BLINDED BY LOVE

LIKE A DREAM

The next day at work, everything in the restaurant was the same as before.

But Pon felt like the whole world was bright when he stood side by side with Sailub at the counter.

He was washing the fruit for mulled wine, and when he turned his head, he saw Sailub making pour-over coffee.

Noticing his gaze, Sailub looked up, their eyes met.

He smiled, putting the fruit in a glass bowl.

It was magical.

Just a few days ago, he and Sailub were as if separated by a river, closeness tinged with distance.

In the blink of an eye, they had become a pair, life felt like a dream.

Especially, being in love with Sailub felt as beautiful as a dream.

They didn’t tell anyone in the store, not even Jennie and Aonn.

Pon did tell Topten, this hero played a crucial role in his love affair.

He omitted Sailub’s name, only saying that he was with the person he liked, thanking Topten for his previous help.

Topten didn’t inquire further, his fingers resting on the piano keys, his face showing a faint smile as he softly said, “Congratulations.”

After class, Sailub still came to pick him up as usual.

Back at home, Sailub would make different cocktails for him.

The alcohol content was not too high, mostly sweet liqueurs.

Like today’s strawberry liqueur hearts.

Hollow strawberries filled with lychee liqueur and Baileys, topped with white cream.

Taking a bite felt like eating a cake filled with liqueur hearts.

Pon had two in a row, and when he went for the third one, he held onto the strawberry and pressed the other half against Sailub’s lips.

This kiss now had the taste of strawberry cream and sweet liqueur.

They would wrap themselves in a blanket and watch old movies together, watching the ballroom scene on the Titanic, the young girl on the Mekong River meeting her Chinese lover, and Darcy falling in love with the clever and mischievous dark-haired girl.

Sailub drew many pictures for him.

No longer just sketches.

What Sailub teased him about before had now come true one by one.

He had indeed become Sailub’s muse.

He sat in the sunset, wrapped in Sailub’s black coat, barefoot with slender ankles, beside him were lilies he bought from the flower shop on his way home from work.

Sailub was painting, completely focused.

He used many colors to paint the sunset, to paint Pon’s skin as white as jade, his slightly parted red lips, and his lively eyes.

After finishing the painting, Pon scrutinized it with his arms crossed for a long time and concluded, “Can’t let my sister see this, I always feel like she’ll break my legs.”

It was that same evening he led Sailub to bed.

Pon was always audacious, an eighteen-year-old high school senior whose mind was filled with 80% yellow trash and only a little left for daily life.

He had such a handsome boyfriend but couldn’t touch him, it was such a waste.

But Sailub was always calm and composed, rarely losing control, so it was hard for Pon to succeed.