Chapter Text
The day Chimon found out Wichai (his ex) got a girlfriend, he only scoffed twice. But the day he got a wedding invitation, his throat clenched, and his eyes felt irritated.
He'd stormed into Nanon's house to sob and curse his ex out - the typical why her, not me, what did she have that I don't, the kind of thing a friend has to step in and shut down, insisting you weren't the problem. But that's the thing: Chimon strongly believed he was the problem. Even when his ex cheated, Chimon still blamed himself.
Marrying someone after barely four months, when their six-year relationship had only earned Chimon a mere key to his boyfriend's apartment. It was unfair, he thought, so unfair.
When he'd told his friends he planned to actually attend the wedding, they'd all reacted like he'd lost it, especially Nanon. He was so strongly against the idea that he'd even offered to pay Chimon not to go. He'd rejected the tempting four thousand baht with great willpower.
It was all a bit ridiculous, but understandable. That's what friends did - hate whoever caused the people they loved pain. Chimon probably would've reacted the same way.
Yet he felt like he needed closure - and sure, this was a painful way to get it, he knew, but what other choice did he have?
His best friend, stubborn as ever, refused to drop it. He was convinced that Wichai was thriving off Chimon's misery, feeding on it like a hungry vampire. Going by yourself is giving Wichai exactly what he wanted, Nanon insisted. "If you're going, at least don't go alone" - that's how he started planning "his revenge scheme," if you could even call it that.
Maybe he just liked the sound of revenge, but the idea hadn't seemed too bad. A blind date. A partner to bring to the wedding, a way to prove he was doing just fine without Wichai too. Simple enough.
It wasn't the first time Nanon had brought this blind date idea up, it was just that this time he could mask it under the disguise of a revenge scheme. And Chimon had to admit, deep down, he really wanted to fall in love with a good guy this time.
He wanted a happy ending. He wanted that married life his ex never wanted to give him. Perhaps that's the exact reason he ended up agreeing to this blind date.
OoO
It's been a while since Chimon went on a date, since he broke up with his ex. The idea of meeting new people still made him feel nervous. He felt his stomach cramp up, either from regret or anxiety. Why was he doing this again? He gazed at the exit door of the restaurant that seemed oh so tempting. He couldn't ponder on it for too long before his phone kept buzzing.
Nanon: bro he's a great talker, don't worry, it's definitely not gonna be awkward - d( > _・ )
Nanon: show him your charms ( ͡°Ɛ ͡°)
Nanon: if you get nervous, just slap it out of your system
There it was, the biggest reason he'd even agreed to this blind date in the first place. All because of Nanon's stupid persistence.
Chimon: don't be nervous my ass ┌∩┐(◣_◢)┌∩┐
Chimon: why don't you slap yourself in my place?
Nanon: that's the spirit su su~
Chimon set the phone face down on the table and smacked his hands on his face. The sharp, stinging sensation on his slightly red cheeks was enough to snap his thoughts back into place. He couldn't back out right now.
"I - can - fucking - do this," he murmured to himself, slapping his chest with each word, like a wrestler in the ring. Then he gulped his drink, leaving the glass empty.
The poor waiter standing next to him stared helplessly. He'd been standing there the whole time trying to get the distracted Chimon's attention, only to end up witnessing his little outburst.
The waiter was lost on what to do. He coughed carefully. "S-sir, have you made a decision...?"
Chimon almost jumped out of his chair. "How long have you-I mean, cough-no. Not yet. I'm still waiting for someone." Chimon felt his face warming up. How long had he been standing there?
The waiter nodded awkwardly and slipped away. By then, the little scene had drawn a few eyes; neighboring tables gave him quick glances. Feeling the heat rising to his face, he instantly flipped the menu open, hiding behind the large paper. As the kind of person who hated attention, he was mortified. Why do I keep embarrassing myself?
He wanted to curl up in a corner and disappear.
He checked the time. He was twenty minutes early - like he always was. This need to be painfully, obsessively on time was a habit he'd formed during his relationship with Wichai.
