Work Text:
August 19, 20xx
Keng’s birthday.
Of course, there has to be a surprise. Mae Cha thought to herself as she watched Keng wrap up today’s photoshoot with the production team. Bowing here and there, Keng approached her with a smile as he took his Kuromi water bottle.
“Mae, did he reply?” he excitedly asked, face beaming with expectation.
No, he didn’t. He must be busy making sure his surprise hits the mark this year, she thought as she flashed a complicated smile towards Keng.
“Nope. We’ll go back to the company to get some of your stuff, and you’ll be good to go home. Namping told me he left you some instructions earlier. Invites and that kind of stuff, he mentioned.” Mae Cha replied while raising her brow.
She knew Keng and Namping for a long time, and one fact has withstood whatever went through the pair: they can keep a damn good secret. The type of gatekeeping Namping does, and the bulk of media training he puts Keng through, was surprisingly evident in the way the couple presents themselves to their fans, seeping through even in the way they would behave around cameras held by their private staff.
And while Namping has instructed her to remind Keng of his instructions earlier this morning and to tell Nong Kong to “Don’t forget the 7 PM,” Mae Cha remains in the dark about whatever Namping has planned for that night.
It’s definitely big. Namping seemed to get everyone on board for whatever this surprise is for Keng.
Keng stiffly tried to keep his smile from widening and said, “Oh, right. Nong said I should invite you and P’Aof. We’ll have a simple dinner at home.”
That’s it? Dinner at home? I don’t believe it.
Mae Cha simply smiled slyly and motioned for their team to start packing up.
—
Of course, it was not just dinner.
Namping was a bit hesitant to actually go through with this plan, but P’Keng has assured him that he will be okay with whatever Namping wants. Still, he thumbs around the small diamonds lining the ring P’Keng gave him on their anniversary that same year.
Not on their official partner anniversary, but on their anniversary.
“Forever, right?”
It was something he never really expected. Yes, they joked about it a couple of times with their fans, but he never really expected P’Keng to go through with it. It was what he and their personal staff thought it to be: a joke. He even remembered receiving a red box from P’Top as well, remembered feeling too resigned to frown about it, and laughed as Mae Cha teased him to ask for the real one from his P’Keng.
His P’Keng.
He definitely has good taste if they were to base it on the ring encircled around his left finger right now. Simple yet sparkly enough to pass as an everyday accessory, especially during their public events.
Mae Cha would be over the moon by the end of this night, Namping was sure of it.
As soon as he heard the front door of their house alarm with someone punching in a code, Namping put his acting face on, ready to set the stage for his surprise.
“Ping, I’m home.”
—
“Ping, I’m home.”
Mae Cha felt her blood rushing through her head as she turned her head so fast towards P’Aof’s direction, locking wild eyes with the older man, who seemed to be just as surprised as she was, and the whole team behind her who audibly let out squeaks of excitement.
She saw P’Top whip his phone with his mouth open, trying to contain his excitement and not make any sound to make sure that he gets to capture the moment they went into Keng's house.
Which, apparently, he shares with Namping?
P’Top captures the moment Keng gets embraced by thin arms, the way Keng’s face turns slightly to plant a swift peck on the soft cheeks facing him as Namping’s face settles on his right shoulder and smiles towards them. That same cheeky smile he gives when their fans tease them about whether Jeng has filled up with his Poong.
“Come in, come in. Did Latte and P’Kim come with you? P’Tle and First will catch up.” Namping said as he slightly bowed in respect to their guests.
“P’Kim said he’ll pick up Latte. They're on their way. I’ll just go get changed, okay?” Keng answered as he went in and inched his way towards the stairs.
Namping nodded his way and motioned for the others to come in, chuckling at Mae Cha’s face as he took some of the bags she was holding.
“Welcome, P’Aof. Welcome, Mae. Thank you for taking care of P’Keng today.”
