Fates and Art (MeenPing)

A Bond Strengthened

Moon took a deep breath, his gaze shifting to the window behind his seat. His mind drifted back to the recent situations he had experienced with Vee, his boss. Lost in thought, he vividly recalled the day Vee had kissed him, a memory that caused his cheeks to flush, his heart pounding relentlessly in his chest.

"What are you thinking about?" Sunny's voice cut through the air as he stood beside Moon's chair, also looking out the window.

Realizing it was Sunny, Moon didn't turn to face him. He simply answered, "Just some unimportant thoughts, Phi."

"Oh, unimportant, but here you are, sighing deeply over and over," Sunny teased, making Moon blink a few times, his eyes now looking a bit wistful.

Sunny patted his shoulder. "If you're feeling weighed down, why don't you visit The Kiln? You used to make pottery whenever you were deep in thought. It's been a while since you last went there, hasn't it?"

Moon nodded slowly, murmuring to himself, "Yeah, now that I think about it, I haven't been there since I started working here."

Sunny leaned in and whispered, "You know, sometimes the answers we're desperately searching for... we already know them. We're just too afraid to admit it." With that, Sunny left, her words lingering in Moon's mind.

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Moon opened the door to The Kiln, a wave of nostalgia washing over him as he stepped inside. The place looked exactly the same as when he had last left it. Since it was already closing hours, the workshop was empty. He made his way to Sunny's office, dropping off his belongings before returning to the front room to prepare for pottery. As always, he tied on his apron, sat down, and began shaping the clay in front of him.

While his hands worked skillfully, his mind wandered. He sighed loudly. "I guess... I miss him today too," he muttered aloud, feeling the loneliness in the quiet room.

"Who do you miss?" A sudden voice startled him.

Moon jumped up in surprise, his eyes widening as he saw Vee standing in the doorway, emerging from the shadows. "Khun Vee..." Moon stammered, "What are you doing here?" Then, as if correcting himself, he asked, "Wait, no. How long have you been standing there?"

Vee walked toward him, stepping into the light where Moon stood working on his pottery. "I should be the one asking you that. How did you get into The Kiln after closing hours?"

Moon chuckled softly. "I used to work here, Khun. I still have the key, and Phi Sunny gave me permission." He sat back down, pressing the pedal of the pottery wheel to continue shaping the clay. "But what about you? Why are you here?"

Vee didn't answer. Instead, he pulled up a chair and sat beside Moon, watching him work with the clay.

"Do you know a lot about making this?" Vee asked, his tone softer now.

"Of course, I used to be an instructor here" Moon replied casually.

Vee gave a small smile. "It seems like there's a lot you can do. Is there anything you can't?"

Moon paused for a moment before answering with a bittersweet smile, "Yes... there is."

"What is it?"

"Getting into medical school," Moon said, his smile fading slightly, revealing the pain beneath the humor.

Vee crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes narrowing in curiosity. "I've never asked you this before, but how did you end up working at Khwamwang Arts Company?" he asked, his gaze fixed on Moon.