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Pond, Phuwin, Winny, Satang, Gemini, and Fourth wandered through the glowing streets of Ko Samui.
“Look at all the colors!” Fourth exclaimed, eyes wide as he took in the vibrant stalls and decorations.
Satang picked up a small carved wooden elephant “I’m definitely taking this back home. They say it brings good luck.”
“Speaking of luck..” Pond pointed to an antique shop that looked like a good spot for getting souvenirs.
A tiny stall was tucked beside the vintage shop, with little glass vials glowing faintly. A small, wizened lady stood behind it, her eyes glinting in the lantern light.
The lady leaned forward, her voice smooth and a little eerie. “Care to try a potion, young man? Luck, health, beauty… or perhaps something… stronger?”
Pond smiled and held up a green vial. “‘Felix felicis’—what is this one for?”
“Ah, Felix felicis, or liquid luck! That one’s for good fortune, my lad,” the old lady replied.
“Hmm… maybe a bit of luck wouldn’t hurt,” Pond said thoughtfully. “I’ll take this one.”
Satang, curiosity getting the better of him, picked up a red vial that seemed to pulse faintly in his hand. “I’ll take one for health,” he said.
The lady nodded, slipping the vials into small satchels. “Use them wisely!” Her eyes lingered on them a moment longer than necessary, glinting with something unreadable, before she returned to her silent vigil behind the stall.
The group thanked her and headed inside the adjacent vintage shop, laughing as they browsed through shelves of dusty trinkets, tiny figurines, and odd little curiosities.
Fourth, however, was nowhere to be found after a few minutes. He reappeared quietly a short while later, a small, faintly pink vial clutched in his hand.
“Fourth! Where did you go?” Phuwin called.
Fourth’s grin was mischievous. “Oh… nothing. Just… grabbed a souvenir.” He slipped the vial into his pocket discreetly.
The group continued to roam the market, sampling fried bananas and sipping on fresh coconut juice, laughing at street performers and the chaotic charm of the night. Eventually, the lanterns dimmed and the stalls began closing one by one.
Back at the hotel, the gang was sorting through their souvenirs and joking about the day.
Pond held the vial in his hand, shook it lightly, and uncorked it.
“Here goes nothing,” he murmured, tilting the liquid back into his mouth.
At first, nothing happened. Then—thud!—Pond collapsed onto the floor, unconscious.
“POND!” Phuwin shouted, dropping to his knees beside him. “Hey! Wake up!”
Winny and Satang crowded around, eyes wide. Gemini hovered nervously. Fourth froze mid-step, realizing something was off.
Phuwin gently cradled Pond’s head on his lap. “Pond… please… wake up,” he whispered, shaking him lightly.
Moments later, Pond’s eyes fluttered open. The first thing he saw was Phuwin’s concerned face. And then… the grin. The biggest gummy grin imaginable.
“My darling… my love!” Pond exclaimed, throwing his arms around Phuwin and hugging him tightly.
Phuwin blinked, startled. “Pond… are you okay?”
But Pond wasn’t listening. He hugged even tighter, nuzzling into Phuwin’s shoulder.
Satang’s jaw dropped. “Uh… guys… what is happening?!”
Fourth’s eyes widened as he scrambled for the table. “Wait a second!” He grabbed a small vial lying nearby. “Shit! Guys… Pond drank the love potion. Not the luck potion!”
Gemini snatched the vial from Fourth’s hand, inspecting it with disbelief. “Amortentia? Love potion? Where did this even come from?” His eyes narrowed suspiciously at Fourth.
Fourth raised his hands defensively. “Alright, alright! I got curious and bought a love potion. I didn’t… I didn’t think—well… apparently I was wrong!”
“Wrong?!” Satang shouted. “He’s hugging Phuwin like… like they’re lovers or something!”
Fourth groaned. “Exactly! Because Pond drank it and… well… now when he opened his eyes and saw Phuwin… he thinks Phuwin is his one true love. I didn’t know it would be this strong!”
