"We are."

"Oon..."
 

"We are dating."

Kongpob isn't expecting Arthit to admit it that easily.

"Oh. But you are both..." Namtan is confused. She never expected her friend to be gay. Her other friends told her in high school that Arthit likes her. She even wondered why he didn't ask her out.

Arthit lowers his gaze to the table, feeling smaller than he already is.

"Nevermind. Sorry..." She leans back. "But... but why didn't you tell me?"

In the middle of the conversation, Joy doesn't know what to do and how to react. She excuses herself and goes to the restroom.

"Don't mind her," says Namtan. She feels guilty about what she has said. "Goodness, I'm glad this is over. Do you know how she annoyed me for weeks because of you, Nong Kongpob?" He just gives her an apologetic smile. She faces Arthit again.

"Why didn't you tell me, Oon? If I knew you are dating, I wouldn't have asked you to bring Nong Kongpob here."

"I... I didn't know how to tell you."

Namtan realizes Arthit might be afraid of what she would think. "You know I'm your best friend, right?"

Arthit just looks at her in the eyes and nods. He's quite teary. Namtan gives him a reassuring smile.

Somehow, Arthit feels relieved that his friend accepts him. He hopes his other friends would do the same.

But suddenly Namtan remembers something.

"Oh my god!" She covers with her hand. "The day you told me about Kongpob's morning habits... you already slept with him! That's why you know all those things!"

Arthit panically shakes his hand and head. "No! No! No! We haven't done it yet!"

The girl's already wide eyes grow wider. Even Kongpob is shocked.

"Oon! I'm not talking about that!"

What Arthit has said dawns on himself. . He hides his face in his own hands. Something from the table beside them falls, waking him from whatever state he's in.

Namtan gets his hand and holds it again, and this time, she holds Kongpob's too. "Oon, Nong Kongpob, I'm sorry. I didn't know. I shouldn't have forced you to come—"

"Namtan," Arthit stops her. "it's okay. I didn't tell you when I had the chance.

She nods, but she starts again: "Also, sorry for outing you... in front of Joy. I... I didn't think about it that much."

Kongpob elbows Arthit to respond to her.

"It's fine, Namtarn. If not for this fool..." He faces Kongpob, "...you wouldn't know."

"Oh. Actually, I would still know."

"You would?"

"Uhm... you two... you are very obvious."

"We are?" Arthit looks at Kongpob with a questioning look. Kongpob just shrugs his shoulders.

"Now, I know why you don't want Nong Kongpob to meet Joy." Namtan faces Kongpob. "Do you know what he told me about you before?"

"Namtan! Don't!"

Ignoring her friend, she continues. "He told me about what you always eat, what you buy for breakfast, how good of a friend you are, how long it takes for you to dress up... he knows a lot of things about you. Then, he had the nerve to tell me that he didn't like you. Do you believe that?"

It's Kongpob's first time hearing this. His face lights up. "Really, P'Namtan? Was it that time you were in the coffee shop?"

"How did you know that?" Arthit interrupts.

"I saw you together that day."

"Huh? Why didn't you tell me?"

"We were not in good terms that time, P'Arthit. You were mad at me."

Arthit's mouth hangs open when he remembers.

Namtan lightly taps Kongpob's hand. "He was not really mad at you. Him telling me all those lovely things about you? I think he was just in denial."

"Namtannnnnn." Arthit whines.

"Oh, he really was," Kongpob confirms.

"Do you want another punch?"

"Hubby, we were not dating yet that time, but you noticed all those things about me huh?"

"Shut up! I told you not to call me that when we're not alone!" Arthit exclaims after punching Kongpob's thigh again.

Namtan puts her palms on her cheeks. "Oh my. You two are so cute."

In the middle of their bickering and Namtarn's questions, Joy goes back to their table, reclaiming her seat. She looks like she freshened up. The table suddenly falls silent.

Arthit bumps Kongpob's elbow, signaling him to speak.

Kongpob clears his throat. "Joy." She knows what's coming.

"Thank you for your admiration, but..." he looks at his boyfriend. "I already have someone special. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry, too, that I forced you to go here. I should have done more research."

Kongpob laughs at her choice of words. "I guess we're just good at hiding." Snickers from somewhere that is not their table can be heard.

"I'm happy for you." Then, she looks at Arthit. "P'Arthit, I'm so sorry."

Actually, Arthit was the reason why she went to the restroom. She heard many things about the cruel head hazer of the Engineering faculty, and she doesn't want to be on his bad side. She had no idea how to face the head hazer now that she knows she tried to steal his boyfriend. Nevermind not having a love life as long as I'm alive.

Arthit smiles a bit. "We're good, Nong."

With the mood at the table improved, the four continue their dinner while talking mostly about the couple and Arthit's embarrassing moments during high school.

