each other?”

I sat down and responded quietly.

“I'm not sure.”

"Let me rephrase that again then. When did you start liking Aoey?”
I looked at her embarrassed. Damn! Did I really have to tell my mom about
my love story?

“From the first time we met, I fell in love with her.”

That was the beginning of my story. After that, the story flew out of me,
how I felt, the timeline. I told her how I felt about Aoey. She nodded
her head, but she didn't convey any judgment, she just listened to the
end....

“Because you were tight lipped, you and your brother ended up fighting
now. If you had told your brother how you felt, Aoey wouldn't have dated
Great and Great wouldn't be like he is now.”

I felt guilty when she said that. She was right about everything.

“Yeah.”

“Oh... my Gen, who always wins. You look so sad. Do you feel guilty?”

What she said suggested I was losing. I wouldn't let that happen.

“I'm not losing. I don't feel guilty. She's mine,"

I said firmly.

“She is mine. Delicious.”

“Mother!”

My mom covered her mouth and laughed as if she enjoyed repeating the
damn bird.

“At least you learn to love someone. You also have feelings. At least I can
be proud that I raised a human being, not a piece of rock. As for him, he
also needs to learn to lose. You can't win it all.”

“Is he seriously injured?”

“I feel sorry for him.”

She used to spoil her youngest son, but not today.

“He usually changes his wife with the same frequency with which he
changes his clothes. She slept with them and then left them. Many families
came to me asking for compensation. I paid a lot for that. This will teach
him a lesson.”

“Umm.”

I was surprised that my mom didn't give much importance to me hurting

Great.

“One thing I don't have to worry about is that, Great knew how to use
condoms, so I don't have to worry about him getting anyone pregnant. He is
enjoying his teenage life to the extreme. I never thought it would be his
sister who taught her a lesson.”

It seemed like she really meant it when she said that. I saw how cool he was
and wondered how Mom spoiled him. But it turned out that she was also
judged by him.

“But this is his first broken heart. Will it be OK?”

“When he was in high school, he also fought with his friends over women.
But he won because his father supported him. He sent someone to beat
them. But now it's you, he loves you too much to do something like that. I
think it's a good lesson for him. He will make it grow. The opponent is
better than him in every aspect and is a woman too.”

“I'll talk to Great and explain that Aoey and I have been in love for a while.
But I'll wait for him to calm down a bit. It should be okay if I apologize."

Mom looked at me surprised, she was confused.

“What?!”

“Will you ask people for forgiveness? Do you know how to do that?”

“What do you think I am? I was wrong, I'll apologize."

I didn't understand why she was so surprised to do something so normal
that other people do..

“Aoey is good. She changed you to be better. You never give up on anyone
and you never apologize to anyone. It's not that bad to date a woman. Now I
started to like her.”

“Why are you so cool today?”

I looked at her surprised. Not only did she agree with what happened, but
she understood me.

“How do you handle it so casually? I'm dating a woman.”

“As long as it's love, I'm fine with that. But just be considerate. I'm open to
anything. You can talk to me about everything. Ah... I'm so thirsty.”

She looked at me as I stood up and poured her a glass of water. Was she
trying to control me? She liked to give me orders. Like when Aeoy had
told me that I got 6 out of 10.

"You're kinder now."

"Isn't that a good thing?”

“Softer too.”

“Enough! Mother.”

“You're dating Aoey now, but what about Tod? Are you dating two people at
the same time? Do you both agree to this too? Oh wow! My daughter can
control people.”

I waved my hand to stop her imagination before confessing.

“That was a spectacle. I went out with Tod to cheat on you. Tod also wanted
me to cover it up from his family. We both wanted to get away from our
family.”
“He didn't seem to care.”

“You and Aoey have already had sex, right?”

“Mother!”

I felt like all the blood in my body was rushing to my face.

“Do you do it or does she do it to you?”

“Mother!!! “

I yelled and she laughed out loud.

“Why are you making so much noise? It is natural. I guess from what the
bird told me, the answer is yes.”

“I want to faint.”

I was about to collapse but my mom grabbed me by the neck.

“You can't escape all your problems by fainting, especially with me. I was
just asking. I told you I wanted to talk to you about everything.”

No this! She couldn't be nosy about that!!! I touched my own cheeks and
breathed heavily. My mom put her hand on my head and laughed.

“You're cute.”

“I had never said that. You only say those things to Great.”

“He is the youngest and his sister is so perfect that she can't compete. I
don't want him to be a problem child and your dad loves you more than
anything."

Mom sighed and covered her mouth to whisper.

“To be honest, I think I love you more, but I have to show Great that I love
him more. It's a show.”
I looked at her and laughed. I thought she was cute saying that. She loved
us both the same, but she was a fun mother. She said that she loved me
more when she was with me. When she was with Great, she told him that
she also loved him more. She wanted to be our hero and dad was a villain.
But she was the real villain....

“I should go now. I have to play cards. My friends are waiting for me.”

She got up to leave. She was so cool. She didn't complain about anything
and she also understood me. This was unexpected. I got up and started
complaining to her.

“You can't be too understandable. You should tell me that you don't
agree with me dating a woman and that I also lied to you about Tod
kicking me out to find my birth mother,"

Incomplained like a TV drama.

“I am your biological mother. The money is your dad's. I only know how to
spend it.”

“Mom, I feel bad for Great. At least you have to be angry and throw things
at me. You have to be angry because your daughter and your son are
fighting.”

I imagined the scenes in my head.

“You have to plan to keep me away from Aoey. Kidnap Aoey in a

warehouse and force her to say in a recorded video that she will leave me
alone. Force me to flee abroad. Laugh at our catastrophe and say whatever I
want, I will be able to achieve it.”

“You don't seem like a soap opera lover.”

“Great could commit suicide.”

“If that's the case, let it be.”

“Mom, how can you be okay with this? I couldn't even feel good about
myself when I realized that I like women.”

I told her what I thought because it was too easy. I wasn't sure how to
handle this. It was too easy. My life shouldn't be this easy. I rejected Aoey
all the time because I was worried about my family. I wouldn't have done
that if I had known my mom would be so easy.

"Can't I be okay with this?" You're in love."

She shrugged.

“You are both still young. It's good that you have a friend. When you
meet the right guy, you will separate. I know this because I was like that
when I was young too.”

“What?!”

“When I met your father, I was a normal woman again. You don't plan
on staying together until you're old, do you?”

I paused because I couldn't answer that question. It would be strange for us

women to be together until we are old. Everyone would be the same again.
It would be a short time.
A life experience...

“Yes, I don't have any plans for that long.”

“Then I'm fine. You will get married and have children one day. Now you
just learn to love. Love between women is not for eternity.”

“Why are you sad? It is normal. In the end, either you or Aoey will want
a family of your own. It's very normal.”

“But some stay together until they get married.”

“Have you heard of someone who stays together until they die?”

“There may be some, but we have never heard of them.”

“I think deep down you also know that eternal love does not exist.”

“How did you convince me? Now I thought that between Aoey and me, the
relationship was superficial. If I met the right guy, I could stay away from
her. And if Aoey found the right one, she too might be ready to be touched.”

Someday... Aoey would walk away from my life and live a normal life. We
probably wouldn't be together forever. That was life. After my mom
returned, Tod left. Now Aoey and I are finally alone. The soft eyes looked
at me a little annoyed. I assumed it was because of the passionate kiss
between Tod and me. I had to act innocent and let her speak first.

“You look so moody.”

“What is it like to kiss a man?”

There she was. Her sweet eyes that were always soft and gentle like a
kitten, but now they growled at me. This kitten was ready to scratch my
face with her paw when it came to jealousy.

“It's strange, but kind of nice. He was rough on the chin because of his
mustache. Tod is taller so I had to look up and pull his collar towards me.”

“Shut up.”

“What?”

"I said shut up!"

The soft eyes pulled me in for a kiss and bit my lip once and pushed me
out. The moody feeling contrasted so much with her beautiful face. She
made me laugh.

“You are a dog? You bit my lip.”

“Gen.”

Aoey hit me hard in the middle of my back. I started to get angry and gave
her a fierce warning look.
“That hurts.”

"I'm jealous."

Her direct confession made my anger disappear immediately. I was feeling

passionate now, so I pulled her towards me despite her resistance..

“I wanted to trick my mom.”

“You didn't have to do so much... French kisses and everything. What if I

do it too? Do you think it's OK?”

The soft eyes described the scene as when she wrote her book.

“I take a boy to the room. The man pushes me onto the bed. He unbuttoned
my pants. He touched my entire body with her lips and slid her finger in..”

“Stop..”

I covered her mouth immediately. Ok, I understood how she feels now.
That was quite a scene.

“Nasty kitty!”

“I just describe the scene and you feel it. What if you saw it? I was
angry but I couldn't say anything because your mom was here. I wanted
to bite you, pull your hair, bite you again and
again and again. arrrggg.”

I ran towards her and bit her shoulder. She was so angry, but she screamed
and gave up.

“You're cheating. I have to bite you, not the other way around.”

“Would you stop being angry if you bite me?”

“OK.”
I let her sit down. This time she bit me on the shoulder but I didn't scream
because I didn't want to show any weakness. Her soft eyes bit when she saw
that I had no reaction to that. I didn't show any pain and shrugged my
shoulders.

“Are you happy now?”

“No.”

“What do you want now?”

“Kiss Me.”

“I'll clean your mouth.”

I always lost to her... I had to make it up to her. She had fun touching me
here and there, despite her demand for just one kiss. Finally, I pushed her
out. I didn't want to put on another show for the bird. He might repeat it
somewhere else. I had to change the subject.

“Was my mom nice to you today?”

“Yes, she was very kind. She even smiled when she heard the bird say that.”

Aoey always got embarrassed when we talked about that. I did understand
that. That damn bird! He perfected it. Even I was convinced that it sounds
like Aoey.

“Yes, my mom is more open than I thought. Even though I broke the
heart of her dearest son she did nothing wrong.”

“That's what I thought too. Your mom is kind, generous, open and very
mature. She is so different from you.”

The soft eyes made a casual comment that bothered me. I gave her an
annoyed look for criticizing me. She smiled sweetly back at me..

“I'm sorry.”
“How come I was so bad in everyone's eyes?...”

My mom is not a serious person. I was surprised too. I never thought she
would be open about this too. Above all, I was very surprised to learn that
mom dated a woman before my dad. She might be worried about me for a
while that I might be a heartless bitch. A selfish and heartless bitch… Was
that how my mom looked at me? And Aoey too?

“This means we can be together now, right? So we can get married in the
future.”

Aoey seemed to be dreaming. I looked at her smile and felt so loved. But
deep down I felt guilty because I couldn't see myself marrying another
woman. My mom returned to a normal heterosexual life after meeting my
dad. She confirmed to me that we all had to return to our real lives at some
point. I would have children one day, with my husband. Aoey would too...
But I wouldn't destroy her dream now. The future was not here.

"Will you still want to marry me then?"

Things change.

“I won't do it. Trust me. I love you Gen, only you.”

The smallest girl hugged me passionately. I hugged her back and rocked
back and forth. I was so happy… So happy that I was afraid of it..

“What is your novel like? You said I'm the main male character. Am I
elegant?”

I changed the subject because the novel was what made her happy. She
really loved that hobby.

“Beautiful like you.”

“Oh? Because it's beautiful?”

“I'm writing a bisexual novel.”

“Man, right?”

“Women. It's the first time I changed my style. I'm excited that you are the
main character.”

"I described you so beautifully."

Her eye candy rested her chin on the palm of her hand.

“A beautiful woman with long black hair, beautiful face, rich, intelligent,
authoritarian, dictator, mouth…”

"Is that what you called a good description?"

I said. Aoey laughed.

“Yes, I'll tell you how good the comments are. The novel is not at the
highest rank yet, but everyone loves your character. They think you are a
perfect husband.”

“What is a husband?”

“Husband of all women.”

I didn't know what to think when I heard that. How come my beauty
became someone else's husband? Aoey showed on her screen that she now
got almost 3000 views even though it was posted only 3 days ago. She
reads the fans' admiring comments towards me. But there was a different
comment. I saw the most recent comment on the board. It was not related
to the novel, but it resembled the author.

“I can't contact you Aoey. You don't answer my phone. Call me please.”

“Hey.”

“Yeah?”

She still didn't see the comment. I pointed it out to her. Her face changed
from happy to stressed immediately.
“I think this is your mom. Do you want to contact her?”

“No.”

The soft eyes said it with anger. I saw tears in her eyes, but she wiped them
away. She lifted her chin trying to be strong.

“Your mom might want to talk to you about something.”

“I'm not her daughter since I left that house. Now you are my most
important person.”

She hugged me tightly as if she were looking for a safe place.

“You are my Everything.”

I hugged her back and did my best to comfort her. My instinct told me that
something would happen soon. I didn't feel good seeing Teacher Salee's
comment on the web board.
My sixth sense said something bad was coming!!
 ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ-ɴɪɴᴇ
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

I was a busybody...I sat across from Teacher Salee, Aoey's mother, who
left a message on the novel's web board. She was the same strict teacher I
had known, but much older and with wrinkles on her face. I promised not
to let myself be seen as the old me so...

“You are now a beautiful adult woman, Genlong.”

“Thank you.”

She was used to compliments like that. I sat up straight and tried to be
elegant while chatting with my elementary school teacher.

“How are you? Are you still teaching?”

Do they live in the same house? I didn't really care much about that. Where
she lived I didn't care at all, whether in a cave or a pond. Humans are social
animals, I had to present a proper introduction. So, I got straight to the
point.

“I saw your message on the writer's web board, so I contacted you. I think
you might miss Aoey,"

I said and took a sip of water.

“I'm meeting you today to tell you that Aoey is fine.”

“I'm glad to know she's okay, and relieved to know she's with you.”
Worry was written all over her face and also that she was scared. My
curiosity was at its peak.

“Are you OK? You seemed so worried.”

“I'm worried. But after knowing that she is with you, I feel better now. Is
your father still a police officer?”

“Yes, he will retire in 3 years.”

“That's good... it's possible…”

Professor Salee seemed worried and dismissed.

“Forget it.”

“Why don't you tell me what happened?”

I saw some hesitation in her eyes, but she finally put it all together. What I
learned next crushed me a lot. I would prefer not to know anything about
that.

“My husband disappeared.”

I was surprised when I thought of Aoey's stepfather. I felt chills down my

spine. I couldn't breathe and I felt like I was about to pass out. I took a sip
of water and controlled myself not to be shaken.

“Really?”

I want your dad's help. He must have many contacts. Maybe he can help. I
reported a missing person to the police, but I got nowhere. Nobody helps
me at all.

“How long has he been missing?”

“Many months. I have not been able to contact him. I think he must be
involved with some mafia.”
My heart was beating so hard. I was worried that she might see something
wrong in me. But come on, it was almost impossible for that to come back
to me.

“Why do you think there are mafias involved? What happened?”

“Several days ago, a group of men raided my house looking for something.
They took the CPU out of my computer, right in front of me. I didn't get any
explanation.”

"Your husband asks for this," one of the men told me.”

Teacher Salee looked shocked. I guess those were my dad's people who
tried to look for evidence, since he believed the girl in those photos was me.
My dad took action. Aoey's stepfather disappeared like a file on that
computer.

“I don't know what happened.”

Teacher Salee buried her face in her two palms and cried.

"My husband may have visited Aoey,"

She said.

“Why would your husband visit Aoey?”

I crossed my arms and leaned back. I looked the woman straight in the eyes.
She paused and looked away from me.

“They are father and daughter.”

"Isn't he her stepfather?"

“Did Aoey tell you that?”

Teacher Salee asked me curiously. She tried to test my

knowledge. “Yes, Aoey said that he is her stepfather. He is the

reason she left.”

“How much did she tell you?”

I smiled. I knew she was my teacher, but I lost a little respect

for her since I realized how much she was obsessed with her husband.

“She said you love him more than her.”

“Don't say that, Gen.”

I was angry because she gave me orders. I tried to control myself and be
aware that she was my teacher and a mother I loved. I told her I'm sorry..

“I'm sorry, I wasn't nice. I just don't understand why you care about other
people more than your daughter. Oh I'm sorry. She is adopted. She's not as
important as someone you slept with.”

“This is a second warning for you. Don't say that.”

I was upset because I would have to be polite to her.

“Teacher, Aoey was treated badly. Do you really think she flirted with
him? Why don't you take her side?”

“This is our family matter.”

“This is child abuse. It's not just a family matter. If I reported it to the
police, everyone would know how much you love your husband but not
your daughter.”

Teacher Salee stood up angrily. She couldn't stand me anymore. I stood up

and crossed my arms too. Why would I respect an adult who didn't
deserve it?

“Sorry then. Forget what I asked you. I'll take care of that

myself.” “Yeah.”

The woman was about to leave when I called her.

"Master,"

I said with my cold controlled voice.

“Yeah?”

“We spent time talking for almost an hour but you talked about Aoey for
only two minutes. Do you love your daughter?”

I didn't get any response from Teacher Salee. She heard my question and
walked away from it, leaving me there upset. She hung on the guy because
she had never had a husband before... I didn't tell anyone that I went to see
Teacher Salee. I felt bad about Aoey's stepfather disappearing and how my
dad sent someone to bring the computer to his house. If I told anyone, it
would only bring danger to me. I didn't think Aoey should know about this
either. The sweet eyes were happy with the comments on her novel and her
work while I worked on an assignment from my teacher. Aoey dreamed
that this novel would tell the world about her lovelife. She expected to
make a lot of money from it.

“If I can win a million, I'll buy a house.”

Aoey looked at me briefly while working on her computer.

“You can be my interior designer. Must be beautiful.”

“Will you leave me here alone?

I laughed, but she smiled widely at me.

“No, you will design the house in which we will live together. I hope you
don't charge too much because it's our house.”

I looked at her adoringly and shook my head.

“If we really live together, I won't charge you a cent. You don't have to
save money. I can only ask my mom for the money.”
“No, it has to be something I work for. That's the value. You will design
the house because that's what you do. Our house will be very nice. I will
pay money and you will work for me. That is great. Do you think a million
baht was enough?"

"A million won't be

enough," I said.

"Land in Bangkok is expensive."

“How about a house in the interior of the country? Somewhere remote,

away from people. Not too expensive. Just us in the backcountry, running a
farm.”

“I really couldn't imagine running a farm..”

“You can actually live with your mom, Teacher Salee.”

I immediately saw a sign of resistance. I wanted to slap myself for that.

“You do not want to be with me? Why do you want me to be with mom?”

“I'm just making a suggestion. Don't be so serious.”

“I don't want to hear you talk about my mom again. I told you that I only
have you in my life. Only you.”

“Let's be serious Aoey…”

My voice was serious. I thought about what my mom said earlier.

“How many old women have you seen living together?”

“That what?”

“Someday you might find the right man and marry him. You may not love
me like you do today. That could happen to me too. I told you I never liked
girls. If it weren't you, I wouldn't do it…”
The soft eyes jumped to me and hugged me. She seemed so scared of what I
was saying. She knew what I was trying to say.

“I never felt that way with anyone. I thought you felt the same way too.”

“Yes, I'm sorry.”

“We love each other. That's all that matters.”

Aoey started hugging me and pushed me to the ground.

“Do you think there will be a man who can make you feel like I do?”

“Aoey, we're talking..”

Now I was attacked by her kisses all over my face. She bit my ear playfully.

“How did we end up here?”

“I want you to know that you can only do this with me.”

“I love you and I let you control everything. Who would let you do this, if it
weren't me.”

“You need someone like me. Someone who follows you but also pushes you
at the same time.”

I closed my eyes and let her play with my body. I floated away with her
seduction. I really liked that she acted like that and I loved controlling, but
I also loved that she took control at some point. Ummm.. but I lost that
time. Happiness....today it was with you, the next day it would fly away.
That was the truth of life. Happiness and unhappiness come and go all the
time. That's how the world works. If you are very happy, unhappiness also
wants to visit you. At that moment.. .I was the happiest woman in the
world.

I was beautiful, so hot you would be jealous, I was rich, intelligent and in
love. I was happy like never before. Then I forgot everything in this world.
I had Aoey every day of my life. Sometimes we would fight over
something so trivial but we would fix it and it would always end up on the
couch, in
the bed or sometimes in the kitchen… I'll skip the details. I always dreamed
of the happiness that people had in a television drama. The joy in life. Now
I had it, even if it was with a woman. It was strange that I never felt alone
with her...

I was wondering if I was a lesbian. But I dressed like a woman and I never
admired another woman's body. I never thought other women were
beautiful. But I never thought that other men were handsome either. That
was strange… I was never hungry for love, but I felt empty. Some say they
needed love because they lacked love in childhood. Some men claimed that
they had many wives because they did not have another growing up. I had
a great childhood but I felt empty until Aoey arrived. A small woman who
looked at me with obsession. I loved her head on over heels..

“The room is so quiet. Can you turn on the TV, Gen?”

Aoey asked in her sweet kitty voice as she got dressed for school. I grabbed
a controller and turned it on, looking for something fun. But it was too early
so there was only news and children's programs on television.I chose the
same news channel. The TV anchors were talking inside the house,
criticizing news and people on the news. A presenter changed the topic
from the economy to an interesting news story.

A teacher filed a request for an investigation into the disappearance of her

husband several weeks ago. He was found dead inside a large cement tank.

I was surprised to see Teacher Salee's face on

TV. “What happened Gen?”

I fell to the ground when I saw the woman on the news. Teacher Salee was
now crying in front of the media. The television described her story. Aoey
helped me up from the ground, but she immediately turned to the TV
when she heard her mother's name.

“That's mom. Why is she

there?” “Someone is dead.”

I said with a trembling voice.

“What?”

“Your father father.”

Her eyes were fierce once she heard that. I noticed the shock in her eyes but
mixed with deep satisfaction. The soft eyes asked me with her cold but
calm voice.

“As?”

That's what shook me. I felt a cold hand squeeze my heart and stopped all
the blood flowing through it. I was afraid and felt guilty at the same time.

“Dead in a cement tank.”

The light went off immediately when I finished that sentence as if someone
had turned off the switch. They just sucked the soul out of my life.

“Gen!”
 ᴛʜɪʀᴛʏ
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

I was in bed for 3 days straight. I couldn't concentrate after listening to the
news on TV. I couldn't eat. I vomited from stress. I couldn't sleep at night. It
had to be because of guilt. I began to understand what fear looked like. It
wasn't fear of ghosts. It was something I couldn't explain.

“Gen... you're too thin now. Have you gained weight recently?”

Aoey, who helped take care of me, expressed concern. All that time, the
gentle eyes took care of me, gave me food and drink, and cleaned me. I had
no power to do anything. I felt guilty.
I felt bewitched… But Aoey didn't seem to react to that news. She lived her
life normally. She saw her mother in that news, but she never mentioned
anything about it.

“Aoey, have you contacted your mom?”

She paused briefly as she wiped me with a wet towel.

"No,"

She answered and tried not to show any emotion.

“Why don't you contact her? Check if she's okay.”

"I don't know why I should do that."

“She was on the news. I saw teacher Salee cry. Don't you feel anything at
all?”

“I do not feel anything.”

She stood up as if to end the conversation, but I pulled her hand. I felt cold
coming out of her.

“Hey.”

“I can't feel anything for her because she didn't feel anything for me either.”

I knew...what she had been through. But I never knew how bad the
relationship between Aoey and her mom was. I didn't know there was
something between them that made her distance herself so much. Teacher
Salee also didn't seem worried about Aoey once she realized that she was
safe with me. What really happened? After a great nap, my phone rang. I
was surprised to see him calling Uncle Somkit. When I picked up the
phone, his voice wasn't too good.

“Hello Uncle Somkit.”

[Gen, your dad wants to see you.]

I sat feeling terrified. It had to be related to Professor Salee's news. It wasn't

normal for my dad to want to see me.

“Okay, I'll go home.”

I got up and dressed weakly. I struggled to take myself home, to the large
mansion where my parents lived. I went there with a heavy feeling in my
heart… I went straight to see my dad when I arrived. His office always
smelled like cigarettes. He was talking to his subordinates before asking
everyone to leave, including Uncle Somkit. His face looked stressed, but
once he saw my weak body, he immediately became my sweet dad.

“Why are you so thin?”

"I saw the news."

I crossed my arms over my chest in fear. I was much more afraid of the
image of a corpse in a cement tank than I was of my dad scolding me.

“You did that?”

He was silenced when he saw my reaction. He got up from the desk and
hugged me. I didn't expect this. I thought he had called me to scold me
about the video. The one where I pretended to be me. I had lied to him
about that.

“You don't have to know about this.”

“Of course, I knew about this. I asked you to do it."

I trembled to the core. I admitted it was pure anger. But once the anger was
gone, I now had to deal with the consequences that were driving me crazy.

“Dad... it was on the news. Is it true?”

“Let me worry about that. But why did you lie that it was you in the video?
Why did you tell me you were blackmailed?”

I was very sad and avoided his eye contact. I couldn't tell him that it was
revenge for someone else. Just because of my anger.

"I knew you'd fix everything for me, if it were me."

I tugged at his shirt like a little child.

“Will we be arrested? Did I get you in trouble?”

“Some small problems, but don't worry about it.”

“I'm sorry.”

I cried and hugged him with fear. I always adored him. I thought he was a
powerful man who could help me out of a problem, no matter how serious
the problem was. My dad was evil upon evil. I should be fine as long as I
had my dad.
“Do not cry. You are strong, my princess. Continue with your life as
normal as possible. I'll take care of everything.”

He hugged me like a warm dad but he didn't really help me....

I met Uncle Somkit at the front door before I left. The old man looked at me
with pity. His face was full of concern. I couldn't help but ask him what my
father was facing. I knew there must be a lot of problems, but Dad would
never tell me anything. Uncle Somkit could tell me.

“Can you tell me what the situation is now? Can dad really handle this?”

“I can't say much Gen. Everything is going to be fine.”

“I don't feel that way at all. I felt like something big was coming. Please tell
me what happened, so I can handle it better.”

Uncle Somkit looked at me and nodded.

“Okay. There was a video of me inside the hotel's CCTV.”

The car's license plate was in my mother's name. Now the police are in the
process of investigating. They may call me soon. Your dad was doing
everything he could to protect me.
Uncle Somkit said that dad is now trying to destroy the evidence related to
me. There was nothing to worry about. Everyone was a professional.nI
didn't like this word... professional. The current situation wasn't that bad
but it affected my dad a little. Teacher Salee sent a request to a Rescue
Center to help investigate the death of her husband. The investigation team
dug deep to find information related to my father. My dad was behind
everything...

The police not only investigated the murder case, but also discovered all the
things Dad ever did. They might find some little things that dad did.nMoney
laundering...nAll gray businesses.. All because of Aoey's problem, I made it
so big. This was all a butterfly effect. I just wanted to punish a bad guy, but
now I echoed my father

“How will our family end?”

“Now we are only in a period of investigation. They won't find anything.”

“Did he really do it?”

Uncle Somkit looked me in the eyes but didn't respond, nothing at all. But
that could be assumed to be an answer in itself. Now we have a plan and
you must be prepared for whatever it is.

“How can I prepare?”

“I'll tell you later.”

I was about to leave when Great saw me and yelled at me from the second
floor and told me to stop. My brother looked at me in disbelief when he saw
me. It must have seemed shitty that even Great, who was still angry at me,
was nice to me.

“Are you possessed? Why do you look like this?”

“What do you want? Are you okay with me now?”

“No, I'm angry with you but I don't know who to talk to except you..”

“What happened?”

He looked left and right and gestured for me to go inside the car.

“Let's talk in the car. I'm paranoid that someone might hear us.”

Everyone was acting strange today, me, Dad, Uncle Somkit, and now
even Great, who was mad at me but now wanted to talk to me. Once we
were in the car, Great looked at me worried.

“Are you here for the Anti-Money Laundering Office?”

“How did you know about this?”

“I heard mom and dad talking about some money laundering.nI didn't
understand what it was about, but I don't feel good about it."
He shifted uncomfortably.

“What else do you want to talk about?”

"I'm not feeling well, Gen. I heard they're trying to transfer assets or
something. It sounded big. Now mom said I have to go to Macau soon.”

This was big... very big. I couldn't believe that what I asked Dad to do had
such an impact on us.

“Going to study there is good for you. You can be smarter.”

“Come on, be serious. I felt that something around here changes in a big
way. I also heard that it was Aoey.”

“What did you hear?”

It seemed so awkward to say it. My younger brother bit his lip and cursed.

“Shit! Ok, I'll say it. I heard that Dad asked his people to kill someone...
who you said abused you,!but it was actually Aoey. Is it true?”

"Is that all you want to say? Now get out of the car. Leave..”

I ordered him to get out of the car, but he was too stubborn and tried to
pressure me for an answer.

“Tell me. The problem is that big now. Aoey doesn't let anyone touch her
because she was abused, right?”

It was so awkward to say.

“Shut your mouth!.”

“Gen, our family is about to fall apart because you helped her. Do you
know that our powerful family is about to end because you lied to dad to
help your childhood friend?”

“Why don't you blame me, not Aoey? She didn't do anything wrong,"
I said angrily. I felt pain in my chest because I was the one who started all
this.

“Her stepfather was a bastard. Prison wouldn't do him any good. He would
do it again once he was gone. It was better that he died.”

“It's fine if only he had died, but now he is dragging us all to hell with him.
Why do you care so much if a girl gets raped? Aoey wasn't the only one
who was raped. Do you think you can help them all?”

“She's the one I love.”

“If you love women, find someone else. You can find whoever you want.
We have money, why she? She was defective, you should…”

I slapped my selfish brother hard. Great touched his cheek and looked at me
confused. I never did anything like that before. He was the youngest of the
family who was spoiled all his life and now he couldn't stand his sister
punishing him..

“Did you hit me because of that woman? Why do you hurt me all the time?
She tricked me into a relationship like an idiot and now she made us fight
with each other.”

"I'm fighting with you because of your stupid thoughts."

I bit my lip in anger. I couldn't believe my brother would have such a selfish
thought.

“How can you blame her? If you really love someone, no matter what
happens, you should be able to love them no matter what. This wasn't her
fault at all.”

"Why don't you think it was the bastard's fault? How can you blame the
victim? You were born in a good and well-educated family, but you have a
narrow mind. You judge the rape victim. You say she 3sts defective. You
should look in the mirror again..”

“Gen…”
It was the worst fight of our lives. My brother shivered and got out of the
car. He cried like a baby because we had never fought so hard. I also shook
with guilt for what I was putting my family through. I was afraid we
wouldn't be able to stay here any longer. If I weren't here, how could she
live… Aoey went to school that day. I sat quietly in the room alone. I heard
the key at 4 o'clock, quickly stood up after waiting all day. The soft eyes
smiled as always once she saw me waiting. I hugged her tight as if she
could disappear from me.

“What's wrong Gen?”

“I miss you. I want to hug you.”

Aoey laughed and hugged me back. We both buried our faces in each
other's necks and smelled each other like a precious gift that we loved.

“You are strange

today.” “I love you,

Aoey.” “Something

happened?”

The smaller girl let go of me and looked at me curiously. I kissed her

passionately first and took her to bed. I rarely kissed her first.

“Gen... talk to me.”

“Pamper me today.”

“No, I am surprised and distrustful. Something happened.”

Aoey pushed my chest away.

“Tell me.”

How could he tell her that maybe I wouldn't be with her anymore? Who
else in this world could she turn to? Did she have a relative or some family
members that she could turn to? What did I have to do? I felt so sorry for
her.
"Nothing."

I leaned down to kiss the girl beneath me. I took her shirt out of her skirt
and put my hand in it.

"I just wanted to help you unbutton her shirt."

She didn't buy it because I never liked that before. But she swung her arms
around my neck.

“Who could say no to that?”

I had to do something. I had to make sure she would be okay when I wasn't
around.
 ᴛʜɪʀᴛʏ-ᴏɴᴇ
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

Was this the right thing?...

“I'm so excited. This is the first time we went out to a romantic place like in
a movie.”

Aoey was so happy. She smiled so big that I saw her beautiful teeth. I could
tell by her eyes that she was really happy “What a date?.”

"Isn't this a date?"

“There will be one more person here with us today.”

The soft eyes deflated like a balloon I just burst.

"I thought you were going to take me on a date and we'll end the night in
bed."

She made a sweet and cute face for me.

“But it's okay. I'm happy you're here. We'll go home together just the two
of us anyway. It's like a date to me.”

“What would you do if I wasn't with you?”

"I couldn't go on living."

She responded immediately. I had a sharp pain in my heart. The soft eyes
looked at me worried.

“Why did you say that? I don't feel well.”

“You were fine before..”

“Did you bring me here to break up with me?”

Aoey looked so worried that I had to laugh. She was so adorable and cute.
That day would come. The day she couldn't be by her side. And it looked
like It was going to
arrive soon.