Pond, a lovestruck fool, would not — under any circumstances — let go of Phuwin. He coddled him like a child with a new favorite stuffed toy: one arm looped around Phuwin’s waist, the other fiddling with the hem of Phuwin’s shirt, forehead pressed to Phuwin’s shoulder as if he’d never breathe without it.
Phuwin looked at the others, eyes pleading. “Guys… what do we do?”
Satang rubbed his temples. “How long do you think it takes for the powers to wear off?”
Winny’s voice dropped into horror. “What if they never wear off?”
Gemini, panic in full bloom, said, “Should we take him to the hospital? This is—this is not a normal medical thing but—”
Fourth waved a hand, trying to sound calm. “Just let him sleep it out.”
Pond tightened his hold and, as if on cue, reached up, cupped Phuwin’s face, squished his cheeks, and planted a goofy, plopping kiss on his lips.
Phuwin’s eyes went as wide as saucers. The whole room froze; even the clock on the wall seemed to stop. Everyone stared, mouths half-open.
Phuwin squeaked, very near to a yelp. “Okay—no! We can’t leave him like this. We have to go back to the store and find the lady.”
Satang glanced at the window. “All the shops were closed when we came back. It’s the middle of the night right now. We have to go tomorrow.”
Gemini nodded. “Satang’s right. Let’s go there tomorrow morning. Right now we need to… put Pond to sleep.”
Fourth’s eyes lit with terrible inspiration. “Let’s hit him on the head.”
All four of them said at once, with the exact same infuriated tone: “FOURTH!!”
Fourth threw up his hands. “Guys! Chill! I was kidding.”
Gemini jabbed a finger at Fourth. “This is your fault, you know? By the way—what were you even planning to do with the love potion?”
He then turned to Gemini “I was curious—just thought it’d be a joke. I didn’t expect Pond to actually drink anything! Let’s focus on the problem at hand and not the ‘who’s or ‘why’s.”
Winny, hands clasped, tried to be useful. “Okay. Step one: we keep him calm. Step two: we stop him from embarrassing himself until we find the shop. Step three: we do not let Fourth out of our eyesight for the rest of the vacation.”
Satang: “I’ll get warm milk. Winny, you’ve got that ridiculous lullaby from karaoke last night—hum it. Gem, help me prop him up so he breathes. Fot—no sudden movements.”
Fourth saluted like a trapped puppy. “Yes, Sir! No sudden movements.”
Phuwin’s jaw set. He half-whispered into Pond’s hair, soft and a little strained, “Pond, I need you to try and sleep, okay? Just… try, please.”
Pond blinked up at him with the same stupid grin that had broken everyone’s composure earlier. “Not without you,” he complained, in abhorrently earnest tones. “You are my sun.”
Phuwin blinked. The others made very loud, very suppressed gagging sounds.
They made a nest: with folded blankets and propped up pillows. Pond cuddled into a human pillow of Phuwin’s reluctant lap. Winny, trying not to laugh, settled by Pond’s head and hummed a slow, silly lullaby—one hand on Pond’s shoulder to keep the rhythm. Satang returned with a steaming cup of warm milk, which Pond sipped obediently between muttered adoring mumbles.
Slowly, very slowly, Pond’s breath evened. The cling tightened and then loosened. His eyelids fluttered; the grin softened into something sleepy and vulnerable. Phuwin kept one arm awkwardly around him, body rigid with embarrassment and something else he didn’t want to name.
Fourth paced a few times and then flopped onto the edge of the bed to watch, guilt and anxiety warring on his face. “I swear I’ll find that lady tomorrow,” he promised, more to himself than to anyone.
Phuwin’s hand found its way to Pond’s hair and tucked it behind his ear, awkward but gentle. Pond murmured something that might have been, “My love,” and then he was gone—deep sleep at last.
The next morning, all hell broke loose as soon as Pond realized Phuwin wasn’t within his arm’s reach. Whining, he ran after Phuwin “Don’t you love me anymore? Why are you leaving me?” he demanded.
