(Typhoon past)
I drove following the directions the "charming fangs" guy gave me until I reached his apartment. When I saw the place, my heart sank a little. It didn't look completely run-down, but it certainly wasn't the kind of place I was used to. I started to worry; getting to know someone from such a different background isn't an easy task.
Today, I intentionally chose a Lacoste shirt—the cheapest brand I own. Even though it only cost a few thousand baht, it still looked significantly better than average clothes. Don't think I'm showing off, but my entire outfit combined with this beautiful car could easily buy a decent house and a good vehicle. I wondered if Nam Nuea would feel overwhelmed seeing this.
As I pulled into the apartment complex, my car naturally became the center of attention. I parked in an empty spot on the side and headed straight for the entrance, only to find that I couldn't get in without a keycard. I stood there under the scorching sun that felt like it was burning my skin. I looked for shade, but since it was nearly noon, the sun was directly overhead, leaving almost no shadows from the buildings to hide in.
Just before I turned into a crisp, the person I was waiting for came rushing down the stairs. Seeing me, he hurried to open the door.
"Come inside first. It's boiling out there!"
The owner of that voice I once called "beautiful" gave me a small smile. Even though I couldn't see his fangs clearly yet, my heart still wavered. I hurried inside before the door alarm could go off. It felt like stepping into heaven, finally escaping that midday heat. Otherwise, I would have been burnt to ashes.
"Thank you," I said, rubbing my stinging arms. Realizing we were blocking the way, we stepped aside into a corner.
"I'm sorry I'm late. It took longer than expected to finish selling the grilled pork," he said with a guilty look, then handed something to me. "Your umbrella, Typhoon."
I took it. Looking at Nam Nuea's outfit, I couldn't help but compare it to mine. He wore jeans and a plain white button-down shirt—no brand, but he still looked good. Still, he looked much less "modern" than I did. Even though I was just wearing a polo shirt and navy trousers from the cheapest brand I have, when combined with my physique, skin, and accessories, the gap between us felt enormous. I worried that Nam Nuea might feel "inferior" and wouldn't want to associate with me.
"Are you ready? Shall we go?" I asked, feeling that we shouldn't linger there too long; it looked a bit strange and we were in people's way.
"Yeah, let's go," Nam Nuea replied briefly, still looking shy and nervous.
I led the way out. At the door, I held it open for him and followed behind.
"My car is parked over here."
I pointed it out and led him to the car. When we arrived, Nam Nuea looked completely bewildered. I wasn't sure if it was because of the car, so I walked around to open the door for him and invited him in politely.
"Have a seat, Nam Nuea."
He caught my eye for just a second before stepping into the passenger seat. I closed the door and got into the driver's side.
"Ready?" I asked as I started the engine. Nam Nuea nodded and looked around the interior.
"Have you never been in a car like this before?" I wasn't sure if it was an appropriate question, but it had already slipped out.
"Never. How could someone like me afford a car like this?" His voice sounded a bit self-deprecating, which made me give an awkward smile. I definitely shouldn't have asked that.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to look down on you."
"Don't worry about it, Typhoon. You aren't looking down on me; it's the truth—I really can't afford it. I've accepted my reality. But what about you? Can you accept me?"
Before the car even moved, my charming fangs guy hit me with a question that struck deep into my heart.
"Why would you ask that?"
"You and I are very different."
"Isn't everyone different?"
Nam Nuea looked down at his hands and gave a soft, dry laugh. "True, everyone is different. Some differences mix well together, but others just don't. It's like Papaya Salad with fermented fish versus Western food. They just don't go together."
I chuckled at his analogy. "That's quite a comparison. But how do you know we won't get along? Don't you want to give it a shot first?"
I gave him a playful, flirtatious look. He looked away, clearly blushing.
"I'm proving it right now, aren't I? Otherwise, I wouldn't have agreed to come with you."
"Right. Then let's start proving it today. I won't take much of your time."
Nam Nuea gave a mischievous smile and laughed softly. "Fine. You'll find out soon enough why you and I are an 'unlucky match'."
"Is that so?" I raised an eyebrow.