“I can finish you at home. I shouldn't take you somewhere nice.”

“Don't know. You're acting strange lately. You have something in mind but
you don't tell me.”

“You must be worried about me..”

“I want to take away your pain. I can handle it all by myself, if that helps
you.”
“
I wanted to cry hearing that. Damn! How could I leave her? Even though it
was a short period, I was very happy. She was my first everything....She
was my first love. Was there really nothing else I could do? Why did it turn
out like this? My phone rang and I had to shift my gaze from Aoey to my
phone. I got up to take the call.

“Please wait here. I'll talk to my friend.”

*Who is it?”

I didn't say anything but I walked away to take that friend to the table. I
turned around when I called once a friend was here. Her gentle eyes looked
gloomy immediately..

“Mother.”
Teacher Salee looked at her daughter full of love but she did not express
any love. She just stood there and looked at Aoey. She didn't help the
atmosphere at all. She had to say something.

"Please sit down."

Once the woman sat down, Aoey quickly stood up. She refused to be at the
same table with her.

“What is this? Why did you bring her here?”

“Let's talk Aoey.”

“No!”

She was so adamant about that. Other people in the restaurant started
staring at us.

“Please sit down. Let's talk.”

“No, I don't want to talk.”

“Sit down!”

The soft eyes looked at me not at all happy, but sat in silence as I ordered
her. I was proud of myself because sometimes I could control her with
words.

“Do what I told you.”

I just said it and she always did what I asked. Now Aoey sat down, but the
atmosphere was still gloomy. I wanted her mother to be here to clear things
up. I needed to help repair this relationship... This was not my area at all...

“Aoey... please talk to your mother. Teacher Salee misses

you," I started but Aoey gave me a fierce look and smiled.

“Do you think she misses me? She's in Bangkok because she was looking
for her murdered husband, right?”

Teacher Salee who heard the sarcastic statement tried to contain herself.

“Stop saying that, Aoey.”

“Is it not true? And your name is mom... don't you feel uncomfortable? I
call you mom because I don't know what to call you. Master Salee, this
woman... or aunt?”

Aoey was so mean in a way I had never seen her before.

“Be nice to your mom, Aoey.”

“If you were me, you wouldn't be nice either!”

Finally she stood up and exploded.

“A mother who forgot a baby she raised once a new man came in. You
never cared about what had happened. You judged me even if I was the
victim!”

“I saw that you were flirting... you took off your clothes one by
one. Nobody forced you to do anything.”

What she said shocked me even more. That was the other side of the story I
hated hearing. But I had to listen to them.

“Do you know why I had to do that? You never heard what I said. You
insulted me. You think I seduced him. I wasn't a bastard here. Was you.”

“Hey!”

Teacher Salee slammed the table. Now other tables heard our entire
conversation. Everyone paid attention to us, but the two of them didn't care
anymore.
“Why did I take off my clothes? Because she said that if I didn't do it,
she would post the video she recorded on the Internet!”

Aoey said and grabbed her heart.

“What do you think I fell into by acting like a porn star every time I had to
give in? Do you know how painful it was to act as a porn star in a movie I
didn't want to do?”

"Aoey..."

Teacher Salee was surprised. It seemed like no one had heard of it. She
wanted to cry once she heard. My heart was so painful but I had to listen to
her.

“Do you know how old I was when he did this to me? I had to take birth
control pills and took the morning after pill because of him!”

Aoey hugged herself and cried like crazy.

“I hated myself everyday. I couldn't let anyone touch me. They were all
disgusting. But you never realized this. You cared more about your man
than me. You are a teacher. You taught thousands of children, but why
couldn't you see what was happening to me? Because?”

“He sent me the videos to remind me that it was recorded. I never deleted
them. I kept them to remind myself of what I had been through. It's a good
thing he's dead...otherwise I'd be the one to kill him.”

“I never knew this. You never told me.”

Teacher Salee trembled. She walked towards Aoey, but Aoey moved away
from her. There was no respect in Aoey's eyes.
Teacher Salee was a different person.. Ignorance was a killer. Teacher
Salee was one of them..

“You never listened to me. You called me a bitch and kicked me out of the
house. You threw a 500 baht bill in my face, remember?”
Aoey hit her chest.

“You yelled at me and told me that I was adopted. I didn't have anyone else
in this world, but you kicked me out. If I didn't have Gen, how would I have
ended up? Do you have any idea?”

I left a thousand baht bill on the table and walked towards her.

“Let's go home, Aoey.”

I was wrong… I invited her mother to fix the relationship but it was
impossible. I just emphasized the pain. I knew she had been through a bad
experience, but I never knew how bad she was. My guilt for asking my dad
to take action was less once I heard all the brutal details. I guess... that's
why she seemed happy when she saw the news. Some people might think
that this matter should be left to the law. But for a victim like her, a
watchman was the most beautiful thing for her. It was fast without any
process. It was hell delivered to the one who deserved it after having gone
through hell herself. The people who judge those who took revenge are the
people who have never encountered that. Now that we were in the parking
lot, Aoey pushed me and started hitting me with her fist in anger.

“Why did you call her here? Why did you do this?”

She hit and grabbed my neck. She couldn't control herself. I wasn't mad at
her, but I tried to calm her down by hugging her. It wasn't easy.

“It's okay, Aoey.”

“Not well. Why did you do that? Did I ever tell you I wanted to see her?
Why are you meddling with my affairs!”

I hugged Aoey who was now crying like crazy. I didn't feel angry at all. I
tried to hug her but she tried to get away from it. When I got her, she cried
and cried. I cried too... I was full of pity. I now understood her when she
said she would endure the pain herself to help me.

“I'm sorry. I didn't know it would hurt you so much.”

“Because you did?

She calmed down a little but continued crying. I patted her and rocked her
to calm her down. I tried to make it more stable.

“I don't want you to think that you are alone in the world.”

“I have you.”

“If one day I'm not here, you will have your mother.”

I hadn't finished my sentence, she pushed me.

“Why do you keep saying that? Where are you going?”

Her angry tone of hers silenced me and that made her sweet eyes look at me
in disbelief even though she still had tears on her face.

“Tell me, where are you going, Gen?”

“My family has a problem... I may not be here with you anymore.”

"No..."

Aoey grabbed my arms tightly as if I were going to disappear at that

moment.

“I can not live without you. You can't leave me.”

Her mood suddenly changed from angry to scared. She was so scared that
she hugged me and buried her face in my chest while she shook her head in
disbelief. I stroked her back to calm her down.

“I'm not leaving now.”

“I won't let you go at any time. Do not leave Me. I can't live without you."

She looked at me.

“In this world, I only have you. How can I continue living without you?”

Damn! I felt like my heart was about to break into pieces. I loved her and I
cared about her too. Now l realized how bad the relationship between her
and her mother was. Leaving her seemed to be the worst thing for her.

“Promise me you won't go anywhere. You will not leave me.”

"Say you promise!"

I looked her in the eyes and nodded.

“I promise.”

“That's good... very good.”

Aoey put both arms around my neck and pulled me into a hug. We stayed
like that for a while and returned to the condo. The youngest girl now
followed me everywhere as if she was afraid that I would disappear at any
moment. Teacher Salee still contacted me through my phone after that day.
The old lady sounded so sad. She sounded like she was holding back tears
all the time when she talked to me. She must have felt guilty and shocked
for Aoey.

“Gen... please, take good care of her. She must be mad at me. I don't think
she'll listen to me even if I visit her. She now only has you. Please take
good care of her.”

That emphasized the fact that I couldn't leave her. She had no one but me.
After the talk with Uncle Somkit that day, there wasn't much of an update.
Everything was still under investigation, both the murder and money
laundering. Dad spent that time reselling some of his assets and saving
money in a bank abroad. My mom kept updating me on that. She just
warned me to be prepared.

Aoey has been so attached to me lately. One day, she even skipped
school just to be with me. If she were at school, she would call me every
hour to see where she was, what I was doing. If it were other people, I
would be
very upset, but I understood how eye candy felt. And because I loved her. I
loved Aoey... It was love.

“Why do you have to go with your dad? You did not do anything wrong?”

Aoey asked one day after we finished watching a Korean TV series.

“I didn't do anything wrong, but we won't have any money if we stay here.
My family already transferred all our money out of the country.

“Are you going for money?”

“My father's old enemies will also be waiting when he falls. They will
immediately take revenge when they know. The best revenge will be to hurt
his daughter and son, you know?”

I asked Uncle Somkit why I had to run too. He gave me that reason. But the
main reason was money. All property and money would be confiscated if
he was proven guilty. In that case, we would be bankrupt.

“But why do you leave? Are you afraid of not having money or because of
your dad's enemies?”

“Maybe both reasons. I just need to be prepared,"

I replied, but her mood immediately changed.

“You promised you wouldn't leave.”

“I promised I wouldn't leave.”

“Really?”

Aoey immediately looked happier. I reached out to pinch her cheek.

“But we can't live together here, right?”

“Yes, there will be a lot of expenses. We have to move somewhere first,

but we don't know where to go yet. If that day really comes, the day I have
no
money. I'll be poor Genlong who doesn't even know how to make money.”

“Do not be afraid. You've got me. I will support you.”

“Oh really? You can?”

“Yes of course. If you're just with me, I can do everything... Speaking of

this... I have to go.”

Suddenly, Aoey jumped to her laptop on the table. She searched for
something. The light from her laptop shone on her face. I looked at her with
admiration.

“Are you writing a novel?”

“No, I'm looking for a new address for both of us.”

The soft eyes looked at me and smiled.

“I like this feeling. We are fleeing.”

"So we won't get married?"

“We don't have to get married. I am happy when you are with me. You are
my vitamin.”

I loved her... the girl with glasses sitting there. We were both obsessed
with each other. Every time I thought about leaving her, it caused me a lot
of pain. I decided that if that day came, I would not run away with my
family. I would stay with Aoey.
I wanted to try this. I got out of bed and sat next to Aoey who was looking
for our new place. There was a place in a small town in Thailand, there
were not that many people. We both agreed that if we had to escape, we
would choose to be there.
Somewhere only we knew...

“So we agree.”
She smiled widely at me. I nodded but didn't take it seriously. But I
thought it might be possible. It was cheap and quiet.

“Yes here.”

"If we're going to hide, we'll go there."

Aoey hugged me happily.

“Here is our new home.”

“Yes, our new home.”

 ᴛʜɪʀᴛʏ-ᴛᴡᴏ
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

Finally... Uncle Somkit called me one morning. His voice was so tense, he
woke me up immediately.

“Gen, it's time to go. I will send someone to pick you up to take you to the
airport.”

“Can't I take Aoey with me?”

“We're on the run, Gen. How will your family feel if you take Aoey with
you? She was the reason our family is in this trouble.”

Aoey, who was lying next to me, noticed that I was tense. She realized that
the time had come. She could read through my silence.

“Gen.”

The soft eyes grabbed my arm tightly. She looked like she was about to
cry. I looked at her and tried to give her a smile to cheer her up.

“Don't make that face.”

"You won't leave me, will you?"

I stayed quiet and she was able to read it again. It was a dilemma. My
family had now packed their bags and was ready to leave the country. I had
to choose between my family and Aoey. It was a turning point. I stopped at
the intersection where I had to make a decision.
"Let's run away."

I grabbed Aoey's hand and looked at her.

“If we are going to flee, we have to leave now. My dad's people are coming
to look for me. We have to go now.”

Aoey looked at me and smiled. Her face was full of tears. Finally I made
the decision to follow our plan, to run away together. I wasn't sure if it was
the right decision, but I would do it anyway. My dad should be the one to
get away, not me. But recently I received confirmation that the reall
appeared on the hotel's CCTV. Thereason I had to run too. I would never
tell Aoey that I was involved in her stepfather's disappearance. I didn't see
the point in telling her. I didn't want to bother her with that detail. I just
wanted her to be by my side and I forgot about that bastard.

The bastard was gone now and I was one of the factors in it happening. The
police were now looking for the woman on CCTV... I was lucky that the
quality of the video was low. It was unclear who she was. But the biggest
part of the problem was that the tip-off was always from people they knew.
Even though my dad had already gotten rid of all the evidence, it wasn't
smart to take risks. Running away was the best option for me. My dad
doesn't care about himself at all. He only cares about my safety. I had to
go...

But what about Aoey, I could never leave her. She was my cute little
girlfriend who had nowhere else to go. So I had to stay and take that risk. I
had to leave my family. We both got dressed in 5 minutes or less. Aoey
didn't forget the bird. She didn't want him to die alone. I looked around my
apartment which was full of good memories; the corner where Aoey wrote
her novel, the bed we slept in together, and my college homework. My life
was about to change....

We both left the condominium as quickly as possible. We got into a taxi to

go to a bus station. We planned to take a bus to our destination. But the
first step had already been hard for me. I sat on a bus for 9 hours straight
for the first time.. I threw up the first time. Damn!
“If I had known that it would take 9 hours to arrive, I would have opposed
this province from the beginning. We should have chosen a place a little
closer to Bangkok.”

I wiped my face after vomiting when I got off the bus. She rubbed my back
gently and laughed.

“If we stay close to Bangkok, it will be too easy for people to catch you.
This province is far enough away. It's good for us to take refuge here.”

“Take refuge?”

She sounded like a prisoner... but yeah, we was close to that.

“And now that? It was so sudden. We have no place to stay

tonight.” I looked at my watch. It was 10 at night.

“This province is very quiet. Are you sure we're still in Thailand?”

“There is a small hotel. A 2 star hotel for only 300 baht.”

“Is there a room at that price?”

“It's cheap here. I have contacted them before but I didn't know the date.
The owner should let us stay.

“Have you already planned all this?”

“Umm... I'm well prepared. I paid the rental fee for 2 months. We are finally
here. Now our bird can stay outside. You no longer have to be inside all the
time.”

“Why do we stay at the cheap hotel then? We should be at the rental house.”

“It's too late. The owner of the house must be sleeping. Let's do it
tomorrow.”

Aoey hugged my arm.

*Do not rush. The most important thing is that we are here together.”

I looked at her and smiled. She looked so happy that she made me forget
why we ended up there. The situation was bad but I didn't feel that bad. It
was because she was with me.

“OK, let's do it. This is my first 2 star hotel.”

“The first time again, huh?”

She said with a mocking tone.

“Yes, it is.”

I smiled.

“Do you want to get dirty with me for the first time in a 2-star hotel?”

The soft eyes walked with their fingers on my arm and smiled.

“We are going to have a new experience here.”

“If you don't mind, the whole smell of vomit in my mouth. I will do
anything adventurous with you.”

“It seems like there are so many activities we can do together. Yes, yes, let's
do it.”

Did I escape to that place for adventure activities? There was the serious
beginning of a newlife… I looked at the house she had rented in
amazement. A one-story wooden house without paint. The floor was
hardwood that squeaked when we walked. It sounded like a haunted house
(but I wasn't scared). There was no air purifier, nor air conditioning. There
was an old rustic bed. I looked at the condition and wondered how I ended
up there. My life changed so abruptly...the night before I was sleeping on
my expensive mattress at home. But Aoey lay next to me with her big
smile on the rustic bed, looking at me happily.
“It only costs 3000 baht a month and we have all the furniture we need.
This is the only place where we can get this good deal.”

“Do we really have everything?”

My statement sounded like a complaint. Aoey looked at me, so I smiled at

her.

“It's great. You were good at finding the place.”

“In Bangkok, we couldn't find a house like this at this price. We may be
here for a while. I like the bed.”

Aoey crawled on the bed and pointed to the head of the bed.

“I like this.”

“Was it that good? That rusty headboard…”

“It's so classic.”

“I did not mean that.”

“What do you mean?”

The girl jumped to the ground and walked towards her luggage looking for
something inside. She took out the handcuffs happily.

“Here is our toy. I can chain to the head of the bed. It will be fun.”

"You're so dirty."

I laughed.

“The thing about this bed is that it makes a squeaky sound when we do
something. I'll get even hornier when I direct it..”

MY GOD… But when I saw that Aoey was happy, it made me happy
too. Although my life was not as easy as before. If other people could
live like
this, I would too. I still had money in my savings account, I could only take
that money to buy what I needed. Buy an air conditioner… Buy a
television… Money can buy everything. I noticed that Aoey was happier
than in Bangkok. But I had to keep in mind that I was on the run. I escaped
from a police investigation. I ran away from my dad who wanted me to
leave the country. It was a quiet town. My dad's news was great, but not
enough to replace the evening's television drama. People still didn't know
who I was. I could still walk down the street. Aoey and I held hands and
walked like we were on vacation. The sun was setting, the sky turned dark
blue, smelled something strong, I smelled it in the air.

“It's the smell of the Slate tree..”

“Is strong.”

“Some people like the smell. I like it. I feel close to nature. I never smelled
them when we lived in the condo.”

“Eh.”

I didn't say anything because I thought the smell wasn't pleasant. Aoey was
silent again. I turned to look at her. She was nervous.

“Everything is alright?”

I asked.

“Can I ask you something? I never asked you this before.”

“What's that?”

“What really happened to your family?...if you really don't want to tell me,
that's fine too.”

I was so nervous to ask about it. I reached out to take her hand and linked
our fingers together. I swung our hands up and down as we walked.
There was something I couldn't tell and something I couldn't say. I chose
to skip the murder case and talked about my father's problems.
“My dad is in trouble for his money laundering and some gray businesses.”

I said openly because very soon everything would be in the news.

“His enemies are attacking him, including me and Great. Great left the
country. Only I stay here.”

“AHA.”

“How do you feel knowing that my dad has dirty business?”

“Do I have to feel something?”

“Well, if he is in politics, people will say that he betrayed his country. Now
it is known that my dad is a bad guy.”

Even I was a bad person. I asked my dad to do something bad. Despite that,
the victim was a bastard. I had no place to convey my judgment to anyone.
What is sown is reaped. I was from a rich family, and now that I lived in the
country, I smelled this unpleasant tree.

“I love you for what you are. It has nothing to do with your family. Because
you also love me as I am, even you are a perfectionist and I am dirty…”

“You're not dirty. Never say that again,"

I said with a strong voice. She was now silent.

“I just wanted to tell you that we love each other. Anything else is
irrelevant.”

“And if I'm poor, do you still love me?”

“If you are poor, you have me. I will keep you. I can work. We'll find
something. You can stay home and order me around like always.”

“You are crazy? I can't stand that you have to support me. But do not
worry. I'm rich. I will take care of you.”
We walked and tried to forget whatever our problem was. There was
nothing we were afraid of...Nobody knew us. This was our new world. I
was happy with her, nothing else mattered.. Or maybe if… I knew that this
was the province. But were there really no department stores? I would love
to go to a hair salon. But once I saw an aunt who owned the store whose
hair was like a bird's nest, I had to think again. If she couldn't handle her
own head, I wouldn't let her touch my hair. And it was so hard to find an
ATM. But this was a market, there should be an ATM somewhere.
Necessities such as pork, mushrooms, duck and chicken, but no other
luxury items. I felt like I took a time machine, I went back to an old market.
There were shops selling food and Damn! I was about to scream, but first I
needed to calm down and find an ATM. Where the hell was I?

“Hi gorgeous!”

I turned towards a source of the voice and saw a 7-8 year old boy looking at
me in admiration. I knew he liked me because I was beautiful. I pushed my
hair back playfully.

“Hello boy.”

“I never saw you here. Are you new here?”

This place was truly one that would speak to a stranger. There should be no
serious crimes here for the people would just be good people.

“Yes, I moved here a week ago. I am looking for an ATM. Where can I
find it?”

“7/11 over there. A little walk. Let me walk with you but you have to go
out for coffee with me.”

A boy from the interior acted like a womanizer from America. I shrugged
and walked along with the boy who introduced himself as. Nueng. His
womanizing showed in his eyes. He would grow up with many wives and
could get some pregnant.

“What is your name?”

“I'm Gen.”

“Gen, you are very beautiful like a Wolk cover girl.”

“What is Wolk?”

“The fashion magazine. My sister said I can congratulate a girl by telling

her that she was a Wolk cover girl.”

“Do you mean Vogue?”

“Is it Vogue? That's such a weird name.”

I thought Wolk was even weirder. But it didn't matter. Such a young boy
wouldn't know anything about foreign fashion magazines. In fact, he was
nice enough to mention it.

“I thought only the dentist Pam was beautiful. But now you are here too.
This is such a nice city.”

“Dentist Pam? Which Pam?”

“A dentist named Pam. She is there. She is a very beautiful dentist.”

“Compared to me?”

“You two are different. Dentist Pam is warm and beautiful. But you are
damn beautiful.”

"What's damn beautiful?"

“You are so damn beautiful that the dead would want to be reborn again to
be near you.”

That was such a strange encounter, but I would also remember the trick to
use on Aoey. My love would be surprised to hear this.

“You were probably trying it with Pam before me, right?”

“Yes, but I think she's a little strange.”

The boy and I walked until we reached 7/11. We're still arguing about the
dentist whose name really caught my attention. She must be really beautiful
so I couldn't stop talking about her. I wanted to be in a beauty pageant with
her.

“Why is it strange?”

“She kissed a sister who owned a cafeteria.”

I paused as I reached my hand to the ATM. Wait, this dentist Pam had to
be a woman because she was beautiful. The sister who owned a coffee
shop was obviously a woman as well. This caught my attention
immediately.

“Are they both girls?”

“Yes, I saw them kiss in the cafeteria. Do women kiss? I am so confused.”

“You don't have to know everything. You could grow up and make out
with a guy.”

I laughed and stopped paying attention to the boy. I swiped my card and
tried to get some cash. 5,000 baht should be enough for a while because
there was no place to spend money in this city anyway. But....I couldn't get
the money. What did it mean?

“What happened? You look like you've seen a ghost.”

I thought about what my mom said earlier. She asked me to withdraw all
my cash to avoid having it confiscated. But it seemed like my money had
already been confiscated. I thought I would live an easy life here. I had
nothing left in my bank. I did not have money!
 ᴛʜɪʀᴛʏ-ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

“It's okay, Gen. We can live without money.”

I was hugged by Aoey, who was now stunned by the fact that I had no
money. She tried to calm me down, she stroked my back. I sighed again and
again. I couldn't believe that I hadn't taken out the money like my mom
suggested.

“Even though we live in the countryside, we still need some cash Aoey.
We have to pay rent, water and electricity bills, and so on.”

“I have some money left from my book. I will also get more jobs.”

“I will also look for work.”

"No, I won't let you."

The soft eyes said with a sharp tone.

“Because?”

“I told you. You do not have to work. I will keep you.”

“You are crazy?”

I laughed at her.

“You spoil me too much. It’s fine. There should be something I can do.”
“I said you don't have to do anything. Just stay home. I want you to live
comfortably with me.”

“But… “

“No, don't work.”

Aoey said sharply and that ended our conversation. Luckily, the cost of
living there was low. The sweet eyes still had some money to pay the rent..
But the worst came later...

“Here is your assignment. 200 baht per day. Is this enough?”

I looked at the money in her hand feeling so uncomfortable. I felt very

uncomfortable because I wanted to grab that money to save the little ego I
had left. But I realized that Aoey didn't think like that. I could only wave
my hands.

“No, please keep it to yourself.”

I never thought I'd have a day like this. A day when I had to take a small
allowance of money from people like her. I used to spend 5,000 baht a day
easily, but now I had to ask my
girlfriend for some money. I... couldn't stand it.

“Don't think too much, Gen.”

“No, I couldn't. I won't accept it.”

I gave him a sharp look back to insist that I wouldn't take any of her money.
When the girl realized that I was serious, she backed away.

“Lower your ego, Gen. It's necessary here. How are you going to live
without this money?”

“I can live without money.”

“You still need money in the interior of the country.”

“I’ll look for a job,"

I insisted again.

"There must be something I can do here."

But there was nothing. No job that suits me. Aoey could do anything. She
made it look so easy. But why was it so difficult for me to look for a job? I
couldn't work at a gas station because of the smell of gasoline. I couldn't
work at a convenience store because I got into a fight with a manager who
licked his lip while he looked at me like he wanted to eat me. I stood
outside a fabric store but couldn't stand the pattern on the fabric. No job
suited me! I walked home sadly to find Aoey standing at the front door
waiting for me. She looked so worried and she ran to me immediately once
she saw me. She hit me right in the chest.

“Where were you?”

“I was looking for a job.”

I couldn't look her in the eyes. I felt like a loser.

“Don't hit me again. I already feel bad enough. There is no work I can do.”

“I told you not to work. Just stay home.”

"How could I take advantage of you like that? I am Genlong, who is good at
everything,"

I said with low self-esteem.

“I always thought I was cool and smart. I can speak 3 languages, excellent
at piano, but I can't do anything here, not even at a gas station…”

I swallowed a big lump in my throat and covered my face. Aoey hugged me

to comfort me.

“These jobs are not made for you. I told you I will support you. Look, I'm
working on my new book project. Once I have the money, we'll be fine."
Aoey smiled at me and used both of her hands on my face, forcing me to
look at her.

“If you want to be useful, you can help me talk to my clients, help me pack,
help me with delivery.”

“But you're not publishing anything now? Are you done writing?”

“Yes, almost.”

“We need money until then anyway.”

“I also worked at a job today. I earn 400 baht a day. We will be fine. Trust
me.”

“But…”

“Stay home and take care of our house, my beautiful girl. When I'm tired
and need a massage..."

The little girl smiled slyly.

“Give me a sexy massage.”

"Is that all I can do?"

“That's how I was before too. That's all I can do, but I make you happy.”

“You are a vitamin for my heart.”

The little girl took my hand and walked me back inside the house. I felt a
little better once I heard that. I knew I was useless but at least I made her
happy. At least… But I felt useless anyway… Aoey took care of all the
household expenses. Not only was she writing a novel, but she was also
working during the day. We choose leaves and vegetables on the roadside
to save money.

“We don't need to buy. Some vendors collected vegetables like this to sell as
well.”
The sweeteyes said while cooking. I looked at the vegetables on a plate. It
didn't look so good.

“Can we really eat them? They don't pass any quality control tests in the
store.”

I picked the vegetables on my plate. I wasn't sure it should enter my body.

Aoey, who did everything from preparing the food, cooking rice, walking
to the table and tasting it in front of me.

“Take. It tastes so good."

The sweet eyes put the fried bellflower in her mouth and chewed it..

“It's clean and it tastes so good.”

She confides in me.

“Test it.”

“Do you love me? If you love me, you have to trust me.”

I tried it while she encouraged me. Knew well. She sat in a chair next to me
after seeing that my face was better after I tried it. She looked at me while
eating and smiled.

“I love you a lot.”

“Oh?”

I paused as I put food in my mouth. I looked at her surprised because she

just told me that she loved me in a surprising way.

“Why are you telling me now? What is the occasion?”

“I'm so worried that you can't live like this. This is nothing like your
previous life and you could leave me.”

“Why do you think that?”

“I can't do anything at all. My life is so useless.”

Now I realized that without my parents I was just a good-looking little

living creature who was worthless. If I was stupid enough, I would sell
myself for a living. But I was wondering how much I would earn? Now I
was curious about myself.....Aoey reached out to touch my arm. She smiled
to give me some encouragement.

“Don't think you're worthless. You make me sad. You are everything to
me.”

I could feel something in her hand. It was a heavy hand. It was not the
same. I was curious, so I grabbed her hand and took a look. Her palm was
full of scars and scratches. She tried to pull It back, but I held her tight.

“Why do you have your hand like that?”

“I'm allergic to detergent.”

“Oh really? Can detergent really hurt you?”

Aoey moved her hand away and smiled sweetly at me.

“I'm happy that you're worried about me.”

But I didn't smile with her. I knew she was hiding something. That had
to have something to do with her part-time job. However, I never asked
her what she did.

“You never told me what kind of part-time job you're doing?”

“Sell things as usual.”

“A convenience store? I went there often but I never saw you there.”

“I help sell things at the market.”

“Do they give you 400 baht a day?”

“I do a lot of things. Don't worry Gen. I'm fine. My hand was soft before
because I lived comfortably with you. But my hands were like that when I
worked a lot when I lived with my mom too. I'll be fine.”

I looked at her, and she looked at me. I sighed and told myself that she
wasn't hiding anything suspicious.

“If the job is too difficult for you, please don't do it.”

“We won't have money.”

Why is money such a difficult asset for me now? I couldn't argue with
that, so I stayed quiet. I processed in my head what I should do. There had
to be something I could do.

Dr. Todd. This name suddenly appeared in my head. I felt better once I
thought about my friend who I was close with. We even kissed to pretend
in front of my mother. I hadn't contacted him since I ran away. Would it be
okay if I approached him for help?

“What are you thinking?”

Aoey asked when I fell silent. I thought about telling her, but then...I knew
she would be opposed to the idea of letting another person into our new
world we just created.

“I was daydreaming, nothing more.”

“Are you hiding something from me?”

I shook my head until my ponytail shook too. Aoey smiled at me and put
food on my plate like a loving girlfriend.

“Let's eat before it gets cold.”

I felt guilty for doing something behind Aoey's back. That was the first day
I turned on my phone since I ran away. I was paranoid that the police or
the CIA or the DES or whoever would find me. But I didn't think the Thai
police were that efficient yet. And I was in trouble, I needed to turn it back
on. The police wanted my dad anyway. I didn't plan to make a call from that
phone. I just wanted Tod's number and turned it off again. I did what I
planned and now I had to borrow someone else's phone.

I sat in a coffee shop that was almost cool but I studied interior design, I
realized that the owner did that alone. Some of the furniture didn't fit well in
the store. Some were useless, but what the hell, I was in a province, not a
fancy cafe in Bangkok.

“Sorry. Can I borrow your phone for a moment?”

Not only did I despise her interior design, but I also asked for her phone.
She was the cute little girl the boy who kissed the dentist was talking about.
She was pretty, but I wanted to see the dentist more.

“Yes, sure.”

The pretty sister handed me her phone easily. I smiled flirtatiously and
dialed Tod's number. My heart was beating so fast. The voice on the other
end sounded surprised by the different numbers.

“Tod, It's me, Gen.

[Naughty girl. Where are you?]

It felt good to hear that he was excited to talk to me. I was paranoid that he
wouldn't want to talk to me anymore because I was a nobody now.

“Thank you for answering the phone.”

[Why would not?]

“Because now I don't have money.”

[What nonsense! I'm not your friend because you're rich or poor. Where are
you now? Do you know your mom is so worried about you? She keeps
asking me where you are and can't reach you.]
“How is everyone now? Well, don't tell me. In fact, I don't have time to
talk to you. I borrowed someone else's phone. Can you do me a favor?”

[What is it?]

I felt so embarrassed. That was the first time in my life I had to ask for
someone else's money.

“Is it okay if I borrow your money? I'm in some kind of trouble.”

There was silence at the end of the line. I had to call him to make sure.

“Why are you quiet? You don't want to give me your money or you're
worried that I won't be able to pay it back.”

[No, not like that. I feel bad for you.]

I felt a big lump in my throat. It wasn't just him who felt bad. I felt sorry for
myself too.

[Why didn't you go with your family? At least you would have some
money. You wouldn't be in trouble like this.]

“I would have money but not Aoey.”

There was a huge sigh on the other end. Tod ended the conversation
because he didn't want to make me feel bad.

[How much do you want? Tell me your bank account number.]

“I can't use my account. It was confiscated..”

[How am I going to transfer the money to you?... Ok, tell me where you
are? I'll drive there to give it to you.]

“I can not tell you. Ah, forget it. It's too much trouble. Thanks for talking
to me.”
I hung up the phone quickly. I didn't want to waste other people's money
and returned it to the owner. I sat down and made some drawings on a
piece of paper to kill time. I forgot I couldn't use my account. I wouldn't
feel comfortable if Tod visited me. It was too dangerous to let too many
people know where I was. My life was so fucked up at that time. While I
was drawing, the owner named Rak looked down at my paper.

“You can draw pretty well. That is so

beautiful.” I sat proudly and did not hesitate to

boast.

“I studied interior design. I have some basic drawings.”

“Can you paint a wall? I'm looking for someone to paint the wall of my
cafeteria. I wanted a beautiful image in it but there was no one good
enough. Can do.”

“I'm Genlong.”

I introduced myself and looked at the owner from head to toe.

“I'm Rak.”

She was not originally from here. She must have been from Bangkok. At
least that's what the watch on her wrist said. It was Panerai Luminor 241
40mm power reserve. I realized it was authentic. Why had a rich person like
her decided to live here and sell coffee for 25 baht a cup? Was it worth it?

“I heard about you from Nueng.”

“What did he say?”

"He said he saw you and Dentist Pam kiss in the store.".

It seemed like I had seen a ghost when I finished my sentence. I laughed

and had fun making the store owner feel uncomfortable. This was what she
was good at. Scare other people.
“Don't worry. You are dating a woman. It is normal. I'm dating another
woman.”