Back then, Wichai had started pulling away, treating him like someone who was holding him back. It made Chimon feel worthless. Yet the distance kept growing without him knowing how to fix it.
So he’d grabbed onto the one thing he could control: the effort on his part. When his boyfriend blew off their plans or showed up late, Chimon made sure he would never be late. It was an unconscious and hopeless attempt at trying to save a broken relationship.
OoO
Sing closed his front door and set off down the dimly lit street. It was early spring; the nights were still chilly, yet the breeze was light and refreshing. He walked at a slow pace, lukewarm to the whole blind date Nanon had arranged.
The peaceful walk started to lighten his mood, only for his phone to ring and drag it all back down. He should seriously change his number, and his ringtone while he's at it.
The catchy yet annoying ringtone always went off at the wrong time. More often than not, it was one of the countless men or women he'd given his number to at some point - a prime example of the careless way he used to chase sex with no attachments.
When he'd finally decided to quit that habit, one that had grown hollow and meaningless, he deleted all the numbers and cut every casual tie. Even though he'd left it behind him, people still called; in a way, it felt like the past was still haunting him.
These last few days, he'd found himself looking for something else, something more than just temporary. Perhaps that's why Nanon wanted to set him up on a blind date. And perhaps that's why he agreed.
Still, a real relationship terrified him in a way, and it might just be the reason for his low success rate in relationships.
As much as people wanted to believe otherwise, pure will was not enough to keep a relationship alive. What if you poured everything into it, only to hear "Let's break up" in return? It was that precise uncertainty that scared him.
He slipped his hand into his pocket, his movements slow and reluctant, hoping to lag long enough to miss the call. When he saw the caller ID, he sighed in relief before answering.
"You better already have left your house," he was met with Nanon's threatening voice.
"Yeah, yeah, I just left, don't worry." Sing tugged at his sleeves, glancing at his watch. While he found it a bit strange, he'd still gone along with Nanon's demand and left way earlier than he had to.
This Chimon guy was so weird. What was even the point of setting a time if you showed up early regardless?
"He's probably already there. Chimon is always so damn early," Nanon sighed, then bombarded him with all sorts of information about Chimon.
The food Chimon liked, the food he didn't, his allergies. The sheer amount of information was too much for Sing to process, so after a while his brain just shut it down.
He wasn't particularly invested in this blind date. He wasn't even sure if a relationship was what he wanted right now - if Nanon hadn't pushed so hard, he wouldn't have gone at all.
"I'm telling you, man, he's really your type," Nanon insisted again.
Sing couldn't help but laugh. The way Nanon was talking so highly of Chimon, you'd think he had a crush on the guy himself. Hyping his friend up like that - wasn't he worried about setting the bar too high?
"Stop saying that when you won't show me a picture. Do you even know what my type is?"
"Pretty faces," Nanon said without hesitation.
Sing nodded to himself. True.
"Besides, why would I ruin the surprise? Wait till you see him, you'll fall in love at first sight." Nanon teased, a playful laugh ringing through Sing's ears, but an uneasy feeling kept Sing from laughing along, a sudden heaviness settling in his chest.
Sing scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "You know I'm not a relationship kind of guy, just don't get your hopes up."
The line went quiet, leaving Sing feeling a bit regretful.
Maybe he should've phrased it better. Nanon sounded far too excited, and it felt wrong not to state his thoughts outright. If Chimon meant a lot to Nanon, wasn't it better to be as transparent and truthful as possible?
He heard what sounded like a sigh before Nanon spoke. "I didn't mean to pressure you or anything. Chimon is really dear to me. He's having a hard time and... he deserves to be happy."
Nanon paused. "And you're a friend... I can trust with that."
The line went quiet again. Sing halted his steps, the night street sounds fading into the background. From what he gathered from Nanon, Chimon seemed like a hopeless romantic, someone who'd had a serious relationship, unlike himself.
Despite Sing's own unimpressive relationship record, Nanon still saw something decent in him. That thought reassured him in a way he didn't know he was longing for.
