Chapter Text
Arthit waved to his friends as he strutted into the cafeteria, scanning for their usual table. He spotted Knot, Tootah, and Prem lounging around adorn their newly bought maroon blazer, marking the start of their engineering days as second years, no longer as freshmen.
As he neared the table, his friends are currently halfway in their snacks. Honestly, he'd been starving since earlier this morning-thanks to waking up late again. He'd sworn to never let it happen and promised himself he'd get up at least 15 minutes earlier, like a normal person. But no, another disappointment.
Now he was hungry, annoyed, and to top it off, their professor had the nerve to assign an essay on the first day. He was expecting a light orientation, not a pain in the ass.
"Hey Arthit, how was the break?" Knot asked, high-fiving him as he arrived, noticing the grumpy, tired look on his face. Arthit had been friends with Knot since forever-back in high school and now in college, still in the same Faculty of Engineering but in different departments, Arthit in Industrial, Knot in Mechanical.
The cafeteria was packed, the usual midday chaos unfolding as students rushed to grab their meals before everything ran out. Trays clattered, voices overlapped, and the smell of stir-fried something filled the air. Their group had managed to snag a spot on the far side of the room, tucked away from the lines that snaked through the food stalls.
Arthit sat with his tray, quietly relieved that he'd managed to get the last pieces of his food. Small victories, he thought, poking at the lukewarm fish cake. At least something's going right today.
"Eventful and fun. If bed-rotting all day counts," Arthit replied dryly, pushing his food in the table-pink milk and now five pieces of Tod Mun Pla Krai instead of six, just in time for Bright, who had just shown up, to snatch one.
"Bright! Go get your own!" Arthit scowled, swatting at Bright's hand as he reached in for a second grab.
"It tastes better when it's stolen, you know," Bright replied, already munching with smug satisfaction as he sat next to Knot.
Tootah snorted without looking up from his phone, typing away, while Prem kept scrolling through social media. Knot continues to eat his food while Arthit takes a sip of his favorite milk. Then, suddenly, Prem lifted his head with a dramatic sigh.
"I can't believe it, guys," he said, looking almost heartbroken. Arthit sighed thinking his friend was at it again.
"What?" they all asked in unison, just as Tootah dramatically reached over and patted Prem's head like a concerned parent, already predicting the direction of the random conversation.
"Ugh, Prem and his old man thoughts. He's at it again," Tootah muttered, as the rest of them sighed in anticipation.
"Guys, I just can't believe it-we're already second-year engineering students. And the next thing you know, we'll be in third year, then fourth, then... graduation," Prem said with exaggerated despair, his voice trailing off like he was narrating a tragedy.
Arthit and the rest just throw their amused smiles, used to this by now. Prem had always been like this.
"You know, I'll look forward to that after I graduate. For now, I just want to enjoy things, you know?" Knot said, finishing off his iced Americano.
Arthit winced a little, he could never stand that stuff. Black coffee was basically battery acid. A latte, maybe-at least that had some creaminess to it. How could people drink that stuff voluntarily? It was like punishing your tongue for no reason.
"Yeah, enjoy the cruel engineering program while we crawl through it every single day," Arthit muttered, cutting the sentimental mood with a scowl. Seriously, what was there to enjoy? A backbreaking workload, professors who spoke like machines, and sleep schedules that practically didn't exist.
"You know what we should be enjoying?" Bright grinned, eyes scanning the cafeteria. "The freshies, alright!"
Arthit rolled his eyes. Of course. Trust Bright to steer the conversation straight into girl territory. Again. Like clockwork.
He was already on the lookout, eyeing the new girls from yesterday's orientation like a wolf in the wild. Suddenly, a group of freshmen girls walked into the cafeteria, scanning for seats, when Bright practically leapt from his chair and waved like a windmill caught in a storm.
"Bright, she's not even looking at you." Prem noted
Bright, already halfway into a smug smile, sat up straighter. "She will. Just watch. I'll show you my charming side."
Across the table, Arthit sipped his drink and tried not to roll his eyes.