“Pond, I’m not leaving you, I’m just… trying to brush my teeth!” Phuwin replied, exasperated.
Winny rubbed his temples, sighing. “This is impossible. How are we supposed to leave him here?”
Satang raised an eyebrow. “Let’s leave Pond with Winny.”
“Excuse me?? No way. I’m not babysitting a potion-drunk Pond,” Winny shot back.
Phuwin groaned. “Fine. We’ll all go together.”
They trudged through the market trying their best not to draw too much attention and desperately failing at it.
“Pond I’m warning you—if you try to carry me across another puddle—” Phuwin cried.
“Phuphu, puddles are dangerous! What if your precious shoes get wet?!” Pond interrupted, sweeping Phuwin off his feet bridal style.
“Put me down!!” Phuwin screamed, flailing wildly.
“Honestly… just let him carry you. It’s faster,” Gemini said deadpan, watching.
“I’d pay to see him carry you the whole way back to Bangkok,” Fourth added with a snicker.
“FOURTH,” Phuwin barked, glaring.
When they finally reached the street where the potion stall had been, it was gone.
“Great. Just great,” Satang muttered, looking around in frustration.
“We’ve officially lost hope. Love-struck Pond forever,” Gemini added.
“Not. Funny,” Phuwin ground out through gritted teeth.
A shopkeeper across the road noticed them wandering and waved them over.
“You kids looking for something?” he asked.
“Yeah, a sketchy old lady selling potions that ruin your friends’ lives,” Fourth said bluntly.
“Don’t say it like that!” Gemini elbowed him.
“She had this stall last night. Small bottles with weird labels. My friend—” Phuwin glanced at Pond, who was kissing his shoulder, “—accidentally drank one,” Phuwin explained desperately.
The shopkeeper’s eyes widened. “Ah… her. You need to go down to Moonlight Street. There’s a shop. Ask for Nai Noi. He’ll know.”
They bolted off, finding Nai Noi’s store, which smelled of incense and seawater. Leaning on his counter, the old man sighed as they explained everything.
“That woman… she only comes out for three nights. The night before the full moon, on the night of the full moon, and the night after,” Nai Noi explained.
“So tonight?!” Phuwin breathed, relieved.
“Yes. You’ll find her near the beach. But hurry. After tonight, she disappears,” the man added.
They rushed to the beach, but when they arrived, no one was there. The sun sank low, painting the sky gold and pink.
“We… ran here… for nothing?!” Satang panted, hands on his knees.
“Or we ran here for the view. Not bad,” Gemini said, sitting in the sand.
Fourth snapped a picture of Phuwin struggling in Pond’s arms. “Totally worth it,” he said.
“Fourth! Stop taking pictures and HELP me!” Phuwin yelled.
They ended up near the shoreline, shoes in hand, letting the cool water lap at their feet. For a brief moment, their worries dissolved. Fourth splashed Satang with a sudden flick of water.
“Ha! Got you,” he laughed.
“Oi! Watch it, you’ll get my shorts wet!” Satang yelped, splashing back.
“That’s kind of the point of splashing, genius,” Gemini smirked.
They were so caught up in fooling around that none of them noticed the old woman appear until Satang froze mid-laugh, eyes going wide.
“Guys. Look. That’s her,” he said, pointing.
The woman stood just a few meters away, her stall set up in the sand as if it had always been there. Bottles glistened in the fading light, and her smile was just a little too knowing.
“That’s creepy, dude! She wasn’t anywhere near here a second ago!” Fourth shuddered.
“Okay. Focus. Come on—Pond, get up,” Phuwin snapped back to attention.
But Pond, lying in the sand and still hugging Phuwin around the waist, pouted. “But baby the sand is warm, and so are you. Why move?”
“Because I said so!” Phuwin replied, prying him off with all his strength.
Together, they hurried to the stall. Phuwin immediately blurted everything out. “He drank it by accident. He won’t let go of me. We need help—please!”
