Introduction

I don't like weddings... For me, a wedding ceremony is like announcing to the world that ‘we're going
to have sex tonight. Please congratulate us...’

Ah... I guess I'm just pessimistic.

I don't feel the need to pretend at a wedding party where I'm supposed to be celebrating. Why do
you need to announce to the world that you'll live with someone by getting married?... That's
nonsense.

Oh... I'm at the wedding reception of my younger twin, Aobe-Aum, whom the emcee keeps
praising... She's so capable... She's so good... I listen to the praise of the bride nonstop, and I have to
twist my mouth. She’s so insincere. But... it's his job to praise the bride and groom because it's an
important day. (Editors note: A wedding MC, or emcee, is the master of ceremonies. This person is
responsible for speaking to your guests during the reception, presenting speakers, and keeping the
event moving along.)

My younger twin is overwhelmed by the images in the slideshow. It shows the story of how she met
the groom and how they fell in love. The images on the screen don't sit well with me. Everything
seems artificial. It's like a play with a one-dimensional plot. It must be made up... I know. I've seen it
before.

“Why do you look like that, Ai? It's your younger twin's wedding.”

“I want to go home.”

“How can you? Your twin wouldn't be happy.”

“She won't be that unhappy.”

“Your twin loves you very much, Ai. You're the only one who has something against her. Stop acting
like a jealous older twin...”

I look at my mother sternly. My parents always think that I am jealous of Aobe-Aum because my
younger twin stands out and always receives praise, unlike me, who has not achieved anything on
my own.

“I'm going to leave so you feel better. Because if I stay, I'll just keep twisting my mouth.”

My mother immediately grabs my wrist and closes her eyes, trying to compose herself.
“Okay. I apologise. I shouldn't have said that... But can you cooperate today, Ai? It's an important
day for your twin.”
Although I'm still a little frustrated, when I see that my mother has put her ego aside, I calm down
too.

“I didn't do anything, Mom. I'm just not smiling.”

“If you don't smile, people might wonder why.”

“I already told you I didn't want to come.”

“How can you not come? It's your twin's wedding.”

“We don't even like each other.”

“You're the only one who doesn't like your twin. Aum loves you very much. She wants you here
today. You're important to your her, don't you know that?”
“She wanted me to come so people can compare us and praise her while they look down on me.
Don't you see?”

My mother sighs wearily. Aobe-Aum and I are different from the other twins. We are like the
protagonists of 'Shadow', a Thai drama about twins who hate each other and always envy each
other. The only difference is that I am the only one who is envious... I am Ai-Aun, the older twin who
hasn't achieved anything. I graduated many years later than the others and couldn't find a job, so I've
been lazing around at home for the past two years, while Aobe-Aum is doing so well in every way.
She graduated at the top of her class and is incredibly beautiful, even though we look the same.

Can you see the difference between my younger twin and me now? Okay. I may be the devil, just like
my parents think. After all, there is nothing good about me. Although we look exactly alike, Aobe-
Aum graduated in three and a half years and got a good job. Her salary is 50,000 baht and she’s
starting a family with the owner of the airline she works for.

The life of a princess!

As for me, I graduated at 30 from a public university that anyone can attend, even older people. My
degree was average, and my grades weren’t outstanding. When I was younger, I wasn’t a good kid. I
tended to bring problems home. By the time I realized it, it was too late. That's my story. So, I am
inevitably compared to my twin sister.

The wedding ceremony continues. In the evening, there’s an after-party. Aobe-Aum and the groom's
friends dance in celebration. I, who want to go home, can't do so because of my parents. They said it
would be strange if the twin sister of the bride left before the ceremony was over.

“Aren't they doing the bedding ceremony? Dancing like that, when are they going to have babies?
And the groom is drinking alcohol like water. He'll throw up in the middle of the ceremony. We won't
be able to tell who's pregnant, the bride or the groom.”

“Ai!”

“Oh!”
My mother hits me on the arm because she can't take it anymore. That's just me. I say what I think,
so don't give me a reason to say something bad.

“It will be over soon.”

So, I have to continue to act like a good older twin until the end of the ceremony. At this point, the
bride and groom look very tired. I can smell the alcohol on their breath.

“I can finally go home.”

Even though I said it in a low voice, everyone who was speaking turned to look at me with a tired
expression.

“Ai... I have to ask you something.”

The bride, my younger twin, tells me this after everyone has fallen silent. When my twin speaks in
that tone of voice, I squirm, feeling uncomfortable.

“What?”

“I'll tell you in a moment.”

“Can't you tell me now?”

“I want to talk to you in private.”

After my parents gave their blessings to the bride and groom, we parted ways. However, Aobe-Aum,
who was looking for an opportunity, called me and dragged me into the bathroom to talk because,
according to tradition, the bride and groom are not allowed to leave the room.

“Do we have to talk about this late at night?”

“I wanted to talk to you as soon as possible. I'm afraid it's too late.”

“What’s too late?”

“I don't know... I just feel it's urgent.”

“You're acting like this is goodbye.”

I look at my younger twin, who puts her hand on her chest and laughs. We're not the kind
affectionate twins who are always together or chatting. I'm the one who tries to keep my distance
because I don't want to be compared to her too much, both in terms of our looks and our abilities.

“Say what you have to. I'm tired.”

I say this as I raise my wrist to check the time. It's already one in the morning.

“Paul and I are going on our honeymoon to Switzerland.”

“My God... what a good life!”

I say this sarcastically. I don't know if she said it to bluff me or not.

“So?”

“I beg you, Ai... This is our secret, okay?”

“Our secret? Are we close enough to have one?”

Aobe-Aum looks dejected, as if she wants to die, and starts biting her nails. My younger twin is
normally full of confidence. When she's stressed, she hides it because she doesn't want anyone to
see her weakness. But this time is different. It's getting interesting.

“Will you help me, Ai?”

“Tell me first. I'll do it if I can.”

“Wait...”

Aobe-Aum opens the bathroom door and nervously sticks her head out because she is afraid that
someone outside will hear us. And those people are our parents and her husband.

“You've been dragging on long enough. Get to work now.”

“I want you to break up with my ex for me.”

My eyes widen as I exclaim in surprise.

“What do you mean by your ex?”

My younger twin, who has always been very self-assured, is starting to panic. Her lips are getting so
dry that she has to lick them.

“I got married without breaking up with my ex. Can you help me, Ai?”

We stay silent. The only sound we can hear is our breathing. I smile slowly and feel like this is
hilarious. Aobe-Aum, the perfect twin of our family, who just got married to an airline owner and had
a lot of stories to tell at the wedding presentation, has an ex that she didn't break up with.

“Were you unfaithful?”

“Well…”

I cross my arms over my chest and lean against the sink, making myself comfortable.

“If this story was in Pantip, people would speak very badly of you.”

I look at my nails and lick my teeth, having a pretty good time.

“And you don't even dare to break up with your ex yourself.”

The bride hunches her shoulders, looking defeated. She raises her hands to show that she
surrenders.

“Say what you want, but I'm begging you... can you do this for me? Go break up with my ex, please.”

“Why does it have to be me?”

I ask her frankly, even though deep down I think I know the answer. My younger twin looks
uncomfortable but is willing to tell the truth.

“Because you are exactly the same as me.”

“So, you want me to assume your identity and break up with your ex... Is that it?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Why didn't you think about it before doing all this? Are you afraid that your ex will get hurt now?”

“I can't stand to see my ex get hurt. My ex has already been through a lot.”

“And you’re asking me to go do it? How will that make it hurt less?”
My twin’s silence made me feel bad for a brief moment. Where’s her usual annoying liveliness? Look
at what she’s doing. She’s asking her loving older sister to go clean up her shit. How dare she? Ah…
I’m being sarcastic when I say ‘loving.’

“Who is it? If you want me to do it, you have to tell me.”

Aobe-Aum looks better instantly. Asking for information means I’ll help her. I’m not nice. I’m just…
curious.

“Will you tell me?”

“My ex's name is May.”

My younger twin's beautiful wedding night ends with me exhausted, which I get nothing out of. The
only positive thing is that my house is finally quiet again without Aobe-Aum's constant pleas for
affection. It was so annoying. I even wondered, ‘Isn't she tired of walking around the house sounding
cute all the time?’

Well… I’m going to have a good dream tonight. There’s nothing better on a winter night than snuggling
under the blanket and sleeping without the sound of my twin bothering me. Despite being physically
exhausted, I can’t sleep once my head hits the pillow. Maybe it’s because I can’t get what my twin
sister said out of my head. May… What kind of guy is called May? This name lingers in my head. As I
imagine what Aobe-Aum’s ex looks like. What if… I went to break up with him like my twin asked me
to. How would that person react?

I’m about to fall asleep thinking about this and that when I hear a scream from outside.

“Ai, get up.”

Frustrated, I am awakened by my mother's anxious voice.

“What, Mom? I just fell asleep a short while ago.”

I look at the digital clock on my bedside. It's only 2 am.

“Quick, get up. We have to go see Aum.”

“Why? This is their wedding night, Mom. It's a sin to interrupt them.”

I lay down on my bed but slowly got up when I heard a sobbing sound next to my bed. My mother
was crying her eyes out and it looked like she was about to faint. I feel something isn’t right so I rush
over because I am afraid, she will fall.

“What happened? What's wrong with Aum?”

“Aum... Aum had a car accident.”

“W... what?”

“She's in the hospital. Let's go... Your dad and I can't drive right now.”

My mother looks at her shaking hands.

“Please take us to the hospital, Ai. Please.”

I feel sorry to look at my mother. I would drive her even if she didn't ask me to.

“Okay. I'll drive.”

There is nothing certain in life. We were all happy the night before, and now we are in the hospital
because my younger twin sister was in a car accident. And they were also going to spend the night at
the hotel where the wedding reception was being held. But the groom was hungry, so he drove to
711. Maybe they were careless, or maybe they were drunk, and that's why they drove off the side of
the road and the car flipped over...

So now we are here in the hospital. My parents are hugging each other and crying while I just stand
there because I don't know what to do. My head is completely blank... Am I in shock?... Yes, I am.
Am I sad?... I'm not sure. I haven't been told that there’s anything wrong with my twin sister.
As I wait, a series of thoughts cross my mind. Since we see each other every day, we never thought
about the day we would part ways. We never thought that today was the last day, so we never
worried or cared about the people close to us, like Aobe-Aum, for example. Today is the first day I
started thinking about how close I am to my twin. We’ve known each other since we were in our
mother’s womb… We’ve been raised together. When I look in the mirror, I always see Aobe-Aum by
my side. I don’t know why we grew apart when we grew up until we weren’t close anymore. Maybe it
started with jealousy. Yes… I’m jealous of my younger twin. Even though we look the same, inside
we’re different. Aobe-Aum is optimistic, while I’m pessimistic. Aobe-Aum is loved by everyone,
while no one adores me. If my twin regains consciousness, will I still think that way?
We are waiting for the doctor who has taken my twin to the operating room. I, who keeps an eye on
the clock at all times, see that it’s already 5 a.m. For those waiting, it is a very long time. But it’s
probably more torturous for those inside the room. Finally, the wait ends when the doctor leaves the
operating room. We, who were waiting for someone to come and tell us something, ran towards
him. The doctor seems uncomfortable but is willing to tell us what happened inside the operating
room.

“How is my son, doctor?”

“How did it go, doctor? How is our daughter?”

Although two people were taken to that room, the relatives only asked about their loved ones. Our
family does that too.

“Both were brought here in a very severe condition...”

The doctor looks serious before continuing as if he had decided to do so.

“The male patient was declared dead at 5:12 am.”

I look at my watch, which reads 5:14 am. Then, the doctor comes out to tell us this immediately
after his death. The groom's relatives fall to the ground, limp. Now it's our family's turn.

“We were able to help the patient, but she is still in a coma. Relatives of the deceased, please...”
The doctor now turns his attention to the groom's family because they have to talk about how to
handle the body. As for our family, none of us can think clearly after hearing the word ‘coma.’ It's a
very blunt word. My mother falls to the ground and cries while I stay still, I don't know how to
express what I feel. Should I cry?... But Aobe-Aum is alive... Should I be sad?... Would it look fake if
I, who never showed any affection for my younger twin, showed feelings? All I can do now is get out
of here and be alone. There are many things I have to do now...
 Chapter 1
May

Before the accident, Aobe Aum and I secretly talked in the bathroom about Aobe Aum’s ex, May.
Aobe Aum wanted me to break up with her ex in her place. I didn't get many details because my
younger twin didn't have the time to give me any, as she had to go to her wedding ceremony
according to the auspicious time. So, the only thing I got was the name, without any other
information.

Right now, I have Aobe Aum’s mobile phone in my hand. The screen has a picture of my twin, who
looks exactly like me but has a different hairstyle. I've had the phone in my possession for an hour,
but because I'm on the fence about whether or not I should help my twin, I haven't looked up any
information… What should I do?...

I've never been good to my younger twin because our parents always compare us, and it's like how
others see us, Aobe Aum is better than me in every way. If you've watched the series 'Shadow,' the
mother and father have different favourites because each stands out differently. But for me, aside
from a beautiful face, I have nothing. I'm like the black hole in this family… Yes... even if we are
visually identical, there are startlingly large gaps in our beauty.

Maybe it's because when we were younger, Aobe Aum studied hard while I, who am not good at
school, learned how to take good care of myself and have only my looks as my strength. Everyone at
school would call us the 'polar opposite twins.' I have more aura, while Aobe Aum was quite tan and
wore eyeglasses. But when we grew up, my younger twin realized that... if we look alike, why can't
she be beautiful too? So Aobe Aum started to take care of herself. And when she became beautiful,
in addition to having a big brain, she easily became an air hostess.
Furthermore, when she got a good job, she had money to buy good clothes. She looked better and
got a new haircut. Her lead eventually widened because she was now both attractive and capable.
As for me... I'm in the same place. I'm just beautiful, but I haven't done anything by myself.

In the end, I decided to open Aobe Aum’s phone. Because we look the same, the face recognition
allowed me to open it easily. It's such an expensive yet dumb phone. The first thing I look for is my
younger twin's best friend's number. It's typical to have a best friend with whom you can share your
dirty laundry. And 'Jan', who's been Aobe Aum’s friend since junior high school, is my first target.

[ How’s it, Aum? Why are you calling me so early in the morning after your wedding night? Aren't you
tired?]

“This is Ai, not Aum.”

[ Oh? But this is Aum's number.]

“She's not free, so she asked me to call you for her.”

The other end of the line goes quiet, not quite believing what she was told. Well... Aum's best friend
knows the relationship between the owner of this phone and me. So, there's no way she believes
what I just told her.

“Fine... Aum didn’t tell me to call you. I wanted to call you myself. I have something to ask you.”

[ Why do you have to talk to me in Aum's place? It's really weird.]

“Aum was in a car accident.”

[ Don't…]

“Don't be annoying! I'll make it quick. Aum asked me to break up with her ex May, for her. Tell me
where I can find May.”

When I get to this topic, Jan pauses to think and starts to believe that Aum was really in a car
accident. The voice on the other end of the line sounds anxious. She starts to get hysterical. I bite
back the urge to yell at her as I ask her to answer my question and stop rambling.

“Get a hold of yourself and tell me how I can get hold of May, so I can do what I have to and get it
over with. Talk!”

[ I went to her house once. It's around the Sathorn area...]

“Then, let's do this. I'll pick you up, and we can go break up with Aum's ex.”

[ But I have to go to work today... Ah... Okay. I'll ask for a day off.]

Jan gives an excuse and then finds a way to work around it herself, which is good for me because I
like it when things are easy.

“Okay. We'll go to Aum's ex's house and get it over with then.”

But is this important? Must it be done during this sorrowful and painful period? Yet because not
doing anything doesn't make things better, I decided to do as Aobe Aum wished by breaking up with
her ex and tagging along with her best friend.

Eventually, Jan and I arrived at a house in the Sathorn area. I sweep my eyes admirably at the house,
which has high walls and strict security.

“Aum's ex is loaded.”
“Of course. Only challenging cases are taken. All the clients are well-off. Probably over 100 million
baht worth.”

Jan mentions it casually. I turn to look at my twin's best friend, shocked.

“If Aum's ex is that rich, why does she want to break up with her?... Ah, the groom is probably
wealthier. He's the owner of an airline, after all. Ah.”
I laugh, mocking my twin a bit, forgetting that she's in a coma. As soon as I roll down my window, the
security guard thinks that I'm Aobe Aum, so he opens the gate for me easily. Okay... this family is
wealthier than those in fairy tales. When I see the wet grass field for the dogs to run on the left and
the swimming pool on the right, I can guess the wealth of the owner of this house. But I don't want to
waste time admiring the wealth because I only have one purpose here.

Break up...

Having a grass field and swimming pool means nothing because my twin already has a husband.

“I'll wait here.”

Jan says this as we reach the front door. She doesn't dare go in.

“I can't bear to face anyone.”

“If you don't go with me, how will I know who May is?”

I grimace at Jan's fear. How scary is Aobe Aum’s ex?

“Aside from the housekeeper, there's only one person who exudes the aura of the owner of the
house. You can go in, Ai.”

“But...”

Jan's refusal, looking so guilty, pushes me to sign and walk into the house. Not long after I entered,
the housekeeper Jan talked about walks towards me with a smile.

“Miss Aum. You haven't been here for a while. Mx. May is in the study room. I'll take you there.”

I barely have to say anything before I'm led to see May like Jan said. This house is neither too large
nor too small, but it does have some area to stroll around a bit.

“Make yourself comfortable. I'll bring you something to drink.”

“It's okay. Ai... ah. Aum will only be here for a little while.''

“Why not stay for a bit? Mx. May is lonely.”

Mx.? Why did she call her Mx. twice now? Or do rich people prefer to use Mx. for their privacy?
Things are so complicated these days. For a guy to be named May is already strange, and to also use
Mx.? Oh well... never mind. Whatever he's called, it doesn't matter. I came here to break up with
him, not to confess my love.

“I have to be somewhere. Thank you, can I just go in?”

“Yes.”

I knocked on the door a few times and opened it. Cool air drifts onto my skin, making me feel cold. A
light jasmine scent has also drifted out. That made me pause to indulge and relax.

“Aum.”
A sweet voice calls out. That startles me, so I turn to look. A petite woman is sitting at the window. A
soft light filters through the curtain and shines on her. It makes her shine so brightly that it astounds
me. She's wearing a loose white shirt and a pair of black shorts. Though it's very plain, when it's in
that frame, it can make my heart race.

“Is that you, Aum?”

“Huh?”
I'm about to say no, but I shut my mouth when the petite one gets up and walks straight to me and
touches me all over.

“W... What.”

I panic and back away. The petite woman pauses. The eyes that are looking in another direction
make me notice that something is off.

“You...”

“It's Aum's voice.”

I want to be sure, so I wave my hand in front of her sweet face. Then, I immediately knew that this
woman...

Cannot see.

Snatch!

My hand is grabbed tightly. I almost changed my mind about her being blind, yet...

“I can't see, but I haven't lost my senses.”

So, she really can't see.

“I'm s... sorry.”

“So, is this Aum?”

The repeated questioning makes me stutter for a while. The sweet-looking woman appears unwilling
to wait for an answer. Because of our height difference, she pulls me down to her by putting her
arms around my neck. And I received something unexpected...

A kiss...

Although it’s only a peck, I am rendered immobile by shock. We go silent for a long... long time. Then
the petite woman started to talk.

“It's Aum... Where have you been? I miss you.”

“May... May?”

Okay. Aside from being kissed, there's another shock when I realise that the person who pulled me
into a hug is...
“May.”

“You seem different today. Aum. Is everything okay?”

“Ah...”

I look at the person who's still smiling, shocked... If I squished everything and every emotion
together, I'd have a round object that I could throw and break someone's head with.

Okay... May is a woman…. And I'm about to break up with a woman so I can marry a man. I now
understand why Aobe Aum asked me to do this and also why Jan doesn't dare come into the house.
Even I, who knows nothing, dropped my jaw and am at a loss now that I know.

“May... I have something to tell you.”

“What is it?”

Like a tree that has received rain, the sweet face is beaming with a smile. It makes my heart sway,
and I have to back away. I put my left hand on my chest because I was overjoyed.

“I…”

“I miss you too.”

 Chapter 2
Kiss Me

My younger twin’s girlfriend and I are hugging tightly, like we've loved each other forever. I don't know
how the person in front of me feels. But I feel flimsy and melted like a candle on a frame. I don't
know what to do. It took me several minutes to gather myself and back away.

“Hang on, May... I left something in my car. I'll be back.”

“What did you forget?”

“My phone.”

Because I didn't know what excuse to use, I blurted that out and then rushed myself out of the study
room. I quickly went downstairs to see Jan. My younger twin's best friend knew everything but told
me nothing about May.

“Jan... come with me.”

I drag Jan to the car, where we can be alone. We sit quietly for a little while because I need to focus,
to grasp everything that’s going on. I then immediately asked Jan.

“Aum's ex is a woman.”

“Ah-huh.”

“You didn't think to tell me that?”

“Why should I? You didn't know? Why are you yelling?”

“I'm yelling because I didn't know. I'm at a loss. Aum doesn't look like someone who would be in a
relationship with a woman. And May doesn't look like a tomboy at all.''

I close my mouth with my hand and look at Jan, surprised.

“Is Aum a tomboy?”

“Are you crazy? If she was, why would she marry a man?”

“So how do the two of them do it? Who does which position and how?”
It's like there's a slideshow in my head. My imagination runs wild. There are four dimensions...
visual, smell, sound, and taste.

“Is this the time to be thinking about that!”

Jan puts her hands on her cheeks and starts to yell too when she sees that my focus is not on the
right topic.

“Did you break up with May?”

“Ah...”
I drag my voice because I don't know what to say. Jan looks at me and smiles from the corner of her
mouth. She then slaps my shoulder lightly to comfort me, like we've been friends in our past lives.
“You can't say it, right? I understand... Aum couldn't do it either. That's why it dragged it out for so
long.”

“She's blind... But that makes sense. Who would pick my twin if they had clear vision?”

I cross my arms over my chest and smile mockingly. Jan squints at me and bares her teeth.

“The one who married her.”

True... I scratch my head and look at the big house in front of me, not knowing what to do next. I think
I understand why Aum didn't break up with May earlier. It's not that she's selfish or anything. But she
probably couldn't get herself to do it. I couldn't even do it when that woman was in front of me... And
the way I felt when I was kissed… I uncontrollably touch my lips when I think about that.

“So, what's next?”

Jan asks when she sees that I'm quiet. I wriggle uncomfortably as I lower my hand.

“I can break up with her, but I need to use gentler words to break it to her. I thought it was a guy, so I
was just going to say it and get it over with. But it's a woman who can't see... It's too pitiful.”

“You seem to care about her.”

“How can you not?”

“What or who do you typically care about?”

“What do you mean?”

“Why did you think Aum asked you to do it?”

“Because I look like her.”

“That's true. But another reason is because you can say 'no' without caring about other’s feelings.
How many guys have you broken up with?”

I glance at my twin's friend and mutter as if I'm cursing at her.

“What has Aum been telling you? You know too much.”

“No one is more fitting for the job than you. That's all I’ll say.”

Jan crosses her arms across her chest and smiles slightly like she's happy that she can talk about
me sarcastically.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Huh?”

“When you first saw May, how did you feel?”

“Nothing.”
“Nothing? What about... fear or respect?”

“She's as tiny as a puppy. What's scary about that? You're overreacting.”

I let out a small sigh.

“I feel sorry for her. She's a lively person who's in the dark.”

“Lively? Are we talking about the same May?”

We both go quiet before the car leaves my twin's ex's house without me breaking up with her... So,
Jan and I go back to plan our next steps. I forgot that I told the owner of the house that I left my
phone in the car, but never mind... I can't think straight right now.

I returned to the hospital to gather myself. I just stand there staring at my twin, who’s been
transferred to the ICU. She has a lot of lines, leads, tubes, and drains attached to her. The person
who looks exactly like me is lying there, unconscious. It makes me realise that when I sleep without
my makeup on, I look scary, like a ghost, that didn't die pretty.

“You're so mean. You dumped your cute girlfriend to get married and left me to clean up your shitty
mess as your last request.”

I mutter, wanting to pull out the nasal oxygen cannula out of cute aggression. Yet... I pause my hand
that wants to tease my twin when I look at her heart-shaped lips that look like mine. How many
times has she kissed that woman?

I became surprisingly frustrated, looking at my twin's lips. I want to smack them. And as I raise my
hand, about to tease my twin, I hear a cough from behind me. A nurse is looking at me coldly when I
turn to look.

“What are you about to do?”

“Ah...”

I slowly lower my hand and give her a sweet smile.

“I'm having a conversation with my younger twin. To help her regain consciousness.”

“So, you're teasing her?”

“Yes.”

I have no intention of killing anyone in an ICU, of course! But because I didn't want to continue to
argue with the nurse I left. I need time to think by myself, so I decided to stare blankly at a river near
my old house .... Ah... when I say old, I mean my family used to live in this area. Our family was
middle-class, but after Adobe-Aum secured a stable job, we upgraded to a nicer house and social
circle. We got out of this area. But I kinda miss this old atmosphere.

“Are you shooting a music video?”

Kosol, one of my old friends, who's also an ex-boyfriend, I broke up with two years ago, greets me.
His tone of voice is a mix between teasing and mocking. I turn to give him a bored expression.

“I have a lot of friends here, but why are you I meet?”

“Fate, I guess. How's it going? You haven't visited since you've become rich.”

“It's my twin who's rich. I'm still the same... stupid twin.”

“Why are you here?”

“I need to think.”

“About?”

“I'm thinking of breaking up with someone...”

I look at the river, where the water hyacinth is floating by quickly due to the strong current.

“But I can't do it.”

“You're so attractive, huh?”

I shrug like I don't care.

“A bit.”

“Why can't you do it this time? When you broke up with me, it was as simple as removing dust from
your shirt. You didn't give it any thought.”

“Yeah... Though we went through a lot together, I broke up with you easily. Or is it because it's...”

“It's?…”

“Nothing…”

I shake my head rejecting the idea before I hit Kosol's arm with my elbow. He's standing next to me
now.

“So, how's it going? Give me an update on your life.”

“Bow has a child. Tong’s taken over the fish business his families been running at the fresh market.”

“Come on. I'm not asking about others. I'm asking about you. How are you doing?”

“I'm driving a motorcycle taxi on the corner of the street”

“Everyone’s taken different paths, huh?”

“Yea. Since that incident... after you went your separate ways, our gang split up and each have their
own lives.''

The word 'that incident' makes me pause because I don't want to talk about it. So, I quickly changed
the topic.

“I got my bachelor's degree, you know? I'm looking for a job.”

Kosol looks at me like he knows that I don't want to talk about the past. So, he gives me a broad
smile.

“Congratulations. You'll probably make the most of your life compared to all of us.”

“That's too much... Though I think I'm doing well, it's not enough for my parents… Geez.”

“It's because of your twin. By the way, how's Aum? Is she doing well?”

“Ah... I guess.”

I don't want to go into details.

“Has she ever been sick?”

“Don't compete with your twin. You're good in your way.”

I look at the person who's both my ex and my friend, feeling grateful somehow. It's like he's sitting
inside my heart. I just want to be as good as Aobe Aum. I pushed myself until I got my degree. But
even though I did, it's still not enough to impress my family because my younger twin always does
better.

“Thank you.”

“Back to what we were talking about. You’re about to break up with your current lover?”

“Something like that.”

“Why do you hesitate this time?”

“I don't know.”

“Is it because you felt good when you two kissed?”

“Huh?”

I glance at Kosol, shocked. My handsome friend, in his motorcycle taxi uniform, laughs, seeing that I
look like someone who has just seen a ghost.

“Why are you shocked?”

“Why are you suddenly talking about kissing?”

“You don't remember the reason you gave me when you broke up with me?”

“It's not that I don't remember. I just didn't think that you would.”
I look Kosol in the eye and try to think back to my university days when we were together. I was the
one who broke up with him like I did with all my other lovers. It's not that I don't remember, because
it's the same reason I broke up with everyone else. He just caught me by surprise.

'What did I do wrong? Why are you breaking up with me?'

And I gave the same reason I did to every other guy I broke up with...

'I don't feel anything when we kiss.'

And when I think about that, I startle a bit. I think back to when that blind woman kissed me the first
time we met because she thought I was Aobe Aum. My heart races when I think of that first kiss and
how I felt.
Why... We haven't spent any time together. We barely knew each other. But why did I feel excited?
Why was she special and different from others? Why?

“I have to go.”

I tell Kosol that and am about to leave, but he grabs my arm.

“Who is he?”

“What?”

“The person you kissed and felt something for... What's his name?”

Because I don't dare answer that question, I pretend to get mad and twist my arm out of his grasp. I
stomp away and Kosol doesn't think of trying to force an answer from me. I see him go quiet and
look at me from the corner of his eyes. What does he want me to say? The person with whom I am
breaking up with isn't even my lover. Moreover, she's a woman. Damn!

I ended up standing in front of May's house once again... the woman I intended to break up with for
the second time today. And the gate is still open to welcome me in. Everyone treats me like they’re
familiar with me, though I don't know anyone. But then again, I'm here as Aobe Aum. No one knows
that I'm Ai Aun. Even the expensive phone can't detect the difference from my face.

“You're here twice today. Will you be spending the night?”

“Spend the night?... Ah, I'm not sure… Where’s May?”

“In the study room, I'll...”

“That's okay. I'll go see her.”

If she can't see, why does she like to spend time in the study room? But that's good because I
wouldn't know where to go if she was in any other room. As soon as I get there, I knock on the door,
so she knows I'm here and slowly open it.

“May.”

I call out to the stranger like we've known each other forever. May is sitting on a La-Z-boy. She turns
towards my voice, and her beautiful lips smile at me slightly.

“You took a long time to get your phone.”

I'm ashamed when she teases me like that. So, I laugh dryly.
“I'm sorry. I... Ah, I left my phone at home. When I realized that, I drove back home to get it without
telling you first. Did you wait long?”

“If I were a tree, the roots would have gone deep.”

The sweet-faced woman says casually.

“It's not important how long the wait is. Time stopped long ago.”

“Why do you say that?”

I walk closer to the expensive chair and kneel, so our eyes are at the same level. It's not so that May
can see me, but so that I can see her sweet face. So beautiful... This is me complimenting a woman
for the first time.

“I can't see whether the sky is bright or dark.”

Her somewhat sad voice makes me unconsciously place my hand on the cheek of the sweet-faced
woman adoringly.

“It's winter, so the sky gets dark earlier than usual... Right now, the sky is turning dark blue like the
skirt of a high school student. It's getting darker and is becoming the colour of a crow's wing.”

May goes quiet before giving me a wide smile.

“Wow... Though I can't see, I can imagine based on what you just described.”

“You liked that?”

“Of course. It's like I'm reading a book when you describe it like that.”

“If you like it... can I get a reward?”

“Huh?”

“Kiss me?”

The sweet-faced woman is stunned. Though I'm not looking into her eyes, I can tell that she's
embarrassed because I can feel her cheek becoming warm through my hand that's still on it.

“Why are you embarrassed? You just kissed me this morning.”

“We don't normally ask each other for a kiss like this. So, when you say it, it's embarrassing.”

May moves around a little before sweeping her hands to find me. She eventually touches my face.

“Here you are.”

“Ah-huh.”

“Come take your reward.”

The sweet-faced woman moves her face towards mine and immediately presses her lips against
mine. Our kiss was just a soft touch, but it made my heart tremble like a marching band beating the
drums in there. My blood is pumping without me having to exercise one bit.

“Though I can't see, I know that you're excited... Why are you excited? We kiss so often.”

“A... Ah...”

I swallow hard before trying to sound normal.

“You asked me so directly. How can I not be embarrassed?”

“Then we're even.”

Though we can't look each other in the eyes, I try hard to look into those mysterious eyes like it's a
twilight zone with interest. It seems like the plan to break up with her has to be put on hold because
my heart trembles when this woman kisses me. Even though I’ve never felt anything when I kissed
someone. I'm complicating the situation.
 Chapter 3
Like Women

I stare at my younger twin from her bedside with mixed feelings. I don't understand why Aobe Aum
was with that woman, she showed any signs of liking women. However... I can't say I don't
understand anything because that kiss had such an impact on me that I’ve disregarded my twin's
request to end the relationship. Why did I do that?...

Honestly, I know very little about May, or Metavee, my twin's ex-lover. I just learnt her real name a
few days ago after I interrogated Jan. And when she asked if I had already broken up with May, I lied
straight to her face.

‘I already did.’

‘What did May say?’

‘She was devastated. She asked why I did that to her.’

‘That doesn't sound like May. But... I guess anyone who gets dumped would be sad.’

I used all the guys that I broke up with as references. Most of them responded that way. Why would
Metavee be different or an exception? Never mind, because actually, I'm not planning to break up
with her any time soon. I want to be sure about my feelings. Although I've had numerous boyfriends,
I've never felt anything when I kissed them. Is it because, maybe... I'm not straight? Do I like women?
I want to know my real preferences.

As I let my mind wander, my phone rings. Because I'm in the ICU, all the nurses turn to give me a
hard gaze. So, I bend my head to apologise and hurriedly run out of the ICU to pick the phone, feeling
frustrated. But I quickly smile when I see the call is from my best friend from high school.

“Pang, how's it going? You've disappeared.”

“I just got back. I bought you a lot of stuff. Let's meet.”

“I want to see you too. I have something I want to talk to you about.”

“What's the matter? Why do you sound like that? Is everything okay?”

“A lot’s happened while you were gone. I'll tell you all about it when we meet.”

“I really want to know now. When should we meet? This evening?”

“I can't.”
“Don't play hard to get. You don't even have a job. How can you be busy... Or do you have a new
boyfriend already? Can't you stay single for a bit?”

The playful, sarcastic voice makes me laugh.

“I'll tell you about it. I'll come see you at your condo.”

“Okay. I'll tell my lover to leave if you're coming.”

“Oh. Your lover is at your condo? Then, it's okay… “

“No... You're more important. We have to meet tonight. I want to butt into your business.”

I laugh a bit and hang up before I leave the hospital to go to Metavee’s House. This is the fourth or
fifth time I have visited my twin's ex without a reason. I'm not sure why I want to see her, even
though I don't even know her. I want to meet her so much that I'm annoyed at myself. Someone once
told me that ‘smell creates memories,’ and it certainly does for me. The light jasmine scent followed
me home and haunted my dreams… the jasmine scent had no impact on me until I met the sweet-
faced woman who has darkness as her best friend… Is it pity? But I'm not that sensitive. So, what
the hell is it... Geez...

“May.”

The study room is Metavee's favourite place. It's her base, which comes with cool conditioning and
a jasmine scent. A breeze sweeps all of those things into my face as soon as I step into the room,
making me feel good.

“I was wondering whether you would come today... Our hearts must be connected.”

The petite woman says this as she looks the other way because she doesn't know where I'm
standing. But because Metavee knows the position of all the furniture, she can move around them
like she can see. The beautiful woman, who has darkness as her friend, reaches out her arms to
sweep around the area, wanting to touch me. Seeing that, I feel bad and reach out my hands for her
to grab.

“Your hands are so cold.”

I mention that and gently rub her hands with my thumb.

“The air conditioning is too cold.”

“I like cool places. But why are you here?”

“I come to see you all the time.”

“Not really. You’re always busy with work, it's not easy for you to get away. Tell me truthfully...
What's going on?”

I tighten my lips a bit, trying to come up with a lie... Aobe Aum is a workaholic. She didn't even come
home that often because she was busy looking for a way to advance her career. So, me, being here
so often is unlike Aum's behaviour.

“I... ah...”

“Is there a problem at work?”

“Something like that.”

“What is it?”

“I...”
I scratch my head. Why do I have to lie? My only job was to break up with her, but now I'm pretending
to be my twin.

“Were you fired?”

“What?...”

“If not, you wouldn't be this nervous. Are you embarrassed?”

Metavee reaches her hands out to cradle my face and stroke my cheeks with her thumbs.

“You have high self-esteem. I understand... It's not like I haven't been there.”

“Something like that.”

The person in a coma probably can't go to work, so getting fired isn’t that far of a stretch.

“But don't worry. You're capable. You’ll get a new job... Actually, this is good. So, we can have more
time together. I'm out of a job too.”

The sweet-faced person smiles at me with her eyes, though she can't see. I feel a bit strange. My
heart is pounding. I don't know what this feeling is.

“You have nothing to worry about. You're so rich.”

“In the end, being wealthy doesn't help.”

The beautiful woman lowers her hands and walks the other way. She walks with ease, as if she can
see. She can walk amazingly around the table and all the obstacles.

“Health is what's most important. And my health is not good now. Look at me... I have a lot of
money, but I'm blind. What's the point of having all this money?”

“May...”
“But come to think of it, I rarely got to go anywhere when I was healthy. I was a workaholic. I don't
even watch TV. I only read about the law and try to find a way to ensure that my client gets the least
punishment. That was complete nonsense, wouldn't you agree? I was living for other people.”

Metavee stands with her arms across her chest at the window, like she's looking far away. I walk
towards her, feeling sorry for her. I'm about to touch her shoulder, but I pull my hand back as if she's
a hot iron. What am I doing?... She's not even a friend.

“If you could see, what’s the first thing you would want to do?”

“Huh?”

The sweet-faced woman can feel my presence behind her. She turns around, looking surprised.

“I've never thought about that.”

“Think about it.”

“Probably read. I like to read.”

I nod to agree because every time I visit, she's in this room. It's as if she can read.

“Then let's start with reading.”

I reach for her wrist and pull her to sit on the sofa.

“What do you want to read?”

“A lot.”

Metavee pauses for a bit before she seems to think of something.

“Honestly? I want to try reading a novel.”

“You've never read one?”

“I did, but it was a long time ago. I thought it was a waste of time, so I sold them all. So now, I only
have boring textbooks left. Can you believe that there's not even one novel in here?”

I look around, stunned. Because there are a lot of books in this room. There's not even one novel?

“Let's do this. I'll buy you a novel.”

“But I can't read it.”

“I can.”

“Huh?”

“I'll read it to you. It would be like you could read yourself.”

The petite woman is frozen, like she's really stunned. She let out a smile. It's a grateful smile
because I can see her eyes becoming teary, as if she's about to cry. And because I've never
experienced something like this, I'm a bit embarrassed.

“Don't be like this. You're freaking me out.”

“Work probably ate up all our love. We used to be such workaholics that we didn't have time for
each other.”

“Really... I didn't know that.”

“We were very distant. We met like it was our job. We didn't even remember how we fell in love with
each other... Those feelings were gone.”

“It was that bad?”

“Ah-huh.”

The sweet-faced woman nods.

“And look at us now. You're out of a job, so you have time for me. You volunteer to read to me. I'm
very grateful.”

I reach out my hand to wipe her tears away and smile at her with adoration.

“You're overthinking. How about from now on, I'll visit every day? And I'll read to you every day too.
Okay?”

“Good.”

The petite woman raises her arms to wait for me to dash into them. I feel a bit awkward, but I also
feel like if I didn’t do it, it would make Metavee feel awkward.

Thud...

Our bodies fit like a jigsaw. Metavee wraps me in her arms while I hug her back. When I smell a soft
jasmine scent from her, I unconsciously sniff her neck, I want those scents to seep into my body.

Thump Thump...

Thump Thump....

We hug for a long time until we hear a knock on the door from the housekeeper. We immediately
parted awkwardly. I get up and excuse myself, my face all red.

“I'll go back first, so I can buy a novel for you.”

“When will you come again?”

“Tomorrow.”

“I'll be waiting.”

I tighten my lips to stop myself from smiling and answer without being able to not smile.

“Ah-huh. Wait for me. I'll hurry over.”

I feel more elated than usual. Instead of going to my friend's condo, I dragged her out to the mall
shop for a novel with me. Pang, who's tired from her overseas trip, walks with a hunched back,
looking like the walking dead.

“Don’t you know I'm tired?”

“That's why I invited you to come shop in this air-conditioned mall.”

“Wouldn't someone tired prefer to sleep? And what mood are you in to be shopping for a book? The
letters are normally your enemy.”

“Can't I become an intellectual person?”

“No. It's not you. It's wrong and scary.”

I glance at my friend and shake my head at her sarcastic words before I continue to concentrate on
choosing a novel from different sections.

“What mood are you in to want to read a novel? You don't even read your LINE messages.

“I want to entertain someone.”

“Who's that someone?” Pang immediately leans toward me with a curious look. So, I smack her
forehead.

“Ouch! That hurts.”

“Why did you lean in?”

“Which boyfriend is this?”

“Someone else's lover.”

“Huh?”

I pause for a bit and sigh.

“Aum's lover.”

Because Pang knows about my twin and I as well as Jan does, she immediately grabs my arm to get
my attention.

“Since when did you become close with your twin?”

“I haven't told you the details...”

I stop paying attention to the books, cross my arms over my chest, and look at my best friend as if
I'm asking for help.

“But Before I do that, I think I have a problem.

“What problem?”

“Do you remember the problem l’ve had with all the guys I dated?”

“About you not feeling anything when you're with them?”

I always tell Pang what's going on with me. Everyone needs a friend they can talk to about their
concerns, right? Pang is that friends.

“Ah-huh.”

“And?”

Because I don't know how to reply to that, I go quiet, like I'm trying to find the best answer so my
friend can help answer my question. But... Why should I beat around the bush? This is Pang.

“I kissed Aum's lover.”

“What...”
“And I felt something.”

“You must be crazy.”

“There's more to it than that.”

I start to bite my nails. You can say I'm embarrassed as well as ashamed. But since I've come this
far....

“There's more than that? Or... did you have sex with your twin's lover too?”

“Idiot. Listen. Don't assume. You're interrupting the climax of my story.”

“What is it?

I'm feel like I have ants in my pants. And my reply stuns Pang…

“Aum's lover is a woman….”

“I think I like women….”

 Chapter 4
Our Project

After I told Pang all that had happened while she was away, Pang dropped her jaw. It took her a while
to compose herself after the emotional rollercoaster. She then swallows hard before giving me
advice.

“I was away for only two weeks, and all that happened... Aum asked you to go break up with her
girlfriend, but you're pretending to be her? Don’t you know that you're complicating things?”

“I know.”

“If you know, why are you doing this?”

“I don't know.”

I'm not mocking my friend at all. I really don't know why I'm doing all this. There's no reason. There's
no answer, I only know that my feelings drive my actions. I can't even answer myself why kissing her
makes me feel so good… We're back at Pang's residence in the city now. Because she's an air
hostess, she makes more money than anyone else in this whole wide world. So, residing in a 3
million baht residence is not out of reach. Pang is another friend with a good job among all the
friends in my class year, though she was a bad ass just like me in school…

“Here are your novels.”

Pang hands me the few novels she bought because when I went to pay for them, I didn't have
enough money to do so. Books are so expensive these days. Someone who just graduated like me
obviously does not have enough money to buy them.

“Thank you. If it were Aum, she could have easily bought them.”

“Why don't you use her credit card since she's unconscious? You look exactly the same. You can do
it with ease.”

“Evil.”

I scolded her casually.

“But that's an interesting idea. I'll look for the cards in her wallet today.'

“The only person eviler than me is you… But are you sure you want to do this? You're pretending to
be Aum... but in the end, you two are not the same person.”

“Don't worry. I'm not doing anything bad. And Aum's girlfriend is so pitiful. She can't see. And she
seems so lonely...”

I think of May’s face, and my heart starts to race.

“I just want to read to her.”

“You'll only get deeper and deeper into it. Right now, you feel sorry for her. But I'm afraid that one day
you will really like her. Like... You like her now because she makes you feel something your previous
boyfriends didn't. But maybe you're just excited because she's a woman. You may feel nothing over
time just as you did with all your past lovers.”

“If it gets to that, I'll move on. For now, I can't break up with her like Aum asked me to do. If you see
her face... you’d understand.”

I felt that the small one is too lonely. It's like she has no friends...

“Aren't you caring about her too much?”

Pang's voice makes me look at her curiously.

“Shouldn't we care about other people? Especially someone like May?”

“May, your twin's ex? Is that really appropriate?”

“Let's just say that if I feel that it's getting too far, I'll back away. Let me be sure whether I feel this
way because she’s a woman or because it’s this woman specifically first.”

My beautiful friend looks at me and goes quiet, like she's thinking about something. Her eyes are
filled with thoughts that I can't read.

“I would like to know that too.”

It's strange... I've never felt like this with anyone before… Well… Okay. If you don't count when I had
a crush on a senior at school, that is. I woke up early to wait and see what time he walked to school.
But because I get bored easily, when I was in a serious relationship with him, I dumped him like a
tissue in less than two weeks for the same old reason. I didn't feel anything when I kissed him. And
that feeling is back. I wake up early, dress nicely, and hurry to see Metavee at her house. I forgot that
she can't see how I look anyway… Yeah... why did I dress up? Crazy…

“You're here so early, Miss Aum.”

“Is May in the same room?”

“Mx. May is in her bedroom.”

“Ah.”

The housekeeper smiles at me slightly and prepares to walk away. Yet! I run to block her way and
make a face to show her that I'm heavy-hearted.

“Auntie.”

“Yes?”

“Which way is the bedroom?”

“Huh?”
Because this house is too big, I have to ask how to get to the master bedroom. Metavee is burying
herself in. After I got the directions from the housekeeper, I found the master bedroom and knocked
lightly on the door.

“You can come in.”

I can hear Metavee's voice from inside. It makes my heart tremble. I slowly turn the gold doorknob
and open the door slightly. I see the sweet-faced woman, the owner of that nasal-toned voice,
sitting on the bed, listening to classical music. The room is filled with a jasmine scent that makes me
feel good. She has such good taste...

“May.”

“Aum, you're here.”

The sweetest smile that can always melt my heart causes me to smile broadly before I sit at the
bedside.

“It's still early morning. Why are you here so soon?”

“I'm afraid that you'd be lonely. Did I wake you up?”

“No. I've been awake for awhile now... You're reading a novel to me today?”

“Yes.”

“That's great. You can lay down on the bed and read it. It's more comfortable.”