I told her openly as if she were my close friend. She was surprised that I
was so open.

“Did you just move here?”

“Yes, I wasn't familiar with this place and I don't know if I will. How do
you do it?”

“I'm happy just to be with someone I love in peace..”

“Dentist Pam? I heard she's very hot.”

I was in a competitive mood. I wanted to see who would be more beautiful,

Genlong or Pam. The little girl didn't respond. She just smiled sheepishly.
She didn't feel so comfortable talking about herself. I just wanted to talk to
someone. Couldn't she hear me?

"I ran away with my girlfriend,"

I shook the ice in my coffee cup.

“Is it possible to live with a woman until we are old.”

"It shouldn't be impossible."

Now she has started to be more open with me.

“Someone we love is not always of the opposite sex.”

“But you can't have children.”

“It doesn't matter. You can do so many things to have a child. I ran away
here to create my own world with my beloved too. I am happy here.”

“But there is nothing in this city.”

“You're from Bangkok. You are not familiar with this environment.”

“I don't know anything and I feel useless. I'm about to raise my white flag."

I shrugged.

“Sometimes I feel like I shouldn't be here. I make my girlfriend work harder

than she should.”

“As.”

"I don't have a job,"

I said with a dark cloud hanging over my head.

“I can not work. I don't know how to do a job. It's my ego, my personality
or whatever. I have no job. Now I feel like I'm taking advantage of Aoey.
She's my girlfriend. I can't bear to be her burden. I wanted to leave.”

“Don't think for her. My girlfriend thought for me she made a lot of
mistakes. Her happiness is being with you. I know.”

“You can say that because you have a cafeteria. You have enough money
to buy an expensive watch, but I have nothing.”

“But I also see that you have Patek Phillipe.”

She knew a lot. I looked at my watch and smiled. Someone finally knew
what I was wearing.

“This is all I have. It's just an accessory.”

“You draw very well. I'm asking you to draw for me now. It would be
nice if. ”

We hadn't talked about work when a doorbell rang. Someone just walked
through the door. The shop owner looked nervous and she stood up
abruptly. I followed her gaze and saw a super beautiful woman with a
sweet
look. She had the exact same light eyes and eyebrows as Aoey. She kept
looking back and forth between me and Rak.

“Pam.”

“Sees it.”

The tone wasn't very sweet but it made me feel excited. There was the
dentist Pam. She was really beautiful like the boy said. Her mouth, neck,
eyebrows, chin, skin, everything about her was so perfect. But I didn't like
the slight vanilla smell that came with it. She preferred the smell of citrus.
But vanilla suited her well. I could bet she was more delicious, she was
sweet, I was a bitter lemon.

“This is Genlong.”

I was able to read through Pam. She was not only beautiful but also super
jealous. There was some pressure around her that almost made me laugh. I
was Genlong. If you pushed me, I'd push you back..

“We'll talk later, Rak. Nice to meet you.”

I winked flirtatiously at the store owner and smiled at the dentist before
leaving. I had a habit of making fun of a beautiful person. I felt like it was a
beauty competition. I had to win. I felt so tense around her. I'd better go. I
looked at my watch and it wasn't time to go home yet. I hung out on the ski
and there first. I only had 40 bhats in my bag. I could only walk and walk
and walk. I stopped at a construction site where a boutique hotel was being
built. I could design your hotel but I haven't graduated yet. I looked around
and stopped before someone who looked very familiar. She was wearing a
big shirt and a big hat, but I knew who she was. My heart clenched tightly. I
quickly hid because I wanted to observe her. She was mixing cement in a
large bucket and wiping sweat. I was so angry and I wanted to rush to ask
her why she had to lie to me. She told me that she sold things in the market.

But my anger disappeared when I thought of the scratches and scars on her
tiny hands. She was trying to support me. I felt so useless that I couldn't
help her at all. My eyes were full of tears. Oh, my Aoey. I ran back home
which was not far from the market. I ran to her drawer where I kept all of
her important documents. I took out the only notebook from her. There
was only 15,000 baht in the bank. I couldn't publish her own book, pay the
water and electricity bill and the rent.
No.....I couldn't live like this! I ran back to the cafeteria. The owner of the
store didn't seem very happy when she saw me because I made some
trouble before I left. But she changed immediately once she saw that I was
crying.

“Can I borrow your phone one more time, please?”

“S....sure.”

I dialed Tod's number again. His voice was happy to hear me

again. “Tod. I'll tell you where I am. Please come see me!”
 ᴛʜɪʀᴛʏ-ғᴏᴜʀ

══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

Overnight, Tod traveled to me on a plane and then in a car to the city. I was
surprised to see him the next morning after I called him at night. I turned on
my phone but muted the call, so he could contact me. Our date location was
Rak's coffee shop with 2 dogs with a strange name; Sorapong and Tanatsee.
I wanted to play with them but I had something more important to do.....

“I have 100,000 baht for you.”

My heart skipped a beat when I saw piles of money that Tod was carrying
with him. It wasn't much money in my previous life, but now 2000 baht is
very valuable. I never thought it would give me so much.

“I know you're rich, but I never thought you'd be so generous to me. You
know I'm broke, right?”

“This is not my money. This is your mom's.”

“What?!”

“I talked to your mom after talking to you. She gave me this money.”

“I don't just have a bad mouth. I'm also a loose cannon,"

I said. I was angry at myself for telling him where I was. The handsome boy
looked at me shaking his head.

“Your mom is so worried about you.”

“You shouldn't have told my mom. I don't want it to be a big problem.”

“Running away is big enough. Your mom is so worried about you. She was
worried that your dad's enemy might hurt you. I believed that someone
could do something to you.”

“No one will. This town is so remote. There isn't even a ghost in this
town..”

“Stop being so stupid. I'm serious... you can't live here. Now you realize
that the outside world is harsh. No matter how tough you are, you were
under your father's protection, but now you're just a fool without him.”

Damn! Could I slap him with a shoe? I knew I was that direct, but he could
be nicer to me. I was already sad enough without her criticism.

“Stop convincing me. I am not going anywhere. I'll be here with Aoey..”

“Are you too naive? Do you really think the two of you will be together
until death?”

“Ahem!”

We might be talking too loud. Rak, she warned us, coughing. It was the
topic we talked about before. She believed that if we loved each other, then
we should be together. Maybe she didn't like what Tod said.

“Yes, I can live here. Now I have money.”

“What would you do when you ran out of money? Are you going to keep
calling me for money?”

The handsome man declared the fact.

“And your future too? Are you going to stop studying? Give up your trip
abroad, no more shopping, movies.”

“I can do all that with Aoey here.”

“Will she stop going to school too?”

I paused... and looked at the one who knew my weak spot.

“Do we... Do we have to study?”

“You wonder about that too. She can't go to school because she has to be
with you. What did she do to deserve this?”

“Aoey needs friends. She needs a social life, applying for jobs and all that.
Why does she deserve to live like this? Tell me, how do you live now?
You have no money. Let me guess... Aoey is supporting you.”

I started to feel ashamed. I couldn't stand hearing all this from other people.
I felt bad even without criticism from him.

“Please stop. If you want to criticize me like that. I have to go.”

“Your mom will send someone to pick you up.”

I was surprised to hear that. I felt bad having to deal with this. Was he
trying to force me to run again?

“Why did you do this? You found me and you want to force me to run
away again?”

“I'm trying to rationalize with you. Your mom wants you to go to Macau
together. At least go to school there and wait until the situation improves.
You can return at any time.”

“I don’t want to go.”

“Are you going to live like this? Think about it. If you're here, Aoey can't
go to school. She has to work hard, with no future. And you'll be here until
you're 80 and you call me when you run out of money.”

“Money doesn't fill the stomach. Love also needs money. At least you
have to know how to make money.”
I trembled. I felt horrible for agreeing with everything he said. But he didn't
want to give in. I walked away from the store and took the money with me.
I could live there. I had money now. I would use that money to publish
Aoey's book. We would have more money to live on. Yes, I could do it.
Love doesn't need that much money. Aoey came home completely
exhausted but still went to the kitchen to cook for me. I approached her and
pulled her arm out of her. I pointed to the table where the food cover was
on the table.

“You don't have to cook today. Today I have food for you.”

“Oh?”

Aoey seemed surprised. I brought her to the table where there were 3 or 4
plates of food on the table.

“I bought so much food for you today.”

“So much food. Where did the money come from?”

I paused because I forgot to think of that excuse. But since I was smart and
beautiful, I thought of something.

“I saved 40 baht every day from what you gave me for two weeks. I
realized how good I am at saving.”

“You're very

nice.” Aoey

hugged me.

“But you don't need to save it. You can spend the money..The money I
give you is for you to spend, not to save.”

She said that without thinking about herself. I felt shocked and guilty at the
same time. The tears wanted to come out but I had to hold back and smiled.

“I'll use it on you.”

I sat her down to eat. I noticed how weak she was. She was so thin, her
hands were rough. She never showed how tired she was when she was at
home. And she still didn't tell me what kind of work she did.

“Aren't you thinking about studying?”

The soft eyes stopped and looked at me, while I pretended to eat and chat
casually.

“We don't need any certificate to live here.”

“But it is better to have a certificate. You don't plan to sell things on the
market and earn 400 baht every day, right?”

“I will sell my book.”

“You only have 15,000 baht left.”

Aoey put down her utensils and looked at me. She was ready and asked
angrily.

“Did you check my things?”

“Yes, I wanted to know how much money you have. You don't
have money.”

I sighed.

"I'll try to call Tod and ask him for

money," I lied.

“No!”

Her sharp tone turned our conversation into a serious topic. However, I
prepared myself to be in this mode.

"I'm thinking I'm pulling you down now,"

I said painfully.

"I shouldn't have brought you here. You got into college, a good one. But
now you work hard to pay the rent, water and electricity bills. You have no
future here.”

“I told you I'm happy like this. I wanted to be with you.”

“What happens if we don't love eachother one day?”

“I will never stop loving you.”

“Does eternal love really exist?”

I bit my lip because of the pain.

“Because you couldn't touch anyone. You thought it's love when you can
touch me."

Aoey slammed the table hard. Her anger made me reevaluate how I would
handle this.

“I always love you. I'm in love with you even before we met for the second
time. Being touched or not, it didn't matter. I love you, Gen and only you!”

The sweet-eyed girl put her arms on the table.

“Why are we fighting? I worked hard to get back to this. You don't even hug
me, you support me. Why not...?”

I got up and walked towards her. I hugged her from behind. She resisted but
relented when I kissed her head. She turned around and hugged me, burying
her face in my chest.

"Don't act like you're not happy with me. I can not stand it. I'd rather not
have an education than live without you.”

“Oh, Aoey.”
“I'm afraid. I love you so much, Gen.”

I loved her so much that I couldn't take her future away from her. Although
what Rak told me echoed in my head all the time. "Don't think for her."
But seeing her hands, her scars, her thin body, her life without a future...
Now I realized many things. Three days later I called Tod to give him my
answer.

“I'm out of here. Please tell my mom.”

I met up with Tod again in the cafeteria. He was still in town because he
knew I would contact him back. The handsome man nodded and sighed.

“I know you're making a good decision. It must be hard. But I knew you
were doing this for Aeoy, right?”

I tried to hold back my tears.

“Tod.. . .if I have to go. Can you take care of her? Just update me on how
she is. She will be heartbroken if I am not with her. I'm worried about her."

My voice shook even when I tried to control it. She had no one but me. But
I still decided to leave. It would be better if I wasn't there.

“Yes, I'll keep an eye on her. I will support her.”

“One thing you have to know. . .she is sick. I want a doctor to check her. I'll
tell you everything later.”

“Yes. I will do that.”

“The money, the 100,000 baht I borrowed. It's 99,500 baht now because
yesterday I spent 500 baht on food. However, that's my mom's money, not
mine.”

“However, I'll leave them to you....I wanted to keep this money for Aoey's
book. Please help her.”

“Ummm.”
"If I'm not here... don't talk bad about me."

I screamed out loud.

“If she loves me, she will be so heartbroken without me.”

I cried in the cafeteria. Everyone looked at me surprised. Tod didn't say

anything because nothing would help now.

“I will do everything you ask of me but only one thing....”

“You have to leave her for your own good.”

 ᴛʜɪʀᴛʏ-ғɪᴠᴇ
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

Everything was ready. The only thing I had to do was say goodbye to
Aoey. I barely had things to pack. It was just me and the clothes I was
wearing.
Tod said that my mom had someone waiting for me at the border and that
she would guide me across the border to the neighboring country, and that
from there they could easily take me to Macau. I just had to get out of here.
We plan to leave at 1 am. I didn't know how much time I needed to say
goodbye. I would like to make the most of the little time we had. It was so
bad to leave her like this...

“Hey.”

I visited Aoey at the construction site. She seemed surprised to see me

there. I just smiled and called her.

“We're going home.”

“But I'm still working.”

“Skip work. You do not have to do it..”

“But I already work half a day, it's possible they won't fire me if I stop
now. The contractor will scold me.”

“No, he will not. I already spoke with him.”

The contractor was confused but received 1000 baht from me. He let Aoey
leave easily without asking anything. He received more money than he had
to pay for the worker. The sweet-eyed girl was very confused that she
could leave early. She walked out awkwardly.

“How do you know I work here?”

“I've known it for a while. I saw you work here. I was waiting for you to tell
me,"

I gave her a complaining look.

“You lied to me about selling things at the market.”

“I'm sorry... I couldn't tell you that I worked here. I don't want you to worry
because it would bother you if you work here,"

She said guiltily and hugged my arm.

“Are you angry with me?”

“Yes, I was but not anymore. I don't want to waste time getting angry.”

"Why are you so nice today? Why are you picking me up? Everything is
alright?”

“I miss you. Since we've lived here, we've never spent time together on a
date. Let's do it today..I'm so bored. I could run away if I'm so bored.”

“Don't say that... again.”

“Let's go on a date then.”

“Ok.”

We spent the entire day exploring the market. It wasn't a large area, but
walking around could be very hot and there was nothing to buy. Mostly we
bought food and enjoyed the greenery of the trees. This city was suitable for
walking or cycling. There were some motorcycles but I thought they were a
bit noisy. I didn't want to take Aoey to Rak's coffee shop because I wasn't
sure if Tod would be able to hang out there. But we didn't have to go there.
We just walked and the next thing we knew it was 6 o'clock. Time passed so
quickly...

“I always wanted to go on a date with you when we were in Bangkok. We

finally did it today. I'm so happy.”

The youngest girl walked happily until she stopped in front of our wooden
fence at home.

“What happens after a date.”

“We finished it in bed.”

Aoey gave me a big smile. I laughed and put my hand around her shoulder
and walked her into the house.

“Why waste time? Let's play on our rusty bed that will make a squeaky
sound, just the way you like it.”

“Arrrg! You are naughty today. Can I moan loudly today?”

“Anything you want but don't make the bird listen to us. He's a nasty little
bird.”

“Let's be loud. Both.”

“Naughty.”

We both went in and cleaned ourselves. We actually ended up in bed

like we had planned. I started it and she didn't protest. Today she looked
very happy. No matter what I did, she seemed to continue doing just
fine.

“You're so pretty

today.” “Yes, I'm

pretty.”

“I love you every day. I love you more than anyone in the world.”
We both snuggled in bed with a variety of rhythms. Sometimes we were
nice. Sometimes we were fierce. We start at 8 pm and continue for 3 hours.
I didn't let Aoey have any rest. I had to seize the moment. There was no
time left… The rhythmic squeaking sound of the bed followed our
movement. We took turns making happy sounds as if it were just the two
of us in the world. The gentle eyes under my body looked up obsessively
like when we met in elementary school and the first day we met for the
second time. Both of her arms wrapped around my neck and we both
whispered words of smor into each other's ears. I was almost on the verge
of crying.

“I love you Gen.”

“I love you too Aoey.”

“My Gen.”

“My Aoey.”

All the time we spent together, I might have seemed happy, but the girl
beneath my body had no idea that I had a huge lump in my throat. The
farewell seemed so terrifying. I couldn't imagine saying goodbye to her.
Would I be able to leave jer? I kept wondering...

“Again.”

I begged. Aoey, who was drenched in sweat, looked at me and laughed.

“What happened to you today?”

“Can I have it again?”

“I think you should eat something special today. Tell me what you ate
today. I will prepare it for you every day.”

We continued making love over and over and over again like never before
and I felt so full.

“Again.”
“Again.”

“I want it again.”

Our last time ended because Aoey was too tired to continue. She raised her
arm as if she was surrendering like never before..

“I can't Gen. I'm so tired.”

“You give up so easily.”

“You are so good today. My baby, you got 10 out of 10.”

But I couldn't stop and I kept kissing her all the time. I wanted to preserve
every moment, every smell, every feeling because I couldn't have it again.

“Okay, I won't do it again but you have to kiss me.”

I was ready to cry… Luckily all the lights were off now. The room was
dark. There were some lights shining from the sky, but it was still too dark
to see that I was crying. Aoey kissed me easily. I wanted to ask for it again
but I thought Aoey was about to sleep.

“You will sleep now?”

“Ummm…”

It looked like she had fainted. I looked at the girl below me and let the tears
roll down my cheeks. I picked up Aoey's pajamas that were now scattered
on the floor and put them back on her. I didn't want Teacher Salee to see
her daughter in an awkward situation. Yes... I called Teacher Salee to go
here.
Then she could be with Aoey when I left. I made an effort to finally put on
her clothes. I grabbed the handcuffs she brought from Bangkok and locked
her wrist with the rusty bed. After her I dressed and left my letter on a
pillow next to her. She could read it when she woke up. The letter... It was
the hardest thing I had ever done.
To Aoey...

If you read this letter, you will understand why I have to go and leave you
behind. I thought that only Love would guide us through all the difficulties,
but it was not like that at all. I hate being poor. Since I was born, I have
never lived badly. When my family was in Korat, my house at least was
made of cement with many facilities in it. But living here with you is not
the same. It is not comfortable. I don't like the wooden house that makes a
squeaky noise when I walk. I feel hot during the day... There's nothing
good about it. I can't stand it....

These difficulties made me realize that I love myself more. Living a poor
life makes me hate everything here. I hate the stupid smiles of provincial
people. I hate the smell of the tree. I hate the market that can't provide me
with the things I like. But most of all, I hate the fact that I don't have
money. Although you said you could support me, people like me can't live
in the hinterland on only 200 baht a day. I can't live with the environment
as I will never be happy around it.

No air conditioning.
Not smart TV.
Without water
heater. Even the bed
is rusty.

I love you Aoey but I realized now that being poor was eating me alive. I
felt empty inside and reconsidered why I didn't run away with my family.
The answer is you.. I have to live like this because of you. I will be better
and happier without you. I have to leave you behind. Please understand
me... I wanted you to understand that it is natural for men and women to be
together. It is impossible for two women to be together until the end. One
day you will meet a man who wants to marry you and have children with
you. I, Gen, will have to find a way to be judged by society. If he exists
somewhere, I never thought I would see them.

I don't want to prove that our relationship will last forever. I'm not a guinea
pig. If it helps make your life easier, you can hate me. Because it seems like
I started hating you too. Because you make me be in this situation. I leave. I
hope I never see you again.
Genlong,

When I finished reading that, I would hate myself. She would never forgive
me. She would forget that she ever loved me. I looked at the little girl
sleeping in the bed and tiptoed out of the room to go down the stairs.
Teacher Salee was waiting and she smiled at me.

“How is she?”

"She's sleeping now.”

I couldn't tell her why she slept so easily.

“Teacher, please take good care of her. She will be sad when she wakes up.
She may not be able to handle it…”

“If I can. She's my daughter.”

I felt sorry for Teacher Salee now. She would have to handle her daughter's
broken heart after finding out I was leaving. I was.. Aoey hated her too.
What she knows she reaps. That was what Teacher Salee had to give back
to Aoey, although she didn't mean it. Karma... everyone has to pay for their
own karma, even me.. I took her husband away from her. It was time for
my loved one to be taken away from me aswell. It was fair but Aoey didn't
do anything wrong here. Why did she have to go through this? She was
always a victim.

“Before I go, I'll leave you this. You'll need this,"

I handed him a key for the handcuffs. Teacher Salee looked puzzled.

“What is this key for?”

“You'll know when you get up. You will need this. And here it is for Aoey.
She will need this. I want her to go back to school."
I took out my watch, a gift that came from my father when I passed an
entrance exam, and handed it to the old woman in front of me.

“I don't know if this.watch can generate any profit, but it is an expensive

watch. It should be enough for her tuition.”

“Don't do this, Gen. I can take care of her.”

“Please take this. Think of it as a gift that compensates Aoey for bringing
her here. She should be in school...or at least keep it for her treatment. You
need a psychologist.”

I explained to Teacher Salee earlier about Aoey's illness. She reached out
her hand to take the watch.

“You're so good to Aoey.”

Teacher Salee didn't know about our relationship. She looked at me

gratefully and nodded.

“Why do you have to go? It was your father who was doing the money
laundering business. He shouldn't have anything to do with you.”

This was another thing she didn't know.

“Master, I have something to tell you and it is up to you whether you

forgive me or not.”

“What's that?”

“I'm the one who asked my father to kill your husband.”

Teacher Salee seemed surprised once I made my confession. She paused

before raising her hand and slapping me hard across the face. I lost my
balance. I was numb and in pain, but I couldn't compare to what she had to
go through. After slapping me, she clenched her fist tightly. Tears rolled
down her cheeks and hit me again. She ran to hug me right after that.

“Thank you, Gen... Thank you for killing that monster for me.”
That was the feeling of the confession. When I received forgiveness, I felt
light. I smiled at her and cried with her.

“Please don't tell Aoey about this. I want you to forget about that man, as if
he never happened to you.”

“I'll forget about him too.”

Teacher Salee and I looked at each other in silence. We understood each

other. If we were in a normal situation, this would be a moment of struggle
between us. But now we were at the farewell. We did not have time. We
would remember only the good.

“Please take good care of Aoey.”

“Gen.”

Our conversation was cut off when Aoey's voice called my name from
above. The little girl woke up and didn't see me lying next to her. She must
have been surprised that she was handcuffed on the bed. She had to get out
of there now.

“I have to go now. I'm afraid that if I see her, I won't be able to leave.”

“Good luck, Gen.”

I left the house but Aoey was still screaming my name. Her voice chased
me. I could barely lift my leg to leave the house. Tod, who waited in front
of the house for a while, nodded towards me. He indicated to me that
everything was ready and that we were ready to leave.

“Come on.”

“As I said before. If I ask you to stop the car, don't do it... no matter what I
say, don't stop the car.”

“OK.”

“Gene!”
Aoey screamed from inside the house and was now walking down the
stairs with her wrists bleeding. I looked at her bloody wrist in surprise. I
wanted to run towards her. The handsome man grabbed me and threw me
into the car before rushing into the driver's seat.

“Don't go Gen!”

The smaller girl ran after the car that was now driving away. Aoey ran to the
window and hit it like crazy and cried.

“Gen, get out of the car. Where are you going? You said you wouldn't
leave me.”

I covered my ears with my hands. I didn't want to hear it. I looked down at
the ground, so I didn't have to look at her. Soft eyes hit the window with the
handcuffs tied to her wrist. Blood was everywhere.

“Get out of the car, Gen. Don't leave me. I can't live without you, Gen!!”

Tod sped up until she couldn't catch up. I looked up and checked the side
mirror to see that the little girl had fallen to the ground but she was still
crying, screaming for my name. Once again, she got up and ran after the
car.

“I love you Gene! Do not leave Me. Please.”

That was it. I couldn't stand this. I didn't want to leave anymore.

“Stop the car... Tod, stop the car now!”

I tried to open the door but the driver was determined to get me out of there.
He continued to speed away. Aoey began to disappear from the mirror.

"I said stop the car."

I tried to grab the steering wheel, but Tod pushed me.

“Stop the car. Please... Everything... please.”

I hit him, I insulted him. I completely forgot how well I was raised. I was
rude, sexist. I did everything I could think of to get him to stop the car.

“I told you to stop the car. Fagot. Stop the damn car! Piece of

shit," I hit him as hard as I could.

“Please let me go see her.”

He wasn't going to let that happen. I looked at the blood stain on the
window with pain. I could only knock on the door.

“Not if you get out of the car now. You will lose your chance to leave the
country. I do this for you.”

“But Aoey fell to the ground. Didn't you see

that?” I lamented.

“She can't live like this. Please Help. I'm about to die. Please help.”

“You two will make it through this.”

“How can I live?... how can I live like this?”

I touched my heart that felt like it was in pieces.

“If it hurts me so much, how much will it hurt Aoey. Todd, please help me.”

I saw that his eyes were also filled with tears. He felt sorry for me, but he
had to do it. That was the best solution for all of us. He was doing his job,
he took me to the border where my mom had everything arranged. That
was the last time I saw Aoey before leaving the country as planned.
 ᴛʜɪʀᴛʏ-sɪx
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

3 years passed

1 year has 365 days. 3 years is more than 1000 days that I was outside of
Thailand. The world kept spinning. People lived their lives. They went to
work, listened to the news on TV,new Facebook, and phones as expensive
as gold. Today I was rich as always and now I know how to make money
on my own...I was a cartoonist and I didn't take the master's course. That
was the change of my life. Genlong, who had a perfect life. I was the best in
fashion, look, hairstyle, study. All my life I was perfect. But... that was me
in the past. I was no longer the same Genlong.

My new English name was Kate Wang. People there had an English name
and they called me Kate. It was an easy name.
My life changed a lot from what had happened 3 years before. After
leaving Aoey, I lived in Macau. My dad was rich as always. We just
couldn't go back to Thailand. I had just found out that my dad was a partner
in a casino in Macau. He was not the owner but a large shareholder. It was
a guarantee that he wouldn't starve me. Sometimes love needs money. But
Money... never needed Love. My dad always said that if you knew how to
make money, love would find you. Even though my pocket was so deep, I
still didn't want to spend money. I realized that one day I would not have
my father. I could be that poor Genlong again.

Now I was an Internet cartoonist. I made my living drawing novel covers.

The money wasn't much but at least I knew how to make money. I
remembered the first time I received the first payment for the work I did on
the internet, I cried and proudly showed it to my mother. My mom smiled
and looked at me with pride, not at the money.

“My daughter is grown up now.”

That's what my mom said and it made me realize that I did grow up. I used
my Thai name with the cartoon I worked on online, but I used my English
name with the cover of the novel I drew. Why would I do that?...just so I
could draw a cover for someone without them knowing it was me. That was
my pseudonym in the drawing on the cover of the novel. I could ask for
more money using that trick. But my main job, drawing cartoons, at this
point was so busy that it prevented me from doing anything else.

“Gen.”

Tod's voice called out to me as I was reading a tourism brochure upon

arrival at the airport.

"Tod!"

I shouted with excitement.

“Take it easy!”

I rushed to hug the handsome boy with excitement. I had missed him a lot.
He was as handsome as he was 3 years ago. But now he wore glasses that
made him look more mature.

“Are you afraid that people won't know that you're a doctor? Why do you
have to wear glasses?”

“Like you. Are you afraid that people won't know that you are an artist?
Why do you have to wear ripped jeans? You're not the same perfect
Genlong I met years ago."

Tod scanned me up and down, head to toe. Lately I realized that wearing
an artsy outfit helped my personality. I didn't
need expensive clothes, only casual shoes could make me look good. I wore
pretty expensive shoes back then.
“Let's catch up later. I have to check into the hotel first.”

“A good woman wouldn't ask a man to go to a hotel together when they see
each other.”

“If you weren't gay, I would ask you if you wanted to have a baby with
me.”

Our relationship was very close, like that of brothers. In the past 3 years, we
kept in touch every day. No matter how busy we were, we would chat or
talk. He told me he was traveling to Hong Kong, so I had to urgently clear
my schedule for him. I flew from Macau to meet him in Hong Kong, so we
could hang out together because I missed him so much. He was my second
best friend, second after Aoey....The handsome man paused slightly when
he saw my driver Jonathan or John. They smiled and greeted each other in
English.

“I'll take you to the hotel.”

“Thank you.”

John volunteered to drive for me, but it wasn't normal because he usually
had a high-level job with my father. He enthusiastically offered to do it once
he found out that a friend from Thailand was visiting me. He wanted to take
me even though I told him it was my personal business. He volunteered to
do this for free. I was so anxious.....

“Do we have to speak English when we speak? Is it considered rude if we

speak Thai?”

Tod asked from the back seat.

“You can speak Thai. John is not nosy. He knows we are Thai. If you want
to talk to him, you can switch to English.”

I secretly looked at Tod from the mirror and smiled. I felt much
happier because I was finally with someone from the same country,
besides my family. Having a friend was so nice.
“He's your boyfriend?”

"You're getting right to the point."

I laughed and secretly looked at John.

“I'm not sure about the relationship. He keeps asking me to marry him.”

“He is so handsome. You should marry him. It's the right time now. I can
feel the richness of it from here. He is our driver today, but I can feel that
he has a rich man aura.”

“He's one of my dad's partners in the casino.”

“He's fucking rich! But he doesn't look Chinese at all.”

“It's a mix between Chinese and British.”

“What are you waiting for? You just spread her legs. He is handsome and
rich. He just came out of a novel.”

John was a man of power and wealth. We met when I moved there. It was a
disaster back then because I was very sad. I had to visit a psychiatrist. I was
depressed. Even though he was a busy man, he still took the time to visit
me and hang out with me. When he discovered that I loved to draw, he
helped me find my feet in drawing. He was the one who told me that he
could be an Internet cartoonist for a living. His kindness made me open up
a little.
However, we had not agreed that we were dating. John was like a life jacket
thrown into the ocean when I was about to drown.

“I opened my legs once.”

“I was too sensitive back then, so I went with the flow.”

I told Tod what happened. At that time I was so depressed and sad that I
wanted to commit suicide. But John was someone who stood by me and
helped me until I got better... and now...John and I were in an ambiguous
relationship. He volunteered to take care of me, all he asked for was a
chance.
I was feeling lonely and was hoping that someone new could help me get
out of the depressed situation, so I had sex with him once. That's how we
ended up in an unclear situation. Not a boyfriend, but not just a friend
either. He was ready to be more than my friend, but I was the one who
wasn't ready.
It was the first and only time I would do that. No again....

Finally, John stopped in front of the hotel he owned. Tod explored the suite
room that he just registered in for free. He was impressed with the owner
before expressing his gratitude.

“Thank you but it doesn't have to be a suite.”

“Just take it. His rich. This is nothing to him."

I laughed and sent John a smile as a thank you.

“Make yourself at home. Kate, if you need anything, let me know.”

“Okay.”

He left and now it was just me and the handsome guy alone. Tod walked
over to the couch and sat down comfortably. He looked at me, who was still
standing.

“Why did he leave you alone with me in the room? Aren't he worried that I
might rape you?”

“I told him you like men.”

“Hey, don't tell other people.”

“Well, it helps that I'm not jealous.”

“He's not jealous, but he drove himself to the airport. I bet he wanted to
meet me first.”

“Even if he's jealous, he can't do anything. It all depends on me."

I walked to the couch, sat near him and started chatting.

“Everything is alright?”

“Are you asking about me or Aoey?”

I straightened up, realizing he had trapped me. All the way from the
airport, I wanted to ask about it, but I didn't want to seem so desperate, so I
had to talk about something else.

“Whoever.”

“I'm fine.”

“Why are you silent? You're not curious about me,"

He continued, mocking me. I started to feel agitated.

“Just tell me. How is Aoey?”

He laughed when he saw that I was upset. Tod nodded and sighed.

“She is well and now she is famous, less than JK Rowling but she is very
well known.”

“Some company bought her copyright for a television drama. Her life is
good now.”

“That's good to hear.”

“As I told you before in the chat, her fame also made me a kind of
celebrity. I owned a publishing house that made a lot of money. Oh! You
have something too!”

Tod handed me a check.

“Here it is for the largest shareholder.”

I was taken aback and looked at the check he handed me.

“When did I become your partner?”

“When you gave Aoey your 100,000 baht for the book.”

“But I gave her that money to make the book.”

“She refused when I gave her the money, so I had to come up with a plan. I
pretended to be an editor and offered to print her novel. However, it was a
good thing because I got some benefits. But I can't take advantage of your
money. We must share it. Take it.”

“You never told me anything and now you tell me that I own a publishing
house. Not only are you nosy but you keep secrets.”

“The secret makes me more mysterious.”

I looked at the check and didn't feel anything. Damn! Aoey should be richer.
She shouldn't have to share money with other people. This was annoying.

“Save it for Aoey.”

“If we both share the money, and we still have a lot. Don't you think she's
richer? I told you that she is now very famous and very rich. Her life is on
the rise.”

