Forget Me Not

Love Classified

"Ugh! It was so humiliating!" Tine complained to his friends one day while they were out grocery shopping. They considered it one of their bonding moments, and Phuak was already raiding the international foods section, eager to try Korean spicy noodles for a TikTok challenge.

"You know, you should come up with better excuses the next time you see him," Fong suggested. "Like, if Sarawat's not with you, tell them he's getting a penile reduction because he is so big that every time it lands, your insides get rearranged."

Tine groaned again. "I just can't think straight whenever I see him. Bangkok isn't that big, and I know we'll run into each other eventually. I just can't believe I gave up everything for him. My job, my career, my entire life... I feel so stupid."

Ohm scoffed. "What are you trying to be, some kind of pick-me-up boy? You're changing yourself, catering to his needs just to prove you're different from other guys and that's why he picked you. I hate that kind of behavior!"

Tine glared. "I'm not trying to be a pick-me-up boy, okay? I just thought that if I gave him what he wanted, I could save the relationship."

"Look, Tine, don't say that," Fong consoled. "We're happy you're back. We were lonely when you went to Switzerland. It's never the same without you."

"I know, Fong," Tine smiled. "I don't regret coming back. I'm glad to be with you guys again. I was just sulking because... he used to be my person."

"Yes, and look at the kind of person he ended up with," Ohm interjected.

Tine was fed up. "What is your problem?!"

"My problem is you're letting this person get into your head too much," Ohm reproached, taking Tine by surprise. "Wake up, Tine! It's obvious he cares for no one but himself! He didn't like Switzerland because you were becoming more successful while he couldn't decide what he wanted to do! Now he's replaced you with a twink who makes out after eating a yellowtail. Ew."

"He's really pretty... I mean, for a man..."

Even Phuak looked at him. Ohm ranted, "I don't care if he's pretty! I don't care about him. I care about you. Him, having a fiancé means he didn't even spend a year thinking about his relationship with you. The moment you called it quits; he probably went out with the first guy who crossed his path. Pathetic!"

Fong nodded in agreement. "Ohm does have a point, Tine. You're probably the only one who's been suffering for a year and counting."

Tine was momentarily silent until he noticed Phuak reaching for a laundry detergent. "Don't use that one. You have sensitive skin, right? The chemicals in that one are too harsh."

Phuak frowned. "I wish you could use that skill in choosing a partner. How can you pick the best laundry detergent but struggle with picking a lover?"

"Hey, that's my job," Tine replied, feeling defensive. "It's easier because there are charts, numbers..."

"And that's why we urged you to try online dating," Fong said. "And you found Sarawat. How's it going with him?"

The thought of Sarawat, with his wonderfully compatible personality, felt intensely intimate to Tine. "He's so perfect," he admitted. "Every time I'm with him, he leaves me curious, wanting to learn more. He's like this big mystery but also not. I can't tell if he's hiding something or if what I see is what I get."

"That's odd. Why would you think he's hiding something?" Fong asked.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out. He's so sweet, lovable, and spontaneous. Each time we go out, I see a different side of him, each one unique. When he shows me all these facets, he never holds back, which makes me think this must be the real him. But sometimes, he pulls back, as if he doesn't want me to see through his mask."