The petite woman pats the bed next to where she's lying to invite me to lay down with her. At first, I
feel a bit awkward, but I get up to lay next to her, so we don't seem too distant. Why does the mood
suddenly become heavy? We were just talking merrily.

“Aum.”

“Yes?”

“Did you change your perfume?”

Metavee sniffs with her nose and buries into my shoulder.

“I'm not familiar with this one.”

“A... ah...”

What perfume does Aobe Aum use? I didn't think about it, so I used mine.

“If you don't like it, I'll change back to my old one.”

“It's not that I don't like it. I just feel that it's not like you to use a candy scent like this. Normally, you
use a sweet vanilla scent. But it's okay...”

The person who has darkness as her friend wraps her arms around me and smiles.

“I like every scent as long as you're the one using it.”

“Ah.”

I can feel my face turning red when she asks for tenderness like this. The touch of her arm on my
skin strangely gives me goosebumps and butterflies in my stomach. And it seems like she can sense
my embarrassment.

“Your heart is racing.”

“Ah... you can hear that?”

“When I can't see, my other senses become heightened. Are you excited by my touch?”

“Well... ah huh.”

“It's like when we started flirting, yeah? The heart is racing, and the face is blushing. I'm excited too.”
I glance at the person talking as her eyes drift because she can't see. Though I can't clearly see that
she's blushing, I can sense that she's happy from her smile.

“I'll read to you... Let's start with this one, Boundary Love.”

“Is it about soldiers?”

“Probably.”

“Why did you buy this one?”

“It fits this generation.”

We laugh, and I start to read with a calming voice. Because I don't like to read, when I have to do, I
lack emotion, and I stutter from time to time. But Metavee doesn't complain. She concentrates on
listening to me, as if she's giving encouragement to a rookie in novel reading… But... there are so
many flaws in this novel.

“How can the lead female not know that the person who sent her the letters wasn’t her ex? The
handwriting of the lead male isn’t similar to her ex's at all.”

“Yeah. The content and writing style of two people can't be the same. Is she stupid, or is she
stupid?”

Metavee agrees with me. That makes me more involved in analysing the characters.

“The lead male has no conscience at all, this is his friend's lover. Though his friend wasn’t nice and
was cheating on her, he shouldn't have done that anyway.”

“Maybe the lead female even knew that the letters weren’t from her ex. She's also cunning.”

I glance at Metavee and smile slightly. Surprisingly, I feel like I've met my best friend, whom I can get
along with about everything.

Thump…

Thump....
“Why are you quiet?”

“Ah... huh? Nothing.”

“It must be something.”

“I just feel that... we have a lot in common.”

This time it's Metavee who smiles and nods agreeably.

“Yeah. We've been together for so long, but I've never felt that we got along this well. Why is that?”

“Ah... yeah, why?”

“And my heart is races when I'm near you.”

Thump….

Thump....

Suddenly, everything goes silent. So, I broke it.

“Let's change the topic.”

“I think we need to stop digging into the plot's flaws, or it won't be fun anymore.”

But instead of continuing to read the novel, we dissect the plot into pieces. If the author were to hear
it, they would be crying nonstop for three days and three nights. So, in the end, we only read half of it
because we couldn't stand all the nonsense.

“Let's read something we don't need to analyse. Here... Satan's slave.”

“It must be a romance novel.”

I looked at the back cover and saw a remark, ‘Adult content.’

Metavee says that immediately, so I turn away.

“Probably full of love scenes.”

“Let's see if the love scenes will get us emotionally involved.”

I laugh a bit and open the book. But just the first chapter makes my jaw drop. I almost threw the
199-baht novel away.
“I can't take it anymore. After having sex with you, I want you all the time. Remember this: Your ****
is mine from now on.”

Gasp…

When I get to this part, I go quiet….

Is this a novel or porn? What kind of writing is this?…

Let's keep going for a bit more…

“Since I received your love sperm, I know that I can never spread my legs for anyone else. My **** is
yours. I waited… Shit!!!”
Yes... The novel flew to the floor immediately as the room suddenly became silent. I glance at my
twin's ex, who's just lying there blinking, though she can't see.

“Ah... the novel is...”

“What made you buy this novel, Aum?”

When I'm asked that, I smile dryly.

“To be honest, I didn't buy it. I borrowed it from a friend. I didn't know her taste was this terrible.
What's with talking about **** and love sperm since the first chapter?”

We go quiet again. Then, suddenly, Metavee giggles. So, the quietness is dispersed, and I start to
smile.

“Anyone can write a novel these days, I guess. Editors have no standards?”

Metavee goes on to start a conversation.

“Maybe other readers don't think much about it. If the author heard us, they would probably say, if
you think you can do better, write your own novel.”

“Is it necessary that the person who criticises a novel has to be able to write one? But... I stopped
reading novels because I like to analyse the plot like this. That's why I never finish one. It's my bad
habit. No, it's probably my character...”

“You don't have to be that harsh on yourself, May.”

“I mean it... It's my character. Otherwise, I couldn't be a lawyer… I'm good at noticing gaps in a story
or flaws in a person. I used that trait to fill in the gaps with my clients, and that's how I helped them
get away.”
The person next to me says that with such a serious tone of voice. I reach my hand out to pat the
back of her hand.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes!”

Metavee replies brightly and acts like she just thought of something.

“From what I observed, I think you could write a novel.”

“Huh?”
“Really. When you described the sky to me, your words made me imagine vividly. You should try
writing a novel.”

“Oh... No. I can read, but to write...”

“Try it. It will be fun. If you just buy a new novel, it’ll be the same. We’ll find inconsistencies in the
plot and throw it away. It's a waste of money. Write your own. Write it the way you want it to be. I'll
fill in the gaps for you. This sounds like fun.”
The petite woman looks like she's having fun. She's rubbing her hands, like she's eager to test
herself. It gets me excited as well, though I'm not quite sure about it yet.

“Write our own novel? What should we write about?”

“Anything... horror, suspense, murder, romance, anything.”

“Yeah?”

“Ah-huh. You're free now, right?

Once you finish it, let's send it to a publisher. If it gets published, it will be our work. Sounds good?”

Though it sounds like a dream, if it makes her this happy...

“Okay. I'll give it a try.”

“Okay. Why don't you write me a chapter each day? I'll wait and listen to your novel.”

“I probably can't do a very good job.”

“Why do you think that?”

“I’ve never accomplished anything.”

“Huh?”

“Ah... I mean finish a series, a song, or a novel. You saw me throw the novel away just now. I'm afraid
that I'll disappoint you.”
“It's probably because you don't have any motivation... If you don't have it, you have to build it
yourself.”

Metavee strokes her chin like she's thinking hard. I watch attentively as she uses her concentration
quietly. She's charming with every move.

“There must be a reward.”

“Huh?”

I'm surprised to hear that.

“What reward?”

“To give you motivation, there must be a reward for each chapter that you write for me.”

“Interesting. What's my reward?”

I look at the sweet-faced woman smiling. Metavee cradles my face in her hands while her eyes are
looking in another direction.

“A kiss.”
“Huh?”

“With every chapter that you write, if it's good, you'll get a kiss from me as a reward.”
 Chapter 5
Critique

As soon as I get home, I search Aobe Aum’s room to look for her laptop. My mother scolds me when
she sees that I am searching my twin's room.

“This is not good, Ai. Why are you going through your sister's stuff like this?”

“I just want to borrow her laptop, mom.”

“But she hasn't given you permission. How can you just walk in here to get it like this?”

“You go wake her up then, mom. So, I can get her permission.”
My mother is stunned when I argue back like that. As for me, I didn't think much when I said that. So,
I feel guilty when I see her reaction.

“I'm sorry, mom. I really need to use it.”

“What for?”

“Job applications.”

My mom looks like she doesn't believe me. But if I don't find the laptop soon. Aobe Aum’s room will
turn into a rubbish dump soon because I'm making a mess from my search. So, my mother points to
the desk.

“It's in the drawer. I put it in there for her.”

“Okay. Thanks, mom.”

I smile at my mom a bit, pick up the laptop, and hug it to my chest. I noticed that my twin's wallet
was also there, so I picked it up without my mother seeing before hurriedly leaving that room. Okay...
it's time for the birth of a new author in Thailand as well as a credit card thief that just got ahold of
two credit cards. If you want to find someone to blame for this, go blame Pang. She suggested I do
this.

“I didn’t think you’d really do it.”

I show up at my beautiful friends condo with a laptop that’s as thin as a sanitary napkin shown in a
commercial. I’m bored of being home, as my mother won’t stop asking me if I’m done using my
twins laptop. She acted as if I was going to sell it or something.

“I’ll just hold on to it. The signature is not that hard to copy. If I want to buy more novels, I can use it.”

“No moral standards at all.”

“Hey. I'm your friend, remember?”

I twist my mouth at my friend and turn my attention to the laptop in front of me. There's a blank page
on it, waiting for me to start my novel.
“Why do you want the laptop?”

“To write a novel.”

“Huh? I'm shocked... Who are you? You're not my friend.”

Pang puts her hand on her chest and shakes her head slowly, like she can't believe her eyes.

“Someone who can't tell the difference between ship and chip like you, will write a novel. You're
bringing down the literary community. Your work will be trash. The critics will not only criticise you
but also your family. They will ask, why did your parents give birth to you?”

“Hey. I'm writing a novel, not burning down the town. You don't have to go that far, idiot.”

“Why are you writing a novel? I was already shocked you wanted to read one.”

I sit up, feeling a bit embarrassed, before I reluctantly tell my friend.

“Well... It's a project between me and May, because of the novel I borrowed from you! What kind of
novels were those... Your **** is mine. Geez…. How can you buy those?”

“I forgot what was in it.”

“But because of how bad those novels were, we started this co-project.”

I place my hand on my chest and smile merrily. But then I quickly hunched my back.

“But when I'm actually doing it, it's not easy at all. My head is blank. I don't know what to write, not
even what style. How do authors do it?”

“They read a lot.”

“A doctor doesn't have to get sick often. A police officer doesn't have to be a criminal first.”

“Geez! How can you compare those professions? Write whatever you want to write. Start with
something simple like your real-life experiences.”

“Like what?”

“Umm... When did you start to have breasts? What's the name of your first dog?”

“I'm writing a novel, not my autobiography. Give me something sensible.”

I'm frustrated that my friend is being silly.

“If you can't help, be quiet.”

“What can I say? Your life isn’t interesting. Aside from having a twin who looks exactly like you and
who asked you to break up with her ex, who's a woman for her, there's nothing interesting.”

When Pang says that we turn to look at each other, like we are on the same wavelength.

“How about writing about twins!”

We shout out at the same time, like we're monks reciting our prayers on an important Buddhist day.
Or, in other words, we said that at the same time without planning to.
“I said that first.”

I wave my hand to stop Pang from saying anything and quickly interrupt.

“I will write about twins. About myself.”

“I don't know why I would try to steal the idea from you, but yeah... That's it. Write about twins, but
don't make it too real, or she'll find out.”

“Find out what?”

“Find out that you're not Aum!”

Today, I bring the novel that I wrote myself. I printed it out on five pages of A4 paper. I sit in front of
Metavee, whose eyes wander around. Though she's talking to me, she's not looking at me. That's too
bad. Her eyes are so beautiful, I know it would feel so good if she stared me in the eye.

“The plot is about twins?”

“Ah-huh... I'll read it to you.”

I clear my throat a bit and sit up straight to get ready to read.

“My name is SaenSoen. I'm a woman and am standing in front of someone, feeling excited...”

I started to read what I wrote shyly. Metavee listens carefully without interrupting, and that
encourages me to go on. My plot is about a girl who has no dreams. Ah... that's from me. The family
has a dad, a mom, and an older twin sister… Yes... I need to not make it too real, so instead of having
a younger twin, the plot is to have an older twin. There's not much in the first chapter. It's more like
introducing the characters, who's who and where they're from. Metavee remains quiet even after I
finish reading.

“How's the first chapter?”

“Horrible.”

The frankness of the sweet-faced woman is like a slap in the face. I carefully wrote these five pages
spending more than four hours on them till after midnight. I proofread it to make sure that there were
no typos or mistakes. But she said that it's horrible.

“Really...”

“I'm sorry to criticise, frankly. But... a novel should have a mini climax in each chapter. And the end
of the chapter should be somewhat of a cliff hanger. But you just describe who the woman is and
where she's from. There's nothing to keep people interested.”

“Ah-huh.”

“But I can see the effort. I won't judge. Can you tell me the rough plot? What are the interesting
subplots?”
“Ah... They are twins.”

“Ah-huh. And? Who's the lead male? What makes the twins lives interesting?”

“They don't get along. One is good in everything, while the only one is just beautiful...”

“And?”

“Well...”

“You don't have an ending yet, right?”

The blind one with a sweet face sits still with her arms across her chest. Now I'm nervous and afraid
of her. Once she becomes serious, she's very authoritative. So, this is her lawyer's side... It’s very
different from the woman with a beautiful smile.

“I haven't thought about the ending.”

“There's no plot. This is like a diary. It's boring.”

The sweet-faced woman shrugs and touches the furniture familiarly to walk to the window.

“So, there's nothing fun in this world, even your novel.”

Suddenly, I'm feeling a cute aggression towards the little woman who says things without
considering how they might make me feel. I want to run and hit her head on the wall. Damn! I wanted
to do something well, but she put me down. How can I have the encouragement to create something
good when she's like this!

I clench my hand tightly into a fist because I don't want to lose. I then spit out words in frustration.

“Everyone is bad when they do something for the first time.”

“True. Someone who can critique may not be able to do it themselves. Not everyone can be an
author... You used to be capable, but now I don't know who you are.”

I feel like I'm being harshly insulted. She compared me to Aobe Aum? Of course, I'm not capable.
But I'm also not one to give up easily.

“If a twin plot is too boring, then I'll change it.”

“Change it to what?”

“A story about a woman whose best friend asks her to break up with a person she has never met.”

“Then?”

“She immediately fell in love with the male lead at first sight.”

“What a cliche? Boring.”

“No, it's not!”

I argue like a little kid who is insulted by an adult.

“T... There will be Satan in it.”

“Now it's a fantasy? Will someone burn in hell too?”

“The lead female will get a blessing from Satan for ten years.”

I mix this and that into the plot. Metavee smiles from the corner of her mouth.

“You're copying a western series? You can't think for yourself?”

“The leads will fall in love, and in the tenth year, Satan will come back according to the deal they
made.”

“Come to take her life... boring.”

“Come back to take what the female lead can't give, and it's a choice!”

“In the end, the lead male will choose the lead female. Nothing new.”

“The lead female chooses to walk away and let the lead male get together with her friend in the
end.”

“Still boring.”

“The lead male is actually a female!”

I stare at the person who likes to find inconsistencies in the plot, not giving up. The sweet-faced
woman raises her eyebrow a bit and slowly lets out a smile. She then snaps her fingers.

“This should be fun.”

“Huh?”

“Most novels have male and female leads. Writing about two female leads should be interesting.
You're back to being a capable person again.”

Metavee smiles broadly at me, showing admiration.

“You came up with a lot of plots once you were pressured. But you still need to adapt your writing
style to be more fluid.”

“You intended to pressure me?”

“Yes... Otherwise, you wouldn’t have come up with this cool plot. This novel is becoming interesting
now.”

The sweet-faced woman puts her chin on her hand and looks another way. If she could see, she'd
probably look me in the eye to encourage me.

“Let's see how their love will end… And whether there will be any changes to the ending?”

“Let’s see.”
 Chapter 6
Really, Really Like

In front of Metavee, I spoke like a rational person, but when I'm alone, I transform into this crazy
woman. I'm just like one of those stupid idiots who can't come up with their own ideas. Writing a
novel is not easy. How can authors write 10-20 sentences? I don't even know where to start...
Okay… To continue the previous chapter. ‘Saen-Soen’ the lead female. No, let me change it. What a
lame name! It's like a character from a Chao Planoy's novel… Ah... What name should I use?
‘Marisa’... That's a good name. I'll use that. Okay... ‘Marisa meets her twin's ex, ‘Nub-Dao.’ Wow...
Writer's block… Arrrggggg. If it's this hard, I shouldn't have bragged. I set such high expectations...

“So, you're continuing your nonsense?”

Pang walks out of the restroom and twists her mouth at me. I scrunch my face immediately when I
smell something from the toilet.

“Did you poop or die? The smell is excruciating. You need to do something with your intestines.”

“I ate too much beef. I can't help it. I make a lot of money, so I only eat good food, and my poop
smells. I'm not one of those jobless and penniless people who do nonsense stuff all day, like writing
a novel. You can eat green vegetables. It has a lot of fibre and is not expensive. It suits you.”

“What a long sarcastic phrase? If I become a famous author and am rich one day, you will choke on
your guilt and die.”

“Annoying... So, what are you writing? I'll help you.”

“Write what? I haven't even started.”

I scratch my head, feeling annoyed.

“If I go back to see her with this, that mean woman will say something to bury me alive again.”
“The way you call her has changed quickly. You were praising her the other day, now she's the mean
girl?”

“That's really how she is. What kind of person criticises so harshly? She said my story lacks a
consistent plot and reads like a boring diary with nothing interesting. Do people have to be that
mean?”

“She's an interesting woman... And this is just knowing her from what you’ve told me.”

“How so?”

“You described her as someone fragile and delicate. As if she were made of glass and would shatter
if someone walked past her. But she criticised you openly without caring if you’d get hurt...”

“She probably wanted to pressure me so that I can write a good novel. It's her lawyer traits.”
“Can someone who’s blind be a lawyer?”

“She was a lawyer be for she became blind.”

“I thought she was blind from birth. How did she become blind? Have you asked?”

“No.”

Come to think of it... I have never thought about it. I just know that if you can make that much money,
have a house that big, and have been a lawyer before, she must have just become blind. Now, I'm
curious…

“Then... Write about her.”

“Huh?”

As soon as I hear that. I turn to look at my friend, showing my interest.

“An author needs raw material to work on. Some use people or a situation close to them. Some use
their past experiences. You can just write about Metavee...”
“Write about what, how, and who you want her to be in the novel. That's interesting... The author will
find out along with the readers who that woman...”

“…”

“Who she is…”

I don't need to put in a lot of effort or do anything complicated. I can just ask Aobe Aum’s best friend,
Jan, if I want to know. Actually, Pang can be stupid sometimes.

[I don't know anything. Aum rarely talked about this ex. I only know that she's a good-looking lawyer
and that they met at the airport while Aum was working.]

“You're her best friend, how can you not know?”

[Even her own twin doesn’t know what she was thinking or doing. Besides... Why do I need to know?
I don't like butting into someone else's business.]

Okay... I'm butting into someone else's business.

“Do you know how she became blind?”

[I heard that she was attacked.]

“Huh?”
[I heard she won a case and was attacked after that. That's all I know. I have to hang up now. I need
to get back to work because I have a job. Bye.]

Jan hung up without care. Why does everyone keep stressing about my unemployment? It's not that I
haven't tried to find work, but so far nobody has hired me. And what's with saying that I'm butting
into someone else's business? How is curiosity harmful? I just want some raw material for the novel
I'm writing. Geez! Since I can't ask anyone, I'll ask her!
I headed over to see Metavee in her big house as usual today, though I didn't write anything. When I
get there, I hear shouting and screaming from the front yard.

“I came to visit you nicely, why did you have to pick a fight?”
“This is what you call a nice visit, dad? Have you ever been satisfied with what I've done, even once?
I'm in this condition, and you still don't care one bit about me! “

I can detect resentment in Metavee nasal tone, which I recall well. I hide and observe from a
distance because I want to let her clear things up within her family.

“You did all this to yourself.”

The old guy, who's a little plump around the middle, stomps to his car, which is parked not too far
from where I am. He glances at me for a second and chuckles from the corner of his mouth.

“We haven't met for a while, Aum?”

“Huh?”

I'm a bit stunned because I don't know him. So, I guess he’s Metavee's father knows Aobe Aum.

“Hello.”
“They say you know who's a real friend in times of trouble... I thought my daughter was smart, but
it's the same old shit. She's gay, stupid, and completely out of her mind.”

“That's enough.”

This comes from a woman who's probably a few years younger than the man. She's probably the
mother. So, I raise my hand to pay respect out of good manners.

“I'm leaving. Please take care of May, Aum.”

Though she says that, she doesn't seem to care about my existence. As soon as the car drives away,
I rush to the sweet-faced woman, who's standing where she was... without any shoes.

“Are you okay... May?”

The person who looks as if she is about to cry slowly smiles. She seems to be trying very hard to
contain her anger from the argument earlier.

“Have you been here long, Aum?”

“A while.”

“A familiar atmosphere, huh?”

“A... Ah huh.”

I answer that while thinking, ‘What's familiar?’ This is the first time I've met her family.

“Why are you outside?”

“To fight with my dad.”

“Did your father bring you out here?”

I don't get any answers, so I change the topic because it is not that important.

“You're not wearing your shoes. Your feet may get itchy from germs. You can wear my sneakers.”

I take off my sneakers and bend down to lift the pitiful one's feet to help put my sneakers on them.
Metavee appears hesitant, so I look up at her.

“What's the matter? Why aren't you putting on the sneakers?”

“I thought you were mad at me for my harsh criticism.”

Her mentioning it reminded me that I'm still a bit frustrated. However, after witnessing the petite
woman fight with her family, it wouldn’t be a good thing if she had to fight with me now aswell.

“An author will be criticised, it's normal. I have to accept that.”

“You're so open-minded.”

“Put the sneakers on already, or your feet will become itchy.”

I eagerly insist, but Metavee shakes her head.

“No. I can wash my feet when I go inside. Walking on the grass is nice. It's so soft “

“I tend to imagine that there’s dog poop on the lawn.”

“We don't have a dog here.”

Metavee laughs a little before taking off the sneakers and standing on her bare feet again.

“Since we're here, let's take a walk together. I haven't been out of the house for a while now.”

“Okay.”

“Walk barefoot with me. It's really nice.”

We stroll side by side. The sweet, faced woman has her arm around mine. Her nervousness is
adorable, so I tap the back of her hand to calm her down.

“You can walk straight ahead. There's nothing in front of us. If there is, I’ll tell you.”

“I'm still nervous. Let's go inside.”

“What's this? You invited me for a walk, but you're running away? No... It's nice out here, so why not
take in some sights?”

“How can I do that when I can't see?”

I tightened my lips in panic because I let that slip. I'm not sure if I hurt her feelings or not. So, to
comfort her, I reply like we're in a TV series....

“It's okay. I'll be your eyes.”

And I quickly shut my eyes because I wanted to puke on myself for saying that. I hate these kinds of
forced lines when I watch a TV series. I'd rather watch the Prime Minister lash out at people. And
yes. Today I said that out of my own mouth.

“That sounds so soap opera.”

“That's how I feel too.”

“But I like it.”

“You like what I just said? The line from a soap opera?”

“I like you.”

Thump …

Thump...

I glanced at the person who said that. She's staring out blankly because she can't see. My heart is
trembling a bit. But I'm also a bit disappointed because the person she likes is probably Aum. Not
me...

“Why are you so quiet?”

“I don't know what to say.”

“I just said I like you. You have to say you like me back.”

“What? I have to say it back?”

“Yes. Hurry.”

“I like you.”

This time, we both really went silent. I notice that the person next to me is stunned. So, I gently
tapped her with my elbow to disperse the tightness in the air.

“What? You told me to say it.”

“Yeah... Why am I stunned?”

And we both laugh at each other. When I see that the sweet-faced woman is feeling better, I start a
conversation as we stroll in the front yard.

“What did you fight with your father about? It was so loud.”

“The same old thing.”

What is that? How would I know?

“Ah.”

“I haven't told you about it yet.”

Oh. I didn't have to pretend.

“Gotcha.”

“It's the same old thing.”

“I understand.”

“Not yet.”

If she goes on like this, I will bite her head off. I mean it. I don't care anymore!

“You're speechless? You're funny... LOL.”

Metavee laughs out loud, like she's really enjoying this. I twist my face. It's lucky that the one
laughing with her mouth wide open right now can't see how I look.

“Okay. I won't laugh anymore.”

“Will you tell me now?”

“My father was visiting me, but as usual... we fought after two sentences. My father hates everything
about me.”

“Why would your father hate you? You're so capable... Your house is huge. You're a lawyer. You have
a life that everyone envies.”

“My father has never been satisfied with me since I was born. He always seems to ignore my efforts.
He always finds something to criticise, no matter how well I do... I'm worthless. I'm meaningless.”

I listen to Metavee, understanding well how a daughter who never does anything good enough in the
eyes of her parent's… So, I'm not the only bad egg in this world. This sweet-faced woman is one
too...

When I hear that, I feel I have a stronger bond with Metavee. If she's looking for someone who
understands this well, she can look my way. We're not any different.

“It's all because I wasn't born a man. My father has always wanted a son. But he couldn't have one.”

I nodded understandingly. And I tell her the reason for that.

“His package is small?”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

I hurriedly hit my own mouth for carelessly saying that, but it appears that it's too late.

“I'm sorry.”

Yet Metavee smiles merrily at me as she shakes my arm excitedly.

“What does it have to do with his package?”

“I read it somewhere... that if a man has a small package, he tends to have daughters. And if it's big,
he tends to have sons.”
“Being born a woman is not our fault. Our mother has chromosome X. Our father needs to send
chromosome Y into our mother’s ovaries. They were the ones who sent chromosome X, what can
we do? Geez.”
I complain like a kid who understands science well, though I only got C in that class. Why do I
remember these things? Damned.

“Good.”

“What's good?”

“The next time I fight with my father, I will say this. He will be stunned and never fight with me again.
It will be the first time I use my lawyering skills to conduct a case against my father concerning his
package.”

I nod and try not to smile. I feel good that it seems like I can make the petite woman next to me
smile.

“Aum.”

“Huh? Oh?”

Metavee reaches her hands out to cradle my face. She seems to be gauging the distance. So, I can
tell what she's about to do immediately.

“Here? We’re in front of the house. What if someone sees us and... I haven't read you my novel yet,
why are you kissing me?”

“It's a thank-you kiss. And today, I want to thank you for two things.”

“What are they?”

“First... you gave your sneakers to me. It was very touching.”

“What? It was nothing.”

“Secondly... my father's package.”

“Ah... Oops.”
Metavee immediately gets on her tiptoes and kisses me, so I can't argue anymore. Though the
reason for this kiss is… Is about the package of the person who created her… We back away from
each other. I notice that the petite one is blushing. And I think that I'm no different. Honestly, I think
Metavee is embarrassed to do things like this too. She's just trying to act tough.

“You're so cute when you're embarrassed, May.”

“Who's embarrassed? I'm not.”

The petite woman puts her hands on her cheeks, like she wants to hide her embarrassment, but it's
too late. So, I smile at her adoringly.
“You know I like to kiss you; you're using it as a reward to get me to do things like write a novel and
also as a thank-you for what I said about the fight with your father? You're using it to manipulate
me?”

“Using the word manipulate is a bit strong.”

“It works though. It's good motivation.”

“Huh?”

“When I know that I do something good, you will reward me with a kiss, I want to do it.”

This time. I'm the one who cradles Metavee's face in my hands. She stands still with her eyes on my
chest because she can't see anything. That's charming and cute, and pitiful at the same time. My
Insatiable curiosity about Metavee is shocking even to me. What made her blind? What made her
become the person she is today? No... What is she like? Why was Aobe Aum with her? She's so
mysterious... You can fall in love with a person of the same sex... That's not strange at all. But to fall
in love because you're curious is…
“You said that if I write my novel well. I'll get a kiss for each chapter... Remember that you're my
motivation, also...”

This time, I'm the one who bends down to bravely kiss the person in front of me.

“Aum...”

“I really, really like you... Metavee.”

It's so unreasonable.
 Chapter 7
Your Song

What did I do?...

I went as far as pulling the petite woman in and kissing her as I unconsciously confessed my love. I
start tearing out my hair in embarrassment just thinking about it. I can't stand myself. That's so
cliche... But it was the most honest I've ever been about how I feel. I've never loved or liked anyone
as intensely as I do now. Though I've had many lovers, I've never been like this. This woman appears
to be claiming her place in the centre of my heart as if she isn't going anywhere.

“Hey. I like this song.”

I tell Pang, who's about to change the song on her phone. The beautiful woman is in her air hostess
uniform, preparing for her flight. She gives me a little glare.

“If you like it, play it yourself. I'm leaving.”

“What's the name of the song?”

“Your song... It's a soundtrack.”

“Who's the singer?”

“It says Sadub-Pin. That's a beautiful name.”

“Who goes by the name Sanub-Prao?

“Sadub-Pin! You're ruining her beautiful name. Are you working on your novel?... You're taking it so
seriously.”

“Of course. I'm very determined. I've written five pages in an hour... I followed your advice, I'm the
female lead and am flirting with the other female lead.”

“Good... So, you'll be emotionally involved.”

“Listening to the song you just played also makes me feel more so. I’m in love.”

I exaggerate the display of my shyness, thinking that I'm flirting with a character in the novel, whom I
imagine is Metavee.

“My heart is pounding.”

“You look like you're really in love.”

“Are you in a hurry to get to work?”

“Very.”

“I just confessed my love to May yesterday.”

“What...”
The shock on my friend's face makes me grin.

“Hurry back so I can tell you all about it. When are you coming back?”

“The day after tomorrow.”

“Okay. Hurry back so we can talk. Come listen to what I've done.”

I can feel that my face is all red, but my friend just looks at me quietly. She doesn't tease or criticise.
She just speaks to me flatly.

“Lock the door before you leave.”

“I know.”

The aspiring writer sends her manuscript to the gorgeous editor, who is patiently waiting in her air-
conditioned study room. When I arrive, Metavee greets me with a big grin and excitedly waits for the
next chapter of my novel.

“Let's see how the story progresses from the previous chapter. If it's not fun, you won't get a kiss.”

I immediately scrunched my face upon hearing that. Does that petite woman think that I yearn for
her kisses, love, and affection? But then again... those lips are so alluring. And I spent all day writing
this novel, not doing anything productive, all because of her kiss, crazy.

“This is a new one, not the next chapter. Listen.”

My voice fills with emotion as I begin reading my novel loudly as if I were doing a radio reading. I
listened to a few audiobooks on YouTube the other night. I learned many interesting techniques, so I
applied them to today's reading.

Marisa made a deal with Satan that she would give anything to be successful in life, including having
everything a human being doesn't even dream of having. Satan immediately agrees to the deal and
gives Marisa ten years to live. After that, Satan will return to ask for something important that she
cannot give… Marisa became the most beautiful and wealthy woman in the world as a result of the
deal. No one can compete with her. She got everything she wished for. After receiving the perfect
wish, she begins to live her life in boredom. She doesn't want anything else because she already has
everything and the perfect life. Sometimes, Marisa just wants to kill herself because life is no longer
interesting.

One day, eight years after the deal, Marisa was asked by her best friend, Parn-Net, to break up with
an ex she'd never met and had only talked to on the phone. Her friend is asking Marisa to break up
with her ex via phone because they sound alike. Because her life is empty and she has nothing to
do, she casually agrees and forgets about it.

Yet... that same evening, her friend got into a serious accident. Consequently, Marisa realises she
needs to fulfil her friend's request.
Marisa used her friend's phone to send a message breaking up with the ex. The other person on the
line, however, was having none of it and insisted that they have a face-to-face confrontation if she
truly wanted to end things. Marisa goes to meet that person as requested. There, she met Nub-Dao,
a beautiful woman whom she never imagined to be her friend's ex because they’re both women. The
meeting allowed the two to get to know each other. It's the first time that Marisa's heart pounds as if
she's running on a wide soccer field. She feels so good she can almost say that it's love. You can
say that she's fallen for her looks. But there were many handsome guys that flirted with her, yet she
felt nothing. Maybe it was because they were men and not a woman like Nub-Dao, who was sitting
in front of her...

For Marisa, Nub-Dao is unique. She makes her heart pound and makes her want to get to know her
more. So, again, she forgets all about her friend's request. In the end... Marisa pretends to be her
friend.

“She probably just feels sorry for her.”

Metavee says this softly when I finish reading. I pause a bit, then shake my head.

“I'm not sure. I just know that she can't bear to hurt Nub-Dao. Moreover, the plot clearly says that
it's love at first sight. So how can it be a pity?”

“She pities her because she's being dumped. Maybe Marisa is just confused. She can't tell what it's
like to fall in love or, to put it another way... Has she ever loved someone in her life?”

Metavee's serious tone of voice made me nervous I immediately go sit next to the petite woman and
am about to give her an explanation. But the beautiful lawyer immediately gets up as I sit down.

“She's never loved anyone. That's why, when she met Nub-Dao, she knew that it was different.”

I hurriedly explained, almost biting my tongue. It's like I'm explaining to her that my feelings for
Metavee is not pity but love.

Though it's a bit too fast.

“What does Nub-Dao have that makes such an impression on Marisa that she falls in love with
her?”

“Because there's only one Nub-Dao in this world. That's what's impressive.”

Like you... there's only one of you in this world.

“You seem stressed... May?”

“So, you feel sorry for me too?”

Metavee stands quietly by the window with her arms crossed across her chest. I shout out my
refusal, not wanting her to misunderstand me.

“No. I don't pity you.”

“Isn't Nub-Dao me?”

“What makes you think that?”

“I don't know. I can sense that Nub-Dao is me. If not me, who? The first novel from an author is
always written with real-life experiences.”

I look at the person who can see through me so easily, stunned. Her blindness doesn’t affect her
ability to find plot gaps at all.

“That's true... But I borrowed your character because it's interesting and mysterious. I'm not saying
that you're pitiful or anything. Why would I pity you? You're rich and beautiful. You don't have to
work but can spend freely. The person I should pity is myself. I'm now unemployed and trying to
keep myself motivated by writing a novel for my girlfriend. I hunch my shoulders, and that makes
Metavee turn to me. Though we're not looking each other in the eye, I can sense a gentle smile.

“You make yourself sound so pitiful.”

“See? I'm more pitiful than you.”

“But Marisa is very beautiful and rich in the novel. Isn't Marisa you?”

“It's what the author wants to be, but isn’t. So, I made it up. Please refrain from becoming overly
involved.”

When I interrupt her, Metavee changes from being serious to laughing.

“I'm sorry. I'm probably too involved. You read your novel better today.”

The sweet-faced woman compliments me. That makes me a bit embarrassed.

“Do you have siblings?”

“Huh?”

My heart dropped to my feet when she asked that.

“W... Why do you ask?”

“I'm just curious. Maybe you have siblings with a similar look or voice. Maybe you're here for
something.”

“…”

“How involved am I?”

The small woman lets out a smile so wide that her face is all crinkled. She also gives me a thumbs
up.

“Your novel makes me think a lot. You can call it a success. It's much better than the last time.
You’ve started out well.”

I smiled dryly. What Metavee suspects today makes me so nervous that I can't breathe. I
approached her to break up with her in place of my twin. But nowadays, I'm writing her novels and
pretending to be Aobe Aum. What would she think if she found out later?
“It's because I have good support... And maybe it's because of a song I
listened to as I was writing this. I poured all of my emotions into the novel.”

“A song... Which song helped you write this novel?”

“Your song.”

I plugged headphones into my phone and share one with Metavee. We are sitting by the window and
listening to the music together.

The piano, guitar, bass, and drum blend perfectly. The singer's sweet and soaring voice is the most
remarkable combination. Metavee drums her fingers on her thigh in the same rhythm as the song.
She then smiles at me at the end of the song.

“It's beautiful. A love song without the word love.”

“Right?”

“You have good taste in music and storytelling. As I listened to the song, I replayed scenes from your
novel in my head.”

“Is there anything you think I need to change?”

I eagerly ask the lawyer, who's very candid with her critique and good at finding flaws.

“It would be more fun if Marisa's friend's accident had not been an accident.”

“Huh?”

“Yeah. Imagine if... Marisa's friend's accident wasn't because of negligence but because something
caused it to happen. How much more interesting would that be?”

“Like trying to avoid hitting a rabbit that cut in front of the bicycle. Or like cycling away from a dog
chasing her?”

“Too naive... again.”

Metavee shakes her head and asks me to think harder.

“I can't think of anything else.”

“As someone who likes thrillers, I suggest...”

“Ah-huh...”

“The person who caused the bicycle to go off the hill is the ex that was about to be dumped... Do
you think that would be more exciting?”

I look at the person who made the suggestion and snaps my fingers with delight. That adds spice to
the story.

“Wow... That is so much better. The plot is very interesting. Then let's do that. I'll work on the plot
outline. Thank you.”
Metavee presses my thigh to stop me, who's very excited, from packing up and leaving.

“Did you forget something?”

“What?”

“Your reward.”

As soon as she finishes saying that she pulls my collar in to give me a soft kiss. She presses her lips
on mine for bout one second longer than usual today. I always blush when I'm kissed. I must admit
that... I like it a lot. The longer, the better. Does this mean that if the next chapter is fun, the kiss will
be longer?...

“I almost forgot.”

“Hurry up and write the next chapter. I’ll be waiting.”

“Ah-huh.”

I stayed a little longer to chat with Metavee before rushing home to get started on the next chapter. I
want it to be fun so that my reward will be two seconds longer. Yet as I'm giving the taxi driver
directions, I change my mind and tell the driver to go to a new destination because Kosol called to
tell me some news about Ben.

“Go to this temple.”

When I arrived, about ten of my friends from when I was a naive teenager were there. All are adults
now. Some come with their kids. Some come in their work uniforms.

“Ko.”

I call my ex, who's serving water to the guests. Kosol hands the tray to another friend and walks over
to talk to me.

“We meet again so soon.”

“Yeah. I didn't think that I'd meet you at a funeral... Ben is in a good place now, I guess.”

“Yes. After a long struggle.”

Grievingly, I stare at Ben's picture in front of the casket. My friend amazingly survived a car accident
that was caused out of sheer annoyance. But his life has never been the same since.

“What does Ben's family have to say?”

“What can they say? His parents seem happier than when he was alive, they no longer have a
burden.”

“Maybe it's because they've been preparing for this. He couldn't walk. He couldn't work. Dying may
be better.”
Two years ago, when I still didn't have any sense in me, I liked to go out and ride motorcycles with
my friends around my house. We were a big group that had a lot of fun all the time. It was as if there
was no sorrow in the world. But our happiness was troublesome for others. Yet no matter how
much they condemned us, we continued doing what we wanted. We thought that because we were
a big group, we could go and curse them back at their houses if they continued to bug us.

We were too immature to know better, though we were no longer children. And an unexpected
event happened one day when we closed down the street for a race, not caring how it affected
others. A black car without a plate sped towards us intentionally without braking. It intended to kill
one of us. And that unlucky person was Ben.
He flew off his motorcycle and hit a lamppost right in front of me. The driver of the black car parked
to admire his work and stuck out his middle finger at us challengingly.

I remember that we were very angry. One group ran over to check on Ben while another, including
Kosol and me, chased after the black car. We were angry, and we wanted revenge. We found the
driver easily. He didn't think twice about killing someone, but he wouldn't dare run a red light.

“I'm sorry. I happen to respect the traffic laws. I have to park on a red light.”

Those were his words. He challenged us like he didn't care. Kosol had a pipe in his hand and was
ready to hit him with it. But he had to stop when a gun was pointed right in front of his face.

“If you hit my car, I’ll hit you with a bullet. Your choice.”

“Who are you? Why are you picking a fight with us?”

“Batman.”

“What? What f***ing Batman?”

“I'm the night-time hero. I get rid of criminals who destroy the resident's peace. And most
importantly...”

The owner of the black car threw a card in Kosol's face.

“I'm very rich. This is Batman.”

And soon after that, we saw how much power his wealth gave him. We weren't in the right because
there were no reasons for us to go out that late at night. There were no excuses for what we did. We
were wrong. And the one with wealth had very good lawyers on his side... The wrong was made
right, and heavy punishment was made light. Worst of all, no one felt sorry for us and our crippled
friend.

Ben got very little compensation compared to how he had to live for the rest of his life. I remember
we were very angry and wanted to do something. But because we knew we’d lose to the one with
more wealth, if we wanted revenge, we had to get back at the person who allowed Batman to get
away with what he did. Someone must be responsible for what happened, and yes... aside from the
actual criminal, the lawyer was our next target. I said something without thinking.

“That lawyer should pay for what she did.”

Not long after that... my friends did as I said. I wasn't with them because my father confined me too
my room and ordered me to stop hanging out with my friends. The next thing I knew, Kosol told me
what they did.

“We took care of the lawyer. Even if she survives, she won't be able to continue living her old way of
life.”

I felt guilty and decided to leave the group. I cut off all communications and broke up with Kosol. I
thought about whether what I did was helpful to anyone and decided to focus more on my studies. I
changed my life though it's nothing comparable to Aobe Aum's.

“You get what you deserve, that's the rule of gravity. Or you could say it's the laws of karma. This is
why we're like this today, and why that lawyer had to pay for what she did.”

I say this as I look at my friend's coffin, which is decorated with flowers and lights.

“If you could turn back time... would you hang out with us?”

“What's the point of asking that now?”

“I just wonder.”

I glance at Kosol and smile slightly.

“Then I won't tell you.”

I walk over to pay respect to my friend's body without caring about taking to any of my old friends.
 Chapter 8
Pluto

The mood in the study room is different today. When I get to the door, I hear the sound of a TV from
the inside. I look at the housekeeper, who's holding a beverage tray, looking surprised as I ask.

“May is watching TV?”

“She does when she feels like it. She said that the sound makes her less lonely.”

“Are these for May?”

“Yes.”

I take the tray from the housekeeper and volunteer to do it for her.

“I'll bring her this. Thank you.”

I then opened the door and entered the room filled with books. Everything's The same. That is, the
air conditioning is very cool, and there's a jasmine scent in the air. Metavee is sitting by the window
without fear of getting tanned. And there's sounds from a documentary on TV.

“May.”

“Aum?”

Metavee lets out a wide, lively smile when she hears my voice. And that smile, as always, makes my
heart race.

“Why do you have the TV on today? The housekeeper said that you're lonely?”

“You're late, so I'm lonely.”

“There you go.”

I place the tray down and hand the sweet-faced woman a glass of water. She still lets the sun bathe
her skin, not afraid that it will harm her.

“Why don't you put on a soap opera? How is a travel documentary fun?”
“When I want to go somewhere, I put these channels on. Though I can't see. I can imagine. The
narrator helps a lot.”

“Do You want to travel?”

“Sometimes. Staying inside the house all day is suffocating.”

I look around and agree with Metavee. Though this room is spacious, it's just a square room. Though
she can't see, it can feel suffocating.

“Today's travel documentary takes me to the mountains. When they describe the big trees and grass
fields, I can picture it.”
“It's not the same as being there.”

“Even if I were there. I couldn't see it. But I can listen like this. It's like reading a book.”

I shake my head in disagreement as I look at the lonely person comforting herself.

“Let's go out.”

“Huh?”

“I'll take you out. Can I borrow your car?”

Metavee hugs herself tightly in fear.

“No. I won't go outside.”

“Let's go. Being in here all the time is suffocating.”

“I don't want to go outside. It's not familiar, like home. What about how others will look at me?”

“Why are you afraid... You have me.”

“Have you, and then what?”

“I already told you that I would be your eyes... It may sound like a line from a soap opera, but there's
no other way to say it.”

I reach out to pull her arms that are tightly hugging herself with adoration. Metavee is not complying,
but because I'm stronger than her, she had to eventually release the hug.

“You can think of it as going out to help me gather writing materials. An author can’t totally make
things up.”

“Go if you want to go. I'll lend you my car. But I'm not going with you.”

“How can I go without you?”

“Why not?”

“You're my inspiration.”
I shut my mouth immediately after saying that. I want to bury my head in the sand to escape those
overused expressions and my own shame. But I see a smile on Metavee's sweet face, like her front
has been torn apart. And that makes me smile too.

“Why are you smiling?”

“You must be so embarrassed saying that. I can sense it.”

The petite woman smiles broadly. She's embarrassed too.

“Seeing that you're so determined and I'm so important to the novel.”

“I'll go with you.”

Eventually, Metavee dares to go out of her safe zone. It's a bit difficult at first, especially when she's
about to take her first step out of the house. She just stands there, hugging herself tightly, not daring
to move. There are sunglasses on her sweet face because she's afraid that people will know that
she's blind. All the confidence she has when she's inside the house is gone.

“May... We agreed to go out.”

“I'm outside... outside the house.”

I look at the petite woman who tries to make an excuse so lame that she's probably embarrassed
herself and laughs without making a sound. She's so cute and annoying at the same time.
“How about this... We won't walk today. We'll just stay inside the car. So, you don't have to worry
that you’ll stumble and fall into a manhole or step on dog poop. Okay?”

“Meaning we will only stay in the car?”

“Yes.”

“No one will see me?”

I smile when I see her asking questions like a little kid who wants reassurance.

“No one will see you except for me.”

I reach out my hand to grab hers which is still hugging herself tightly. I give her directions on how to
walk forward.

“Slowly step forward. There are two steps on the stairs... Okay. Just like that. See? It's easy.”

Metavee does as I say perfectly. Our first step out of the house has started.

“You are good at giving directions.”

“Though it's such a cliche, I'll say it again... I will be your eyes, okay?”

The petite one smiles broadly when she hears that.

“It's really such a cliche, but it's okay.”

Now for the next problem... How should we travel? I didn't think much about it when I invited her out
because I just wanted to get her out of the house.

“I just bought a car. Can you drive?”

“Ah. I can.”

“Great. Let's give it a test drive. I haven't used it since I bought it.”

The car she just bought is revealed when the hired help takes the cover off of it. I've been here many
times but never noticed it until the owner of the house told me about it.

“Brand new?”

“Ah-huh.”
“You can't see, why did you buy a new car?”

I glance at the sweet-faced woman who stands so expressionless. Or if you look closely, she's kind
of annoyingly showing off?

“Do you know what the car looks like? How did you choose it?”

“I don't”

“Then why did you buy it? It's so expensive.”

“I didn't buy it because it's expensive.”

“Or is it because it's built stronger than Japanese cars?”

Metavee gives one of those annoying shrugs. That nearly caused me to rip out her hair and slam her
head on the floor.