"She's not," Prem added helpfully, tossing a fry into his mouth.
"Shut up," Bright muttered, but his eyes were still locked on the girl across the room.
Arthit looked up from his iced coffee just in time to see Bright attempt a wink. The girl furrowed her eyebrows.
"Well, that backfired," Knot said.
"Maybe she just didn't see me," Bright said, clinging to the last threads of hope.
Arthit shook his head. "She saw you. We all saw you."
"Okay, but in my defense, I didn't have time to prepare-"
Still, the girls approached, Bright straightened his collar and leaned on the table like he was posing for a magazine cover. "Ladies," he said, flashing his trademark grin. "If you're looking for the perfect seat, might I suggest right here-next to the school's most eligible bachelor?"
One of the girls blinked. "Oh. We're actually just looking for somewhere with... less noise."
The table snorted with laughter. Arthit couldn't help but shift his attention from his food to the unfolding scene.
"Ouch," Tootah cackled. "That's a foul." as he repeatedly smacks the table along with his laughter.
Bright placed a hand over his heart, mock-wounded and whispered to his friends. "You're all just jealous. They're trying to play hard to get."
Tootah leaned in with a grin. "Yeah, sure and cows can fly"
"Um... excuse me," she said softly. "Can I have your socials, P'...?"
Bright, already halfway into a smug smile, sat up straighter. "Of course! I knew it. See, boys? Some of them know quality when they see it-"
"Oh, no, not you," the girl interrupted, turning her gaze to the other side of the table. "I meant... you."
She was pointing directly at Arthit.
Silence fell over the table like a bomb had gone off. Bright's jaw dropped. Prem dropped his fry. Tootah looked like he was about to scream.
Arthit blinked. "Uh... sure?"
She handed him her phone with a shy smile. He typed in his name, still trying to process what was happening.
"Thank you!" she said. "I'll add you later, okay?"
Arthit, still looking horrified, nodded and managed to give his socials anyway, not wanting to embarrass the girl. But what they don't know is that he's really not into social media unless there's something important or if he's bored. After that, the group of freshmen walked off, seemingly realizing the seniors were still in the middle of their chaos.
"WHAT JUST HAPPENED," Prem screamed.
Tootah already laughing so hard he nearly fell off the bench. "That's it! Bright's out, Arthit's in!"
Even Knot was chuckling, while Bright's face morphed from smug to blindsided.
Bright sulked into his drink. "This cafeteria is cursed."
"No, just admit you're not as charming as Arthit," Tootah teased, watching the girl glance back at their table one last time.
Arthit stared at his drink. "I'm so confused." Sure, he knew he had some charm-natural, inherited, and very well-maintained charm, thank you very much. His parents didn't give him much, but they did give him the face, and he wasn't complaining.
But usually, there was at least a bit of work involved. A little teasing, some banter, a few smart comments here and there before a girl would hand over her number.
"I just don't get it! Arthit looks grumpy all the time and drinks pink milk!" Bright lamented, sliding lower into his seat, clearly defeated.
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean? I'll have you know, I'm a pretty good-looking guy," Arthit replied, smugly brushing imaginary dust off his sleeves. It wasn't often he'd admit it-but this was the perfect opportunity to throw it out there.
"Well, Arthit and I went to the same high school," Knot added, nudging Arthit's shoulder. "This guy was a little up there"
Arthit paused. "What?! Knot! I was not."
Knot snorted. "Bro, don't act like you didn't know."
"I genuinely have no idea what you're talking about."
Knot leaned in, smirking. "Don't play innocent. Back in high school? Everyone knew you."
"Yeah, for being grumpy... and also 'cause I was pretty much playing every sport back then."
"No, for being cute-which is exactly what happened when you played every sport just because they needed 'a guy.' Or when you'd stand by the window reading comics disguised as textbooks, looking like a responsible student."
Arthit choked on his drink, cheeks turning pink.
Prem cackled. "The way you almost died just now-"
"Shut up!" Arthit coughed, glaring.