Touched by his friend's words, Sing started walking a bit faster, his mood significantly better than before. He wouldn't go so far as calling himself excited for the date, not outright, but he did grow some kind of curiosity toward Nanon's best friend.
"So, what food did he like again?" Sing asked.
On the other line, Nanon smiled so bright that his dimples showed. "Weren't you listening?" Nanon complained before starting to list the foods once more. The corners of Sing's mouth rose slightly as he listened carefully this time.
OoO
Chimon, who'd thought he at least had time to prepare what he was going to say, froze. He stared at the text message Sing had just sent him, furrowing his brows confused.
Sing: Hey, I'm here. Can you wave at me, I don't know where you are.
He watched a man walk in, scanning the room, looking for someone.
Why was he here already? Had Nanon told him to come early? Probably. Gathering the last bit of his nerve, Chimon lifted a hand and waved, awkwardly. Sing spotted him near the back of the restaurant and started making his way over.
On the outside, Chimon managed to display a polite smile, hiding the panic that was building inside. His mind was spiralling in the five seconds it took Sing to cross the room. How was he supposed to greet him? A handshake was too formal. A hug, too intimate.
Before he could settle on anything, the man was already standing in front of him. An undeniable presence, large eyes and dark hair softly framing his face.
"Chimon?" Sing asked. Chimon could only nod at the man.
Sing removed his coat, revealing a white long-sleeve shirt and straight-leg pants. The look was simple, yet pleasing to the eye. It was well put together, complementing his soft yet manly features - totally encapsulating Chimon's gentleman type.
Chimon observed him: the way he carefully pulled out the chair and sat down calmly, his gentle demeanor and his easy, self-assured posture. It was totally different from his ex's domineering, yet closed-off presence. In a way, it brought Chimon a bit more at ease, even making him think this date might go well.
Unfortunately, that thought didn't last long. The moment Sing sat down, his doe eyes locked onto Chimon's face. His stare was so direct and unapologetic that Chimon couldn't help but feel self-conscious.
"Ah... I didn't expect you to arrive so soon," Chimon said, only stealing a three-second glimpse. Holding eye contact was becoming incredibly difficult.
"I didn't expect it myself either," Sing said with a light smile.
Chimon grabbed the wine on the table and poured himself a drink. There was no way he was going to make it through this sober. The moment the glass touched his lips, the wine rolling down his throat...
"I figured Nanon was exaggerating a bit when he told me, but you really are pretty."
Caught off guard, Chimon choked on his drink, coughing loudly. This-this man? Was he flirting, or was he just straightforward like that? Chimon felt his nerves coming right back, like they never left before.
"You okay?" Sing's eyebrows furrowed with mild concern. He grabbed his own glass, poured water, and handed it to Chimon who nearly had tears from coughing so hard.
Who would expect Sing to be so direct and shameless about speaking his mind? Chimon took a sip of water...
"But he was right. You're exactly my type." Sing struck again.
The water in Chimon's mouth burst out like a fountain, spilling across the table. Does he have to say things like this every single time I have a drink in hand?
"I'm sorry, just teasing you," Sing grinned playfully.
"Oh." The tips of Chimon's ears flushed red.
Chimon glanced at the table, looking at the mess he'd made, pinching the bridge of his nose. He reached for the napkins - only to be beaten to it. Sing, in one swift motion, grabbed a handful.
Bewildered, Chimon watched Sing start cleaning up the water he'd spilled on the table. Sing looked unbothered while mopping the table clean. He already felt embarrassed spilling it on the table, but watching Sing clean it just made it worse.
Chimon lagged for a few seconds, unsure what to do. He tried to stop him by holding his wrist.
"You really don't have to."
Sing glanced at him. "I really don't mind, though."
"Well..." Chimon hesitated.
"It's kind of my fault for teasing you." Sing said with a faint smile that made Chimon's head feel light.
Then, as if hit by a spell, Chimon removed his hand and leaned back into his chair. Still embarrassed, his eyes avoided the man in front of him.