P’Aof laughed and tapped Namping’s shoulder. “And here I thought it was Keng who would have his surprise,” he said as he followed Namping into the house.
Namping simply smiled and pulled him towards the living room, whispering instructions Mae Cha could not hear over the shock she was experiencing as she took on the simplicity and beauty of their home.
The place was clean, wide-spaced, and sleek in modern and traditional Thai designs, with some trinkets littering the set under the television that she recognized as souvenirs Keng and Namping bought from Macau and stuffed keychains from their collaborations with different brands. Some stuffed toys, which Mae Cha recognized as Keng’s prizes from their gachapon raid in Japan, sat on their sofa, and a lone toddler-sized stuffed toy of OhAe sat on a love seat facing a large window overlooking a wide yard. Various unopened gifts and shopping bags, possibly from their fans, line the floor in front of the large window.
A shelf of literature books and trophies named to Keng and Namping, individually and as a pair, stood right next to an assortment of soccer balls arranged inside a cylinder, with a guitar casually leaning on the shelf. Some fanarts from their fans graced the spacious wall of their living room, along with a huge painting of Wat Sirindhorn Wararam Phu Prao in its glory at night.
Mae Cha was so awestruck by the things happening so fast that she only caught up with the tail end of Namping’s hushed voice as he instructed P’Aof, sitting on the sofa as if in a trance.
“...then I’ll say, about your birthday surprise, as your cue. Is that okay?”
P’Aof laughed and said, “Won’t he be upset with that? You know what Keng is like.”
Namping shook his head, smiling, “Let’s hope he won’t be too upset.”
Keng comes down the stairs as the main door rings with more guests, beaming widely as he invites everyone to the refreshments and finger foods prepared on the large coffee table. He excitedly welcomes Latte and Kim as he takes the gifts they presented to him. Thomas and Kong dragged behind, lacing their arms with Namping.
As everyone settled down, with almost all of Generation 3 of Domundi present and Keng and Namping’s usual staff team, the place was lively with conversation and teasing from the guests. Everyone was predominantly surprised but not so surprised, as if already seeing this coming. Keng, with his arms around Namping’s waist, shares the love seat previously occupied by OhAe, now sitting on Namping’s lap, situated next to Mae Cha, who kept shooting them with teasing looks.
Keep a damn good secret, my ass. Somebody should probably check the drawers for a registered marriage certificate.
As a mom, Mae Cha pretends not to hear anything as Namping starts a hushed conversation with Keng.
“Should I take some rest?” Namping started as he busied himself playing with OhAe’s chubby arms, the ring on his finger glinting.
Keng visibly tensed from his relaxed composition as he saw Namping’s face. Of course, he was probably trying to think that this was part of Namping’s staged surprise, but he already learned a thing or two and more from the years he spent with Namping.
With the sudden surge of their popularity back then, he had learned that nothing is a simple giveaway if you base it on Namping's attitude. True, there had been many times that Namping became a great source of comfort for Keng, his home away from home, but oftentimes, Keng also stood as Namping’s strongest mental support.
Namping was strong-willed and outspoken, but being an artist does not give you magical powers to be immune to the pain of words spoken to specifically hurt you. Of all people, Namping knows the gravity of words, which is also why it can still affect him during the times it was wielded against him. While Keng developed his habit of screening everything for Namping, going as far as skimming Namping’s For You page in various social media with the younger one and blocking accounts that love to target them as a pair and individually, he can only do so much in controlling the hate trains that seem to haunt them every time they reach a major success.
While Keng thought himself to be a nonchalant man, nothing prepared him for the way his heart broke when he saw Namping cry for the first time. Sure, he has seen him cry as part of his role; he even saw him cry out of pain because he was crying so much due to that role, but he can still feel his heart clenching whenever he remembers the first time Namping cried his heart out.
