Their first date wasn't just a date. Not for Kengkla.
The entire restaurant had been cleared for the evening — every table empty, the staff lined up neatly as the two men walked in. Crystal chandeliers gleamed above, the faint scent of roses hanging in the air.
Techno's eyes widened. "Kla... this is too much. You didn't need to book the whole place. I thought... it was just dinner."
Kengkla's fingers slid gently into his, his gaze soft but unwavering. "P'No, this isn't just dinner for me. This is our time... as lovers. That makes it more than a date." His voice carried a quiet plea, the vulnerability beneath his confident smile almost enough to melt Techno's resolve.
Techno sighed, not answering, letting himself be led to their table. They placed their orders and sat in the hush of the lavish dining room.
Kengkla didn't stop staring.
"What?" Techno asked, shifting in his seat. "Why are you staring at me like that?"
Kengkla only chuckled, resting his chin on his folded hands across the table. "I used to stare at you before, P'No. Back when you only saw me as some annoying kid chasing you. Now... I'm not just looking. I'm loving. And trust me — the more I look, the more I fall for you."
Techno turned his gaze away, his ears warm. "Stop it. It feels like I've just given you permission to flirt openly."
A sly smirk tugged at Kengkla's lips. "Oh, so you admit I used to flirt indirectly before?"
"Come on," Techno shot back, rolling his eyes. "I'm not as oblivious as you and Technik think I am. I just..." His voice faltered, the words catching in his throat.
"You just what, P'?" Kengkla prompted softly.
"I just... don't know how to take it further," Techno murmured, his honesty hanging heavy in the quiet room.
Kengkla's eyes softened. "Then let me teach you. Slowly. Properly." A rare, boyish grin lit up his face. "Starting now.....And P'No... I'm planning to talk to my father about us......next week."
Techno's head snapped up, eyes widening. "What? Kla, why? We just... we only just started. Why rush to your father?!"
Kengkla squeezed his hand, steady and calm. "Not to pressure you. I just... want to make it official. I want him to speak to your father about... marriage."
"Marriage?" Techno's breath caught.
Kengkla's smile faltered, worry creeping into his expression. "Please don't tell me you love me but don't want to marry me. Not again." His voice dipped with quiet desperation. slightly.
"Just... not like this. Not rushed. Not as if we're signing a contract overnight."
Relief washed over Kengkla's face, his laugh shaky. "P'No, you're going to give me a heart attack."
"Then listen," Techno continued. "I want to date you. For a year. Let it be real... let it breathe. Then we tell our families. Then marriage. Not like we're signing papers next week."
Kengkla leaned back in his chair, biting back his frustration. To him, waiting felt like torture. But Techno's gaze held a quiet, genuine fear — not rejection, but the need to move at a pace he could handle.
Kengkla smiled faintly, nodding. Sorry, Nik... I'll take your advice from this afternoon after all.
The very next day, however, Kengkla stood outside the marriage registration office with Mix and Technik, his nerves taut as steel wires.
"Look at you, lover boy," Mix teased, elbowing him. "I always knew you'd be the first in our group to get married."
"Seriously though," Technik said, his brows furrowed. "How did you convince my brother? You're not... forcing him, right?"
Kengkla gave him a look of pure disbelief. "Do you really think I could?"
Technik raised his hands in surrender. "No... you couldn't. But then why the rush?"
Mix smirked, his teasing sharper. "Yeah, why? Don't tell me you got him pregnant in one night!"
Kengkla rolled his eyes, only for Technik to grab Kengkla by the collar. "Why am I even friends with you two?" he muttered, shoving Technik away.
"It's because last night, P'No said he wanted to date for a year before marriage. Can you believe it?" Kengkla cleared.
Mix's jaw dropped. "What? You're going to die a virgin."
Technik snorted. "He's no virgin. We all know that. He's been sleeping around since thirteen."
Kengkla smacked the back of his head. "At fifteen, I met P'No. I've been... clean ever since. Eleven years. That counts."
"Technically," Mix added with a grin, taking his side.
"Whatever," Technik muttered. After a beat, his eyes narrowed. "P'No told you this last night, didn't he? Before that, he'd agreed?"
Kengkla nodded slowly.
"Then I know who fed him that idea," Technik said darkly. "P'No spoke to my father's lapdog yesterday. He's the one who always comes between you two."
Kengkla's jaw tightened. "If it weren't for P'No, I'd have gotten rid of him a long time ago."
"Why does he even hate you?" Mix asked.
"Because he thought I only wanted to corrupt P'Techno," Technik said simply. "Also he knows I used to feed Kla information about my brother."
Mix raised a brow. "Which is true. You basically sold your brother out."
Technik shrugged. "Because after meeting P'No, Kla changed. Stopped fooling around. Two months later, I realized his feelings were real. After that, I trusted him. Before P'Techno, he was dating a new girl every day. I knew P'No was the only one who could settle him."
The two sighed together, Technik patting Kengkla's back. "You've waited this long, a few more minutes won't kill you."
But Kengkla's face was still heavy with doubt.
Until—
"Sorry, sorry, sorry! My dad called and—" Techno stopped mid-step, eyes catching the damp glint of tears on Kengkla's cheeks. "What's wrong?"
Kengkla pulled him into a fierce hug. "Thank you... for coming, P'No." His voice cracked, a lone tear sliding down his face.
Techno cupped his jaw gently, wiping the tear away. "What's going on?"
"Nothing," Technik interjected. "He just thought... you wouldn't come. That even now, you'd choose our family over him."
"Yeah," Mix added. "He thought your father's word would still matter more than his heart."
Techno's expression softened as he recalled his father's call earlier — the 'blind date' he'd arranged behind Techno's back, as though he were a pawn to barter away.
A call from his big brother to warn him that how his father is doing the right thing and Technik is just distracting him from doing a son's duty.
(Kla is already breaking because I was late. If I back out now... I'll destroy him. Maybe myself, too.)
Fear still clawed at his chest — not of Kengkla, but of the weight of this decision. Yet as Kengkla held his hand, pressing a kiss to his palm, something shifted.
"P'No..." Kengkla began, voice low and trembling.
Techno silenced him, his voice firm. "Let's go. And get married."