After a while, the four get out of the restaurant and bid their goodbyes. For the last time, Arthit waves at Namtan who's now in a moving cab. Then, he looks at his boyfriend, who's all smiles.

Arthit doesn't say it, but his heart flutters whenever Kongpob smiles like this. He realizes how his feelings for Namtarn before pales in comparison to what he feels so strongly for Kongpob now. Kongpob's worries earlier today are all for nothing because his smile is Arthit's favorite of all smiles.

Kongpob catches him staring. "Why, P'Arthit?"

"Uhh... Nothing." He hails another cab for them.

"I like it when you smile," Arthit mutters in a low voice before quickly hopping into the cab. Kongpob almost didn't catch it, but he pretends he really didn't.

"What did you say, P'Arthit?"

"What? I didn't say anything."

"P'Arthit... I didn't hear it...."

"What didn't you hear?"

Kongpob knows he won't be able to extract it again from his boyfriend. He gives up and allows his boyfriend to recover from blushing, which is his own fault anyway.

"Aw, P'!"

Arthit quickly recovers when he remembers what Kongpob did during their dinner. That's why he punches his thigh for the third time.

"I know what you did there. You thought I'd forget?"

"I'm sorry, P'Arthit, but I couldn't take it anymore. When she held your hand, I needed to let her know that you're mine."

"Held my hand? Oh..." Arthit finally remembers. "But we were like that even before."

"Even though." Kongpob stubbornly says in a serious tone.

Arthit rolls his eyes and notices the cab driver looking at them. He stays quiet for the rest of the ride, looking outside the window.

Thinking about it now, what he did, what they did is right. He feels relief knowing that there are two less people they have to lie to.

However, he feels guilty knowing that Namtan knew about his relationship with Kongpob before his friends. He needs to find a way to tell them soon.

~

Earlier that day, a pair of guys sat near the door of the shabu-shabu place. The one was wearing shades, and the other, a cap.

"Are you sure this is the place?" Tutah asked.

Bright moves closer to whisper at him. "Yes, I heard it when Knot was talking to Arthit."

"Okay, let's start getting food before they arrive."

Their get-together got canceled because they don't really like it when they're incomplete. They agreed to schedule it on another night instead. Bright and Tutah thought Arthit ditched them because he had a date with Kongpob (they were partly right), so they decided to spy on him.

They were getting the meat and vegetables they would grill when Arthit and Kongpob came in.

They quickly hid behind a post. "See, he's not with his high school friend," Bright proudly stated.

However, they were surprised when two girls approached the couple and sat in front of them. One of the girls even hugged Arthit.

Confused and curious, they took the table beside the four people. There's a divider between the tables that perfectly covered their faces. They learned that the girl who hugged Arthit is Namtan.

"I never knew Namtan is this beautiful."

Crumpled tissue paper came flying towards Bright.

Tutah and Bright heard everything. They were shocked to know that the other girl likes Kongpob and that Arthit brought him there to meet her.

They were awkward when the other table was quiet.

They suppressedly laughed when Namtan told about Arthit jumping in a dirty river.

They were on the edge of their seats when the girls discovered that Arthit and Kongpob are dating. It is also their official confirmation of their highly-probable speculation. Tutah wanted to cry because of the courage his friend showed.

When Joy stood up and went to the restroom, Bright finally had a clear view of her face. He thought she's also very pretty.

"Don't mind her," they heard the remaining girl say. "I'm glad this is over. Do you know how she annoyed me for weeks because of you, Nong Kongpob?"

"How could Kongpob choose a hot-headed big baby over that pretty girl?" Bright whispered to Tutah.

The other gave him a sharp look and signaled him to keep quiet.

"Oh. My. God!" They were both startled when Namtan almost shouted. "The day you told me about Kongpob's morning habits... you already slept with him!"

"No! No! We haven't done it yet!" Arthit defended.

Tutah's and Bright's eyes widened; their jaws dropped. Bright accidently dropped the metal saucer he's holding, gaining the attention of the two other guys at the back of their seats. Tutah facepalmed, and Bright silently apologized without looking at them.

They proceeded to eat their dinner while listening to the other table's stories. Tutah almost squealed when they heard Kongpob called Arthit "hubby."

They snickered when Kongpob told the girls that they are good at hiding their relationship. "If only you know..."

When they saw the four people from the other table leaving, they lowered their heads to avoid being caught.

With them gone, they can finally eat in peace without hiding. They didn't expect what they witnessed, but they were satisfied with what transpired.

"Tutah, when do you think Arthit will tell us?"

Tutah just shrugged and continued filling his mouth with food.

When they were about to leave, the two guys from the table at their back took the seats beside them.

"What are you two doing here?!" One of the guys asked.

"Knot? Prem?"