Sitting right next to each other, they were on their way to their respective apartments at that time. Having just dropped Mae Cha, there were only the two of them in the company car, situated two rows of seats away from the driver, when Keng felt Namping put a towelette on his shoulder, bury his eyes in it, and clutch his arm. Keng just let him be, thinking it was just the exhaustion of the past weeks catching up to Namping’s unending radiance, but he slowly felt moisture in his shoulder and the persistent movement of Namping’s hands as if wiping his face.
It was excruciating, seeing him cry quietly as if it would do so much harm to the world if he mistakenly sobbed his heart out.
Keng remained steadfast in listening to whatever Namping shared, knowing early on that being attentive was one of his strengths in the industry. By then, whatever Namping presented to him, he had learned to take so much interest in. Whatever Namping likes, sees, or thinks about, Keng has learned to ask, follow, and think about as well.
“From what?” he softly asked, pairing it with a gentle caress on Namping’s side, as if trying to comfort him from whatever it was plaguing his mind.
Keng never really knew how he learned that physical touch helped him ground himself. Sure, he was good-natured and kept his hands mostly to himself during the first years he spent with Namping as an official pair, but he found that life had never been better since he boldly tried to hug his parents that one time he went back to Phayao.
Or that one time he and Namping went out to watch the sunset, barely doing anything but laughing until their stomach hurt, with Namping’s head settled on his lap, genuinely happy while doing nothing, no cameras or nosy eyes.
Or that one time he attended a Songkran festival despite the fatigue, when his Nong tried to push him into the spotlight alone as he was given a shoutout, but ended up stepping into everyone’s gaze together, with his arms locked around Namping’s shoulder as if telling everyone that “This is Namping. He goes with Keng.”
Or that one time Namping attended his movie screening, matching his white ensemble, but was hesitant to be caught in the center of attention due to past experiences that taught him to take on more subdued support. Not that Keng would allow it, as he encircled his arms around Namping’s waist in front of many cameras (and being involved in whatever Namping was doing behind the cameras, as caught in one of his co-actor’s vlogs).
Keng learned. And as a teacher, he embodied whatever he learned.
“From everything,” Namping answered. Keng's arms tightened around Namping’s waist, as if trying to ground himself from whatever Namping was gonna say. “You know, with your recent project and all that press tour and stuff. There might be another online meltdown,” he added as he rested his head on Keng’s shoulder. “You know how social media works, and I’ve been seeing some… stuff again. We're basically trending every other day. Our fans should focus more on you instead of pitting themselves against those negative posts, so I’ll get some rest after your birthday. Be off from social media for a while. Over the holidays.”
“Okay, let’s get some rest.” Keng casually said.
Namping stopped fumbling with OhAe’s arm and looked at him, more sternly as if trying to make him understand. “I mean, I will get some rest. You have to make content over the holidays. You know, make use of the trend and stuff!”
“Yeah, well, they can wait until after the holidays. We will get some rest.”
Namping looked at him. The “wife stare”. Mae Cha thought. She has seen it in many of their private one-on-one, public events, guestings, and from the numerous edits of their fans. The one that says, “You'd better understand the situation and correct your mistake, or you’ll be sleeping with the dogs tonight.” Looking back, Mae Cha thought it could not be too far from reality now. During those times, Keng would understand. He would be quiet or visibly repentant, anything to show that “Yes, my wife is right. He is never wrong. Believe whatever he says.”
Because, of course, Namping’s words are Keng’s law. Maybe because Keng has already talked to Namping about what they wanted in life, how they would present themselves, their personal dreams, their plans later in their life, short-term and long-term goals aligned. Keng never really knew when his life goals became their life goals, but one thing is for sure: Keng trusts Namping enough to know that he would steer their pairing to those objectives, with the appropriate intention and purpose.
Not now, though. Not an ounce of remorse can be seen on Keng’s face.
“P’Keng,” Namping started whining.
Keng simply closed his eyes. If he could close his ears, he would have done that as well. Namping knows his weakness very well.