He had known a lot of people back then, but he mostly kept to himself. He maintained a certain distance with the others, only really getting close to one person-Knot.
"Well it clicks, I'm picturing you just now like a mysterious upperclassman vibe," Tootah added. "Brooding, active, secretly smart."
"Sounds fake," Arthit muttered, cheeks warm.
Bright grinned. "So you're telling me, in all four years of high school, no one confessed to you?"
Arthit hesitated. A beat too long.
"Aha!" Bright pointed. "He's hiding something!"
"I'm not-"
"Come on, spill!"
Arthit sighed. "There might've been... a few."
"Wait, wait-how many?" Bright asked, eyes gleaming.
"I don't remember," Arthit lied. Yes he remembered every one of them, but not all of those ended with a good note.
"Bullshit," Knot said. "You remember."
"Okay, like... five?" Arthit lied just for the sake of it.
"FIVE?" Bright clutched his chest. "I'm offended. I thought we were equals."
"We're not," Arthit said quite too fast, and Bright looked offended.
Bright pouted. "Rude."
"That's exactly why you were popular, Arthit," Knot laughed. "You ignored every living human being and spent your life revolving around comics."
"Oh-ho, is that true?" Prem leaned in. "Arthit, you messed up. How could you not know?"
"Well, almost every class had someone crushing on Arthit. And this guy right here didn't give a damn-except about his comics."
Arthit sat frozen, completely overwhelmed by the unexpected revelation. He had always thought his high school life was decent, just comics and a few close friends. But apparently, if he had only been more aware, he might not be a single dog today.
"That sucks, Knot. You should've told me."
Arthit slouched at the table, deep in life contemplation, while Prem patted his back, laughing at his misfortune.
"Hey, I was busy with my boyfriend at the time, you know," Knot replied, sipping his coffee. "Besides, I did hint at you-but nooo, comics."
Bright, now more animated, spluttered in surprise. "Wait, wait, hold up. Knot, you had a boyfriend? I thought we were all in this together-single dogs forever!"
Knot scoffed, as Bright ignored his failed attempt from earlier to get out of the single dogs group.
"Don't include me in that," Tootah chimed in, not even looking up from his phone. "I'm not single."
"No way! You too, Tootah?!" Bright turned so fast he nearly sprained his neck.
"Yes way. In fact, I've got a date later," Tootah replied smugly, flashing his phone's messages in Bright's face.
Bright covered his eyes with both hands, pretending to wipe away fake tears.
"Wait... I love how none of you even blinked at Knot having a boyfriend. I thought he was into girls. I love our open-minded friendship," Prem said, beaming with pride as he held up the little pride flag pinned to his bag like it was a trophy.
Prem's eyes sparkled with that trademark earnestness, and Arthit couldn't help but smile at how unapologetically sincere he was. Of course, Prem would parade that flag like it was a medal of honor.
"Prem! Stop being a sap, we all know that," everyone groaned in unison.
The cafeteria buzzed softly around them - trays clanked, chatter floated, and the hum of the air conditioning battled the heat of the day.
Arthit, meanwhile, was fiddling with the straw of his drink, eyes darting between his friends.
"Yeah, Tootah's been our friend since what?" he added, voice dry but amused. But continued to think through Knot's revelation from earlier. Seriously, what did I even have going for me back then?
"But hey! at least I'm not the only single dog here, right?" Bright said, clapping Arthit on the back with a grin that was all easy confidence, no hint of pity.
"Bright... don't think I didn't notice you ate my last piece of fish cake," Arthit growled, turning toward him with a dark glare that was mostly for show.
Bright's grin faltered for a second, eyes going wide like he'd just been caught red-handed.
"Wait! I'll buy you another one! Please don't-" He braced himself, half expecting a shove or a punch.
But after a beat, he peeked at Arthit again, who just kept staring, expression unreadable but eyes sharp. Then-bam-a punch landed. Ouch.
Bright rubbed his arm, wincing, before suddenly switching gears and turning to Knot.
"So... where's your boyfriend now?"
Knot shrugged casually. "Oh, we broke up. I graduated and he was a year below us."
