Ploy's Yearbook: Secretly Love (English version)

3 The Second Period

Pa-ploy herself couldn't remember who came up with the idea to play the question-and-answer game and celebrate after final exams. It might've been Kram or Phee-mai since both were fun-loving and already a dynamic duo. But for sure, it wasn't her and Noppatee who preferred things simple and easy. Not to mention, they were both nerds, spending their days buried in their studies.

During her high school years, Pa-ploy was nicknamed "Prof" Ploy by her friends because five girls named Ploy were in her class, each with a nickname that reflected their personality and individual traits. As for her, "Prof" Ploy indicated the bookworm who excelled academically and was a favorite among all the teachers.

Being the only daughter of parents who owned a stable family business, Pa-ploy was raised from a young age to be the successor of the entire enterprise. Her parents trained her to be responsible for many things, including expectations regarding her academic performance and manners. Fortunately, she was bright and loved reading, which resulted in grades that always pleased her parents.

When she turned twelve, her father sent her to study in England, entrusting her care to a close family friend. Sadly, her father passed away three years later, and her mother, unable to cope with the loss, abruptly called her back home.

"I want you close by. I can't bear it without your father. Now it's just the two of us, my girl. I'm getting older every day, and my health is failing. I don't know how long I'll be with you."

Pa-ploy was admitted to a prestigious school where her mother's friend was one of the administrators, without needing to take an entrance exam. Her academic performance was so outstanding that it was widely recognized. However, as Pa-ploy was a "well-connected" student, the friend delicately suggested to her mother:

"Your daughter is as smart as the kids in the King class, but I'm worried people will talk about her not having to take the entrance exam. It shouldn't be a problem if she stays in the Queen class."

Pa-ploy didn't overthink things and wasn't particularly concerned. She disliked competition as her nature, so she saw no difference between the King and Queen classrooms and was confident that she could perform well in either Science or Arts program. She could study any subject and enjoyed reading novels just as much as textbooks. When her mother wanted her to learn science program because she believed it'd offer a better future, Pa-ploy accepted the decision without argument, even though she was more inclined towards the arts deep down.

But then, someone made her feelings change... That person made her regret not having the courage to tell her mother that she didn't want to study science but preferred the arts. If only she'd spoken up, she and he might've had the chance to be closer and perhaps develop a relationship beyond what it was.

But that's just it. It's just the past, and she can do nothing about it now. The future is what she needs to focus on.

The rhythmic knocking on the door made Pa-ploy's heart race. She checked herself in the mirror again, only to find that she still looked "bland," no different from her high school days. Finally, she turned away from the mirror and walked towards the door.

Kram stood there, freshly showered, his face looking bright. His thin white T-shirt and simple grey sweatpants shouldn't have made him look as good as they did, but Pa-ploy found that anything related to Kram seemed to affect her heart much more than it did with others, as it always had.

Images overlapped. Memories pulled Pa-ploy back to the past, to the days when that boy stood before her as she opened the door. She remembered he was dressed simply like this, in a T-shirt and comfortable jeans, yet he looked strikingly handsome. He was the last to arrive, following Noppatee and Phee-mai, the other two guests who had come about half an hour earlier.