“We will get some rest. You need some rest, and I will definitely need to catch up on my sleep after all of that press tour that extended to the ungodly hours of the night. Let phi sleep, hmm. We will get some rest.” Keng resolutely said.
Namping frowned and softly said, “I already talked to P’Aof.”
Keng opened his eyes and raised his brows with that statement.
He was used to communicating with Namping. They talked. A lot. Face-to-face, video calls, messages, living up to their true 5G essence. Well, Namping talks, he listens, then he inputs if he thinks he needs to, but most of the time he enjoys listening and nodding along to whatever Namping is presenting, and they communicate.
There is always a great degree of understanding between them because of Namping’s habit of wanting to communicate appropriately, and Keng will forever appreciate the obstacles they have survived because of Namping’s dedication to compelling Keng to talk.
Which is why it unsettles him that Namping took action without communicating with him first.
“What? What did you talk about with P’Aof?” Keng calmly asked, his tone distressed but kind despite the agitation he felt.
Namping knew, of course. Keng can only rein in so much of how he feels. He is a good man who wears his heart on his sleeve, the kind that would surprise you with how much love he can give once he has gone out of his shy shell.
The kind that would protect you from whatever he thinks can harm you, silent but sure in the way he would guide you with his arms around your waist, or in the way he genuinely spends hours and hours online on his social media, going through posts containing your name.
The kind that astonishes even others with the level of attention he has for you, going as far as buying something that caught your eye or merely picking it up for a short while. The kind that would take time to learn and love the things you love, just because you love them.
Namping feels defeated by such short contemplation.
“About your birthday surprise,” he said as he thumbed the ring on his finger, in a normal voice, loud enough to be heard by the people around them.
Right on cue, everyone was stunned as P’Aof himself opened the door near the staircase, and everyone was instructed not to go in as it was “just a storage room, for now.”
Keng’s mother came out holding a cake, followed by his father and older sister, singing Happy Birthday. Despite the initial shock, everyone started singing, and Namping stood up and pulled Keng along.
Yup. Definitely married. Mae Cha thought.
The resounding applause after the short song seemed to have woken Keng from his shock, welcoming his mom with a tight hug and a smile that could fight the sun’s brightness as Namping took the cake from Keng’s mother. Mae Cha saw how Keng’s older sister went off and gave Namping a side hug, glancing and bowing towards their guests as Keng took time to greet and thank his parents.
The room quiets down as Keng pulls away from his parents, their tears evidently streaming down their faces as Keng reaches over to hug his older sister as well. Namping offers tissues to Keng’s parents as they also move to hug him.
“Thank you for this chance, dear. If he gets upset with you, tell me. I’ll straighten him up for you.” Keng’s mother told Namping as she took the tissue to wipe off her face.
“Kick him out of your room if you need to; that will teach him.” Keng’s father added that made Namping laugh.
“No need for that. P’Keng and I can talk it out.” Namping softly answered back. He then turned to their other guests to introduce their co-workers to Keng’s parents, ushering them to the dining area as the surprise had been executed beautifully.
Keng and Namping lagged behind the guests, with Keng tightly hugging Namping while being careful not to jostle the cake he was holding.
“Is the surprise a success?” Namping eagerly asked.
“It is always a success. Thank you. You’re amazing, really.” Keng whispered as he broke away from the hug, taking the chance to plant a quick peck on Namping’s cheeks, and taking the tissue Namping was offering him. Namping smiled and pulled him towards the dining area.
—
While it was not her first time being in Bangkok, Keng’s older sister still finds it surprising that Keng has adjusted so well in the boisterous environment the city offers. Compared to the quiet, serene, and slow days of the rural areas in Phusang, where Keng spent most of his life back then, Keng seemed at peace as he glided around, conversing with his guests and persuading them to eat some more.
Growing up with Keng, she knew how close off her younger brother could be with his own experiences. When he started juggling work with his studies, she saw how the bubbly adolescent Keng grew into a mature man, structured and disciplined with his time and goals for each week of his whole month.