I once heard that I could smile. I was proud of my little friend who was now
successful after having to go through a lot in life.

“Thank you for keeping your promise that you would take good care of
her. Aoey grew up successfully today and you are a part of that.”

“Is not for you.”

We both remained silent because we were in our own thoughts. Tod

sighed before changing the subject.

“I came to Hong Kong this time not only to travel but also to talk to you
about something.”
“What is it?”

“Your caricature, MATE.”

I was surprised when he talked about my cartoon project that I had finished
two weeks ago. It was the cartoon I drew and posted on a website. I
received very good comments that placed me in the top 5. I never thought
my story would be a success. The story of Aoey and me.

“What's up with that?”

“Some reader sent an email to Aoey about your story on the Internet that
was very similar to her story on the Dekdee website. Aoey sent me here to
deal with the copyright violation... She thought the story artist copied her
work.”

“AHA.”

I leaned back comfortably in the chair. At first, I thought she might know I
was the artist.

“What do you want to do?”

“If she's not happy with it, I'll ask my website to remove it. I'll pay the fine,
or whatever.”

“But you didn't copy it. Why would you remove it?”

“Whatever makes her feel better.”

"You try to please her too much."

Tod rested his chin on the palm of her hand and looked at me with a loving
look.

“Genlong, who never gave up, but now you will easily erase your caricature
even though you did not commit any theft.”
“If it looks the same, there's no point in being stubborn. Aoey asked you to
talk to the artist this way, which means that she is ready to start a legal
process. I'll give up to finish it.”

“I think you should talk to Aoey. It was similar, but it's not the same
anyway. Gen you made drawings that tell your story from your point of
view. Aoey wrote a story from her point of view. It was the same story
about two women who look at each other and fall in love. There is a
bird...oh! And most importantly... some handcuffs.”

I felt like someone was squeezing my heart until I was breathless. I tried to
forget it, but the handsome man only stirred the memory again.

“So you're here to travel or to ask me to delete my cartoon... or what?”

“I flew here to ask them to return to Bangkok together using travel and
copyright as excuses.”

“Why would I come back?”

The handsome man looked at me and didn't say anything for a longtime. I
didn't like that quiet, but I waited for Tod's next comment.

“Attend Aoey's wedding again.”

I felt numb like someone had hit me on the head with a club. I could faint at
that moment. At first, I thought he was joking, but on second thought, I
knew it was true.

“Does she...?”

“Yeah.”

“Why is she in a hurry? Is her illness better?”

I asked her about her physical problem that no one can touch her. Todd
nodded.

“Better. . .I told you before in the chat.”

“You didn't mention any details.”

“She's much better now. She was almost cured. Why don't you look happy
for her? Don't you want her to get married?”

I tried to smile but I wasn't sure how I felt. It had been three years but I still
felt something… Possessiveness. But what right did I have? I was the one
who left her. Tod looked at me and handed me a wedding invitation that he
had just taken out of his bag. I felt like a piece of paper in an envelope was
something hot. I could burn my hand if I touched it. But I had to be strong
and I took it from him. The blue card printed with golden characters looked
very luxurious. I could feel that she had a good life. The expensive
wedding invitation could say a lot about a beautiful married life. The
groom could be rich...

“Who is the groom?”

“A brother of Aoey's psychologist.”

"Okay."

I looked at the card in my hand and put it down.

“I'll put some money for a gift in an envelope and ask you to give it to her.”

“Don't you want to go together?”

“Don't you want to see with your own eyes that she is happy?”

Was he testing me? He wanted to know if I still had feelings for her. Lately
I had told him that I could get over it and that I could live my life
normally. Maybe I was trying to fool other people. And me too. The
wedding
invitation card in front of me seemed to shake me quite hard from head to
toe. I could barely smile. I didn't think I could attend the wedding...

“I don't think I should go. She may not be happy to see me. I hurt her quite
a bit.”
“But from my point of view, you are a very important part that helps her
now. If it weren't you, she wouldn't have been cured. If it wasn't you, Aoey
wouldn't have money for school. If it weren't for you, she wouldn't be able
to publish her book. She won't be successful today.”

“You have to go, Gen.”

I leaned back on my couch and looked annoyed at the bossy boy in front of
me.

“You like to place an order. Three years ago, you visited me and told me to
leave Aoey. Today you ordered me to go to her wedding. Do you have
good intentions or are you doing it for fun?”

"Yeah, I'm not sure if I had good intentions or if I did it for fun."

Tod also leaned back and looked at me casually.

“I just want you to be part of this wedding. You play an important role in
Aoey's life, you even drew the cover of her famous novel.”

“I also violated your copyright.”

“You have everything to do with Aoey's life. You shouldn't miss her
wedding.”

That was true. I played an important role in Aoey's life but attending her
wedding...

“She will get married because she has no one left. Don't you want to attend
the important day in her life?”

"What do you mean there's no one left?"

I looked at the handsome boy with surprise. I didn't like the tone of it.

“Where is Teacher Salee?”

“Aoey's mom married another new boy and moved to the other country. She
has to get married."

Todd shrugged.

“She is fed up with a life with a stepfather. She doesn't want to move in
with her mother. She is worried about not having anyone, so she decided to
get married.”

“Is she getting married because she needs someone to depend on?”

I started to feel nervous after hearing the stupid reason.

“What's wrong with the boy? She loves?”

“I guess. He takes good care of her, but it seems like Aoey doesn't love him
back.”

We both remain silent. We were both in our own thoughts. The handsome
boy looked at me and raised his eyebrows, mocking me.

“Do you want to go now?”

“No, I don't have a good reason to go.”

“Copyright violation is a good reason. I found the best reason for you to
return to Thailand to clear things up with the owner of the novel.”

“We can communicate by email or simply remove the cartoon. Now it's that
easy.”

“It depends on you. I'm just here to give you the news.”

“I'm not going.”

“OK.”

“Stop looking at me like that.”

“AHA.”

“No me aha! I told you I'm not going.”

“I did not say anything.”

“I do not go!”

«Welcome to Thailand»

Why did I end up at Suvarnnabhumi airport...?

 ᴛʜɪʀᴛʏ-sᴇᴠᴇɴ
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

Afterwards I told Tod that I would stay in a hotel downtown. The

handsome boy ran towards me with a happy face. The last time we met, I
insisted that I would not return to Bangkok. 5 days after that, I booked a
plane ticket like a loser.

“You can't stand that... the perfect Genlong.”

“Can you stop looking at me like that? Don't you think I'm embarrassed
enough?”

I crossed my arms and looked away. I didn't want to look him in the eyes.
The handsome boy who was now sipping his coffee waved his hands in an
apologetic gesture.

“I'm sorry. I can't help it when I saw you lose. How long are you going to
stay here?”

"Well..."

I paused with embarrassment.

“Until she gets married.”

“You're really here for the wedding.”

Their wedding was scheduled for the 15th of next month. I had about a
month to be in Thailand. It could be because I wanted to stay in Thailand. I
wanted to see how she was doing.

“I want to see. I want to know how she is. But I'm not sure if she'll be okay
to see me. Come to think of it, I can't be that important to her now. She is
about to get married. So... I came here. Atleast to congratulate her. If I
came with the intention of congratulating her, she can't be upset about that,
I talked in circles more to myself than to Tod. It sounded like an excuse, I
guess. Tod nodded understandably.

“Aoey will be surprised to know that you are here for her wedding.”

“Here is my excuse, the issue of violating her copyright. Something to talk

to her about.”

I shifted uncomfortably.

“Can you help me make an appointment with her...?”

“Yeah.”

He agreed before I even finished my sentence.

“Aoey will have a fan meeting at a bookstore in Siam square. I will give
you an appointment that day.”

“Are you going to tell her it was me?”

“No.”

“I also think it's the best.”

I smiled nervously.

“She might not want to see me if she knew it was me.”

“Get ready for that then.”

Besides being a bad experience that scared me, Aoey was another reason
that could scare me..The period of 3 days before the meeting with Aoey,
I
was not quite myself. There was some hesitation as to whether I should
meet the eye candy, or should I just book a return ticket to Macau. But I
really wanted to see it… I wanted to know how she was in the last 3 years. I
could guess that her soft eyes wouldn't chat with me like a long.lost friend. I
was curious about how beautiful she was now. We were both older. I
wondered what she looked like now. Even I was different...

I used to be Miss Perfect, everything had to be brand name, expensive stuff,

but now I've switched to something affordable for my income. I used to
wear expensive clothes, they could cost up to 2000 USD. Now I was only
wearing a $10 t-shirt. The most I spent lately was $25 if it cost up to 2000
USD. Now he was only wearing a $10 t-shirt. The most I spent lately was
$25 if it was really worth it. My past experience taught me that no matter
how expensive your clothes were, it didn't tell your value at all. The value
was in you. What a deeply meaningful life… After three days, the day has
arrived when Aoey will meet her fans at a downtown bookstore. Tod had to
pick me up because I was no longer familiar with the address after 3 years
away from Thailand.

“Here the taxis are the same. They make excuses not to take you. I picked
you up.”

That was his explanation for taking me there. He skipped jobs and studies
because of it. But I guess I thought the cute guy wanted to see what our
reaction would be after not seeing each other for a long time.

“What do you hope to see between Aoey and me?”

“I want to see the cats fight.”

That was the typical foul-mouthed boy I dealt with for a long time.

"I have to be there anyway. I am the owner of the publishing house she is
at. I am here to represent Aoey regarding the violation of their copyright.”

“What a great excuse! I thought I had to talk to the lawyers.”

“To be honest, I have no idea who will win between you and Aoey if you
really have to fight. Nobody copied anything. It's just the same story from a
different point of view.”

“I told you I'll remove that.”

"You're losing then."

I hated the word lose. Tod knew very well that I hated this word. He tried to
push me to fight.

“Fuck it!”

“Once in a while, you'll be rude, but it's cool and I like it.”

We both chatted until we arrived at the event. She wasn't a celebrity, but
having your readers line up for you was something. Aoey wasn't here. Tod
said he was looking for a place to park.

"Is she driving now?"

I was worried that I was thinking about how she could reach the accelerator.

“Does she have a driver's license?”

“Why would you need one if you have a driver?”

I looked at Tod with bewilderment, but remained silent waiting for a

response.

“Her boyfriend?”

"Yes, you'll see it today,"

He said without looking at me. She seemed to be amused by the situation.

“I want to see the reactions of both of you when you meet.”

“You really have fun.”

-I couldn't miss this.”

“Aoey is coming. I should step aside. I can meet her when we talk about
copyright.”

“Are you afraid?”

I paused and turned to look at him. It bothered me to hear that, but I

couldn't deny that I was very nervous about seeing her again even though I
knew all of Tod's moves from her in recent years. I had no idea how she
would react if she saw me.

“I will leave.”

I lost... I couldn't be there because I was too scared. She was a little girl
who couldn't really do me any physical harm. The best she could do was
scold and hit me. But I was too scared. I felt like I couldn't pay the debts I
borrowed from her and I couldn't look her in the eyes. Oh! What an impact
she had on me! I stepped aside, but still tried to catch a glimpse of her
arrival. Ten minutes later, the little woman I never forget approached her
fans. She gave an interview on a small stage prepared for the event. Her
sweet face in a long white high-necked shirt with long hair of hers made
her look elegant. She seemed surprisingly mature. Her shiny skin and her
red lips reminded me of the past when she hugged me and called me.

«My Gene»

My heart was beating so fast I was worried it might burst out of my chest.
My tears welled up in my eyes, I was full of love and longing. I long for
her. 3 years had passed. I wanted to run to hug and say hello, but I couldn't.

“This doesn't seem to be hidden.”

Her voice haunted me at all times and in all places and made me quickly
wipe my tears away. I hid in a corner where no one could see me, but
not this guy.

“I'm scared.”
“You're hiding here because you don't want her to see you. But eventually
you two will meet today.”

“I'll let her work in peace. She may get upset later when she sees me.”

“You always worry about her.”

“This is what great people do. What time will she finish here? I'll go for a
walk for now.”

“It could be an hour or a little more than that. You have to give your
signature. I already told Ten to meet me at an underground restaurant.”

“Her?”

“Her boyfriend.”

I don't know why, but when I heard that, I felt a pain in my chest like a
sharp knife that pierced my heart even though they are about to get married.
He told me frankly about how I felt.

“You still have feelings for her.”

“No, I do not do it.”

“Your face doesn't match the lie you just told.”

“How can you accuse a girl of lying?”

I left that area because I had finished talking to him.”

“Let's go from here. I don't want her to see me. I need to be prepared.”

I couldn't accept that... but it seemed like I still had feelings for her that
were about to explode. I needed to truly understand that she now belonged
to someone else. I had no right! Finally, I couldn't run anymore, at that
time, I was standing in front of a restaurant where Tod made a date with
Aoey. To be honest, copyright was not an important issue at all. She
justnwanted to see her but...
“Tell her I'll download the novel. Leave.”

I turned around, but the handsome boy used his arm to block my neck from
behind. He laughed when he saw my reaction.

“Too late now. You can't run away like that. Genlong is not a person who
runs away.”

“My name is Kate, I live in Macau. Bye bye!”

“You will enter with me.”

“Tod!”

He pushed me into the store. I couldn't run anymore. I paused, straightened

my back, fixed my posture, and walked into the restaurant. I arrived at the
table where Aoey was sitting playing with her phone. She still hadn't seen
me. A man sitting next to her stands up to greet us first.

“Hello, Todd. She must be…”

There was a pause from him, who greeted me and looked at me in the eyes.
It didn't surprise me because it was a common reaction of more than 90% of
men who saw me for the first time.

“I'm Genlong, the artist who will discuss copyright.”

As soon as I introduced myself, Aoey immediately looked up with complete

surprise on her face. Her sweet old light brown eyes looked surprised. She
dropped her phone on the table.

“Hello Aoey.”

I had to use all the courage I had to greet her and tried to cover all the
stories we had.

“Gen. Can you remember me?”

There was silence between all of us as if time had stopped at that moment.
We both looked into each other's eyes for a long time until Aoey finally did
something that no one expected before..She grabbed a glass of water and
threw it in my face as if she had slapped me. The cold water hit my face and
parts of my clothes. We were now the center of attention in the store. Tod
grabbed me to hide behind him and scolded the girl.

“Why did you do that?”

“You said this is the person who copied my novel, right?”

She asked but she got no response from Tod.

“It is appropriate for the writer to be angry with the imitator.”

“But this is too much. It's Genlong. It's Genlong!”

Tod seemed to be angrier than me. I took off Tod's shirt and it was now
between Aoey and me. I smiled understandably at him.

“It's okay, Todd. She has a right to be angry. I made a mistake.”

“Yes, you did it!”

Aoey said with an angry tone.

“I just splashed water but compared to what you did it's nothing. I tries to
take a pair of handcuffs off my wrist and run after a car like a dog
chasing its owner. You will learn that pain has no comparison.”

It wasn't copyright we were fighting about. It was about the past that only
the two of us knew. The smaller girl grabbed her bag and was about to
leave the restaurant. But she turned around and spoke to Tod angrily.

“As for my copyright, I will sue you to death. I will have nothing left.
Remember my word!”

She walked out of the store, left me and Tod stood there confused. I was
prepared for this encounter to not end well but I did not expect the splash of
water..

“Looks like I pushed too hard for fun..”

“I made a mistake.”

"About coming here?"

The handsome boy said and seemed so worried about me. I shook my head
and tried to dry myself with a tissue.

“About not wearing a raincoat. I would do the same as her. A little

revenge.”

I laughed and left the restaurant because I wanted to avoid being the center
of attention. Tod followed right behind me. He was worried about me.

“If you're angry, let it out. Don't try to smile. I feel uncomfortable.”

“I'm not mad.”

“Why not? Anyone would get angry.”

I paused and looked at Tod. I repeated the same sentence that Aoey said.

“If I have to compare between the splash of water and being handcuffed
and running after a car like a dog chasing its owner... No, I'm not angry. I
really hurt her a lot. She has the right to be angry. I would be too if it were
me.”

“I knew that Genlong was not a weak and forgiving person.”

“But I forgive her.”

"She is my first love.”

Finally, the handsome boy felt sorry for me and hugged me tightly. Tod was
there that day and he helped me stay in the car.

“Now you are the sad one.”

“I can be sad. I have been sad for a long time.”

I knew that day would not be easy. I had to learn my lesson after I hurt her
over and over again. Once I got back to the hotel, I took a long shower to
stay calm. A bath helped improve my mood after having to deal with so
many bad things. The water will wash away my sadness. While I was in the
bathtub, the hotel phone rang. I reached for it when I didn't have much
energy left. The voice at the end was from the receptionist who told me
that she had a visitor.

“Her name is Aoey. Do you want to see it?”

I jumped out of the tub excitedly before agreeing to leave her there.

“Yes of course. Send it up.”

“We will send it to your room.”

Why was she here? I quickly got dressed before she got to my room. My
doorbell rang less than 5 minutes later. I, who was hoping to see her,
opened the door to greet her.

“Hello, Aoey. Why are you here?”

“Can I enter?”

Her harsh tone surprised me. I felt like she had gone there with a tornado
that was ready to explode at any moment.

“What's happening?”

I said awkwardly. Aoey quickly turned around to look at me like it was

a stupid question. Or I thought anything I said now would make her
angry anyway.

"Can't I be here even if nothing happens? You violated my

copyright.” “I only ask. You can come at any time.”

“Why are you here?”

It was a simple question, but for me it had so many layers of complexity.

Why are you back here? What do you want? What is your plan?

“I'm here to discuss copyright. You thought I copied you and you wanted
to talk to the artist. That's why I'm here.”

I didn't get straight to the point anyway. Aoey walked to the bed and sat
down angrily.

“If you know you made a mistake, you would easily end the dispute by
removing the cartoon. That's what you would do. I know."

The soft eyes looked at me as if demanding an answer.

“You have another reason. Why are you here?”

“What kind of response do you expect to hear?”

“The truth.”

“I miss you.”

We both remained silent. There was surprise in those beautiful eyes. I

smiled at the corner of my mouth but quickly hid it. I told myself I shouldn't
do that. She was about to get married. I shouldn't make her doubt about her
wedding. Not even a little.

“Is that what you want to hear from me?"

Aoey frowned at my question.

“You miss

me?” "No,"

I shrugged.
“I think about you, but I don't really miss you. It was a long time ago.”

It seemed to reopen the wound. Aoey stood up angrily like what she did in
the restaurant.

“So you're really just here for the copyright. If this hadn't happened, you'd
never want to see me again... right? The letter you left me was true. You
hated me for that phase of your life.”

“There were so many reasons why I couldn't return to Thailand. But now
it's okay. I have a new passport with a new name. I have a new identity.
Now I can travel in and out of the country easily. But there is something
more important than copyright.”

“What's that?”

“You're getting married.”

The sweet eyes looked at me in astonishment. I thought she wasn't very

happy that I knew about this.

“How do you know?”

"Tod told me,"

I said and thought about his fiancé.

“Your boyfriend is cute. He looked hygienic. He looked right for you. You
will have a happy married life.”

“I pressed on copyright but not on this.”

She said as if complaining to herself. I looked at her with a big question.

“What do you mean?”

The smaller girl walked away nervously when I looked at her.

“Nothing.”
“Does that mean you knew from the beginning that I drew that cartoon?”

I walked towards her. Now she was cornered. The little girl backed up until
she hit her back on the bed and sat on it. She had run out of excuses.

"Did you ask Tod to talk to me about copyright, just so you could see me?"

“Yeah.”

I closed my eyes. I lost to this girl again. In the last 3 years, I tried to let her
go by not contacting her. But now I was deceived into this.

"So you acted like you were surprised to see me at the restaurant. Was that
an act?”

“I knew you could be the artist. And it really turned out that if it
was you. ”

"Why would you want me to come back here if it makes you so angry."

"I want you to see that I have money now."

The sweet eyes looked at me aggressively.

“In the letter you told me that you couldn't live with me because I don't
have money. But I already have Item.”

Now I was one step behind. I cited the very bad letter I wrote and barely
remembered the details.

“I had nothing, so you couldn't live with me. I have everything today, fame,
money, but the person next to me is not you.”

The girl smiled.

“The good thing about being poor is that I can filter the people who stay in
my life. I wanted you to see that I met a better person and I can do it.”
It must have been so painful that it led her to the option of revenge. I looked
at Aoey with pity. I wanted to give her a hug. My eyes must have revealed
so much that I bothered her.

“Why are you looking at me like that, ah!?”

"I'm proud of you."

I reached out to touch her cheek gently in admiration, but she ignored it.

“I don't need your support.”

“I am proud that you have become an intelligent, successful and famous

person.”

“Don't look at me with pity as if we were on friendly terms. I don't need

your support or anything."

The sweet eyes walked towards the door and turned around angrily.

“I hate you, Gen. Keep that in mind.”

“Yes I know.”

The door closes suddenly. I stayed in the room full of sadness. See... it was
the right decision to get out of her life then. When I left, she got a better
life..I had made the right decision.
 ᴛʜɪʀᴛʏ-ᴇɪɢʜᴛ
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

That day, I became a very sought-after person. The hotel reception called
me and told me that another visitor had come to see me. I was surprised to
find out that it was Ten, Aoey's boyfriend. We had never met before, only
from the previous restaurant. He visited me at the hotel but didn't come up.
I went down to see him in the hotel lobby.

“Hello.”

“I'm Aoey's boyfriend.”

“I know.”

We both remained silent. I looked at the boy in front of me wondering what

he wanted. I noticed that he was well mannered, the same age as me, and he
was hygienic. He wasn't a top model guy, but he was a good looking man.
Aoey had good taste.

“Why are you visiting me?”

I asked first or else we would be there all day. At that time it was 11 in the
morning.

“Aoey's mom told me to contact you.”

“Master Salee?

I sat up straight.
“I thought she was abroad.”

“Yes, she is abroad. I.. .can I talk to you openly?”

There was an attempt to be nice on his part. I nodded in agreement. I didn't

want him to feel too uncomfortable.

“Yes, sure.”

“I talked to Aoey's mom and told her that Aoey is sick. She refused to eat,
to travel. I told teacher Salee that she saw you recently.”

“She is sick?”

I expressed my concern immediately.

“Is she okay?”

“She seemed fine, but she refused to talk to anyone, she doesn't eat, she
doesn't take medication. She just sleeps all day...I'm worried about her.
Her
mother told me that she should talk to you. You may be able to help.”

“I'm not a doctor.”

“I don't understand it, so I'm contacting you. I also found out from her
mother that you and her were very close. I saw you arguing about
copyright.

“Yes, he was there that day too. I didn't know how to explain it to him. I just
stayed silent. In my head, I thought of the sick little girl alone. What was
wrong with her? She was fine the other day.

“Where is Aoey now?”

“In the condominium. I'll take you there.”

A lot happened in 3 years. Aoey, a petite woman, traveled to Bangkok with

less than 500 baht in cash. She now lived in an expensive apartment
downtown. It wasn't as big as mine, but it was good for Aoey. I was proud
of you, my Aeoy...

“Are you living with her?”

“No, but I spend time here often. I don't want to leave her alone.”

I was relieved to hear that they didn't live together... Why did I feel
relieved? They were about to get married.

“Here, can we come in?”

“I have your access card. You don't have to be too polite with me. I want to
be your friend.”

He really tried to be my friend... I smiled and didn't say anything. I was an

introvert. I tried to build a bubble around me, so no one could get too close.
There were only two friends in this world who burst the bubbles and
entered, Aoey and Tod. It would be strange if Ten could burst the bubble
too. He was my ex-girlfriend's future boyfriend. It was too strange. Her
room was on the 22nd floor. We arrived in front of the room and looked at
each other. We nodded before he tapped the card on the door and opened it.
The door was open.

“Should we knock first in case she's naked?”

I looked at my new friend unimpressed by his manner, but he smiled.

“It's okay if she is naked. We're getting married soon anyway.”

That bothers me… However; Ten waited at the front of the room. I turned
around to look at the taller guy in surprise.

“Please come in. I'll be here to take you back. When you finish, I will be
waiting to take you to the hotel.”

Ten left me with a small bomb inside the room. Damn! I should at least tell
Aoey how I ended up there. She just let me in and I faced that little monster
alone. I entered the room...
A studio with a total area of 42 square meters. It was enough space to put a
small couch and a queen size bed in the middle of the room. I could see
Aoey's body now sleeping on her side, facing away from me. She didn't
realize it was me entering the room. She must have thought that it was Ten
who had the key card.

“I'm not hungry. Please go, Ten.”

I didn't say anything but I sat next to her on the bed. I touched her neck to
feel her temperature.

“I didn't have a fever…”

But Aoey immediately dismissed it. He still didn't like being touched like
before.

“Do not touch me. I don't like being touched.”

“I thought you were cured. You still don't like being touched.”

Aoey sat up immediately once she heard my voice. The sweet eyes
looked at me with surprise. We looked into each other's eyes for many
minutes in silence. It seemed to be an eternal battle. She finally broke the
silence.

“How did you get here?”

"Ten brought me,"

I said with a scoff.

“Did seeing me cause you so many problems? You refuse to

eat.” "Don't be nosy,"

Aoey said angrily. She looked me in the eyes and asked frankly.

“Why are you here? Just because Ten asked you to?”
“Ten told me that you've been depressed since you saw me. He thought I
might be the reason...why? Was it so bad to see me?”

I made fun of her and it seemed to work. Aoey bit her lip fighting against
herself.

“Who said that? Why would I be depressed after seeing you?”

“Don't know. You still love me, I guess?”

I made fun of her because I wanted her to laugh. But that made her even
more angry, she took the phone from her and she threw it at my head in
anger.

“Oh!”

It wasn't hard enough to make me bleed, but it hurt enough to make me

angry. I grabbed her wrist and glared at her.

“This is too much, Aoey.”

“No, it is not. How dare you say that? I don't love you anymore because
you're a whore who left me because I didn't have money,"

She said and still she hit me on the shoulder.

“I can do more than this. If I only have a hammer, I'll break your head. If I
have a knife, I will stab you. I will do whatever causes you pain.”

“I'm in pain now.”

“That's not enough. I wanted to hurt you more..”

“You don't eat, you don't sleep, it's enough to hurt me. You don't have to
do anything, now I have my punishment!”

I grabbed his arm that was still trying to hit me. I used another hand to
push down on her chest, forcing her to lie still on the bed.
“Whatever you want to do to me, just do it. You want to scold me, insult
me, talk shit about me but eat your food. Don't worry other people.”

“Who? Nobody in this world cares about me.”

“Me!”

Suddenly, it was like someone had pressed the mute button on the TV. I was
on top of her and looked into her eyes trying to hypnotize her into staying
still. I forced her to stay still, not move. That was what I wanted. She pulled
her arms out of my grasp and pulled my neck down.

“Are you worried about me? Why are you worried about

me?” “Friends. because we are friends”

“That's all?”

“What other thing?”

Our faces and lips drew closer to each other like a magnet. An alert rang
from Aoey's phone, like a bell it was the one that saved us. What was that?
Why do we end up here? We both looked into each other's eyes while she
was still under me. First I walked away and pretended nothing was
happening.

“I have to go. Aoey, you have to eat. You don't want to be too skinny bride.”

“Gen.”

I wanted to end the conversation. My duty is done now. What had just
happened was a mistake that could have had some negative effect. I had to
pretend nothing happened.

“Eat some food, okay?”

"You feel sensitive about me, don't you?"

She was the same simple girl. She said what she thought. Today, she still
spoke frankly as if she wasn't going to get married in the near future..

"It was the atmosphere,"

I said with a serious tone.

“I am single and alone. Anyone can make me feel sensitive.”

"You don't have anyone now, do you?"

I was leaving, but I turned around once I heard that. Aoey took off her shirt
and openly showed her white lace bra.

“You can be sensitive. It's fine with me.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“I want to know if you really don't feel anything for me.”

“No, I don't feel anything.”

The soft eyes walked over to me and unhooked her own bra in front of me.
Her soft skin that I had not admired me for 3 years and now dared me to
touch her. I turned my face to the other side.

“Good. Don't make me realize you feel something."

The gentle eyes leaned down and whispered in my

ears. “I will play with your feelings until you can't

stand it.”

Our faces almost touched. That was typical of Aoey's flirting but it was
different. Before I was flirtatious with love.
But this was revenge. What did she expect? What did she want?

“I have to go. Don't forget to eat your food.”

“How can I free myself from this feeling that you are not cooperating with
me?”

She said with a smile.

“I should call Ten to help me relieve myself.”

I turned around to look at her angrily. A smile appeared on her face like a
winner. It made me realize that I was losing to her again.

“Yes, you have feelings for me.”

Aoey said with a sparkle in her eyes.

“Now it's my turn to give you unbearable pain!”

 ᴛʜɪʀᴛʏ-ɴɪɴᴇ
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

Because Aoey said that I wasn't relieved and that I still loved her, it made
me so nervous that I had to drag her future boyfriend to take me to the hotel
as soon as possible. Her feeling of revenge was so destructive. I never knew
what she would do.nAll the way back, Ten tried to be nice to me. I noticed
some flirtatiousness underneath that. I happened to deal with a guy like this
before, so I figured it out.

“We go to lunch from time to time. I wanted to be your friend.”

“Yes, sure. Bring Aoey with you. I think she should be better after we talk.
You will have a healthy girlfriend soon.”

“I'm worried about her. She didn't talk much when she was with me. It
seems like she has so many things inside her that she tries to hide them. She
is close to you. I want to know about her through you.”

I smiled and realized how cunning this guy was, only I, not an innocent
young girl, would not be his victim. How could she choose this boy? I
could imagine that she would be a mother raising her son alone while this
guy was out hunting for a 53-year-old girl.

“Why are you going to marry her if you don't know her that well?”

“I like it. I wanted to marry her.”

I sighed. I didn't understand his logic. How could you marry a girl just
because you liked her? He could feel that her was feeling dry. How could
someone who was about to get married give off such a boring vibe?

“My mom and Aoey's mom are friends. At that time, Aoey needed a
psychologist, so my brother, who is a psychologist, put her through the
treatment process. My mom and my family love her. My family wants to
take care of her. We want to do it. I don't want her to think that she is alone
in the world.

"So you're going to marry her?"

“I do not care about that. She's beautiful and I like her."

The driver turned to me with a flirtatious smile.

“But it seems like I like someone else now.”

“You're going to marry my best friend, and now you're flirting with me.”

I stated the fact frankly. The guy was openly a womanizer, but he wasn't
your typical cheap womanizer. He was a onenof a kind womanizer of
his.

“I wanted to be happy. I never liked anyone. I wanted to fall in love.”

I looked at him but I began to understand. I once felt like this. This made
me more open to him because I saw myself in him. It was me before I saw
Aoey.

“That's why you're bored. I understand.”

“Were you like that?”

“Yes, I looked for someone who made me feel encouraged. But I

wasn't trying to get married for that reason. If you don't love her,
marrying her won't help.”

“What happens now? Are you feeling that now?”

I didn't answer that question. I just gave him a smile and looked out the
window. When it's time, love will eventually come. And it could come
in
the wrong sense like loving someone you shouldn't love. I hated that kind of
twisted love.
Once I got to the hotel, all I did was lie down on the bed, the same as Aoey
did. Since our meeting, I was sure that I was still in love with her. She
tortured me as she kept counting until her wedding day. Aoey was about to
marry a lonely boy who was still looking for love. He was just like me in
the past.

I sat down and thought of a plan. Aoey shouldn't marry him, but what
reason should I give her? The wedding date was approaching and I was the
one who had to get as far away as possible; Otherwise, I would look bad. I
thought of someone...

“Do you want me to tell Aoey not to get married? Why don't you ask me to
marry her?”

“I laughed with a sarcastic tone.

“I gave her money. I took care of her. I took you to the border. Now you
want me to ruin her wedding.”

“Because you are the most credible person.”

I visited Tod at the hospital where he was an intern. He looked good and
mature in his white. uniform. He was a foul-mouthed doctor who looked
great.

“I can't let her marry him, not the boy who just flirted with me.”

“That's what she chose. What can we do? Why don't you finish the wedding
yourself?”

“What will people think of me?”

"Are you thinking about that and asking me to do that for you?" Oh!
Darling... what a bitch!”

He was still the same foul-mouthed man. Damn! no one could really help
me.
“Gen....don't worry too much about Aoey. You did the best you could,”

"You don't want me to worry about her. Why are you asking me to go to
the wedding anyway? You want me to see if she's happy. Now I saw that
she won't be happy.”

“I told you to see, not do something. Your job is to be there, put up money
for the blessing, see that they get married and that's it.”

*I could not do it.”

“You marry her yourself. That is the solution.”

Speaking of getting married, I had a flashback of carrying Aoey and she

whispered in my ear, "Let's get married." I smiled at my memory. Tod
kicked my shin and woke me up.