He nodded. I smirked and slowly backed the car out. Once I hit the main road, I turned to him.
"You can tell me what kind of music you want to hear. I have everything."
"Do you have Puea Cheewit (Thai folk/protest songs)?"
I froze. Here we go. He was definitely testing me.
"I don't," I answered weakly.
"How about Luk Thung (Thai country)?"
"No..."
"What about Mor Lam?"
"I don't have that either."
Nam Nuea burst out laughing. "What? You said you had everything! You have nothing at all!"
My face fell. I didn't expect this move. "I've never listened to those genres. I don't even know what they are."
He sat there giggling and shaking his head. "Just play whatever. I can listen to anything."
"In that case, I'd rather not play anything. I want to talk to you."
Nam Nuea looked at me, raising an eyebrow in shock, but he didn't say anything. So, I asked, "Do you know where I'm taking you?"
He shook his head.
"I'm taking you to lunch first."
"Where?" he asked immediately.
"A place I like near Sukhumvit."
"So, it's expensive then."
I glanced at him and nodded. "Not too expensive."
"Then I'm not going."
I was so shocked I almost slammed on the brakes. Luckily, I caught myself. "Why?"
"I can't afford the food at the places you like to eat."
"I'm treating you! Don't worry about that," I said with a wide smile.
"But I worry. If we ever become friends, you can't keep paying for me like this. No matter how poor I am, I don't like being helped this way. I have my pride."
I thought about it and realized he was right. He's a man like me; he prefers to be self-reliant. It wouldn't be good for a relationship if he constantly had to depend on me financially. It wouldn't last.
"Do you really want to get to know me?" he asked.
I nodded as I kept my eyes on the road. "Of course. Why else would I be here?"
"In that case..."
(Nam Nuea past)
The fair-skinned guy looked totally lost as dishes from a "roadside shack" style restaurant were placed in front of him. Spicy Papaya Salad with fermented fish, spicy pork rib soup, Larb, and a small basket of sticky rice. These are all delicacies for a regular guy like me.
"Go ahead! Dig in. This meal is on me. As for dinner, you can treat me wherever you want," I said.
Typhoon looked horrified as he stared at the food. Everything was bright red and clearly very spicy.
"How do I eat this? I don't know how," he admitted shyly.
"Let me demonstrate." I pinched a bite-sized ball of sticky rice, popped it in my mouth, and followed it with a forkful of the fermented fish papaya salad. I let out a satisfied "hiss" from the spice. He looked terrified.
"This is the best, Typhoon! So spicy and satisfying!"
He still looked pale, watching me chew, but he hadn't touched a thing. I swallowed and asked, "Are you too scared to eat? I thought you wanted to get to know me."
"No, no, no!" he denied quickly, though his face told a different story.
"Then eat! I highly recommend this papaya salad. The fermented fish smells great, it's spicy, a bit sour, a bit sweet—it's amazing!"
Typhoon nodded. He opened his sticky rice basket, pinched a ball like I did, and looked at it again as if checking if it was actually edible. Seeing me pressure him, he put it in his mouth. He then picked up some papaya salad. Just the smell made him flinch. He started sniffing it repeatedly.
"Try it, Typhoon. It's delicious," I urged.
He held his breath and finally put the salad into his mouth along with the rice.
"How is it? Good, right?"
The poor guy looked like he was in a crisis. He couldn't swallow, and he couldn't spit it out. His face and ears started turning bright red before he even started chewing. Out of politeness, he gave a forced nod.
"If it's good, then keep eating!"
He was forced to chew the salad and rice with a look of pure struggle. It must have been incredibly spicy and a very strange taste for him. But with great spirit, he didn't stop until he swallowed it all. He immediately grabbed his water glass.
"Do you like it?"
The high-society guy couldn't take it anymore. He set down the glass and started gasping for air, but through the spice, he still managed a pained smile.
"It's... good."
"Then have some more!"
"What?! More?" He raised an eyebrow as if asking if I was joking.
I nodded and took another bite. "It's 'Zabb Eli' (truly delicious)! You have to eat a lot, otherwise, I'll feel bad since I'm the one paying."
"Okay..."