“Because I'm rich.”

Geez... Darling!

This is the first time that I've been behind the wheel of a European car. I've Only seen one in TV
series and thought it's excessive. Why would someone buy a car so expensive when one that costs
less can perform the same functions? But that's only an excuse for those who can't afford one to
judge those who can. Now that I'm sitting in one, it gives me a very different feeling. The feel, mood,
tone, and level of involvement are completely different.

“Where shall we go today?”

Metavee asks flatly, but I can sense the excitement from someone who doesn't go out much.

“Let's go to a nearby province. Ah.... with mountains.”

“Where?”

“Pak Chong.”

Though I say it's nearby, others who really don't want to drive far would go to Pattaya or Chonburi for
a short road trip, because Korat is over 200 kilometres away. Metavee and I don't have any problem
going that far because we're both unemployed. The distance doesn't matter. It's currently winter in
Thailand. It can be said that the cold weather is just stopping by to say hi, but it's still cold,
especially when we drive to the mountains. It's exciting for those who normally just stay in air-
conditioned rooms all day.

“Are you cold, May?”

“Yes, but I like it.”

Metavee pats her hand on the console like she's looking for something but can't find it.

“What are you looking for?”

“I want to open the roof.”

“You want to do that?”

“Yes. I want the wind to blow in my face, I want to smell the trees... I heard that sometimes the
clouds float so low I can feel the droplets on my face.”

“The droplets from the cloud?”

“You didn't concentrate in class, huh?”

I twist my mouth in frustration before I look for the button to open the roof. It's on the roof of the car.
Not long after that, the roof was opened. The wind blows our hair all over the place, yet we're not
irritated in the least. It's a new experience when driving. It feels good when the wind blows against
our faces and the sunlight licks our skin.

“Let's play some music. Yippee.”

Metavee is starting to have fun, so she stands up and holds on to the front window for support. I'm
afraid that she will fall, so I hold on to her shirt and shake my head.

“You're having too much fun.”

“I want to dance. Play some music.”

“Dance?”

“Do I look normal? Can people tell I'm blind?”

“No. You look very normal.”

“That's great. I'm finally a normal person.”

Metavee lifts her arms into the air happily, takes off her sunglasses, and
closes her eyes to enjoy the breeze. When I see how happy the petite one is, I smile too. And to uplift
her mood even more, I play music so she feels like she's in a music video.

“This song again?”

“Your song.”

“It's like you're telling me that it's my song.

“You can say that. I dedicate it to you... your song.”

I won't tell you how I feel in words.

I've sent it to you in a song.
When it gets to the important part,
please know that this song,
.... is your song.
Many will be singing the key verse in an upbeat chorus in perfect unison.
If the word 'love' comes out of anyone's mouth,
Please remember that I'm confessing
my love to you.
When it gets to the key verse, please know that this song.
... is your song.
Just like me, who am... yours.

We left home quite late in the afternoon, so it was late evening by the time we reached Pak Chong.
We looked for a place to eat, but Metavee won't leave the car, so in the end I got takeout for us to
lean back and eat in the car with the roof open. We look at the sky, which is becoming dark. The
moon is shining brightly, and the stars are clearly visible, unlike in Bangkok.

“How's the ambience around us?”

Metavee asks as she eats.

“The sky is becoming dark. There's a moon, a full moon.”

“Are there stars here?”

“Yes. The sky is filled with stars.”

I point my finger to try to count them.

“One, two, three, four, five... Gosh, so many. I can't count them all.”

“It's too bad I can't see them.”

“You can imagine.”

“You're not as good at describing them as the narrator in the documentary... rookie.”
Metavee pretends to knock me down, which irritates me on the inside. I can't help but twist my
mouth and stick my tongue out at the blind person… Geez…

“Ah... if I were to describe them? They’re sparkling like diamonds under a spotlight.”

“I kind of understand that.”

“They are scattered without a pattern and are competing to be the most outstanding star. Yet they all
lose to the moon.”

“Is there still a rabbit on the moon?”

“Yes. Nothing has changed. Everything is the same. The moon still has a soft yellow glow and is still
the most outstanding thing in the night sky.”

“Ah.”
I continue to look at the sky, letting my mind wander, until I notice that the person next to me has
gone quiet.

“Are you okay?”

“Do you think that Pluto is there, among those stars?”

“Huh? I guess.”

I scratch my cheek.

“Actually, I have no idea. Why?”

“There are many planets in the solar system. Every one of them can be near Earth, except... Pluto. It
was taken off the list of planets in our solar system.”

“Ah-huh.”

I'm not that surprised, I don’t know much about it, but Metavee seems to think differently.
“I read about Pluto on a website post. Well... the writer had very advanced thinking, so it got me
interested in Pluto…”

Metavee continues to tell me about it. The writer compares himself to Pluto. The writer has a
childhood friend who orbited close by but didn't pay any attention to that friend until one day, when
that friend slowly distanced herself and disappeared. The writer then thinks of that friend when
putting away old stuff.

In life, there's always someone who comes into our lives just for us to forget as time goes by. When
we think back, we miss that person, but by the time we do... that person is no longer in our lives.
It's like Pluto being taken off the list of planets in our solar system. People knew that it was there but
didn't pay any attention to it until it was no longer there. And people still didn't care until one day,
someone said... It used to be a planet in our solar system.
“It's sad that there was a time when someone was in our lives and there were some connections,
then the world suddenly threw us apart and we don't remember each other anymore... Or maybe we
still do, but we're not as close as we were before. We've become Pluto in each other's lives.”

We went quiet after that. What Metavee said makes me determined to count the stars again. And I
will also look for this website post as soon as I get home.

“Have you ever been a Pluto in someone's life?”

I blink blankly when suddenly the topic is on me. I shake my head slightly.

“I don't think so. I won't let anyone forget me that easily.”

“Yeah. That means there are only Plutos in your life, and you're their galaxy.”

“No... I don't think so.”

I scratch my head and laugh.

“I remember everyone in my life.”

“No, there must be someone... that you forgot.”

“There isn't.”

I continued to deny it. Then I asked Metavee back.

“What about you? Do you have a Pluto in your life?”

“Maybe, but I don't know who.”

“And have you ever been Pluto in someone's life?”

The question causes Metavee to go quiet before she nods to admit it.

“Yes.”

“Oh?”

Who... Metavee is forgotten by someone?

“And do you remember that person?”

“I could never forget.”

“Who is that? Can you tell me?”

The petite woman goes quiet for a bit, like she's making her decision. Then she tells me about that
person, and it makes me regret wanting to know in the first place.

“My first love.”

 Chapter 9
Want

Things didn't go exactly as planned... We gaze at the stars, forgetting the time until it's past 9:30pm.
I was going to drive back to Bangkok, but it's too late. Since we left in the afternoon, driving back
tonight would make me too much of a raging bull.

“You don't have to get up early to go to work, right, Aum? Let's spend the night.”

The person who didn't even want to leave her house at first casually suggests that we spend the
night away from home. I agree with her because I'm in no hurry to go back. My parents don't care
that much about me. So, I agree to stay at the petite one's request.

The resort where we staying is very cute. We picked this place because Metavee said that she likes
the smell of frangipani. It was late by the time we got to the resort. When we had to choose a room,
Metavee picked one like those rich people in a TV series.

“I want the most expensive room.”

So we get to stay in the farthest room, with our own lake. We intend to go for a stroll in the morning
to enjoy the view. By the way, how is there a lake in these mountains? It seems impossible
geographically. The best room is full of windows. It gives the impression of a clean, open space.
Metavee crosses her arms across her chest and stands still while I'm very excited. I keep saying ‘Oh,
ah,’ like a young child whose mother has locked her in a room and never been outside the house
before. It's like it's the first time I get to explore the world, so I'm excited to the point of embarrassing
myself.

“Is the room spacious?”

“Very spacious. It has a wide open space like in those furniture commercials.”

“Modern style?”

“Is that what it's called? I guess it's modern. It looks really nice... Most are built-in furniture. The bed
base is made of wood in Japanese style. And the roof is a clear window, so we can see the stars.”

I continue to describe, like I'm writing a novel. Metavee just smiles slightly without saying anything.
The fact that she doesn't say anything makes me look at her curiously.

“Why are you smiling?”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing means there's something. Tell me why you're smiling.”

“Is this your plan?”

“Huh?”

“You intend to go back late, so I will spend the night with you.”
The petite woman tries to keep her face straight, but l can see that she's smiling merrily. It's the
opposite for me, who didn't plan this. I'm stunned as I hurriedly wave my hand and deny the
accusation so fast that I almost bite my tongue.

“No. I didn't even think of that.”

“Ah-huh. I'll believe you.”

“I mean it.”

I firmly insist, but Metavee still looks like she doesn't believe me.

“It's okay. We rarely get to travel together. If you want to go on a date outside of the house, it's
normal... It's just too bad that I won't get to see you naked.”

“What?”

I blink blankly, stunned and I immediately hug myself, like I'm Protecting myself.

“What's with seeing me naked?”

“Don't act so naive.”

Metavee drops her hands and reaches out for me..

“Please guide me. I'm not familiar with the area... I'm afraid.”

Her insecure voice makes me forget about my shock and rush over to the being petite one because I
feel guilty for being so excited about the room that I left her standing for so long. And as soon as I
reach Metavee, she stumbles on the threshold and falls into my arms.

Thud!

Now, it seems like we're in a daze. I hug Metavee, who has her face buried in my chest because
she's shorter than me. I'm at a loss as for what to do. And not long after, the lawyer hugs me back,
so we're now closer to each other.

“It's so warm.”

“M... May.”

“I miss you so much.”

The petite one says this so dreamily that I can't help but hug her back. The alluring jasmine scent is
still on Metavee. It also makes me feel dreamy. But I was startled out of it.

“Your heart is racing.”

“Huh? Ah... I was startled.”

I immediately moved back from Metavee and made excuses.

“I was afraid that you would get hurt. It's a reaction when someone’s excited.”

“So were you startled or excited?”

Metavee is staring blankly, like someone who can't see. But it makes me stutter somehow.

“I said I was startled.”

“You said you were excited.”

“Let's take a bath. It's already late.”

When I change the topic, the sweet-faced woman slowly rebalances herself and nods. She then
grabs my wrist and speaks without feeling awkward at all.

“Good. Let's take a bath. We haven't bathed together for a long time now.”

“Huh? I don't mean together.”

I can feel myself blushing so hard, and both my mouth and hands are shaking.

“But you invited me for a bath.”

“I meant for us both to do it.”

“Yes. Do it as we bathe.”

“Do what!?”

I raised my voice uncontrollably.

“I... I was inviting you to do the same activity, not to do it together.”

“You seem excited today... I don't care, let's bathe together to save time.”

“No!”

I firmly refuse and shake my wrist out of her grip nervously.

“We can't bathe together.”

“A... Ah.”

“I can't bathe myself.”

“H... Huh?”

“I'm not familiar with this bathroom. It's not like at home, where I know where everything is. So if you
don't help me bathe, I can't do it.”

“A... Ah...”

Though I understand that, the fact that I have no idea how to address this issue has left me
dumbfounded.

“I can help you bathe. You don't have to sound so sad.”

Metavee smiles happily when she hears that.

“Thank you, Aum.”

The petite woman dashes in to hug me tightly.

“I love you the most.”

Her confession makes me go soft. But I'm still not comfortable with her
having to be naked... Is there another way to do this?

“Actually, the weather is kind of cold tonight... Taking a bath may give us a cold.”

I try to work around it.

“How about just a rubdown? I can help you with it.”

Metavee goes quiet for a bit before she nods.

“That's true. It's very cold here. We may get sick... Then please help rub me down, Aum.”

I sigh with relief and reply merrily.

“Of course.”

The weather is really cold today, so the excuse to change from a bath to a rubdown is reasonable.
The resort prepared two towels for us. I take one, soak it in water, and twist it to dry before heading
over to where Metavee is waiting on the bed.

“Come on. I'll rub you down.….. Hey! What are you doing?”
The petite one is about to unbutton her shirt, making me scream. Metavee looks surprised as she
squints.

“You're rubbing me down, no? If I don't take off my shirt, how can you do it?”

“That's true...”

I bite my lips a bit, as I can't deny that.

“But it's cold, you don't have to take it off. I'll... I can do it with your shirt on.”

“How?”

“Just wait and see.”

“How can I do that when I'm blind?”

Arguing with a lawyer is such a headache. I can't say anything wrong or try to avoid saying
something. Either it makes me look bad or I always get caught. Okay. I'll do as I intend and get it over
with so we can get some sleep. Metavee reaches out her arms to accommodate me.

“The weather is very cold today. It's good that we're just rubbing you down. Look... you already have
goosebumps all over your arms.”

I tease Metavee that her arms that have goosebumps due to the cold weather.
“But it doesn't feel as good as a bath, I will at least get to clean myself with soap if I bathe... I like to
feel clean all the time.”

“Then I will rub every corner of you. I guarantee you’ll be very clean.”

“Really?”

Metavee smiles a little.

“Will you do as you say?”

“Of course.”

I continue to rub down the petite one's arms casually. I soak the towel and twist it to dry again to rub
down her neck done outside in areas that can easily be done outside her shirt.

“Okay. Done.”

“You said you would rub down every corner of me.”

“Huh?”

“You haven't rubbed down inside my shirt.”

Metavee unbuttons her shirt again but doesn't take it off. She points towards the front.

“Inside too. I feel sticky from sweat.”

“Ah...”

“Are you going back on your word?”

I started to sweat. Since I already said that, I can't not do it. But to avoid looking at her directly, I
chose to sit behind her and reach my hand around to rub the front of her making things more
difficult.

“Ah...”

A sound similar to a moan that comes out of her mouth makes me pause. Metavee can sense that
I'm acting strangely, so she grabs and squeezes my hand tightly.

“What's the matter?”

“It's not convenient.”

“Why are you sitting behind me?”

“It's more convenient.”

“So is it convenient or not? Choose one.”

This time the petite one turns towards me. Her white bra is right in front of my eyes, so I can't avoid
looking at it.

“You're not as petite as I thought.”

“Huh?”

“Nothing.”
I hurriedly end the conversation and finish rubbing down Metavee from her shoulders to armpits and
belly, and then there's one area I can't go on...

“Hang on.”

It's like the petite woman knows what I'm thinking, so she reaches back and unhooks her bra
revealing what's hidden without any embarrassment, Because I'm so stunned, I look away and don't
dare to move. Metavee has to call me.

“Aum... continue to rub me down.”

“A... Ah.”

I turn to look the other way but try to rub her down until she grabs my wrist.

“I asked you to rub down my body. Why are you rubbing my face?”

“Oops!”

Metavee seems really annoyed at this point. So, she grabs my hand and puts it on her breast, then
squeezes my hand tightly.

“Rub here.”

“M... May.”

“Rub me squeaky clean like you said you would do.”

Even though the petite woman can't see, her body language conveys
authority. She probably has a hot temper and doesn’t like to leave things unfinished, so when she
felt that I hesitated to finish the job, she got really annoyed. She grabs my hand and puts it on each
spot she wants cleaned to get it over with.

“I know. I know. Don't get all worked up.”

“You're so annoying. You won't rub me down properly. What is it with you?”

When she said that I was annoying, I bared my teeth at her like she was just a wax sculpture without
flesh or blood. It's okay, I have what she has too. I touch my breasts every day. Nothing new here…

But it's orange... that part.

I look at her nipples in a daze. I know she has fair skin, but I didn't think it'd be this fair inside. Orange
is not a common color among Thais... I'm confident in my body, but mine isn’t even this bright. So,
now I’mdescribing her nipples?

I continue to rub her breasts as I look at them. The soft and bouncy texture makes me want to
suck... What? What do I want to do?

“If you continue like this, I'm becoming aroused.”

“H... Huh?”

Metavee is breathing heavily, like someone who's trying to control herself. When I hear that, I
immediately pull my hand off like I just touched a hot iron.

“I'm sorry. I'll rub some other parts.”

“Good. Change the spot.”

The lawyer says that before she gets up. She unhooks her pants and pulls them down. Right now,
there's only white underwear, the same colour as her bra. Metavee looks exactly like those models
in magazines for men who only wear a white shirt that barely covers their breasts.

“Please rub my legs.”

I sit on my knees and soak the towel before I rub her slender legs. Her legs are smooth without a
single mark. The smooth touch against my hand when I unintentionally touch her skin from time to
time causes sparks that make my heart tremble. I have to try very hard to contain myself. When I get
to her crotch, close to the area her underwear is covering, Metavee pulls my hair gently and tightens
her lips.

“Aum.”

“Huh?”

“I…”

“Want.”
 Chapter 10
Annoying

The word “want” from Metavee makes everything go quiet. There’s tension in the air. I don't know
what to do aside from looking up at the person who's standing over my head because I don't know
how to interpret that word... Want... what? Is it the same strange sensation I' m having?

“What do you want?”

“Guess.”
A seductive smile on that beautiful face is alluring me. A certain desire is rising inside of me like a
volcano waiting to explode. As I'm about to lose control and do something without thinking, Metavee
moves back.

“I want to sleep.

“What?”

I ask, confused.

”You meant you wanted to sleep?”

“What did you think I wanted?”

My jaw dropped. I clear my throat as I compose myself and hurriedly gather my thoughts.

“I thought you wanted to talk before you go to sleep. I'll take you to bed now, and have a bath after.”

The petite woman doesn't respond. She lets me take her to lay on one side of the bed willingly. I then
hurry to the bathroom to wash off my dirty body and mind. I take my time doing so because I don't
dare face her so soon. Damned... What was I about to do earlier? And it's not like I know how to do
it.

I stood still thinking about it in the shower for 20 minutes before realizing that we hadn't prepared
any clothes to change into. It's lucky that the resort provided us with bathrobes in the closet, so I use
one as pajamas. To keep warm, I tuck myself under the blanket… Okay... I close my eyes and start to
pray

Namo Tassa... Gasp!

Metavee sweeps her arm around my waist and hugs me tightly. A strange touch on my back makes
me stiff. Because the bathrobe is not that thick, I can clearly feel something touching my back...
Breasts… The petite woman snuggles her face into the nape of my neck and mutters to
me.

“You bathed for so long.”

“The water was warm and comfortable. But... Why do I feel like you're not wearing anything?”
“I'm naked.”

“What?”

“I've been wearing those clothes all day. There full of sweat and dirt.”

“There's another bathrobe in the closet. I'll grab it for you.”

“No need. Sleeping together like this is comfortable... And if I'm cold, you can just turn around and
hug me.

“Ah-huh.”

“I said all that, and you still have your back to me? I'm very cold.”

“I prefer to sleep like this.”

I shut my eyes tight because, tonight, I'm more scared of Metavee, who's sleeping behind me, than
the ghosts at the resort. Ghosts are afraid of prayers, unlike the person behind me.

“Namotassa Pakavato...”

“Are you praying?”

“Ah-huh. I don't feel safe when I’m not sleeping at home. My parents told me to pray.”

“Ah. It's very scary. I'm so scared.”

Metavee moves closer to me. Now she's breathing down my neck. It's like she's caressing my skin
with her breath until I have goosebumps.

“I'm more afraid because I can't see.”

“Yes, you can’t see so why are you afraid? The person who can see ghosts is the one who should be
afraid.”

I argue to try to start a conversation so I can think about something else. But I'm still praying silently
in my head.

Namotassa Pakavato Ara…

Oh, No... what's the prayer? I always woke up late when I was in school, so I never made it to the
school's morning prayer. That is why I don't know it now.

“Like I told you before, when you can't see, your other senses become sharper. I can smell and hear
better than others. Ah... I'm so scared. What should I do?”
The voice, asking for tenderness makes me shut my eyes tight. What's with the 'ah' she just let out?
Damned. Namotassa, Namotassa.

“Do you think... the ghost will swallow my head tonight, Aum?”

“The ghost must have a very wide mouth to do so.”

“What if it licks my head?”

“Your head will be wet. But it won't lick your head...”

“Will it stroke my head?”

“It can if it's not holding anything in its hands.”

“Do you have anything in your hands, Aum?”

“What would I be holding? I'm about to go to sleep.”

“That's good...”

“How so?”

“You can stroke.”

“What?”

“I'm so scared, Aum. Hug me... I'm scared.”

The voice of the person behind me is muffled as she moves closer and closer. I'm losing control. The
prayer I'm trying to say has turned into a song named 'Faen (Darling),' sung by the singer Bird… Geez.
I'm going crazy.

“Please sleep, May.”

“Hug me, please. I'm cold.”

“I can't sleep. Turn towards me at least. You don't have to hug...”

I eventually lose control and turn towards Metavee. I hug the petite woman tightly before pressing
her head against my breasts to prevent her from babbling non stop like an annoying crying monkey.

“I'm hugging you, stop talking. I want to sleep now.”

Metavee still shuffles around, not wanting to lose. One of her hands crawled up inside my bathrobe.
That startled me so much that I let the cunning lawyer loose. She then wraps her arms around my
neck and pulls me close until our faces are almost pressed against one another.
“Why are you playing so hard to get tonight? I've been seducing you and asking for tenderness. How
can you be praying like that?”
The seductive voice that is totally different from the words ‘I'm scared’ is making me lose my mind.
The breath that touches my skin makes my heart tremble. The lips of the petite one, which are only a
palm width away, are making me lose control.

“If you don't want to, I won't force you.”

The petite woman caresses my cheek with her lips seductively.

“...Sweetdreams.”

“Huh…”

“Zzz...
“You fall asleep just like that?”

“Zzz...”

“You fell asleep a bit too fast.”

“Zzz...”

Great. Terrific. She pretends to be asleep and leaves me hanging while she snores at me.

I bite my lips tightly, trying to calm down. The face that is so close to mine makes me close my eyes
in frustration. I try to unwrap her arms around my waist, but Metavee is stronger, so I have to sleep
like this all night… Damned... This is crazy!

On the way back, I drive quietly, as I'm still frustrated about last night. I didn't expect us to be
intimate, but Metavee shouldn't seduce me until I want something. And then left me hanging as she
slept… Damned!

“Why are you so quiet today?”

“Are you sulking?”

“No.”

“When someone says no, it means yes.”

And we both became quiet. I was expecting her to try and make up with me, but I was left
disappointed. When I turned to look at her, she had fallen asleep.

“You slept last night, and now we’re in the car and you sleep again?”

I complain to myself. But Metavee smiles and replies, really sleeping, with her eyes still shut.

“What do you want me to do if not asleep? You wouldn't talk to me.”

“You should try to make up with me.”

“Why are you angry at me?”

I look away from the road and turn to look at the person who's closing her eyes like she doesn't care,
and I'm feeling frustrated. To tell her how I felt would be strange because I couldn't explain it myself.

“Never mind. I'm probably moody because I didn't get enough sleep.”

“Get a lot of sleep when we’re back in Bangkok.”

“Gosh.”

We arrived in Bangkok three hours later. Metavee is more comfortable when she's at home and
knows where everything is. She can move around without me having to tell her directions or support
her. I, who have been moody all day, plan to leave immediately, but she stops me.

“Aren't you staying to chat with me first?”

“We've been together for two whole days. I'm bored.”

I say that because I'm still sulking.

“I'm also tired.”

“Ah... Up to you then.”

That's it? I drop my jaw and complain in silence. Only a breath of air left my mouth because I'm sure
that Metavee can't see. Yet the petite woman tilts her head, turns to me, and squints curiously.

“I feel like you're trying to say something without actually saying it.”

I'm stunned. I put my hand on my chest.

“You can tell that much?”

“You're actually doing that? What aren’t you saying?”

“Nothing.”

“Tell me. What do you want to say?”

“I'm complaining.”

I confess, frankly.

“You're annoying.”

“You're asking for it.”

I say this to her honestly, without any censorship. But instead of being angry, the petite woman
laughs out loud, like she's really enjoying herself.

“You're so cute even when you complain?”

“I just complained to you, please show some remorse.”

“How did I annoy you?”

“What you did last night... You made me stay up all night.”

I say that softly and sigh.

“It's like you were teasing me. You seduced me, then you left me hanging.”

“Yes. I did seduce you. A lot too.”

“But you were the one who wouldn't do anything. You kept praying, so my lust was dispersed by your
prayers.”

The petite woman raises her hands to her chest to show respect.

“I see the light. Amittaput.”

“You're blind. How can you see the light?”

“You're mean. Aren't you afraid that I'd be hurt by that?”

“You don't look at all hurt.”

“Bleh. Good for you.”

“Annoying. I'm going home.”

I turn and stomp a way to show that I'm aulking, but Metavee grabs my shirt from behind. She then
hugs me and puts her chin on my shoulder.

“Thank you. I'm really happy.”

And just like that, I magically stopped sulking. Her sincere voice and actions that ask for tenderness
make my heart race.

“What's this? Your mood changes so fast.”

“I mean it. I'm very happy. It's the best time I've had since I became blind... We never get to spend
time together like this, lying down and looking at the stars, driving with the wind on our faces
snuggling in bed happily.”

“Those things are very meaningful to me.”

I gently pat the back of her hand that’s hugging me to show that I understand how she feels. I feel
good that I can make her happy.

“I also had a good time, though I was a bit frustrated... some of the time.”
Metavee leans forward. Though we're not looking each other in the eye, I can tell that she's trying to
be cute and make me smile.

“Next time...”

“There's a next time?”

“Are you not coming to see me anymore?”

“Geez... Next time, what? Finish your sentence.”

My words seemed to have turned on the seductive switch in Metavee. Her smile becomes cunning
and charming at the same time, making me want to kiss her lips. And her words make me think so
much.

“Next time, I'll make sure you feel good.”

 Chapter 11
The Jealous Type

A novel would be too flat and boring without any drama. It's similar to love, if there was never any
conflict, it would be unusual. Come to think of it... Metavee and I haven't fought yet.

“Hello, Auntie.”

“Hello, Miss Aum.”

The housekeeper greets me, then puts her arms up to block my way.

“Mx. May has a guest right now.”

“Oh... Ah, okay then. I'll wait here. Who's the guest?”

“Mx. May's friend, the doctor.”

“Doctor? Okay. I can wait.”

As I wait for Metavee to finish up with her guest, I move to the sofa in the middle of the living room
and take a seat. I kill time by thinking of the plot for my novel. It seems like the housekeeper wants to
say something to me, so I look up and smile at her.

“Is there something you want to say?”

The old housekeeper smiles timidly before deciding to speak.

“I feel that you've changed.”

“Oh?”

I get a bit nervous because I'm afraid that I'll get caught.

“How so?”

“You seem more lively, unlike before... Which also improves the atmosphere around you. Especially
when you're with Mx. May. She smiles a lot more and is happier when she's with you, Miss Aum.”
Hearing that, my heart begins to race. I feel like I've done something useful, though it's not that big of
a deed.

“I haven't done much.”

I try to give myself a pat on the back in silence because I feel that pretending to be Aum makes me
invisible.

“May also makes me happy.”

“That's good. It's glad both of you are happy.”

“You say it like May doesn't smile much.”

“Yes. Mx. May also doesn't chitchat much. She's quite authoritative.”

“She was probably a handful before.”

It’s easy to imagine that but I can't quite picture it because the petite woman is not that imposing
when she's with me.

“She's very difficult to be around.”

The housekeeper whispers to me like she's gossiping.

“But she's very kind now. Which is very different from before, it's like she’s switched characters. She
even smiled at me. It's because of Miss Aum…
Please visit often, it makes everyone here happy.”

“Okay.”
I respond shyly and watch her walk away. I'm quite proud of myself. I feel bigger and elated. It feels
wonderful to be the source of someone else's joy. Metavee's friend appears from upstairs not long
after. The handsome doctor gives me a brief glance and acts as if he recognizes me.

“Miss Aum.”

“Hi.”

I have to pretend to know everyone, though I don’t.

“How's May?”

“Alive.”

“Ah...”

“I'm joking. I haven't seen you for so long. Where's your sense of humor? Where have you been for
months? I thought you had already broken up with May.”

I still have my dumb founded face on as I think of an excuse. Aum has been away for months? She
left her blind ex alone so she could be with her new husband, the owner of an airline… I start to feel
that she deserves to be laying in the hospital bed like she is now.

“I was busy with work.”

“You're still as beautiful as ever. Maybe even more so... Something is different.”

The doctor scans me, like he's trying to find faults. I don't know what to do, so I just laugh dryly.

“What could be different?”

“Your clothes.”

The handsome doctor says as he snaps his fingers.

“You used to dress more formally. The cutting, fabric, color, and brand were impeccable. But now
you look like you're from the street.”
What a mouth...

“I want to try dressing casually. Being too perfect is tiring.”

“I was just kidding. You look good in everything. I like... I've always liked.”

His flirty eyes make me smile from the corner of my mouth. Like I said, I've had many boyfriends. I've
seen it all. And he's one of those I'm very familiar with.

“Are you single?”

“Yes.”

“I'm not surprised.”

I smiled slightly. As I am about to walk away, he grabs my arm.

“Why are you not surprised?”

“You have a big mouth...”

That's not me... Metavee said that authoritatively. I don't hear her use this tone of voice often
because it’s usually very sweet and gentle when she talking to me. Or, when she was fighting with
her father, her voice was more like a child's. She's almost at the top of the stairs and is slowly
walking down.

“Oops. How long have you been here, Mx. May?”

“A while now. You're flirting with my girlfriend.”

Metavee declaring our status firmly without any hesitation makes me feel a little strange. It's a mix of
happiness and embarrassment. I'm not used to being declared the girlfriend of a woman....

“I was just kidding.”

“I don't think I'm comfortable continuing treatment with you.”

“Huh? You're funny.”

“Am I laughing?”

And because Metavee's tone of voice is too serious to be laughing it off, the flirty doctor goes quiet
and swallows hard.

“I was just kidding, Mx. May.”

“I don't like someone who's unprofessional. And this isn’t the first time you’ve done this... I will
change doctors. Thank you for all your hard work.”

“Mx. May…”

“I understand.”
The authoritative side of Metavee is something I've never seen before. As soon as that doctor leaves,
the petite one turns to walk back up the stairs quietly. I have to rush over to support her because I'm
afraid that she’ll fall. But she dismisses my assistance by brushing my hand away.

“It's okay. I want to do it by myself.”

Strange... Normally, she likes to ask for tenderness from me. She even wrapped her arm around
mine when we were walking on the lawn.

“You seem moody today.”

“I'm not crazy. I can't be happy everyday.”

“I'll read you my novel then. I wrote more.”

“I don't want to listen to it.”

“Such a waste of time. I will sleep.”

I stood still when I was turned down in that manner. And it seems like the petite woman can sense
that I've stopped moving. Metavee stops her steps and holds onto the rail tightly before she speaks
to me flatly.

“Why are you quiet?”

“You don't want to listen to me.”

“You should try to make up with me.”

“Huh?”

I shrink my neck a bit, not understanding what's going on.

“Why should I? What did I do wrong?”

“Even if you didn't do anything wrong. It's your job to try to make up with me.”

The authoritative and dictating tone of voice makes me stare at the petite one, who's showing her
strong will to me. And yes... I can't stand it. If I don't know what I did wrong, I will not try to make up
with anyone. No one.

“The earth doesn't revolve around you.. May. You're not cute at all today.”

“Then go. Don't ever come back.”

Metavee steps up the stairs swiftly.I almost think that she's pretending to be blind. Yet I worry about
her too much. I'm afraid she will fall, so I follow her to her room. I'm not trying to make up with her.
I'm just being decent.

“Why are you following me?”

“I just want to make sure that you reach your room without injuring yourself. Then I'll leave.”

“You’ll go flirt with the doctor, huh?”

“What?”

Metavee turns to me. For a split second, I felt like she was staring at me. But then her eyes shifted in
another direction.

“You were flirting, Aum.”

Her insulting voice makes my emotions rise. I'm hot-tempered by nature. And she stressed it by
using my name.

“What the hell are you saying? When did I flirt?”

“You were talking to the doctor, you don’t know him very well. You're not normally like this, Aum.
You're usually so arrogant. You never give a damn about anyone. You're not friendly to anyone, like
those women.”

“Who?”

“Think for yourself.”

Okay... I turned into a slut just because I'm friendly. I may break up with my ex-lovers easily, but I
never thought of hurting anyone just because they want to talk to me.

“This is what you're frustrated about?”

“You're not the same person I know, Aum.”

“It's because I'm not the same person anymore!”

This time I'm the one who's gone crazy because I'm sick of being compared to my twin. It's
happening now too. For me, this is a fight between lovers that happens very quickly. No. Actually,
I’ve only fought with my ex’s when I'm about to break up with them. Because all the guys I was with
were quite complying, and I wasn't with them that long. This woman is one diva to make me this
upset...

“Are you yelling at me, Aum? Who do you think you are?”

Her insulting tone shows she's not backing down, it makes me close my eyes to try and stay calm.

“I'm me.”

“Stay right here. Don't go anywhere.”

Metavee walks into the study room. I wait, as she requested, because I want to know what she will
do next. And I'm surprised that the petite woman comes back with a glass of water.

“What are you doing? Are you thirs...”

Splash...

I'm stiff and stunned. That was unexpected, and it makes my entire body tremble with anger. That's
so insulting, no one has ever done this to me! When she sees that I've gone quiet, she smiles merrily
knowing that she can put someone down and step on them... If this continues, she’ll always be this
obnoxious. I have to fix this.

“What are you doing? Let me go.”

I dash in to grab the petite one, who doesn't weigh much, and lift her up until her feet are off the
ground. I hurriedly take her into the large bathroom.

“You think you're the only one who can go crazy?”

“What are you going to do? Ouch...”

I turn the shower on at full blast letting the water splash into the blind one's face at full force until
she chokes. Though she tries to get away, I, who am stronger, force her to stay in the the same spot.

“You think you're the only one who can do something like this!”

“No one has ever done this to me before!”

“Then I'll be the one who does. So, you know what it's like when you insult other people.”

“You don’t have a job, how dare you teach others?”

“And you're blind, how dare you insult others?”

We both insult and dig at each other's weak points without care. When Metavee hears what I just
said, she clenches her hands into fists and hits me like a little kid that can't fight back and won’t give
up.
“So, what if I'm blind and can't see? Though impaired, I can still do many things. I have enough
money to live independently without relying on anyone.”

“So, what if I'm unemployed? It's just a temporary situation, it doesn't mean I'll be jobless forever. At
least I have time to be with my girlfriend. I want to take care of her every day, but she chases me
away like I'm some kind of animal. Have you ever considered how it feels to be treated like that?”

At this point, Metavee starts to calm down, she sits from sheer exhaustion.

“Why won't you let me win?… You never used to be like this.”

“Have I let you have your way too much in the past, and that's why you've turned out like this?”

“Are you no longer afraid I'll leave you because you think I can't find anyone else or fight back?”
“I was scared shitless when you chased me away at the bottom of the staircase. Did you really think
I was just accompanying you to your room when I followed you up here?”

Both of us are starting to calm down now, we’re as soaked as puppies thrown into a pond.

“Why did you follow me up here?”

“To make up with you.”

“This is how you make up with me?”

Metavee looks confused, but there's also a smile on her face.

“You said I'm blind and splashed water in my face.”

“I just wanted to do it in an unconventional way. You seem to understand how painful it is to be
insulted now.”

“Well...”

“…”

“Yes. I understand.”

Metavee nods to show that she really does. Her voice isn’t as stern and strong-willed as before. So, I
say it again to emphasise.

“Don't do that again.”

“I won't.”

“Good. Let's say this is our deal.”

I sigh wearily. It was a fight that started and ended quickly.

“But I still don't understand why you were frustrated with me.”

“I...”

“What?”

“I didn’t like that you were talking to Doctor Ton.”

“I was just asking about your condition and talking about general topics. Why did you have to get so
angry?”

“You can ask me. Why would you ask him... He's handsome.”

“Geez... Oh?”

I glance at the petite woman who's awkwardly drawing something on the bathroom floor with her
finger. I let out a slight smile.

“That’s why you were frustrated?”

“Yes.”

“You were jealous?”

When I ask frankly, the petite one stops drawing with her finger. She seems as surprised at herself as
I am…

“…”

“Don't smile.”
I, who am really smiling, have to quickly stop doing that. I can't resist waving my hand in front of the
petite woman to prove that she's really blind.

“Stop waving your hand. I can sense it.”

“How did you know that I was smiling?”

“You went quiet. It means that you're smiling... Stop being so full of yourself. I'm not jealous. I'm just
frustrated.”

“Okay. Of course.”

“Aum!”

The playful yelling makes me glance at her and reply with a serious tone of voice.

“Don't yell at me. You're not cute at all today, May. You have to be punished.”

“What? I never let anyone puni...”

In the midst of her complaint, I pull the petite one in for a kiss. She is shocked when I attacked her
while she’s complaining. I moved back.

“That's your punishment.”

“Cheater. That's your reward.”

“From now on, if your actions are not cute, I will kiss you. And I will increase the severity of your
punishment each time by increasing the duration of the kiss according to how many times you
behave erratically.”

“You're copying me. You're doing this the same way I gave you your reward. It's a win-win for you.”

“Don't give me an opportunity, then.”

“You've up skilled. You are negotiating with me now. You're bad. I don't like this.”

“Oops. You're not being cute again.”

“Ummm.”

And I steal another kiss as a punishment. So Metavee stops acting crazy all day…

The punishment is effective...

 Chapter 12
Pandora

Metavee suggests I put on her clothes for the time being because I’m drenched like a puppy that was
thrown into a pond. I again get to be in the white bedroom of the strong-willed one, who's clearly
gotten a lot softer. The soft jasmine scent that lingers on her body relaxes me. But I suddenly
become stiff when Metavee takes off her shirt and leaves only her bra on... W... wait.

“What are you doing?”

“Changing.”

“Here?”

“Where do you want me to? My closet is here.”

Right... What she's doing is her normal routine. What's not normal is me being here.

“I'll wait outside while you take care of your personal business.”

“Why? It's not like you've never seen it before.”

It's because I've never seen it before, that's why... At least not everything.

“It wouldn't be private.”

“We've seen every part of each other. Maybe it’s been so long you've forgotten... Should we jog your
memory?”

Metavee smiles from the corner of her mouth and strips herself down until she's naked, like she just
said. Due to my shock, I quickly turn around. I'm starting to have difficulty breathing from my
excitement. The last time I saw her half-naked was when we went to Pak Chong. But she wasn’t
completely naked like this. How can someone take they’re clothes off and just stand naked without
shame like this!

While I turn my back to compose myself, the petite woman who

can’t see anything, walks over, and hugs me from the back. She then sniffs the nape of my neck. In
shock, I become weak and need something to hold to keep my balance.

“What are you doing, May?”

“I'm jogging your memory.”

“What memory?”

“All of our memories... Why are you shaking? Are you okay?”

“I... I'm cold. The air conditioning is very cool.”

Metavee's hand reaches for the hem of my shirt. She lifts my shirt off my head from the back. She
does it so smoothly and swiftly that I’m startled and at a loss for what to do.
“Let's go soak in warm water.”

Then the petite woman runs her lips from the nape of my neck to my spine. I then hear the sound
'swoosh', and the tightness around my breasts is gone. She unhooked my bra with her mouth... I bit
my lips tightly, trying to keep calm, as I've never been in this situation before. But when Metavee's
hand moves down to my pants, seeming like she's about to unzip them, I grab it.

“It's okay. I'll do it myself. You go bathe first.”

“You're really different.”

“You've become a lot more reserved. What happened?”

When I realise from the tone of her voice that the petite woman is suspicious. I panic and turn
around to try calm her down by complying with her.

“I just wanted to play hard to get. I'll take it off if you want me to, okay?”

“Why are you standing still?”

“I'm not sensing that you're taking off your clothes.”

The naked one crosses her arms across her chest and continues to stand still.

“Take it off.”

“Why do you have to force me?”

“Do you have sisters?”

“W... why are you asking?”

“Sometimes I really wonder if you're Aum. Maybe you're just someone who has the same build and
voice...”

Her sudden line of questioning makes me hurriedly take off my clothes, sweating. Yet, I'm still
embarrassed to be naked in front of someone else. And to prove that Metavee really can't see, I
wave my hand in front of her face again. This time, the petite woman grabs my hand.

“You seem to really like to prove that I'm blind.”

“Sometimes I feel like... you can see but pretend to be blind.”

“Like I said, me not being able to see doesn't mean I lose all other senses. My sense of hearing,
smell, and touch are all still very sharp.”

Metavee reaches her hand out and grabs my bare breast.

“May!!”

“So, you're really naked. The longer we stand here, the colder it gets. Let's go take a bath. And you
can tell me about your novel as we bathe.”

“Bathe in the tub...”

I'm blushing so hard, it's like my face is on fire. To be naked together is already shocking enough, and
now we need to bathe together in a tub...

“Yes. Let's go bathe. So, we can jog our memories.”

What are our memories? I can only keep my curiosity inside as I follow the petite woman. Though
she can't see, she walks around easily, like she can. The 20-square-meter bathroom has dry and
wet zones. There is a jacuzzi tub and rain shower. She can pick which to use freely.

She's so rich...

“Let's shower. It will take a longer to wait for the tub to fill up.”

I try to find a way out. Though I like the petite one a lot, I'm not prepared to do something like this. I
may be greedy when it comes to kisses, but I'm afraid of touches... I have so much conflict within
me.

“True. It's slow. I like to do things quickly and not waste any time.”

Metavee reaches for me and finds my wrist. She then pulls me to the rain shower area, which is the
size of Superman's phone booth.

“You go in first. I can wait.”

“We’ll shower together.”

“Huh?”

“Why are you acting like it's the first time?”

It is the first time!!!

“Well... it's quite small. You go first. I don't want to crowd you.”

“You've changed...”

“Okay. I'll shower with you!”

I sneaked a peek at the smile on her face. But it disappears in a split second. Right now, I get
nervous whenever she says anything that could be interpreted as “you've changed.” I will always
cave in to her demands like a guilty person trying to cover their tracks… We stand close to each
other inside the small shower area. It's not so tight that we can't move. But I've never done
something like this, so it's all new to me.

“Please rub my back for me.

Metavee squeezes the shower gel and the bath sponge and hands it to me so I can rub her back for
her. Though it's a bit strange, I'm starting to familiarise myself with what we're doing.

“Now, tell me about your novel.”

“I forgot about it.”

My concentration is gone and can't be found. I can't possibly talk about my novel and rub her back at
the same time

“Try to slowly think about it.”

“Chapter 3... Impressed.”

“That's the name of the chapter?”

“Yes.”

“So, tell me, what's impressive?”

“Well...”

Every day, Marisa will go on a date with Nub-Dao. She tries to get to know the person she is, where
she's from, and what her education is, because she never knew her before this. From the outside,
Nub-Dao is beautiful, sweet, and mysterious. Because Marisa has never felt this way with anyone
before, it's like Nub-Dao has unlocked something inside of her. A strange feeling is unexplainably
forming. Someone once said.
“There's no reason when it comes to love. If there were, it wouldn't be love.”
Because Nub-Dao is like a mystery novel, the more you read, the more you want to know. Marisa
wants to know more and more about her. And, also, because mystery novels make you dive deep,
Nub-Dao's mysteries are becoming more and more interesting. Some, you should know. Or, for
others, you shouldn't... but you still want to know.
Nub-Dao is like a Pandora's box, you shouldn't open it because you have no idea what you’ll find
inside.

“Was it opened... The Pandora's box?”

Metavee asks as I get to this part. I shrug a bit and smile merrily when I see that I’ve caught her
interest.

“Please wait for the next chapter. If I tell you now, it won't be fun.”

“A smart ending to the chapter... A mystery that makes you want to investigate. Can it make a person
so charming that someone falls in love with her?”

The lawyer's question makes me, who's still rubbing her back, nod. But... the person in front of me
couldn't see that.

“It's the same as gradually getting to know each other. When we read a novel, we want to know
more and fall in love with the characters. Who knows, we may even fall in love with the author.”

“We've known each other for so long.”

Metavee smiles from the corner of her mouth and turns toward me.

“Have we fallen in love with each other?”

“How could we be together this long if we haven't?”

“Some people are together for mutual benefits.”

“If there are benefits, it's not love.”

“What about us now?”

“Huh?”

“Why are we together?”

I'm stunned to hear that. We don't have any mutual benefits whatsoever. I just want to come see
Metavee. And the blind lady in front of me has never asked anything of me. This means that we don't
expect anything from each other. No mutual benefits...

“If there's no reason when it comes to love, I have no answer for that.”

I continue to rub her with the bath sponge because I don't know what else to do. If I reach over to the
front, I will be hugging her. If I only rubbed her back, I'm afraid that she’ll get hurt.

“I don't know why you're with me, but I'm with you because I care about you.”

The only sound we can hear is water from the shower. Metavee goes quiet before she slowly turns to
face me and presses me onto the glass wall.

“What you just said is very sexy.”

“Nah. I was just babbling...”

“It aroused me.”

“Huh?”

My eyes become wide open as I shrink my neck nervously.

“Aroused, as in...?”
I'm not so stupid as to not know what she meant. But I had to ask to give myself a bit more time
because it was so sudden. Just bathing together naked like this is already too much for me.

“We haven't had sex in a long time...”

Metavee puts my hand on her breast and smiles. It's only a slight smile. But it's so charming that I
can't resist her. She then moves my hand down her body.

“Let's open Pandora's box today. Let's see what's inside.”

 Chapter 13
Button Up

I don't know what to do. My hand is now in her private parts. I can feel the warmth and the hotness,
it takes away my consciousness. Metavee's face is moving slowly toward me. She expertly runs her
tongue along my neck.

Gasp...

It's like I've been shocked by electricity. I can barely move when I’m touched like this. I have to
admit, though I've had many boyfriends, I've never gone this far because they didn't pass my kissing
test. Yet with Metavee, it's different. The person in front of me has a hold on my heart... She has too
much of a hold on my body too...

I know what I'm feeling. I understand the nature of things and the deep desires of humans. There
were many times I wanted it and wanted to help myself, but I distracted myself, so I never went that
far. But now I have someone to help me. This is my opportunity... It's a greater reward than kissing. I
move my hand naturally. I don't even know if it's right or wrong, but Metavee is trembling. The petite
one can barely balance herself. She puts her hands on the glass wall and splits her legs further
apart… Do it...

