Forbidden Love✧⁠*⁠。

Episode 2

In the heart of the village, Perth was a young man everyone knew and respected. He’d grown up here, surrounded by simple homes and people who valued hard work. His father had passed away a few years ago due to illness, leaving Perth, his mother, and his older sister, Freen, to manage on their own. Life had not been easy, but they had each other and a modest house—a place filled with warmth and laughter, if not riches.

Each morning, Perth would wake at dawn, ready to tackle the day’s jobs. The village depended on cooperation, so he often took on a variety of tasks to help wherever he was needed. He’d learned early that even though he wasn’t wealthy, the respect and gratitude of his neighbors were invaluable.

As he was about to leave the house for work, his mother, Ariya, called out from the doorway. "Perth, be careful out there today."

"I will, Mae," Perth replied, smiling at her reassuringly.

Freen appeared behind their mother, leaning against the doorway with a smirk. "Good luck, little brother. Work hard, and don’t fall asleep this time."

Perth rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Freen," he replied, laughing as he slung a small bundle over his shoulder and stepped outside.

As he made his way through the village, a few young children ran up to him, bright-eyed and full of energy. "Morning, phi Perth!" they called out in unison, grinning up at him.

He bent down to their level, patting one on the head. "Morning, nong. Don’t get into too much trouble today, all right?" The children giggled and ran off, leaving Perth smiling as he continued to Mr. Decha’s house, where he and his friends had a job for the day.

Arriving at the familiar house, he spotted his three closest friends—Satang, Gemini, and Mark—already waiting. They’d all grown up together, and while their lives had their challenges, they shared an easy camaraderie, each understanding the other’s struggles without the need for words.

Mr. Decha came out to greet them, waving as they gathered around. "There you are, boys. Today, I need you to cut this stack of logs." He gestured toward a large pile of timber waiting to be split.

Mark, the quick-witted one, folded his arms with a playful grin. "All right, Mr. Decha, but if we cut all these logs, you’d better pay us a bit extra, eh?"

Mr. Decha let out a hearty laugh, clapping Mark on the shoulder. "Fine, fine! If you work hard, I’ll see what I can do."

With cheerful nods, the four young men set to work, grabbing the heavy axes they’d grown accustomed to using. As they chopped the wood, their rhythm was punctuated by bursts of laughter and teasing remarks. Mark was the jester of the group, always throwing in a joke or clever comment to keep the mood light, and soon enough, all of them were chuckling and teasing each other between swings of the axe.

During a break, they gathered in the shade, wiping their brows. Tida, Mr. Decha’s wife, emerged from the house with a tray of tea, her kind smile radiating warmth as she offered the cups to each of them.

"Thank you, Miss Tida," they said in unison, bowing slightly out of respect before taking the refreshing drinks.

As they sipped their tea, Satang’s gaze drifted to the distant hills, a thoughtful look in his eyes. "You ever wonder what it’s like… to live in the palace?" he asked suddenly, breaking the comfortable silence.

Gemini raised an eyebrow, looking at him curiously. "Why do you ask?"

Satang shrugged, swirling his tea. "I don’t know… I guess I just wonder what it’d be like to have that kind of life. You know, no need to cut logs or earn wages every day."