He took another bite. He was bright red all the way to his ears from the heat, but he had heart. He didn't complain once. He ate a little bit of everything I suggested. I wondered if I was being too mean, but I wanted to test how much he really wanted to get to know me.
"Is it not spicy for you at all, Nam Nuea?" he asked, gasping between breaths.
"It's spicy, but I can handle it. Have you never eaten like this?"
He shook his head so fast I couldn't help but laugh.
"I eat this all the time. But you're brave, Typhoon. To eat this much when you've never tried it before is impressive."
"Thanks," he laughed awkwardly and took another huge gulp of water.
"Are you full? I can order more."
"I'm full! I'm full! No more, please," he said rapidly.
"Oh? That's a shame. I thought you liked it and wanted to treat you to a full feast," I teased.
"It's okay! This was great. I'm just not used to it yet. I'm sure I'll be able to eat more next time."
Typhoon gave me a strange smile. "As long as I get to see you smile, I'll fight through anything."
There he goes again with the cheesy lines. I didn't know how to react, so I just scratched the back of my neck and signaled for the check. "Check, please!"
"Want to go get some ice cream to cool down the spice?" Typhoon asked while we waited for the bill. I nodded. "Sure."
"My treat this time!"
I agreed. It felt fair: I paid for lunch, he pays for ice cream. Perfectly equal.
"Are you from Bangkok, Nam Nuea?"
"No, but I grew up nearby," I replied, enjoying my ice cream. It wasn't often I got to treat myself like this.
"Where exactly?"
"Nakhon Nayok. But not near the city center."
"That's not too far. Have you lived in Bangkok long?"
"Since university."
Typhoon nodded. "And you, Typhoon?"
"I'm from Chiang Rai, from Mae Salong. But I'm not 'Northern' Thai. Have you ever been to Doi Mae Salong? Many Chinese people migrated there during the war. My family is Chinese—Chinese all the way through. We have two Chinese restaurants up on the mountain. I'll take you there one day; the food is amazing. Have you ever had authentic Yunnan Chinese food?"
"Never," I said, shaking my head. "So why are you in Bangkok?"
"For school. I've been here since high school. But after I graduated, I didn't end up working in the field I studied. For the past two or three years, I've been working as a 'Facilitator' for Non-Violent Communication (NVC). I'm not even sure how I ended up doing this."
"What exactly is that?"
"Oh, it's like a type of corporate training. Many organizations have internal conflicts. When people don't understand each other, productivity drops. NVC helps with that. My team and I set up processes for people in conflict—or those who just want to understand each other better—to talk peacefully. It helps them open up about problems without fighting. A session usually takes two or three days. I usually take them to hotels near Bangkok. The pay isn't huge; most of my 'spending money' comes from my parents' business anyway."
Typhoon laughed, and I laughed with him, though I didn't really understand his job. It sounded very strange.
"Seriously though, Nam Nuea, don't you wonder why I brought you out here?"
My laughter stopped. "You said you wanted to get to know me, right?"
"And do you know why I want to get to know you?"
I shook my head. It felt like he was cornering me.
"I have a story to tell you," Typhoon began. "Back when I was in 9th grade, I was hanging out at Siam Square with my friends. Suddenly, I saw this girl. She smiled at me, and Nam Nuea... I was so impressed. She had fangs. I had never seen anyone with fangs before, and I fell for her instantly. I was obsessed! But believe it or not, after that day... I never found another 'fang girl' again. I'm sure you won't be surprised to hear that I've been single ever since. I was determined that if I ever had a partner, they had to have fangs. Can you imagine how lonely I've been? From fifteen to twenty-five, and I've never had a boyfriend or girlfriend."
I nodded, wanting to ask what this had to do with me, but I kept quiet.
"But now..." Typhoon blushed for no reason. He looked at me, looked away, and then looked back. "Even if I didn't find a 'fang girl'... still..."
"Uh... Typhoon, wait. There's something I need to tell you too," I interrupted him before he could say something I could easily guess.
"What is it?" he asked, his face turning suspicious and worried.
"Well, look at this." I pulled out my phone, searched for a photo, and showed it to him. "I have a son. Look, isn't he cute?"
