Chapter 4 - Playing mind games

Irene frowned. "Why are you so surprised? She told me she's never introduced anyone to her mom before—I'm the first."

Irene said proudly, but Kunlaphat felt like her world was collapsing. Lalin had never taken her to meet her mom, and now she was taking Irene. It was a painful reminder that she had never been someone Lalin had truly intended to be serious with.

Kunlaphat bit her lip hard, forcing a smile for her friend, though inside, she was falling apart. Irene was blissfully unaware of how much her words were hurting Kunlaphat.

When Kulaphat and Lalin were together, Lalin never did anything like this. She always talked about being scared her parents would find out and kept saying she wanted to break up. These bitter thoughts kept swirling in Kulaphat's mind.

"Hey, Phat..."

Irene's voice interrupted, pulling Kunlaphat's gaze away from the water in front of them.

"Hmm?" Kunlaphat responded curtly, trying to hide her pain.

"Are you free tomorrow?" Irene asked in a sweet, pleading tone.

Kunlaphat looked at her friend, knowing she wanted something. "What do you want? Just tell me."

"Could you model some clothes for my brand? I still haven't found anyone," Irene asked sheepishly.

"I don't want to ask Joy again. I feel bad. And I'm sick of seeing my own face in the pictures. Please, Phat," Irene begged, her expression desperate. Kunlaphat sighed softly. She knew she couldn't say no.

---

"You didn't tell me Kunlaphat would be modeling today,"

Lalin said softly, her voice tinged with jealousy and worry. She had just arrived at Irene's condo to help out behind the scenes, only to find Kunlaphat there, the last person she wanted to see.

While Irene busied herself checking the camera setup, she failed to notice the anxious look in Lalin's eyes.

"I only asked her yesterday because you refused to model for me," Irene explained, still focused on her camera, not catching the concern on Lalin's face.

"If it's too much trouble for Kunlaphat, I'll model instead," Lalin offered quietly. She didn't want Kunlaphat getting too close to Irene. Irene looked up and smiled at her.

"Maybe next time. It's too late to change now," Irene said kindly.

Lalin thought hard. She wanted to keep Kunlaphat away from Irene, to distance them as much as possible, but she didn't know how.

"What's wrong, little one?" Irene teased, trying to lighten the tense atmosphere.

Lalin frowned. "Do you have feelings for Kunlaphat?" she asked, feigning jealousy in hopes it would create some distance between Irene and Kunlaphat.

"Just friends, Lalin. Don't overthink it," Irene reassured her sweetly, though her eyes briefly flickered with a hint of pain.

"Who knows? Kunlaphat is beautiful. Maybe you'll fall for her without realizing it," Lalin continued, trying to sound playful, but the thought made her uneasy. Irene's expression faltered, Lalin's words hitting closer to home than she intended.

"Lalin, don't be jealous of me and Phat. The very thought is creepy," Irene joked, trying to mask her true feelings with a laugh, unaware that Kunlaphat was standing at the doorway, listening to every word.

---

Kunlaphat stood still, knowing all too well that Irene had a crush on her. She had always pretended not to notice, keeping her distance to avoid losing a friend. But she also knew that Irene had been trying to move on from her for a long time. A sudden thought crossed her mind: if Lalin knew about Irene's feelings, it would be a perfect way to hurt her former lover.

"I'm here! Oh... Lalin, you're helping Irene too?" Kunlaphat greeted them with a calm voice, flashing a sweet smile at Lalin as Irene opened the door.

Kunlaphat moved closer to Irene deliberately, leaning in. "Whose perfume is this? It smells amazing," she murmured, her nose hovering near Irene's neck, catching her friend off guard. Kunlaphat had never acted this way before.

"What perfume are you wearing, Irene? It's so nice," Kunlaphat asked with a sly smile.

Irene turned to her friend, confused by her behavior. "It's the same one I always wear. I've been using it for a long time."

"I've never noticed before. We've been so close all the time, and I've never smelled it," Kulaphat teased, her suggestive tone making Lalin visibly uncomfortable. Lalin shot Kulaphat a displeased look.

Irene quickly tried to diffuse the situation, misunderstanding Kunlaphat's intent. "Phat! Stop messing around, or Lalin might get the wrong idea."

Kunlaphat laughed. "Lalin isn't the type to overthink things, right?" she said sweetly, looking directly at Lalin.

"Right," Lalin replied quietly. "I can see that Kunlaphat is just playful."

She said it even though she knew deep down that Kunlaphat was provoking her on purpose. Lalin's gaze lingered on her former lover, filled with irritation, but Kunlaphat remained indifferent.

Inside, Lalin felt conflicted. She wasn't sure if the jealousy bubbling up was directed towards Irene or Kunlaphat.

---

The photo shoot for Irene's brand went smoothly. Irene and Kunlaphat seemed to enjoy themselves, laughing amidst the flashes and clicks of the camera. Kunlaphat kept up the act, staying close to Irene, whispering into her ear, and slinging her arm around her shoulder, actions that Lalin, watching from behind the scenes, found increasingly hard to bear.

What is Kunlaphat trying to do? Lalin asked herself, her frustration and jealousy growing despite her attempts to suppress them. She knew Kunlaphat was messing with her—whether to test her jealousy or to get closer to Irene and provoke her further. Either way, it was too much.

That night, unable to hold back anymore, Lalin sent a message to Kunlaphat.

---

Chat Conversation:

LaLin: Why did you act like that today? It wasn't funny.

Phat-Kunlaphat: What did I do?

LaLin: Are you messing with me?

Phat-Kunlaphat: Think what you want.

LaLin: Kunlaphat, I'm serious. Why did you do that? Do you want me to be jealous?

Phat-Kunlaphat: If you're going to send messages like this, I'll just unfriend you like before.

LaLin: Can you stop pretending you don't know anything?

Phat-Kunlaphat: You're imagining things.

LaLin: What do you want, Kunlaphat? Just tell me.

LaLin: .........

LaLin: Kunlaphat.

---

Lalin stared at her phone, anxious and frustrated. She couldn't understand what Kunlaphat wanted. Meanwhile, Kunlaphat sat still, letting her phone buzz repeatedly with notifications, but she didn't even glance at it.

Lalin was likely bombarding her with messages, but Kunlaphat chose to ignore them. Her expression was blank as she gazed out of the window, her eyes reflecting self-loathing.

What was she doing? Was she really trying to mess with Lalin using her own friend?

Kunlaphat's eyes revealed the contempt she felt for herself, hating the person she had become.

---

You can read Full-Ebook at MEB application

Search name : Bitter Sweet Toxic or Hojicha Studio (English version)