Metavee's body is letting me explore more deeply. But as I was about to proceed and open
Pandora's box, my conscience caught up with me... This is lust... This is sexual drive... This isn’t
right... I'm not even Aobe Aum!

Once I'm certain that if I go on, I will do something I later regret, I take my hand off Metavee and
swiftly get out of the shower. Metavee pauses and stands still before she asks me, confused.

“Why?”

The question was short, but it strangely and deeply hurt me. I don't know what reason to give that
would make it all make sense. Stopping mid way could cause her to feel bad.

“It's too fast.”

“What's too fast?”

Metavee asks, not understanding what I mean.

“We haven't seen each other for many months. This is too slow for a couple, even. Weren't you
frustrated that I pretended to sleep last time?”

“That... Yes.”
I think back to Pak Chong and feel angry at myself for being so obvious. But honestly, I still feel it's
not right.

“But when I think about it, it's too fast. Also... what just happened in the shower, I can sense that...
it's too raw.''
“What?”

I shut my eyes tightly and felt stupid saying that.

“I mean... I can sense that you felt it, but it was too raw. It wasn’t delicate. It was filled with lust. It
was physical, like, to just get it over with. It makes me feel... worthless.”
Are those words too strong? But I really felt that way. Though Metavee was jealous and smiled gently
at me, everything was as dry as a river during drought.

“For you, I'm like a toy you own. Everything was rushed. I didn't feel loved. Or if I did, it was much.”

“We're too old to be talking about love, Aum.”

“See? That's how I felt. I've been feeling this for a while now... You do things quickly. Sometimes you
even do it without feeling anything. There's no bond or intimacy. Is it only sex for you, May?”

“What it is was expressing love... And I was about to express it to you like I always do, Aum.”

“Sex and making love are very different, May.”

“Why are you suddenly so sensitive, Aum? You're acting like you're a virgin.”

“What does it have to do with being a virgin or not?”

I try to deny so quickly that I stutter. I don't want the petite woman to know that I'm not Aum.

“I just want to take it slow. I want us to go back in time...

“How far back?”

“Back to when we started flirting. Slowly getting to know each other. And when we create a bond...
these kinds of things will come naturally.”

“So annoying.”

The petite woman turns to continue her shower without saying more, and my heart ached when I
heard that. But I can understand... I'm the only one here who knows that I'm not who I'm pretending
to be.

I walk out of the bathroom first and hesitate about whether I should wear my clothes back home or
borrow some from Metavee. I'm not sure if the sweet, faced woman and I are fighting. But from the
words ‘so annoying.’ I probably frustrated her a lot. How was the relationship between Aobe-Aum
and Metavee...

“Pick something for me to wear.”

The nasal toned voice comes from the bathroom. I glance at the person whose eyes are wandering,
feeling a bit surprised because I thought she'd still be mad at me.

“Ah-huh. I'll prepare your clothes for you. Is it okay if I borrow something to wear too?”
“Yes. If you wear your wet clothes, you’ll catch a cold. If you're sick, I won't have anyone to read me
novels. And when I give you your reward. I'll catch a cold too. Did you know that viruses can spread
through the air and saliva...”
The petite woman is talking nonstop. She seems to talk more than usual. That makes me smile. If I
were to guess, she's trying to talk about this and that so that we forget about what just happened in
the bathroom.

“I know. That's why I'm borrowing your clothes.”

“You can borrow my underwear and bras too. We're the same size.”

“Ah... huh.”

I drag my voice because I'm a bit embarrassed.

“If you don't mind, I’ll borrow yours.”

“But from what I felt a moment ago, I'm not sure if we are still the same size. I think... you've gained
some meat.”

“H... huh?”

“You used to be slimmer. But it's okay. The hugs are warmer like this.”
The sweet-faced woman walks over to sit on the bed with just a towel wrapped around her. The light
from outside the window makes her fair skin radiate an aura. I feel the air conditioning in the room is
too cool, so I grab a neatly folded towel to wrap another layer over her before I search for clothes in
the closet.

“I'm still waiting to hear about it.”

“Huh?”

“Why don't you want to do it with me?”

I turn to look at the person who asked me that. She's looking awkwardly embarrassed.

“I lost a lot of confidence. You’ve never rejected me when I asked for it.”

“I didn't reject you.”

“But you just...”

“Okay. Put something on first. And then we’ll talk about this.”

I grabbed a loose t-shirt and a pair of shorts for the petite one and picked something similar for
myself. I wave my hand in front of Metavee again to make sure she can't see anything…

“You're doing this again.”

“And you always catch me doing it.”

After I finish putting on my clothes, I help the petite one do the same. Though I'm a bit shy, I'm afraid
she’ll put them on inside out if I don't help her.

“I didn't reject you. I just want us to go slow, like when we started out.”

“Why did you say that you feel like I don't love you?”

“I feel that you're in such a hurry to move forward. It's like it's your habit. Time is important to you,
but when you're in a hurry, you overlook what's important... It will turn making love into just having
sex to satisfy both parties physically.”

“What about not loving you, or do I see you as just a toy to satisfy my need? What was that?”

“You don't value me or see me as someone important. I'm like a dry leaf. Look at when you chased
me away a few hours ago when you were angry. You didn't care about me at all.”

“It's not like that...”

“I just think that we should take it slow. I don't know what we were like before this, but we should
start over. Go back to when we started flirting. Like when you read a novel and slowly get to know
the characters. When we know them better, we become more involved. Something like that.”

“Is this what you’ve learned from being unemployed?”

“You keep stressing on that... And yes, I'm unemployed. But I thought of this as I was writing the
novel.”

I reach out my hand and gently pat the petite woman's face.

“Writing a novel makes me realise that being in too much of a rush can make you overlook the
important details. But if you're too slow, it will be boring. I want our relationship to be at the right
pace.”

“What is the right pace?”

“Instead of sleeping together... Okay we've done that. But we will start again. We will save the best
for last.”

“How much patience must we have?”

Metavee smiles a little to tease me, but it seems like she somewhat understands what I'm saying.

“So, tell me, how shall we start?”

“We'll gradually get to know each other. I want to know more about you. Like, we can start flirting all
over again.”

“Huh?”
“Well... I don't remember why we got together. Or to be honest, I know nothing. But I will create new
memories.”

Metavee and I should have memories together. Or the gap between us will be too big.
“And I don't think someone like you would hit on me.”

I mean my younger twin. Looking at Metavee's arrogance, I don't think she would be the one to
approach someone I think...

“I don't hit on anyone. It makes me seem worthless and not of any value.”

“But I can't remember how I approached you...”

I'm asking myself this because I really can't imagine it. I don't know how my younger twin hit on
another woman when she's so sweet herself.

“I threw myself at you.”

“Huh?”
“I kind of gave you hints. And when you knew you could make advances on me, we got together. I
was in control.”

I look at the person who says that as she smiles, full of herself, and I shake my head. Her true self is
showing little by little. She's not as sweet as she seemed to be when we first met. I'm guessing my
younger twin was fooled by her innocent look when they first met too. She's good...

“So, we'll get to know each other again from the start. Let's start from zero. And proceed how
someone would approach and gradually get to know another.”

“We will do activities together. We’ll go out. Go to dinner, date, and read my novel. Sounds good?”

“And we will also have sex.”

“Crazy. You keep coming back to this.”

“I mean after we've gradually gotten to know each other.”

Metavee laughed merrily and shrugged.

“Whatever you say, then. It sounds like fun. Wait till you see my charm. I will get you to fall madly in
love with me.”

I put the hair that falls down covering Metavee's face behind her ear lovingly.

“I'm doing this because I've fallen in love with you. That's why I want you to fall in love with me and
see my sincerity to. It would be nice if we fell in love with each other again.”
“Yeah. It would be nice.”

“Since you’ve been hanging out with that woman, your daily routine has completely changed.”
I dragged Pang to the fitness centre close to her condo after she had flown back. She looked
shocked when she heard that I'd applied for a monthly membership.

“I was told that I was fat.”

“You? Fat?”

“Not fat exactly. Meatier... When May hugged me, she said my figure has changed. Aum is firmer
than me, skinnier than me, or something.”

“Hug?”

Pang leans in on me, showing interest.

“What have you two been doing?”

My face becomes hot, but I try to keep a straight face. It’s really nothing. Though my hand went
inside, I took it out in time.

“Not much... We just bathed together.”

“Huh...”

“Metavee is blind. She didn't see anything.”

“But your eyes are good, and you saw all of her?”

“Well... yeah.”

“And she hugged you when you took a bath together?”

“Well... yeah.”

“And nothing happened?”

“How can it happen?”

“It's good that at least you can think that for yourself.”

My friend's frustration makes me look at her with interest. Pang has her arms crossed against her
chest and doesn't look so good as she glances at me. She then asks me like she's picking a fight.

“What are you looking at?”

“You don't seem to like me being around Metavee.”

“It's not right... She's your twin's lover.”

“Ex-lover.”

“Does Metavee know that your twin wants to break up with her?”

“No.”

“Then how can she be an ex-lover?”

“But Aum is married.”

“And her husband is dead.”

“Still, they've broken up. Doesn't a marriage certificate mean anything?”

I argue without backing down, though a part of me agrees with my friend.

“So, no one else has a right to May?”

“Everyone in this world has, but not you, who's pretending to be Aobe Aum. She trusts you now
because she thinks that you're her girlfriend, not her girlfriend's twin.”

“I can't sense that May doesn’t loves Aum at all.”

“And can you sense that she loves you?”

Gulp...

I can't make any arguments, but I still don't want to accept it. And I'm starting to become frustrated
with my friend, who's always looking for faults and trying to back me into a corner. Pang sees that I'm
becoming moody and doesn't want to fight with me about other people, so she gently pats me on
the shoulder to indicate that she will back off.

“Listen when a trusted friend gives you an honest warning. I can't tell you what to do, but I still want
to warn you.”

“I know.”

I continue to speak with sternness because I'm still moody.

“I'm just doing my best in my own way. I've never been in love, yet Metavee makes me feel that way.
It's just... a bit out of place, but I'm trying to fix that.”

My beautiful friend looks at me like she's thinking about something before she asks me, looking like
she really wants to know this.

“Why does it have to be May?”

“What?”

My friend's sudden question caught me off guard.

“What do you mean?”

“Why does it have to be this woman? How is she more special than anyone else… Ah. You felt
something when she kissed you. What else?”

I try to think about what got me so interested in Metavee.

“I don't know... We're alike, maybe.”

“How so?”
“I can't explain it. She doesn't get much attention from her family, just like me, I guess. I see myself
in her. So, I understand her.”

“So, it's not love. Maybe it's a pity.”

“No.”
“It's love.”

I nod to myself and confirm that to my friend.

“I think it's love... Metavee makes me want to make something of myself. The fact that someone
makes you want to improve yourself for the better is that not love?”
“But your love is walking a very fine line. You started with a lie. So, your relationship can be void at
any point.”

I follow my friend's train of thought and become more stressed. All the time I spent with Metavee
was real, but our relationship is not.

“What should I do?”

“Tell her the truth! That's the only way to fix it now. Don't cross the line more than you already have.
Because if she finds out that you lied to her, you won't have any place in her life.”

“If you button up something wrongly from the start, it will continue to be wrong. You know that well.
This is a warning.”

“Ah-huh...”

“And this membership. You use your twin's credit card. So aside from buttoning something up
wrongly, you're also a thief.”

I thought no one would ever know...

 Chapter 14
May’s Friend

As writing typing my novel, I think about whether I have someone like that in my life, someone who
orbits around me and disappears without me even knowing it. I feel bad for the person I did that to…
Like this character in my novel... Marisa continues to lie and be in love with Nub-Dao without having
the courage to tell her that she's actually not her real lover. Their relationship is based on a very
fragile foundation... When the day comes that Marisa is caught, the sandcastle she's built will be
swept away by the waves as if it were never there. Will I end up like that?... Just thinking about it
makes my heart ache.

“I probably won't go... I'm still not feeling well.”

Metavee's voice, talking on the phone, causes me to stop typing. I try to listen because I'm curious
as to who she's talking to. The conversation revolves around her trying to turn the other party down.
So, when she hung up. I couldn't help but ask her.

“Who was that?”

“My high school friend.”

“Did she invite you to go on a trip?”

“It's a reunion. Well, only with friends in my class. But I'm not going. I don't want to meet anyone in
this condition.”

“You can’t see. It's not like you can't walk or don't have a head.”

I interrupt, disagreeing with her.

“You look normal. Your friends shouldn’t have any issues.”

“No one knows that I'm blind.”

“You haven't told anyone?”

“It's best that I don't go. I don't want to answer any questions. It's an occasion to brag about how
everyone is doing, how rich you are, and to see who has accomplished the most.”

“Aren’t you being too pessimistic? When I meet up with my old friends, we don't brag like that.”

“You have no idea what my social circle is like, Aum.”

“Then can you show me what it's like?”

I walk over to hold the petite one's hand to give her some encouragement. She's still standing where
she was.

“I want to know every part of you.”

“But...”
“Please... Don't you want to show me, your lover, off to your friends?”

“A girlfriend?”

Metavee laughs a little not believing what she just heard.

“You've changed a lot, Aum. You didn't even hold my hand when we were outside before. You were
terrified of how others would look at us.”

Was Aobe Aum like that... No wonder her airline-owner husband never knew that she had a
girlfriend. Even her family didn't know. Ah... But I wasn't close to her, so it's not a surprise.
“I will let you announce it this time... Tell them I'm your girlfriend... And as usual, I'll be your ears and
eyes.”

“Aren't you afraid that you'd be laughed at for having a blind and jobless girlfriend? I'm not a lawyer
anymore.”

“I don't see how you're not normal. You can't see, but your other senses are better than others. How
about this... If you feel uncomfortable once we're there, we can leave at any time. Okay?”

“Stil…”

“I know you want to go.”

“Who told you that?”

“I can sense that you want to show off how rich and successful you are. You're just not confident
about your blindness.”

“Don't act like you know me well. Who says I want to show off?”

“You're the mother of showing off. You can't drive, but you bought a brand new, red, convertible
Mercedes-Benz. Geeeeeez. I want to shout out from Mars.”

“I hate you!”

Metavee scrunches her face, looking irritated that I know what she’s thinking. She gives me a
thumbs down but turns in the wrong direction because she doesn't know where I am exactly.

“Boo.”

I give the petite woman a quick peck on the cheek and say to her casually.

“I'm making up with you.”

The reunion is around two weeks after that, and I'm eventually successful in dragging Metavee to the
party. The event takes place at a recently opened restaurant that her friend owns. Many came to
congratulate this friend, so there was almost no parking left. Yet Metavee's convertible motivates
the guard to find us parking, hoping for a heavy tip. And he got it...
Today, the sweet-faced woman is wearing a tight-fitting sacque that is probably bloody expensive.
The cutting is very delicate from head to toe. She also didn't hold back on the watch, purse, Jimmy
Choo shoes, and sunglasses… She said she couldn't come without them. She doesn't want others
to see that her eyes wander all over the place and realise that she's not normal... My job today is to
guide her around and describe what's going on for her. But someone who can't see can't act totally
normal. Metavee may stumble a little or act a bit awkward. But I'll support her until she reaches her
goal.

“May.”

A sweet, clear voice comes from inside. Everyone turns to Metavee and goes quiet, like they are
stunned. Of course... the lawyer is very beautiful today. Though she can't see, she ordered for me to
pick out the clothes of this and that color in the closet for her effectively. She's very savvy at mixing
and matching them for this final look.

“Congratulations on the new restaurant, Ploy.”

“Your friend is coming to hug you.”

As soon as I whisper that, Metavee gets ready for the hug, though she sways a bit. This friend is
probably quite close to her.

“We haven't met for so many years. You're even more beautiful than before. You no longer wear
glasses too.”

The restaurant owner says that sincerely and looks at Metavee from head to toe like she's scanning
her soul.
“You were already so cute when we were in school. I heard that you're a lawyer... Wow, you must be
so rich.”

And as expected, what Metavee wants to happen does. I try to hide my smile and sneak a peek at
Metavee to see if she slips and gives anything away. But no, she keeps her composure well.

“Where should I sit?”

“Our friends are over there. Follow me.”

Metavee quickly let's go of Ploy's hand, who's leading the way. She grabs my hand instead, which
surprises her friend a lot.

“I'm sorry, Miss Ploy. May's leg is hurt, she can't walk too fast... I'll support her.”

“Ah. Okay.”

I lie to May's friend instantly, so she doesn't suspect anything before I take Metavee to sit with her
friends. I sit nearby so I can help make sure she doesn't spill the food and beverages throughout her
time with her friends. They seem especially interested in Metavee and keep asking about...

“How much is the watch?”

“Do you have any clients who are relatives of politicians? Can you hook me up?”

As I sit here, I learn more about Metavee's education and career. The petite woman became a
lawyer at 23, took the test to become an assistant prosecutor at 25, and resigned to work as a
lawyer again at 27. Now she's 30 and will be 31 in 3 months. She's so capable...

I'm the same age but haven't made anything of myself, except for pretending to be my younger twin
so I can be with her. Aside from learning about her life, I also learned about her friend’s lives.
Metavee was nervous about meeting them because they keep competing based on their status,
education, and blood line. It's a such a nonsensical thing to do. I start to understand why the person
next to me wants to come show off her wealth. They all compete like they aren't even friends.
“Why should a woman work? It's better to just marry a rich guy. It's tiring to be like May. You have to
fight with strangers all the time.”

Metavee doesn't respond. She just pretends to sip some water and smiles from the corner of her
mouth.

“I heard that a lawyer must take all kinds of cases. If your client is a criminal or someone who's
really guilty, you'd have to take the case... Being rich but evil doesn't work for me.”

“What are you doing, Ple?”

Metavee asks her friend. And it seems like Ple was waiting for that.

“I'm married.”

“Your husband must be really rich since you say that working is tiring.”
Everyone at the table has gone quiet, as they can sense that the mood has turned sour because
Metavee isn’t having it. Yet Ple doesn't care and continues to brag.

“I used to be his secretary. We got along well, so he hit on me. Now I'm married and just stay home,
not having to work.”

“Aren't you afraid of becoming disabled?”

“What?”
“If you do nothing, you'll become disabled. Also, be wary that your husband will get a mistress
because you've become worthless.”

“Why are you saying this?”

Ple raises her voice when Metavee sarcastically attacks her. Metavee just crosses her arms and
leans back like she doesn't care.
“I'm just concerned about you. Housewives who just live on their husband's income tend to become
poor when they divorce. I've handled many divorce cases. You get a lot in the end, but there are a lot
of hardships along the way. Not to mention the kids... so pitiful. Worthless.”
As a means of interrupting her, I reach out and touch Metavee on the arm, but the little woman
seems unconcerned. She continues to smile merrily from the corner of her mouth. I can sense her
mean side, which no one could ever like.

“That's enough. Let's eat. And... there is good music here too.”

Ploy hurriedly plays some music. And my heart immediately trembles because it's the song that
Metavee and I have agreed that we love because it's very nice. It's also the song that's the inspiration
for my novel.

“Your song.”
Metavee says that with a smile. They say that music can change your mood, and it seems to be
working now.

“I'll go to the restroom. I'm moody.”

Ple, who was arguing with Metavee, seems very frustrated, but she doesn't want to lose and go
home, so she goes to the restroom to calm down instead. As soon as she leaves, everyone claps
their hands.

“You were great, May. Someone needed to give it to her for bragging on about her wealth. What's
with her repeatedly saying that her husband is supporting her financially? Someone who doesn't
work is really worthless, like you said.”

“If you all are this unhappy, why didn't you say something to her? Why did you wait for someone else
to do it and then act all happy behind her back? How is this sincere?”

Metavee snaps back, almost breaking up the crowd. I have to give this lawyer the nickname...
‘crowd breaker.’ Excellent.

“Why do you have to wear sunglasses all the time?

Ploy walks over to sit beside Metavee and starts a conversation, like she wants to change the mood.
I can sense that the petite woman somewhat respects her.

“My eyes can't deal with lights well.”

“Did you inject too much glutathione into yourself? No wonder your skin is so radiant.”

“Crazy. I don't dare inject chemicals into my body.”

“You're saying all this is natural, huh?”

“Nothing is fake, except the Pateka Philippe watch on my wrist.”

Metavee pretends to whisper that to Ploy to make her laugh. I can't hold my laughter in either. I know
it's just a joke. A person who likes to show off as much as she does will not wear a fake, for sure
because if she gets caught, it would be too embarrassing.

“I believe that everything on your body is natural. I'm very familiar with your body.”

The friend with a beautiful smile puts her hand on Metavee's thigh and strokes it meaningfully.
“I miss you, May.”

I look at that act with interest... a lot of interest.

“Ah... I forgot to introduce you two. This is my girlfriend, Aobe Aum.”

Metavee suddenly introduces me to everyone at the table, making them all look at me with interest.
Some look surprised, while others seem to have regret. I can't tell who the cause of those regrets is,
the lawyer who likes to show off her wealth or me.

“Have you two been together for a long time?”

Ploy turns to give me a cold smile. Yet her hand is still on her friend's thigh. And I'm starting to
become frustrated.

“Around four years.”

Even I didn't know that. Also, I forgot to ask about it...

“Have you changed at all since you graduated, May?”

“A lot. A lot of what I've gone through has turned me into this person. I've become someone who's
hungry for money and older.”

Everyone listens with interest. And suddenly, Metavee takes off her sunglasses to reveal the truth for
everyone to see, though she seems so afraid of everyone knowing before this.

“And I'm also blind.”

Ple, who went to the restroom to calm herself down, comes back to hear this. She sits down, out of
strength, and asks, forgetting that they just fought.

“How did that happen?”

“There was an incident... As a lawyer, aside from fighting in the courtroom, you may get into a fight
outside of it.”

Once Ploy hears that, she cradles Metavee's face in her palms and turns it so Metavee can look her
in the eye.

“You can't see me at all, May?”

“Ah-huh.”

“Who did this to you?”

“Someone who was defeated.”

“One of those that can't take defeat graciously.”

One of her friends interrupts angrily.

“If the court already ruled on the case, they should accept it, not come after the lawyer. If they
weren't happy with the result, they should have lashed out at their own lawyer.”
“It's complicated...”

It seems like Metavee doesn't want to say more, but Ploy continues to ask because she wants to
know what caused the sweet-faced woman to be in this condition.

“What did you do?”

“I helped a criminal get the least punishment he could get. I destroyed someone's life and his
family's wellbeing, unforgivably... Ah, or to make it completely accurate.

“It's like I killed him myself.”

 Chapter 15
Prove

Eventually, the party dies down. My job of taking care of Metavee has been taken away from me
somehow because her friends seem to love and care about her as soon as they know what's what,
especially Ploy, who is supporting the petite woman into her beautiful car.

“Don't worry, May. I believe that your eyes will heal.”

“Thank you. I really want to see your restaurant. But from what I can hear and smell, it's a wonderful
and clean place. You will have a lot of customers.”

“Come visit more often.”

“I rarely leave home. This is the first time... Aum insisted that I come today.”

Ploy looks at me a bit and smiles to show her gratitude.

“Thank you so much for allowing me to meet May today, Aum. Or I'd never have known how she's
doing.”

“I... Ah. I wanted her to see her friends. Staying at home all the time can be suffocating. Also, this is
our date. I wanted to meet May's friends.”
I say that without thinking much, but Metavee smiles from the corner of her mouth, as if she likes
what I just said.

“I'll go home first.”

“I'll call you, May. Are you at the same place?”

“No. I bought a new house. Call me first if you want to visit. I'll give you the address.”

Metavee gets ready to get into the car, but Ploy grabs her arm and hugs her tightly before she can do
that. It causes my frustration to rise, yet I hold it in. Friends hugging like this is normal...

“I will definitely visit. Let's jog our memories.”

“Sure.”

“By the way...”

Ploy backs away from Metavee and asks something, like she wants me to hear it too.

“Have you found it?”

“What?”

“Your Pluto.”
I look at the two women talking as if I'm not here. They talk like they are using Morse code in silence,
using their brainwaves. Ms Ploy can be quite annoying.
“I don't have a Pluto. It's me... who's Pluto.”

“You two seem very close.”

I, who is driving, scrunch my lips a bit when I talk about Ploy. Metavee leans her ear closer to me,
like she wants to hear it clearly, and smiles merrily.

“Though I can't see how you look right now, from your voice, I can tell that you're jealous.”

“Who's jealous? Not me. I'm just curious as to what type of friend is so touchy. What about talking in
codes that only the two of you can understand... Have you met Pluto? I want to go geeeeeeeez as far
as Mars.”

“You know what Pluto is. So, it wasn't just me and her that understood.”

“I still want to go, geeeeeeeez.”

I twist my mouth to show my dissatisfaction. I've never been jealous in my life. This is the first time,
and it's frustrating.

“We were together.”

Metavee admits easily, without thinking of hiding it from me to make me more frustrated.

“So, we may seem closer than others.”

“They say that there are two types of lovers, those who have broken up but can still be friends. They
still love each other. And then there are those who never loved each other.”

“And third, they want to keep the good relationship they have with each other. Ex-lovers can be
friends. Don't be so close minded.”

“You can’t talk. The one who's the close minded is you. You fired a doctor just for talking to me.”

“You don't have an ex that you’re still friends with?”

“Ah...”

I start to stutter when I think of my past. I'm not bad looking, so I have a lot of ex-lovers. And I was
the one who broke up with them all.

“I do.”

“So, what are you between, still loving them or having never loved them?”

“None of those.”

When Metavee realises that she won this argument, she smiles merrily. Because she can’t see it, I
twist my mouth and extend my tongue toward her. Blep.

“Who's your Pluto?”

I changed the topic. Metavee leans back in her seat and turns her head toward me. Though our eyes
are not meeting, she's showing that she wants to talk to me.

“You're interested because Ploy talks about it?”

“I hear about it so often lately. You just mentioned it the other day, so I think I should be interested.”

The petite woman goes quiet for a bit, as if she's thinking about it...

“It was a long time ago. It was during high school... I had a crush on a girl from another school.”

The sweet-faced woman smiles as she thinks about her past in the dark.

“I was a nerd. Though I excelled in the classroom, I was a total wimp in the real world. I got bullied
for money.”

“Huh?”

“Yeah. I went to tutoring school in Siam, and a senior from my school always bullied me for money. I
didn't dare to fight anyone, so I gave it to her. Then, one day, the girl I had a crush on showed up.”

“She helped me and fought with the senior right in front of me. It's not what a good student should
do, but I thought she was so cool. Though she didn't know me she extended her hand to help me.
That senior backed away, but... she took my money.”
“Wow. It's the suspension bridge theory. Maybe you didn't like her. Maybe it was just the rush of
adrenalin. Your heart was racing because of the excitement, and you happened to be looking at her,
so you thought it was love.”

“What's the suspension bridge theory?”

“How to explain it... It's like when we're in shock, our hearts will race like we're standing on a
suspension bridge. And if someone happens to help us, then that person would seem like a knight in
shining armor. We fall in love with that person immediately because we think that our hearts raced
because of that person.”

I think I remember this theory from some cartoon... Never mind.

“I don't know... I knew which school she was from the initial on her shirt. I went to wait for her at
school every day, No... I mean, some days because I had tutoring too. I didn't even know if I'd meet
her again. I asked someone to give her snacks too. It was the most stupid thing I've ever done.”

“You have a romantic side in you. Did you speak to her directly?”

“I sent her a letter, but I never got a response. So, I gave up and disappeared... The end.”

I glance at Metavee, who ends her story quickly and laughs.

“You cut to the ending quickly. So, you were her Pluto?”

“To be accurate, she's the galaxy I wanted to be in.”

“What if you were to meet your galaxy now?”

“I will approach her. I will try to be on the planets list that doesn't get cut out.”

“What about me?”

“I'll dump you, haha.”

“So, mean.”

I bare my teeth at her when I hear her laugh out loud. I step on the brake at a red light and raise my
hands up to make a wish, loud and clear.

“God, please help me. Please do not let Metavee meet her galaxy.”

“Do you really think God will help you with this? That's ridiculous. You're so silly. LOL.”

I glance at Metavee's laughter, and it makes me melt as I scrunch my face.

“That's not funny.”

“Why not?”

“Because if you find your galaxy and dump me, I will be your Pluto... Ah. When I think this way, it's
really sad.”

I realise that one day, when the truth is revealed that I'm not Aobe Aum, Metavee will dump me too.
We will be just people who knew each other. Or the petite one may be so mad that she never
forgives me for tricking her, like in a TV series...

But this is real life, and it's more dramatic than any TV series. I tricked a blind person. I fell in love
with my younger twin's lover. No matter how you look at it, what I did can't be forgiven.

I will become Metavee's Pluto. The beautiful woman in front of me wouldn’t want to remember me.
Or if she does, it would be only for a split second before she pretends to forget me due to hatred.

“Why are you suddenly sad?”

“Me? Sad?”
“I can sense it, though I can't see, I sense the mood around me. I told you that my senses are very
good.”

Metavee reaches out her hand to stroke mine. She then clasps all five fingers, as if she's consoling
me.

“You're the most important thing for me. It's always been this way, Aum.”

“What about your galaxy?”

“She's not important anymore.”

We sit quietly the rest of the way home... letting the conversation end at that implausible line.
Not important? But from your voice, it's not like that at all.
I go to see Pang at her condo, feeling a bit down. It's lucky that Pang left one of her keycards with me
for when I want to come over while she travels, otherwise, I would have to go home looking like a
sad dog, and my mom would say something sarcastic to me.
I'm still feeling down... I can't get Metavee's galaxy out of my head. Though Metavee kissed me one
second longer as a reward before I left... the story about Pluto is stuck in my head.

Without thinking... I knock on the door to let my friend know I'm coming in, and as I enter the room, I
see a stranger embracing my friend. I have to hurriedly look away.

“Shit! I'm sorry. I didn't think anyone was here. I'm leaving.”

“Wait. Ai.”

Pang rushes over to me, looking shocked. But I'm too embarrassed to look at her.

“I'm sorry. I didn't know you had a guest. I'll come back later.”

“It's okay. You're not interrupting anything. Pim is about to leave.”

“Pim?”

I frown a bit as I turn to get a good look at the stranger. I became curious.

“She's a woman.”

“Ah-huh.”

“You were hugging a woman.”

“Ah-huh.”

“Is she your colleague?”

“My husband.”

“Huh!?”

“Pim is my husband.”

My jaw dropped at the end of that statement. My beautiful friend sighs and closes my mouth with
her hand.

“A fly will go into your mouth... Okay, you don't need to ask; I'll tell you myself. I have a girlfriend.”

The other beautiful woman in the room smiles at me shyly. Her casual look and long hair make me
think of someone. Ah... myself.

“I’ll come back later.”

“It's okay. Pim is heading out.”

Pim looks awkward, so Pang gives her a hand signal to leave. Not long after that, her husband left
without saying anything. I look at the door and my friend repeatedly because I'm still confused and
don't understand what's going on.
“I've been your friend for over ten years, but I never knew that you like women.”

“Because you never care about me. You only care about yourself.”

When I hear that, I look like I have dog poop in my mouth.

“Crazy. I care about you. But you never told me that you're bisexual.”

“I'm not bisexual. I only like women.”

“Huh?”

“I'm a lesbian.”

I put my hand on my chest. Pang walks to the refrigerator and pours water for herself. She drinks it
and burps, not caring how it makes her look. I continue to look at her and roll my eyes.

“Does your husband know that you burp this loud?”

“I only show her my good side.”

“You've kept this a secret from me for so long. I've never suspected that you like women.”

“You've never asked.”

“I tell you about all my ex-lovers. You should tell me about who you're seeing too.”

“I told you I have a lover. I just didn't give you the details.”

I look at Pang, knowing that she didn't dare tell me because she was afraid that I would look at her
differently.

“Were you afraid that I would look at you differently because you like women?”

“It's not something to tell the world.”

“I told you that I like Metavee.”

“Are you sure you really like her?”

“I've never felt like this with anyone... I was jealous of her today when she was hugging her ex. They
have memories together. They talked about Pluto, which I don't know about. Arrgg.”

“You were jealous?”

“Ah-huh... Aside from envying her ex I also envy the person in her heart. By the way... do you know
Pluto?”

“Yes. It was taken off the list of planets in our galaxy.”

I look at my friend, stunned. Pang just shrugs.

“It may not look like it, but I'm knowledgeable... And Pluto was someone in Metavee's life in the
past?”
She not only knows that Pluto was taken off the list of planets in our galaxy, but she also knows what
it means.

“No... She was Pluto in someone's life.”

I hunch my back, feeling down and out.

“The relationship between May and I is good. But what if one day she meets that person... I will be
dumped.”

“You won't be dumped.”

“Huh?”

“You were never there in the first place. And when Metavee finds this out, you will be Pluto in her
life. I warned you to stay away from her.”

Every time we talk about Metavee. Pang looks frustrated. Sometimes I suspect that she fears that I
would love someone else more than her.

“I like May... I can't stay away from her. Things are getting better.”

“You feel good just from kissing her?”

“Yes. Like I said, I've never felt like this with anyone before.”

“Except this woman.”

“Yes.”

“How many women have you kissed?”

“One.”

“That doesn't prove anything.”

“Just one is enough. Why do I have to prove it by kissing other women? Besides, no woman would let
me kiss her easily.”

“Who says?”

Pang grabs my collar and quickly pulls me in for a kiss.

“I'm the second woman that you kissed.”

“Did you like it?”

“H... Huh?”

Pang looks me in the eye and asks seriously. I'm blushing like I've never blushed before, especially
with a friend,
“Do you like me?”
 Chapter 16
Imagination

There's tension in the air between Pang and me. This pressure is making me feel nauseous, and I
literally can't breathe. As I look for a way out, my friend, who's been observing my reaction closely,
flicks her fingers on my forehead.

“Ouch.”

“Why do you look like you have dog poop in your mouth? It was just a test to see your reaction,
because I too, am a woman.”

“I... It's...”
I'm still not sure if my friend really wanted to test my reaction or whether it was something else. But
because the look in Pang's eyes is different from before, I'm nervous and don't dare look at her in the
eye.

“If you don't feel anything when you kiss me, who’s a woman, you probably really like Metavee...
Why don't you introduce me to her? I want to get to know her.”

“Okay. I will if I have a chance.”

I shift uneasily and get up from my friend's bed.

“Better leave.”

“What? You just got here and you're leaving already?”

“Yeah. I'm a bit tired today. I've been to out a lot. And I interrupted your time with your girlfriend too.”

“Never mind.”

“Okay. See you later.”

I swing my huge purse over my arm and get ready to leave. As I open the door, Pang's voice stops
me.

“Don't overthink it.”

It's a plain phrase, but I am startled. I stand still and don’t dare to face my friend. In the many years
that we've known each other, I've never felt uncomfortable around her like this. This Is the first
time...

“Ah-huh. I won't. See you later.”

Can I let it go?

I spend more time with Metavee because I don't want to stay home. My mom keeps whining about
me not getting a job and just hanging out all day. And, of course, I am compared to my younger twin
again. Though I'm strong-willed and act like I don't care because I always think that my mom cursing
me is like she's giving me a blessing, comparing me to Aobe Aum over and over again is too much to
bear.

Why isn't there only me in this world…?

“What are you thinking, Aum?”

Metavee's voice startles me out of my daze. We are making out... Ah, let's say we are sniffing each
other. Since what happened in the bathroom, we've become closer to each other.

“What is it, May?”

“What are you thinking?”

“You know that my mind is wandering?”

“Of course. You don't seem to be focusing on me. Normally, you love to do these things.”

I'm a bit embarrassed when she says that. But actually, I have so many things in my head right now,
including my kiss with Pang the other day.

“Sometimes I really think that you can see but pretend to be blind.”

“Why would I do that?”

“Maybe... you want me to continue to take care of you. You love me a lot.”

“Ew. You're so full of yourself.”

I feel that we are closer lately. When we first met, I was a bit stiff, and Metavee was very
authoritative. She wanted to seem better than me. But now we act and treat each other as equals,
so no one dares put the other person down. It's strange... What happened when she was with Aum?
Why did she have to act all authoritative like that?

“I'm thinking about... what it would be like if I couldn't see.”

“There's nothing good about it.”

“How so?”

“You would be both ugly and blind.”

I raise my hand and act as if I'm about to poke the sweet-faced woman who's annoying me in the
eyes. If I'm not beautiful, who is? She's going too far.

“You have no idea how popular I am, among guys. I've had 18 boyfriends, you know?”

“Are you Wanthong, Mora, or Gagif?”

Why do I feel as if I'm being attacked after every action? I'm trying to brag here.

“No matter how many boyfriends I've had, I'm still a virgin.”

“What virgin? You've been mine since the first day we got together. You were so easy.”
“Huh?”

“Why are you shocked? Don't you remember? It was in a car.”

I drop my jaw. My imagination about how hot the love scene was is running wild in my head. Is Aum
like that? Who does something like that the first day they meet? Ew.

“A woman doesn't count.”

I try to get away with it.

“Virgin means a person of a different gender hasn't smashed his private part into mine, and it
breaks.”

“What break?”

“Tears, maybe. Geez...”

And we've become rawer toward each other too. They say the more we talk about these things, the
closer we become. It's like an open-hearted conversation, allowing us to accept each other's sexual
desires on a certain level. But we've never gone this far. What's going on today?

“Then I'm a virgin too, because I've never been with a man.”

“How many women?”

“That's a secret.”

“Annoying.”

I twist my mouth a little. You can't tell a book by its cover. Despite her sweet and reserved
appearance, she is a seductive Casanova. I sometimes want to kick her out the window.

“Let's go back to our topic. You said that you want to know how I feel not being able to see?”

“Ah-huh.”

“That's easy. Try walking with your eyes closed.”

“I will unconsciously open my eyes.”

“Then... use a blind fold. Try it.”

“Why do I hear excitement in your voice?”

"It feels like someone else is going through the same thing I am, I guess."
When I hear that, I feel guilty. It's a good idea. If I try blind folding myself, I will feel what Metavee
feels and understand how difficult it is to live life when you can't see. So, I grab a scarf from
Metavee's closet and blindfold myself. The petite woman, who's having fun with this experiment,
touches my face to make sure that I can't see.

“How many fingers?”

“Two.”
“Hey. You can see?”

“I guessed right?”

“Let's try again. How many fingers?”

“Four.”

“Okay. You can't see... Come on. Get up and walk.”

This time, Metavee leads the way. Though she can't see the way as well, Metavee let go of my hand,
yet the freedom I just received brings me fear. I'm afraid that I’ll walk into something. I keep
imagining there are obstacles in front of me.
I'm scared... I don't dare take a step.

“Walk.”

“I'm scared.”

So, this is how it feels. After being able to see your entire life, suddenly all you see is darkness. It's
lonely, isolated, empty, and scary. That's why Metavee doesn't like leaving the house. It's because
she doesn't know what's ahead of her. I try to sweep my hands around, expecting to find the petite
woman, but all I can feel is emptiness. I can hear her, but I can't pinpoint where she's standing.

“May... Where are you?”

“Near you.”

“I'm not playing anymore.”

“No. It's not even been five minutes yet. You're giving up already? I've been living like this for almost
two years. Try to feel what I feel.”

“It's...”

Thud.

I walk into the closet so hard that I fall back. It's lucky that I fell onto the bed, not too far away. Still, I
almost had a heart attack.

“I can't do it. It's suffocating.”

I'm running out of patience and am about to take off the blindfold. But the petite one grabs my
shoulder before I can.

“It's okay. I'm right here.”

“May...”

The soft jasmine fragrance in the air makes me feel safe. Metavee's slender hands cradle my face
and stroke it consolingly.

“This is one of the excitements when you can't see.”

“What?”

“Touches...”
Metavee's voice is getting closer and closer, until I can sense that she's only a palm-length away
from me.
“Your sense of touch will be sharper. You’ll be excited with every touch because you don't know
what the other person will do next.”

“You can never tell what the other person's facial expression is like. How they look at you when they
talk to you. You can only try to sense it from their tone of voice.”

“May…”

“That's why I don't want to meet anyone. I don't want to guess whether they like or dislike talking to
me.”

I reach my hand out to hold the slender hands that are cradling my cheeks, I rub the back of her
hands softly, though I can't see.

“I like talking to you.”

“I know. That's why I choose to have you near and to do things with me. It's because I trust you... You
have my trust. So, please trust me while you're blindfolded like this.”

As soon as she finishes saying that she presses her lips against mine. Because I can't see and
wasn't expecting this, the excitement is exponentially higher than usual. Metavee presses my
shoulders so that I lay down on the bed and licks my lower lip gently, like a cat licking its fur. It's
true... My sense of touch is a lot sharper. It's exciting not knowing what will happen next, so you
can't prepare or be on guard.

“Oh...”

The petite one's hand sweeps under my shirt and makes its way up. She touches my breast without
me expecting it. I startle and am reaching for my blind fold but am ordered not to by the authoritative
lawyer.

“Don't take it off.”

“But...”

“You should experience this until the end.”

How far is the end? The moist lips make their way from my chin to my ear, this is her house, so she's
more familiar and can move around with ease.

“You can still guess which direction to go... Let's do this.”

And the sly lawyer, who's having a lot of fun with this, spins me around like I'm a top. I can't tell the
direction and am so dizzy that I almost fall down. But the slender hand supports me before I do.

“Okay... This is the real test. Try walking around.”

“Huh...”

My emotions are rising, and I'm starting to breathe heavily. I don't know what’s happening to my
body. I can only control my hands at the moment, so I wrap them around Metavee's neck and hug
her tightly before I ask her to stop.

“Please, stop. I... I don't know what to do.”

“One more thing, then.”

“What?”

“A kiss.”

“Just a kiss, okay?”

“Ah-huh... just a kiss.”

Metavee presses her lips against mine again. This time, however, is not like the others. This time, the
soft tongue enters my mouth. I'm startled and ready to flee, but my body is pressed down, as if she's
not letting me get away.

“A bit more...”

“May.”

“Just a bit more.”

After trying to get away, I started to respond. Though I'm at a loss for what to do, it's better than not
doing anything at all. After rejecting it, I'm complying. After trying to run away, I'm teasing her and
playing with her in a slow melody.

“Okay. I'll stop.”

Metavee moves back and gets up. I'm completely exhausted and can only lie in bed panting, as if I'm
dying from a lack of oxygen. I didn't do much, so why am so tired?

“So, what was it like to not see anything?”

I hurriedly get up and take off my blindfold. I leave the blindfold hanging on my neck as I answer the
petite woman.

“It's... different.”

“When we were kissing, you must have thought that I was so sexy.”

I have thought that I so was.

“Huh?”

“The person in your imagination is always better than the real person. When you had your eyes
blindfolded, you must have imagined how I look and how I look at you...”
Metavee reaches out her hand to pat my face and lock target as she kisses me on the corner of my
mouth. It feels completely different from earlier.

“That's why they say imagination is more important than knowledge.”

“You're bad.”

“And you will imagine more and more... about me.”

I don't want to admit it, but what happened today has made me unable to sleep all night. Normally, I
go to bed at 11 p.m. or at most 1 a.m. But... I'm still awake. It's because of that kiss... that kiss,
which is not like any other. Metavee twisted everything by just changing the touch from using only
lips to adding tongue. It's like all of my senses were stimulated. And yes... the images of the petite
woman are flooding my mind. I imagined her facial expression when my eyes were blind folded,
though I couldn't see her.
When we kissed... was she smiling? When we kissed... was she frowning because I didn't know
what to do? When we kissed... did she look curious as to why it didn't feel like it used to when she
kissed Aobe Aum, my younger twin? Geez! It’s all my imaginations, just images in my head. There is
no truth in them.

Gulp... Gulp...
I come downstairs to drink water because I'm thirsty. I don't know what to do, so I'm looking at my
Facebook feed on my phone in case it will make me sleepy. But everyone is already asleep at this
time, so there aren’t many updates... So boring. Come to think of it... If there's nothing interesting on
my timeline, I can checkout Aobe Aum’s timeline.
When I get this idea, I run upstairs and grab my younger twin's phone, which I had no interest in
prying into before. The phone can be unlocked easily because I look like my twin. A conscience
suddenly rises in me, causing me to pause a bit. Actually... I shouldn't do something like this. But I'm
pretending to be my younger twin. If I know more about her life. I can do it better.

I guess... as long as Aobe Aum doesn't know about it, I'm not guilty of anything. Cool...

Ring!!

As soon as I make the decision to do something bad, the phone in my hand rings. Panic causes me
to startle and jump up, hugging my knees on the bed. When I first heard the ring. I felt like I'd been
caught doing something wrong. Yet, when I get a hold of myself, I slowly take a peek at who's
calling... Aobe Aum’s phone…… Metavee.

When I see who's on the line, I rushed over to pick up the phone with my heart racing.

“Hello.”
[You're not asleep yet? It's already very late.]

The petite one's nasal tone is surprisingly lively, like a bright sky, which is the polar opposite of the
dark sky outside right now. I'm so curious that I have to ask her back.

“And why aren't you asleep yet this late at night?”

[It's the same for me, no matter what time it is.

I'm always surrounded by darkness.]

“I'm having trouble sleeping tonight.”

I answer Metavee's initial question because I don't want her to dwell on her blindness.

“I'm surprised you called.”

[Are you unable to sleep because you're thinking of me?]

“So full of yourself. Why would I be thinking about you?”

I smile at the phone.

“You can't sleep because your thinking of me?”

[So full of yourself.]

We both go quiet. What happened today replays in my head. It makes my heart pound at the wrong
time.

It's a lonely time. Ah... it's very lonely.

“May.”

[Huh?]

“I really do miss you.”

I confess frankly and rub my face. I thought that Metavee would tease me, but she replies with the
same tone of voice.

[I miss you too.]

“So, we miss each other.”

I put my hand on my chest. My heartaches. Missing someone is so painful. I've never felt like this
before.

“We see each other every day. Why do we still miss each other?”

[I think it's physical.]

“How so?”

[We have sexual desire.]

I am astounded by Metavee's candour. But I'm not overreacting or telling her not to talk about it. I
just go quiet as I think about how I should respond.

