Win cleared his throat awkwardly.
"When did we last meet? Yesterday in class, right, Artit?"
Oat looked at him in confusion. "What are you talking about, Win? Didn't we meet—"
"Ohhh!" Win shouted. "Let's stop wasting time. It's very precious to someone."
He shot a glance at Kao, who was already breaking out in a sweat. "Let's go!" he yelled.
Before anyone could respond, Win grabbed his friends again and hurried forward. However, Kao's attention drifted toward Mok.
Artit caught sight of it from the corner of his eye. Tilting his head slightly, he gestured with his eyes. "Kao... talk to him. Why are you acting like you can't?"
Seeing this, Toffee lightly squeezed Artit's arm. "Are you okay, Phi? Is something wrong?"
Looking at Toffee's face, Artit rubbed his eyes, said he was okay, and continued walking beside him, while Kao regretted not taking the initiative sooner.
As they wandered through the festival club stalls, Kao lingered a few steps behind Mok. His lips curved slightly, tracking Mok's shadow as it stretched across the ground. At every stall, he quietly took note of what Mok liked and bought it for him.
Meanwhile, Toffee and Mok spent most of their time bickering, teasing, and even chasing one another around. Lamon was already clutching his stomach from laughing too much.
Watching them, Kao felt both worried and happy for Mok. "What if he trips?" He glanced at the path ahead. There were loose stones scattered along the ground. "Why didn't the clubs check the area properly? If he gets hurt...?" All kinds of protective thoughts filled his mind.
Eventually, the playful fight between Mok and Toffee came to an end. Now they were simply strolling around and browsing the other stalls.
"Lamon, isn't it too hot?" Mok asked while fanning his shirt lightly, though he made sure not to reveal any skin because Kao hadn't looked away from him the entire time.
"Right... it is. But that's not why you're sweating. It's because you ran the entire way."
"Lamon, stop teasing me. Look at Toffee. He even has a personal handkerchief and someone taking care of him." Mok gestured toward Artit, who was fussing over Toffee as usual.
Mok chuckled, and Lamon did the same.
Meanwhile, the bottle of cold water made Kao's hand feel numb. He had bought it for Mok because the other boy had been running. His grip tightened around it as droplets rolled down its surface and dripped onto the ground. Yet he never found the courage to give it to Mok. As the chill slowly faded away, all he could do was stare at it.
The festival grounds grew more crowded.
Thud!
Someone bumped into Kao's shoulder, making him freeze. A dull pain shot through his arm, and the bottle slipped from his hand, hitting the ground.
The student apologized repeatedly. Only after Oat stepped in and said, "It's okay, you can go," did the stranger finally leave.
Everyone turned toward Kao. Artit stepped closer, noticing how silent he had become.
"Kao... Kao..."
"Mmh..."
Following his line of sight, Artit caught sight of the fallen bottle. "We can buy another one. You're okay, right?"
Kao nodded. "I don't need that anymore," he said, offering a small smile as he picked up the dirty bottle and poured the remaining water into a potted plant near the Environment Club booth.
Not far away, Mok's breathing hitched. Without realizing it, his feet had already taken a few steps toward Kao. Then he stopped. Standing beside Lamon, he turned away again, avoiding Kao's eyes.
They lost track of time browsing for hours.
The clouds began to clear as the wind picked up, but none of them noticed while they busied themselves shopping and eating snacks.
Since Toffee wanted to visit the Music Club, they all headed there together. At some point, Win disappeared from the group. Oat spent the entire walk complaining about him to Kao, who readily agreed.
When they arrived at the booth, Kao's focus naturally shifted toward Mok. Amid the crowd and noise, he subtly closed the distance, sensing the warmth radiating from Mok's body. His fingers brushed against Mok's palm.
Startled, Mok spun around, his face nearly colliding with Kao's.
Kao's breath warmed his cheek. "Mok... why didn't you take my call?"
Mok didn't answer. Instead, he started to turn away. Lowering his head, he began to let go, but then Mok's fingers suddenly caught his. Even without looking at the nervous boy, Kao could feel the tension in his grip. He couldn't take his eyes off their small, locked fingers.
As the crowd surged around them, Mok pressed his hands against Kao's chest. "Sorry," he muttered, staring at Kao, whose eyes were growing red. Mok's fingers gently traced Kao's cheek before he forced himself to look away.
"Are you uncomfortable...?" Kao hesitated. Then, as their fingers parted, he gently drew away, intending to return to the workshop.
Oat noticed the sudden movement and stopped him. "What's wrong? You don't look well. I can call Artit—"
Before he could finish, Kao gave a slight nod of dismissal. "I'm okay. Maybe it's just the temperature."
A short distance away, Mok stood rigid. He pretended to watch Toffee, desperate to hide his distraction.
"Kao, I'm not joking. Did you eat anything today?"
Kao quietly refused again, whispering that he would eat later. However, their side conversation cut short as they turned their focus to the front of the Music Club booth.
Artit loomed there with a dark expression.
He draped an arm over Kao's shoulder. "Don't you feel a chill?"
Kao hummed. "Maybe it's not only us," he replied.
They surveyed the area. For some reason, the atmosphere felt unusually tense. Artit glared furiously at someone from the Music Club. At the same time, that person matched his angry stare.