"Why the hell are you smiling?" For nothing,"

I sighed.

“I'll make a war on her about the wedding, but if it doesn't work, you'll have
to interfere. I couldn't see her fail in her marriage.”

“I want to see you handle the matter.”

Tod seemed to be enjoying this.

"Are you thinking I'm trying to get her back?"

“Is it not like this?”

“I couldn't do that. First, she already hates me.”

I thought about my bad letter to her.

“Second, I can't ask her to be with someone like me.”

“She may not agree with that. She may be waiting for you to do something
to get back together.”

“You are carrying out a legal process regarding copyright. She definitely
doesn't want to get back together.”

I laughed at our twisted faith. I was the one who wished the best for her but
I had to play the worst role in her life. But it might be better than doing
nothing. I had to warn her about that! I couldn't believe that in one day I
had already made a dinner date with Aoey.. The eye candy didn't answer
my calls at least the first 3 times. When I had given up and stopped calling,
she called again and agreed to meet when I told her I had to talk to her. She
showed up 2 hours later. She could only remind myself that I hurt her even
more. Just let it go.......But that was too much. I hated it when people didn't
respect other people's time!

“I'm sorry. I just woke up an hour ago. I worked on a novel last night.”

I looked at my watch and tried to smile. If it wasn't her, I wouldn't be

smiling.

“Alright. I'm happy that you're here..”

“You no longer wear your Patek Philip watch.”

Aoey looked at my watch curiously. I quickly lowered my hand.

“No, not really. It doesn't really go with my clothes. I changed my

style.” “You were so proud of your watch. Is your dad okay if you don't

use it?” “You remember so many details about me.”

I smiled and was impressed that she never forgot about me. The sweet eyes
looked at me and smiled. I felt a soft touch on my legs. Her bare feet
touched me seductively. This sexy kitten was trying to test my patience.

“I remember a lot about you. every corner…”

"Let's talk about something else."

I politely removed the leg and got straight to the point.

“I want to talk about your wedding.”

“What's up with that?”

I could still feel her leg gently rubbing my leg playfully. I bit my lip and let
it go.

“I don't think Ten is the guy for you. Don't marry him.”

“You surprised me. You can't stand someone touching me, eating me like
you did.”

“Focus on what I said.”

I closed my eyes and tried to be patient. What she was trying to do was
actually worked for me, I was so sensitive right now.

“Ten will take off my clothes one by one and kiss me all over... Do you
think he's as good as you?”

Aoey rested her chin on her hand and looked at me.

“I still remember the last day before you left. You did it very well. I gave
you 10 out of 10.”

“Hey…”

“I always thought that men are scary after my bad experience. But when I
had you, you were the best thing in my life because you made me very
happy. Now I wonder if it would be the same to sleep with men besides my
stepfather.”

My heart was beating faster from the pain. Aoey was so good at inflicting
pain on me. That must be her ability to write. She was so good at it.
“Men also have fingers and tongues. They can give me pleasure. They also
have that thing that naturally gives women pleasure. I need to be more open
about it.”

“Please stop…”

I almost grabbed my heart because it could fall into pieces. I had to change
the subject at that moment.

“Please don't get married. Do it for me. Ten is not the guy for you. You
still have more time to look for someone who really suits you.”

“I can marry Ten, or any boy. It doesn't matter,"

Aoey shrugged. She didn't seem to care at all.

“What does that mean?”

“I meant what I just said. I can marry anyone, anyone but you!”

“Why did you do this to take revenge for your own life? Getting married is
no small matter,"

I sighed weakly.

“Now you're famous. You have a good life. You should marry a good man
who suits you.”

“I'm lucky to have Ten after my mother's ex-husband fucked me.”

“Hey!”

I shook my leg and screamed angrily. Her soft eyes seemed excited to see
my reaction.

“Stop doing this to yourself.”

“What?! I'm serious.”

"Then why are you getting married? Are you trying to get back at me?”

“Works? Do I make you angry?”

“No, not even a little.”

That was a big lie. I didn't know if she could tell, but I did my best to hide
my feelings.

“Our relationship ended a long time ago. I only wish the best for you. I just
told you frankly what I think. I'm telling you this because I was your close
friend.”

She just smiled back at me and seemed to belittle my friendship.

“Close friend... I appreciated that word a long time ago.”

“But you don't believe anything I said now.”

I clenched my fist tightly and felt sad for having seen her at that moment. I
knew I was the only one in the world she would never listen to. I shouldn't
do it. She leaned in her chair and smiled like a winner. I couldn't argue
with her.

“Yes, I wouldn't believe anything you say. Even though hell was in front of
me and you told me not to enter it. I would.”

“Are you worried about me? Worry about me? It worries you that I might
be in pain,"

She said with a vengeful tone and looked at me like a winner.

“If you're worried about me, I'll keep doing it. I will make you feel the pain
that I felt.”

“Hey.”

“It is none of your business. I will marry whoever I want.”

"I'll make you worry to death. Go to hell!”
 ғᴏʀᴛʏ
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

I had been in Thailand for almost a week. I was full of emotions. I was
happy to see my ex girlfriend who I hadn't seen in a long time. It hurt me to
know that she hated me so much. But I felt happy more than sad, despite
her hatred. I was happy to see her grow up and become a successful adult.
Now that I had seen that she was happy, I should go back... right? This
morning, my mom called me from Macau. I assumed my mom knew where
Tod was. My mom's complaints made my ears numb.

“Thailand is not safe for you. Even if you have changed your first and last
name. It's still not safe for you. Come back now!”

I looked at the passport in my hand and laughed. At that time, I left

Thailand secretly. And I needed a new name to return to. I didn't know how
my dad did it, but I got a new identity, a new name, a new passport… But I
was Aoey's bad old bitch… Tod visited me that day at the hotel. He went
up to my room and lay down on my bed lazily. He was a very busy person,
but he always had time for me.

“I don't want you to feel alone. You have no friends

here." Tod leaned on his elbow and looked at me. -

“How is it possible that you don't have friends? You must be so bad that no
one would want to see you. But once you had a friend, you made her your
girlfriend.”

“Silly.”
I crossed my arms over my chest.

“I'm thinking about returning to Macau.”

“Aren't you going to wait for the wedding?... You couldn't bear to see
Aoey announce on stage that she will marry that man. You don't want to
know about her love story.”

I did not say anything. I assumed that was how I felt. But one more thing
was that I thought I caused her pain too. Every time she looked at me! I
could see the pain in her eyes.

“Arguably. I think I should go. At least now I know how good she is doing.”

“What! You've just arrived. We haven't gone anywhere together. We have to

go somewhere first.”

“How are you going to do that? I've barely seen you since I've been here...
other than when you wanted to watch my drama.”

The handsome boy laughed and waved.

“Ok, that's my fault... about our company…”

He rolled his eyes before continuing to say.

“Our company…”

"I'll never get used to that."

Tod talked about a publishing company he created to publish Aoey's book.

He was doing very well, even though traditional media was dying, but
people turned to the Internet to read for free.

“Our company will have an excursion trip for writers.”

“But there is only one writer, Aoey.”

“Silly, we have more than 10 writers in the company. I wanted to thank
you for helping us in our success. You should join too because first, I
wanted to hang out with you. Second, you are the owner of the company.”

“What a headache. I don't know anything about this company.”

“That 100,000 baht. Come on! Let's just go... you should see Thailand
before you go.”

“Bored.”

“Think of it as a date with Aoey. Did you ever take her on a trip, other than
when you ran away?”

“What persuasion!”

I sighed and agreed to go because I wanted to go with Aoey... One last

time. Well. a vacation before leaving Thailand. How much profit did
the
company make? I could take more than ten writers to a luxury hotel like
that.....I hid behind a pillar in a corner of the hotel. Tod crossed his
arms
over his chest and shook his head at me.

“You seem to enjoy hiding in a corner lately. Where is my confidant

Genlong?”

I rolled my eyes when I heard that. Now I feel bad because I decided to go
there.

"She'll call me nosy again."

I have nothing to do with this outing, but here I am.

“But it's your company.”

“She doesn't know that.”

“Today she will know.”

“What?!”
I looked at him excited.

“This is not what we agreed upon. I didn't come here to tell

everyone that I'm a partner in the publishing house.”

“You won't say it, but I will.”

“No.”

“Can you stop me?”

Tod dragged me to sit at a table where the writers were sitting. Aoey sat
next to Ten and looked at me in surprise. Every time our eyes met, I
saw sadness, depression, and a feeling of revenge there. The look in her
eyes made me want to fly back to Macau.

"Why is she here, Tod?"

Aoey couldn't bear it, so she asked Tod in an annoyed tone.

"I thought you'd be happy to see her here. You were eager to date her in the
past.”

“Go out?”

Ten heard the word and turned around in surprise. It wasn't a vocabulary
you used with friends. I quickly tried to be playful with the words.

“We call it a date when we go out. We dress up to look pretty.”

“She is our great partner in the company.”

She stiffened when she heard that. Her soft eyes looked at Tod as if she had
been betrayed all her life.

“I have to leave the company then because I couldn't work like that.”

She got up angry. All the writers who were chatting were now silent. Now
the atmosphere of the outing changed completely. I felt so bad for being
there.

“You don't have to go. I will go. Just eat your food.”

“No.”

“Hey.”

“I said I can't work with her.”

“Sit down.”

“No, why would I listen to you?”

“Do what I told you!”

My strong tone made Aoey stop and tense as if she were cursed. The
smaller girl stared at me. We both looked into each other's eyes until she
finally sat down. All of her eyes were on me because they were stunned
that I had just appeared and I was already very overbearing. Ten smiled as
if he was impressed that I could tell Aoey what to do. Tod looked at me and
made a gesture for applause and told everyone to continue eating.

“Don't worry. They are friends. Let's continue eating.”

“I want to go for a walk. Excuse me.”

I apologized and left the table because I didn't want to be the center of
attention. I was sure I would become a topic of gossip later that night. I
should have believed my instinct. I shouldn't have gone there and returned
to Macau. I had just bullied Aoey in front of so many people. The sweet
eyes must have hated me even more. It was very hot but the sea breeze
relieved the heat somehow. While I was alone thinking, I heard a low,
familiar voice from behind.

“Hey! Can I speak to you?”

I didn't like Ten following me there. I shouldn't make it too obvious that he
was interested in me. I didn't want Aoey to see that, damn it!
“Why are you here? You should be with Aoey.”

“Aoey doesn't want to talk to anyone. I wanted to talk to you.”

“Please don't flirt with me. I'm not interested. I'm sorry,"

I rejected him outright. My eyes and my gestures were shown very

obviously. Ten laughed.

“A woman like that is super strong. You must reject hundreds of men. You
do it with so much strength and naturalness.”

“Especially if you will be my friend's husband in the future. I really don't

want to get tangled.”

“Did you tell Aoey that I like you?”

His direct question made me wonder. Should I be asking myself that? But
what the hel...I didn't want to be friends with him anyway.

“Yes, did she tell you?”

“Not really. I understood that you warned your friend about me. Are you
trying to ruin my wedding?”

“Yes, I don't think you're husband material. Sorry, I have to be direct.”

“To be honest, I feel good that you're trying to stop the wedding. Because
I'm not sure if I want to get married either. I don't mind marrying her, much
less having sex with her, but I'm not entirely sold on her. I'm sure you
understand me.”

“If so, why do you still want to marry her? Do you think it's a joke?”

“I pity her. At least if I can't be a good husband, I can be her friend.”

I understood his logic, but I couldn't accept that anyway. That marriage
was for Aoey to have a family because she had no one left in the country.
Marriage was a way to find a life-long partner,but it shouldn't be without
love...

“You can be friends without getting married.”

"Why don't you stay with her then? If you really don't want her to get
married.”

I felt stunned.....It was a direct and simple question that I didn't know how
to answer. Although it was true, why didn't I stay with her if I wanted her
to have friends?

“I can not stay.”

"Then don't stop me. Let me marry her and be her friend.”

"Don't sleep with her then."

“No way, I'm a human being. She is beautiful. If we're in bed together, how
can I stop that?”

Ten and I look at each other. He was actually a simple guy, a good guy.
My only problem was that he was Aoey's future husband and I was her
anonymous ex-girlfriend. What a complex relationship!

"What are you two talking about?"

Aoey said from afar while Ten and I looked into each other's eyes. There
was a slight anger in her tone. She looked at us both suspiciously.

“Nothing, I saw her alone, so I'm just keeping her company.”

"You shouldn't do this."

Aoey walked towards us and grabbed Ten's arm.

“What would others think about this?”

“You are jealous?”

Ten laughed and followed Aoey back. He turned around and said goodbye.
I put my hands in my pockets. My eyes followed Aoey. She realized that
her boyfriend was flirting with me. That couldn't be a married couple. I
suddenly felt insecure. Aoey didn't look very stable. I thought they might
have a fight after she saw us talking. I didn't like Ten though, but I didn't
want to be the reason they fought. I should help clean the air. I ran after
them like a good friend, but my legs froze once I saw the unexpected scene.
Aoey's arms were around Ten's neck. She pulled her face down for a
passionate kiss. I froze and felt a sharp, deep pain in my heart. I grabbed my
chest as if it had really been cut. Pain... so much pain..

In that split second, as I stood there, my eyes were filled with tears, I saw
her eyes looking at me.. She saw me.. That's what she meant when she said
he wanted to torture me and she did. I only had two options at that
moment, I could stand there and look at them and pretend like I didn't feel
anything or I could just walk away. Her mission was to inflict as much pain
on me as she could. It could get out of control. Finally, I decided to stand
there and watch them, pretending like I didn't care.

Go ahead and do what you want to do. I would lick my wound in silence
alone. Aoey... you would never see me weak. You should know me better.

“Aham!”

Tod interrupted. The kissing couple stopped. The handsome boy looked at
the three of us.

“The beach atmosphere here is very pleasant. Couples love it here.”

Ten and Aoey held hands and walked towards him. They seemed a little
embarrassed. But I pretended I didn't feel anything.

“I have no one at all. Poor me.”

“You're the luckiest.”

We all looked baffled by his statement, especially me.

"There."

John appeared from a corner with a large bouquet of white flowers. He

waved at me while I was stunned to see him. His charming gaze made the
beauty of the sea seem to fade away..

“Hello Kate. Surprise!”

“John!”

Tod looked at Aoey and spoke loudly so everyone could hear,

"How's your surprise? I called a guy for whom you spread your legs. What
a sweet atmosphere! Couples everywhere.

Damn! What a bummer!a

 ғᴏʀᴛʏ-ᴏɴᴇ
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

Now we were back in the dining room. But everyone was outside doing
their own things like taking photos, walking and talking. John and I hadn't
eaten anything, so we agreed to do it. Aoey and Ten were also there
although I didn't know why. That was Tod's plan. He planned to have us all
together in that tense atmosphere..

"So you have a boyfriend,"

Ten said casually.

"I actually thought you might have had it, but you acted like you were
single."

I smiled but I didn't admit, reject or say anything to make them understand
our relationship. Aoey now looked at John all the time.

“What do you think, Aoey? Is Gen's boyfriend hot?”

Her light brown eyes turned to Tod and glared at him, but she quickly
buried them.

“Get along. I was always curious what her boyfriend would look like. I just
knew that she likes beautiful eyes.”

A memory flashed in my head. She never really forgot anything. The more
she remembered, the more vengeful she felt...
“Yes, that's right.”

I followed the comment and tried to boast a little about John, although I
didn't really feel anything.

“He is handsome, he has good leadership, smart, he is only 30 years old but
he has ten million in his bank account. He has a business with more than
100 workers.”

“But you prefer followers... in everything.”

Aoey and I looked into each other's eyes and I nodded.

“He is also a good follower. He always spoils me, anything I ask him is
fine.”

“So you spread your legs for him.”

His sarcastic statement made everyone nervous. Only John still didn't
understand the language and I was grateful for that.

“Yes, it's good to sleep with a man who only lets me get my way..”

silence.....Everyone was aware of the tension between Aoey and me.

Until
the soft eyes turned her face away from me. Why did I do that? For fun?
Pain would follow. I didn't think it was worth it.

“What are you talking about?”

John asked me in English. I didn't want anyone to understand us, so I

switched to Chinese, which I was also good at.

“Of you. I told them about your work. I'm bragging about you.”

“Don't tell them anything too scary. I don't want to be

misunderstood.
Thailand is still not open to the idea of a Casino. They may not like it.”

“You have nothing to be afraid of. I only see the pretty part of you.”
"Why don't you marry me then? I asked you so many times.”

I smiled flirtatiously back. She didn't know why I was flirting with him. It
could be the pain In felt for Aoey.

“Try again. I might agree this time. I'm bored of being single."

I looked at Aoey.

“My friend is also getting married. I'm jealous.”

“Why don't we do it now?”

Our conversation between giggles that no one understood seemed like a

love scene in a foreign movie. However… someone surprised me with a
comment.

“Are you about to accept his marriage proposal?”

Here she said. I quickly turned to the person. I spoke Chinese. How could
she understand that?

“Do you understand?”

“I Studied. I'm not very good at it, but I understand the topic. Did I
understand correctly?”

Aoey quickly got up. She could no longer maintain good manners. Her
gentle eyes seemed to be very upset. She stood up and simply left the table.

“Is she okay?”

John asked when he saw Ten follow Aoey. Tod looked at the whole situation
and smiled. He seemed satisfied.

“That was nice and you're good too.”

Tod held up a glass of water as if to encourage. sarcasm returned with

sarcasm.
“Fool.”

Then it was the end of the conversation. Now John was lying on my bed
relaxing. I looked at the handsome boy and smiled. He surprised me how he
could find time to fly here for me.

“Why would I own a business if I can't ask my people to work for me? I
also need time for myself. You are my happiness.”

He was always a sweet talker. But he was always polite, even though he
was authoritarian with his workers. My father was also a partner in the
casino, so we were on the same level.
Good.....

"Did you really mean it about marrying me?"

The handsome boy got out of bed and approached me from the back. I stood
by the window and enjoyed the view. I was scared when he approached
silently.

“I'm making my decision.”

“That's not nice. You gave me hope and now you say you're

thinking.” The bigger guy hugged me from behind and kissed my

head lovingly. “I'm crazy in love with you.”

“What do I have? You have so many women approaching you.”

“Those women want something from me but you don't.”

“I have what you have. I don't know why I would need more.”

“However, you never used your father's money. You make your money,
that impressed me...it made me fall in love.”

I turned around and looked at the cute boy. I had sex with him once and I
didn't think it would work. Would I feel the same again this time? I
should
try again.....When our lips were about to touch, the front door bell rang. I
retreated from where John was and wasn't sure how I felt. It was a relief
that we were on hiatus, but too bad I hadn't figured out how I felt about it.
But what surprised me, even more, was someone at the door.

“Hi, what are you doing?”

Tod and Aoey were there and tried to look into the room. John greeted
them even though he must have been upset. Damn. that was close.

“We're talking. What's happening?”

“I wanted to sleep here and John sleeps in my room.”

“Oh?”

I looked at Aoey, who was now hiding behind Tod like a child who just did
something bad. She avoided my eyes, without speaking.

“You're Thai. You shouldn't sleep with a man in the same

room.” “Are you also worried about something like that?”

I smiled. Of course, the guy shook his head..

“No I do not. Aoey yes.”

I looked into the sweet eyes and smiled, but still tried to keep all the
excitement.

“No, John can sleep here.”

Aoey immediately looked at me in disbelief. She seemed angry and

disappointed at the same time, so I quickly made up an excuse.

“I'll go sleep in Aoey's room, so you don't have to move your things.”

Why would I need an excuse? She seemed relieved, so I walked over to

John and explained everything. She pouted but seemed to understand. He
wanted to continue our episode but, like I said, he was a good follower
whenever he asked.

“Ok, can I kiss you goodnight?”

The charming boy leaned down to kiss me on the mouth. It was normal for
Western culture. Of course, Tod and Aoey saw this. I said goodnight to
John and followed Aoey to her room without saying anything. A tense
atmosphere surrounded us after Tod left. We were both quiet but Aoey
finally broke the silence.

“You two seem to be in love.”

“Are we too obvious?”

I responded casually because I knew it was a sarcastic comment.

“I have to tell you to be less obvious.”

“How long have you been dating him?”

Now she dropped all the sarcasm and curiously asked me about the details
like a long lost friend trying to catch up.

“We have been friends since I moved to Macau, almost 3 years ago.”

“It was the same period in which we separated. How good is it to be

Genlong? You immediately had a rebound when we separated.”

“I'm going to take a shower.”

I ended the conversation abruptly. I didn't want to go into details. Because

then I would have to tell her that I met John because he had depression
after I broke up with her. I needed someone to replace her, but deep down I
knew that no one could replace her. Nobody After I finished showering,
she
came into the bathroom. I got dressed and got ready for bed.
I went to sleep immediately. Not know what to do. That was the first
night we slept together in the same bed again. I couldn't be too close to
her but I couldn't be too cold either, so I decided to sleep. Once I left the
bathroom
and got ready, I turned off the light. I told myself to close my eyes, but my
brain wouldn't follow. I was so excited... like the first day, we shared a bed.

“You're sleeping now?”

Said her sweet voice behind me. I didn't answer because I didn't know what
to say. I had to process every sentence I said to her because if I missed
something, we could end up in a fight. Tell me! Damn...

“No.”

"I knew you were still awake. This is the first night we've shared a bed
in three years.”

We had the same

idea. “Are not you

sleepy?” “ You?”

“Yeah”

“How can you close your eyes every night?”

The little girl was lying on her side next to me, with her back to me. She
said it while she was complaining to herself.

“In the last 3 years, did you ever miss me? Miss me sleeping next to you?”

“What do you want me to tell you, Aoey?”

“The truth.”

“I thought about you but I didn't miss you.”

I lied... There wasn't a night that I didn't miss her. When I slept on her side,
I always imagined that she was lying next to me. Some nights I cried and
some others I kissed the pillows and said goodnight. I wanted her to
know...
but I couldn't say it now. What was the point now, she was about to get
married in a couple of days.

“But I miss you.”

I bit my lip patiently. She was so direct while I hurt her by telling her that I
didn't miss her. She confessed to me that she missed me. Or did she want
me to feel guilty?

“Go to sleep.”

“OK.”

Aoey responded by turning around and hugging my waist. Her small hand
was on my shirt. Now she was testing how patient I was. Damn! I said
sleep, not get excited.

“Can you really see me getting married?”

“I already told you not to do it but you don't listen. What can I do now?”

“But I wanted to hurt you.”

“Do you see that he hurt me? No I'm not. Why do you do it then?”

“I know you're in pain, but I still need to test you... are you wearing
underwear?”

Her little hand moved higher and higher. He touched me wherever she
wanted, but I took a deep breath and tried to remove her hand.

“Go to sleep.”

"I can't stand knowing that you had sex with that man."

Her hand now moved to my waist and pinched my skin angrily. She hurt me
but I didn't cry.
“How did you do that? Didn't you think about me when you slept with
him?”

“Go to sleep.”

"Help me sleep... you can do it."

She brought her face close to my ears and bit it gently.

“Eat me.”

I sat up to stop everything and got out of bed. I grabbed my robe and tried
to walk out the door.

“Where are you going?”

“Going to walk.”

"You don't want to be alone with

me." The sweet eyes smiled defiantly.

“You're losing to me now.”

Losing was always my weak point. I looked at her and sighed.

“Ok, I'm losing.”

I finished the sentence and walked out, ignoring her. I needed to calm that
sexual urge. Damn! She was so good at this. She just wanted to spin my
head and get married. Since when was she so defiant?

“I'll go too.”

Her voice called from behind, I took a bigger step to flee. She slipped
through an elevator door and stood next to me.

“Do not follow me. I want to be alone now.”

“No, you're hot now. You could do something stupid.”

The elevator door opened. I took even bigger steps trying to run away

“No. I won't.”

“I do not trust you. You spread your legs for John once, you can do it again
for sure.”

“What are you doing?”

I told her angrily. She ran to my side because she tried to keep up.

“I don't want you to go to John.”

“I won't do that.”

“I don't believe you.”

“If I do that, what is your problem? He's my boyfriend anyway.”

“But that impulse is for me. If you want to relieve it, you have to use it on
me.”

It was crazy. What kind of conversation was this? I knew she was a writer,
but what she said was very passionate. I covered my ears and walked away
towards the front. The little girl ran and cut in front of me. Now she stopped
me from moving forward.

“Stop walking. I will follow you wherever you go.”

“Because you follow me? Because you did? Don't you remember that you
hate me so much!”

I yelled. She tried to seduce me!

“I miss you.”

“And the feeling is so strong.”

Her tone changed immediately. From a ferocious cat to a little kitten that I
used to hug years ago. I could feel her sadness and loneliness in every word
she said. I almost lost to her. No...I had to fight the urge. She was about to
get married and my boyfriend was inside the room waiting for me to be his
bride.

“Aoey... you're about to get married.”

"I don't want any more."

The little girl grabbed my shirt like a child getting attention.

“Once I saw you again, I knew I don't want to get married. I do not love you
anymore.”

“I want to be with you, Gen. You are my vitamin for happiness.”

“Aoey.”

I couldn't take it anymore.

“I never forgot about us. When we were together, when I cut your nails in
the bathroom, when we fought with the bird, when you got drunk on vodka,
your memories are everywhere.”

“I only have you all the time. My emotions, my impulses are back for you.
Don't you feel the same?”

Her sweet and tender voice made my heart beat fast. Finally, she said the
key word I was willing to give up everything.

“My Gen.”

Fuck it!

“My Aoey.”

I pulled her body closer to mine and pressed my lips against her. Aoey was
surprised, but then wrapped both of her arms around my neck. We kissed
for a long time. The movement of our tongues, our breathing deeper and
faster, and our hands moving to all the places I wanted to explore. I wanted
to devour her. I couldn't take it anymore!
 ғᴏʀᴛʏ-ᴛᴡᴏ
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

Aoey and I were now like two travelers who had been traveling for a long
time. We were both our source of water. The thirstier she was, the more I
wanted to gobble it down. We forgot that we were on a walkway outside
the hotel. I heard footsteps approaching and that's when we stopped. A
hotel worker walked by and we pretended nothing was wrong even though
our hair and face said otherwise. After the stranger passed, we looked at
each other and decided if we should continue. Finally, Aoey gestured for us
to return to the hotel.

“We should go back.”

“Ok.”

“Come on.”

“Lead the way.”

The smaller girl took a step in front of me but continued to look back
seductively. My heart was beating faster as I tried to keep up. We were so
excited that we hurriedly ran to get to the room as quickly as we could. If
we could... Get to the room. Why did we need an elevator? Why do we
stay on the eighth floor? Why did I go down at the beginning?

"Can we do it in an elevator?"

Aoey asked. I looked around and saw the CCTV. I shook my head.
“No, there is a camera.”

“Why do I feel so excited? Do you feel the same?”

“Yes.”

“Why aren't you talking?”

I looked into the sweet eyes and said candidly like never before.

“I'm so hot.”

The elevator told us we were now on the eighth floor. Aoey led the way out
of the elevator and ran towards the room, but she still pulled my hands to
follow her. We stopped at the front of our room, but Aoey couldn't find her
key card. She nervously searched her bag but still couldn't find it. I had to
help her search everywhere in her purse and pockets. We finally found it
and slid the card inside with our shaking hands. We looked like two drug
addicts.It clicked!

Once the door opened, the lights turned on in the room. We looked at each
other for 3 seconds, Aoey and I jumped on each other and kissed
passionately. The little girl, worried that I might disappear, wrapped her two
legs around me tightly. Her lips kissed me softly all over and she whispered
in my ears the whole time.

“My Gen.”

We still couldn't get to bed. I pushed her body against the door and bit her
soft neck and shoulders. I ripped her tight little t-shirt. We were at the
dance that led us to our impulse of nature when the doorbell rang. Aoey
pinched my arm.

“Do not open.”

“OK.”

We both continued hugging and kissing each other, but the bell kept
ringing. We should check who it is.
“No, I can't wait any longer, Gen. Now is not the time.”

Now I was wondering who would be at the door. There could be an

emergency. I finally stopped and fixed my shirt and hair. The little girl
couldn't contain her agitation when I opened the door.

“Tod.”

“What are you doing?”

The handsome boy appeared at 11 pm. He looked at us and sniffed.

“There is a smell…”

“What a smell…”

I answered reluctantly. I wish it would go away now.

“The smell of love but how is it possible if you two hate each other.”

“Now we are sleepy. Can you go?”

Aoey said, trying to throw him out. Tod was surprised and looked at me
curiously as I supported her comment.

“We're going to bed now... very sleepy.”

“Oh really?! I thought we could chat. I'm leaving then.”

“Good.”

I forced him out of the room and slammed the door in his face. Of course,
we both quickly jumped on each other. But...

Ding Dong!

The bell continued to ring. Aoey and I closed our eyes angrily. I finally
opened the door and found Tod again. This time Aoey and I said at the same
time with an angry voice.
“What the hell…”

“Wow, you two must be angry.”

Tod started to feel guilty because neither of us smiled.

“I'm just going to tell you that I have to go first. There is an emergency at
the hotel. If I don't see you tomorrow…”

I closed the door in his face. Aoey took off her clothes showing her bare
skin. She showed me a seductive smile. We both exchanged words that we
used to excite each other.

“Eat me. Eat me now.”

I took off my shirt and pressed her chest down and said in a low and sexy
tone.

“Where should I start?”

“My best part.”

I nibbled on her chest and took a deep breath to absorb her sweet smell. She
always smelled so good. Her body and my body temperature were now
elevated.

“This is not the best part... no.”

Aoey said with difficulty breathing.

“Come on! give it to me.”

Low! Low!

The little girl grabbed my hair and pushed my head down. I followed her
naturally, I knew I couldn't wait any longer.

“Ahhhhhhh....”
“My Aoey.”

The moment I finished the sentence. Aoey's entire body tensed. She raised
her head to look at me and gasped. I looked at the girl suspiciously and
licked my own finger and stuck it in...

“No, I haven't finished.”

“Oh....”

“Here I am.”

Aoey's body tensed once again as I invaded her, my familiar place. The
little girl bit her lip and moaned in her throat. She grabbed my hair tightly.

“It's really you....Gen.”

I felt the same as her. I approached and kissed her on the chin while my
hand was still on the same place.

“It's you....”

3 years had passed. I missed those moments....the moment when we

whispered love in each other's ears and covered each other in our own
sweat. Then we talked about what felt good and what no. How we liked it
and how we prefer it. We were both lovers and friends who could talk
about anything.
I thought I would never have this again...our old days were back.

“Did you miss me?”

She said with difficulty breathing and wrapped her arms around my neck.

“Did you miss me, Gen?

She said as her hand moved lower.

“Let my body tell you that.”

I moved my finger up at a certain angle that I knew was her weak point and
it worked every time.

“You never forgot what makes me happy.”

Aoey pulled me in and hugged me tight. I remembered the rhythm, the

movement and how she liked it. I could tell where she was now. I was sure
she was about to cum, so I stopped.

“Do not make fun of me..”

“I don't want this night to end too quickly.”

“Don't worry.”

The little girl raised her head and bit my lower lip. This kitten knew well
what worked for me.

“I won't let this night end too soon.”

I got lost in desire. After going through the whirlwind, my emotion was
released. I sat there and felt guilty for not stopping and here we were up to
this point. We weren't drunk or anything. It was pure loneliness and desire
that brought us to that moment. It all started at 11 at night and continued
until 8 in the morning. We stopped to rest from time to time, but when we
looked at each other, it would start again. Now we were both exhausted. I
looked at Aoey who was now sleeping. I shouldn't have let that happen. I
tried a lot, but once I heard the magic word ‘My Gen’. I immediately lost
myself in lust. And now it was time to pay.

I got up to take a shower. The person next to me who I thought was

sleeping, pulled my arms. She tried to open her eyes and called me by my
name.

“My Gen.”

Again....

“Yes.”
“Where are you going?”

“Shower.”

“It's only 8 o'clock. Why are you in such a hurry?”

The sweet eyes attracted me and rolled about me.

“I'm still hungry.”

“Aren't you tired?”

I looked at her with surprise. I saw a smile at the corner of her mouth. She
nibbled my neck.

“I've tried but it's not me who works, it's you.”

“Don't you think I'm tired too?”

“Don't you want to hear my moan? It's your favorite noise.”

The sweet eyes seduced me again and it always worked.

“Eat me.”

I could never get out of bed..... I lost again 11 am.....

It was time to get up. Aoey seemed to have enough at that moment. I
watched as she stood up and walked to the shower with a towel wrapped
around her. I was exhausted and could have fallen asleep standing up at that
point. I probably used too much energy. As I dozed, I heard a noise next to
my ear, followed by a playful bite.