“You always turn the conversation to this topic.”

[I miss you. It would be nice if... If you could come to spend the night with me tonight. Can you
come?]
The voice asking for tenderness makes me go soft. I'm like a teenager with raging hormones whose
boyfriend, whom she's madly in love with, told her that he wants to meet her now.

“It's really late. I can't come over.”

My heart is racing. I felt like I was panting when I said that. In my head, I imagine Metavee in her
pyjamas... a loose, white shirt with nothing underneath it, yes... nothing else to cover her body.

[Then...]

“Then...”

I repeat after her without thinking of teasing her. It's only because I can't think of anything to say right
now. I'm in a daze, listening to the voice on the other end of the line.

[Let's do something to lower our tensions.]

“Like what?”

Metavee pauses, like she's thinking. I anxiously want to hear what she will suggest.

[Phone sex.]
 Chapter 17
Phone Sex

Suddenly, there is silence between us. Metavee seems to be waiting to see how I would react to her
suggestion, while I still couldn't decide. If I hang up... it would be like losing. But if I don't, I have to
play her game. No. It's an excuse. I'm still that teenager with raging hormones whose heart trembles
when she hears the voice of her boyfriend, whose hormones are also raging... I mean, that's how I
feel. And I also want to know what a phone sex would be like. There's nothing to it. It's just our
voices...

“Why not... What do I need to do?”

[Describe what you're wearing.]

The person on the other end of the line initiates. I look down at my clothes and describe them as
they are without much elaboration.

“Huh? It's just pyjamas, a long-sleeve shirt and yellow Pokémon pants.”

[That doesn't sound like something an author would describe. Short, colourless, and no emotion.]

“If you're so good, describe yours to show me how a good author should describe it. What are you
wearing? Elaborate. If you can’t do it well, I'll say that back to you and more.”

[I'm not wearing anything.]

“Huh?”

[My body is as cold as ice. Because of the air conditioner. Some parts of my body are hard as the
cool air touches...]

“May.”
I'm starting to imagine, according to the words from the other end of the line. My imagination in the
afternoon replays in my head again as I remain quiet and concentrate on listening to Metavee. My
body is becoming warm, and now hot.

[I only have a thin blanket over my body. As I lay in bed, I imagine the blanket was the body of my
lover named... Aobe Aum.]

[Your hand is slowly brushing my skin from my hip to my breast. You are laying lower down than me
and hugging me from the back. Your fingers are caressing my nipples... Ah...]
I'm trembling as I hear the moans from the other side of the line. I'm imagining what she describes
scene by scene, and I can't help but….

“I repeatedly kiss the nape of your neck nonstop...”

I start to describe it as I close my eyes.

“Your body is trembling, and sweat is seeping out of your skin. I can hear your heavy breathing...”

The other side of the line goes quiet. I can only hear heavy breathing. My hand is slowly brushing all
over my body without me realising it.

[Hug me...]

“I'm hugging you... I like your scent.”

[What do I smell like?]

“You have an alluring jasmine scent on you from your hair... shoulders... My lips are moving down to
your hourglass waist. I'm all tense because you wouldn't let me taste...”

[You're doing well.]

“I lift your legs with my arms, but it's not very convenient. It'd be good if you...”

[If I what?...]

“If you spread your legs for me.”

[What will you do to me...]

“I want to taste you.”

[No.]

“Why not?”

[If you can... you won’t come to see me again.]

Suddenly, the person on the other end of the line cut the conversation short, though we were in the
zone.

[Miss me in misery.]

“You have a way to lower your tension; what about me... What am I supposed to do now?”

[Continue to suffer... If you can't stand it, come see me early in the morning.]

And the call ended just like that. My heart is racing as I continue to stare at the phone. She knows
how to lower her tension. But I can't do anything… Foul play!!!

I woke up at 6am... Wrong. Let's try again… I haven't slept all night. I intend to leave my house at
8am to go see Metavee, and if she asks why I'm there, I will say that I don't know. It's like I crave her
physically… Crave… But I don't know how to consume. Do you know what that's like? It's so
frustrating.
After I get ready, I look at the clock every twenty minutes. When the shorthand of the clock touches
8 and the long one touches 12, I jump up from the sofa to leave home. Yet... an unexpected guest
arrives.
“Pang.”

“How's it going?”
It's an awkward moment for two best friends who've kissed. I look away because I don't know what
to do.

“You come see me at 8am?”

“I just flew back at 5am, and I can't sleep... So, I thought I should come see you. What's surprising is
that you're up this early. Is the world ending?”

“Is there something urgent?”

“I wouldn’t come if there wasn't?”

We stare at each other as I scratch my head so hard that my scalp is coming off.

“Arrggg. Why is it so awkward between us?”

“Why don't you act normal? Let's talk.”

Pang signals for us to go talk in front of the house by pointing her head in that direction.

“It feels like I haven't seen you in a while.”

“Yeah.”

How could we have met? I don't dare face my friend since she kissed me that day. I can sense deep
inside that Pang expected me to have feelings for her after that kiss. I know how Pang feels. To hurt
her by saying, 'I can't love you', is nothing less than to cut off a friend. So, I tried to avoid her. If I
disappear for a while, it will seem like nothings happened when we meet again.

“You disappeared. How are you doing?”

Pang initiates the conversation so that it's not too quiet between us. I glance at her and nod.

“As usual. Heart pounding.”

“Please give me an update.”

The beautiful friend crosses her arms as she listens, but I don't say anything because I don't know
how to.

“Pang... Shall we talk about our kiss?”

“I thought you didn't want to talk about it.”

“I don't, but I think it's useless to avoid it. It may be more uncomfortable if we do.”

I tell her honestly.

“How long have you felt this way... about me?”

“A Long time.”
“Since?”

“Since the start.”

“You liked me from the start?”

“Ah-huh.”

My friend's honest confession makes me shy but also more awkward.

“Why do you like me?”

“Must there be a reason? I just love and like you... If there's a reason, then it isn't love.”

Love is founded on emotions... I agree with her. I also can't say why I feel more for Metavee than
anyone else, even though we don't have any shared experience. I know she's special just from one
kiss.

“You still love me?”

“Yes.”

“But you have a girlfriend.”

“No one can replace you yet.”

Pang admits that frankly, without trying to deny it one bit. It makes me embarrassed. I have turned
down many guys, and I don't care how hurt they must have been. But with Pang, it's different. She's
a friend whom I've known all my life. She knows all my crimes. We’ve laughed together. We grew up
together. I can't pretend to not feel anything...

“I don't want to lose you.”

I share my thoughts. Pang eagerly nods understandingly.

“You won't lose me.”

“Even if I don’t feel the same way?”

“Loving you doesn't mean that I have to have sex with you.”

When I heard that, I put my hand on my chest and rolled my eyes as if a truck had run me over.

“What did you just say?”

“I'm saying that I love you, but I don't expect to do those things with you. I can love you and be your
friend like this until we're old.”

“If that's what you really think, then why did you kiss me?”

“In case I have some hope. But if not, it's okay... I can take whatever outcome, as long as you don't
disappear from my life.”

Pang sighs like someone who's already accepted her fate.

“I don't want to be your Pluto.”

“Pang.”

“I know that it hurts. I hesitated a lot about whether I should have done it. But when I found out that
you felt something for a woman, for a split second, I thought I had a chance. I'm not ugly. If you like
women, you should have considered me first... not Metavee.”

“…”

“But that's that. You only like Metavee. It's like I can only like you. No one can replace you... You're
my world. Let me be your moon at least, not your Pluto.”

“…”

“Being there but being forgotten.”

When Pang finishes saying that, I dash in to hug her tightly and pat her back understandingly. I will
never let my best friend, who's standing in front of me be forgotten because I know how much
courage it took for her to confess her love to me. And I know... how scary it is to fear that you will be
someone's Pluto.

“I acknowledge how you feel. But... I can only be your friend. Are you okay with that?”

“Okay.”

“I can't imagine what it would be like to have sex with you.”

I look so awkward that Pang laughs and hits my forehead.

“Crazy. I like you, but I've never thought about having sex with you. Frankly, it's really scary.”

(Sob)

(Sob)
And the ambience changes back to one of two best friends who can talk about everything. I glance
at my friend and tug her gently with my elbow.

“Are you sure you can be my friend?”

“I am right now.”

“Then can I ask you something?”

“What?”

“What do you do when you're aroused?”

“That's too deep. You just broke my heart, and now you're asking how I help myself?”

Pang hugs herself, looking scared.

“I thought you just said you don't have those feelings when you're with me.”

“I don't feel it with you... I'm so frustrated. Metavee played with me.”

“How?”
“We did phone sex.”

“What the ****. You're going to hell.”

“Turn left at the junction.”

I replied to her sentence because I'm also shocked at what I did.

“It's great you showed up; please tell me...”

“What?”

“How do I help myself?”

“I'm going to faint.”

The topic is probably... um, a bit too private for Pang. Though we talk about everything, for someone
who just got her heart broken, she's not ready to talk about this. I understand that well. Though I
didn't get my answer, I got a bit of advice from my best friend.

“How can you let her play you one sided? You have to play her too.”

Come to think of it... I agree. Last night, the petite woman probably called me in the middle of the
night because she couldn't sleep either. Well... we're both living flesh and blood, not robots who
don't feel anything. If I feel it, she can feel it too. So why must I be the only one who suffers?

Eventually, I arrived at Metavee's place at almost noon. As soon as I arrive, I rush to the study room. I
intend to make out with her to fulfil my hunger, but I have to kill that plan when I see someone else in
there... someone who visits at the wrong time.

“Miss Ploy.”

“Miss Aum.”

Ms Ploy, the restaurant owner and Metavee's familiar past, is chit chatting merrily with the petite
woman on the sofa. They are almost on top of each other. When the lawyer knows that I'm here, she
smiles slightly and greets me like this is something normal.

“You're here, Aum.”

“I didn't know that you had a guest.”

“I've got to have some, or you would think that I have no friends at all.”

I don't know what to do, so I sit on the opposite sofa and watch them talk merrily about their past
that I wasn't part of.

“I remember that you rushed home right after the school bell rang.”

“I didn't rush home. I rushed to the other school because I was afraid that, that person would go
home before I got there.”
“Why didn't May go see her? Why hide?”

“I thought that she didn't want to see me. She seemed easily irritated... Someone like that wouldn't
like seeing me there.”

“So, you bought snacks to try get on her good side?”

“She still paid no attention to me.”

“What are you talking about?”

I, who had been sitting there for a while, interrupted because I felt like a third wheel. Ploy turns to
me and answers for May.

“May's first love when she was in high school. What about you, Aum? Have you ever had a crush on
someone?”

When I'm asked about how I exercise my charm, I sit up proudly.

“No. But a lot of people have flirted with me.”

“You're beautiful. That's not a surprise.”

“You're beautiful too, Miss Ploy.”

I compliment her back to be polite, but I'm sure I'm a lot better looking than her.

“Let's stop complimenting each other. Beauty doesn't mean anything if it doesn't make May
interested in you.”

Is she flirting with my girlfriend while I'm sitting right here? Geez. This doubles my frustration.

“But I've heard that you and May were together.”

“Well... yes. I have to thank May's first love for ignoring her. So, I got a chance to slip in perfectly.”

Slip in perfectly! I'm now sitting with a stiff neck as I imagine what can be slipped into Metavee's
body. And my eyes stop at her fingers...

“Who's on top?”

“What?”

My mindless question causes Miss ploy to ask me to repeat my question and try to smile it off,
though I'm sure they both heard it. My frustration is making me lose my cool. And I'm never one to
have much patience. Maybe... If I can't stand it any longer, I will reach my hand out to grab the petite
woman by the head and slap her.

“I think... Ploy, you should go back now. Aum probably has something she has to talk to me about. It
seems important.”

“Huh?”
Ploy turns to look at me, who's looking very moody. Metavee tries to be polite and reaches her hand
out to gently pat the person next to her on the cheek.

“I think we're about to have a fight.”

“Oh...”

When Ploy hears that, she immediately pretends to look guilty.

“Then I'll excuse myself. Don't fight too much because of me. I'm just visiting.”

“Please go first, Ploy.”

Ploy smiles again as she grabs her purse and gets up. As soon as the door closes, the room goes
quiet.

“Are you ready?”

Metavee says this as I look at the petite woman with sparkling eyes because I've been keeping it in
since last night.

“Ready for what?”

“Ready to make out?”

At the end of her question, I jumped at Metavee, as if I were breaking into pieces from the inside. All
the emotions I have held in since last night are being poured onto the person in front of me. I press
my lips aggressively against hers to release my tension.

Metavee wraps her arms around my neck and jumps onto me, using her legs to wrap around my
waist. I don't know where my strengths from, but I manage to take Metavee to the sofa and kiss all
over her face before I go back to her lips, taking in all the sweetness like I'm low on sugar.

“I missed you all night, Aum.”

“I couldn't sleep at all. I didn't know what to do.”

I nibble her shoulder as I unbutton her white shirt.

“You have to tell me... please.”

“Okay... I will tell you every step of the way. I don't want to be patient anymore.”

The petite one grabs my wrist and forces me to slowly make my way to her breast. I massage the
bouncy lump with cute aggression. I'm ready to pounce on her like an animal driven by its natural
instinct to breed. As I'm massaging her breasts greedily, the phone rings. That causes me to stop
midway.

“Don't pick it up.”

Metavee is begging me. I bite my lips tightly, hesitating whether I should continue or retreat. What
about the pitiful look of the person underneath me?

“I can't... It may be important.”

Ring...

The phone continues to ring nonstop. Pang and I had planned to do this. But when it comes to it...
I'm very frustrated. We are about to reach the climax.

“Ko... We haven't talked for a while.”

[Wild.]

“Yeah. We haven't met since the funeral.”

[You went to the funeral? Why didn't you invite me... Ben's funeral? Gosh...]

“Yeah. Sure... I'm still unemployed. I'm always free for you.”
[Such a drifter. You should get a job already. What do you live on these days... Your younger twin's
credit card?]

“Do you want to meet other friends as well... Oh? Just the two of us? Is that a good idea? What if our
old flame sparks again?”
I move back from Metavee and get up to talk on the phone in a low voice. My emotions are being
tamed, and I'm having fun observing Metavee's reaction. You're not the only one who can do this...

[Your low voice is hurting my ear. Do you have to speak like this when you talk to a man?]

“How many times have you insulted me?”

[What?]

“H... Huh...”

I unconsciously talk to my friend, forgetting that I'm pretending to talk to my ex. So, I hurriedly cover
up by putting my hair behind my ear and continue.
“You still have such a big mouth, Ko. Okay, let's say... we get a drink the day after tomorrow? You pay
because I don't have a job.”

[Poor you.]

“Ah-huh... I'm poor. Okay. See you. Bye.”

At the end of that call, I immediately hung up because I was embarrassed. Metavee goes quiet and
slowly sweeps her hair to the back. She unhurriedly buttons up her shirt as she bites her lip in an
attempt to calm her frustration that I decided to pick up the phone. No. Maybe she's frustrated that
I'm talking in low voice to my ex.

“Who was that on the phone?”

“A friend.”

“From?”

“My childhood friend.”

“A man or a woman?”

“A man.”

“Why do you have to use that voice? You never use it with me.”

The petite woman keeps a straight face and starts to show her jealousy, as always.

“Not just a friend, huh?”

“Well... probably the same as Miss Ploy and you. But don't think too much about it. It was a long
time ago. We're all friends now.”

“I'm not thinking about anything.”

“Good.”

I sit down next to Metavee and put my head on her shoulder as I tease her with my hand to see what
mood she's in, I put my hand on her. And the petite one brushes my hands off in frustration. It's the
total opposite of her trying to calm herself down a moment ago.

“The day after tomorrow?”

“Huh?”

I look dumbfounded because I forgot what I was saying.

“You're seeing your friend the day after tomorrow?”

When she reminds me, I go, 'Ah.' So, this is what it's like... If we speak the truth, it will always be the
truth. But if we lie, we never remember exactly what we said.

“Ah huh.”

“I'll go with you.”

“Huh?”

I shrink my neck and ask again.

“What?”

“I'll go with you.”

“I want to meet your friends too.”

 Chapter 18
Another World

I was just trying to get her to yearn for me, but when Metavee said she wanted to meet my friends, I
am now sitting here with my head in my hands, stressed out. Honestly, my friends and I have nothing
in common with Metavee's social circle. We were rascals who raced motorcycles at night and
skipped school. And we’re now paying for it with a low quality of life. We're not like Metavee's
friends, where everyone has a good job at a company or is a lawyer, doctor, owner of a restaurant...
Gosh.
“Don't forget that I'm an air hostess. I get paid many tenths of thousands of baht. You can show me
off.”

“Out of over ten friends. I can only show you off. Even I myself am unemployed and graduated with a
grade average so low that I almost had to crawl to the professors and beg them to let me graduate.”

As I talk to Pang on the phone, I open my desk drawer to go through my past. Books I never even
thought of putting in my school bag because it would make the bag lose its shape; pins from many
schools gathered in a plastic jar like some kind of reward when they’re just pins. I bullied others to
show my power. How could I have been a kid that was so stupid... I was such a rascal.

“I don't think Metavee would give it much thought. She just wants to get to know you. You're
unemployed now, but she's not putting you down or anything.”

“I feel like I'm not worthy to be with her.”

I let out a huge sigh because I'm still stressed.

“And if I introduce her to our friends, we have to tell them to pretend that I'm Aobe Aum... I don't
want to answer any questions.”

“Our friends won't ask much. It's not like you've never pretended to be AobeAum. We're used to it.”

I laugh when my friend talks about the past. When I think back, I realized what a badass I was.
Whenever I got into a fight, I would challenge them to come look for me if they wanted to get back at
me and introduce myself as…

“If you have a problem with me, come to me anytime you want. My name is Aobe Aum.”

“True. I always went as Aobe Aum. But that was when we were kids. We're adults now. They would
be curious.”

“You don't need to answer even if they ask. They won't nag you. They would be happy just to see
you... Since that incident, you’ve kept your distance. Think of it as a reunion.”

“Are you sure there won't be any problems?”

“It's nothing... Just don't tell them that Metavee is a lawyer.

“Why?”

“They think all lawyers are evil. We didn't just lose Ben, we also lost you.”

In the end, I decided to invite Metavee to meet my old friends. The only difficult part is talking about
her job. But it seems like the petite woman understands what I'm trying to explain to her, so she
doesn't mind and also laughs.
“I understand. The latest TV series turns lawyers into the bad guys for those who don't get it. I won't
introduce myself as a lawyer. Um... what should I introduce myself as?”

“Yeah. What job suits you? How about a celebrity... because you're beautiful?”
I said that from the bottom of my heart, but the petite woman scrunched her nose. I'm not sure if it's
just because she's shy.

“Such a sweet talker... Come to think of it, how long has it been since I saw your face?”

Metavee reaches her hand out to touch my face and moves it all over the place.

“This high-bridge nose, these eyes, these lips.”

The petite one's fingers are caressing my lower lip as she's thinking about something.

“Ah... I miss them so much. How much have you changed?”

“I'm still the same. Maybe a bit older.”

“If you're still the same, then not much has changed. You're still beautiful, you just play hard to get a
lot more. It frustrates me so much. I haven't tasted you for so long. If you didn’t pick up the phone,
and then took your time. If you were fruit, you'd rot before I got to eat you.”

“You're back to this topic again. Such a sly lawyer.”

I laugh at her adoringly rather than getting really angry.

“Do you think you're the only one who can make me yearn for you? Learn to wait so, you know how
valuable I am.”

I nibble the petite one's finger that is still caressing my lower lip out of cute aggression. I didn't think
anything of it, but it startles Metavee, and she quickly removes her finger like it's burned. I can see
that she's blushing a bit too.

“Are you okay?”

“Y... yes.”

“Why are you shy? I just nibbled your finger.”

“Do you want to try and see for yourself?”

“Why not? What's with it?”

I reach my finger out to her mouth, challenging her to nibble it. The petite woman opens her mouth
and uses her tongue to lick it like an ice cream.

Gasp…
I startle and pull my finger back while tightening my lips. A slight smile is on Metavee's face, like she
knew what my reaction would be.

“See? Do you understand now?”

“I nibbled. I didn't use any tongue...”

“If you feel this much when it's just your fingertip, imagine how much you'd feel it when it's...”
Suddenly, the tiny woman puts on the sexy woman act, licking her lips with her tongue. When I see
that, I can't help but smack her in the face.

“You're this naughty, though you can't see, I don't want to imagine if you could...

“You wouldn't get any sleep.”

“It wasn’t a question.”

“I just wanted to let you know.”

Talking to this woman gives me such a headache. Gosh...

It takes over a week for me to gather my old friends. We're meeting at a restaurant near my home.
When they heard that I wanted to meet, they eagerly found a time convenient for everyone because
they miss me. They also want to talk about the good old days.

At first, I was a bit heavy-hearted about how much it would cost to arrange a gathering like this. But
when I realise that I have my younger twin's credit card, I become worry free. If it's urgent, I can just
swipe away.
“You picked this place? I ride my motorcycle past it every day, but I never imagined that I would get
to eat here. Wow... Have you become rich, Aum? You won the lottery?”

Chokchai, one of my old friends, cries out in excitement when he gets to eat at such an expensive
place. It makes me feel a bit embarrassed in front of Metavee, but the sweet-faced woman didn't
say anything. She just pats me on the thigh.

“I understand. It's good that your friends are happy.”

“But he's too happy.”

Part of the reason I picked this place is because, not only do they accept credit cards, but I also
think that the food should appeal to the petite woman next to me more than a place on the street. To
be honest, I'm a bit tense. My friends are very different from hers. If the food is bad too. I'm afraid
that Metavee would have to adjust too much to be with me.

“Can we order anything? It's very expensive, Aum.”

Bow, another female friend who brought her young child and husband, asks me.

“It's half my daily wage.”

“Eat whatever you want. We don't get to see each other often.”
I smile at her, wanting to ask everyone to act normal because I'm so embarrassed I don't know
where to look.

“If so, then I'll order.”

“Go ahead.”

“Let me excuse myself to the restroom.”

I turn to Pang.

“Please take care of May while I'm away.”

“Okay. I'll take care of her.”

I excused myself because I felt uncomfortable. I'm not sure if today's gathering was a good idea.
Metavee's feelings for me may change. She viewed Aobe Aum as someone precious, but my friends
are all low-class. They’re excited about food that costs 200 baht and an air-conditioned restaurant.

“How's it? Why are you standing here alone? What are you thinking?”

Kosol walked after me. He starts a conversation and smiles at me. It seems like he can tell I'm not
feeling so great today.

“Just thinking about this and that.”

“Are you embarrassed by your friends?”

“No.”

I hurriedly replied, like someone caught red handed, though in reality, I am.

“Well... I think our friends are a bit too excited. Even the owner of this place looked over at us.”

“Then why are we eating here in this pricey restaurant?”

“Well...”

I stutter. I want to say it's because of Metavee, but I don't want Kosol to think that I prioritise her over
my old friends.

“I wanted everyone to be impressed and eat good food. We haven't met for so long.”

“We're not impressed by eating in this expensive restaurant. Though you see that we are excited, we
are actually, very uncomfortable... You make everything difficult, Ai.”
“I took you all out, and you're complaining?”

I mutter, but I admit to it.

“What should I do? Should we go somewhere else?”

“That would be good. Let's go to a place with karaoke and sing our lungs out. That's our way of life.”

“But...”

“That's not the way of life for the woman you brought along.”

When he preempts me like this, I can only sigh.

“I'm sorry. I really don't know what to do.”

“You think for other people too much. You asked us to meet today, but have you talked to any of your
friends yet? Will you just sit here like you have dog poop in your mouth?”

“You described it so well.”

I cover my mouth with my hand and scrunch my face.

“Do I look like that?”

“Yes... This is not the Ai Aun that I know. She is very down-to-earth and does things without care.
She eats wherever it’s convenient. She's a bully, but she loves her friend. She lives a fun life. She
doesn't live life abiding rules or thinking for others. How can your lover love you if you keep on lying
like this?”

“Lie about what?”

“Lie about who you are. You lied even about your name. You're not yourself at all right now.”

Gasp...

I feel like he caught me red handed and I'm stunned when I hear that. I want to be mad at the person
in front of me for being too direct, but I have to admit that what he just said is true. I've lived with a lie
for too long. I'm lying to myself now and can't accept who I really am. My old friends have always
been like this. But I'm trying to be like Aobe Aum.

“Thank you.”

“What for?”

“For this.”
I decide to return to the table and slam on it to get the attention of my friends, who are sitting timidly,
waiting for food. Everyone turns to me.

“Everyone, listen.”

I sweep my eyes at everyone and snap my fingers.

“Let's go somewhere else.”

Everyone looks surprised, but less tense. They can't help but ask.

“Where?”

I smile and raise my eyebrow, trying to look cool, Ai Aun style.

“Isan's Daughter.”

As expected, when we get to the place it serves food that everyone likes, everyone is no longer
tense and is acting like themselves. They talk nonstop, like their mouths have a mind of it’s own.
From being embarrassed about their loudness, I've become relaxed and clap when my friends say
they will sing karaoke.

“Go for it.”

“Let's sing, May.”

Bow walks toward us with her kid and helps Metavee up.

“Which song do you want to sing, tell me? I'll play it for you. Your only job is to hold the microphone
and sing.”

I sneak a peek at the petite woman, who's looking a bit shy. She looks like she's about to cry, so I
reach out and hold her hand to comfort her.

“It's okay. Just sing.”

“I'm a bad singer.”

“It's not a competition. Just sing.”

“But... are you sure it's a good idea?”

“Of course it is. None of us can sing.”

We all cheer for Metavee to sing. Though it's a bit of pressure, I want to see if the petite one can get
along well with my friends.

“Okay...”
Metavee says the song she wants to sing, with Bow assisting her in playing the songs, just as she
said, all Metavee has to do is hold the microphone and sing. As soon as the intro is over Metavee
starts to sing.

“Say something... Don't leave me hanging...”

Everyone goes quiet. Even people at other tables dropped their jaws and look at each other in panic.
Metavee's voice is so...

“It's worse than the howling of a dog.”

Not only is the voice horrible, but she's also out of tune and sings with her own horrific melody. Even
Bow's young child cried like she was really sad. But because Metavee has a lot of confidence, she
continues to sing without care, not for other people for the melody of the song. It's as if the song is
hers, and she will sing until the end.

Don't anyone dare take the microphone away from her.

“She's beautiful, but her voice is ugly.”

“Should we take the microphone away from her?”

Though we were shocked at first, we now started to smile a little and eventually burst out laughing in
the end. The atmosphere is funnier than heavy. I don't care about how badly Metavee sings. I'm just
happy that the lawyer can get along well with my friends without having to force herself. She seems
happy, too.

“She's cute.”

Kosol moves to sit next to me. He talks about Metavee.

“Is this the one you felt something when you kissed?”

I feel a bit shy when we're on this topic. Also, a bit guilty. I smile at him dryly.

“Ah huh.”

“It's like a slap in the face somehow. I thought I was a good kisser, but I couldn't make you feel
anything. Meanwhile a blind woman doesn't have to do anything, and she has your heart.”

“She did something... She kissed me.”

“I only got to kiss you once. After that, you broke up with me.”

My ex says that and laughs casually. I don't know how to react, so I put the hair covering my face
behind my ear and wriggled a little to get rid of the awkwardness.

“She's very beautiful. What does she do?”

“She's blind. What can she do? She just stays home... She used to work in the government sector.”

“Will her sight get better?”

“I hope so... I want to look her in the eye. It would be so nice.”

I look at the person, who's still singing merrily with Bow, and smile.

“She looks kind of familiar. I can't remember where I've seen her before.”

“It's probably not her. She wouldn't stoop down to our social circle.”

“Stoop down? Are we that bad... She can be with you, no? So, how did you meet?”

“It's fate.”
I try to avoid the question because I don't know how to explain all that has happened. It's like a TV
series. Twins who take each other's places and fall in love… Abracadabra.

“What have you been doing aside from kissing?”

“Naughty.”

I hug myself tightly and rub my arms because I don't know where to put them.

“How could I do something like that?”

“She doesn't even know how to help herself.”

Pang, who's moved to the other side of me, joins the conversation, leaning over me to talk to Kosol.
It seems like she's been listening in for a while now.

“She's so stupid.”

“Is this what you should be saying to my ex, who's a guy?”

I bare my teeth at Pang, but Kosol just laughs like this is a normal topic.

“Hey. If you're together, go all the way. It's natural. If you don't want to do it with a man, do it with a
woman.”

“You're on Pang's side? No... We are not talking about this.”

I wriggle again to lower my tension as I look at the petite woman, who's dancing cutely as she's
singing.

“Change the topic.”

“Okay. Let's change the topic. Let's talk about Metavee.”

Pang says this seriously, breaking the lively mood. She's got my attention.

“Is she really blind?”

“Of course she is. Is it something you can fake?”

“It is.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Ai.”

My best friend stares at me, all serious.

“I'm not imagining it.”

“About?”

“She can see, she might just be pretending to be blind.”

“Nonsense. I've been with her for a while now. I would notice something like that. Where did you get
that idea from?”
“When you went to the restroom and left her alone with me.”

“Ah-huh.”

“I talked about this and that, then I teased her and told her that... I like you… As soon as I said that…”

Pang looks me in the eye to show she’s being serious.

“Metavee stared at me.”

 Chapter 19
Both Lying?

The party is over. Everyone waves goodbye and smiles at us as we get in the car. I haven't met up
with my friends for years since the incident. Seeing them again allows me to recharge. It's as if I've
reawakened my true self.

“I'm so full. The food here was great.”

The petite woman gives me a thumbs up and shakes as if she has goosebumps.

“It's so delicious, I couldn't stop eating. I must have gained weight.”

“You don't have to worry about your weight because you already have a girlfriend.”

“Ah. True. I have a girlfriend.”

“We’re you pretending to have a good time?”

The petite woman, who's laughing merrily, pauses and scrunches her face.

“What do you mean pretending?”

“Like, maybe you don't want me to worry that you can't get along with my friends. It's okay, you
know? You can be yourself. I would understand. My friends are from a completely different world
than yours.”

“How is that?”

“Well...”

I shrug.

“Our way of life, the language we use, the food we eat... You only have rich friends, most of whom
have a social status. But my friends...”

“Crazy. Don't think too much. For me, we’re all human beings. Your friends are cute and relatable. I
like them, though they seemed tense at first. Maybe it's because the first restaurant was... You made
the right decision to change it. Otherwise, I don’t think your friends and I would’ve gotten so close
this soon.

“Close?”

I laugh. But when I think about it, she's right. My friends, except for Pang, approached Metavee and
talked to her like they'd known her for ages. Especially Bow, who sang a duet with her nonstop,
though she complained that the lawyer sang out of tune and rhythm.

“Please invite me to meet your friends again. It was so much fun. No one bragged about their
wealth.”

“What's there to brag about? We are all poor. I paid for today's meal.”
I sit with a hunched back.

“I used a credit card to withdraw cash and pay for it.”

When my younger twin wakes up, she’ll kill me. But I will kill myself before she can do that, I swear.

“You're so poor. How did I get myself such a poor girlfriend?”

“You've been fooled.”

I turn the car into Metavee's house. As soon as the car is parked, the petite woman starts sulking
because she doesn't want to go inside.

“I don't want to go back into my square room.”

“So, what do you want to do?”

“You're not afraid anymore?”

“If you're with me, I'm not afraid.”

The petite woman smiles until her face is all crinkled. I look at her looking at me, asking for my
tenderness, and feel acute aggression towards her. Yet all I can do is bite my lips and help her out of
the car.

“You will get bitten by mosquitoes taking a walk this late at night.”

“It's okay, I have you.”

“There are also ghosts at night.”

“It's okay, I have you.”

“Maybe thieves too.”

“It's okay, I have you.”

“I love you.”

“It's okay, I have... huh?”

Metavee raises her eyebrow a bit in surprise and laughs it off.

“What's this? Your confession doesn't go with my reply. I was caught off guard.”

“Don't you like it when I say I love you?”

“It's nice...”

I can sense that the petite one is so shy that she looks down at the ground, though she can't see.

“Really nice.”

“I really feel like that today. I really like you. And when I see that you don't mind how I grew up, I feel
like we are jigsaw pieces that fit perfectly together.”

I hug Metavee from behind and slide my feet under hers so that my feet are her shoes.
“What’s this?”

“I just want to show you that I will be with you... like a shadow.”

I embrace the petite woman from behind and slowly step forward with Metavee on my feet.

“I will be your shelter. Mosquitoes won't be able to bite you... they will bite me first.”

“See? I told you. There's nothing for me to fear when you're with me.”

“Let's take a walk.”

“If there are ghosts, I will swoosh you away.”

“That's great. I won't be tired because you are my feet.”

“If there are thieves, I will protect you, so you won't encounter any danger… They will have to get
through me.”

“And if we do catch those thieves, I will handle the lawsuit myself to make sure they get a lifetime
sentence.

“You're very tough.”

“I love you the most.”

I smile broadly. I feel bigger and bigger. So, this is how it feels to be in love? I've never felt like this
with anyone before.

“The most?”

I tease her and talk about her galaxy, that she likes to talk about.

“What about your first love? The hero on the suspension bridge.”

“My first love?”

“Ah huh...”

I reply with a softer voice because I'm starting to sulk. This is what it's like to be a fool who's madly
in love? I brought up this topic, yet I sulked irrationally.

“That one.”

“How can you be jealous of yourself?”

“Huh? Myself?”

“You're my first love, Aum.”

“How?”

I backed off a bit because I'm surprised. Metavee smiles shyly and slowly explains.
“You're the one I waited for in front of school but hid from. You're the one I sent snacks and the love
letter to but didn't get any response... Of course, they weren't anything of any importance to you. I
was just your Pluto. I'm nothing worth remembering for you.”
I'm still stunned as I listen to the sulky person in front of me tell her story. The person Metavee fell in
love with from the start was Aobe Aum… And that won't change any time soon.

“What is it? Why are you quiet?”

“Huh? Ah... I was thinking as you were talking. I'm glad I'm your first love.”

“Are you really happy? Why does it sound like you're sad... Don't forget that I can sense how you
feel.”

“You're overthinking. Why would I be sad? You said that I was your first love... It's late. You better go
inside and get some sleep. If dew falls on you, you could get sick.”

“Ah-huh.”

I helped the petite woman into the house. As I take her to her bedroom. Metavee pauses and
squeezes my arm like she wants me to stop walking. She seems to realise something.

“Aum.”

“Huh?”

“Why didn't Jan come today?”

Gulp...

Aobe Aum’s best friend is Jan. I forgot all about it...

“Jan is from another friend group.”

“But I remember that you told me that Jan has been your best friend since junior high school. Aren't
your friends today from your high school?”

“Some were from school, and some were from the neighbourhood. If you want, I'll invite Jan over to
see you.”

“Ah-huh.”

“I love you. Aum.”

“Ah huh. I know.”

I reply with a smile, though I'm aching inside.

“Do you want to kill me by overwhelming me with your love?”

“I love you the way you are now... Do you know what I mean?”

“I understand... You love Aum. You said that very clearly.”

Not me… I pity myself when I realise that because I was carried away thinking that Metavee loves
me, who's just using my twin's name. But once I hear about her past, I'm sure... that no one can take
Aobe Aum, her first love's, place. If she knew that Aobe Aum had dumped her to marry someone
else, would she still be in love with her? Will there be even a split second that she can love...
someone else? Someone who looks the same as Aobe Aum.

“It's late. I'll go home, so you can sleep.”

“We didn't do one thing.”

“What... novel?”

I pretend to remember and smile.

“It's already late. What about tomorro...”

Metavee pulls me by the collar and quickly kisses me. It's not that I didn't know what she would do,
but I pretended not to know because I still feel sorry for myself. Our kiss is not intimately passionate
today. It's more of an expression of our love through our lips. Slow... and with intent.

The tongue that sweeps into my mouth causes me to respond. I forgot all about the heavy feeling I
had. The petite woman slowly pushes me towards the bed. I'm still trying to focus and make sure
that we don't crash into the cabinet or anything sharp until we reach the bed. Yet I was
unsuccessful. My arm hit a steel box on the study table near the wall. It opened, and everything fell
out of it.

“Be careful, May!”

I pull the petite one in panic when the needles, scissors, and sharp objects scatter onto the floor.

“It's okay. I don't want to stop now.”

As soon as Metavee finishes saying that, she walks around all the sharp objects on the carpet and
pushes me onto the bed as intended. Yet... my mood is gone. There are only surprises and curiosity.
Metavee walked around those things... I saw the petite one lift her foot to avoid stepping on every
needle without any hesitation.

“May.”

I push Metavee off me and stare at her in silence. Her eyes are still wandering, which surprises me.
We are together all the time. There wasn't a moment that I doubted whether she could see or not,
until a second ago.

“Huh?”

“I better leave now. It's late. I don't want my mom to nag me. See you tomorrow.”
I cut the conversation short and said goodbye before I immediately walked out of the room in a daze.
Pang's words came floating into my head. It's like a broken record to emphatically state what I just
experienced, which confuses me even more.
“I talked about this and that. I told her how many lovers you've had and how beautiful you are. Then I
teased her and told her that... I liked you. Believe me, as soon as I said that Metavee stared at me.”

Can see... Metavee can see. Though I'm not sure, the way she avoided stepping on those needles
was too much of a coincidence.

Maybe... I'm not the only one who lies Metavee is lying to me too!
 Chapter 20
Making Up

“I told you she can see.”

Pang insists on what she saw that day. I'm sitting on her balcony, hugging my knees, and looking out
at all the houses with lights on. I don't want to go home yet because I'll sit there by myself.

“I'm still not sure. Maybe it was a coincidence. Maybe her eyes were coincidentally directed at you
when she turned her head. It doesn't mean she can see.”

“What about her being able to avoid stepping on those needles?”

“Maybe that was a coincidence too.”

“Your hips are all scratched. Anyway, whatever makes you feel better, but... what if Metavee is
pretending to be blind? Would you act like one of those leads in a Thai series... Like, you tricked me, I
can't accept that, I'm leaving you, your lies hurt me…” (Editors note: I think “Your hips are all
scratched.” Is actually meant to be “Your arm is all scratched.” It would make more sense.)

“Stop.”

I wave my hand because I can't stand her acting skills.

“I would feel bad that she lied to me, but I wouldn't run away because I'm hurt, like in a movie.”

“So, it's not a problem.”

“But I still can't get it out of my head. Why would she lie to me?”

“You're not Aobe Aum. Why did you lie to her?”

It seems like Pang can argue with every doubt I have. In the end, I can only sit here with a scrunched
face because I don't want to lose. My very reasonable friend puts her chin on her hand and kicks me
a little to get my attention.

“We all have our own reasons… Why did you lie to her?”

“Because I love her and want to be near her.”

“Maybe she lied to you for the same reason. She loves you and wants to be near you.”

“She could do that even if she wasn’t blind.”

“Meaning Aobe Aum wasn’t around when she could see, so she had to pretend to be blind.”
I pause and think about that. I think I heard Metavee say that when she wasn't blind, her love life was
very dull. She only felt better when I came along.”

“Ah. Maybe, but...”

“If you're so curious...”

Pang looks at me and rolls her eyes before she makes a suggestion so we can get past this.

“Prove whether she's blind or not. If she's not blind, just get a bit angry and don't play hard to get too
much. This is not a TV series. And if she's really blind, apologise and love her more.”

“I don't know if I can love her more.”

“What do you mean?”

“I already love her the most.”

I mutter. When I see that Pang is quiet, I hurriedly sit up straight and change the topic. I forgot that
she confessed to me.

“Let me think about it a bit more.”

“It'd be good if she's not actually blind.”

“How so?”

I ask, and my beautiful friend winks at me knowingly.

“Not being disabled is better, of course, but moreover...”

“You can look each other in the eye when you make love.”

“Crazy!”

Like I said, it's still stuck in my head. I wouldn't be mad if I found out that Metavee was pretending to
be blind. But I still want to know the truth. Human beings are naturally curious and desire to seek the
truth. Why else would there be news reporters?

“You're inviting me to go out?”

The petite woman sounds excited. When I see her this happy, I soften and contemplate the evil plan
I'm about to carry out to prove whether she's blind.

“Yes. Do you trust me?”

“Of course. I love you.”

“…”

“Why are you quiet? When I say I love you, you have to say you love me back. It's tradition.”

The sweet-faced woman smiles so wide that her face is all crinkled. Though, her eyes are looking in
another direction, I know that the smile is mine and mine alone.

“I love you, May.”

“That's all there is to it.”

I'm taking her to the fresh market near my home today. I saw that she likes local food, so I intend to
take her to try the southern-style soup that I like. I can tell that the petite woman is a bit nervous
because she clings tightly to my arm. That makes me hesitate about whether she's pretending to be
blind or not.

“It smells like a fresh market.”

“Yes, it is. Your sense of smell is very good.”

“Because I can't see, my nose is good. Where exactly are we in the market?”

“We're at the underground parking. We're about to walk to the dining area upstairs. There are tables
where we can eat.”

My mind is in a state of constant conflict. One feels very guilty for testing Metavee, like I don't trust
her. The other says that it's okay because seeking the truth is the right thing to do… Okay... If it's the
truth, it must be right.

“I want you to try a southern-style soup that I've liked since I was a kid. When school was over, I'd
come here.”

“Really... This is exciting. So, this place has been open since you were a kid?”

“Ah-huh.”

“So, the shop owners known you since you were a kid?”

“Yes.”

“How young?”

“Very young.”

“Wow... Aobe Aum with short arms and legs and chubby fingers.”

“My fingers are not chubby. They are long.”

I replied without thinking much. But the petite woman seems very elated to hear that

“Wow... great. Long fingers.”

“How is that good?”

“I'll tell you later.”

I'm a bit curious, but I didn't give it much thought. I tell her to wait where she is…

“Hang on. I left something in the car, please wait here.”

“Aum...”

I act like I'm going to the car and just leave her there in the middle of the driveway. A bit after that, I
hear the sound of a TukTuk from not so far away. It's a small car, so people tend to drive fast and
make quick turns, even if it's at a fresh market. Is this a good idea... leaving her standing there? I can
see that Metavee is nervous and is starting to reach her arms out like she's looking for something.
She then shouts out.
“Aum... Aum, where are you?”

“Aum!”
Her voice is full of fear, so I start to pity her. But because I really want to know the truth, I still leave
her standing there. And no more than five seconds after later, I could see the TukTuk I heard driving
down from the upper level. It's making a swift turn towards where Metavee is standing... The TukTuk
won't hit Metavee I'm more curious to see if the petite one would try to get away and instantly

Honkkkkkkkkkkkk

“Aum!!!”

Metavee sits down and covers her head with her hands as she shouts for me. The TukTuk turns
another direction after it honks without paying attention, while the petite woman sits there shaking
and crying pitifully.

“May.”

“Aum. Where are you?”

The tears flowing from the petite woman's eyes make me go soft. I dash in and hug her tightly,
though Metavee is hitting me softly with her fists nonstop.

“Why did you leave me here alone?”

“I'm sorry... So sorry.”

“I don't love you anymore. You left me. You said you'd be by my side to protect me.”

“I'm sorry.”

My voice is shaking as I hug the petite woman, full of guilt.

“I was wrong.”

What have I done. The plan to eat at the fresh market was scrapped. I drive Metavee home and look
at her as she sits and hugs herself on the bed for hours.

“May.”

Metavee hasn't talked to me since we got home. She's been hugging her knees on the bed all this
time. It's like she's rejecting me and no longer trusts me.

“I'm sorry.”

I sit next to her, but the owner of the house moves away like she despises me. That hurts me a lot.

“I'm sorry.”

“Can you leave?”

The words and act of chasing someone away, the same way she did to Ploy, are directed at me now.
Her voice is cold. She doesn't care one bit how the person being chased away would feel. She
makes me feel worthless. But I admit that I'm wrong about this. So, I have to withstand whatever
Metavee does to me.

“Can I spend the night?”

“Don't you understand what I just said?”

“Honey...”

I don't know how to try to make up with her, so I wrap my arms around her. But she shakes herself
off.

“Can you not be angry with me? I'm hurt”

“And how should I feel, you left me there alone, knowing how afraid I was?”

“I...”

I'm not giving up, so I wrap my arms around her again. Though Metavee tries to shake me off, I use
my thick skin to resist it. I've always been the one trying to shake myself off men's arms since I was
born, so this is the first time I'm the one trying to make up with a woman. It's very wearisome.

“You can curse me. But don't act like you despise me, please.”

“I don't trust you anymore.”

“Please...”

I feel like I'm dying, and I'm begging the person in front of me to save my life.

“I'm really deeply hurt.”

My voice is starting to crack. I try to kiss the person who is angry with me in an effort to reconcile.
But Metavee turns her head away and tries to reject me. Yet I keep going and press her on the bed,
not giving in.

“Get off me. Don't touch me.”

“Make up with me first.”

“Go away”

I lock her arms and bury my face in her neck as Metavee wiggles around. I take a deep breath of the
jasmine scent that she always has on her. I keep apologising to her, asking for her forgiveness, and
confessing my love to her as I do that, I really hope she'll forgive me.

“I love you, May... Please forgive. What do I need to do?”

“Get off... Ah...”

Metavee is starting to lose strength. I become more confident, thinking that the petite one is
becoming soft. So I slid my hand inside her shirt.

“Let's make up.”

“Ah... Gasp... Take your hand off. Don't touch me.”

Swoosh.
I reach behind her and unhook her bra, releasing her breasts. I then bury my nose in her breasts, with
her thin, white shirt still on.

“Please don't be mad at me. I love you... I like everything that is you.”

My hand is fondling her nipple, causing Metavee to arch her back. Though I don't hear any rejection,
Metavee still seems angry with me.

“Please say that you love me.”

“Aum.”

“Please.”

I tease and pull her nipple with my fingers. The petite woman lets out a deep moan and grabs my
hair. She pushes my head down.

“If you want me to say I love you, prove that you really love me.”

I don’t have any experience doing this, but when my head is pushed downward and I am ordered to
prove my love, I immediately know what I must do.