Typhoon's jaw dropped. His face, which had been red from the spice, turned as white as a sheet of paper. His bright smile vanished instantly. He looked completely shocked, his hopes crushed before they even began.
"For real, Nam Nuea?" his voice trembled. He looked like he was about to cry.
At first, I wanted to say "Yes" clearly, but seeing him so heartbroken, I couldn't bring myself to do it. I just gave a slow nod.
Typhoon looked down. His disappointment was almost too much for me to watch, but I couldn't take it back. I wasn't ready to date a man. Besides, we were as different as heaven and earth. We didn't fit together at all.
I felt incredibly sorry for him. Imagine waiting for something for ten years, seeing it right in front of you, and then having it vanish as soon as you reach for it. It must be devastating. But we had just met; I figured he'd get over it soon. There are plenty of girls with fangs out there.
Typhoon looked up at me. His sad expression made me want to take back my words right then. Even though he was a stranger, something told me he was a good person. And more than anything, I hate being the reason someone is sad.
"It's okay. We can just be friends. But... on the way back, can I please come up and see your son? I want to meet him... please?"
I flinched. To lie and say he wasn't there would be too much. I already felt guilty enough.
"Oh... sure," I promised with an awkward smile.
After ice cream, Typhoon drove me back to my apartment. We sat in silence, barely speaking. During the drive, I texted Noon, begging her to pretend to be my girlfriend. She freaked out.
"Are you kidding me? I don't want to do that!"
I had to persuade her for a while before she finally agreed to play along. I was worried Typhoon would catch on. Noon looks a lot like me, which makes her son look like me too. If I lied and said my nephew was my son, it should be convincing enough.
When we arrived, I led Typhoon up the stairs to Noon's room since there's no elevator. We were only on the second floor, so it wasn't a long walk. I knocked on the door, and Noon opened it while holding Nam-Non.
"Come in. The room is a bit small," Noon invited us with a shy smile.
"That's quite alright," Typhoon said, giving her a small smile before turning to me. "Is this your girlfriend?"
I froze for a second before awkwardly replying, "Uh... yeah. This is Noon. Noon, this is Typhoon. He's a friend from work; he wanted to visit Nam-Non."
The lie felt bitter in my mouth. This wasn't fun anymore.
"Nice to meet you. Wow, you and Nam Nuea look so much alike. They say soulmates often look alike, I guess it's true. Look at you two, you're practically identical."
Noon and I gave awkward smiles. Noon eventually played along. "Yeah, that's what people say."
Noon led us into the room. Typhoon didn't show any sign of looking down on her tiny apartment. In fact, he even asked to hold Nam-Non. They got along great. Typhoon even asked Noon for some white thread to tie around the baby's wrist (a Thai blessing). Noon ran downstairs to find some, and Nam-Non received a blessing and a one-thousand baht gift from Typhoon.
After playing with the baby for a while, Typhoon said goodbye. Noon and I both let out a massive sigh of relief.
"Never again, Nam Nuea. That was so awkward," Noon said once I came back from seeing him to his car.
I nodded in agreement. "Me too."
"Is he the one who gave you the umbrella?" Noon asked as she put the baby in the crib and prepared the sticky rice for tomorrow.
I nodded.
"Were you afraid he was hitting on you?" she asked, seeing right through me.
"Yeah," I admitted.
I talked with Noon for a bit then went back to my own room. I was surprised that I still felt sorry for Typhoon. I had crushed the hope of someone who had been waiting for so long. Thinking of his sad face and disappointed look at the ice cream shop made me feel so guilty. I had broken his heart before we even had a chance to love.
I lay there thinking for an hour. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. I grabbed my phone and called Typhoon. He picked up almost immediately.
"Typhoon, I have something to tell you," I said as soon as he answered, before even saying hello.
"Can we talk another day, Nam Nuea? I'm at the hospital."
His voice was hoarse and weak, which shocked me. "What's wrong?! What happened?"
"Diarrhea. Food poisoning. I have to go now..."
Oh no! I teased him so much he ended up in the hospital!
Oh, Typhoon... I'm so sorry!!!