“Wake up!”

“Oh!”

I blinked and looked at Aoey wearing a long-sleeved shirt. It seemed fresh

even though we did it all night.
“Have you finished showering?”

“Yes, it's your turn to shower. It will wake you up.”

I walked to the shower like she said and looked at myself in the mirror. I
was shocked to see that my neck halfway was full of bite marks. She was
pretty hard on me last night. I hadn't entered the shower when Aoey
opened the bathroom door and entered. She looked at me with a smile.

“That was my work on your body.”

The sweet eyes hugged me from behind and made eye contact in the mirror.

“If you plan to sleep with someone else after this, he will see this.”

“Did you plan this?”

"No, not really, but now I feel good that I did it,"

Aoey said as she gently touched my shoulder with her lips. It's like when a
child doesn't want to share ice cream, so she licks the ice cream.

“I licked you last night, are you mine now, Gen?”

“Do you want to possess me? What's the point of owning me?”

“I won't let you be with anyone. You are just mine.”

“Are you mine too then?”

I asked her.

“I licked you too.”

“Do you want to be my owner?”

The little eyes asked and looked at me with curiosity.

“What do you want to do when you possess me?”

“If you are mine. I will ask you not to get married. Would you do that?”

The sweet eyes raised their eyebrows and laughed. The kitten was gone.
Now she was a ferocious cat again.

“Don't be too serious with what I said. It was just a joke.”

Aoey walked away from me and walked towards the bathroom door. She
leaned against the door and chuckled.

“You can't be too serious about last night, can you? It was lust that we
relieved each other. Do you know what I mean?”

I swallowed a lump in my throat when I heard that. I knew what we did last
night wasn't right, but now she made it seem like it was nothing. Last night
we jumped on each other, kissed, and whispered love but nothing was
serious. Was it just me who took it seriously? It made my head turn like it
said it would. She wanted to hurt me to the bone.

“I understand.”

I looked directly at her now.

“I won't be too serious about it. It was just a physical relief. We were both
familiar with each other. It's just that familiarity that set us off. I
understand.”

“That is easy. I like it. One more thing, I couldn't do what you ask anyway.
I'm about to get married. If you mean it, you will be my lover. Can you
handle that?”

“I know that Genlong will not be anyone's love story. You don't want to
lose to anyone. So let's keep it simple. We only sleep together. I gave you
10 out of 10 like the last time you handcuffed me.”

So she was saying it was nothing and I was glad she didn't mean it. I did not
want to lose, so I nodded as if to indicate that I understood.
“I'm glad to know that you're still good at this, although you haven't done it
with women in a long time. I thank John for teaching you so well.”

No, I was calm. I didn't know what she was thinking, so I said something in
return.

“Children lick their ice cream because they don't want to share it with their
friends, but John is different. Even if you or any man licked me all over
my body, John wouldn't really care.”

“That's the advantage of being a Genlong. People love me. Even though
John knew I slept with a girl, he didn't care. Still better than sleeping with
another man.”

Aoey straightened up. Her face changed from happy for victory to sullen
when she heard that.

“You are so confident.”

“Like you last night. You wanted me so much. Even though you're
a woman, think like a man, like John. How could I resist you?”

“I want to test if this is true. Let's see if he still loves me when he sees all
these brands.”

I smiled arrogantly. She looked at me angrily. I told her to leave the room
and treated her like it was nothing important.

“Out of here. I'll take a shower.”

The soft eyes left the room but did not forget to knock on the door. I did not
lose against her, but my heart hurt. It took me almost an hour to shower.
When I was sad, bathing helped me the most. When I came out, she was
gone. She must have been angry or trying to make me feel as useless as a
used tissue that is thrown away when used. I left the room feeling as useless
as she wanted me to feel. I walked back to see John, hoping he could hug
me and make me feel better, but instead I ran into Tod. That was good...
better than John.
“Hey! Why do you look like this?”

“I thought you said you'd be back since last night.”

My eyes were full of tears. I couldn't hold it in anymore. First, he smiled

when he saw me, then he saw my tears and sighed.

“What happened this time?”

“Why are you... here... not in Bangkok?...”

I sobbed and hugged him as if he were my older brother.

“You are here as if you know I need you here.”

“Gen... What happened?”

“It's so painful, Tod. So much pain.”

She was successful in taking revenge. my heart stepped on it. Our sex last
night had maximized the pain even more after years of thinking it would be
okay to deal with it. I wanted to have her again and I wanted her back. I felt
sorry for myself after she treated me like a worthless handkerchief. What
happened last night wasn't real... right?... She told me she loved me...that
didn't mean anything...really?

“What goes around comes around. This is what I have to pay. I don't think I
can handle this... I'm about to die.”

“I'm about to die... please... help me…”

 ғᴏʀᴛʏ-ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

I cried only for a short period of time because I didn't see the point in
dwelling on it. I just released my emotion and that was it. I didn't hold on to
it for long. And I hated myself when I had two swollen eyes. It looked
ugly, didn't it? I wouldn't cry again. Everyone heard my story. I just
sighed and
rubbed my back. I also didn't know what to do to help me feel better.
We had a long history and I decided to get out of the relationship. Today
she took revenge on me. It was reasonable. I just had to bear the result
of my action... that was all...

I understood all the pain she went through. I left her to live with a mother,
who she believed didn't love her, it was like I left her with a total stranger.
When I came back, she wants revenge and made me feel pain. She did
pretty well though. She treated me like a piece of shit.

“I think I should go back to Macau with John.”

John, Tod and I were eating in the hotel lobby. I hadn't eaten anything since
morning because I spent the whole morning with Aoey. I used all my energy
until my body was so weak. John looked at me and devoured the food
quickly. He patted my back adoringly.

“When is John going to leave?”

“He said in another 3 days.”

“So you're not staying for a wedding. It's in a couple of days.”

I gave Tod a sarcastic smile.

“You shouldn't ask.”

The entire time we ate, John gently touched and twisted my hair
obsessively. Tod saw all this and couldn't help but make a comment in
Thai.

“He loves you so much. You should marry him, so you can forget about the
other person.”

“Do you think marrying him will help me forget her?”

I asked him curiously.

"No, I don't think so,"

Tod said and shook his head.

“That is why I am asking.”

“Other people would do it to escape this pain.”

“I wanted to live my life more intelligently. I did so many things wrong.

But I won't miss this. I don't want to hurt a third person.”

“You could just open your legs.”

“I can do much more than that but no, thank you.”

We talked and laughed playfully. John looked back and forth curiously. I
hadn't explained anything to him. Aoey and Ten walked in and stopped at
our table.

“Can we sit with you?”

Usually, Aoey wasn't someone who wanted to hang out with a lot of
people. She probably saw me and wanted to inflict more pain on me, so she
asked me to join the table.
“Sure.”

Tod casually invited her to sit down and asked the waiter for a menu.
Her gentle eyes paid no attention to the menu that was handed to her.
She just looked at John and me in an unfriendly tone.

“She doesn't want me.”

John said while playing with my hair without looking at Aoey. The
foreigner seemed to realize that since yesterday but he didn't want to say
anything.

“What makes you think that?”

“The way she looks at me. He doesn't like me to be too close to you. She is
possessive of you.”

“Speaking English is rude. Speaking another language that people don't

understand.”

Aoey said and looked at me. The way she expressed herself now was
too obvious. She couldn't control herself.

"John said you must be jealous of me. You don't seem to like John.”

Tod translated for me, which made Aoey and I feel uncomfortable. Ten
looked at Aoey and me curiously. The little girl quickly cleared her throat.

“Jealous? I just looked at it. They seem to love each other.”

“I'm kidding. John is talking to Gen about the wedding.”

Tod lied and made everything worse. I slowly reached my hand towards his
under the table and pinched it. He seemed to enjoy this drama.

“Come on Todd.”

“I thought you wanted to know. I just translated for you. Gen will return
to Macau within the next 3 days.”
Aoey seemed surprised when she heard that. She looked at me sadly but I
turned to look away. I was so confused by her reaction. She hated me,
but why did she look sad?

“Why do you leave so soon? Won't you stay for the wedding?”

“You're not the only one who will get married. She is also getting
married soon. She also needs to prepare.”

....

"Isn't it too soon?"

I thought I just proposed to you. Have you already responded?

Aoey was curious. I didn't want to talk about this, so I quickly changed the
subject.

“I'm sorry I can't stay until your wedding. But I'll pass you the money
envelope.”

Aoey quickly got up. She had already forgotten her food. She looked at me
and answered me.

“It depends on you. It doesn't matter if you attend or not. It won't help my
wedding.”

I looked at her as she walked away. I sighed and felt very sad. I felt like she
treated me like a piece of trash. The trip to the beach was over. I returned to
Bangkok and now it was time to return. John and I made an appointment at
Suvarnnabhumi airport 1 hour before departure time. We stayed at a
different hotel, so we didn't hang out. If we stayed too close, I wasn't sure if
I could keep him away from me or not. That was my sensitive moment, it
seemed like I opened up easily to anyone. I finished packing and was ready
to leave. The phone in my hotel room rang. It was a call from outside.
When I picked up the phone, I heard Aoey's voice from the other end and it
didn't sound good at all.

[You leave today?]

We didn't make any contact in the last 3 days. Aoey chose to call me 1
hour before I planned to leave the hotel. Let's see what she will do this
time..

“Yes, I'm leaving today at noon.”

[I'm sick.]

I did not say anything. We were both quiet. To be honest, I didn't

believe her story at all, but I was still curious to know what had
happened to her.

“Did you take the medicine?”

[No. I don't like medicine.]

“You won't get better if you don't take them. You take some medicine and
get some rest. I have to go.

[You can come see me?]

Her demanding tone put a smile on my face. It would bother me if it was

someone else. But Aoey was my kitty who was always unpredictable. She
sounded adorable. Even though she treated me like a piece of trash.

“How can I go? I have to be at the door at least 1 hour before.”

[I'll wait for you. You have to come.]

She hung up the phone and left all the pressure on me. She knew my weak
point. She wasn't that clever, but after 3 years, she was quite the
mastermind. I looked at the watch on my wrist. Although I didn't buy it, I
was worried that she was sick...And in the end... I lost to her. Instead of
going to the airport, I told my taxi to drive in the opposite direction to see
Aoey. She came down to look for me because I was a stranger, I couldn't
go up to her condo. Aoey walked in a t-shirt and shorts. Her glowing skin
and that outfit made me a little hesitant. She was cute Damn! She always
dressed like that before, I wasn't that obsessed.

“What happened?”
After we entered her room, the little girl turned around and looked at me.

“I miss you, Gen.”

I sighed because I was tired of her flirtation. She was most adorable when
she was trying to flirt a couple of years ago. But after 3 years, the innocent
in her was gone.

“I'm here to check if you're okay. It sounds like you are. I'm leaving."

I glanced at my watch John is waiting for me now. The little girl

grabbed my wrist tightly. Her sweet eyes seemed angry when I talked
about John. Wait… .

“Aoey, you are a mature person. If you're okay, I…”

The little girl pulled my neck down for a kiss on the lips. I had more or less
prepared myself for that, so I pushed her away from her.

“Are you rejecting me?”

“It won't work this time. I won't fall for the same trick again. I have to go.”

“My Gen.”

“I'm sorry, Aoey. I have to go.”

I quickly turned around to leave the room. I tried to be strong, but inside I
was very weak. The sweet eyes hugged me from behind and buried her face
in my back.

“Do not go. I want you here with me.”

"I'm here but I have to go now."

“What do I do to make you stay?”

“Nothing because I have to go.”

“You want to eat me?”

“No.”

We looked at each other for a long time that felt like an eternity. Aoey
looked down at the ground. I felt guilty but I didn't know why.

“If I really can't make you stick with sex, that means I really have no value
to you.”

“Why do you say that? You are not just someone who has value only
because of sex.”

“I never had anything, no money, no beauty. The only thing that made you
interested in me was sex. But today you reject me.”

“Please stop my head spinning."

I said and sighed.

“You really hurt me. If you want confirmation, our sex on the beach really
hurt me. You won.”

The soft eyes looked at me with surprise as I admitted it..

“You looked good when you were at the beach.”

“If I didn't feel anything, I wouldn't leave Thailand... It hurts. You have
successfully hurt me."

I gently touched her cheeks lovingly again and again.

“I want to heal my wound. Please let me go.”

“This is your excuse, right?”

Aoey still didn't believe me.

“You just wanted to go see John, so you gave up easily. You love, John so
you sleep with John.”

“Then I love you too because I sleep with you too.”

“That's it. You hurt me. I'm leaving."

I took out an envelope full of money and handed it to her.

“This is for your wedding. Save this for your future.”

“I wish you happiness.”

I opened the door to leave, but was surprised to see Teacher Salee at
the front door, trying to open it. The old woman looked at me surprised
but happy to see me.

“Gen.”

“Master Salee.”

“Where are you going? Stay and chat with me.”

I smiled awkwardly and looked back at the watch on my wrist.

“I really have to go and catch a flight. I'm glad to see you again."

I turned to look at Aoey. She's sick. It's good that you are here. Please take
care of her. Finally I got out and didn't look at her again because I would
never be able to get out if I saw her eyes again. Her gaze invited me to fall
into a trap she set for me. The trap had thorns inside that would pierce me
like a wounded animal. It was strange that I felt good about the trap. But
she was getting married in a couple of days. When I went down to the
lobby, I asked for my luggage at the reception. While I was waiting,
Teacher Salee called me from behind.

“Gen, don't go yet. I have something to return to you..”

Teacher Salee gave me my Patek Philip watch, the one my dad bought me.
I looked at it with surprise because I thought it had been sold for money.

“You didn't sell it.”

“I took it to the pawn shop, but then I paid to get it back when I had enough
money. Luckily I have it with me when I see you now. I would like to
return it to you.”

I took my beloved watch in my trembling hand. I felt like I had regained a

long lost friend. I recognized my proud friend from the past. It was the
symbol of my effort and dedication in reading and passing the exam to enter
university. And it was the symbol of Aoey's success today....

“It's nice to see you again.”

“Thanks for everything. If I hadn't had your help…”

“What do you mean?”

Aoey's voice appeared from behind. She overheard the conversation

between Teacher Salee and me. She didn't get all the details, but
she understood what happened.

“Aoey,"

Teacher Salee called her daughter's name. Aoey looked at her

mother fiercely.

“How did you get Gen's watch?”

“Aoey, don't be noisy.I asked her to have it.”

Suddenly, as I finished my sentence, all the money in the envelope was

thrown in my face. Money flew everywhere. Aoey hit me like crazy.

“What's the matter?”

I used my arms to block her. The little girl kept crying and hitting me.
“You can't do this to me. You leave and you will leave me with all these
guilty feelings. You left me alone for so long and now you tell me that you
secretly helped me all the time to make me feel guilty, right? It's you? Why
do you have to be such a bitch?!”

She kept hitting me. She looked obviously confused and sad. I only
defended myself but did not fight back.

“I'm sorry.”

"You can't pretend to be a bitch and then be nice to me. You made me feel
confused. You can't do this to me. Who's playing who now?”

Aoey hugged me tightly and cried loudly.

“What should I feel now? Do you want me to hate you or love you? Choose
one! Choose one!”

I was surprised and tried to stay calm. Time was running out. I caressed
her back to comfort her, who was now hugging me so tightly as if she was
afraid I might disappear... What should I do? Should she tell her
everything?

“What do you think?”

“It doesn't matter what I think, but I want to know what the hell is going on.
You left me because I didn't have enough money. But you gave your
expensive watch to my mom to sell and you spent it on me. What did you
want? Do you want me to feel guilty until I die?”

I tried to think of an excuse but nothing came out.

“Do you think this will help ease the pain of what you did? Do you think I
will forgive you after you gave me just one watch? You have to be punished
much more than this. You can't go back to Macau. I will not leave you. I
won't do it!”

“What do you want me to do?”

I finally said it. There was nothing I could do to replace what I did3 years
ago.

"I'll do what you want me to do."

“Come to my wedding.”

“Give me at my wedding. Then we will be even.”

 ғᴏʀᴛʏ-ғᴏᴜʀ
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

I lost to her once again. I told John to come back first. I knew that going to
her wedding was the most painful thing I had to do. But I would do it if she
wanted me to. If I could really help… We barely spoke since that day. It
was impossible to contact her because she did not have a cellphone. I heard
that the bride and groom went to a rehearsal, test and other preparation
things. I was wondering if Aoey had bridesmaids like other people. I knew
that she was really alone in Bangkok or maybe she could call her friends
from inside her for the wedding. Today I was free, so I went out to the mall
to buy an outfit to wear to the wedding. I went to the brand stores for a
pretty enough dress. It had been a long time since I had bought an
expensive dress. I felt a little guilty for spending so much money on a dress.
Now I realized how difficult it was to make money, so I didn't want to
waste it. While walking shopping at the mall, I saw someone familiar in the
corner of my eye...

“Cherry.”

A little mixed Thai-British girl was choosing a bracelet. She looked up, I
called her and she immediately got nervous when she saw me.

“If you're here, that means Great is also here in Thailand... where is he?”

If my brother's girlfriend was there, my brother had to be nearby. . .I heard

the sound of someone behind me. I quickly turned around to find Great
looking at me as if he had seen a ghost. He tried to run out of the store, but I
quickly grabbed his ears.
“Oh! Gen. It hurts.”

“Why are you here and not in Macau?”

“You are here too, why can't I be here? I'm not the one with a warrant or
appearing on CCTV video... Oh, it hurts! Let me go!”

My little brother slowly removed my hand from his ears.

“I'm a big guy now. Have a little respect.”

“How is that you are here? Why do you have to act so secretly?”

“Because you react like that.”

“What are you doing here in Thailand?”

“Because? Can't I have something to deal with?”

He let his shoulder fall down.

“I'm here for a friend's wedding.”

“A wedding?”

I looked at Great as if I wanted to fight him, but he didn't seem afraid of me.

"Is it so important to you that you have to fly here without telling mom and
dad?"

“We all have other loved ones. And you? What are you doing in

Thailand?” “A friend's wedding.”

“Is it so important to you that you have to fly here?”

“You're mocking me?”

“Yes, that's how you are. Other people can't do it, but you can.”
“Whose wedding?”

“A friend.”

“What friend?”

“Koh

“What Koh

“You see! You don't know him. Why are you being so nosy? I didn't even
ask whose wedding you're here for.”

I smiled and ignored him. He gave me a smile.

“What are you doing at the mall?”

“Buy a new dress.”

“Are you buying expensive clothes? Isn't it good to be the same old
Genlong?”

“Be quiet. Where you stay?”

“My friend's house.”

“When will you come back?”

“At the same time as you.”

My brother raised his eyebrow mocking me. I sighed and shook my head.

“Mom will be so angry with both of you. The more she doesn't want us to
go, the more we do it.”

“I miss you Gen. I haven't seen her in a long time.”

My brother, who had the same eyes as me, hugged me with love.
“I love you Gen.”

“What's the matter?”

“Whoever hurt you, I will make them pay.”

My little brother got off of me and raised his eyebrows.

“Am I cool or what?”

“Am I old or are you confused, I'm not sure, but let's go buy some food.”

“OK let's go.”

I finally got a bridesmaid dress at an expensive price. It was a waste of

money, but I tried to respect the person I loved by buying the best dress I
could afford. But the bride and groom might be happier if I put that amount
of money in an envelope for them. Great and I made an appointment to
return to Macau together after the wedding. It was very easy to book and
pay for the plane tickets. I had just marked a request and paid with a credit
card. But why was he in such a hurry to get the ticket? Run away as fast as
I could... Everything would happen quickly. Just when she got married, that
meant our relationship would end. Everything would be gone. The hotel
phone rang while I was in the room feeling some sadness inside me. I was
grateful for the call because it distracted me from my sad thoughts.

“Yeah?”

[Someone is here to see you. Her name is Aoey.]

I clutched the phone and hesitated about what I should do. I let her up
anyway. She came to my hotel. I wondered what that was all about. Why
did a woman like Genlong have to deal with something like that? I never
felt so heavy in my life.
I finally opened the door and found Aoey standing at the front door with
her eyes staring at the ground. I looked sadness covering her entire face.
This was not the happy face of a bride. Where was the smile and the sign of
happiness?
“Hey, are you okay?”

"Gen,"

She said my name with a shaky voice, I felt so bad for her.

“What are you doing?”

“I just bought a new dress. I'm about to try it on for your wedding.”

Aoey looked into the room and walked straight towards the dress.

“I do not want this.”

“What do you want?”

The soft eyes looked into my eyes and pushed me down in the middle of
the bed. I collapsed on the bed confused. The sweet eyes sat on top of me
and she took off her shirt.

“I'm hot and I love you...fuck me.”

What she said was direct and tried to make sex sound like something low
and dirty. I closed my eyes patiently. She leaned in to kiss me and tried
to take off my shirt, but I pushed her hands away.

“No.”

“I'm getting married tomorrow. Today is the only chance to do this.”

“Then don't do it if you don't have the opportunity. Even if I have the
chance, I won't do it."

I pushed Aoey aside and stood up.

“Why are you doing this? Aren't you done stepping on me?”

“You feel nothing. You even bought a dress to go to my wedding. Just do

it. We can both feel relieved. I just want to fuck.”
“I spoiled you for a long time. I need to set some limits."

I bit my lip hard.

“Don't test my limits.”

“What's your limit? What do you have to endure? You look well. I told you
to come to the wedding, and you're fine too. You didn't feel anything.
Nothing!”

The little girl began to scream louder and louder.

“You said you're in pain. You said I've successfully hurt you since we slept
together on the beach. But I can't say you're in pain now. You're even
prepared to go to my wedding.”

“What do you want of me?”

“I want to know if you ever loved me. You did it? You don't mind if I get
married? How can you be okay about it?”

Her sweet eyes cried.

"I don't want you to treat me like that. I want you to feel sad because I'm
about to get married.”

"Why would I do that?"

“At least show me that you love me. Tell me you can't stand to see me
marry other people!”

Shentook my dress out of the bag and threw it away.

“I want to see you cry and scream and beg me not to get married. Do
something!”

“I already asked you for that..”

“You told me that you didn't want me to get married because you didn't see
me happy in the relationship. I don't want that,"

The sweet eyes said through tears.

“Why don't you feel anything because I'm getting married?”

I squeezed my hand tightly. Didn't you know me? I was the one who felt
the most pain when I saw that she was about to get married. I couldn't stand
to see her big wedding, but I was there because she asked me to. She
wanted to hurt me and I was hurt. But there was nothing she could help or
do to change the way I felt. She would just go ahead and end that drama.
.............................................................................................................. I
realized you had some feelings for me. How could I be happy if she married
someone while I still had feelings for someone else?

The only thing that made her let go was hating me. After she lived for 3
years with that badcard, I left her.

“I don't want to do anything useless. I don't see the point of being sad if you
decided to get married despite the warning I gave you."

I looked at her and tried to keep my voice as calm as possible.

“Don't expect me to be sad. “

“You gave my mother your watch to earn money. We sleep together. What
does all that mean?”

“I got you into a bad situation. I should pay you something."

I sighed and pretended the whole thing was pointless.

“I felt something, to be honest. I'm not a cold bitch. We sleep together, of

course there is a bond.”

“But it's just that. I don't feel anything more than this. If you want me to
whisper love and ruin your wedding, I don't think I can do that. This is
Genlong, come on!”
I smiled and pointed at myself arrogantly.

“I will never be someone else's lover. I'm Genlong.”

“You said you were in pain and that you wanted to return to Macau..”

“We just went to bed. I may have been feeling possessive of you. But
now I'm okay. It could also be hormones. Well... it was so much fun
having sex with you. I'm not so cold that I don't feel anything. You gave
me 10 out of 10."

I shrugged and asked her back.

“When we had sex, it wasn't that we were in love. Can't you separate love
from lust?”

“You're lying?”

She looked at me in disbelief. The bad girl was now losing me when I
responded to her.

“Congratulations. wish you had so many children. When I think of you, I

will think of our fun times when we hadnsex and were handcuffed. That
was fun.”

The gentle eyes were filled with tears. She threw my things everywhere and
left the room. I looked at her small body leaving with sadness in my heart.

“I'll go to your wedding. Just what you asked for,"

I yelled. The door closes suddenly. Silence now surrounded me. It was
terrifying. I grabbed my heart with my hand and fell to the ground crying in
pain. That was the time to be sad. I could cry now. It would be useless... to
tell her that I loved her just one day before she married another man. It was
good that she hated me. It was a good outing. For the last 3 years, I left her
with so much hate. She should have been married and she hated me. We
were done.
 ғᴏʀᴛʏ-ғɪᴠᴇ
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

The wedding day finally arrived....It was the day she would belong to
someone else. It seemed like a big wedding. Not a celebrity wedding, but it
looked luxurious and very beautiful to normal people. I was curious about
the wedding guests, especially Aoey's side. She was adopted by teacher
Salee. She had no relatives or family, so who were the guests? There was a
table for friends from elementary school. A table for high school friends. A
table for Master Salee's friends. Well.. .at least I had some friends. It was
nice to see that she had friends, so she wouldn't feel too lonely. But where
should I sit me?

“Are you Genlong?....Oh! You are really Genlong. You look amazing as
always. I'm Si, we met once in Phuket.”

Si, my friend from primary school. He was the one who took Aoey and me
to see each other again. I looked at the man who looked older than
Professor Salee. He may have never put sunscreen on his face.

“Hello, yes, you look good.”

“Is this your greeting? You're saying I look good now, right?”

Maybe I haven't gotten enough sleep. My greeting sounded so hostile. Now

I knew where to sit once I saw Si. Most of the friends who came from the
interior were already married. Some even had children. Everyone looked at
me with admiration.
“You look as beautiful as you always were when we were young. You
looked so impressive,"

Said one of the friends whose name i didn't remember. I smiled proudly.

“Thank you.”

“I remember when you moved, Aoey was sick. She was so attached to you.”

My childhood friends talked about our memories in the past and the
memory when I left town.

“She stole my scissors to cut her hair. Luckily one of the teachers saw her
and stopped her in time before she went bald. She cried and blamed herself
for having lice because she thought that was why you had chased her away.
That was nice..”

It was a fun topic for other people to think about, but for me, it was very
sad to hear. It could be true like she said, she fell in love with me first. So
much love from her that now it hurt again. On the table, only water and soft
drinks were available. Some other tables had some alcohol. I felt like time
walked too slow today. The bride and groom should be there walking
towards the stage, but nothing happened yet. The guests seemed hungry
now, but the food wouldn't come out until the couple was there. We were
waiting. We wait and wait. Was something happening? One of the friends
go out to look outside and ran back with some news. She seemed excited.

“Someone is here to ruin the wedding. The bride and groom escaped.
They're talking now.”

“What a show!”

I left quickly and, as my friend said, the bride and groom were no longer
there. Tod, who just entered, waved at me..

“Hello, Gen. When did you get here?”

"You don't seem surprised to see me here."

“Oh?”

I had told Tod that I would return to John and never informed him that I had
changed my mind and canceled the return trip. The handsome boy wasn't
surprised to see me. Instead, he greeted me as if he expected to see me.

“Do you know that I didn't return to Macau?”

“Yes I know.”

“As?”

“I talked to John on Facebook. He told me you would come to the wedding

before you came back.”

“You never spoke to me.”

“I was occupied. There are so many dramas I have to get into.”

While I was talking to Tod, I saw someone familiar pass by out of the
corner of my eye. I suddenly ran after him and grabbed his hair before he
went down the stairs.

“Why are you here?”

Great looked at me surprised and changed to a smile.

“Oh! What a surprise!.”

“It wasn't a coincidence that your friend had a wedding here, right?”

“Yes, it's a coincidence.”

“There's only one wedding here tonight. I thought your friend's name was
Koh?”

"Fuck the name,"

Great shrugged.
"To me, Aoey is always stupid."

“Why did you come to her wedding?”

“You are here too. Why can't I be here?”

“Why didn't you come in then? Where do you come from and where are
you going?”

I wasn't feeling well at that moment. Great's words echoed in my head when
we met at the mall. And now my friend had told me about someone who
ruined the wedding...

“Was it you, Great!”

“Whoever hurt you, I will return the damage.”

"Why are you here, Great? Are you the reason the bride and groom aren't at
the wedding?”

"I didn't do it,"

He said with a smile and tried to block my hands that wanted to hit him.

"No, it's not about me at all. It's about you!”

“What?!”

“I ruined the wedding. Oh! I feel damn good!”

I pulled his ear and dragged him down the stairs quickly. Tod ran after us
when he saw that I was about to kill my brother.

“Calm down, Gen. His ear could come off.”

“That really hurt. I just got my ears pierced.”

My brother said with tears in his eyes, full of pain. I twisted his ear even
more and hit him in the middle of the back.
“What the hell did you do? Did you ruin the wedding?!”

"It wasn't that bad."

He rubbed his ear gently.

“I just said that they are getting married happily while my sister has to sadly
watch her lover's wedding..”

“What the hell are you talking about? When did you see me sad?”

“Come on! Stop fooling yourself. You were depressed and went to see a
doctor for years. How much pain can you feel being here at their wedding?
I thought you were planning to return toMacau, I bet she asked you to
stay, right?”

“You're not that smart. You're usually pretty

dumb.” I turned to Tod, who looked away.

“It was you, wasn't it?

“I did nothing.”

“You are the one behind everything. Come on, Todd! Why did you make it
harder? I'm going back tonight.”

I sighed and scratched my head.

“I will come back and marry John like you told me.”

“Are you going to marry John? That's great,"

Great tapped me on the shoulder and agreed with the idea.

“Johnathan is the best for you. He is handsome, rich and intelligent. People
like you, Genlong deserves a man like John, not a girl like Aoey. She has
nothing. She just has good looks, beautiful eyes and everything. She's only
good for sex.”
“Everything you said is backwards.”

Her downside is that he hurt you. She didn't deserve you at all.”

He thought I was the best even though Aoey hurt him too.

“That bitch caused problems for our family and we had to move to Macau
and she never realized what she did.”

"Don't say it too loud!"

“If people listen to it, what?”

“Do you want other people to know that our family ordered someone to be
killed?”

I said with pain.

“What we are dealing with now is karma. You shouldn't bother anyone..”

“If Aoey didn't exist, then there would be no karma. You still love her, that's
why you pity her.”

“Killing her stepfather put our father in big trouble. There was even a video
of her and that's why you had to hide. Aren't they all problems derived
from her?”

“I think you've gone crazy. Let's go back. Let's go to the airport.”

I pushed him to the exit of the hotel.

“I don't want to leave now. I need to know if the wedding will be

cancelled. I told the boyfriend that you and her were dating and that you
were still in love. I think she is getting married just to get back at you.
Hahaha Am I cool or what?”

“Excellent!”
I raised my hand high prepared to hit him but he didn't try to hide, instead,
he showed me his face.

"Why are you so worried about that? The groom should know the truth.
You love her and you did so many things for her. Aoey and the boyfriend
should know.”

“Why are you talking about this?”

“When people are getting married they should know everything. Aoey
asked you to be here. She still has feelings for you. Maybe this is her plan
to use the boyfriend to get revenge on you. I'm the real hero, telling the
truth to the boyfriend.”

“Great!”

“She has to stop thinking that you are a bad person. Genlong, who lived a
luxurious life, had to live in the countryside, you had no money, you had to
borrow money, and finally you gave money to Tod to publish Aoey's book.
About the watch, and the problem with her stepfather that you asked dad to
solve it. Our family has so many problems that we had to run away to
Macau just because you love her. What do you get from all this? You don't
even have a girlfriend, on top of that she hurt you a lot.”

“For.”

“No, I won't. I can not stand. How dare she get married and let you suffer?
You are the one who is sad here.”

“Is it true, Gen?”

The sweet voice of someone familiar came from behind. I was sleepy. I
didn't have to turn around to see who it was. I slowly turned around to see
Aoey in a white wedding dress. Her face was full of tears.

“Hey…”

“I never knew what you did before. I only learned that your family was
investigated for money laundering. I only knew what you told me. I never
knew about my stepfather. I never knew you had to go through all that
because of me."

The soft eyes walked towards me and shook me.

“Is it true about my stepfather? Did you really ask your dad to do that?”

I froze and didn't know how to explain it. I remained silent.

“Yes it's true.”

Great responded and pushed Aoey away from me.

“Don't go near her. You don't deserve her.”

“Enough, Great! If you don't want me to talk to you, then don't say
anything.”

“I don't want her to be happy. Her happiness is created by our misery. Do

you realize how difficult it is that we can't live in Thailand? Can't we have
Som Tam and Tom Yam Kung?
Was that our misery?”

I looked at him and shook my head. He shouldn't mention that. Great

continued to harass Aoey by pointing his finger at her forehead.