"Isn't that Jay?"
"Mmh... it's him." Oat studied the scene once more, adding, "I can't believe what I'm seeing. Everyone's recording videos and taking pictures. This is going to get bad. We need to stop them."
As his friend tried to figure out what to do, Kao tapped his shoulder. "Oat... can I go back?"
Hearing that, Oat immediately panicked. "When all this is happening, you want to leave?"
"But why?"
"Because Artit said you're going back with him. Forget about leaving alone."
"Oat..."
"No matter what happens, you're staying here."
Kao let out a soft whine as Oat anxiously discussed what they should do if a fight broke out, both of them realized that wasn't the only problem; the inevitable rumors would also backfire on them.
The commotion finally died down after Toffee grabbed Artit's hand and pulled him away from the booth. Soon, they headed back, a wave of relief washing over both of their faces.
On the way to the canteen, Lamon started showing signs of a slight fever, so he and Oat left early.
Now only four people were left.
Artit and Toffee chatted as they walked ahead, while a few steps behind them, Mok's focus strayed among the festival stalls lining their path back.
Kao trailed several paces behind him, never once closing the distance.
Mok stole a quick glance over his shoulder.
Kao trudged along with his head lowered, completely lost in thought. Amid the surrounding noise, it felt as though their hearts were crying out to each other, yet their lips stayed sealed all the way to the canteen.
Arriving at the destination, the group halted.
"We'll go buy something," Artit said, ruffling Toffee's hair.
Meanwhile, Kao scanned the nearby vendors, searching for something Mok might like.
"Kao... what are you looking at?"
"Artit, let's go to that stall over there."
Artit tracked his line of sight. "Mmh."
The two headed over together.
Watching him leave, Mok clenched his fist.
"Mok... Mok..."
He snapped out of his thoughts. Pointing toward an empty table, Toffee smiled. "Let's sit there."
As they made their way over, Kao happened to look back. Spotting Mok keeping pace beside Toffee, he paused for a split second.
"Kao," Artit called out. "Why didn't you talk to Mok?"
"I..." Before Kao could answer, the stall auntie interrupted them.
Artit signaled for their food order before turning back. "Kao, you need to eat something. You look exhausted too. Don't go back to your condo tonight. Come with me."
Receiving no response, Artit frowned. "Are you even listening to what I'm saying?"
Reading the silence between them, Artit added in a gentler tone, "Mok isn't like Toffee, and you know that. Besides, his first relationship didn't end on good terms, so you need to try harder."
Kao listened quietly as Artit finished ordering. "Auntie, can I have that drink a little sweeter?"
Hearing that, Kao shot a playful glare toward him.
"What are you looking at? It's for my Toffee," Artit defended with a grin.
Once the food was ready, Artit carried two plates, and Kao picked up the other two.
At the table, Toffee was busy questioning Mok about why he had been acting strangely all afternoon. As Artit and Kao drew closer, both of them smiled, noting how patiently Mok and Toffee were waiting.
The moment Mok caught sight of Kao, he averted his eyes again.
Kao placed a plate in front of him, followed by a drink meant only for Mok. "Mok," his voice softened. "Don't space out. Start eating." Then he took a seat across from him.
Kao lifted a spoonful of food to his mouth, but even after several bites, most of his meal remained untouched.
Mok observed him quietly. "Is he not feeling well? Why isn't he eating properly?" Seeing the dark circles beneath Kao's eyes, Mok couldn't hide his concern.
Tightening his grip on his spoon, Mok tapped the table. "You don't feel like eating, but it's already past mealtime."
Kao gave a weak laugh. "Are you worried about me? I thought you wouldn't talk to me."
"Don't change the subject, Kao," his voice came out low.
"I'm not hungry, that's all."
Mok lowered his gaze to his plate.
At the same moment, Kao placed a piece of meat onto Mok's plate, his hand trembling slightly as he did so.
Mok stared at it for a second. "Idiot..."
Without saying anything, he moved his own favorite piece of chicken onto Kao's plate. "Dig in."
"Oh... don't be so cold. Talk nicely."
Hearing that, Mok pouted and added another piece. "Here. Take this too. You need to finish everything."
Across the table, Artit and Toffee exchanged amused looks.
"Phi, when did they get so close?"
"I don't know either. Maybe Kao's gear pin was the matchmaker," Artit whispered. Both of them laughed.
After composing himself, Toffee grinned. "I'm shipping them."
"You can ship them, but don't let them know."
Patting his head, Artit sighed. "Finish your food first."
"Khap."
Artit nearly fed him himself before stopping at the last second.
Meanwhile, Toffee went right back to ribbing Mok. "Ohhh, Mok. You never give me anything, especially your favorite food." Toffee sulked dramatically.
"Did I? You're lying. I only gave it to him because I felt bad for him," Mok shot back immediately.
"Phi... I think there's something wrong with my eyesight. I'm clearly seeing things. What can we do?"
Artit tried his hardest to suppress his laughter.
Across the table, Kao silently pleaded with his eyes for Artit to stop Toffee before Mok completely exploded.
Somehow, the playful chaos at the canteen persisted just like that.
The day had started with intense heat, but it was beautifully balanced out by the evening breeze. Ultimately, that day felt complete.