It was not right. She thought. While he grew unexpressive of his dreams, she never forgot how inclined Keng was when their mother’s favorite singing contest flashed on their small TV screen. How he would turn back a couple of times when he sees their drunkard neighbors with a guitar, crying their hearts out through sad songs as if torn away from their sweethearts. How his eyes would sparkle with amazement as they passed through the field in his university, as his fellow schoolmates played soccer like they had all the time in the world.
It was quite despairing to see how life slowly drained the spark in Keng’s eyes, slowly replacing it with a darker shade of melancholy, as if painting a man who was carrying more than what he was capable of.
Now, Keng sat between their mother and Namping, eyes wide, a little misty but full of appreciation as he listened to the two converse in Northern dialect, interjecting to help here and there when Namping could not understand their mother as she slipped into their Tai Lue language. The two conversed in hushed tones despite Phayao dialect having a faster pace than that of Mae Hong Son’s.
Or was it because Namping already adapted Keng’s manner of speech? She would not know. But whatever it was, it feels right.
It is right. She thought. Keng’s eyes alone showed so much difference. They glow with happiness, the soft hue of hazelnut bouncing between his mother and Namping.
Keng’s older sister dimly remembered the first time he went home in Phayao, looking more recharged than when he left for Bangkok. When Keng came out of the company-owned van with a small smile on his face, his family waited on their doorstep. He paused for a while as he looked at them, hesitation evident in his face.
How he took a deep breath and slowly made his way towards them, standing still for a short while, and proceeded to hug their mother, one she remembered as a glowing core memory, one that possessed warmth that embraced her as she reminisced.
Since then, while there were still moments where his voice or video calls would divulge homesickness and weariness, he worked tirelessly but with renewed energy, pushing through auditions and accepting numerous work offers. Despite juggling series and movie roles on top of private and public events, Keng never wavered in dreaming and working for their family, letting their parents experience things in life they never did.
No need to wonder why all Keng could talk about was Namping. The little one, still conversing with their mother while now interlacing his arm with Keng, radiates safety and comfort. Eyes kind and attentively listening as their father also drops in once in a while. It was fulfilling watching them alone, like the short, slow-mo clip of a happy scene from those lakorns coming into life, like a deep breath taken after a long, torturous trip, an embodiment of comfort after all the pain.
—
As the night went on, the guests started dwindling down as their friends started making their goodbyes. Understanding the separate schedules they have tomorrow, Keng and Namping send them off one by one, receiving birthday greetings and teasing from everyone.
With just their family left in the house, Keng’s mother started cleaning up the dining table, one which Namping vehemently opposed.
“Mae, let me do it. The trip must have been long, and it is already late. You should get some rest instead.” Namping said, expertly maneuvering her towards the living room, where Keng’s father was watching a recap of the FA Cup with Keng and his older sister.
“Oh, let me help. There are so many dishes to wash and food to pack, let me do it with you, hmm?”
Namping smiled at her, shook his head, and looked at Keng, who was already watching them interact.
“P’Keng can help me. It’s his birthday, so he gets to do the chores too,” he said, playfully glaring towards Keng, who only snickered and stood up to follow Namping.
Keng’s older sister freely watched them from the living room, observing how the two smoothly moved around the dining table, efficiently clearing up the dishes and packing leftovers. They moved in sync, like the chores were genuinely part of their day-to-day routine.
It was… domestic. There was no other way to put it as she watched Keng come up to Namping, who was busy washing dishes, purposefully making noise that caught the younger one’s attention.
“That’s my son, alright,” Keng’s father quietly said with laughter in his tone as they witnessed Keng hug Namping from behind, settling his chin on the younger one’s shoulder. “Do you remember the last time I hugged you that way?” he asked his wife, who was fiddling with the stuffed toy OhAe as they watched the pair.