“Genlong lost almost 10 kilos in a few months and almost committed

suicide because she felt guilty for leaving you alone in Thailand. It was all
your fault.”

“Great, stop it!”

“In the last 3 years, she recovered by drawing cartoons on the Internet to
earn a living, even though our family is very rich. She just said that love
needed money and she hoped to be with you one day. And now she has to
come to your wedding. She doesn't deserve this. Bitch!”

Great pushed Aoey to the ground. Aoey was crying now. I wanted to help
her, but her boyfriend rushed in.
“Ten... please take her inside. My brother and I will return to Macau soon.
I'm sorry for the chaos at your wedding."

When Aoey heard that, she rushed to hug me because she didn't want me to
leave.

“No, I won't let you go...I won't let you go.”

“Don't listen to Great, Aoey. He is lying. She does it just for fun. This is real
life, not a novel. Who would do something like that for other people?”

“You! You did that. Stop denying it.”

Great continued and at the same time tried to take Aoey's hand away from
me. But she clung to me as if I could disappear at any moment.

“Let go of my sister.”

“Please stop Great.”

“What's the matter? Tod told me all about how she treated you. Damn!”

Great shouted.

“I'm really asking you. You are her best friend, her girlfriend. How can you
not know what she is like? When you first arrived in Bangkok, she
welcomed you even though you two were separated for more than 10 years.
She secretly asked mom to publish your novel because she didn't want to
ruin your confidence, so you would have money to go to school. She really
didn't have to do that. She went to your first day of college orientation. She
went on a date with a guy just to ask him to take care of you. She secretly
bought all your books to help you. She bought you a bird because you said
you were alone. Do you think people like this would easily walk away from
you? You never thought about her, huh?”

“Enough. I was wrong...I was wrong.”

Aoey cried like a little girl and put her face on my chest. I cried seeing her
cry like that.
“Great, I said that's enough. It doesn't help. Here... please take your
girlfriend. We are going to come back.”

“I'm not getting married anymore!”

She hugged me tightly and shook her head…

“I'm not getting married. I can't love anyone else. Please do not leave me.”

“Hey…”

“I'm sorry, I never knew anything about this. I only blamed you because
you hurt me...please forgive me and don't leave me.”

“Aoey, your boyfriend is waiting for you. You'll be late... you have to go.”

I tried to get her hands off me, but she decided to hold on. Great saw that
heldn't let me get lost and he wanted to help me, so he threw Aoey away
from me.

“Hey!”

The little girl was now on the ground. Now all the guests gathered to see
what was happening because the bride and groom were not at the wedding.
Teacher Salee rushed to help her daughter and looked at all of us. She
seemed very confused..

“What happened?”

“Gen... you love me, right?”

Aoey cried.

“If you love me so much. Because you leave me? Are you angry for what I
did?”

“No, I am not angry.”

"Why do you keep rejecting me then? I'm about to get married. At least tell
me for once how you really feel. Why do I always have to be the one to
say it first? Why don't you tell me the truth that I should know.”

“If you don't tell it, I'll never know anything, please... tell me once and for
all. It could be the last chance."

She cried. I shuddered when I heard that. I never really showed her any
emotion and always let her come to me first. The little girl was always
the one who started everything. Although she was angry, she still wanted
to express her feelings. If only I could have said it, we might not be there
today....I finally walked over to her, who was now sitting with Teacher
Salee. I knelt down, looked at her and told her as sincerely as possible.

“I love you, Aoey.”

“There isn't a day that I don't love you.”

 ғᴏʀᴛʏ-sɪx
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

Everyone surrounded us now in silence and looked at Aoey and me

curiously. I never expresses anything to hER. I might have told her that I
loved her once or twice, but I never really explained to her how she felt. It
was always Aoey who expressed her feelings. If it weren't for her
persistence, I would still be rejecting the fact that I could like girls. No, I
didn't like girls. I like Aoey, and only Aoey. There was no one in this world
who could fulfill me. I looked for it all the time. But the first day I met her
and looked into her eyes, I knew she would be the one to walk in and rock
my world forever.

"I've always looked for the one and that's you,

Aoey." I took her hand and gently touched her on the

back.

“At first, I couldn't accept the fact that I feel this way about you. How could
you? You are a woman and I am a woman. Nature created men and women
to be together. I couldn't think any other way.”

“Gen....”

“I couldn't fool myself for a long time. In the end I lost against you. I have
loved you from the first time we saw each other until today. . .there is not a
day that I don't love you.”

The little girl jumped and hugged me. We both rocked while hugging
each other. It was our expression when we made up after a fight when we
lived together as roommates.
“I never wanted to leave you, but I couldn't stand to see you work so hard...
you're a little girl. You couldn't work on a construction site to support me
and give up your studies. How could I live with that?”

“I can live with that. You shouldn't decide for me.”

“What if I were the one working on the construction site and you were at
home? could you live with that?”

I let her go and wiped her tears with my thumb.

“It hurts to think about that, doesn't it? That's what I thought.”

“You may think I'm cold because I never really expressed anything. But I
really love you. Every minute of every day, I think about you and what you
will be doing. When I think of you, it hurts me.”

I grabbed my chest. My voice shook as if I had lost control.

“I always worried about how you were going to live without me, would you
be crying? Would you hate me?... If you hated me, it would be easier for
you to live. You don't have to long for me if you hate me. You can move on
with the hate. And grow with grace. Now you are famous and you can live
with other people. You're about to have a family.”

“Gen!!"

Aoey shouted. Her face was full of tears. I couldn't help but cry with her.

“My mom said that there is no such thing as eternal love. In the end,
everyone will return to their original gender. It's a curse to love someone of
the same gender as you. If you meet someone nice, I'll be happy for you.”

“Gen, tell the truth. Don't lie... you're not happy. Tell me you're not."

The little girl cupped my face with both hands and forced me to look into
her eyes.
“Be honest with me. Just tell me how you feel about this. Tell me!..Don't
think for me. Don't do anything you think is good for me. I want the truth
about how you feel. That's what I wanted to know.”

I thought of a saying from a woman, the owner of the coffee shop, Rak.
What she said stuck in my head the whole time..

"Don't think for her."

It was my job to think about how she felt. You wouldn't be happy if my
parents told me that I would be happier married to the man who was richer
and better than the man you loved. But that was love... you chose it for
yourself. You won't be happy if someone else chooses for you. It was the
same here when I thought Aoey would be better off without me. She would
have a better future, although now she had a good future. But what if she
didn't turn out the way I expected? I could blame myself for leaving her
alone to deal with the whole problem. Ok... I'd be honest for once. It didn't
matter what happened. I had held on to my feelings for along time.

“I don't want to see you get married.”

I finally spoke my mind. It was the most honest thing I had ever said. I felt
relieved. Other people might think I was a bitch, but screw them... I would
do this for myself.

“I don't want to see you get married. I want you just for me.”

Aoey smiled at me. Her eyes were full of tears. Her face looked happier
than her when she was taking photos in her wedding dress with the wedding
guests.

“I always wanted to see you in the last 3 years. But I was afraid that you
would hate me if you saw me."

I laughed with tears.

“But I came back and found out that you hated me and sprayed water in my
face.”
"Oh, Gen. Don't talk about that."

Aoey laughed when she thought about that.

“Now I feel guilty. I'm not sure if it's too late, but can you be with me?
Love needs money. I didn't know how to make money, but I know how to
make money now. I made a lot of money drawing cartoons. Every month I
make a lot of money and I also draw book covers.”

“You are very smart.”

“The important thing is that I drew the cover of your novel. But I didn't say
it. If you found out, you would go crazy and leave the publishing house.”

She seemed so surprised to hear that. She cried even more now.

“You are behind all my success.”

“I know how to make money now. I have my own publishing house. I'm a
business owner now, so even though I don't have my parents, I can support
you now.”

We both stayed silent for a while. Finally, I decided to tell her something
that I always wanted to say and that made her happy.

“Do not get married, runs away with me. If we raise enough money, I'll give
you a wedding, however you want it.”

She wasted no time, but nodded quickly. She cried and laughed at the same
time.

“I will go. I'll go wherever you take me.”

"Get up if you want to go."

Tod, who remained silent for a long time, helped Aoey and me get up.

“I prepared a car for you.”

“What?”

Tod looked at me and shrugged. It seemed like he had fun with all the
dramas.

“I am careful.”

“Did you plan all this?”

“I will give it back to you. Let's go.”

Tod took my hand and Aoey's hand on either side and kicked us both out of
the hotel. Aoey ran with difficulty carrying her wedding dress. But we
forgot that there was a groom at that event. He ran and blocked us all in
front.

“Are you going to take it, just like that? She's my girlfriend.”

Ten looked at Aoey angrily. Aoey didn't seem to care about him anymore.
She hid behind me and yelled at him.

“Let me go, Ten. We don't like each other very much. We won't make it
anyway... I like women. Please understand.”

“I don't want to.”

Ten looked at me questioningly. We both stared at each other for about a

full minute. The groom finally sighed.

"I guess there's no way I can stop you."

“Can you please let us go... you must understand me. We were both
looking for someone who would satisfy us. I found someone and someday
you will too. If you find the right one when you are already married it will
be too late,”

“Aoey could be the right one for me. Who knows. We will love each other
once we are together.”
“I'm kidding,"

Ten didn't seem to care at this point the wedding was actually for family.

“I envy you that you have found the right person for you. You must feel
great.”

“Someday you will know.”

The groom walked towards Aoey and put his hand on her head.

“I realize now why you kissed me that day. You wanted Gen to see that.
You never let me touch you from day one.”

Aoey looked like she didn't want to be around Ten. She still had that sick
feeling from being around other people. She wasn't as bad as she was 3
years ago. The little girl let Tod hold her hand despite the uncomfortable
expression on her face “I'm sorry Ten. I do not deserve you.”

“If you go with her, you'll be happy, right?”

“I will be happy every day if I am with her.”

"There's no good reason for me to stop you then. The wedding is so that I
can be with you, so that you don't feel alone.”

Ten looked at me and sighed.

“Why did two beautiful women end up together? What will a man like me
do?”

"Get another man,"

Tod joked. Ten laughed when he heard that.

“I'm looking for love but not with another man. This is not a lesbian novel.”

“This is a lesbian world.”

“Go! I won't stop you.”

Ten stepped aside and called me.

“Gen.”

“Oh.”

“Stay in contact. Let me know how life goes.”

I smiled at the nice, generous but lonely boyfriend.

“Read our cartoon. That's the story of Aoey and

me.” I laughed.

“Always in sales mode.”

Finally we left the hotel. Tod ran to look for the car while Aoey and I held
onto it tightly as if one of us might disappear. There seemed to be countless
problems we had to deal with. My brother ran towards us and blocked us in
front.

“Where are you going? I will not let you go.”

“Bastard. You ruined their wedding and now you're here.”

“I came here to stop the wedding, but not to give you and Aoey a chance to
be together.”

My brother was upset because the result was not what he wanted. Why was
he so stubborn?

“Tod used you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Tod told you everything between Aoey and me, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Tod asked you to ruin the wedding, to tell Aoey everything, right?”

“Yeah.”

“This is the result Tod wanted. Now that you understand, go.”

“I don't understand. Why would Todd do that? Tod told me all about how
much they hurt you and now you say you still love her and want to run
away with her. How stupid you are to give up John, the casino owner, to be
with this little girl.”

“The short girl you're talking about is your ex-girlfriend.”

“You stole it from me. Stupid!”

"Are you calling me stupid?"

I rushed to hit him on the head, but Aoey interfered. She stepped between
the two.

“Great... I'm sorry for treating you badly in the past. And I'm grateful that
you ruined my wedding today. You told me the truth about what Gen did
for me. You are the most sincere person I have ever met. You said what you
thought. You said when you loved, you also said it when you hated.”

“Yes, and I hate you. You're the... oops!”

Aoey tiptoed over to Great to kiss him on the cheek and quickly walked
away because she hated having contact with men. He was stunned.

“I don't know what to do to pay you. When we were dating, I guess this is
what you wanted me to do. This is all I can give you... thank you for
everything.”

I looked at him and wanted to kick him into the middle of the street and
looked at Aoey who just flirted right in front of me. Great still touched the
cheek that Aoey had just kissed, but now he looked at her more gently.
“You.. .you.”

“Do you still hate me?”

Aeoy, who was behind me, asked shyly. Great was still upset but

calmer. “I hate you less now.”

“You are very sincere.”

The little girl laughed. Great stood there not knowing what to do while Tod
stopped the car.

“Goes up. I'll take them…”

“Where to?”

“It depends on you. Where do you want to go?”

Aoey and I didn't have any plans at all. We just knew we had to leave the
wedding. We finally got in the car and Great wanted to join in too.

“Where are you going?”

Tod shouted when he saw Great trying to enter.

“I'll go with them..”

“They are running away together. It is none of your business.”

“Flee? Where to? Getting back together was a surprise, but where are you
going? Are you going back to Macau? What about Johnathan?”

“I don't think I will return to Macau.”

“Where are you going?”

“To some place where we will never be found.”

Great was shocked and held onto the car. Now Great seemed very worried
that he would never see me again.

“Are you kidding? What happens to your family, to me? Are you going to
leave me too?”

“I will be in touch.”

“Really? You won't have any money if you run away. You will have to be
a farmer and you will end up begging.”

“Silly! I know how to make money now.”

“I do not want you to go.”

My brother looked at me like he was about to cry. It made me sad to see

him feel bad.

“Don't make that face. I'm not going to die."

I laughed and hit him on the head.

“If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have this moment. Thank you.”

“I love you, Gen.”

“I love you too.”

"Let's go,"

Tod said and slowly drove the car away. I looked at Great until his tall
body was no longer seen. Aoey hugged me tightly and I hugged her back.

“Is this real? Now you're back with me, Gen.”

“Yes, it feels like a dream.”

We look at each other and bring our faces closer. We completely forgot
that Tod was driving. He coughed to warn us that he was still there.
Luckily we
hadn't done anything yet.

“Did you plan this outcome?”

"No,"

Tod answered and sighed.

“I just wanted you and Aoey to talk about it before you got married. I think
you weren't happy, Gen and it's not fair that Aoey didn't know about this. If
Aoey found out the truth after getting married, she could divorce Ten and
become a widow.”

The handsome man said and shrugged.

“If Aoey found out everything and decided to continue with the wedding, it
would be fair enough. At least she chose it. I was butting in but I wanted
everything to be clear and fair.”

“And now we're running away together.”

The handsome man looked at us from the mirror and smiled.

“It's a good story. Nothing is better than two lovers ending up together. I
also felt guilty 3 years ago for separating them. Today I gathered them
together to start again.”

“One improved from strange symptoms. Another now knows how to make
money. Now you two can live your lives without any problems.”

“I wanted you two to prove that two girls can be together forever.”

I hugged Tod from the back seat and kissed him on the cheek. I felt grateful
for him. I couldn't believe he had such a good friend. I thanked my mom
for introducing me to this foul-mouthed man at the beginning. He was like
my older brother who played an important role in my life.. It gave me
another chance to fix my love...the love that was almost gone… Tod turned
on the light and pulled over to the side of the road. I looked at him with
confusion..
“What are you doing?”

“You drive. Gen. I'll call a taxi to take me

home.” “Why don't you go with us?”

“You're running away. I have to go

out.” "I still don't know where we're

going."

“Well, think about it when you're driving. Think about where you can live
together, and don't tell me because I might tell your mom again.”

Tod got out of the car and called a taxi. I got out of the car and looked at
the handsome boy with tears. I had no idea when we would meet again.
Aoey got out of the car and put on my shirt. The soft eyes called me back to
the car with a smile.

“Come on.”

“Where we go?”

“I have a place for us. Let's start there.”

“Ah?”

I looked at the sweet, questioning eyes but... I made a decision.

“Well, if it's okay with you, it's okay with me.”

“Now we are really together, like in the old days. My Gen.”

I smiled at her.

“Yes, like in the old days. My Aoey.”

 ғᴏʀᴛʏ-sᴇᴠᴇɴ
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

The most dangerous place was the safest place....

Aoey chose to return to the same place. The same house we rented 3 years
ago. It could be a coincidence or the house was supposed to be available
right on the day we moved in. A tenant just moved in a couple of days ago.
I parked Tod's car at a bus station. After stopping at Aoey's condominium
for her important document, we took a bus and arrived in this province.
Everything felt the same. I vomited because of the bus. The driver was
always the same bad driver. We were there for two weeks. We told Teacher
Salee and Tod that we were fine, so they didn't have to worry about us. But
we kept the details to ourselves. Teacher Salee knew that Aoey was with me
and she had flown back to live with her foreign husband in her country.

I asked Great to tell my parents what had happened and that I would not
return to Macau. I didn't want to know how they reacted because I knew
they wouldn't agree. They wouldn't be opposed to the relationship, but they
must have been worried about my safety. But... we were in a very remote
town. There was no place more peaceful than this. Oh... Another person I
couldn't forget was Johnathan. I heard from Tod that he was very sad but
he respected my decision. John was not a weak person. He could handle
the truth that I loved a woman, not a man. He had to move on. I felt guilty,
but all I could do was ask Tod and Great to talk to him. That was all I
could do.

Everything was settled now. It was different from the first time we were
there. We could barely do anything. Now we both knew what we wanted
and what we didn't want. I had enough money. I bought an air conditioner
for the house, a new television, a new computer and a new bed. A firm
with steel. Aoey seemed to be obsessed with the new steel bed. When we
bought it, she climbed onto the bed, tried to sleep on it, and even tried to
ride it to hear the sound. She was so sexy but scary at the same time. I was
amazed to have such a naughty lover in bed. Fifty Shades of Aoey...

I went shopping. But Aoey did something even crazier than that. She asked
the owner to sell her the house regardless of the price. I was surprised to
find out that Aoey had so much money. She also wanted to buy a new car.

“Then you'll have a car to take me.”

“You're richer than me.”

I lost a little confidence when I found out she was so rich.

“I earned money but never used it. I told you before that I would buy a
house with you. You do not remember? I can do it today.”

“What do I have to do now that you've bought the house?”

“Now you are making money. Be my husband.”

It was a strange feeling to be called a husband, a beautiful woman.

Everyone called me princess when I was young. Later I was a popular girl
that every man wanted. Now I was her husband. God would cry because I
wasted my beauty on a girl. Now we had a new car, a new house, but we
had one more old thing with us.

“Is the bird still alive?”

Aoey took out the cage from somewhere and told me the whole story.

“Yes, I left the bird with the owner. I told him that one day I would return.

I
wasn't sure if he was still alive....The owner took very good care of him. He
now he can even pray. He was so religious that now the bird could pray.
But when he was with us. he moaned.”

“If you still want the bird to pray, keep it outside, not inside the bedroom.”
The soft eyes seemed shy as she realized what I meant.

“I know.”

I started drawing a new season of the cartoon. I had to work late every night
to make the deadline. I was a punctual person, I couldn't miss the deadline.
Working like this took me all the time of my life. I slept only 4 hours a day.
One day I forgot to eat. I was always in front of my computer. If someone
wrote to me on Facebook at 2 am, I was there. At 6am, it was still there.
Again at 2 pm, I could also respond. If
someone was looking for me. It would always be there... online. Poor me, I
didn't have time to sleep. I worked as a regular office worker. My dad and
mom would cry seeing my hard work like this.

“Gen... I can't take it anymore.”

The little girl said as she colored my work on the computer. I turned
around to see Aoey wearing a white pajama shirt with shorts. She crossed
her arms and looked at me, not happy.

“Because?”

“You do not have time for me. We ran away to live together, not to work
with you.”

“I have to earn money.”

“You already have too much. You don't have time to sleep and you don't
have time for me.”

The girl walked over to my computer and tried to close it, but I knew it had
moved, so I held on to it.

“Don't do it, or else I won't be able to sleep.”

“Stop drawing cartoons. You don't have to make money. I will win it. I
can sell a book and we can live 10 years.”

“Do not presume. I refuse to cling to you financially.”

“You don't have to cling to me, but sometimes you have to eat me. Don't
stay in front of your computer. I'm your wife!”

“I always thought I would be a wife.”

“Well, we can take turns being a wife. But it won't matter who the wife is
if you don't pay attention to me. Exit your computer now.”

The little girl tried to control me. Aoey the one who was quiet as a kitten
was gone. She was now a cat trying to control the lion. She thought she
could do that. I was Genlong who never gives.....

“I'll take a break. You look so moody.”

It had changed a lot!

“You're not made for hard work. My Gen shouldn't be working. My Gen
shouldn't know how to work.”

“And you want me to escape to Macau and let time pass for another 3.5 or
10 years?”

“No, stop working now. Your work takes up your time,"

The girl walked towards me and sat on my lap pouting. She kicked
stubbornly like a child.

"Can't you just stay home? I want to see you, Hug you. Get in and then go
write a novel later.”

“Oh... what egocentrism.”

I laughed.

"Well, you can tell me when you want to snuggle. I will leave everything
and hug you.”

“Really?”
“Yes, but I have to work. I have to send it in 2 days. If I don't do it now..”

"Now."

The soft eyes grabbed my neck and looked into my eyes as if forcing me.

“I wanted to hug you now!”

Now she took complete control of me. I was Genlong who controlled
everything in the world. I wanted some handcuffs to lock the little girl in
bed, so I could go back to work.

“Ok, I have time for you 15…”

Aoey took off her shirt immediately and showed her smooth and shiny skin.
I playfully leaned towards her neck and licked it. Her hands played on my
shirt and ran over my body and unhooked my bra. My body followed
naturally.

“Don't set the time for me. I am the exception.”

"Okay, I'll let you work."

The soft eyes stopped everything while I was in the mood. I was confused
by her. She teased, manipulated and now left as if I planned to get back at
her after I left her alone for a while..

“Are you making me horny and then leaving?”

“Are you?”

Aoey smiled when she saw that I was short of breath.

“I was in too deep and now you stop. What am I supposed to do now?”

I decided I wouldn't lose to her. I sighed and grabbed a pen to continue

drawing.

“Alright. I will continue working.”

Now we were both upset, instead of having hot sex we ended
up fighting. I turned around to go to work and ignored Aoey. My sex
drive was calmed by that…Until. Something interrupted me under the
table. I
looked down to see Aoey there. She tried to do something with the shorts I
was wearing.

“What are you doing?”

“I'll help you while you work.”

“What?”

“Continue working. I thought you were very busy.”

“How could I work if you.......ummmmm.. .mmmm”

She didn't care how much I resisted. But to be honest, I wasn't really
resisting. I was ready for the first time she approached. Lately, the little girl
was very good at teasing and seducing me. She knew all my weaknesses,
but doing that was too much. Was.....

“Aoey...Aoey…”

When she saw that I was so excited, she stopped. She left me there, I almost
screamed when she…

“Why did you do that? I am not…”

"It ends here..."

The little girl came out from under the table and took off all her clothes. She
walked towards the bed.

“If you want to end that, follow me.”

Damn! I thought I couldn't lose this time! I tapped the mouse pen on the
table and followed the sweet eyes. I took all the clothes I was wearing and
collapsed.
"You're dead tonight."

Aoey. That was love... passionate love, sweet love. We had so many
different emotions. I didn't do any work the night before because I held her
all night and now I was suffering from unfinished work. Fuck it! If it was
not done. It was not done! Today I had a date with Rak, the owner of the
cafeteria. Since I moved here, it was the usual place I went to hang out, play
with the dogs. 3 years ago, Rak still couldn't find anyone to paint her wall.
Since I was there, I asked for the job.What was wrong with earning some
money? I was stingy.

“Let me finish my cartoon this month and I'll paint for you.”

“Do you also draw cartoons? Where is? Is it published?”

“It's on the Internet. You can read for free. Now it is at the top of sales.”

I boasted proudly. People were interested in our relationship, despite it

being between two women. I didn't say on the internet that it was based on
a true story but people seemed to like it.

“What's it called? I will look for it.”

“Name…”

The front doorbell rang as I was about to tell him the name of my cartoon.
Aoey, who had just ran into the store, looked at me. Her face had no color. I
ran towards her quickly.

“What happened, are you okay?”

Aoey ran to the store in her pajamas. She hadn't washed her face. I was
worried about seeing her nervous like that.

"It's okay, you're still here."

“Oh?”

"I thought... you... you ran away."

“Why would I run away?”

-Don't know. I'm so paranoid,"

The little girl touched her chest and now she realized how tired she was.

“You were 10 out of 10 last night. I thought you could escape again to
Macau, India, Cambodia or wherever. She must have run looking for me
and realized that this was my usual place to be.

“What did you do so well?”

Rak asked curiously. My ears turned red as if I had frozen.

“My cartoon.”

“That is cute. You give a score.”

“What are you doing here so early?”

Aoey asked and looked at Rak curiously. I pointed to the wall to explain.

“We talked about painting her wall 3 years ago. The wall is still empty
now. I'll take the job, but we haven't talked about the details yet. I told her
about my cartoon now. She wants to read it.”

“What is it about?”

The owner of the store was interested in my caricature. I was shy, but I told
her frankly.

“It's about our love. I made drawings about our relationship. But I drew it
from my point of view. Aoey told the story from her point of view.”

Rak laughed.

“I will read both. Where can I find it? What is his name?”

“My story is called MATE.”

I answered first. Rak turned to Aoey and asked her about her story, but
Aoey seemed very shy..She, or most writers, didn't like to talk about what
they wrote because she didn't want people to know how dreamy and
imaginative she was.

“My story is called BEST FRIEND.”

“Is it the same story from a different angle?”

Rak concluded and smiled at us.

“I'll read it tonight.”

We hung out there some more and talked about work. When we were about
to leave, Rak shouted to confirm with me again.

“Gen!”

“Yeah?”

“Your novel is called MATE Best Friends, is that correct?”

Aoey and I held hands and nodded.

“Yes, it's called…”

“MATE Best Friends. It was about two best friends who fell in love with
each other.”

ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅ

══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══
 ʙᴇʜɪɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ sᴄᴇɴᴇ

ᴀᴏᴇʏ's ᴘᴏᴠ
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

It was another day that Genlong was still here...I was so paranoid all the
time that every time I woke up and didn't see my best friend. She was my
everything. Every morning when I woke up, I quickly checked the space
next to me in bed, she wasn't there, I quickly looked across a table where
her computer was. It was her place. I found the beautiful girl there, then
sighed in relief that Genlong was here.

“Don't run away from me again....”

I was upset because we didn't cuddle in bed. Lately, she's been paying
more attention to the computer and mouse than to me. I had to work hard to
seduce her and get her to pay attentionto me. Why was she so concerned
about making money? I told her it wasn't that necessary.

“Love needs money. I'm worried that I won't be able to take care of you.”

Every time we argued, I gave up every time I heard that reason. She had me
as the main reason for everything she did but she didn't like to give
explanations. She didn't brag because she liked to be cool..

“Did you wake up long ago?”

I asked as she laid me face down on the bed and looked at Genlong, who
was drawing cartoons in front of her computer.

"Since 4 am."
She answered and didn't even look at me. I looked at the clock now and felt
upset... It was 10 am. She had woken up 6 hours ago and she was sitting
here the entire time. That was crazy. She worked too much. I didn't like
this version of Genlong.

“Gen.”

“Oh?”

“Who do you love more, the computer or me?”

The handsome face finally turned to make eye contact. She smiled at me.
Her eyes showed that she hadn't gotten enough sleep. I planned to complain
but ended up feeling bad for her. I sighed.

“Of course I love you more.”

“I love you but you have to rest.”

“When I'm done with this episode, I'll take a long sleep... Oh, that would be
nice.”

I got out of bed and gave my lovely princess a massage. Genlong closed her
eyes and relaxed. I wanted her to sleep so she could rest. She was a real
princess, a queen B, now she worked so hard for money even though I told
her not to work..My income from the book was enough to take care of us
both for the rest of our lives. But Genlong was afraid of being poor. She
was afraid that we might end up like before. She worked so hard that I
couldn't stand that I was the reason for this. That's how she must have felt...
when she found out that I worked on the construction site. She couldn't see
me like that, so she decided to leave me and help me from afar.

“Why do you stop?”

Genlong opened her eyes. Her eyes, which were as dark as the night sky,
looked at me in surprise. I smiled at her.

“My mind was distracted.”

“What are you thinking?”

“I'm thinking about our relationship from the beginning.”

“Since you were in Bangkok.”

“I'm thinking about elementary school when I secretly admired you.”

Now Genlong paid more attention to me. She stopped looking at her
computer and now she looked at me.

“Tell me. I wanted to know when you started liking me and how you broke
up with me.”

I looked at my princess and smiled.

“What do I get if I tell you?”

“Why do I have to give you something?”

She asked but she understood when she saw my seductive smile.

“Yes... if you tell me a good story, you will have me.”

“Okay, I'll tell you. Come here. Lie on my lap and rest.”

Gelong looked at the computer. She was reluctant to leave her work, but
she finally came to the bed and rested her head on my lap. I gently touched
her face, I felt bad because her beautiful face had dark circles around her
eyes like a panda.

“I can still remember the first day we met... you walked into the class and
sat next to me. You called me Olivor. You said I was thin as an olive
tree. You said I was a beggar's daughter because I was poor.”

It was so strange that I let another girl treat me like that and call me a
beggar's daughter. So I didn't feel like she looked down on me. I could be
thin and dirty. I didn't like to eat, so I was small. Pretty Face was a bad girl
but I understood her so I didn't hate her. Genlong was so bossy since she
was young. She was a good-looking girl, unlike the children in the interior.
She had shiny skin and long black hair, red lips and beautiful eyes. There
were so many boys and girls who wanted to be her friend. But they only
lasted for a while because Genlong was bratty and difficult. All my friends
couldn't hold it. Only me who stayed with her.

What was that for? I thought it was nice. He liked to share some expensive
snacks with me. Just for that....You are the daughter of a teacher. Why
can't
you do this? Stupid. Genlong was a smart girl. She was good at everything.
I felt like she came to school just to get the certificate, but she knew all the
knowledge from the beginning. Even though I was being bullied, I felt
good being with her. I was proud to have a friend as beautiful as her. Like
when you had handsome parents. She was good at everything but. she
had no
friends. No one ever wanted to do a task with her. She was bossy and she
never did anything she was asked. She was good at everything, but not in
terms of relationships. I was the teacher's daughter, so I had to pair up with
her for an assignment. She couldn't escape it.

“You do the work. If you do well, I'll buy you a new pencil case.”

“No, it's a group project. We both have to do it,"

I said, but Genlong looked at me unhappy.

“I'll give you my golden electric pencil sharpener. Do it. I don't like group
tasks. It's too easy, they're only for stupid people.”

She was a real bitch....I thought about when my friend from college came to
work on anassignment together. The princess was upset because my friends
took advantage of me. Shetotally contradicted herself. She didn't do her
homework either.

We were close for about 2 years in elementary school. Her father moved to
Bangkok in third grade. My sassy princess also moved in with her father. I
was very sad that she had to go, but not as sad as when I found out that I
had given her the lice. The sassy princess had to cut her hair because of the
lice I gave her. She made sure to get back at me in front of the entire class.
“We are no longer friends. I don't like you anymore. Miss Lice..”

I remembered very well how it felt to not be friends in that way. My

eyes were filled with tears as she continued to tell short-haired Genlong
that I was so sorry.

“I'm sorry Genlong.”

When I approached her, she walked away in anger and disgust. The little
miss perfect who never did anything wrong in her life except those lice on
her head.

“Leave me alone. You gave me lice.”

That was the last day I saw her at school. After that, I continued to live my
life as a normal school kid.

“Your crying face is always in my mind. I never erased that.”

The sassy princess who was lying on my lap now said. I laughed when I
realized she felt guilty remembering those times.

“Yes, you were such a bad girl, but that's why I never forget you. I forgot
most of my childhood friends, but not you. I remembered my high school
friends better than my elementary school friends.”

"I didn't have any friends in high school,"

Gen said..

“Oh really? You didn't have any friends in high school either. Why were
you so bad?”

The princess grimaced when she heard my comment. I laughed and kissed
her forehead lovingly.

“I can be friends with myself in the mirror. I'm a cool girl.”

“Don't worry. I can be whatever you want me to be.”

"You're flirting again."

The princess seemed shy as she extended her hand to touch my cheek.

“Still can't say why you like me. Why did you approach me when you
came to Bangkok? We lost contact for a long time.”

“I met Si. She said she met you in Phuket and gave me your number. I kept
your number and thought of contacting you when I was on a tour bus going
to Bangkok,"

I said.

“I didn't have another friend, so I tried to call you but I didn't plan to ask for
help. I just thought talking to someone I knew in Bangkok would be good.”

Genlong looked at me adoringly and touched my cheeks playfully.

“How lucky you met Si and he gave you my number. Otherwise, you
would never have called me..We wouldn't be together like this... But when
did you like me? Because you like me? Or did you start in elementary
school?”