I pull Metavee's shorts down to her ankles using both hands. I make my way up from her ankle to her
underwear with my lips.

“If you don't say that you love me, I won't do it.”

“If you don't do it, I won't say that I love you.”

We are both firm on this. But because I'm in the wrong today, I have to give in.

“Okay.”

I look at the white underwear, the last thin barrier, and pull it off to face the most challenging things
my eyes meet.

“I give in.”

I’ve always been curious how someone could do these kinds of things without feeling that they were
disgusting. But now that it’s time I understand, I understand well. It’s because of love…

A woman who is willing to do oral sex for a man, or a man who is willing to do oral sex for a woman
does because they want the other person to be happy. They also want to satisfy their own sexual
desires. And yes... I'm one of them. Though we have the same things, I'm deeply drawn to her
charming body in a way that can't be described with words. It's luring me in. And I want to know
what it'd feel like when I got to taste it….

“Ah...”
I kiss lightly, feeling proud that I will finally get to learn Metavee's body. The petite one arches her
back uncontrollably, which makes me want to do more.

“It's a good taste.”

“Don't talk like that... It's embarrassing.”

Though she was the one who challenged me, she suddenly squeezed her legs together. I have to
spread them before talking like I'm the authoritative one who can order the person in front of me as I
wish.

“You have to say you love me each time you finish.”

“Aum... Aum... Ah.”

I then took hold of her lips immediately

Marisa cannot withstand her curiosity any longer. Though she knows that the road ahead is dark and
full of obstacles she is willing to trade everything.
What's so scary... She's just opening Pandora's box.

Our love scene doesn't go smoothly because I'm inexperienced. In the end, Metavee has to direct
me with her low voice as she's being tortured by me.

“Faster… Move your tongue faster.”

I do as the petite one requests and look at the person who looks like she's being tortured as she
moans like she's in pain yet is also happy.

“What else should I do... Can I do this?”

Whether it's instinct or curiosity, I slip my finger into the important spot. The warmth and slippery
feel, as well as my mouth, which is also focusing in that area, make Metavee cover her face.

“You know what to do... You lied to me, saying that you don't. Ah...”

What she said sounded somewhat like a compliment. It makes me smile proudly. I want to hear her
voice a more, so I tickle my finger a bit and then sweep it...

“Ah...”

The petite one is starting to make noises that can't be understood. I reach my hand to her face and
caress her lower lip with my thumb before I stick it into her mouth. And when Metavee nibbles my
thumb, my heart trembles.

“May...

“Eat... it all.”
The petite woman is nibbling my thumb gently with her teeth. It's like she's telling me how much
she's feeling.

“Eat all of me.”

“Ah... I will give it all I have.”

And the petite body jerks before she bends, all stiff. I can feel that my finger, which is inside her
body, is being squeezed. I slowly take it out and move myself up to hug the sexy one tightly.

“You haven't said that you love me… Metavee.”

“I love you... silly one.”

I never thought we'd get to this.... the point where I try to make up with her and she ends up having
no clothes on. After I was forgiven, I rested before I slowly got up and was about to tiptoe away. Yet...

“Are you hitting and running?”

The muffled and casual voice startled me. I turn to the petite woman who's holding on to my shirt
tightly. Yes... The person who has no clothes left on is Metavee. As for me everything is where it
should be.

“N... No.”

“So where are you going?”

“I just realized that it's late.”

“I remember someone asking if she could spend the night.”

“Who? I don't remember. Oops!”

The petite one used the opportunity when I wasn’t on guard to pull my shirt so hard that I fell down
on the bed. She instantly gets on top of me. Though I've seen every part of Metavee, her being on top
like this is…… So hot.

“Aren't you uncomfortable?”

“Why would I be?”

I asked curiously, Metavee tilted her head and looked really curious.

“You haven't released your tension. Aren't you left hanging?”

The sweet looking lawyer slowly bends down. Though her eyes are wandering and looking
elsewhere, her words hit me spot on. She bends down to kiss my ear as she whispers into it.

“If you're aroused but don't release it, you will be frustrated.”

“It's okay. I... I'm good. Ah...”

The light nibble on my ear makes me cry out uncontrollably. The soft scent from Metavee's body
makes me go soft as my heart starts to race.

“Don't you want to know how I felt when I moaned?”

“Hearing you moan already makes me happy.”

“But you can be happier...”

Metavee slips her hand under my shirt and sweeps it upward. I'm losing my breath as my emotions
are starting to rise. I try to resist because I'm afraid.

“It's okay, Really I... I...”

Ring…
The phone is like a bell that saves my life almost every time. I hurriedly sat up, with Metavee still on
my lap. We look like a mother monkey hugging a baby monkey, facing each other. I quickly grab my
phone and pick up the call, not even looking at who's calling.

“Hello.”

[Ai, where are you?]

“Mom...”

I sound surprised. Metavee doesn't want to sit still, so she's seducing me by snuggling her face into
my neck. That makes me have to talk to my mom while I'm being aroused.

“W... what's up... M....mom?”

You have to stop now. What if I make a strange sound while my mother is still on the line, Metavee?

[Wherever you are, come to the hospital now.]

The panicking voice of my mother makes me immediately think of my younger twin. Though I'm
aroused, I immediately try to get a hold of myself.

“What happened?”

Metavee doesn't know anything, but when she can sense that my tone of voice has changed, she
moves back to look at me like she can hear the conversation on the phone.

[ Aum… Aobe Aum...]

“What is it, mom... Or is she...”

Dead...

No. While I was having a pleasurable night in bed, my younger twin left this world…

[Aum has regained consciousness. Come to the hospital now.]

“Huh?”

[Aum is out of the coma. Aobe Aum, your twin, is awake.]

 Chapter 21
The Real One Returns

My mother sounds very happy and hurriedly hangs up while I'm stunned. When I thought that my
younger twin had passed away, I was shocked and sad... But when I know that Aobe Aum is out of
the coma, I'm not at all happy. For a split second, I had the evil thought that if I could choose, I
wanted my first thought to be true so, that I could be the only twin left in this world. And I could be
Metavee's only Aobe Aum.

But now that the real Aobe Aum has woken up... l will vanish like a bubble in water.

“Are you okay, Aum? Why are you suddenly so quiet? I can sense your feelings, you know?”

I look at the person speaking, feeling confused. I pull the naked one on my lap in to hug her tightly. I
love her so much that I can't describe it. What should I do... I don't know what will happen after this.

“May

“Huh?

“Will you forgive me if I ever do something terribly wrong to you?”

“Aside from abandoning me when we went out, you did something else. That's not nice at all.”
Metavee pulls me in for a hug and snuggles into my neck like someone who is very clingy when she
talks.

“If I get mad, try to reconcile with me the way you just did. I'll forgive you quickly.”

“I don't know if you'd let me do this when the time comes.”

“What about... if I do something very wrong to you in the future, will you forgive me?”

“Are you negotiating with me?”

“It's a trade.”

“Ah... Okay. Let's call it a trade. If you forgive me, I'll forgive you too.”

“You promise?”

“Yes... I promise.”

We hugged without saying anything else because I had to go to the hospital. I told Metavee that my
mother was sick, so the petite woman didn't ask any more questions. The real Aobe Aum is awake.
When I get to the hospital, she's talking happily to our parents, like a favourite child would.

“Twin.”

I interrupt as my parents are celebrating. Aobe Aum looks at me, who's standing in the doorway, and
raises her eyebrow before she smiles... A smile that she has never given me since the day we were
born.
“Twin.”

Since we were young, this is what we've always called each other. We don't call each other's names
to remind ourselves that there is another person on this planet who looks exactly like us. My mother
waves her hand to tell me to go closer. Because we're not close enough for me to dash in to hug her,
I only walk in slowly and stop by the bedside.

“How are you?”

“I have a headache. Probably from sleeping for too long... Mom and dad said that I slept for months.
What happened while I was in a coma?”

Everyone looks at each other awkwardly. I glance at the person who looks exactly like me and ask
her back.

“What do you remember?”

“I don't remember anything. I don’t know where to start or where I left off.”

“The doctor said she's lost her memory temporarily. But it will slowly come back. There's no rush.”

My mother explains. That makes me look at my younger twin with hope, I still have time. have a bit
more time to be with Metavee. Though it's not that long, it's better than nothing. I'm not greedy. I just
want to say goodbye to the petite woman while I am Aobe Aum.

“Why do you look so happy that I don't remember anything?”

“What?”

Aobe Aum, who knows me as well as I know myself, raises her eyebrow curiously.

“Something must have happened while I was asleep. And it must be about me... Twin. Since you're
here, jog my memory.”

My mother immediately pinches my arm and shakes her head. For someone who just woke up,
realising that her husband died on their wedding night is too much to take.

“We're not that close. Did you lose your memory or your mind? You can forget anything, but not that
we're not close.”

I immediately refused, coldly and cruelly. It's still better than telling her what happened.

“That's true. I forget that we used to fight all the time. But I survived death. Can't we be on each
other's good side now?”

Suddenly, Aobe Aum offers me her friendship. My parents are as taken back as I am. I stood still
because I was caught off guard.

“W... what is this?”

“Please sis... Let's reconcile.”

This is the first time in my life that Aobe Aum calls me “sis”, so I just stand still because I'm stunned.
Our parents are as surprised as I am. My younger twin slowly sits up, still seemingly weak. She
reaches her hand out, like she's reaching for me. The shock causes me to rush in and grasp her tiny
hand.

“D... don't get up. Lay down.”

“Let's make up... I've been through death. It makes me realise the importance of family, especially
my twin. When our parents leave us, I'll only have you left.

“Aum...”

“Let's reconcile. Let's not fight anymore.”

Though Aobe Aum is still weak, she's strong enough to pull me in and hug me. I still resist her a bit
because I'm not used to this. But I'm not rejecting her or anything. Actually, I may not hate my twin
that much. It's just that I'm really not used to this.

“Okay. Let’s make up.”

“This is great.”

Our parents left, leaving me to stay with my twin, with the excuse of wanting to give us time to
reconcile. This is not a TV series. It's not like we have to cry after we make up. It's actually awkward
for me. We've never gotten along in the last twenty years. I don't remember why. But to suddenly act
cute toward each other is too strange.

“If you keep acting awkward, it won't be natural.”

Aobe Aum starts a conversation at 2am. I can't sleep as well because everything happened so
suddenly, so I get to talk to my younger twin.

“I'm trying to act natural.”

“Do you think that my memory will come back?

“Of course. The doctor said that this is just an effect of the accident. There's no such thing as
memory loss in this world.”

I go quiet for a bit and ask curiously.

“At least you remember me. Can you tell me... what do you remember now?”

“I remember that... I have a lover.”

I immediately sit up as my interest grows. Aobe Aum glances at me a bit, like she isn't sure if she
should continue.

“Lover? At least you remember that you have a lover.”

I wriggle uncomfortably.
“Who's that guy?”

I want to know whether saying that would trigger the memory of the person who looks exactly like
me. Aobe Aum scratches her cheek a bit and twists her face.

“Promise me that you won't tell our parents if I tell you.”

“Ah huh.”

Our parents know all about your husband...

“My lover is a woman.”

My eyes widen as soon as I hear that. What she just told me with a hint of embarrassment makes
me sure that Aobe Aum’s memory goes far back. When my younger twin sees that I look shocked,
she covers her face in embarrassment.

“I knew you'd be shocked. Don't tell our parents.”

“A... Ah huh. I won't tell them. H... how long have you been with her?”

“A while.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“I don't know... I feel like I want to share my stories. Aside from Jan, I haven't told anyone. Does it
look bad, twin... when you know that I have a girlfriend?

“No. It's love.”

“Wow... You're more open-minded than I expect.”

“I'm not open-minded. I just understand... I also have a girlfriend.”

I share my story with my younger twin. Aobe Aum looks exactly like me when she told me she had a
girlfriend.

“We are really twins. We both have girlfriends.”

“Yeah...”

And it's the same woman too. That's what you don't know yet...

“How did you come to have a girlfriend? As far as I remember, you've only had boyfriends.”

“I broke up with all of them because they were not the one. But when it comes to this person…”

“It all falls into place.”

Aobe Aum ends my sentence like she's found a true friend who she can talk with about everything.

“What about you... Have you liked women all along?”

I asked her back. Aobe Aum shakes her head so hard that her hair moves from side to side.

“Not at all. I didn't think that I would like someone of the same sex.”
“Then why are you with this person?”

“Because she's the first one to hit on me.”

Aobe Aum looks proud.

“It's like she sees my worth. When someone looks at us like we are valuable, it feels so good, twin.”

“Hit on you? How?”

I remember Metavee told me she didn't hit on Aobe Aum, she only threw herself at her. So, I became
curious about what really happened.

“Not exactly hit on me. She introduced herself... My heart was racing when I looked her in the eye. I
can tell that she, May, was interested in me. It gave me courage to... ah, approach her.”

“Really...”

I mutter. My mind starts to wander. My chest aches somehow when I hear about how much
Metavee likes Aobe Aum.

“That's great.”

“You probably don't understand. You were born beautiful. Everyone likes and loves you. You change
lovers like you change clothes. Guys fight over you like you're Helen of Troy.”

“That's exaggerating. We look exactly alike.”

“But everyone was interested in you. May was the only one who looked at me. I got a letter from
Metavee when we were in school, but you tore it to pieces...”

“I did that?”

“You were really mean when we were kids. Ah... my girlfriend's name is Metavee. She's a lawyer.
She's beautiful and capable.”

Aobe Aum proudly brags about Metavee. When I see her this happy. I'm even more sad.
“I'm sorry. I was immature and uneducated. Please forgive me. I didn't even care to remember my
wrong doings. I just found out that I was the one who tore that letter... the letter Metavee wrote…
You've been with her since high school?”

“No. We met again when we were adults. She was going abroad for her work, and we accidentally
met at the airport.”

“Ah huh.”

“Metavee introduced herself as the person who sent me snacks when we were kids. And so, our
relationship began.... I was surprised that I could have a girlfriend. She's petite and has long hair.
She's full of confidence and isn’t a tomboy...”

Aobe Aum keeps describing Metavee in the past. It's clear that she has no recollection of the blind
Metavee.
“I can see how much you are crazy about this girlfriend of yours... Let me apologise for my bad
behaviour in the past again. I bullied you a lot. I tore up the love letter from your girlfriend. How could
I have done that?”

I don't have that memory at all...

“It's okay. Though you tore it into pieces, I put it back together. It's still in the drawer at home.”

“Really?”

“You've surprised me a lot since I woke up.”

Aobe Aum looks at me admirably.

“You seem nicer and calmer. If it had like been before, I wouldn't have received an apology from you.
Even if you were wrong... you wouldn't care.”

“That was before...”

“What made you change this much? Is it because I almost died?”

I look at my younger twin, who looks excited that she's a part of what changed me. I can only laugh
adoringly at her reaction.

“If you want to take credit for it, you can. Your injury made me realise many things. I learned about
what love is.”

Aobe Aum looks at me curiously and is starting to become interested in my story.

“Tell me about yourself. Who's your lover?”

“There's not much to tell. We already broke up.”

“Oh... why?”

“It's was the wrong place and time. It was based on a lie.”

“That's not good. How big was the lie?”

“I lied about who I am.”

“Like when you used to pretend to be me?”

I shrank my neck, feeling guilty. Aobe Aum sighs and expresses her thoughts.

“Who did you pretend to be this time... Not me again, I hope.”

Aobe Aum points to herself and looks shocked.

“Again? You pretended to be me with your girlfriend?”

“I'm not a good person.”

“How is being you not good? Why do you always pretend to be me?”
“You're better than me in every way. Your job. Your brain. You're the pride of our family... That's why
it's good to be Aobe Aum.”

“Was that why you used my name when you picked fights with others? So, they would come at me?”

“Did I do that?”

“Geez... Don't get me started.”

When I see Aobe Aum cross her arms over her chest, looking moody, I raise my hands over my head
and apologise.

“I'm sorry. I was really stupid when I was young. I won't do it again.”

“Go apologise to your girlfriend and confess to her who you really are. If you continue pretending to
be me, you'd be sorry if your girlfriend finds out and doesn't forgive you.”

“Being me is terrifying... but it's okay.

“I will accept whatever outcome for my Sin.”

“…”

“In the end, I'll be Pluto that disappears from the galaxy.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Because her world is back.”

“I don't know what you mean, but from going through a life-and-death situation, I want to tell you
that... life is short. Do what you want to do. If you were wrong, confess and be with the one you love,
who loves you back. It's a lot better.”

“Yeah... life is short.”

I nod agreeably as I look at my twin, who is trying to jog her memory but hasn't quite caught up to the
present.

“When I fully recover, I'll propose to Metavee.”

“You're not fully recovered yet.”

“Huh?”

And you still can't remember everything... I still have time. Aobe Aum is like a time bomb. Once all
her memories are back, she will remember that she told me to break up with Metavee. And Metavee
will find out about Aobe Aum’s twin, so she will know that I've been lying all along. I still have time...
I will have to make the most of it to create good memories.

“Thank you, twin.”

“Where are you going? It's 3am.”

“I'm going to see my girlfriend. Don't tell mom that I left you, or she'll whip me.”
Aobe Aum laughs and waves at me.

“Fighting, twin. I'm rooting for you.”

I arrive at Metavee's place at 3:30am. The guard lets me in easily when he sees me through the
security camera. This place has become my second home. I can come and go as I please without
having to worry that anyone will be suspicious. Metavee seems to be waiting for me because I
already called to tell her that I'm coming. The sweet-faced woman opens the door and smiles to
greet me in her pyjamas, as if she's expecting something. As soon as I see her, I confess.

“May.”

“Huh?”

“Do it for me.”

Her sweet face registers surprise, but then she nods and says nothing more. She grabs the hem of
my shirt to pull it over my head. Like a pro, she reaches down and pulls.

“You've become very direct. What's with you?”

I only have my by bra left on the top part of my body. But before the petite one can take any more of
my clothes off, I pull her in for a tight hug. I want to absorb everything because I know that one day...
I will lose her.

“I want to be happy with you. I want to make the most of my time... That's it.”

“Sure.”

“I'm good at this. I'll show you what happiness is.”

After Marisa crossed the line and got into a deep relationship with Nub-Dao, she realized how much
she loved her. She can't stand to lose this love. And because of this, Marisa knows what it means to
live. When she's in love... she doesn't want anything else.
 Chapter 22
The Perfect Jigsaw Piece

Metavee follows through on her promise. Though she can't see, she knows exactly how to touch me,
like someone who's well experienced. It's the total opposite of me, who's only done this with her
once. It's also very different because I did it last time, but it's not like that this time.

The lawyer took control. I let the petite woman do as she wished, and my role was only to follow...

“Trust me.”
Even though what we're doing isn't scary, I'm shaking. Metavee's touch is gentle because she's
afraid that I will panic.

“May... I... I don't know what to do. I'm sorry. It must’ve been too long...”

To prevent Metavee from being too curious as to why I seem so inexperienced, I have to pre-empt
her. But the sweet-faced woman just smiles and kisses me to console me. The soft touch becomes
more intense. The petite woman sweeps her tongue into my mouth repeatedly and waits until I
respond, as if she's trying to build up my confidence that I can do this and that we're starting off on
the right note.

“Good job... You're doing good, Aum...”

“Please.”

I cradle the face of the person on top of me with both hands and beg her. Just this once... I will be
myself.

“Please don't call me Aum.”

Metavee pauses a bit and lets out a slight smile. She doesn't ask anything, as if she understands.

“Okay. I won't call you that. Tonight... I will call you... Ah, I will call you...”

“Ah...”

“My love.”

My heart races as I hear that. I smile, though I know it won't reach her because she can't see. Yet I
still want to thank her, so I pulled her down for a hug.

“Thank you, my love.”

“That's such a nice word.”

The petite woman nibbles my neck. I startle as I feel a sharp pain.

“I'm sorry... You're so annoyingly cute.”

“Are you like this?”

I laugh understandingly.

“You like to mark your territory, huh?”

There's no response. There are only more aggressive acts. The petite woman sweeps her lips down
and uses her tongue on my sensitive spots. I arch my back and pant. I'm a little tense, but I'm trying
to relax. Yet I'm startled again when something touches my lower part.

“May... Ah...”

My legs rub against the bedsheet. I'm hot all over, and I feel a strange sensation from my toes to my
head. It makes me let out an embarrassing sound. When I cover my mouth with my hand, Metavee
pulls my hand off and licks my belly.

“Your voice... is like my trophy. Let it out”

“It... It's embarrassing.”

“Do I ever hold it in when I moan?”

“No…”

“And did you like it, my love?”

The word “my love” opens up every part of me. The emotions that were rising sparked and exploded.
It's like Metavee knows the signs well, so she enters with her finger...

Gasp…
My entire body quivers due to pain. Yet it feels good. The petite woman knows what to do so that I
can get used to it. I cover my face with both hands trying to endure the pain so that I can get through
it.

“Relax, my dear...”

Metavee pulls my hands out and stares at me...

“May.”

“We will get through this together.”

Every rhythm and every move goes slowly. My fear slowly subsides when I trust the person on top of
me. I slowly absorb all the feelings and take in as much as I can. The rhythm of our bodies is in
perfect harmony. Our sounds are in tune. It's as if we're singing the most beautiful song we've ever
heard.

“I love you, May.”

“I also love... you.”

If this is the lyrics of a song, it's the best verse I've ever heard.
After Marisa crossed the line and got into a deep relationship with Nub-Dao, she realized how much
she loved her. She can't stand to lose this love. And because of this, Marisa knows what it means to
live.

Our story has ended... What happened is like a chapter in a novel that’s filled with confessions of
love. Metavee is lying on top of me. She's sniffing my ear and asking me with concern.

“How are you?”

“Good.”

“How good?”

“Do you want a score?”

I laugh and bury my face into the pillow.

“I'm so shy.”

“Why are you shy? It's natural.”

“I can't act as if it's natural yet.”

“Let's take it slow.”

The petite woman wraps her arms around my neck and buries her face into the nape of my neck.
She's like a kid looking for warmth, I smile at that with all the love in my heart. She then asks.

“Are you happy?”

“Of course, I am. If I could cry. I would.”

“Can you tell me why you love me?”

“Huh?”

I'm a bit surprised to be asked that, but I reply willingly.

“You make me feel like I exist and am useful.”

“How so?”

“I've never felt wanted... by my family, my society, or anyone around me. When I think that I can't do
anything well, I just decide to do it as badly as I can. So, I've become someone useless like everyone
marked me to be.”

“You're valuable. I can see that.”

“Yes. Because you see my worth, I feel... great that a person thinks that about like that. Can you
believe that I've never figured out what I want to be or do? I wasn't a good student. I wasn't a good
kid. I had no future. I couldn't get a job because my grades were so low.”
I laugh when I think of my worthless life before I remember that I'm pretending to be Aobe Aum, so I
hurriedly make excuses.
“Ah... but I'm good with the English language, and I can swim. Also, I'm a bit good looking, so I can be
an air hostess. That doesn't count, though, because it's not a job that requires much skill.”

“What do you think you're good at?”

“Writing novels.”

“Wow.”

“I'm good at crafting plots and making up stories. Though there are gaps to fill, I think I can do that
well.”

“Do you think your good at it just because I like listening to your novel? Aren't you getting a bit carried
away?”

Metavee teases me until I twist my face.

“At least, I know what I like.”

“Congratulations on finding your talent. I thought you were only good at slapping people around.”

I frown a bit because there is a conflict in the plot.

“When did I slap someone?”

“When we met when we were young... don't you remember what I told you about my first love? You
saved me from the senior that bullied me for money.”

“Ah-huh.”

“You're my first love. I told you that.”

“But Aobe Aum never got into a fight with anyone...”

I pause and turn to lay on my back to talk to Metevee, full of curiosity.

“Let's start again. I'm confused. Who did I fight with to save you? How about... telling me from the
start? Maybe I missed something.”

“Well…”

Metavee starts telling me how she met Aobe Aum again. Many years ago, the petite one was bullied
for money. Aobe Aum had saved her by fighting a senior and taught her a lesson before giving the
stolen money back to the lawyer.

“You were an important character in my life. Because of you, I decided to be a lawyer... You were so
cool.”

“Me?”

I still couldn't believe it.

“Ah huh. You had a few friends with you. It was like The Powerpuff Girls.”

“What is that? I only know Doraemon and Sailor Moon.”

“It's a show on the Cartoon Network channel, on cable TV.”

“I only watched channel 9 (free TV).”

“You didn't have cable TV?”

“We only had the basic TV antenna.”

“Okay. Sailor Moon, then.”

“And then what happened next?”

“You told your friend to take the Jacobs bag from that senior, and I heard that... you will sell it or
something. You also took her pin. I remember your name clearly when you told the senior...”

My heart is pounding, as I'm strangely familiar with the situation. Those immature actions are like a
cloning of my younger self.

“If you have a problem with me, come to me anytime you want... My name is Aobe Aum. I'm a
student at... So, I went to see you after school and asked someone to give you snacks and a letter.
But you never responded to... Oops.”

I pull Metavee in and hug her tightly feeling like I won the jackpot or the first prize in the lottery. My
tears are falling because I never thought that we had met and that the person the lawyer has been in
love with all along... is me... me, who always went as Aobe Aum.

“What is it, Aum?”

“Sob... This is great.”

Metavee laughs and pats my face with both hands, trying to wipe my tears for me. But the more she
does that, the more I sob. It's like someone who's being consoled but wants to ask for more love and
tenderness.

“You're such a cry baby... And you're pressing me against the bed.”

I look at the petite woman and smile, feeling in control. I'm a lot more confident in myself after
hearing her story. It was just a misunderstanding. We are the perfect jigsaw pieces.

“You're mine.”

“Huh?

“You've been mine from the start...”

I lean down and lick her lips, wanting to be the one in control.

“Knowing this, I want to eat you whole.”

“Haven't you had enough this morning?”

“That was this morning. This is now... It seems like you were the only one eating. It's not fair.”

“So, what should we do about it?”

“I have to eat too.”

Metavee giggles. We wrestled all night. Making love is a pleasurable activity and a mutually
beneficial exchange of affection. Sometimes, the Pandora's box we open isn’t that scary. Some
truths have come out of it, that's all. And I'm glad to learn about what's inside, even if it involves bad
things.

I am ready for whatever may come.

Whatever it is, come at me!
 Chapter 23
The Truth

Since I learnt the truth, I can't stop smiling and living in my own pink bubble. I cling to Metavee like
we’re newlyweds. We are like the opposite poles of a magnet that attract each other. We do nothing
all day but make out... Ah. That appears to be a little preoccupied. But what can I do... I don't know
how long this precious time will last. When I think about this, I sigh like an elderly person whose
relatives recently placed them in a nursing home.

[If your relationship with Metavee is going well, I think you better tell her the truth. You're the one in
her memory, she won't be angry with you. Trust me.]

Pang, who knows everything, advises me on a video call before she flies out tonight. I was going to
tell Metavee the truth so many times already, but I'm still too scared to do it because things are going
so well right now. I fear that telling her the truth will take away the precious time we have left. What
if Metavee doesn't like it that I tricked her? We would fight, and she would hate me…

“Every time she smiles, I'm at a loss for words.

[Geez. Let her stress a little. You're too much of a coward. This is not like Ai Aun, the rascal. I think
May would be more surprised that her first puppy love, who was so naughty, is now so timid.]

“You have such a big mouth.”

[Tell her. Trust me. It's better than her finding out from someone else.]

“Who?”
[Aobe Aum. You told me that your twin remembers that Metavee is her lover, no? Her memory is not
up to date yet. What if she wants to meet her lover once she's stronger? The truth will come out...
Maybe they’ve already talked on the phone.]

“Crazy.”

I panic because I never thought of that.

“Aum's phone is with me.”

[She hasn't asked you for it?]

“I’ll tell her it was damaged in the accident... She can't remember that she didn't take it with her.”
[There are so many ways Aobe Aum can contact Metavee. I’m warning you. This is a ticking time
bomb. Before it goes off... you should confess so that your punishment isn’t as bad.]

“Will she hate me?”

[So, what if she does? Just make out with her to reconcile.]
“You know too much.”

[The red marks all over your neck that you couldn't hide when you visited say it all.]

“You...”

I hurriedly touch my neck and look for a mirror to check that there are no red marks. It seems like
Metavee has shown more cute aggression toward me lately. She likes to leave marks on me and
says…

“So, everyone will know you are mine.”

When I hear her reason, I can't be angry with her…

After I consult my friend, I hang up and go back into the special inpatient room to be with my twin.
Aobe Aum is standing at the window, looking out mindlessly. I cleared my throat to get her attention.

“Twin.”

“Hey.”

My younger twin, with whom I get along well these days, has a sad look in her eyes.

“You're back so soon from getting food.”

“Ah. I forgot that I was going to 7/11.”

I intended to go buy some juice, but Pang called, so I forgot.

“Are you hungry? I'll go now.”

“Can I go with you?”

“You're still sick. How can you go with me?”

“I can walk now. Staying in the room all the time is stuffy... Ah. I was going to borrow your phone.”

“Huh?”

My heart drops to my feet when my twin asks for my phone.

“Who are you calling? Do you remember their numbers?”

I ask Aobe Aum to check if she has gained all her memories. My twin nods a bit, and that makes my
heart race in panic.

“I can remember Jan's number. I want to talk to a friend. I'm bored.”

“Jan... Okay.”

I'm relieved but still not at ease.

“What are you going to talk to her about?”

“Just chit chatting. Maybe ask if anything interesting happened while I was unconscious.”
“You can ask me.”

I hurriedly offer myself, but Aobe Aum shakes her head.

“There are things that you can only talk about with your best friend because talking about them with
a family member can be awkward. You must have some too... things you don't want your family to
know.”

“I don't.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I'm very open.”

“Then why don't our parents know that you have a girlfriend?”

“You can't tell them, right? Same for me. I want to talk to my friend. Can I borrow your phone?”

Aobe Aum reaches out her hand to ask for my phone.

“I'll top it up for you.”

I hesitate a little, but I eventually hand her the phone. Aobe Aum looks at me and smiles, signalling
to me that she wants some private time…

“Ah...”

Seeing that, I nodded and backed away. Yet I still put my ear on the door. But this isn’t a TV series
where you can listen to a conversation from a distance, like there's a wireless microphone on the
person inside the room. So, all I hear are soft mutters and giggles, which sound like an alien
language.
What are they talking about?... My heart races. I pace in front of the room, worried, though it doesn't
help with anything. Jan will tell her something. And it may trigger AobeAum's memories. No... I don't
want her to remember everything yet.

“Aum.”

I walk into the room without any manners. Aobe Aum turns to look at me in panic. There are tears in
her eyes, which makes me certain that Jan has said something to her.

“What's the matter...”

“Twin... you broke up with Metavee for me already?”

Aobe Aum hangs up the phone and walks to me. She shakes my body aggressively.

“I... Well...”

“Jan told me what happened. Why didn't anyone tell me that I got married?”

Here we go... I knew Jan would mention that. I shouldn't have given her the phone out of good
manners when I've never had any with my twin in the past!

“Mom and dad don't want you to stress out. It's better to let the memory slowly come back to you.”
“And you already broke up with May for me?”

“Well... yes. You asked me to, so I did.”

“Geez. How did things turn out this way?”

Aobe Aum paces the room like someone who doesn't know what to do.

“But I told you about Metavee. You didn't say anything.”

“You couldn't remember yet. So, I didn't want to bring it up.”

“Why did I get married?”

“You were probably bored of your ex? Your new lover is handsome and very wealthy. Too bad he died
in the car accident...”

I haven't finished my sentence when Aobe Aum shakes her head like she doesn't want to listen.

“I don't care who died because I have no memories of him. I can only remember Metavee.”

My younger twin bites her lips and pulls her hair.

“How was May when you broke up with her?”

“Ah... she didn't say anything.”

“Really... Nothing?”

Aobe Aum falls onto the sofa, stressed out.

“But that's how she is. She acts all tough in every situation, but I know she must be sad.”

“Yeah. She was dumped.”

“This won't do. I have to go see her.”

My younger twin gets up and walks to the wardrobe. Yet she looks blank.

“There's nothing for me to change into.”

“Your clothes were soaked in blood when you were got here.”

“What should I do? I want to talk to May, I want to explain things to her.”

“If all your memories come back, you may feel differently.”

“What do you mean?”

“If you still loved her, why would you get married and ask me to break up with her for you? It means
that you no longer have feelings for her, right?”

I try to persuade her to buy me as much time as possible.

“And she may kick you out if you go see her.”

“So, what should I do now? I don't want to break up with her. My brain still orders my heart to race
every time I think of her.”

“It's because of the memories you have that you still love her... The brain really affects the heart.”

I mutter to myself softly, but it's loud enough for Aobe Aum to hear.

“What did you just say... You have a way with words these days.”

“Huh?”

“I thought you were writing a novel.”

My younger twin looks at me and smiles from the corner of her mouth.

“I'm shocked.”

“Don't look so shocked. I just watched too many TV series. I see the leads talk this way, so I copy
them.”

“Why don't you try writing something? Maybe it's your thing.”

“Even you think so?”

“This means someone else said it too. Who?”

I wave my hands and laugh.

“Never mind.”

“Yeah. Never mind. I'm so stunned I forgot what I was stressed about... What should I do about
Metavee? I don't want to lose her, but I also don't dare face her. Hey. Twin... why did I get married?”

“There must be a reason a woman gets married.”

“If there's a reason, then it's not love.”

“True.”

I agree with my younger twin before I let out a laugh and make a suggestion.
“How about this? I look exactly like you, and I was the one who broke up with her... I'll pretend to be
you and go see Metavee for you today.”

When I make that suggestion, Aobe Aum looks like someone who just saw the light at the end of the
tunnel. She gets off the sofa and walks over to shake my arm, excited.

“Really? Will you go talk to Metavee for me? What will you say?”

“I will check her mood first. I'll let you know how it goes... But I can't guarantee it will go well.”
Aobe Aum grabs my hand and squeezes it tightly, like someone who's nervous. But because she
doesn't dare ask for much because it's none of my business, she can only thank me.

“It's okay. You're helping me is enough.”

I spent the rest of the day alone deciding whether to confess the truth to Metavee and came to the
conclusion that... It’s time, because my twin will remember everything soon. And when that time
comes, all the secrets will be revealed. There can’t be two Aobe Aum’s in this world.

I'm standing in front of the gate at Metavee’s house after walking away ten times since I arrived. It's
time I told her who I truly am. Actually, I didn't totally fool the petite woman. At least, it's me who the
lawyer fell in love with. Me, whose real name is Ai Aun.

Ring

I ring the doorbell and show my face to the security camera so I can enter the house. Like I said, this
is like my second home these days. No one asks any questions because they know that I'm the
significant other of the house owner.

“Aum.”

When Metavee realises I've arrived she walks over, reaching her hands out to find me. I assist her by
reaching out and grabbing her hands.

“May”

“You came so late today. I thought that you wouldn't show up.”

“Something came up. I also have something I need to talk to you about.”

“Talking this late, there could only be one thing.”

The lawyer is grinning, as she only thinks of making out with me these days. She starts to unbutton
her pyjamas, but I quickly grab her hand.

“I really came here to talk.”

“You sound so serious. You're scaring me.”

I smile dryly because I'm very anxious. Telling the truth is very hard. But If I don't do it, everything will
be harder.

“Let's talk.”

I drag the petite woman to bed and push her down before I sit next to her.

“I have something I need to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“Something about me.”

“Huh?”

Metavee shrinks her neck a bit, looking surprised.

“Did something happen?”

Thud…

Thud...
My heart is racing. It's as if it's popping out of my chest. My confession may change everything
between us. It will either be for better or for worse. Please... let everything be better after my
confession. Please don't let it make Metavee hate me.

Devil... I'm making my decision. Are you satisfied? Or will you still make a devious offer to this
Marisa?

“I'm waiting. Don't go quiet. It makes me nervous.”

“There's more than one me in this world... There's another person who's exactly like me.”

“What do you mean?”

I tighten my lips until they're almost bleeding inside. My heart is about to explode, and I may die
soon.

First choice: let Nub-Dao remember Marisa... but Marisa must die. She can no longer be in this
world. She will forever rot in hell, and Nub-Dao will forever suffer living with her sorrowful
memories.

“Actually, Aobe Aum has a twin... someone who looks exactly like her.”

“You're kidding me.”

Second choice: let Nub-Dao remember Marisa... but Nub-Dao must die from a life threatening
illness. She can no longer be in this world. Marisa will be loved, but Nub-Dao will no longer be with
her.

“I'm not kidding. I have a twin.”

“Who's older and who's younger?”

“Aobe Aum is the younger twin. She's born two seconds later than her older twin.”

Third choice: let Nub-Dao forget Marisa... Nub-Dao will have no memories of Marisa. She will go
back to living her life like before and eventually fall in love with Marisa's friend, not knowing that
Marisa exists in this world. And yes... you can continue to live but suffer a loveless life. You won't be
loved. You won't exist or have any meaning in her world. You'd be Pluto, taken off the list of planets
in her galaxy.

“What's the older twin's name?”

“The older twin is named Ai Aun.”

“Wow... this is the important matter you want to talk to me about?”

Metavee smiles as her eyes wander.

“So much so that you come see me in the middle of the night?”

“Of course that's not it.”

“So, what is it? Don't tell me that the person I'm talking to is...”

Knock Knock.

A knock on the door interrupts us. I shut my eyes tightly out of annoyance. Metavee pauses a bit and
lets that person in.

“What is it, auntie?”

“Someone is here to see you.”

The housekeeper looks at me and blinks, looking confused.

“Who comes this late at night?”

And another me is revealed. Aobe Aum comes in her hospital gown. She looks straight at Metavee
and smiles.

“May, May... do you miss me?”

Metavee sits up straight and pauses. There is no reaction. It's like she's gone into a daze. Aobe Aum
dashes in to hug her tightly. I've suddenly become an outsider, so I backed away.

Everything goes quiet. I break the silence by revealing who I am.

“The person who is hugging you is your real girlfriend, Aobe Aum... I'm her older twin, Ai Aun.”

“I'm the one who's been with you for the past while.”
 Chapter 24
Revelation

Metavee continues to sit quietly, not saying anything, as my younger twin dashes in to hug her. Aobe
Aum starts to realise that her girlfriend is acting strange, so she backs off and looks at her, confused.

“What is it, May?”

“Why are your eyes wandering like this?”

“You don't know?”

The lawyer speaks for the first time, looking surprised. When asked that, Aobe Aum shakes her head
until her hair spreads all over her back.

“I don't know anything. Has Ai told you what happened to me?”

“No.”

Aobe Aum looks relieved and hugs Metavee again. She expresses her gratitude toward me through
her eyes.

“It's okay. If you have any questions, you can ask me. I'm ready to answer all of them.”

“Where have you been?”

“There was an accident, so I asked Ai to take care of you for me.”

My younger twin twists the facts without telling me first.

“I was afraid that you'd be lonely, so I had to do that. I'm sorry.”

“But it seems like you've forgotten a lot.”

Metavee continues to speak flatly.

“Even the last day we met.”

“What was the last day like?”

“I'm blind... You don't seem to know that I've been blind for a while now.”

“Ah... It's probably because of the accident. The doctor said that my memories would slowly come
back. Give me some time... You were the first person I thought of when I was out of the coma, you
know?”

“Really? What were you thinking?”

“I thought about how you're doing. But seeing this, I pity you... Who could have done this to you?”

“Ah, you guys go ahead. I'll excuse myself.”

When I see that the true lovers have met, it feels like knives are slicing my heart into pieces. It's like I
no longer exist. I think I should excuse myself, but Metavee stops me.

“You...”

Though she didn't say a name, I know she meant me. I don't dare turn to look at her because my
tears are about to flow, showing my weakness to everyone.

“Will you really let it be like this?”

Metavee asks. It's an open-ended question that’s not specific, but I understand what she means. I
don't know how things should turn out, so I can only give her this response.

“Yes... it's for the better.”

And I walk away as my tears fall. I can't take it anymore.

Marisa chose the third option... Nub Dao and her friend continue to be in love, and there is no
memory of her left. Just seeing that Nub-Dao is happy makes her happy. So even if Nub-Dao doesn't
remember anything, it's okay... her remembering them may be enough.

And yes... I'm crying in my own room while Aobe Aum is with Metavee in that house. The letter that I
tore, and my twin put back together with clear tape made me cry even more. The crooked
handwriting reveals Metavee's insecurity and shows how much courage it took for her to confess her
love through her letters. But I didn't know about her existence until I was an adult and was asked to
meet her. I told the truth... and this is how I was compensated. I'm being forgotten. I'm becoming
Pluto.

Ring

The phone rings, showing a strange number. When I pick it up, it turns out to be Jan, my twin's best
friend. I'm a bit surprised because we're not that close. But when Jan gives her phone to Aobe Aum, I
can assume my twin asked her to call me.

[Thank you for talking to May for me Ai. And thank you for not telling her that... I was going to break
up with her to get married.]

I'm stunned by her thankful voice. I'm not sure if Aobe Aum is second guessing what I did. So, I ask
just to be sure.

“Ah. I wasn't able to say it.”

[May told me that you stayed with her, so she wasn't lonely while I was in the coma.]

“Well...”
[She's pitiful, yeah? I don't know who did this to her. Someone who used to be so capable and
confident is now blind… I still don't know why I left her at her worst moment to get married.]
If it were the old days, I would’ve snapped back and said that it was because she was money hungry.
But Aobe Aum is like a newborn child. She can't remember anything around the time of the
accident.

“There's no need to think about it now. Live in the presence.”

[You really should be an author. You have your ways with words... Thank you for everything. Ai. I will
take it from here.]

“Take it...”

[Yes. I will take on the role of May's girlfriend. From now on... please let me take care of Metavee.]

Gulp…

I feel like my younger twin is emphasising that what was mine is no longer mine. Though I'm not sure
what Aobe Aum found out, I don't want to be negative and think that she's asking for her lover back

“Ah. Take good care of her, then. Don't go marry someone and break up with her again.”

[Crazy. I won't do that. Thank you anyway.]

After hanging up, I stare at my phone and laugh, feeling sorry for my own fate. This is probably
karma, I broke many hearts without caring how those men felt. Now that it happens to me, I know
how painful it is. Loving someone who doesn't belong to you in the first place... Being someone's
Pluto is so painful.

3 weeks later...

I'm one to face reality and quickly learn to live with my pain. Once I know that I have no right, I take
myself away from the most painful situation to heal myself. The doctor discharged Aobe Aum, and
she can finally come home today. My younger twin is much better now. She can walk normally, but
her memories aren’t all back yet. That, however, makes my parents feel relieved because they don't
want her to go crazy because her husband died on their wedding night. I mean, that will be how she
feels when all her memories come back....

“Did anyone use my credit card when I was in a coma?”

When Aobe Aum gets home, she opens her letters and finds the credit card bills. When I hear that, I
startle and remain silent, pretending not to hear the question.

“No. I didn't even know that you have them.”

My mom was the first to respond.

“It's probably dad, then.”

“Hey. I didn't.”

“Then, who... Ai, is it you?”

Everyone stares at me as I pretend to be watching TV. I give everyone a cold stare and start to pick a
fight.

“You're looking for someone to blame... You throw everything unwanted at me.

“You were acting suspicious. When your younger twin was in a coma, you always went through her
things.”

My mother says that because she really suspects me. I immediately get up and stare at her, like I'm
not having it.

“Maybe I need to get into an accident, so you’d feel better.”

“Hey. Ai...”

“It's okay. It's not that much. I'm just asking.”

Aobe Aum raises her hand to stop the fight and shrugs.

“I’ve miss home so much. I miss my bed too. I'll go to bed now.”

“Ai... have you got a job yet?”

My mother's probing question causes me to sigh.

“No. I'm still looking.”

“Will you really continue to drift around like this?”

“Now that your favourite twin is back, you’ll pick a fight with me. I promise I won't ask for a dime
from you. I’ll get a job, and move out, okay?”

“Stop arguing. I was just asking nicely.”

I stomped upstairs immediately. Aobe Aum is waiting for me. If it were like before, I would pick a
fight with her too, but because we're friendly towards each other now and my younger twin doesn't
seem to hate me that much, I'm not doing that.

“I know that you used my card.”

“What are you saying?”

“It's okay. I talked to May about what you did when I was in a coma. Let's say... It's a thank you for
taking care of my girlfriend.”

I feel ashamed when I hear that, so I snap back, trying to be cool.

“I'll return every penny after I get a job. Just give me some time. You know that I've never wanted
what's yours.”

“There's nothing you want. What's mine that you desire?”

We stared at each other, knowing what was behind the question. I looked away because I was the
one who was wrong.

“I believe that... what is ours, will be ours. And if it's not, you will have to return it to the owner.”

“You're still the coolest person know, twin.”

Aobe Aum kicks my leg softly and laughs.

“I won't bother you... Ah, I heard that you're looking for a job. I can get you one, do you want me to
help?”

My twin sounds like she sincerely wants to help, but I shake my head.

“It's okay. I want to get one myself. I'm just about to go check my emails.”

“Oh? You have a laptop?”

I pause and close my eyes as I realise something.

“I borrowed yours... I'll return it to you.”

“Ah. It's okay. If you need it, you can use it for now. There's no rush.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

“And...”

Aobe Aum appears to be remembering something. I'm starting to become annoyed, so I make a
noise in my throat, but I quickly compose myself and smile at her.

“You haven't talked about your lover.”

“Your girlfriend.”

Aobe Aum knows... If she is asking this, my younger twin is trying to find fault. So, I keep quiet and
give an answer that would move us past this topic.

“We already broke up.”

“Ah...”

The person who looks exactly like me shrugs and is about to walk into her room. But before she
does, she repeats what I just said, like a mirror.

“I'm sorry to hear that. What's ours is ours. Don't think too much about it.”
I stare at the closed door and pretend to kick it. But I hold back and walk into my room, frustrated.
Even though we are friendly toward each other, she can't help but be sarcastic with me, huh? Why...
Why do I have to become this worthless person after Aobe Aum is out of her coma? It's the same as
it was before, whether it's my family or the society around me. I didn't hear back from any of the
places where I applied for work. I've been checking my emails everyday for the past three weeks,
but no one has called me in for an interview.
Oh?...