“Last time you did, Nong Harit was made,” she answered with a knowing glance, waving OhAe’s arms teasingly.
Keng’s older sister grimaced at her parents' weirdness.
Snapping a picture of the pair quietly, she thought of the time Keng introduced Namping to their parents as his boyfriend and how they expressly mentioned keeping things between their families and friends. She understood why the two agreed to keep their relationship private. The entertainment industry of Thailand could still be ruthless in twisting words, banded with anti-fans and harsh judgments from non-progressive people. That, and the never-ending hate that others can bring onto the table.
To be fair, they have never lied. Throughout their interviews, Namping was astoundingly eloquent in evading or circling questions about their relationship, sometimes talking long enough for the press to let them go, forget their question, and ride on whatever gibberish they were talking about. Keng had his couple of slip-ups, but he quickly compensates, which, honestly, makes it more obvious.
A perfect mix of chaos and genius, I guess.
Their fans, blessed be their smart minds, might have been thoroughly convinced that they are married at this point, but without Keng or Namping confirming it, they keep scratching their heads every time the pair does something couple-y.
And probably because they’re scared of being called to Madame’s black room…
—
“Thank you.”
Namping felt Keng hug him from behind and settle his chin on his shoulder as he continued washing the dishes.
“Get your hands off me and help me wash the dishes. Your parents are in the living room; they can see us.” Namping rushed with gritted teeth as he felt Keng bury his face on his neck, warmth creeping up his face.
“My parents are already pushing me to buy a car so I could marry someone already, you know,” Keng said from his neck, “Also, it is my birthday, don’t I get a free pass from the dishes?”
Namping could only laugh as he moved away from the sink, finishing up by drying the plates with a clean rag.
“Did you enjoy your birthday, Khun Keng Harit?” he playfully asked, turning his face a bit to take a peak to the older guy.
“I did. Thank you. Thank you so much.” Keng answered, looking at Namping’s face this time.
Keng did not know what merit or what achievement his past lives had made, but all he knew was that he was blessed in this lifetime. He will be damned if he loses that blessing in the blink of an eye. Turning Namping towards him, he softly asked, “What did you and P’Aof talk about?”
“Aow P’Keng, it was really about your birthday surprise,” Namping answered, gently touching his face, “I asked him to open the door of the guest room in my cue. That’s it.”
Keng took a deep breath, mustering up the courage to ask instead of letting it bother his mind all night long, “You won’t leave?”
Even though he saw it coming, Namping was still a bit stunned by Keng’s eagerness to ensure the stability of their relationship. Keng can still surprise him with his random burst of affection despite knowing how much Keng values their relationship, whether as partners on-screen or off-screen. He is also very aware of the obsession P’Keng has when it comes to his “preference” towards Chinese-looking men. That, and his phobia of his Nong leaving him.
He knows exactly what Keng meant when he asked that question.
Like, he hasn’t put a ring on me already? What is this for, display?
“It was only a front for my surprise, P’Keng,” he answered as he combs through the older one’s hair. “I will take a break over the holidays, but I’m not leaving. Not when I know you cannot stop yourself from spoiling your upcoming single.”
Keng pouted like a child.
“Well, I wanna take a break too! Phi wants to cuddle with Nong! I will spoil everyone if I don’t get to recharge my Poong,” he said petulantly, like a kid throwing a tantrum.
Namping rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the wet dishes.
“Yes, yes, you will, I already talked to P’Aof. Your schedule is free this week until the end of the holidays. I arranged everything, that’s my gift.”
“Wait, I thought the gift was my parents being here for my birthday?”
“The gift is your parents being here for your birthday and the next couple of days. They’ll stay here until next week. Mae, your mom, not my mom, said she’d like to spend the holidays in Chiang Mai, so we will spend the holidays in Chiang Mai with them. Mae, my mom, not your mom, already called your Mae, so we could meet up in Chiang Mai. I also arranged private transportation for them, so you won’t have problems with going around Bangkok.”
