Archive of Our Own

Siam Academy. It was an establishment virtually no one had ever heard of, especially outside of Thailand.

Our protagonist, however, was Thai by nationality, though he lived half a world away. He was only five years old when his family moved to Scotland, meaning he had spent more than half his life in the UK. By now, he was thoroughly accustomed to the Scottish weather, the familiar streets, the locals, and the tempo of everyday life in the country.

"Hey, pass me the bottle."

The sky was beginning to darken, and the streetlamps flickered to life. North was the only person in this foreign country with whom he could speak Thai. A distant relative, North was also the best friend of Teetee, who had effectively spent his entire life alongside him.

The two were heading back to their respective houses after a long day of work.

"Ah, I forgot to tell you," North said out of the blue, handing the bottle back to his friend. "The boss said you have to stop coming to the garage."

"Huh? Why all of a sudden?"

"Apparently, your father went down there and made a scene, telling him to stop bringing his son into 'gang business,'" North replied with a shrug.

"What? What gang business are we talking about? Working at a garage?"

"Not my words, buddy. Your father's. But why do you keep coming when you really don't have to?" North asked.

"It's just... boring at home. They both go to work, so I'm always alone, and not a single interview has called me back. It's embarrassing to be turning twenty-one soon and still not have a proper job."

"Oh, my buddy, you don't need to overthink it. I'm sure you'll land something soon," North said, patting his shoulder.

They reached their street.

"My parting time has come," North said before stepping across the road. Their houses stood directly opposite each other, and they had spent their lives as neighbors. In this row, all the homes looked identical, and the two Thai families had blended seamlessly into the tight-knit Scottish neighborhood.

Teetee nodded at North before pushing open the gate to his two-story house.

The moment he opened the front door, the loud pop of a party popper went off. His father was standing there holding it.

Why the sudden party mode?

Confused by the sudden noise, Teetee stepped inside and hugged both of his parents, who were practically beaming at him.

"Why don't you ask? I know you're dying to know," his father said with a laugh.

"What's going on? I just heard you went to the garage to scold Boss for taking me in," Teetee said, a faint smile creeping onto his face. He knew his father disliked him working at the garage, but he hadn't expected his usually calm father to go down there and shout at the boss.

"Ah, it's good that little thug told you. You won't need to go there anymore," his father said, sounding relieved.

"So, are you going to keep up the suspense?" Teetee asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Tee..." his mother began, "you've been accepted into Siam Academy!"

"Huh?"

He couldn't remember submitting an application to any academy.

"What academy is it again?"

"Siam."

"Siam!? You mean in Thailand?!" Tee yelled. He hadn't visited Thailand in years, probably not since a summer vacation in the fourth grade.

"Yes, my baby," his mother said, pulling him into a tight hug and kissing the top of his head.

"But... I don't remember applying to an academy in Thailand. Did you two secretly apply behind my back?" Teetee asked, straightening up from the hug.

"Actually, Tee... sit down first. We need to tell you something," his father said, his expression turning serious.

"You're not about to tell me we're secret royalty or something, right? And that my time has come?" Tee joked, rounding the dining table in the corner of the living room.

"Haha, not royalty, but this is serious," his father said, taking a seat across from Teetee. His mother sat right beside his father and offered an encouraging nod. Teetee looked his father straight in the eye, bracing himself for whatever was coming.

"So... Siam is an academy, but you don't just get selected normally. How do I put this?" He looked to his wife for help, and she gave him a reassuring nod. "You're twenty already, turning twenty-one this March. By now, your inner power is about to break out."

"My power breaks out?" Teetee asked, staring back at them.

Both parents nodded.

Teetee burst into uncontrollable laughter. "Hahaha! You two are watching way too many fantasy movies!"

"Tee." His mother's stern voice cut his laughter short.

He immediately pressed his hands together in a respectful wai gesture. "Sorry, Mae..."

His parents exchanged a glance. They knew this was a hard concept to explain, especially since they had raised him far away from Asia.

"Tee... when your mother was young, there was a major earthquake. The building she was living in started to crumble, but she survived thanks to the Espers who saved her."

"Espers? Who are they?" Teetee asked, thoroughly confused. Esper? Like Espresso?

"Tee, they are people trained to save others. People with special abilities. And you were chosen by the university where people with special abilities go to train. Isn't that amazing? You're going to save people, like Spider-Man."

Argh... Mae and her obsession with Spider-Man.

"Mae..." he began. "So you're telling me I have special powers, and now I have to go train them to help people in need?"

Both parents nodded simultaneously.

Okay, I get it, even though I don't get it at all, Tee thought to himself, internally weeping.

"Will you and Pa come too?" he asked, throwing them his best puppy-dog eyes.

His parents looked at each other before his father spoke. "We can't, Tee. My job is here, and they need me. And your mother needs to stay with me. But don't worry, North received a letter too."

Not even a second later, the sound of the front gate opening was followed by North's booming voice from the hallway. "Tee!!!"

"He won't die anytime soon," Tee said, chuckling as he looked at his parents.

"North, come inside! The door's unlocked!" his mother called out, raising her voice slightly.

Tee already knew why his friend was here. It had to be about the admission letter.

"Oh, come in, North. We were just talking about you," his mother said, gesturing for him to sit down.

"What deep honor do I have to be the topic of your conversation, Your Majesty?" North joked, taking her hand as he sat beside Teetee. His mother lightly slapped his hand, telling him to drop the drama.

"Show me your card," Tee said.

North slid the card toward him. It was identical to his own.

"Mae just told me you got one too. Are you going?" Teetee asked expectantly.

"Wahhhh wahhhhh..."

Well, there was no need to panic; that was just the sound of Teetee weeping.

Today was the day of their departure. According to the invitation, both of them had to report to Siam Academy in two weeks. North and Teetee had to hurry, pack their bags, and board a flight to Thailand immediately.

Because of the sudden rush, Teetee had fewer than five days left to spend with his parents. As an only child, he was deeply attached to them and had lived under their wing his entire life. Now, he was being separated from them for who knew how long.

The plane was scheduled to depart in twenty minutes, and there he was, clinging to his mother while his father rubbed his back. Teetee was acting like a first-grader refusing to go to school on his first day. Even North was standing by, witnessing the emotional scene after having already said goodbye to his own parents.

The boarding call echoed over the loudspeakers, but Teetee refused to budge. Finally, his mother gently pried him off, despite tears streaming down her own face.

"You can call me anytime, Tee," his mother sobbed out between hiccups.

Mother and son were identical in every way, down to the dramatic crying whenever they spoke. After Teetee let go of her, his father wrapped his arms around him.

"Take care of yourself, Teetee. I know you will. And don't do anything stupid, okay?" He paused, turning to North. "North, keep an eye on him. He's still like a small child. He can't even look after himself properly," his father joked, attempting to lighten the heavy atmosphere.

The joke backfired, and Teetee only cried harder.

"Ohoo, crybaby, come on. We need to head inside," North called out.

Teetee finally let go of his father, wiping his tears and trying to force a smile through his mess of emotions.

"Bye, Mae. Bye, Pa. I'll call you as soon as we land. I'm going to miss you," he whined, his voice trembling.

"Your aunt will be waiting for you there, okay? You can stay with her until the academy starts. And don't give them a hard time!" his father reminded him.

Teetee nodded with a pouting lip.

"We'll get going then, Uncle, Aunt. Goodbye, Ma, Pa!" North shouted, waving to his own parents before grabbing Teetee and pulling him toward the gate.

They were heading somewhere neither of them truly understood, preparing to become people neither of them recognized.

And just like that, the story began.