There's an interesting email with the subject... XXX Publishing. The content is long. My heart races
as I read it. I'm also surprised because I forgot that I submitted my novel to them when I was excited
about writing it.

***
I like your manuscript... I must confess that the writing still needs to be adjusted for better flow. And
most importantly, it has a sad ending. If you edited it, it would be better. Can you make some
revisions and resubmit it, please?
I sincerely hope to get to work with you.
Editor, XXX Publishing
***
I cover my mouth with my hand because I'm afraid that I’ll cry out. Though the email is not a full
acceptance of my novel, it seems like it has a 70% chance of being published. And it will have a
higher chance if I revise the ending. Crazy... Can someone like me be successful at something?

Ring…
The phone rings as my heart is still racing. Because I'm not thinking straight, I pick it up without
looking at who'scalling. And my heart almost stops because the person who calls me is...

“May.”

[How's it going? You've disappeared.]

In one day, after hearing very good news, the person I have missed the most in the past three weeks
calls me. That almost makes me cry, but instead, I just reply…

“Ah huh.”

[Why didn't you contact me?]

“Your real person is back. I'm no longer needed.”

There is silence between us. I'm so afraid that the sound of my heartbeat would be heard through
the phone, and Metavee, who has a very sharp sense of hearing… could hear it. So I put my hand
over my chest to stop my heart from trembling more than it already is.

[I thought I was with my real person.]

Now what... Should I tell her that I'm the Aobe Aum she met that day many years ago? But would
she understand? What about my twin, who can only remember that she's in love with the lawyer?
Should I be that selfish....

“I'm sorry I lied to you.”

[I'm not angry with you.]

“Why not?”
[Because I already promised you that I wouldn't be, no matter how wrong you are. We made a
trade.]

“But you didn't do anything wrong. You don't have to trade with me.”

[Ai... May...]

“Huh?”

I'm waiting to hear what the other person on the line has to say. The vibe between us is strange. We
used to be able to talk about everything. But every word we utter now is difficult

[I have something to tell you... Can you come see me?]

“Can't you tell me on the phone?”

[Please come. And I'll tell you.]

I quickly hung up to compose myself. The voice, asking for tenderness, made me go soft. To be
honest, I was soft since I heard Metavee's voice asking about how I was doing. But because I
reminded myself that she belongs to my younger twin, not me, I feel embarrassed. But what is she
going to tell me... My curiosity makes me pick up my wallet and phone to go out. I meet Aobe Aum,
who also just walked out of her room.

“Where are you going?”

“Out... I'll be back.”

I take wide strides out of the house to call a taxi. I arrive at Metavee's house in less than twenty
minutes and receive a warm welcome as usual meaning that I can enter at ease. Eventually, I'm in
front of the sweet faced woman's study room.

Knock Knock.
I knock on the door to give a signal before I open it. Metavee seems to be waiting for me. She tilts her
head, like she's listening to me, and smiles.

“You really came... I can remember your foot steps.”

“What do you want to tell me?”

When I get the chance, I get right to the point. Metavee pauses a bit before she asks me.

“You hurried here because you wanted to know what I would tell you?”

“Yes. You said you have somethingto tell me, so I hurried here.”

“Not because you missed me?”

I go quiet. I don't want to answer because I'm not sure if it's appropriate. Metavee is with Aobe Aum
now. Though Aobe Aum still can't remember everything, it wouldn't be appropriate if I...

“Say what you have to say. What do you have to tell me?”

“I miss you.”

Metavee unbuttons her shirt.

“There's not a single second that I don't think of you. I want to hear your voice. I want to be with you.”

“May... don't do this.”

I turn away, but I still glance at her from the corner of my eyes until she unbuttons the last button.
There's nothing underneath the shirt.

“You said you have something to tell me. If you don't, I'll leave.”

“I love you…… I love you, Ai... Not Aobe Aum. Please... listen to me. It's the truth, I want to tel...”
I dash into her and immediately kiss her. I can no longer contain all my yearning. It's spilling out,
making me no longer able to control myself.

“I miss you too... so much.”

I say that in such a hurry that it sounds almost like I'm crying. Metavee kisses me back and cradles
my face in her palms. She looks me in the eye and asks.

“Do you love me?”

“You don't have to say anything. I see it all.”

“May…”

“Yes... This is what I wanted to tell you. I'm not blind.”

“I've always seen you, Ai. This is the truth.”

 Chapter 25
All the Truth

Metavee and I look at each other and go quiet. The petite woman raises her eyebrow and seems
surprised at my reaction because I'm not at all shocked.

“Why aren't you shocked?”

“Should I be?”

“I lied.”

“So did I?”

“You're acting like you already knew... You knew that I could see?”

The petite woman squints at me like she's interrogating me. I smile a little and nod.

“I've known for a while now.”

“You didn't show any signs that you knew.”

“What about you... You knew that I... am not Aobe Aum, didn't you?”

Metavee nods and smiles a little too as she scratches her cheek.

“Yes. I knew.”

“How long?”

“From the start.”

“Huh?”

I'm shocked because I suspected that Metavee knew, but not from the start like this.

“From the start?… How?...”

“Let's just say that I know.”

“Then why did you have to pretend to be blind and fool me?”

“I wanted to know why you approached me. Do you think I'm stupid... I'm a lawyer. Everyone called
me the lie detector of the company. Since the first day that we met. I asked my staff to check your
background. There's nothing that I don't know about you.”

“Are you sure that there's nothing that you don't know?”

“I'm sure. I've seen every corner of you.”

After the lawyer confessed that she could see, she immediately seduced me with her eyes.

“I'm cold. I'm the only one with my clothes off. Aren't you going to keep me warm?”
“Who told you to take your clothes off?”

“I'm hot when I'm with you.”

“So, are you hot or cold?”

“It depends on you now. How will you make me feel?”

I reach my hands out to grab the petite woman's waist and lift her up towards me. The lawyer knows
what to do. She jumps on me and leans down to kiss me

“Is this warmer?”

“I'm hot now.”

“There's no bed in the study room.”

“The floor is good... I don't mind.”

“Why are you like this?”

I laugh and slowly lay her down on the floor before taking my clothes off. I look down and look
Metavee in the eye as I compliment her.

“Your eyes are really beautiful, babe.”

“Someone else complimented me on this too.”

“Who?”

“My galaxy.”

“You already know that it's me, right?”

“I knew from the start... you have no idea how excited I was to finally find the real you.”

Metavee wraps her arms around my neck and pulls me down to her. Our faces are only a palm
length apart. I have to use a lot of patience not to eat her whole right now. I want us to make love
delicately. I want to do it as... Ai Aun, not Aobe Aum.

“But you were a handful.”

“I wanted to get to know you and get close to you, so I showed my bad sides first. I wanted to know if
you could take me as I am.”

“So, what’s the result? Do I pass your test?”

“You showing up is already an honour. Who would have thought that their first love would also fall in
love with them?”

“So full of yourself. When did I fall in love with you?”

“When you kissed me on the lawn you confessed your love to me.”

“Geez. I'm worthless now. I have no more secrets from you.”

“I'm no longer your Pluto... This is great.”

I close the petite one's mouth with a kiss to let her know how I feel again, clearer than ever.

“You're my entire world, Metavee.”

Though I'm not good with touches because I'm inexperienced, I try the best I can. We will ask each
other which touch we like and don’t like. While Aobe Aum was in her coma, we were together like
friends who could talk about everything… And yes... including this.

“Stay there longer, Ai... Ah...”

I will keep my tongue in the areas that the petite woman likes.

“Don't go down... I like looking into your eyes.”

Metavee also never rejects me when it's my turn to make requests. She’ll do it while she's looking
into my eyes

“It's almost over again.”

The petite woman has reached the finish line for the night... I'm not sure how many times. She's
digging her nails into my shoulder. When I see that she's almost there again, though she doesn't
want it to end yet, I kiss her chin and console her with my words.

“It's okay. We can always do it again.”

Our love goes on like this, and it seems like we can’t get enough. We've been apart for three weeks...
No, we've disappeared from each other's orbits for many years. Today, gravity has thrown us back
together at the right place and time, so everything falls into place amazingly. I didn't think that our
love would be this good. Though I know that... we're doing this behind my younger twin's back.

“Today is a good day for me.”

Metavee and I are lying on our backs, looking at the study room's ceiling, at 3am, all out of strength.
Our clothes are scattered all over the place, and we're starting to get cold, so we're hugging each
other.

“Because we just did it? What... We've been doing it a lot. Weren't those good days too?”

The petite woman pinches me out of cute aggression. When I see her loose confidence, I laugh and
pull the sulking woman in for a hug.

“That's not what I mean. I just feel that this is a better day than the past. I'm worry free and no longer
need to lie about who I am.”

“That's true. I no longer have to pretend to be blind... I stared at you the entire time that we did it.”

Metavee climbs on top of me and expresses her joy.

“I like your expression when you're done.”

“Stop it.”

I cover my face with my hands.

“Don't talk like that. I'm embarrassed.”

“You're still embarrassed with me? I thought we could talk about everything. Is there anything else
that makes today a good day for you?”

“I sent my manuscript to a publisher... our novel, I mean.”

“And?”

“They are interested in it, but they asked me to change the ending a bit.”

“What's the ending like right now?”

“It's not a happy ending.”

I scratch my cheek a bit when I talk about this

“Marisa chooses to walk away and let her lover continue her relationship with her ex while she's
forgotten forever.”

“You wrote about yourself... That ending probably won't get published. It's too sad to read.”

“But I know how to revise it now. In the end, Nub-Dao can remember Marisa and they...”

“Get naked.”

“Crazy!”
Metavee giggles loudly like a little kid until I let out a laugh too. The smile that decorates her
beautiful eyes makes me crazier in love with her. I caressed her cheek lovingly

“This is good... Seeing you smile and looking into your eyes is what I've always wished for.”

“It's so good to be in love.”

Metavee leans her forehead on mine and snuggles like a little cat.

“Since everything is so good, let's celebrate.”

“You won't pretend to be blind anymore?”

“Only when I'm with you.”

“Why do you have to pretend to be blind when you're with Aum?”

Metavee goes quiet. It makes me turn to look at her curiously. Ah... why? Aum remembers her when
she wasn't blind, but she continues to pretend to be blind

“I want to know something.”

“What is it?”
“I'll tell you... Let's go back to our celebration. I have two tickets to a mini concern. I want to invite
someone to go with me.”

“And that person is...”

“You.”

Metavee smiles as she stares at me.

“And yes, you have to go.”

“This is not an invitation, it's an order... What concert? I don't know many artists.”

“You know this one... It's a singer that we both like. Think. Who could that be? Tick-tock, Tick-tock”

“Sadub-Pin?”

I became excited.

“She's famous enough to have a mini concert?”

“Not really. She's holding a small show in a restaurant, and I got tickets for it. That’s why I called
you... You were the first person I thought of when I got the tickets.”

“You called me because of the tickets?”

“Ah huh... This artist is a part of our memories. It would be great if we could go together.”

“How can I not go when you put it like that? When is it?”

“Two weeks from now. Let's go listen to some music.”

“I'm only going because it's a free ticket.”

“I can hire you to go with me.”

“How much will you pay me?”

“How much am I worth?”

“Huh?”

“That's how much I will give you.”

“Then can you pay me now?”

I flip Metavee over to be underneath me again and smile at her knowingly.

“I'm hungry again.”

And the lawyer, who also likes to do this kind of thing by nature, closes her eyes and gives in
completely.

“Please eat me up. Eat all of me. If you move too slowly, ants will swarm me because I am so sweet
and enticing, like a dessert. Ops... that tickles. Ah... Ah.”

Love is good like this...

I feel like my life is shaping up. I cleared everything with Metavee. We told each other the truth, and
the result was very positive. We still love and forgave each other.

After receiving the email from the publisher that day, I rewrote my novel. I adjusted it so that it's
easier to read and revised the ending to be a happy one. attached the file to the email and am about
to click send, my phone rings. I'm surprised to see that the person calling is Kosol because we
haven't talked for a while.

“Hi, Ko... What made you call me today?”

[Ai, are you free? I have something I need to talk to you about.]

“I am. I'm still unemployed. But I have something to keep myself busy with.”

I say that merrily.

“What's up with you? What do you want to talk about? Is it important?”

[It's important... Can we meet? I don't want to talk on the phone. It's something that needs to be
done face-to-face.]

Kosol's anxious voice worries me, so I agree to meet up with him near my old house. After I get
dressed and am about to leave, I bump into my younger twin, who's twirling her car key like she's
about to go somewhere too.

“Where are you going?”

“I'm going to see May. I have a date today... What about you?”

“I'm meeting my friend.”

When I hear that she's going on a date, I suddenly become moody, and my twin notices it.

“Why do you look so moody when I say that I'm going on a date with May? I'm about to start thinking
that you're jealous.”

“Nah... I just envy those who have a lover.”

I make a lame excuse. It's lucky that Aobe Aum doesn't think much of it.

“Do you want a ride?”

“It's okay. I'm heading in a different direction.”

“Okay. I'm going, then.”

Aobe Aum is dressed casually today. She's in a t-shirt and jeans. I look as my twin walks away,
feeling nervous for no reason. My twin used to say that she doesn't want to drive because she's too
scared to do so. My parents guessed that she is still subconsciously scared because of the accident,
though she can't remember it. But she’s driving today. Why do I feel nervous somehow?

“I'll go with you. I can drive for you.”

I ask for the car key, but my twin shakes her head.

“No. I want to drive. I feel like I haven't driven for so long.”

“You normally don't want to.”

“It was because I wasn’t normal. But I'm normal now... So, do you want to go with me or not? You'll
be late to your appointment if we keep on talking.”

I hesitate about whether I should try to stop her from driving, but since she insists that she wants to
drive, I guess I could go along with her instead. In the end, I sit in the passenger's seat and look at my
twin as she nervously puts the car key in to start the engine.

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

“It's just starting the engine. I can do it.”

As the engine roars I look at my younger twin, who takes a deep breath before she drives out of the
house. When Aobe Aum becomes more familiar with everything, she laughs a little, like she's
relieved.

“I feel better now. I thought I couldn't do it.”

“You're doing good, driving like this, for someone who was in a major accident. Why do you suddenly
want to drive today? You can tell me if you want to go somewhere.”

“We have to learn to lean on ourselves. And I'm okay now. I'm not disabled or anything. I’ll have to
drive some day.”

“Ah huh.”
“You're much nicer than you were before. You're gentle, not naughty or sarcastic towards me since I
came out of my coma.”

I shrug a little, like the cool person I am. Actually, I'm embarrassed, but I don't want to show it.

“We're good now. And I'm an adult. I'm not that envious kid I was.”

“I have nothing for you to be envious of.”

“Come one. Everyone loves you. You're successful in everything that you do. How can you say you
have nothing for me to be envious of? If we weren't on good terms, I would never have said that I'm
envious of you, you know?”

I open up to my twin while Aobe Aum laughs and shakes her head to show that she disagrees.

“You're going too far. You're the one to be envious of. Everyone falls in love with you. You stand out
even without having to get good grades. No one dares bully you. How dare you envy others?”

“We have very different views. You're envious of me just because I'm beautiful and guys like me?”

“You don't understand what it's like to always be invisible.”

Aobe Aum looks at me and shrugs too.

“No matter how good I do, they don't see me. So, I had to study hard to have something that stands
out from you.”

“You're kidding me. You? Study? I've never seen you read a book”

“Why do I have to do it for you to see? You thought that I got those good grades without trying?”

“Ah huh.”

I nod.

“You're smart.”

“No, I'm not. I had to study hard, so I had something to compete with you on. We look exactly the
same, but you're the star. You also got to be our school's drum major.”
“That was a long time ago. I was good at activities, but I got terrible grades. Look at me now... I don't
even have a job.”

“Your novel is being published soon, no?”

I glance at my twin, shocked, as I raise my eyebrow.

“How did you know that?”

“You're using my laptop. I snuck in and read your novel already...”

“Should I be angry?”

I laugh. But I can't say anything because it's her laptop.

“It's not that good. I have to change the ending to be a happy one.”

“Writing a novel is good. You can change the ending to be whatever you want it to be. But in real life,
the ending isn’t as happy because someone ruined it.”

“What are you saying?”

“Metavee.”

My younger twin looks straight ahead, but her tone of voice and the look in her eyes changed, which
surprised me.

“You're talking like May did something.”

“She changed my life in many ways... Metavee made me realise that there is someone in this world
who sees our worth while others look past it.”

“Aum...”

“It was the first time someone sent me a love letter.”

Aobe Aum says this like she's deeply hurt when she thinks of her past.

“But she suddenly went away.”

“It probably wasn't the right time.”

“I forgot all about it until I met her again at the airport. She approached me. She looked at me with
loving eyes and made me feel special.”

I go quiet because I feel guilty. Metavee just looked at the wrong person with those eyes because
she's always thought that Aobe Aum was me.

“Ah huh.”

“Then one day I realized that the letter and her love weren't meant for me.”

Aobe Aum glances at me with tears in her eyes.

“It was all because she misunderstood me for you, twin.”

Gulp...

It seems like Aobe Aum remembers more from her past. I don't know how much she remembers or
what I should do in this situation.

“You always used my name when you did bad things. I let it go because people would find out
anyway that I'm... not you. But with Metavee, that's not what I wanted. I loved Metavee!”

Aobe Aum holds on to the steering wheel tightly.

“I found out later on that the person she fell in love with wasn't even me.”

“Aum... You remember everything?”

Aobe Aum gives me a chilly grin while tears of anguish stream down her face.

“Yes. I remember everything.

 Chapter 26
Her Galaxy

“Rather than Aobe Aum being my name, I had to pretend to be you because Metavee thought that
your name was Aobe Aum. Do you have any idea how much pain I was in!”

Aobe Aum smashed the steering wheel in resentment.

“We began to drift apart and grow cold towards one another. It was because I wasn't the Aobe Aum
she thought I was.”

“The perky Aobe Aum that picks fights with everyone and has a face as beautiful as a portrait.
Metavee kept talking about you, not me!”

“I... I'm sorry.”

“What are you sorry for!”

Aobe Aum screams at me uncontrollably, I understand why she's so angry.

“I'm sorry for using your name at will. I was a very bad person. I know that now.”

“It's okay.”

“But...”

“I don't hate you. The person I hate the most right now...”

Aobe Aum looks straight ahead. I had no idea when we had arrived at Metavee's house.

“...is the owner of this house.”

When the gate opens, Metavee, who rarely comes out of the house, is standing alone on the
driveway. Aobe Aum looks straight at the petite woman, full of rage. That makes me nervous.

“What are you going to do?”

“When I finally found a new love, the owner of an airline who proposed to me on his knees and said
he would be with me until we were old. But Metavee called to tell him that we were still together. It
made my husband go out that night to talk to her, and the accident happened.

“What...”

“Metavee is a murderer. She's the reason my husband died!”

Aobe Aum lets go of the brake and slams her foot down on the accelerator.

“I’ll make her die along with my husband!”

The car speeds towards the house. And in the split second that I could still see what was happening,
I saw Metavee raise a gun and aim straight at Aobe Aum without fearing death herself.

“Stop, Aum. Stop!!!”

Bang!

Screeeeeeeech…
Aobe Aum hits the brakes so hard that we almost fly out the front window. It's lucky that we have our
seatbelts on, so we're safe. I look down and scream before I slowly look back up. Metavee is still
standing where she was. The car is only a few palm lengths away from her. There was gunfire....

I look at my twin, who has her face on the steering wheel and cries uncontrollably as she smashes
the steering wheel because she's angry with herself.

“Why can't I do it? Why? Sob.”

“Aum...”

I reach my hand out in an attempt to console her, but Metavee opens the door, unbuckles my
seatbelt, and pulls me out of the car.

“Are you okay, Ai?”

“I'm okay... What about you?”

We scan each other worriedly and let out a sigh of relief. I look at the gun in her hand, feeling nervous
about it.

“Where did you get that from? Why do you carry a gun?”

“I thought I should have one on me. Aobe Aum is too dangerous.”

Metavee stares at my twin, who slowly gets out of the car and slams the door loudly.

“You two seem to love and care about each other a lot.”

“I knew you were pretending not to remember.”

“We know each other well.”

“Why did you hit the brakes? If you had that night, you wouldn’t have fought for control of the
steering wheel with your husband, causing the car to go off the road killing him.”

Meetavee says this casually, as my heart shakes. This means that the petite woman was there, she
was involved?

“If you hadn't show up, we would be living a happy life together right now.”

“If you told me from the start that you're not the Aobe Aum I was looking for, it wouldn't have come
to
this... What were you thinking? You left your blind lover to marry someone else? What’s your heart
made of?”

“Before you ask about my heart, ask yourself, Metavee. You didn't love me at all, but you told my
husband everything. How would that affect my marriage?”
“If you were clear about everything from the start, I wouldn't have to do that.”

“You killed him!”

“Don't accuse me. We both know what really happened!”

Metavee responds angrily.

“You fooled me from the start. You took advantage of me until the last second, when you left me to
marry the owner of an airline. Did you think I’m stupid?”

“Stupid or not, you were fooled. But why act so hurt? You're not any poorer. Think of it as my pay.”

“Are you a prostitute?”

“Metavee!”

My younger twin dashes in to go at Metavee, but I stand between them because I'm worried about
the gun in the petite one's hand.
“Please don't fight. If you don't love each other anymore, just let it go. Aum... It's in the past. Hurting
her now isn’t worth it.”

“Step aside, twin. This has nothing to do with you.”

Aobe Aum pushes me back, but I don't give in because I want to end this.

“Of course, I'm involved. I used your name. That's the cause of all these misunderstandings!”

I reach my hand out to grab Aobe Aum’s shoulder and beg her with all my heart.

“Please let it go. It was an accident.”

“I won't be the only one who loses something. She has to lose something too.”

“What will you do?”

I ask my younger twin, who seems to have lost her mind. Eventually, she said something that I've
always been afraid of.

“I won’t let Metavee be happy. Let me tell you something... someone like Metavee can never be
happy in love. Why? Because the sins she’s committed in the past will make her pay in the present
and future. Working as a lawyer for criminals until she goes blind. That's karma.”

“What are you talking about?”

I look at my twin, confused. She suddenly talks about an unrelated topic and says that it's karma.
What does she mean... Aobe Aum looks at me and laughs, as if she's feeling sorry for me because
I'm clueless. Then she revealed to me.

“I'll tell you so you're no longer a fool. Metavee was the lawyer for that rich kid who drove into your
friend, causing him to suffer and die like a worthless being.”

“That's crazy. May is that lawyer...”

I look at Metavee in disbelief. The petite woman goes quiet and doesn’t show any emotion, as if
she's waiting for Aobe Aum to finish. So, my younger twin tells me everything as she smiles broadly
and uses her finger to poke Metavee's chest.
“And what makes it all the more fun, Ai Aun was the one who convinced her friends to get revenge
on that lawyer, causing your blindness, becoming jobless and disabled. That's your karma. That's the
fate you wished for.”

“That's your galaxy... Metavee.”

 Chapter 27
Bang!

What Aobe Aum just said makes me freeze. This is a sin from my past that I've been avoiding facing
up to. My immaturity destroyed a stranger's life. But I never expect that person to be… Metavee…
The petite woman looks at me, stunned as well. We can pretend not to believe it, but deep down,
we know Aobe Aum is telling the truth.

“So... can you still love each other after knowing that? Fate... exists. But only to cause us pain!”

I hug myself, speechless. What my younger twin just said is true. At first, I thought that meeting
Metavee was true love. But now that I know the truth, that I caused all of this, I can't help but think
that... it's karma.

I used Aobe Aum’s name to pick fights with others, causing many misunderstandings. Metavee
thought I was Aobe Aum, so she put herself in Aobe Aum’s galaxy. Aobe Aum believed Metavee fell
in love with her, so she gave her heart to someone who doesn't know who she truly is.

Also, Metavee was the lawyer for that bad person, and she helped the son of a wealthy individual get
away, shortening Ben's life and causing his family immense suffering. And me... I'm part of this cycle
because I told my friends to get revenge on that lawyer.

Us falling in love?

“I'm okay with it.”

Metavee, who went quiet for a while, replies as she looks at Aobe Aum coldly and heartlessly.

“It's the past, just leave it in the past.”

“Wow... You're so open minded. You became blind and disabled, but you can forgive her? This is not
at all like the Metavee I know. Where is that woman who holds such a strong grudge?

“She didn't make me blind. It's not like you, who almost killed me twice. Yet, I'm still alive.”

The sweet-faced woman raises her gun and aims it at my twin's face, looking very seriously.

“They say that if you hit a snake, you better kill it. If you're not dead, I will be one day... So, what
should I do?”

“If you think you can get away with killing me, go for it.”

“Don't forget that I'm a lawyer. I can get away with it easily.”

“Stop. No one will die!”

I scream and interrupt as they talk about death because I can't stand it anymore. I push the gun to
change its trajectory.
“We are still alive. What we're talking about is in the past... Aum, let it go. We all played apart in this.
It all started with me... I used your name, so Metavee thought that you were me and did things she
didn't intend to do.”

“But my husband died because of her.”

“Your husband tried to kill me. That's the truth!”

Metavee argues, frustrated.

“I admit that I was very angry that you were getting married, so I searched for his number and asked
to meet with him. But nothing would have happened if he didn't try to kill me.”

“You're now blaming a dead person? Do you have any shame?”

“The one who should be ashamed is you. Think carefully about what happened that day. You were
the one who turned the car in another direction to divert it so that Paul didn't hit me. Don't you
remember that?”

What happened that day slowly unfolds from the two who aren’t thinking straight. I listen and try to
make sense of it all because I can't really stop this fight right now.

“Why did you have to butt in and tell him the truth about me? My life was going well, I was getting
married and about to start a happy life with him, something you couldn't give me. When we were
together... It was cold. All the love we had for each other in the beginning had died.”

“It died when I found out you're not the person I thought you were...”

Aobe Aum pushes Metavee's chest wildly before grabbing her collar and yelling.

“How am I not like Ai! What’s the difference? We look exactly the same. We sound the same. We
have the same eyes, nose, and lips. Were exactly alike, except for the name on our ID. Why does
everyone fall in love with Ai? What about me!”

“What you don't have is your own identity.”

Metavee says this like she's trying to explain it to her.

“I could always sense you weren’t acting natural. Everything you did seemed forced. You were from
different from the Aobe Aum I met in the past…”
“That girl was capable. She was confident in every way, from the how she talked to the way she
acted. She may be naughty, but she was sincere, which you weren't... You were full of deceit. Every
time you said you loved me, you wanted something in return. Is that what you call love?”

“If you didn't love me, why did you have to mess with my husband's head!”

“Don't you think that you should lose something too? You expected to have a better life by stepping
on ex, who knows nothing? At least you should have broken up with me first, not just disappeared
when I was blind. You left me to fight on my own and went to have a good time with your cheating
partner. And you're asking for love now.”
Metavee points at me.

“Ai Aun has only been with me for a short period of time, but she took good care of me, which was
the complete opposite from you, who were with me for four years.”

“Fine. I have nothing good in me. I can never compete with Ai. Why did I have to be born and
compared to Ai my entire life!”

Aobe Aum falls to the ground and cries. It's the first time in my life that I've heard what she thinks
about me.

“Aum...”

I sat down beside my twin, not knowing how to console her. When I reach out to her, she brushes my
hand off. I bite my lips tightly.

“There's nothing for you to envy about me. I'm the one who is envious of you.”

“Why would someone like you be envious of me? You don't have to do anything, and everyone loves
you. How many lovers have you had?”

Aobe Aum hits herself in the chest and continues to cry.

“I had none until I met Paul... but he died on our wedding night!”
“You're better than me in every way... I've always been envious of you. I had to pick fights with others
so that our parents would pay attention to me.”

“…”

“I only have my looks. Other than that, I can't do anything well. My grades are average. I can't get a
job. I just drift around all day. That's not a good life.”

I bite my lips tightly and explain how sorry I feel for myself because I can't compete with anyone.

“…”

“Lovers? Yes, I’ve had a lot. But that's not a good thing. I've had 18 lovers, but I didn't love anyone
until met... May.”

I mentioned the woman who's standing in front of us.

“I love her... I love Metavee. I love a woman. Look at my life, what's there to be envious of?”
“Didn't you like her because she's rich... Gosh. Besides being rich, she has no good qualities. She's
selfish. She doesn't even care about her parents.”

Metavee clenches her hands into fists and closes her eyes as she tries to be patient. It seems like
Aobe Aum has hit her weak spot. I had to quickly stand between them to keep things from going
downhill.

“I like May because she's the only one who makes me feel like I'm precious.”

“…”
“I drifted around. I didn’t know what I wanted to do or what I liked to do until I met her. She made me
realise that someone like me could do something well too.”

“…”

“You're good in school. When you grew up, you immediately knew that you wanted to be an air
hostess. That was your dream. As for me... I didn't know what I liked. I got a basic degree, thinking I
could easily get a job with it. That's it. But Metavee pointed out to me that I have talent. I can do
what suits me. She saw my worth when everyone thought of me as trash.”

I explain it as I see it, but Aobe Aum looks away and continues to sarcastically ridicule us.
“Love really made you blind. She destroyed your friend's family. Do you remember how much Ben's
family suffered because of this fu***** lawyer?”

“I destroyed her life too.”

I start to sob when I think about this.

“You know what made me stop drifting around and pursue my degree... It was because I
unintentionally destroyed someone's life. The guilt ate me up. You saw that. But above all, nothing
has been as painful as finding out that... the person whose life I destroyed because of my careless
words is May. Sob.”

I hug myself and cry as I sway my body from side to side, like I'm on a swing. Aobe Aum softens up
when she sees that I'm crying harder than ever before. But her ego’s too strong for her to listen to
anything right now.

“I don't care how good she was to you or how you destroyed her life. I couldn't care less if she was
blind, deaf, crippled, or mute. The only thing I want right now is...”

And what we both didn't expect to happen happened. Metavee suddenly raises her hand to her
chest and pays respect to Aobe Aum, looking guilty.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“I'm sorry.”

“Huh...

“I'm sorry I destroyed your life... I didn’t intent to do that.”

Metavee says with tears in her eyes.

“If I hadn't acted without thinking and accepted my fate that we weren't in love like we were before,
you

would have a perfect family right now... I'm sorry about that.”

“Don't play this card. I'm not going soft on you.”

“Then, take it.”

Metavee decides to hand Aobe Aum the gun.

“Shoot me and end this.”

“Don't think that I wouldn't dare.”

Aobe Aum pulls the gun from the lawyer's hand and aims at the petite woman's forehead without
hesitation.

“Do it... I'm sorry about everything. But if I could turn back time, I'd do it all the same.”

“What?”

“If what I did allowed me to meet Ai... I would do it again.”

“Though you became blind?”

“Yes.”

The two are staring at each other, neither of them backing down. Aobe Aum’s hands and lips are
shaking as if she’s deep in thought, seriously considering taking the shot.

“Don't, Aum... I love her. Sob.”

I raise my hands to beg my younger twin before I get on my knees pleading for her to lower the gun. I
don't know what to do anymore. It's all so intense. Just because I used Aobe Aum’s name when we
were kids, it’s led to this.

“You can kill me, but please don't kill her. I've never asked for anything from you. Please... please
don't hurt May.

“You see someone else better than your dead friend? What about me? I'm your twin. You should feel
bad for me and make amends for what you've done your entire life!”

Aobe Aum stares at me and asks.

“Can you really forgive her and be with the woman who had sex with your twin!”

“Stop it, Aum. Don’t say anything else, just shoot me!”

Metavee grabs the gun, aiming it at her own head before staring at Aobe Aum with hatred. She
continues to aggravate and hit her weak spot like the lawyer she is.

“You're right. If there's already Ai Aun in this world, who needs you?”

“You're about to die, but you still can't stop your big mouth.”

“You're number 2.”

“Shut up!”

“Shoot, number 2. Go for it!”

“Metavee!... Don't.”

Bang!!
 Chapter 28
Open Up

After the gunshot, both Metavee and I fell to the ground. I open my eyes looking at the petite woman
in my arms to make sure the bullet didn’t hit her.

“May... are you hurt?”

“I'm okay.”

“Please make sure that you are. Did the bullet hit you anywhere?”

I can't stop my tears from falling out of fear. Metavee shakes her head and looks at Aobe Aum, who's
pointing the gun to the sky.

“Aobe Aum fired the shot into the sky. I'm okay.”

l cover my face with my hands. And never in my entire life, have I felt like my heart was being torn
into pieces because I've never loved anyone this much before. I cry because I've never been this
scared

“That's great... Sob. This is good. I was so scared.”

I wipe my tears and look at my twin, who's crying too.

“Aum...”

“l almost did it. Just a little more. Sob.”

And then my twin also falls to the ground and cries heavily out of anger. She hits the ground with her
fists, like she wants to break it because she's so angry that things haven’t gone how she'd hoped… I
slowly crawl towards her and hug her tightly. She accepts my consolation and throws the gun away. I
don't know what she's thinking, but I'm both grateful and appreciative that she didn't do something
stupid out of rage. It was like she listened to my plea. A plea I have never made since we were born...

“Please take me home. I don't want to be here anymore.”

“Ah huh... let's go home.”

“Don't tell mom what I did today.”

“Okay. I won't. Let's go home.”

We help each other up and walk to the car. I will drive. Metavee walks after us and grabs my wrist.
We look each other in the eye.

“Will we see each other again? Will our love be the same?”

Those are the questions Metavee’s asking me. I look at my lover and can only cry. I don't know what
to feel in this instance. It's like we've come so far. We opened up and were completely honest with
each other, but it appears that we know nothing about each other. Metavee is that lawyer. And I was
the one who told my friends to destroy someone's life, which happened to be Metavee.

“I'm leaving.”

We stare at each other for a long time before I pull the petite one's hand off my shirt and get in the
driver's seat. I can't be more concerned about someone else than family. Though I don't have a good
relationship with my family, I can't give priority to someone I just met over my twin... Aobe Aum is
too weak right now, and I have to put her first.

When we got home, Kosol called because I hadn't shown up to meet him. In the end, he couldn't
keep it to himself any longer, so he told me everything. He told me that Metavee was the lawyer for
Ben's offender. Yes... Kosol confirms that what Aobe Aum said was true....

[We did this to Metavee.]

Kosol had told me before that he thought the petite woman looked familiar somehow. I just didn't
think that fate would deal me this card.

“It wasn't that long ago. Why couldn't you remember her at first?”

[I just thought she looked familiar. I only saw her from a distance in court. Also, she was wearing
glasses then, but she didn't wear them when we met recently. That's why I couldn't remember who
she was, only that she looked familiar.]
He only realized who she was because he dropped by to see Ben's family, and Ben's father
remembered the name of the lawyer who went against them and looked for more information. The
name Metavee made Kosol come to the conclusion that... it's the same Metavee.

[What will you do next?]

“Nothing. I don't want to think about that right now... I’ll talk to you later.”

[Are you oka...]

I'm not ready to talk to anyone... I lay down on my bed, hugging myself, and cry. I've always heard
that karma will punish you a hundred or a thousand times as much for your sin, and I'm probably
paying as dearly as Metavee is right now.

“Ai…”
Aobe Aum opens the door and enters my room with a pillow in her arms. She glances at me with
puffy eyes. She's been crying as hard as I have.

“Yes?”

“Can I sleep with you?”

“Ah huh.”
“Ah.”

After I say yes, the twin whom I've never done any activity within the past thirty years or so comes to
lay next to me and turns her back towards me. I can tell that she's not asleep yet, but I don't dare say
anything because I'm not sure if she wants to talk right now.

“I pretended to be you after I was with her for six months.”

My twin suddenly speaks, which causes me to pause.

“Why are you talking about this now?”

“I want to clear things up with you. I want to let you know that I didn't mean to pretend to be you and
that I'm not that bad a person... I only found out about everything when Metavee told me about how
we first met, and that deeply hurt me. So, I did something stupid, like pretending to be you. I hated
you more with each passing day.

“Ah huh.”

“I felt like this world was a living hell. Why does everyone fall in love with my twin, though you never
do good any for this world?… Since doing good does me no good, I will be as bad as you. So, I
pretended to be you and took advantage of Metavee.”

I nod. I don't want to get emotionally involved because it's in the past. Aobe Aum has every right to
be angry and hate me because I would be too if I were her.

“Did you get a lot from her?”

“Quite a lot. And the more I got from her, the more I hated you... I took so much that I deserve the
hate, but Metavee never looked down on me. She only asked... If I want more? That made me
angrier.

“You didn't really want her money?”

“I'm not a greedy person. I can make my own living. I just did it because I wanted her to hate you...
But no, she loves you too much. She's crazy in love with you... and that hurt me.”

My younger twin goes quiet, like there are bubbles around us.

“You loved her too?”

I ask because I want to break the silence. I also want to know the truth. Aobe Aum shrugs and
replies casually.

“I'm not sure. But she was the first person to look at me with loving eyes. I've never had a lover, Ai...
not once in my life.”

“You're kidding me.”

I'm really shocked.

“You're not bad looking. '

“But I'm not as beautiful as you. I believe that deep down, you know that people compare us all the
time.”
“But you grew up to be beautiful. And you were in a relationship with owner of an airline. You were
the only one who could do that.”

Aobe Aum goes quiet after I say that. It was like I attacked her weak point. I panic and turn to my
twin, who has her back to me. Yet I don't know what to do.

“Well...”

I try to find the right words to console her, but she waves her hand to stop me from speaking with her
back still to me.

“It's okay. You can talk about it... What happened to Paul still lingers in my mind. His death wasn’t all
because of Metavee. It was also because of me.”

Aobe Aum goes still for a bit. I notice that she's wiping her tears away.

“I heard that you were fighting for control of the steering wheel with him?”
“Yes. I was very angry that Metavee told my husband about our relationship on our wedding night.
My rage made me tell her that I'm not her galaxy. I'm not the person Metavee thought I was, and I
told her that I have a twin.”

So Metavee knew since then... No wonder, when we first met, she kept asking if I was Aobe Aum.
And once she was sure, she kissed me. She was probably both elated and confused.

“And because she was angry that I lied to her, she stood in the middle of the road to block our way.
Paul was very drunk, so he stepped on the accelerator, wanting to kill her.”

“But she survived... because of you.”

“Yes. I was very angry with her. But I didn't want to kill her. So, I fought for the steering wheel. That
was why the car went off the road. And the person who died that night was Paul instead.”
There’s a moment of silence. When I see my younger twin go quiet, I poke her arm and break the
silence.

“You don't have to say more if you don't want to.”

“It's in the past, I can tell you... I just think what happened that night changed our lives, yours, May's,
and mine. If I didn't grab the steering wheel, Metavee would be dead. What would’ve happened?”

“You wouldn’t have gotten hurt. Paul would be charged with driving under the influence, and I would
still be drifting around as I was... I wouldn't know love.”

“The outcome would be a lot different. If I could go back in time, who would I choose to let die…”

“You would have made the same choice. Because you don't really hate May... you love her.”

We look at each other for a while before Aobe Aum sighs and continues to speak casually.
“You're answering that as my twin… It's probably true. I guess twins really have connections, both in
terms of thoughts and feelings.”

“Probably.”

I smile at her and change the topic.

“Did you really lose your memory when you first came out of the coma?”

“Yes. I couldn't remember anything except that I'd been through a life-or-death situation. When I
saw our family, I told myself that life is so short. So, it's better to love each other. That's why I
wanted to reconcile with you... I didn't have any bad intentions.”

I look at her understandingly. Now that we've grown up and been through a lot, we know what's
really important.

“So, you're only a bad ass to May.”

“Yes. Because I liked her a lot, it's not strange that I hate her so much now.”

“There's a bit of a conflict, though. You liked May, but you married someone else. Did you love Paul
at all?”

Aobe Aum turns to me, so now our faces are only a palm length apart. Since we were born, we've
never been this close to each other. Though it's strange, I don't want to go backwards. This is a very
important moment for us. This is the first time we’ve opened up and talked to each other.
“I was trying to find Metavee's replacement when I met Paul... I said yes to his proposal only three
months after we met each other... You could tell from the slide show during the wedding that it was
all so artificial.”
I blink blankly but don’t dare say much because I'm shocked that she seems to be in my head. I said
that in the middle of the wedding, thinking that only I knew it. Does a twin's bond allow Aobe Aum
know my thoughts this much?

“Crazy... I didn't think it was that artificial.”

“Stop being fake. We're twins. I can sense your thoughts. Even I know that it wasn't natural.”

“If you didn't love him that much, why marry him? Moreover, you left May when she was blind.”

I say this as if I want to criticise her in a good way. Aobe Aum laughs and sighs.

“Did you know that May and I were very cold towards each other at that time? Being with someone
who doesn’t love you is very torturous. I'm not what Metavee expected me to be. Of course... How
could I be when I'm not you?”

My younger twin shrugs, like what she's saying is a general topic.

“And in my worst moment, Paul came in. It made me realise that... it's better to love someone who
loves you. When I was with Paul, I forgot all about Metavee. And it went on until Paul proposed to me
on his knees.”
“But you didn't love him.”

“I was moved. And then, on my wedding night, I started to think about how Metavee would feel if she
knew that I dumped her.”

“At least you still cared about Metavee... But it was still too mean to break up with her on your
wedding night. Her being blind wasn't enough?”

“That's why I made up for it by asking you to break up with her for me.”

“You call that making up for it?”

I'm starting to become angry because I've become her pawn. She's saying it like she doesn't feel
guilty about it at all.

“You asked me to break up with her when you were the one who created all this mess?”

“It allowed you two to meet, no?”

“Don't say it like what you did was...”

I pause and look at my twin, realising something. Our twin connection almost made me exclaim
because I could read her thoughts.

“You intended for me to meet Metavee.”

“Yes.”

“Still, that doesn't mean all of your guilt would be gone.”

“It was the only way for May to forgive me. She’d get to meet her real galaxy, which she has been
waiting for. And I’d get to have a family of my own.”

“What if I didn't agree to it? What if I didn't like May...”

“You would just break up with her coldly like you always do... But you didn't, did you? I told you to
break up with her, but you confessed your love to her. What you did was worse than me.”

“What?”

“I was wrong to pretend to be you. But you also weren't in the right to pretending to be me. What if
things hadn't turned out like this? You would be a scumbag who stole your twin's lover. People
would bury you if this story was a blog on the Pantip website.”

“You're getting back at me?”

We look at each other and laugh. Suddenly, I recall what I said on the night of her wedding. I also
brought up the website.

“Do you still love her?”

When I ask that, my younger twin twists her mouth.

“If I do, what will you do? Give her up for me?”
“I'm smart enough to know that it's better to love someone who loves me.”

Aobe Aum looks at me and smiles as she asks me sarcastically.

“Knowing all of this, will you still go back to her?”

I pretend to sleep. Seeing that I don't reply, Aobe Aum turns her back to me and leaves her last
remark before she closes her eyes.

“She still has to pay for what she did. I won’t let her be happy in love that easily.”

“What will you do?”

I, whose pretending to be asleep, ask out of curiosity. And that allowed my twin to make me a
devilish offer.

“You have to choose between Metavee and me.”

“Choose?”

I repeat that silently, but it seems like Aobe Aum hears it too, so she elaborates.

“Yes.

“If you choose Metavee, you will no longer have a younger twin named Aobe Aum…. Choose!”
 Chapter 29
Choose

Metavee and I haven't been in touch since that day. Aobe Aum didn’t rush me into making a
decision. Because not contacting the lawyer is already an answer in itself, I chose my family. Is it the
right thing to do...

“Why do you have to do as Aum says? You guys just reconciled. Is it necessary to choose her? What
about her pretending to be you? Shouldn't she be punished for that at all?”

Pang, who now knows everything, attacks me like this it’s her own story. I've locked myself up at
home and have just seen my friend when she dragged me out to see the world and get a breath of
fresh air. She's afraid that I'll die of depression.

“Her husband died. That was her punishment.”

I keep stirring my coffee with a spoon and not drinking it because I'm bored with everything. I barely
eat and have already lost two kilos.

“Her husband being dead has nothing to do with you. It was all because her own actions. And you
loving May has nothing to do with your twin.”

“Aobe Aum doesn't hate me. She's doing this because she hates May... Her greatest desire is to see
May's heartbroken.”

“And you have to suffer like this? Your twin has deserved a slap since she was young. Damn.”

I glance at my friend, who's so involved with my story, and I smile at her before I reach over to pat
her hand, thankfully.

“It's great to see you today. At least I know that there's someone who will listen to me and always be
by my side.”

“I told you that I'd be your moon.”

I look at Pang and smile at her through my tears. Maybe... If we weren't best friends, I would give her
a chance… Just maybe.... But friendship is much longer lasting. So, it's best to let Pang be my friend
until we're old.

“So, you chose Aobe Aum over Metavee?”

“I haven't made my choice. Actually, I can't choose. So, I won't.”

I pull my hand back and continue to play with my cup of coffee with a heavy heart.

“May and I just met, actually.”

“But you love her. That's real.”

“True. But the longer we're together, the more it seems like I don't know her at all. And she doesn't
know me either. Who would have thought that May was the cruel lawyer who represented enemy?
Who would have thought that I was the one with the wicked thought that triggered our friends to hurt
her? Do you really think that we can be together?”

Pang pauses to think about it before she asks me curiously.

“Let me ask you one question… When you found out that Metavee was that lawyer, did you hate her
so much that you stopped loving her?”

“No.”
“And do you think that Metavee, who loved you that much, would be really angry with you when she
found out that you were a part of reason why she got hurt?”

“I don't know.”

“If she really loves you, she will feel the same as you. She won't be angry.”

“Why wouldn't she be?”

“No reason. Because if there's a reason, it's not love... Look at dogs. Owners hit them and tortured
them, but they’re still loyal... Why? Because they love their owner. There's no reason.”

“But I'm not a dog. It's not the same.”

“Why did you feel that Metavee was the one?”

I think back to when Metavee and I first met... I mean when we're adults, not when we were kids.
The clearest thing that stands out is the feelings when the petite woman kissed me the first time we
met.

“Because of the kiss.”