Bright spluttered, clearly expecting more juicy details. It's not often his friends have anything to report about their love lives, and he was disappointed Knot's story was so... plain.
"That's it?" Bright asked, disbelief dripping from his voice. "Boring," Bright continued to muttered, but then a sly grin spread across his face. "What if he's one of the first years that enrolled in our school, huh? You sly fox, now you can continue your love story-oh oh oh!" He poked Knot in the chest playfully.
Knot grabbed Bright's hand firmly. "Stop being so invested. That was a long time ago. Cut it out. Let fate decide that for me."
"Psh," Bright scoffed. While Arthit watched the banter with a dry smile, secretly thankful for the distraction.
"Speak for yourself, Bright," Prem chimed in, smirking. "Let fate decide yours-don't push too hard."
"Thanks for the advice, but I'd rather control my own," Bright said, smirking with determination.
"Yeah and good luck with that control, 'cause judging from earlier, your control pretty sucks," Tootah snorted at Bright while Bright shot him a glare. The others cracked up.
Arthit's earlier mood had evaporated, drowned out by his friends' antics. Arthit leaned back in his chair, letting the noise of the cafeteria wash over him. Despite Bright's antics, it was nice to be back. Familiar. Loud.
He caught snippets of other conversations-freshmen nervously chatting, seniors already planning their thesis defenses. It felt like the start of something, even if he didn't know what.
"Guys, I have to go-" Arthit started, but Knot cut in.
"Wait, Arthit, remember the hazing committee? We volunteered to help the 3rd years with orientation later."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'll just finish the essay real quick," he replied, already mentally scheduling the rest of his day.
Arthit went back to his dorm and got back to studying, and after two hours of grueling work and researching and actually making the essay his professor asked for-he decided to take a little study break to clear his head. He debated between taking a nap or scrolling through social media, but chose the latter, he wasn't too confident he'd wake up on time.
He jumped onto the bed, stared at the ceiling for a while, then turned his eyes toward his phone charging at the bedside table and pulled it over.
"Let's see what we got here." Arthit scrolled through his social media, browsing through his college's freedom wall. He figured a quick scroll wouldn't hurt before heading back to campus to help his seniors with the hazing committee.
Their college still kept the usual tradition of hazing, what they called SOTUS, to build tight bonds within the department. In their university, it was a pretty serious tradition to uphold. He honestly didn't want to volunteer, but his senior or his head hazer back in his own batch pushed him into doing it. And since he didn't want to be stuck doing it alone, he kinda pushed his own friends into joining, too. Fair game.
As he scrolled absentmindedly through random posts, memes, and anonymous confessions, and even confirmed the freshmen earlier, a sudden soft ding vibrated from his phone, snapping him out of his trance.
[1 friend request]
The notification slid across the top of the screen. Curious, Arthit tapped it. The screen loaded slowly, and then the name popped up.
"Kongpob S."
Arthit blinked, sitting up slightly. The name sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite place it right away. It felt like he knew the guy from somewhere. He tapped on the profile, but the person didn't have a profile picture or a cover photo-nothing that helped him figure out who it was.
It was as if this person made a Facebook account for one purpose only-and it wasn't to socialize.
He noticed they had a mutual friend: Knot. Arthit raised an eyebrow, wondering why Knot was friends with this person. Then, as he looked closer, he saw the guy also went to his old high school.
Wait-Suddenly it clicked.
Is he... that Kongpob? The one who was always with Knot's boyfriend back in high school whenever they visited their classroom? That quiet one who always stood at the back like he was off in his own little world? That kinda scrawny kid?
Oh ho. Interesting. As much as he wanted to remember, he couldn't quite recall the guy's face. He encounters many guys during his high school.
He sat there, amused, remembering those high school days. How Knot and his boyfriend used to meet up in the hallways, and how Kongpob and their other friend always tagged along quietly. Not that he cared much at the time.
Well, since Knot was friends with him, might as well confirm. There's nothing wrong with that.