That took Keng a while to process.
Namping, his sweet, kind, and gentle Namping, arranged everything. He invited his family to Bangkok, got them to travel in time for his birthday, freed his schedule over the holidays so he could spend time with his family, and organized his parents' stay here in Bangkok to Chiang Mai.
The thought alone made Keng’s eyes water.
“You don’t do anything halfheartedly, huh?”
Namping, finally finished with the dishes, turned to him, scrunched his face, and answered, “Never.”
Keng smiled and hugged Namping again, feeling an overwhelming sense of gratification.
“Have I told you I’m glad it was you?” Keng murmured.
“Only about every day, on average. I think you should do better.” Namping answered, grinning.
That made Keng smile, “Thank you, I’m really glad it was you.”
“And you best believe it’s gonna be me for the next 150 years.” Namping shot back, locking their eyes together with playful fierceness as he flashed his left hand. The one wearing the ring Keng gave him.
“Yup. It is KengNamping forever.” Keng said as he pulled Namping’s waist closer to him, conveniently closing the range between their faces. Keng raises his eyebrows in question, knowing that Namping knows exactly what he means, and Namping, blessed with all the deities Keng knows, gives a short nod.
“Good job today, P’Keng,” Namping said, eyes soft as he pressed their lips together.
If you ever told Namping after DMD Friendship that he would one day share a kiss with P’Keng in the dining room of the house they built together with their shared blood, sweat, and tears, he would have laughed in your face and would have asked if you had taken your psychotic medications.
That's a big difference between day one and one day. But here we are, aren’t we? he thought.
The idea alone made him smile while they shared a kiss - probably a habit he will be forming for the next couple of years - which, in turn, made Keng smile.
Pulling away, Keng pouts at Namping playfully as he holds up his index finger.
“One more, yes?”
Namping threw his head back, laughing as he softly pushed Keng’s pouting face away from him.
Yup, here we really are.
—
At the end of the night, fresh from the shower and ready to sleep off the day’s hard work, Mae Cha scrolls through her social media as her downtime. She contemplates if it would be a good time to post their photos from the celebration earlier, bearing in mind Namping’s instruction to refrain from posting photos of their house and instead focus on group photos and their greetings towards Keng.
Their house, huh.
Smiling, she simply tweets a picture of Keng blowing his candles as Namping holds the cake towards him.
“Happy birthday, child. Wishing you happiness and bright dreams. May every day be as good as Keng.”
Keng’s birthday post, however, greeted her as she took what was supposedly one last look at her Instagram feed.
The post had 5 photos, as seen on the number of slides indicated on top of it, captioned “Blessings ♡.”
The first one shows Keng holding his cake, smiling softly towards the person holding the camera instead of the lens of it. The second one shows Keng with his family, shot in the dining room, while the third one was a group picture of the guests, shot in the living room, with the large window overlooking the backyard as its background.
Okay. That was quite smart, Nong Keng.
The fourth one, of course, was of Namping with a scrunched bare face holding the toddler-sized stuffed toy OhAe on his lap while he sits on the love seat she recognized they were sitting on earlier. He was wearing a different outfit from what Mae Cha saw him wear during the celebration earlier, indicating that the photo must have been taken before.
I’m their manager, but they could still make me think about the photos they have of each other on their phones. The pictures they post are always good!
Before swiping to the last photo, Mae Cha receives a barrage of notifications from their group chat. Based on the pop-up alone, most of it was teasing about Keng’s blessings.
The last photo was obviously shot from their living room, as if the taker was covertly trying to capture a secret moment and commemorate it forever. Keng and Namping stand in their dining room near the sink, with Keng leaning towards Namping, one of his arms around the younger one’s waist, pouting with his index finger raised, while Namping, face marred with happiness and contentment, pushes his face away, a ring visibly glinting on his middle finger.
Huh. I really should have checked the drawers for their marriage certificate. So much for a damn good secret.