By the time we reached the party, it was already one o'clock. The moment we stepped inside, the noise and heat of the bar pressed in—but my eyes found Kit instantly. He sat with Lay in the far corner, his smile so warm it carved straight through the haze of the room. For a heartbeat, it felt like nothing existed except him and me. Then pain flared at the back of my head, a sudden smack shattering the illusion and dragging me back to reality.
"Mhm!" P'Off smacked me on the head, snapping me out of my daze. "Stop staring at New's boy or he'll gouge your eyes out," he said before striding to the front.
"I thought varsity would change you, but you're still the same as before. How about I take you to Disneyland—it's perfect for daydreaming," he added, a teasing smile curling his lips.
"Baobei, stop teasing little Wit or he might cry," Lan cut in, yanking him by the ear with a threatening smile.
"Ohhh! Teerak khrup, could you please spare me some dignity? Today's my birthday—I can't have these brats laughing at me on my special day. At least scold me in bed later," he pleaded, loosening his grip on Lan's hand before pulling it closer and planting a kiss, trying to bribe him.
"Bleghhh!" Max pretended to throw up, leaning close to Wit with a dramatic grimace.
"Aww! Phi, you should stop, or your poor son here will be blinded for life," he said, glancing at Off and Lan still caught up in their lovey-dovey antics.
"Their son? Which son? Is P'Lan pregnant? Shit! P'Off, you are the man," Khai said, his lips stretched into a ridiculous, ear-to-ear grin as he walked over and shook P'Off's hand.
"Ai Khai! You are such a khwai (fool). When I said their son, I was talking about Wit. Hahaha! Damn! You are one dumb motherf**ker. But I guess a virgin like you won't understand"
Max replied, laughing so hard he had to clutch his stomach, shaking his head at Khai like he couldn't believe his own ears.
"Shit! Max, where does being a virgin come in? Wait, a virgin like me won't understand? But you are a virgin yourself, or are you?" Khai said, spinning to look at Max, eyes wide with curiosity and suspicion.
For a moment, the room went still. P'Off, P'Lan, and even I froze, our eyes narrowing as they turned to Max, piercing gazes boring into him as if trying to squeeze the truth out. Suspicious expressions crossed our faces, each silently demanding an answer. Max swallowed hard, feeling the weight of all those eyes on him. His throat went dry, and he stammered,
"I… I don't… it's not what you think!" His hands fidgeted, betraying his nervousness despite his attempt to stay composed.
"Erhh~~ Hrrk! Hrrk! I'm feeling a bit thirsty, I'm going to get something for myself to drink, " Max croaked, clutching at his neck and staggering back slightly, pretending the weight of all those piercing eyes was suffocating him.
Seizing the moment, he turned on his heel and bolted toward the door, hoping to escape the intense stares. But fate had other plans. He crashed straight into someone broad and solid, sending him stumbling backward.
"Whoa!" Max gasped, looking up into the piercing gaze of P'Phoon (Typhoon) — the greatest player of all time, whose skill and reputation had been legendary since middle school. P'Phoon raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
"Running away, huh?" His tone was calm but carried the weight of someone who could read Max like an open book.
Max froze, caught between his desperate urge to flee and the undeniable presence of that one person who once turned his world upside down. P'Phoon tried to help him up, but Max pushed him away and helped himself up. He then stormed out of the bar. He was so pent up in his mixed emotions and didn't even notice when he walked straight into the middle of a busy road. Khai started getting worried after he noticed that Max has been gone for so long and he wasn't picking up his phone. I saw him with a worried look and asked him what was going, and when he told me, I also got worried. Even if Max likes disappearing whenever he takes a girl to his room, he never ignores our calls so this meant he was definitely in trouble.