Arthit tapped the Confirm button and tossed his phone onto the bed before getting up to prepare for today's hazing orientation and putting the whole ordeal at the back of his mind.
"Name?"
Back at campus, Arthit was now in charge of first-year attendance. Knot sat beside him, tossing name tags his way while Arthit focused on checking names on the list. His neck was starting to ache from staring down for so long.
"Supaporn Rattanakosin."
"Next," Arthit muttered, placing a checkmark beside her name and locating the student ID number. He passed the info to Knot, looked up-
Thud. Arthit just heard his own heartbeat. Well, as he also dropped his pen in the ground.
"Kongpob Suthiluck."
Arthit blinked, startled.
In front of him stood a tall, good-looking guy who practically radiated sunshine. Dark-skinned, confident posture, smile so bright Arthit swore it dried out his eyeballs.
He gulped. Wait-isn't this the same Kongpob who just added me?
Now that he was seeing him up close, he couldn't help but wonder why someone with a face like that didn't bother putting up a profile picture. If he had, Arthit was sure he'd be drowning in girls right now.
But more than that, was this really the same scrawny kid from high school? Because this version of Kongpob looked completely different. Taller, more mature, more... everything. But then again, his image of Kongpob back then is blurry in his memory.
Before he could say anything, Knot suddenly stood up and gave Kongpob a high five.
What? Since when were they this close?
Arthit couldn't recall a single moment in high school when they acted like this. Then again, Knot's eyes were usually glued to his boyfriend back then. And adding the fact that he just don't care at that time.
Knot nudged him hard. Arthit snapped out of his daze, realizing he had been staring a little too long. Embarrassed, he stood up and extended his hand.
"Kongpob! You didn't tell me you were taking Engineering here!" Knot said with a wide grin, as he put his arms around Kongpob's shoulders. Arthit couldn't help but be a little surprised-Kongpob didn't look small standing next to Knot, and that guy practically lives in the gym.
"Hello, P'Arthit. Nice to meet you," Kongpob said, shaking Arthit's hand-but his eyes were fixed on Arthit's, not Knot's. Knot shakes his head, amused by his junior's antics.
The stare was too steady, too intense. Arthit felt heat crawl up his neck. He awkwardly cleared his throat and glanced at Knot.
"Uh... well, hello too, Kongpob. Looks like you'll be my junior here," he managed with a nervous smile. Give him a break. He didn't even talk to Kongpob back then, just nodded, smiled occasionally, maybe exchanged a few awkward chats.
Back then, Kongpob was quiet, always off in his own world. But the guy standing here now felt like someone completely different and it was throwing Arthit off more than he liked.
Knot shot him a look that look. The teasing one. Arthit glared at him.
"What?"
"Nothing, Arthit," Knot said, grinning like a cat.
"Oh! Kongpob, here's your name tag. We'll see you inside later. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask either of us, alright?"
"Thanks, P'Knot. I'll keep that in mind," Kongpob said, before turning to Arthit again.
"I'm looking forward to learning a lot from you, P'Arthit."
Arthit blinked, caught off guard by the sincerity. Maybe even a little... flustered.
Kongpob walked off, and Arthit had no time to dwell on the moment because the next student in line had already stepped forward.
But he could still feel Knot's teasing smirk burning beside him.
"Knot, not now, please."
"I didn't say anything."
And just like that, they went back to work, but Arthit couldn't shake the question-how exactly was Knot so close with Kongpob? And why was Knot giving him that teasing smile, the one he always got whenever some girl showed interest in him? No way, Kongpob was definitely straight.
As Arthit focused on his attendance duty, his mind kept drifting, comparing Kongpob then and now. To him, Kongpob was still just Knot's boyfriend's cousin-the quiet kid with a crush on Fon, that cute girl in their class.
The harder he tried to focus, the more his thoughts tangled around Kongpob. How much he'd changed, how weirdly complicated this all felt. Before he knew it, Arthit was rewinding back to their old conversations, back when things were simpler and it was all just high school.
"First day of my 2nd year, and I'm already rethinking my life choices. Classic."