Chimon didn't know what was in the air today. He wasn't the most social person in the room, but he was at least good at putting on a front when he had to. Sure, the whole blind date thing made him feel nervous, but was that really the reason he felt so self-conscious? Did that also explain why the words kept blocking in his throat, and his movements felt so clumsy?
In an attempt not to embarrass himself further, Chimon decided to stay reserved. To him, this was the logical thing to do. He wanted the date to go well without ruining it with his embarrassing actions.
So, that's what he did. He kept eye contact minimal, barely looking at Sing anymore. He still talked and answered Sing's questions, but his responses were all short. After all, brief answers were easier to control and harder to mess up.
Unfortunately, Chimon didn't notice how his method only soured the mood. There were more and more awkward moments as the silence stretched. Chimon's refusal to say more made it difficult for Sing to keep the conversation going, and he ultimately fell silent himself.
The air went quiet, neither of them speaking. Fortunately, the waiter came, saving what seemed like a total wasteland. Sing offered to choose for him. Chimon didn't really mind, giving only a faint hum, gaze still elsewhere.
Sing opened the menu, pointed out the dish he wanted to the waiter, then closed it and handed it back. The waiter took the menu and walked away.
"You find this whole blind date thing weird, huh? You don't seem to be having a good time," Sing sighed.
Chimon glanced at him, but Sing wasn't looking at him anymore. Instead, he stared at the table absentmindedly. Chimon felt his stomach clench.
His attempt at saving this date had only made it worse. He'd been so blindsided by his own nervousness that he'd failed to see how Sing was experiencing this too. If he thought about it, he'd turned down every single attempt at conversation.
The feeling of guilt grew as Chimon tried to find the right words. He felt frustrated as the words still seemed unable to escape his throat. What could he say? Sing wasn't wrong. He wasn't having a good time at all, but outright saying it would only sink the already bad mood straight to hell. Should he just apologize?
Before he could say anything, the waiter came by the table with two plates in his hands. The scent made Chimon's eyes perk up. When the dishes were placed on the table, Chimon's eyes immediately lit up. The thick, perfectly seared black Angus ribeye steak, still sizzling gently from the grill. One of his favourite dishes.
Chimon leaned forward with excitement. Sing caught the sparkle in his eyes immediately, his mouth curling up, eyes beaming with intrigue.
"Is it good?" Sing asked with a hint of amusement.
Chimon looked at him and frowned. He was the one who'd chosen the meal, yet he didn't know what it was.
"You see," Sing explained, "I just ordered it because I knew you liked it. I've never tried it before."
Chimon's face grew even more confused, the temperature in his body rising. "What I like? How- how do you know?"
Sing leaned closer, a small smirk dangling around his lips, a face that gave a sense of mischief and secrecy.
"I'm not supposed to tell you, but there's this man with dimples who kept ranting about you."
After hearing the word dimples, Chimon only had one culprit in mind. With that, he could already guess what Sing was talking about.
He frowned. When he'd asked about Sing, Nanon refused to tell him anything, saying something about "trusting his cupid ability." Yet, he'd no such rule for Sing, telling him god knows what about Chimon. Wasn't he giving Sing an unfair advantage?
"That bastard, he didn't tell me one thing about you." Chimon complained. He murmured something under his breath - probably cursing Nanon out.
"He didn't?" Sing asked surprised.
"No." Chimon pinched the steak in his plate.
"To be honest, I didn't really listen to him. He was babbling a lot, it was really hard to follow," Sing admitted. He placed a hand on the back of his neck.
"Oh," Chimon uttered. His face dimmed as he gazed at the steak on his plate. Sing wondered if he was disappointed.
"But then I got curious, and I ended up asking what food you liked myself."
Chimon lifted his head, lips pressing together as he caught his bottom lip between them, his cheeks tainted by a faint red colour. A ghost of a smile crossed his face.
Sing felt his own chest warm up unexpectedly, and looked away. He picked up his knife and fork, one in each hand. "He also told me that you're good at describing food," Sing added. He tilted his head slightly when Chimon glanced at him.
