TO SHOU WITH LOVE

79 - YOU'RE THAT CANDY

After saying this, silence fell between them once again.

Sailub didn't know why he said that. When he was sober, he would never utter such words to Thanapon.

But perhaps it was because he was drunk, or perhaps it was because of the earlier thought of "indulging oneself on one's birthday," which made him blurt out whatever came to mind.

A gust of cold wind blew in, carrying a chill that sobered Sailub up a bit and restored some of his rationality.

This shouldn't be like this, he thought, otherwise it would seem like he was deliberately leading Thanapon on.

The sparks reached the cigarette butt, signaling the end of the smoke.

Sailub thought it was time for him to leave.

"Why did you come to Atsadang Slope Street tonight?" Thanapon continued with the previous question.

This time, Sailub didn't answer.

"Is it also because of me?"

This scene reminded Sailub of the evening when Thanapon cornered him against the wall and interrogated him.

Thanapon was assertive, and he gave evasive answers.

"It's too late," Sailub lowered the hand holding the cigarette. "Pon, go back and rest."

He finished speaking and tried to pull his hand away from Thanapon's grasp.

However, Thanapon sensed his intention and instead inserted his fingers firmly between Sailub's, holding onto them tightly.

"I've been thinking about what you said last time," Thanapon said.

Sailub, whose eyelashes had been lowered the whole time, finally lifted them and looked at him. "About what?"

"About those two drinks," Thanapon also looked at him. "I think you're wrong. If a person's feelings are really like a drink, then when one drink is finished, another should be poured. Feelings are the same way. When one relationship ends, you should tidy up your feelings and face the next one. The reason why the past is the past is because you should be looking forward, not backward."

He finished speaking and waited for Sailub's response.

But Sailub lowered his eyelashes again, concealing his emotions so well that Thanapon couldn't discern his inner thoughts.

"Let me tell you a story," Thanapon's tone suddenly relaxed a bit. "About my childhood. Listen to it before you leave, okay?"

Sailub found himself unable to refuse Thanapon's request.

He nodded. "Go ahead."

"When I was a child, I was sick for a while," Thanapon's voice became heavy as he began to recount his childhood. "I had a severe cough, and the doctor prescribed a bitter Chinese herbal medicine for me. I didn't like it, so my mom prepared candies for me. Every time after I finished drinking the medicine, she rewarded me with a candy."

"One time, she brought the medicine over but had to rush out for something urgent, so she left the candy and told me to finish the medicine first. But as soon as she left, I ate the candy first, thinking it wouldn't matter if I took the medicine after. However, when I finished the candy and went to drink the medicine, I found it even bitter than before. It was so bitter that I couldn't swallow a single mouthful. In the end, I secretly poured it away before my mom came back."

He finished with a light laugh, almost self-deprecatingly. "It's a boring story, isn't it?"

But Sailub still didn't answer his question.