“You are crazy?”

“That is what I thought. Did you like anyone before you met me? I
remember you once mentioned that I was your first love.”

I looked at the girl below me. I remembered the sassy princess wearing
headphones, pretending to listen to music. How did she hear that?

“I thought you listened to music back then?”

“Oh no... you caught me!”

Genlong touched her cheeks in embarrassment.

“I was nosy.”

I laughed at her embarrassment, still remembering how I felt.

“I never liked anyone... I don't know why. Maybe because I had gone
through some bad experiences.”

“Don't talk about that.”

“Although I didn't have that experience, I thought I had never liked any boy
or girl. No one impressed me like what you said when we had pizza
together for the first time..”

“Imitator”

Genlong smiled.

“When did you start liking me?”

“Our first eye contact.”

“Oh.”

I first saw Genlong in a shopping mall where we made an appointment

when I arrived in Bangkok. I remembered looking at a woman who passed
me with full interest. She was wearing sunglasses, but she looked so
familiar. What made me even more excited was when she took off her
glasses and we ate pizza together. We both look at each other. I took out
my glasses to clean them, everything was blurry but one thing I
remembered well was her eyes looking at me.. Her dark eyes looked like
bright stars in the night sky Eyes that could swallow me whole..

“Aoey, put on your glasses.”

“Oh.”

“Put on your glasses.”

I had no idea how excited I was to put my glasses back on and see her more
clearly. My heart trembled with excitement when we made eye contact. I
still wondered to this day. How did I fall in love with her first? So I never
showed any feelings. I've never met anyone who made me feel this way. I
thought I was excited to see an old friend who was as beautiful as a
celebrity on TV. I thought I was impressed with her beauty until we
spent more time together. We slept in the same bed. We hug, I knew we
weren't just friends. I was the one who knew it first. Who expressed
and knew
deep down that she had some feelings for me. She showed in many ways
that she had feelings for me. There were many times I tried her but she
was afraid, so she ran away from the feeling of her and it hurt me.

“Stop calling my attention.”

“If you like women, I will hate you too.”

“If you don't go out with anyone, you have to get out of my life.”

“Do not do this.”

I remembered all that....other people might stab her with a knife, but I was
very patient. I wanted to be close to her, to be with her. I didn't want her out
of my life like before. Genlong was the most self-deceptive and secretive
girl I had ever met. She never expressed anything. We almost didn't make it

“You liked me the first time we made eye contact. What an easy girl!”

Genlong looked at me and smiled shyly. I liked to hear our story. Well, we
are all ashamed to hear our own stories.

“Gen, you also fell in love with me the first time we made eye contact.
Love, at first sight, is real…”

“And if I were a man, would you love me?”

“I didn't love you because of your appearance. I love you because you are
you, Gen.”

I said. Genlong looked at me suspiciously.

“You are so Beautiful. Your beauty really struck me.”

“And you too, Aoey.”

We made eye contact and I leaned in to kiss her. Before moving on to the
next step, we paused because the bell at the front door rang. Genlong sat up
immediately.

“You could be my publicist. I ordered something online. I'll go look for it.”

“Oh, my... I almost did it.”

I watched the slender body walk away. I chuckled at her unsteady steps. I
still needed more rest. I always looked at her obsessively since elementary
school, college, or when we met.. I loved her and hated her at the same
time. I couldn't say I hated her, but it was a mixed feeling; love, hate,
revenge. I never understood why she left me even though we promised we
would be together no matter what and then there was that horrible letter:

For Aoey...

If you read this letter, you will understand why I have to go and leave you
behind. I thought that only Love will guide us through all the difficulties,
but it was not like that at all. I hate being poor.

Since I was born, I have never lived badly. When my family was in Korat,
my house at least was made of cement with many facilities in place. But
living here with you is not the same. It is not comfortable. I don't like the
wooden house that makes a squeaky noise when I walk. I feel hot during the
day... There's nothing good about it. I can't stand it....

This difficulty made me realize that I love myself more. Living a poor life
makes me hate everything here. I hate the stupid smiles of the people inside.
I hate the smell of the tree. I hate the market that can't provide me with the
things I like. But most of all, I hate the fact that I don't have money.
Although you said you could support me, people like me can't live in the
interior of the country with only 200 baht a day. I can't live in an
environment where I will never be happy around it. No air conditioning.
Not television. Without a water heater. Even the bed is rusty.
I love you Aoey, but now I realized that being poor was eating me alive. I
felt empty inside and wondered why I didn't run away with my family. The
answer is you... I have to live like this for you. I will be better and happier
without you. I have to leave you behind. Please understand me... I wanted
you to understand that it is natural for men and women to be together. It is
impossible for two women to be together until the end. One day you will
meet a man who wants to marry you and have children with you. I, Gen,
will have to find a husband as rich and intelligent as me. I don't think he
can fight nature anymore.nOnly in a novel could a woman love a woman
and a man could be with another man without being judged by society. If
he exists somewhere, I never thought I would see them. I don't want to
prove that our relationship will last forever. I'm not a guinea pig. If it helps
make your life easier, you can hate me. Because it seems like I started
hating you too.

Because you put me in this situation. I leave. I hope I never see you again.

Genlong,

That letter drove me crazy. I couldn't eat or sleep during that time. The
lyrics played in my head all the time in her voice as if someone had
recorded it. I remembered every letter, every line I lived with rage for 3
years. Genlong did it. I hated her with all my heart and told myself that I
had to succeed so I could show her that I could succeed. Even though I
hated her... I still wanted to see her. I wanted to know how the daring
princess lived. Was she really happy when she lived without me? I
rewrote the novel about our story and posted it online again. I called her -
Best friends-. I got the best feedback any writer could give until one of my
fans emailed me telling me about a cartoon on the Internet called MATE,
with the same story.

When I read the cartoon, my heart beat very fast. Many things told me that
the artist was Genlong. I knew she could draw really well, so I was 90
percent sure it was her. If I decided to report it to the police or press
charges, the cartoon would only be removed. But I didn't want that. I
wanted to see the artist... Tod could take care of that. I wasn't wrong. Tod
really could do it. The handsome guy was the owner of the company, my
manager, my employer, brother. He could take me to Genlong. Seeing it
again made me realize that… I still loved her. I couldn't deny that.

Hate and love were intertwined. I wanted to kill her but I also wanted to
hug her. I wanted to ask her if she missed me. I later found out that
Genlong was the one behind all my success and the real reason why she
had to leave… And the fact that she loved me so much. So lucky that I
asked Tod to bring her back despite the hate in the letter. I hated that letter.

“What's happening? You look stressed.”

The daring princess who returned from looking for the package outside
looked at me in bewilderment. She wondered what she had done wrong.
She wasn't as overbearing as she was before, since she realized how bad
she did me.

“I hate you.”

“What did I do?”

“I'm thinking about the letter you left me 3 years ago.”

She was surprised to hear that. I laughed when I saw her reaction.

“I had to write that.”

My beloved husband rushed to sit next to me and explained nervously.

“Think about it, if I wrote you a letter saying that I have to leave because I
don't want to see you work hard for me, that I loved you very much and
gave you hope to wait for me. I had to be bad, so you could move on.”

“Drop that excuse.”

I still picked a fight for fun even though I understood it now. I was
wondering what was going through her head when she wrote the letter.

“There must be some truth in it, or you couldn't write a letter like that.”
The beautiful girl in front of me looked confused and finally escaped with
her trick.

“I faint,”

I knew her movements well enough, so I grabbed her by the neck. She
couldn't collapse into bed. I laughed and pulled her towards me to hug her.

“I'm kidding. Now you're fainting when you can't explain it. Because you
are so pretty?”

“What are you doing?”

“I was upset thinking about that. Next time just tell me frankly. Don't ever
disappear again. It won't be great like the first time. I'll be really angry.”

Genlong hugged me back and laughed.

“Ok, I'll say it directly next time.”

“By the way, what did you buy? Since when do you shop online?”

“No, this is my first time.”

She asked me if I would arrive.Now we pay attention to the package on my

princess's lap. I quickly grabbed the box towards me.

“I'll open it for you.”

“Hey, meddler!”

“I can not open it?”

“Ok, ok. You can open it.”

She didn't want to argue with me.

“Okay, open it for me. I'll work a little more.”

Genlong walked towards her computer on the table. She picked up a mouse
pen and started drawing. I found a cutter and opened the box. I was curious
to know what was inside. I found another small box inside wrapped in
newspapers.

“What did you buy?”

“You're opening it right now. Don't ask, just open it.”

I removed the layer of wrapping newspapers to see the inside. A small dark
blue jewelry box inside excited me. I could be right. I opened the box and
saw two gem rings with the letters A and G on each ring. I looked at her
with surprise.

“You asked for rings.”

“They are from Swarovski. The diamond rings won't come home if I order
them online.”

The artist continued drawing in front of the computer. She said without
making any eye contact. I put the ring on my finger and found that the ring
was bigger than my finger.

“I can't use ring A.”

“That's mine. You have to use the one with the G. Why would you wear a
ring in your name?”

“You are so thoughtful. Why did you buy it?”

I put the ring on and admired it.

“It must have been nice on the Internet, that's why you bought it.”

“It was a pre-order ring.”

“Tasteful.”

“Sure, I'm Genlong.”

“What is the occasion? Or did you just want to buy it?”

I admired the ring and thought it looked good on me. I should always use it.
Genlong's name was on my finger. I had not received any response from
her yet, but Genlong remained silent for a long time. I had to look away
from her ring and look at her, who was now sitting in front of her computer.

“Why are you so quiet?”

“I'm excited.”

“Because?”

“Marry me?”

Silence fell between us. Genlong wasn't looking at me but she wasn't
drawing anything on the computer anymore. She was sitting still. I froze as
if I was paralyzed from head to toe.

“Why are you silent? I thought you wanted to get married.”

The next thing I knew, I hugged her from behind, still in shock. My
sensitivity was through the roof. I cried and trembled.

“What's happening? You scared me.”

“How could you do this? This is unexpected.”

I cried and hit her shoulder gently. Genlong turned around and turned her
chair to look at me. She pulled me to sit on her lap. My daring princess's
reaction was more nervous than mine.

“I thought a marriage proposal was supposed to be unexpected. I was so

scared that you would cry so much.”

Genlong grabbed her chest where her heart was.

“So this is the feeling of a proposal. I never thought I could do this. I

always imagined a man getting down on one knee asking me to marry him.
How funny life is.”

Now I hugged her and cried like a baby in her lap. I hugged her like I
couldn't believe it and this could be a good dream.

“I can not believe it. you proposed to me.”

“I told you before that when I have enough money I will propose to you.
Now I have something. But please, I don't want a big wedding. I don't want
to be on the news. A woman married another woman or a homosexual
couple married. I don't want to be in a strange news section.”

“Whatever you want.”

“If we get on the news, my parents will find out and drag me back home.
Let's do this...we'll get married nice and simple. I want a small, low-budget
wedding like Rain and Kim Tae Hee, a Korean celebrity. We can invite
only a few close friends.”

I never cared what my wedding would be like. The most important thing
was that Genlong wanted to settle down with me. I couldn't say much
because I cried all the time. Genlong tried to talk and calm me down.

“What type of dress will we wear at our wedding? Are we both going to
wear a white wedding dress? We might end up in a beauty pageant.”

“It doesn't matter.”

“How is that? We have to think about what we are going to wear.”

“I really don't care what I wear.”

I kissed her softly on the neck and still said

“It doesn't matter.”

“What are you doing?”

Genlong noticed now that I started to get naughty. Not only did my lips
softly kiss her all over, but my hands also playfully touched her under her
shirt.

“I'm more interested after the wedding.”

“You're naughty again.”

“You always make me horny, even when you talk about the wedding dress.”

I gently nibbled her ear. I knew that was her weak point. Her labored
breathing was a sign that she was convinced.

“The dress is not that important to me. I'm more interested in removing it.”

“You're flirting with me again.”

“Does it work?”

“I don't know.”

Genlong pushed me and took off my shirt. She bit my cleavage, her favorite
place.

“I think it's working..”

I smiled like a winner. Finally, Genlong carried me to the bed. She lost to
me as usual.

“You always make me forget how stressful I was with work. This is a good
break.”

My sassy princess took off all her clothes before lying on top of me. I let
her drive as she liked, the kisses, her caresses. Her soft hands gently
explored my body.

“You see! The wedding dress wasn't that important. The important thing
was to remove it.”
 sᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ:

ᴍᴇssᴀɢᴇs
══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

An alert on my phone let me know that I had received a message while I

was eating a sandwich outside the hospital. I grabbed my phone to check
the message and wasn't surprised to see who it was.

[Kate: Todd, I'm getting

married.] [Kate: sending photos.]

I saw the message on my notification on the screen and stopped. I had so

many mixed feelings. I resisted opening my phone and reading the entire
message. It would show her that I 'read' the message.

My relationship with Genlong was like a brother and sister all the time. At
least that's how I showed it. What could I do? She had someone she loved
and would always love, and that was Aoey. There was no room for me at
all. When I could handle the disappointment that I could never win in that
situation, my only role was to be like a big brother to her... until now.

4 years had passed.... I wanted to congratulate her but I felt horrible..

Yes...I had a feeling for Genlong. Love could happen with anyone
regardless of their gender. Above all, I also liked women. Going back to
when I met Genlong… I was born in a rich family. My father owned a
private hospital and my mother was the principal of a famous public school.
My parents had good profiles and I was their only child. All expectations
fell on me. I had to succeed. I had to get an A throughout all the years. I
had to enter a higher
university. That included the expectation of having a good wife… My
mom... chose her friend's daughter whom she assured was perfect,
beautiful, intelligent and,most importantly, rich.

“Hello Tod, my name is Genlong. I am 20 years old. My dad is a man. My

mother is a woman,"

Said Genlong, the woman my mother introduced me to. She was perfect,
but one thing she lacked was good manners. Another thing she had in
excess was her arrogance. I must admit that the first time we met, she didn't
impress me at all except for the way she looked. She was self-centered,
spoiled and rude. If her parents weren't rich, she wouldn't have anything
else. I promised myself the first time we met that it would be the last. But
funny enough...the sassy, self-absorbed girl contacted me and she seemed
interested in being my friend. Even with her hostile attitude then.

I later found out that the real intention of why she wanted to be my friend
was to run away from someone. I accepted it because I saw that we had
common benefits because I also had a secret that I didn't want my family to
know and I could also use a cover-up. I was dating a man. If anyone in my
family found out, it wouldn't end well. The only son, the only expectation
of the family, dating another man would be a disaster. The cover story
between Genlong and m happened from this. So I got involved with
someone who shouldn't have been my friend from the beginning. I went
out with a man.
Genlong dated a woman. We both hid the taboo relationship from our
families. It was a conspiracy between us. We had the same path, and that's
how we got closer.

We were so close that we both witnessed major events in each other's lives..
I broke up with Sigha. Then I realized that I had almost no friends. I had no
one to call to talk to. It was strange that I thought about that daring girl. I
called Genlong and she surprised me to find out that she was more worried
about me than I thought, even though we had just met. Furthermore,
Genlong was not the kind of person who would worry about other people.
But she cared about me… The breakup was so torturous. I dated a lot of
people before, but most of the time, I was the one who dumped them...those
girls. But it crushed me when a man left me. I assumed I was gay...
Genlong made me smile even though she fought with Aoey at that time.
The bird that parroted the sound of them having sex was very funny. I burst
out laughing and Aoey's reaction was priceless. She supported me in my
dark time...in her own way. That's when she became a sister to me. But only
for a short period. When Genlong got drunk on Vodka and kissed me
passionately, that's when I felt something was wrong.
My heart trembled… I was excited.....I missed those lips. I was good at not
showing emotions. Nobody knew how I felt. I knew love before. I realized
when she kissed me that maybe I wasn't one hundred percent gay. I liked
women too....but why Genlong?

Life was so confusing. I cried a lot when I found out that Singha was dating
a woman. Later, in a few days, I felt sensitive about being kissed by my
cheeky friend. It could happen because I was unstable from the
heartbreaking episode. I let that feeling go. It hurt me a lot to see Singha
post a photo of him and his girlfriend on Facebook. I thought I was over
that, but I felt pain seeing it. I hated everyone in the world, including
Genlong, who visited me with happiness from her. She was in her love
bubble with Aoey.

“I wanted to see what smart people like you would do if you knew that the
person you love with all your heart only wants to be with you for your
money.”

My statement reflected how I felt. Genlong and I were born rich and that's
what people wanted from us. I assumed Aoey didn't love her the same
way Singha cheated on me. I was stupid. Genlong was angry with me.
She
disappeared for a while. I chased her away, my only close friend. I ended up
regretting what I had said. I said sorry to Genlong. The bold girl had a bad
mouth. She sarcastically accepted my apology anyway. I thought I knew
Genlong well enough. She had a bad mouth but she had a good heart. She
liked to act cold, but she didn't realize that sometimes she was ridiculous.
Ridiculous in a cute way. . .I would tell you how my feelings towards
Genlong began to change.

The kiss then was not clear… It was clearer when we had the second kiss to
cover up that Aoey lived with her in the condo. Then I realized that I had
fallen in love with her. Our wet lips and our wet tongues touched, and even
though it was a fake kiss, my heart trembled. I could be weak from a
broken heart. Genlong was like an oasis in the desert. My heart was bigger
with joy. It was love without expectations. I was happy just to see her grow.
Yes, such love existed. Love without possession.
I never thought about fighting for her. I just supported her and was on her
side. Even on her worst day when she was entangled in a murder case and
an anti-money laundering case.

I was so worried about her when I couldn't reach her. Her family was on the
TV news all the time. I had no idea where she was, or how she was doing. I
heard that her entire family had left the country and she stayed. Her mother
tried to keep in touch with me, the only person who could communicate
with her daughter. She asked me for help to find her for fear of the police
and her father's enemy. She was worried about her daughter's safety. What
worried me most was... She couldn't live without money. She was born in a
rich and perfect family. She must have been in big trouble to run away. I
saw a light in the tunnel when Genlong finally contacted me. I had to
convince her not to do it.

It was the best I could do. Seeing her again made me feel very sad. The
perfect Genlong was now so thin. She didn't look very happy but she still
spoke positively about Aoey and that she was her happiness. I couldn't
stand that. I couldn't bear to see that Genlong was wrong about "Love."

“Love needs money or at least you have to know how to make money.”

I tried to dissuade her using Aoey. The sassy girl tried to ignore what I
said, but I could see from her eyes that she agreed with me. And yes, she
contacted me. Only 3 days later, Genlong called me back and agreed to go
away… Yes, I do. But what followed was the guilt I felt towards Aoey.
 sᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ:

ᴀᴏᴇʏ's ʙᴇʜɪɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ sᴄᴇɴᴇ

══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

I was surprised to learn the strange symptoms Aoey had. She couldn't stand
anyone touching her, even her mother. Every time someone got too close,
she screamed. We all had to tie her up and send her to the psychiatrist. I
never thought she was so serious. But once she was with the doctor,
everything became easier. I didn't know the reason that caused that to
Aoey. But her mother, or the Salee teacher she called Genlong, seemed to
know.
The old woman just cried in silence. She seemed to accept what had
happened. And she had to keep the promise she made to Genlong that she
would take good care of Aoey.

The doctor who treated Aoey was an old friend of Teacher Salee, so Aoey
began the treatment process immediately. She seemed to be gradually
becoming positive. She wasn't all there and screamed from time to time, not
because of her symptoms but because Genlong had left her. That was the
biggest concern. It was like this for 6 months. It wouldn't be good to
continue like this. She didn't go to school and couldn't socialize. The
treatment was not cheap. I had to do something to get her back on her feet.

“Hey.”

I visited her at home. She was not hospitalized, she was still able to live in
her house. No one could touch her, so once she saw me visiting, she
immediately glared at me. I was the one who took Genlong away from her.

“What do you want?”

Her cold and hostile voice made me sigh. Well, I'd be angry too if it were
me.

“I wanted to talk to you about you and Genlong.”

“What's up with that? What do you have to say?”

“I have no excuses. I just wanted you to think about the truth."

I sat down, with both hands clasped in my lap while Aoey stood with her
arms crossed over her chest. She looked so fierce like she could kill me if
she had a gun.

“This is the real world.”

“Yes, this is the real world, not a dream. I will never forgive you because
if I do, it would be just a dream. A dream that you took Gen from me. I
will never forget it.”

“Yes, I took Gen because Gen couldn't live like that.”

“Why are you thinking about both of us? We were

happy!”- Aoey screamed and looked at me with hatred.

“You broke everything. If you didn't exist, this wouldn't have happened.”

“Do you really believe that? Do you think without me she wouldn't leave
you?”

I had to dig up a disgusting truth that Gen asked me to tell. Otherwise; she
couldn't move forward.

“Genlong was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Think about this, you
started with love. Everything looked so perfect. But how long could you go
hungry? 5-10 years?”

“The beauty of love began to fade. The cost of living is increasing.

Difficulties surrounded you both. You're just a little girl, how are you
going
to support Genlong?”

“I can do it!”

“Working on a construction site? Look in the mirror and tell me…”

I thought of some horrible things to say.

“You have nothing compared to Gen.”

I hated myself and regretted saying that. I saw that she was stunned and
frozen by what I said, but no... I wouldn't stop with just that.

“Genlong was beautiful from head to toe. She wears expensive things and
you are an upcountry girl who came to Bangkok. You can't even socialize
like normal people. You are a beggar who fell in love with a princess.
Genlong might be in love with you today, but once all that fades and
she sees things clearer…”

“You pushed her down. How dare you bring her down to your level? Be a
beggar like you. Aoey...Can you really stand that look in Genlong's
eyes?”

“That's not Genlong.”

“But she left you!”

I was very embarrassed to say something like that to the girl.

“I heard she left you a letter. Didn't the letter reveal something about her?”

I hit the right place. Tears rolled down her cheeks.

“I didn't know what the letter said, but I figured Gen left her some nasty
messages.”

I tried to emphasize what Genlong had told her.

“Genlong continued forward. How could you not?”

“Don't fool me. It won't work, especially if it comes from people like you.”

“I don't expect you to listen to me. I just want you to love yourself. It hurts
the people around you to see you like this,
especially your mother.”

"Especially my mother..."

Aoey chuckled.

“If I were like that and drove my mom crazy, I would do it.”

“At least improve to get revenge.”

That seemed to work. It seemed to hit the spot.

“What can I do with her?”

“She could have a husband now. I heard she moved to Macau. Her father
has a casino business. She could end up with another rich person.”

I made up a story. I knew that Genlong was now also dealing with
depression. But what else could I do...

“If one day she came back and sawa you like that. She wouldn't regret
leaving you then.”

“Do you know where she is now?”

“Of course I know. Keep in

touch.” “How is she?..”

She asked even though she was so upset with her. But it had to be bad,
I told myself.

“She is fine. She is rich, happy and she lives her life comfortably.
The weather there is much better than here and.”
"That's enough."

The little girl pinched herself.

"Tod, do you really think that if I can move on, she would be sad that she
left me?"

"I don't know,"

I smiled. At least it seemed to work.

“If I were you, I would live my life to the fullest to make the person who
hurt me regret leaving me. You're writing a novel now, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Write your book and publish it. Market it well, be successful. Once you are
famous, whatever you do, Genlong will know... You can sleep with all the
men in the world, until then, Genlongncan't hurt you anymore.”

“That would be so hot.”

Bitter medicine was the best medicine... From that day on, Aoey was a
different person. She accepted the treatment and began writing a novel. I
proposed to publish her novel but she rejected it. I finally posed as an editor
and contacted her. Damn! Studying in a medical school was quite difficult...
but her books could really sell… Her books were so famous that I might
even drop out of medical school. I had enough money
to build a house, buy an expensive car. Aoey made a lot of money. Her
work expanded into a film and a television drama.

The sweet eyes began to bloom. As a little girl, she was now a queen in
the book business. But fame came with egocentrism. I understood where
she was coming from. She succeeded so quickly. She never knew I was
behind all of her success until her third book was published. I decided to
tell her the truth. She was upset at first, but then she was okay with it.

“That was good. Whether with or without you, everything makes money.”
Her arrogance worried me. But what the hel... the eye candy started
socializing. Her relationshipnwith her mother improved little by little.
Above all, she had a boyfriend.
Have......I thought Ten liked Aoey because of her looks. Ten was like a
normal handsome man. Aoey agreed to go out with him, but her eyes never
revealed any love. She was unaware of the relationship.nBut she agreed to
get married...

That's when I thought she was out of control. Teacher Salee met her new
husband and would soon move to another country. Aoey completely
rejected the idea of moving in with her. Teacher Salee didn't tell me why,
so I didn't ask again. I later learned that Aoey was planning to marry Ten, a
brother of her psychiatrist. How could I let this happen?.....nThe image of
Aoey running behind the car while hitting the window with her bloody
hands was still clear in my mind. It was I who separated the two lovebirds. I
had to do something, even though I had feelings for Genlong.

I took Genlong back to Bangkok.nI was the one who planned for the two to
meet again. I also planned to ruin Aoey's wedding… I ruined the wedding
only to find out about another wedding planned by Genlong. I opened the
message to let her know I read it. Genlong sent a photo of her and Aoey
hugging showing off her ring. They seemed so happy and I liked seeing my
sassy girl smile.

[Tod: Where is your wedding? I will go.]

[Genlong: In Bangkok, so it will be convenient for you. It won't be big, just

a small meeting. I will invite only family and close friends.]

[Genlong: You have to come, Tod. You are my most important friend.]

I read the message and felt tears in my eyes but I also had a smile for her.

[Todd: Of course, I wouldn't miss it.]

 sᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ:

sᴇᴄʀᴇᴛ ᴘᴏᴠ (ᴛᴏᴅᴅ)

══━━━━✥◈✥━━━━══

2 weeks after that, Aoey and Genlong's wedding took place. They were two
modern women. They didn't need any auspicious moment. They just needed
beautiful wedding dresses, booked a hotel, and then were ready for the
reception. The wedding took place in a small ballroom in a hotel with a
large table in the middle. It looked like a meeting room, more than a
wedding. The two brides wore modern and elegant white dresses. Genlong
always looked beautiful. All eyes were on her once she entered the room.
Her black hair perfectly framed her beautiful bright face, and her eyes
mesmerized everyone. The other wedding dress was sweet and simple.
Aoey wore a white traditional Thai dress, decorated with gold thread on the
edge. She was stunningly beautiful.

The two brides dressed differently but looked great together. There
were two different styles that harmonized with each other. I thought it
was by design. They didn't want two girlfriends in a pageant.

“Wow, you're fucking beautiful. Oh! Why did you hit my head?”

“Don't be rude on my wedding day.”

Great flew from Macau to attend the wedding. He looked at his sister with
admiration. He looked at Aoey and openly admired her as well.

“Why do two beautiful women end up together?”

“Shut your mouth.”

“Because? One is my beloved sister. The other is my ex-girlfriend. Then,
they ended up together.”

“Great pouted and handed something into Genlong's hand.”

“Here's mom's gift for you, some money so you two can go on adventures.”

I stood not far from them, curiously poking my head out to look at
Genlong's hand. She opened a folded check and I saw that it said 10 million
baht written on it. Wow! Ten million. Aoey almost fainted from those '0's
on the check.

“How come she gave me so much? Does she know that I'm marrying a
woman?”

"Yeah, she said it won't last,"

Great said sarcastically.

“Mom still believes that a woman's relationship won't last forever.”

“I'll show it to mom.”

“You are

ungrateful.” “What?”

Great was such a foul-mouthed boy that I only observed the brother's
conversation in a low voice.

“You left your two parents who love you so much and moved to Thailand
to live with a woman you recently met. If this isn't ungrateful, I don't know
what is.”

Aoey, who was next to them, looked guilty. But I couldn't say anything
because it wasn't my place.

“Yes, you make me feel guilty... What should I do then? Take her to
Macau?”
“Why not?”

“Our father is not a normal father. He will blame Aoey for our family
problems.”

She really is guilty. Genlong raised her hand to hit Great high above as
Great definitely moved his face closer to her.

“Hit me. It won't help you escape the fact that you left our family. You are
the hope of mom and dad. You are dad's heart. Now I have to meet all
expectations.”

“Yes that's how it is. You are a single child.

Mature.” “You know I'm not that smart.”

“But you are now.”

“As?”

“At least you know you're not smart.”

Both brothers remained silent, but their eyes were conveying some deeper
words.

“You're an adult, Great. I promise you that I will return when you need me.
Tell them I love them always.”

“You're her favorite. Mom knowing that you married a woman. She still
gave you tens of millions. She didn't complain about anything. She just
said…”

“What did she say?”

“Better than the alternative, if you have depression and want to kill yourself
again.”

Great pulled Gen into a hug.

“No matter what is happening in your life, you have to promise that you'll
return to us, to see your family. Don't want to commit suicide again. We
couldn't bear to see you like this again.”

Aoey heard all that. Tears covered her eyes. This was something Aoey
never knew before. The other girlfriend who just heard all that would love
Genlong even more.

"I won't do that again."

Genlong gently stroked Great's back.

“I have Aoey now.”

“Ok, I'll tell mom that one good thing about Aoey is that she makes you
happy.”

Genlong looked at the check in her hand with amusement. The number on
the check was so high that she had to make sure it wasn't a dream.

“Ten million.”

“She's worried that you'll end up being a beggar. She doesn't agree with
your marriage but she can't come here. You have to let it go.”

“She can ask her people to take me home.”

“You will escape again. I think she'll just wait for you to run home again
like last time,"

Great said even though Aoey was next to them.

“Aoey, congratulations. You look very beautiful today in traditional Thai

dress. You should get a husband in her place... Ouch!”

Genlong hit Great on the head again for stopping his foul mouth. The
wedding guests were just close friends; me, teacher Salee, Great and Cherry
(his girlfriend), Si (a friend Aoey kept in touch with) and Ten. That wedding
was to inform people that the two decided to be together. They didn't want
anything fancy. I thought that was good. No marching band, no dance
party. We just dined and drank wine and talked about old, precious
memories.

When everyone was having fun, I went out to the bathroom. Amidst the
celebratory atmosphere, something weighed on my chest once I saw
Genlong slip into the room. Almost cried. I wasn't sure if they were tears of
happiness at seeing her so happy, or if it was the painful feeling I had
towards her.

“Tod, what are you doing here?”

I was left alone thinking about so many things, not realizing that Genlong
followed me out of the room. I turned to her and quickly wiped away my
tears, but I could never hide that from Genlong.

"Why are you crying, Tod?"

Genlong always knew that.

“I feel sensitive. I'm glad to see you happy,"

I joked. Genlong smiled and came in to give me a hug.

“Come on, Todd. I didn't know you loved me so much. Only parents
will cry at the wedding.”

“It's because I love you.”

“Oh my God! You gave me goosebumps saying that. Look at my arms

here!”

Genlong showed me her arms and all her hair really stood on end. I could
only look at the beautiful girl with sadness. Love really had no gender. I
dated women before, then a man, and
now I was in love with a woman who was about to marry another woman.

“Why are you looking at me like that? Are you okay, Todd?”

“How many times have we kissed?”

I asked and pretended to count.

“Twice. First when you were drunk on Vodka. Again when we cheated on
your mom.”

“Why are you mentioning this now?”

I looked at Genlong and wanted to try again one last time. I didn't know
how it would turn out. A kiss... I deserved one even if she might hate
me.

“Kiss Me.”

“What?!”

“I love you, Genlong.”

“I'm in love with you. You know I'm not a liar.”

Silence settled between the two of us. Air was sucked in around us, as if
someone pressed the controller to silence it. Genlong showed no emotion,
but I tried to suppress my fear of her petty rejection.

“I know this is not a good time to talk about this. But I think I kept it up too
long. I need to say something.”

“I know sometimes it's better not to say it. I was like that too. But I learned
that not saying anything can make it worse.”

“Are you angry with me?”

I asked frankly. Genlong, who had matured a lot since the first day we met,
looked at me and smiled.

“Someone loving me is better than hating me. Especially coming from you,
I can never hate you. You deserve something in return."

The beautiful bride pursed her lips in thought.

“I will do what you ask me.”

Genlong ran towards me and put both her arms around my neck. He pulled
my neck towards her. She kissed me deeply with her tongue passionately. It
was a real kiss. Kiss with tongue… With rhythm… But it lasted less than
30 seconds. Genlong brushed himself off and took a deep breath.

“We kissed 3 times. It's weird kissing someone you're not in a relationship
with.”

“Yes it's strange.”

"I have rewarded you, so now you are my big brother again."

Genlong smiled at me and put hisnarms around me.

“This is our secret. Let no one know that we kissed.”

I rested my head on her shoulder and laughed.

“Yes, it's our secret.”

“Do not tell anyone.”

My dear sister... you grew so much....