"So he made me sound like some kind of food critic." Chimon laughed awkwardly. "I just... have an interest in that kind of thing, I guess."
"Really?" Sing smiled softly. Chimon caught the subtle lift in his mouth, the way his eyes looked at him so genuinely, it was almost hard to look away from.
"Yeah... I want to be a chef. Want to open my own restaurant someday, you know," Chimon admitted, voice dropping lower.
"Can you describe the flavours in this for me?" The question made Chimon flinch slightly.
He didn't know what to say to that. Sing had asked it so casually, but with an eagerness in his voice Chimon hadn't heard from him until now. He wasn't sure why that made him feel shy.
"Ah...I'm not really that good," Chimon deflected, trying to shake off the sudden nerves.
"I'm sure you are. Nanon wouldn't have said it for nothing." Sing cut into the steak and took a bite, eyes closing as he savoured it. Chimon watched as Sing's mouth curled up, then opened his eyes wide, looking at him.
"It's really good. Do you know how to cook a steak like this?"
Nothing made Chimon more excited than being asked about food. It gave him the perfect excuse to pour out everything he knew. So naturally, once Sing asked, he couldn't resist the chance to talk about this passion of his.
"Yes," Chimon leaned even closer across the table with incredible speed, leaving Sing almost startled.
"It's really not that hard; it's all about technique," Chimon grinned for the first time that night, and Sing could only stare.
Once Chimon started talking, he couldn't stop. Sing listened carefully, unable to take his gaze away from him. Chimon was smiling the whole time, explaining, checking in to make sure Sing was following.
For the first time all night, Chimon was the one steering the conversation. Sing just nodded along, tossing in an occasional question.
Food and spices had never been Sing's thing, not really. But the way Chimon talked about it - his excited grin, his glowing eyes - that mesmerised him in a way.
The more he listened, the more he wanted to learn about this. Not because he'd suddenly grown an interest in cooking or spices, no, not really. He just wanted to understand Chimon more, understand what made him so passionate.
OoO
The mood of the date had shifted completely from before. Sing recalled entering the restaurant. The moment he'd seen Chimon up close, he was totally taken aback by his beauty.
That may have manifested in the way he stared at him. He couldn't help it; he was always drawn to beautiful faces. Sing wasn't the type to hide or conceal what he felt, so he'd outright said it. Chimon's reaction was interesting - flustered, suddenly unable to hold eye contact at all.
Maybe Chimon didn't take compliments too well, Sing figured, watching the water spill across the table moments later. He'd moved to clean it up himself, feeling a little guilty for the teasing, and he'd hoped the gesture would show that - it wasn't embarrassing, he didn't mind.
Somehow, it didn't translate well and only backfired. Chimon had grabbed his wrist, looking mortified.
Was it that embarrassing? Sing wondered.
He didn't understand why Chimon completely checked out after that, like he lost all interest in the date. He'd even wondered if Chimon had wanted to be here in the first place. Seeing Chimon so disconnected, he'd felt a bit disappointed. But he couldn't blame Chimon. When Nanon first brought the blind date up, Sing hadn't exactly jumped at the idea either.
He thought about ordering Chimon his favourite dish - the one he remembered Nanon telling him about. Then, they could get through the rest of the night as quickly as possible. After all, neither of them was having a good night, and Sing didn't want to force anything.
That was the plan, anyway - until the food actually arrived, and Chimon's whole expression changed. All night, Sing had only seen him look away, uncomfortable, embarrassed. That was the first time he saw a glimpse of something else, it was intriguing. He looked even more eye-catching with that glow in his eyes.
Curious, Sing wanted more of whatever that was. He'd already learned that asking outright just made Chimon shy, so he tried to prompt it by tasting the food first.
It worked like magic. The second Chimon started explaining, it was like watching a completely different person emerge. His whole demeanor shifted - more confident, more open, his laugh bright and easy to listen to.
His excitement was spilling out - all for Sing to see.
If you'd asked Sing afterward what he actually remembered from that entire conversation, the answer would've come down to one thing: Chimon was too cute.