“And why was kissing her more special than kissing anyone else?”

“I don't know.”

“There must be a reason.”

“There's no reason.”

“That's love. There's no reason for it. If you can find a reason for it, then it's not love.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“Metavee will forgive you because she loves you too. You're not angry that she brought injustice to
our friend. She would feel the same... She won't be angry that you're a part of the reason why she
was blind for a while. Actually, maybe being blind made her see things more clearly.”

I smile at my friend, who's trying to make me feel better. I admit that Pang is very optimistic. At first, I
thought she'd be more angry with Metavee than this. But she isn't.

“Don't pretend like you know how May feels. You only met her once.”
“Twice. And this will be the third time.”

After saying that, Pang looks over my shoulder. I'm not so stupid to not know who's standing behind
me… So this is why she asked me to come out and see her.

“Ai Aun.”
I can hear the petite woman's nasal tone as I sip my coffee. Pang knows that she should give us
privacy, so she walks away.
I don't dare look her in the eye as soon as Metavee sits down, I take a deep breath and try to look as
normal as I can.

“How's it going, May?”

“How are you doing, Ai?”

Our greetings might seem ordinary and simple. But what's hidden behind those words is the
question... Do you miss me?

“I'm good. What about you, May?”

“I'm trying to be good. You've disappeared.”

We stop talking and watch the time tick away. I don't know what to say.

“I didn't disappear. I just don't know what I should do.”

I confess honestly as I play with my coffee cup, not knowing what to do.

“I didn't know if there would be any more surprises waiting for me if I went to see you.”

“I can see that you don't like surprises.”

“Except for unwrapping gifts, no, I don't. I don't like it when I don't know what to expect. By the way,
don't you feel weird, talking to me like this?”

“You mean because you're a part of the reason why I was blind?”

“Ah huh... Are you angry with me?”

There is silence between us before. I'm asked back a similar question.

“What about you? Are you angry that I destroyed your friend's life?”

This is a question that lets us reflect on each other's feelings, resulting in another moment of silence
between us. I admit whole heartedly that I'm not at all angry with her. Maybe it's because I'm not
directly involved. Or maybe it's because it was so long ago. When we were young, our friend’s
matters were big deals for us. But once we matured and experienced more of the world, we realize
that... it's really not our business. Or maybe I've just become more selfish. And yes. The answer is...
I'm not angry. But I won't say it because it's useless.

“I'm not angry with you, Ai.”

Metavee said it first. I look up at the sweet-faced woman and ask out of curiosity.
“Why not?”

“What would I get out of it?”

“Releasing your pain.”

“You're the only person I don't want to get hurt. So, I'm not angry with you. And you should repay me
by not being angry or hateful towards me too, right?”

Her serious, leaning towards me begging tone of voice makes my heart ache. I want to tell her that
I'm not angry, but there's one obstacle.

“I can't.”

“Why?”
“Our relationship is too messed up. You were with my twin and allowed my friend to live his life in
suffering. Looking at you will make me think of the past, and my wounds would never heal.”

“So we should end here. Please understand me.”

“You're breaking up with me?”

“No.”

“Because we were never together.”

I grab my purse and get up, getting ready to leave, but Metavee's voice stops me.

“I'm not breaking up with you. I will wait for you right here, as I always have... I waited after school
for you. I waited for you to visit me in my study room. I'm good at waiting, though you may never even
look my way.”

“Waiting is painful, May. Walk your own path.”

Yet Metavee's next sentence breaks my heart in that instance as I walk away.

“It's okay. I'm used to being your Pluto.”

I walk out of the cafe, feeling like I'm being weighed down. I try to look normal until I see Pang waiting
for me outside. When the beautiful friend sees me, she opens her arms to embrace me.

“It's okay. You can hug me.

“I'm your moon.”

After that sentence, I dashed in to hug my friend and sob. Pang already guessed how the
conversation with Metavee would go, but she still wanted me to sort it out. My beautiful friend
strokes my back gently and consoles me.

“It's okay. There's a sentence that can be used in every situation: it will be okay. Sadness won't stay
with us for long. There, there.”
“Sob”

“You're just heartbroken. You won't die.”

“I'm dying. Sob.”

I hit myself in the chest until it hurts.

“I never knew this is what it’s like to be heartbroken. I'm sorry, Pang... I'm sorry.”

I hug my friend and sob heavily. I feel guilty with every breath that I take for breaking the hearts of so
many who loved me. This time it's my turn. I broke others hearts because I didn't love them. I broke
Metavee's heart while I still loved her, and it's so much more painful. It's like living in hell. It's painful
for both of us.

“It's okay. I'll be with you as a friend... If you're heartbroken, just find something to do. How about a
concert?”

“Whose concert?”

I move back from her as I wipe my tears and try to breathe in my snot.

“Sadub Pin she's a rising singer at the moment. I have two concert tickets. Let's go together.”

Pang pulls out two concert tickets from her pocket. It's got a colorful space theme, and the concert
name is Pluto: A story, a planet, and love.

“Is this too much of a coincidence... Why does it have to be Pluto? Why does it have to be this
singer... Sob.”

And I cry heavier than before because it's the concert Metavee invited me to. Pang who doesn't
know about this, asks in confusion.

“Why are you crying? Because it's this singer?”

“May also invited me when we were together.”

“Ouch... my poor friend.”

I get back home, looking down and out as usual. Having not seen the petite woman this past while
has sucked away all my liveliness. My eyes are so puffy, it's like I've been stung by bees. But I feel
better after being able to cry. I've been keeping it all in so much that I was going crazy. When I walk
in, I see Aobe Aum using the laptop that I borrowed. She looks up at me and immediately asks.

“Where have you been?”

Though we always give each other personal space, after my twin survived death and told me to
choose, she seems to want to know everything about me.

“I went to meet up with Pang.”

“Not Metavee, I hope.”

I pause a bit before I deny it, sounding less confident.

“No.”

“I checked your email... The publisher asked if you're done revising the ending of the novel.”

She even checked my emails, huh? I'm starting to lose my patience and lick my teeth as I sweep my
hair to the back.

“This is too much, twin. It's really too much.”

I stare at my younger twin, furious, and ask her with a tone of voice indicating that I'm ready to slap
her. When Aobe Aum sees me like this, she raises her eyebrow and shrugs like she's challenging me.

“Why are you angry?”

Aobe Aum asks before I can speak.

“Why are you butting into my business like this? Yes... we're on good terms now, but my personal
space is my personal space. Don't butt in.”

Aobe Aum looks at me with sparkling eyes and a smile from the corner of her mouth.

“Are you angry because I read your email or because I asked where you were?”

“It doesn’t matter which one, you are butting into my business.”

“Are you angry because I asked you not to be involved with Metavee, twin... If you're going to be
angry, you have to know why. Mixing this with that is wrong. It's for one who can't catch up with her
own thoughts.”

“It's what stupid people do.”

I dash into her and grab her collar, raising my hand to slap her, while my twin just stares at me
challengingly.

“Go ahead. Hit me like those uncivilized people who only know to use force. You've been good at
that since you were a kid. You never carry through, that's why you haven't made anything of yourself.
Arg...”

I change from slapping my twin to choking her angrily. I press her against the wall. We stare at each
other, neither giving in. But Aobe Aum is clearly at a disadvantage.

“Don't push me into a corner. I haven't done anything only because you're family.”

“If I'm your family, then you should choose me, not Metavee.”

“How am I choosing Metavee? I've been crying everyday because I'm going crazy missing her, but I
can't see her because I don't want to hurt my twin. How am I not choosing family, Aobe Aum!!!”

I cry and let go of my twin's neck before I speak to her in a deep voice.
“I don't have the heart to do anything right now. How can I change the ending of my novel to be a
happy when we can't even love each other because of the word family?”

“You're saying that the novel is about May and you?”

“It's a novel we created together.”

I say that as I cry. I cover my face because I can no longer keep my feelings to myself.

“I can't write a happy ending because it would be a lie.”

“Ai…”

“I was just living my life. You shouldn't have asked me to go break up with Metavee and let
everything come to this. Why... why?”

I hug myself and cry like a little kid. I don't want to listen to any reasoning.

“Or you should just hate me like you used to instead of becoming this good person when you woke
up. I want to hate you so that I can do what I want. I forgot how selfish or cruel I was!”

My younger twin is still stunned. She slowly steps towards me and kneels down, so we are at the
same level before she pulls me in for a hug.

“You chose me?”

“Yes.”

“Though I'm hurting you this much, do you still choose me?”

“I only have one of you... You're the good version of me.”

I hugged my twin back, still crying like I have been for weeks. Nothing else is said. We just hug each
other like that. Yes... I've made my choice. For me, family has to come first. Aobe Aum has to come
before my love.

That's my choice.
 Chapter 30
The Ending of Our Novel

In the end, I haven't replied to the publisher because I'm not ready to make any revisions. Maybe I
won't resubmit it because I'm not into it anymore. The author has the right to choose the ending for
her novel, and I want it to end like this.

Unhappy....

Not only do I not revise my novel, but I also received bad news from Pang that she can't go to the
mini concert with me
anymore because she has an urgent flight she has to take.

“Keep it in check. You're an air hostess, not the pilot. The plane can fly without you. I've been
preparing for this concert, how can you have the heart to make my terrible day worse?”

[Can you go alone?]

“Do people go to concerts alone?... Ah... never mind. I won't go then.”

[I'm so sorry. But I really do want you to go. It's her first mini concert. Go give her support. She's
beautiful. I want her to
continue and become The Face.]

“Isn't she a singer?”

[She's also a lover in my heart.]

I roll my eyes and hang up the phone. And yes... I see Aobe Aum, my twin, who's so nosy that I start
to wonder if this is her real self all along. She minded her own business when she was younger. How
did she grow up to be... so nosy, can't mind her own business, and likes to butt into my matters like
this?

“What concerttttttttt?”

Her being perky and acting as if we're very tight is giving me goosebumps and making me twist my
mouth.

“Can you not butt in just this once?”

“Nooooooo. What concert? Tell me.”

“It's a concert for the singer that sings a soundtrack... Sadub Pin.”

“Who named their child Sanub Prao?”

She's, no doubt, truly my twin. Apart from our looks, we are alike in many ways. We both have bad
ears, that is...
“Sadub Pin... That singer who has a very sweet voice. Pang has to work, so she called to tell me that
she can't make it anymore. She told me to go alone. Is she crazy? Who goes to a concert alone?”

I complain nonstop. How lonely would it be to go and hold up a fanlight and LED sign alone? Geez...

“Hey. Why must you go alone? You have me.”

“When did I invite you?”

“I invited myself when I looked in the mirror. We look exactly the same, so that counts. And yes... I'll
go!”

My younger twin raises her hand merrily. I look at her liveliness and laugh sarcastically. Maybe it
would be better if we went back to hating each other because I'm not used to us being this close and
her being this lively.

“Why would you go? You don't even know her song.”

“I'm bored. I'm not working. I only stay at home all day... I want to go out. When is the concert?”

“4pm, today.”

Aobe Aum looks at the clock and panics.

“It's 2pm already. Go get dressed… Now.”

I didn't even invite her, but I can only look at her running merrily up to her room to get dressed.
Actually, I don't want to go to the concert that much because it was what Metavee, and I planned to
do together. Pang made me want to go, but she let me down. So now I'm going with my twin... Great.

In the end, I dressed up and hurriedly drove over to get the ticket from Pang so that I could go with
Aobe Aum. Pang isn’t used to me being this close my twin, so she twisted her mouth disapprovingly.

“Tell me honestly, you're just pretending to get along, right?”

Aobe Aum twists her mouth too.

“It seems like you're jealous. I'm sorry that Ai is no longer close to you.”

Ah. I think Aobe Aum is kind of cute. Maybe she wanted to be close to me for a long time, but we
haven't talked about our issues. So now that we're on good terms, we're so close, it's like we're
becoming one.

Though it's kind of scary, it's not a bad thing.

The concert is held in a restaurant with quite a bit of space. Only those with tickets can enter. Maybe
it's because the singer is a new and relatively unknown, yet she’s captured the interest of a niche
audience. But I believe... from the songs I've heard from her, that she has great potential. A group of
fans bought LED signs to show their support. Those who came just to enjoy her music sit in the area
with tables and chairs, where snacks are served. Aobe Aum looks around and then turns to talk to
me.
“It's comfy. Good... I thought we would have to stand and dance as we screamed. I'm too old for
that.”

“Do you even know any of her songs, after begging me to come?”

“No. But I wanted to.”

“You seem so excited. I thought you were a fan.”

I tease my younger twin a bit and look towards the stage. Around 15 minutes after everything is in
place. Sadub Pin gets up on stage and plays the piano. Aobe Aum, who's never heard of this artist
before, drops her jaw.

“My god... those fingers are so fast and precise.”

“She's a musician.”

“Imagine being with someone who has strong fingers like that...”

I glance at my younger twin, shocked. Aobe Aum slowly turns to look at me and shrugs.

“It's just a fantasy.”

“Isn't it too fantasy? How can you look at fingers and imagine those things…”

“Don't you miss May?”

Aobe Aum suddenly asked as we talked about fingers, making it hard for me to adjust my mood.

“Aren't we talking about fingers?”

“Yes... that's why I think of May.”

Aobe Aum rests her chin on her hand, watching the musician. She speaks as if we're discussing
something as ordinary as food or politics.

“We had the same lover. And yes, that includes the same fingers.”

I look away because I feel like talking about this with my twin is so inappropriate.

“Don't talk about someone else.”

“Is Metavee someone else to you?”

“I'm sorry that I haven’t been good to you the past few years.”

Suddenly, my younger twin apologises to me, with a sad piano instrument in the background.

“I wanted to be better than you so much that I made you seem worthless in our parent's eyes. And
it’s made us hate each other since we were kids.”

“I can't change my mood fast enough. What?”

Aobe Aum grabs my hand and locks her fingers tightly with mine.

“What is this?”
“You have a lot of good in you. I've always been envious of you since we were kids.”

“Aum…”
“You're a dreamy person. You have a lot of friends. You're beautiful. Everyone wants to be near you,
whether it's boys or girls... I read your novel on the laptop. It reminded me of our primary school
years. You’d like to tell stories, so all of our friends would gather around you. I was the black sheep.”

“Yeah. I’ve envied you since then.”

I'm surprised to hear my younger twin say this. That's what happened? I didn't know.

“When we were young, I had a lot of friends because I'm talkative.”

I agree with her.

“But it has nothing to do with the novel.”

"It's a talent… a talent in storytelling. It was buried for many reasons. Society values academic skills
over recreational ones. That made you feel like you weren't good at anything except daydreaming."

“And it made me envious of you because you got good grades... I hated you too.”

“Okay. Then, we're even.”

Aobe Aum laughs, making me smile with her, before she continues.

“Metavee helped you find yourself again. Your novel is very good.”

“Aum...”

“To be honest, I don't want to stand between you and May. I just wanted to beat her, and I ended up
hurting you too by asking you to choose. Honestly, if you choose May, I would be really hurt and hate
you for it. But... I was surprised, you chose me.

“You're family.”

“Yes. It surprised me that you see me as part of your family. We hated each other. But when you
prioritised me, it made me very happy... And I thought about when I pretended to be you. Why did I
do that? Why didn't I tell May the truth? That's not what you should do to family.”

“I pretended to be you all the time, and yes... that's not what you should do to your family.”

“Okay. We're even again. We don't owe each other anything. Okay?”

“I guess so.”
“Since we don't owe each other anything, I’ll let you do what you want. Because I love you more
than I want to beat Metavee.”

As soon as she finishes saying that the singer starts to play Your Song, which is the highlight of the
show. All the fans scream, and it's so loud I can't hear my twin.

“What do you mean?”

I yell in the middle of all the screaming because I want to hear what my twin said again. Aobe Aum
smiles at me and shrugs.

“It means that... you can love each other as much as you wantttttt.

“Why do you suddenly…”

“You two are too much alike. May has loved you unwaveringly since we were kids. And you love only
May, though you've had so many lovers... When it's your destiny to love someone, you do.”

Right now, I haven’t registered Sadub Pin's song at all because I'm so happy that I'm deaf to my
surroundings. My tears and snot are flowing. I feel like my devious twin has unlocked everything
inside of me. And when Aobe Aum sees how sensitive I am, our twin bond makes her cry too.

“Thank you, Aum.”

“Just don't be so lovey dovey in front of me. I'm still not quite over it yet. I love you, but I still hate her.
It will take some time, or may be a lot, until I can get over it.”

Aobe Aum gets up and swings her purse on her shoulder.

“I'm leaving.”

“Where are you going?”

I look at her, confused, but Aobe Aum just walks out without saying anything. As I'm about to go after
her, still confused, I paused because Metavee walked over and sat in Aobe Aum’s place. She
presses my shoulder so that I sit down next to her.

“May... Why...”

“We agreed to come to the concert together.”

“But... Aobe Aum... Wait. You arranged this with her?”

The sweet-faced woman looks at me and smiles slightly in response. It seems like they talked
behind my back without me knowing anything. But I got the concert ticket from Pang.

“This concert ticket... You also arranged this with Pang?”

“Yes. In order to get to you, I had to win over all those who are close to you... Well, not quite. I bought
it from Pang, meaning I now have four tickets. No matter how rich you are, you can't do this, you
know.”

“M... May.”

“You're so hard to win over... Do you think you can do anything you want because I love you?”
I drop my jaw because I still haven't quite caught up with her. I feel like this is a dream, and I'm still
stunned.

“I didn't do all this just to try and get you to make up with me...”

“Because of Aum?”
“Yes.”

“It's no longer a problem.”

“True... But can it be this simple?”

I wriggle nervously.

“Our relationship is so complicated. It's so messed up...”

“But we’re cleared everything up.”

“You don’t feel awkward at all?”

“Is it awkward for you that I'm that nasty lawyer?”

I pause for a moment before I shake my head.

“No.”

“I don’t feel awkward about anything either.”

“Why aren't you? I'm apart of the reason you lost your job and almost became blind.”
“The truth is... you didn't make me go blind. Though I got into an accident, becoming blind wasn't
because of that. But even if it was, I wouldn't be angry with you.”

The petite one really means that. I can tell from her body language and the way she looks at me. But
still...

“That can't be. What I did was…”

“What I did was serve your friend injustice, and he left this world being worthless. Why aren't you
mad at me?”

We both go quiet and stare at the singer, who's about to finish her song, before we reply at the same
time.

“Because of love.”

“Because of love.”
And we are at a loss for what to do. We adjust our hair behind our ears and look at the singer as she
sings her last verse.

“Why do you love me, Ai?”

“I don't know.”

I look at the sweet-faced woman and ask her back.

“Why do you love me, May?”

“I don't know.”
We go quiet again, and I think that Metavee believes the same as me. There's no reason when it
comes to love. If there were... it wouldn't be love.

“We love each other, but we don't know much about each other. Will there be more surprises?”

I mention this as I look at Ms Sadub Pin thanking everyone after she finished her last song. I clap as
Metavee turns towards me and whispers into my ears because the cheering is too loud for her to
speak normally.

“It's okay. We can exchange our name cards and get to know each other again.”

“What should I do? I don't have a name card. I don't have a job, how can I have one?”

“We can exchange our ID’s then. So, we can be sure of each other's identity too.”

“After that, then what?”

“The normal process would be to have a meal together and get to know each other.”

I turn to smile at the person talkatively laying out her plan for the night, and I pretend to look like I
don't want to be too easy.

“But I'm very picky about what I eat. If the food is not good, it will be hard for us to get along.”

“Then... let's go eat at my place. My mom made something for you.”

I turn to give my attention to the singer, who's thanking her fan club and sponsors who made the
event possible, before I get a chance to ask what her mother made.

“Thank you all for being here on the day my dream came true. Though It's just a small step, it's huge
for me. I would also like to thank all of the official sponsors.”

The singer named Pleng continues to thank each sponsor for over three minutes before she reaches
the last name on the list.
“And thank you to the sponsor who wished not to be named but asked me to say this at the end...
You are no longer my galaxy…”

As soon as Ms Sadub Pin talks about galaxies, I turn to look at Metavee, who now has a smile in the
corner of her mouth, because this is our secret code.

“You have become my entire world, Ai Aun.”

The fans scream so loudly that I have to cover my face. Geez. She does this because she's rich. She
asked the singer to say that on stage.

“So?”

“So what?”

“Do you want to go back and eat what my mom made?”

I'm still embarrassed, so my face is all red when I put my hand down and look at the sly lawyer.
“What did your mom make?”

Metavee points at herself.

“Me.”

“Let's eat.”

I pause a moment and walk away from the concert. Metavee runs after me, trying to take as wide
steps as she can because she's shorter than me. She then leans her face over to me, like she's
waiting for my answer.

“What's the matter? Why won't you give me an answer? Are you mad at me?”

“No.”

“Then why did you rush out?”

When I stop walking, she stops too. Everything goes silent. There's only the sound of crickets around
us. The sky is the colour of a crow's wing

“I'm hungry.”

“Huh?”

“I'm hungry, and I want to eat what your mom made ASAP.”

My answer, which that suggests I'm taking her up on her offer, makes the sly lawyer smile merrily
before she offers an easier
solution.

“Actually. My mom plans ahead, so she prepared a meal box. You can eat in the car.”

“That's an expensive car... Aren't you afraid that it will get messy?”

This time Metavee covers her face, embarrassed after putting up a strong front all this time.

“I'll take it to the car care centre later.”

“Very spicy. Should be very delicious.”

We laugh at each other and run to the car like small children racing to see who gets there first. But
when it comes down to it, we didn't do what we were talking about. We just chased each other
around because we're too happy to rush things. It's strange. Though the situation between Metavee
and I is complicated, and some things are so heavy that we shouldn't even forgive each other for, we
are still ready to do so. If this were to happen to anyone else, I don't know if it would have a happy
ending like ours. But for us, all the obstacles along the way made us so weary that we thought... Just
let it go. Just love each other and let go of the past.

Why forgive each other... no reason...

Why look past it... also no reason.

That's why they say there is no need for so many reasons to love someone. Just use your feelings.
Both Metavee and I agree that trying to find reasons for everything is too tiring.

There's no reason when it comes to love. If there were, it wouldn't be love.

Ah... it seems like I've found my happy ending for the novel. The editor won't have to wait in vain
anymore.

Marisa chose the last option, which was to let Nub-Dao fall in love with her ex while she walked
away, not knowing that it was the right choice. Giving up changed everything for the better. Nub-Dao
doesn't have to die, and Nub-Dao's ex doesn't have to lose anything. The only one who gave up
everything was Marisa. And for that, she got the blessing of a happy life. Nub-Dao’s memories of
Marisa came back, and they got back together. Nub-Dao's ex walks away understanding that clinging
on doesn’t do any good and would only hurt everyone.

Some novels come from real life stories. It depends on how the author twists it. But I do admit that
this novel is almost 90% exactly like my life story, and I hope the editor doesn't know this. Apart
from the novel, Metavee and I also have a happy ending. Or maybe it's only the beginning, I'm not
sure. But everything falls into place perfectly put together like a jigsaw piece. We are not each
other's Pluto’s. The galaxy is too wide to try to find someone else to orbit around.

It's easier to be each other's entire world, if you don't believe me, find your world, and you'll know
that I'm not exaggerating.

THE END
 Special Chapter 1
Metavee

3 Days before the concert.

Aobe Aum calls and asks to meet with me because she has something to talk to me about. Actually,
after what we've done to each other, there's no reason for us to meet again. But I want to know what
she's up to… Let's see.
We met at a cafe not far from my place. Aobe Aum, who looks exactly like the woman I fell in love
with, gives me a brief stare before she sits down.

“I can't believe we're meeting after what happened.”

I say this casually as I take a sip from my coffee cup. The beautiful woman, who no longer looks at
me and asks for tenderness like when we were still in love, replies to me flatly.

“I didn't think that I'd be seeing you again too. But what can I do?”

What can she do? I look at the person who didn't finish her sentence, confused, before I get to the
point.

“Why did you ask to meet up with me, Aum?”

“Let's talk about us.”

“There's been no us since you started fooling me and snuck away to get married.”

“You can't say that I fooled you. You said that you fell in love with Aobe Aum, not Ai Aun. I just
realized later on that wasn't me but my twin, the Aobe Aum that you like so much.”

I sit up straight and start to look at her with resentment.

“If you knew then, why didn't you tell me the truth?”

Aobe Aum sits up straight and raises her chin, full of ego as well.

“Let's not try to find reasons for what we did. Let's just say that we're here today because we love
the same woman.”

“Who?”

“Who do you love?”

Ai Aun... When I think of this name, I suddenly become excited, though I don't trust why Aobe Aum is
here to talk to me.

“What do you want to talk about?”

“If we hate each other, the person who would suffer most is Ai. But how can we get along when
what happened between us was so bad?”
Aobe Aum says it like she's also looking for a way out of our problem.

“How can I forgive you for killing my husband?”

“Say that again. Why did your husband die?”

When I think back to that day... The day I heard that Aobe Aum was getting married, I remember I
was so shocked and furious. The clock says that it was 11pm, and I couldn't stand being a fool, so I
pushed for Paul's number from my boss, telling him that I had an urgent matter I needed to talk to
him about.

“Mr. Paul, before it's past your wedding night, let's have a talk about Aobe Aum.”

As soon as I told the groom briefly what I wanted to talk about, he didn’t hesitate to come and meet
me. We met halfway. I remember picking a convenience store because it was well lit, and I couldn't
think of anywhere else to meet that late at night. I was afraid that the security guard would drag me
out of the hotel if we fought, so I didn't meet him there.

“You can't get married. Aobe Aum hasn't broken up with me yet.”
l remember that he laughed because he thought that a relationship between people of the same sex
was nothing to care about. Men are like this. That's why they like to break up sapphic couples. They
think that men and their private parts are the greatest thing in the world.

“I don't care. Aum chose me. We are married.”

“Does she love you? She has been with me for four years. Let me guess. She married you after only
knowing each other for a few months. Why is that?... Because you're rich and she can take
advantage of you.”

Honestly, I was exaggerating. I look down on them. I called them scumbags. I said he was stupid to
be fooled by a woman. All of those were things I felt were done to me. I was the one who was fooled,
but I felt that throwing it in someone else’s face would make me less stupid.

“You're the owner of an airline, but you're as dumb as a post.”

As I cursed at him. I didn't know that Aobe Aum was there too. The beautiful woman walked in, eyes
filled with tears and slapped me so hard I fell back. The memories of when we’re together replayed
in my head... When I fell in love with Aobe Aum. She saved me from a senior who bullied me for
money. This was totally different. She was a hero then, but she was a slut that day!

“Haven’t you destroyed my life enough? What we had ended.”

Ended? I couldn't take it because it wasn't right. So, I snapped back at her.

“Ended? How could it have ended? You just disappeared and showed up with a husband?”

“We weren't in love.”

“Even so. You have to break up with me first.”

“Why? It was like we already did... Or didn't you feel that way? Have you ever asked yourself if you
still love me?”

“We're not children to be talking about love. I want justice. We haven't even broken up yet!”

“Okay. Let's break up now. The end!”

“It's not that easy!”

I pointed at Aobe Aum with resentment.

“From now on, I will destroy everything that's yours. I will make it so that you and your husband
won't have a happy marriage. I will use everything I have to make his company's tax, all the little
lawsuits, whatever it is, I will investigate them all. I will pester you and make your lives miserable.
Watch me!”

“Do whatever you want.”

“Aobe Aum... you know I can do as I say…. And I will do it.”

Aobe Aum clenched her fist, bit her lips, and told me something I'd never known before.

“Let me tell you something, Metavee... I'm not the one you love.”

“What the hell are you saying?”

“There is another woman who looks just like me in this world. And she's the one you were madly in
love with in high school. She's my older twin, named Ai Aun.”

I looked at Aobe Aum in disbelief. But I'm a lawyer. I can read body language and tell who's lying to
my face. We were together for four years and I could always tell when Aobe Aum lied to me. But that
time, it was different. It’s the truth... A twin?

“Ai Aun is my twin. The person you met back then wasn't me, but her.”

“That's crazy…”

“Now that you know this, leave me alone. Let me live my life.”
The two, who hadn't even spent their wedding night together yet, but had come out in the middle of
the night, got into their car, and the husband drove back while he was still drunk. I was still
confused, trying to make sense of the new information. To be honest, I didn't want to believe her.
Aobe Aum may have said that just to get out of there.
No... Why did she get away with it, without any loss? How could she hurt someone and just go on to
live a happy life with a stupid man like nothing happened? I could see the car making a U-turn. I
couldn't let it end like that, so I crossed the street and stood in the middle of the road in the opposite
lane, stretching my arms out to block them… Yet... the speed of the car increased, Aobe Aum’s
husband intended run me over out of hatred.

5…

4...
3…

2…

1....

The car that was heading straight towards me swerved sideways. The light that was on me changed
direction, and the car went off the side of the road, spinning.

Crash!

I just stood there, paralysed, because I wasn’t able to process what was happening. A few of the
convenience store workers emerged to see what happened. They screamed in panic. So, in the end,
I was the first to get a hold of myself and became a good citizen by calling the police to inform them
of the accident. I was at the accident. but no one knew.

After that incident, I asked my trusted employee to keep track of what was going on. Aobe Aum’s
husband died in the accident, and Aobe Aum was in a coma. That incident was already shocking,
but what shocked me more was another Aobe Aum showing up.

“Aum... Is that you?”

Yes... it was the appearance of Ai Aun. My real Aobe Aum, whom I was searching for all this time,
and since then... I took time to get to know the older twin. Since then, we have become each other's
entire worlds.

When we think back to that day, we both go quiet. Aobe Aum knows well that she was as wrong as I
was. If she wasn't so angry that she was going to run me over, that accident wouldn't have
happened, and I may have been the one who died that day.

“Let's move on from it. Talking about it doesn't make anything better. I came today to talk about Ai.”

Aobe Aum crosses her arms over her chest as she says this casually, like she's above me.

“I win.”

“Win what?”

“Ai chose me.”

“I told Ai to choose between us. If she chooses you, she won't have me as her twin anymore. And
yes, she chose family over you. I'm sorry, May… You're not The Face.”
I look at the person who says that like she's one of the coaches on The Face and roll my eyes. Aren't
we talking about something serious here? Why is she joking around?

“What do you really want to say?”

“She chose me because I'm family. I just wanted you to know that.”

“I know...”

I've known that since the day the three of us sorted things out and Ai chose to walk away. Like Aum
said, family bonds can't be broken. I'm the one she just met when we were all adults. How can I
compete with her family? But I really do love Ai Aun... I love her more than anyone in this world.

“Because she chose me...”

“Stop already. If you're here just to add salt to my wound, I'm leaving. I don't want to listen to this.”

I get up and get ready to leave, but Aobe Aum grabs my wrist.

“Because she chose me, I have to pay her back”

“I will allow her to have you, May.”

Aobe Aum says that as if she's made her decision. I stare at the person I used to love and hate at the
same time confused.

“Wouldn't it be awkward for you?”

“What can I do... I was wrong too. Because I pretended to be Ai, it came to this. And if I hadn't asked
Ai to go break up with you on my wedding night, you two wouldn't have met. I feel responsible for the
pain my twin is going through right now.

“What do you want me to do... No. In your head, how do you want this to end?”

“End with Ai being happy.”

I look at Aum as she says this timidly. I still can't believe she's being this good person.

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Yes. But I'm not reconciling with you. It will take a lot of time maybe the rest of my life. My girlfriend
is now my twin's girlfriend. She's also the one who wrecked my marriage.”
“You don't have to look at me like that. I know I was wrong too. Let's just say... I won't get in stand
your way. Ai is in misery right now.”

Aobe Aum looks at me and sighs.

“The only way Ai will be happy is probably to have you in her life.”

“Can you stand to see me and your twin be in love?”

“No. But I will try. You two just go and be lovey dovey far away from my sight.”
Aobe Aum gets up and walks away. But before she does, she turns to me like she just remembered
something.

“By the way... since when can you see?”

When I hear that, I smile from the corner of my mouth and shrug nonchalantly.

“Guess.”

“Since I disappeared?”

“No.”

“Longer than that? Just tell me. Stop playing with me. I already hate you a lot, don't make me hate
you more.”

“Do you think that I like you?... Since the first two months.”

“So, you have been able to see all along when we were together? You weren't blind... Why did you
pretend to be?”

“It helps me know...”

I get up and whisper into Aobe Aum’s ear.

“Who would stay with me at my worst. And It's not you.”

As soon as I finished saying that I walked out without turning back to look at my ex, whom I had
spent time with in the past. Because from now on, all my time is for my presence and with one
person only,

Ai Aun...
 Special Chapter 2
Metavee

Many people understand that I became blind as a result of a car accident in which I drove off the
side of the road. No one knows the truth aside from me. Actually, I had problems with my eyes prior
to the accident. Due to my extreme near sightedness, I have a condition known as retinal
detachment. I see black specks floating everywhere. It got worse after the Batman case (That’s a
name given by the reporters). My vision became blurry and deteriorated quickly. I decided that it was
time to take it seriously.

I was wearing my glasses the day of the accident because the condition of my eyes had worsened,
and I didn't want to use my contact lenses. There was a shadow in the vision of my right eye. I was
seriously scared of becoming blind. As I was driving to the hospital, a motorcycle gang drove
alongside me, challenging me. I remember swerving my car side to side to avoid hitting them, and
my glasses fell to the floor near the accelerator… Yes... It was a terrible day.

I'm very shortsighted. So, without my glasses, it was like I was blind. And my retina happened to
detach at that moment, causing me to suddenly lose all vision in my right eye. I was pretty much
blind. Without my vision, I couldn’t control my car, so I drove off the road.

People thought that the accident caused me to become blind.

I knew later on that that motorcycle gang was friends with the person my client almost killed when
he hit someone with his car. I understood why they held a grudge. The victim's family members were
old and had no power. Yet they had to be responsible for what they didn't do, only because they
never knew that their son was a nuisance to society. And my client believed that what he did was
right without listening to any reasoning.
Yes... I felt guilty. It seemed like the victim would be crippled for the rest of his life. I should have
made my client compensate him more, at least in the millions, not only 300,000 baht... That wasn’t
enough.
Only Dr. Ton and I knew that my retina had detached at the time of the accident. Moreover, my left
eye was functioning normally, and I only needed to wear a contact lens on that side. Yet I concealed
the fact that I could see, asking Dr. Ton to comply with me. I wanted it to be like that. Part of it was
because when my parents found out, they seemed to care more about me. That made me feel
important. And Aobe Aum took better care of me too.
Yes... I asked for her tenderness and liked it that way. It felt like I was being cared for, eyes are
important in my line of work. And my condition would take time to heal. So, I requested time off from
work, claiming that I had been injured in the accident. My company provided me with special
compensation as well as shares. It was because the owner's son was the offender in the Batman
case, and I was able to reduce his punishment to only a suspended sentence.

Good... I can retire while I'm still young and beautiful.

“You really didn't have to leave your job.”

Dr. Ton said that to me when we were alone together. I give the person who is trying to approach me
the cold shoulder. Why did he have to give his opinion when that was what I wanted?

“You want someone who can barely see to go to court?”

“You haven't completely lost your vision. It's a lost opportunity.”

“This is how I want it to be.”

When I retaliated angrily, he nodded and avoided making any further casual conversation with me,
sensing that I was attempting to maintain some distance between us.

“Okay.”

“Please don’t talk about my condition to anyone.”

“Okay.”
Actually, what Dr. Ton said was true. I could go about my life normally. I just couldn't see as clearly
as other people, I learned how to live as a blind person so that I could act like one and ask for
tenderness from those around me, especially Aobe Aum. I was happy that I was a priority.

I lived like a blind person and learned to live with it. The person who was by my side was Aobe Aum.
The accident and my blindness make people go soft on me. At first, Aobe Aum took care of me
closely. I thought being injured was a good thing. I can ask for tenderness, and people will take good
care of me. But I forgot that as time passes, it can become an annoyance.

Aobe Aum started to feel bored because I was blind. Sometimes she was frustrated because I
couldn't live life exactly like a normal person. We can't go to the mall. We can't go out on a date in
fine dining restaurants. So, in the end, I consoled her by...

“You can go shopping by yourself if you're really bored.”

I handed Aobe Aum my credit card. I didn't think much about it, all I knew was that I wanted my
girlfriend to be happy. But as time went by, I saw the real Aobe Aum more clearly. It wasn’t love…
Aobe Aum seemed to be with me only because she wanted something from me. My credit card bills
showed that she was spending over 100,000 baht per month. And when I mentioned it, she would
say mean things, as if we weren't in love.

“If you don't like it... let's just break up.”

When I was asked to go separate ways so many times, I started to become numb. So, I eventually
didn't pay any attention to her. And in the end... my lover disappeared. I wanted to know how long
Aobe Aum would be away, and yes... my lover didn't care if I existed in this world. My credit card
was still used on a daily basis, but I never saw her. That went on for almost a month. My vision
gradually improved, and one day a doctor from abroad contacted me and asked me to visit and
consult about my treatment. I tried to contact Aobe Aum, but it was a waste of time. So, I went... I
didn't talk to Aobe Aum for over three months. I had no idea how she was doing until I got back from
my treatment. And as soon as I stepped foot on Thai soil. I heard the news, Aobe Aum is getting
married.
I found out coincidentally from my ex-employer when he called to ask how I was doing. That day
changed the fate of many, including me, Aobe Aum, and Ai Aun. Maybe it was destiny that brought
us together.

The present

I've met Ai Aun. I can still see and know my lover is as beautiful and spunky as she was when we
were young. Everyone is rather afraid of me and respects me, except for her, whom I can never beat,
I’ve never had control over her.

“You don't pay any attention to me, Ai”

“I'm revising the novel.”

I say that, and she is still busy working on her novel. I want her attention, so I push the screen of her
laptop down and look at her challengingly.

“Why are you whining?”

“Do I look like a kid? Why do you always say that I'm whiny?”

“Because this is what kids do. If you want something, say it. Don't close my laptop like that.”

“I want warmth from Ai Aun.”

I scrunch my mouth and act like I'm not at fault, trying to annoy her.

“You're sitting in my house but only paying attention to your laptop.”

“I always pay attention to you. But I have to do one final check before I can send it to the editor. I
want to get it over and done with.”

“What's more important? The novel or me?”

“The novel.”

That's the wrong answer... Ai Aun flips the screen up and continues to work. I sit with my head held
high because I've never felt so defeated. Yet I'm now losing to a stupid laptop.

“Go home, then.”

I look at the person who's focusing only on her laptop, expecting a reaction from her. Ai Aun closes
the laptop, gathers her things, and gets up to leave. I hurriedly grab her shirt.

“You're really leaving?”

“Didn't you ask me to?”

“If I did, you have to try to make up with me.”

“May... I'm not one to bow down for anyone.”

“Bow down to me.”

“You have to stop wanting things to always go your way.

“I'm only like this with you... You said I was your entire world.”
I twist my face and sulk. Ai Aun lets out a sigh and puts her laptop down before she stares straight at
me.
“Are you doing this because you know that I love you? We have to talk about this. Our love is equal.
No one is above or below the other. I will try to reconcile with you when I'm wrong. And you will have
to try to reconcile with me when you're wrong.”

I've never been afraid of anything before. But when I'm with Ai Aun, I'm like a small child. It irritates
me.
“I don't want to be above you or anything. I just want some attention... you look so sexy when you
focus on your work.”
I reach my hand over to poke the arm of the beautiful woman, who also looks so handsome, asking
for tenderness.

“Can't we make out before you work?”

Ai Aun tries to keep her composure. But when she hears that, she can't help but smile, and
eventually she lets out a laugh.

“Why are you so cute?”

“Does it work?”

“Take off your clothes. I will make out with you now, you centre of the universe.”

Ai Aun says it teasingly.

“That's how it should be. You're my world, so you should orbit around me and go through every inch
of me.”
This is love... I have always wanted it to be like this. When it's the right time and place, I don't want
anything more. I got the attention I wanted, and I've become her world. I don't have to hide, thinking
that I'm only her Pluto.
Thinking back to when we were in school, I wasn't this brave. I was just a tiny girl with a father didn't
pay much attention her. Because my father wanted something special and really hoped for a son,
when I was born a daughter, he pressured me until I lost all of my confidence.
“I can't pass down my surname to you. Our family name will become extinct because a daughter
must use someone else's family name when she marries.”
My father is a soldier. He wanted a son because he believed a son was the pride of the family, like
himself. So, I was a daughter who was never loved or paid attention to. All I got was snack money for
school. I felt worthless. But the one good thing my father gave me was his brain. I can memorise
whatever I read like it was copied into my brain. So, schoolwork was easy for me. I thought about
becoming a doctor so I could make a lot of money and leave home.
We don't need to love those who don't love us. Aside from my family not giving a damn about me,
people also bullied me. My friends would ask to be in my group when there was group work, but they
never helped out. And if I didn't agree to it, they would ban me. I was also the target of all the
bullying. It happened so much that I wondered, why me?

Even the seniors bullied me for money because they saw that I was weak and never put up a fight.
Some days, I didn't even have enough money to buy food for myself. And telling my parents was out
of the question. No one cared about me... no one. But then one day. Ai Aun came along, and my
thoughts changed. I didn't know what her name was. I just knew that when a senior bullied me for
money in a small alley in Siam and I almost didn't have any money to get home, this beautiful
woman was the hero that saved me just in time. I dropped my glasses so everything was blurry, like
a camera that couldn't focus.

A tall girl, whose face I couldn't make out, walked confidently, and took her hands out of her pocket
to push the senior's chest so hard that the senior fell back. She wasn't that big, but why was she so
strong…

“Don't bully those that are smaller than you. Your fitting sparring partner is here... Give it.”

The tall girl extended her hand out and smiled like she was picking a fight.

“What?”

“The money you took from her, give it.”

“Why should I?”

The senior glanced at the school's name and stars on the shirt of the girl who pushed her. When she
figured out that the tall girl was her junior, she immediately used her seniority.”

You're younger than me. Be polite... I'm a senior.”

“Do you want to fight me? I don't care which grade you're in.”

Not only did the tall girl not care, but she also fearlessly pushed the senior on the forehead until she
swayed.

“I'll slap you until you crawl back home like a dog.”
The tall girl gave off a savage vibe. She was fearless and ready to do as she said. The senior seemed
brave only with someone smaller, so she handed my money to that beautiful girl. Yet... it wasn't
enough.
“Yours too.”

“What?”

“Your money. Give it.”

“How will I get home?”

“So, you'll understand those who don't have money to get home... Give it.”

My hero from another school lifted her sleeve and grabbed the collar of my senior. Their faces
almost touched as she raised her hand.

“Or do I need to slap you first?”

The authoritativeness made the senior give my hero the money willingly. Moreover, she was insulted
by being ordered to give her pin away too.

“What do you want it for?”

“It's a reward to remind me that I beat a low life senior. Leave all your belongings here, including your
Jacobs Bag.”

“You're taking everything?”

“Yes.”

“Don't think you'll get away with this.”

“Come at me anytime you want... My school is the initials on my shirt. But if we meet again, you
won't walk away like this. I will slap you to the ground and beat you up at your school too. Just wait
and see.”

“Wait for it, I'll get you back.”

“Anytime you want. If you can't find me, ask for... Aobe Aum. That's my name.

She was like a rascal. Or a mafia even. The senior walked away, so there was only me left to face my
hero, who came with her friends as if they were the Powerpuff Girls.

“Take it.”

My hero handed me back my money.

“Next time, you need to put up a fight, or they’ll keep bullying you. From my experience, those who
are stronger tend to beat up those who are weaker to make themselves feel good.”

“Thank you.”

I reached for my money reluctantly.

“But I don't know how to fight them. I'm smaller and weaker.”

“You only study, huh?”

“Ah huh.”
“What do you intend to be when you grow up?”

“A doctor.”

“That's so basic. Everyone who has a bit of brains wants to be a doctor.”

“I don't know what to do to make a lot of money.”

“Be a corrupt police officer. That would make you filthy rich... and you get to carry a gun too. You can
do whatever you want. Nothing is better than having the law on your side. Take advantage of your
position once you have it.”

She said that casually as she laughed. But I felt like I was blessed. It sparked an idea in my head.

“That's true. If I have the law in my hands, I can do anything I want. Wow...That's an amazing idea.”

“Are these your glasses?”

The person talking to me bent down to pick up my glasses. She looked straight at me, which caused
me to go quiet because I was afraid that I'd say something wrong.

“W... what is it?”

“You have very beautiful eyes.”

“Huh?”

“I like your eyes.”

We both went quiet. And because the atmosphere was getting weird, Aobe Aum put my glasses on
for me and gave me a smile.

“It would be great if these eyes weren't hidden behind glasses.”

I remember that my face was hot, as if I had put it against a boiling pot, when I was complimented
directly like that, I could only tighten my lips and look down at the ground.

“Now that everything is over, get home safely. You're so tiny. And remember, if someone bullies you
again grab anything close to you and just swing with all your might. If you fight, you won't lose.”

“Okay.”

That was our first encounter. I remember it well, though it was kind of strange.

“Gasp.”
My body has reached its climax. I startle and jerk. Ai Aun knows my body well. She immediately
pulls me into her embrace to gives me something to cling to.

“Ai...”

“Your heart is racing so fast.”

The beautiful woman says this as we hug. She then moves back and looks me in the eye before
complimenting me the same way she did in the past.
“Your eyes are so beautiful.”

“Only my eyes?”

“All of you. But I like your eyes the most.”

“Why?”

“It feels good when these eyes look only at me.”

I flip her down to lay beside me and gave her a smile full of love, obsession, and lust. And I'm ready
to give back to her what she just gave me.

“Then I'll only look at you forever.”

“Good...”

Ai Aun is getting better at this. She pushes me up, so I sit on my knees before pressing her middle
part onto my thigh.

“When I move like this, you have to look only at me.”

“Ai...”

“Your eyes arouse me. Ah...

We are the perfect lovers when it comes to these kinds of activities. It's very intense. How can I love
another? I look at Ai Aun as she moves against my thigh. The moist, warm touch makes my heart
skip a beat. And the sound she makes arouses me.

This woman is truly my entire world.

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