The old woman clicked her tongue, shaking her head. “I told you not to consume the whole bottle. A single drop was enough for luck, health, or love. But your foolish friend—” Her sharp eyes flicked to Pond, “—drank every last drop.”
“Oops,” Fourth muttered.
“Don’t even start,” Gemini shot back, glaring.
The woman rifled through a small box under her table and pulled out a vial filled with shimmering silver liquid. “The antidote. But… it’s double the price,” she said.
Without hesitation, Phuwin reached into his wallet and slapped bills onto the table. “I’ll take it.”
“Phuwin, you didn’t even ask—” Winny frowned.
“Because I don’t care. Just give it to me,” Phuwin snapped.
The old woman handed over the vial, her expression grave. “He must drink it at the same time he drank the potion, or it won’t work. Midnight, yes? You’ll wait until then.”
“Midnight. Got it,” Phuwin said, nodding firmly.
As they turned to leave, the woman suddenly caught his wrist, holding him back. Her grip was surprisingly strong, and her voice dropped low, so only he could hear.
Phuwin’s eyes widened slightly, but before anyone could question it, she released his hands and smiled that eerie, knowing smile again.
“What was that about?” Satang asked, eyeing them.
“Yeah, what did she say to you? Spill,” Fourth added.
Phuwin forced a laugh, tucking the vial into his pocket. “Nothing important. Let’s just… get him back to the hotel and wait.”
“…Right. Nothing important. Sure,” Gemini said, narrowing his eyes.
The hotel room was dim, the only light coming from the bedside lamp. Everyone sat in a loose circle around Pond, who perched happily on the bed with Phuwin practically in his lap.
“Ah, a midnight gathering just for me and my baby. You guys really shouldn’t have,” Pond said with a wide, affectionate smile.
“For the last time, Pond, it’s not a date. It’s an antidote,” Phuwin replied, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“Same thing, if you ask me,” Fourth added, leaning back in his chair.
“No one asked you,” Gemini shot back, eyes narrowing.
Phuwin carefully uncorked the small vial the old woman had given him. The liquid inside shimmered faintly in the lamp light, almost as if it were alive.
“Okay, Pond. You need to drink this. All of it,” Phuwin said, steadying his voice.
“Hm? What is it? A love booster? You know, I don’t need it. I already love you more than the stars love the night sky—”
“Just drink it. Please,” Phuwin cut him off, shoving the vial into his hands.
Pond blinked at him for a moment, then broke into a wide, gummy grin. “Anything for you, my love.”
Without hesitation, he downed the entire vial.
The effect was immediate. Pond swayed, his eyes fluttering, before collapsing backward onto the bed with a soft thud.
“Oh my god, he’s out cold again!” Winny exclaimed, alarmed.
“Are we sure this wasn’t poison?” Satang leaned over, concern etched on his face.
“If it was, then… oops?” Fourth said, half-serious.
“Fourth, shut up,” Gemini snapped.
Phuwin hovered over Pond, heart pounding. “Pond? Hey, wake up. Come on…”
Minutes crawled by. Then finally, Pond stirred. His lashes fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes. The goofy, love-drunk glaze was gone, replaced with his usual warmth and a hint of confusion.
“…Phu?” Pond mumbled groggily.
“Hey. You’re back,” Phuwin said, relief flooding his voice as he smiled.
Pond sat up, rubbing his head. “Back from where? Why do I feel like I got hit by a truck?”
The others exchanged looks of sheer relief.
“Oh thank god. You’re normal again,” Winny grinned.
“Normal’s debatable, but yeah—you’re not spouting poetry anymore,” Satang added.
“Yeah, no more ‘my darling, my love’ every five seconds,” Fourth snickered.
“Honestly, it was terrifying,” Gemini said deadpan.
Pond looked around at all of them, bewildered. “…What the hell happened?”
All eyes slid to Phuwin.
“…Long story. I’ll tell you later,” he said, forcing a smile.
But in his pocket, he could still feel the echo of the old woman’s words:”Potions only awaken what’s already there”.
For just a moment, Phuwin couldn’t bring himself to meet Pond’s eyes.