10
The lonely one
"Puth, how does Twitter work?"
I've been sitting in front of my computer and trying to figure it out all day. I eventually ask my brother when he finally returns from work.
"It's the same as Facebook. Facebook is for showing off to your friends. Twitter is for complaining."
"How are they different?"
"In Facebook, you have to add friends so they see how great your life is. If you post sad stuff, they will step on you and gossip in the LINE group chat. But on Twitter, you can be anyone you want. Just pick a name. Then you can lash out at anyone from Thailand's prime minister to the president of Northern Korea."
"I still don't see the difference."
"Let's say... it's for complaining. End of story."
Am I low-tech, or is my brother not good at giving information? Never mind. I'll learn the rope hands-on. Since Aontakarn is on Twitter, I have to learn how to use it.
So I can give her support...
Ah... I'm creating an account, and I am stuck at the point where I have to come up with a name. Yes... because I'm doing this so that I can support Aontakarn, I name myself 'APPLE_Honey'. This goes well with the opening of my letters. What's next? How can I send a message to Aontakarn?
"Puth. And how can we talk to other people?"
"Find a friend. Like, if you want to know what I complain about each day, follow me."
"What if I don't know the account of who I want to talk to?"
"It means that you're stupid."
Thanks...
After I didn't get any useful answers from my brother, I looked over to my phone, thinking hard. Would it be strange if I contacted Aontakarn first? But we're close.
It wouldn't be strange, right?
So I go to the chat room of the sweet-faced woman. I look at the latest message in which she invites me to her house. I'm still shy, but because we talked more, I have the courage to contact her first.
Think Chris Kitkat : Sticker
The other person in the chat room reads my message after two-seconds. She replies with a sticker as well. The only difference is that there are words on her sticker.
Aontakarn : Hi, friend.
Soooooo Cute.
I giggle at the phone, as if I'm talking to Hyun Bin. However, upon noticing my parents staring at me, I immediately sit up straight and pretend as though nothing is going on.
Think Chris Kitkat : Chris is learning how to use Twitter.
Think Chris Kitkat : Can you teach me how to use it? What's your name on there?
Aontakarn Aontakarn_RAKs
Aontakarn : You're learning how to use Twitter?
Think Chris Kitkat : Yes. Karn said that you use it, so I want to learn how to use it too
Aontakarn : What's your account?
I was about to type 'Apple', but I paused. I almost slipped! If I typed that, she would know that the person behind those encouragement letters is me.
Think Chris Kitkat : I'm about to apply. I'll add you.
In the end, I have to create two accounts. It makes me understand what Puth meant when he said that we can be anyone we want on Twitter because no one knows who we are. We can lash out at the prime minister and delete our accounts, then create new ones. It's not like Facebook, where you need to do identifications. You can follow anyone. If you're unhappy, you can then unfollow. The end.
And once I created an account, I searched for Aontakarn. There are two identical ones, so I have to ask her again.
Think Christ Kitkat : There are two accounts with the same name.
Aontakarn : Someone copied me. The one with "S" is the real one. I'm also worried that Apple will send a message to the other account.
Okay! Apple will never send a message to the fake account because, I know, I'm enlightened and I'm merry.
Aontakarn : What are you doing?
I'm about to enter the world of Twitter, but I have to put that aside to chat with Aontakarn after she asked that.
Think Chris Kitkat : Nothing. I'm focusing on chatting with Karn.
Aontakarn : You're focusing on chatting?
Think Chris Kitkat : Y'es. I'm afraid someone will be lonely.
Aontakarn : Having Chris as a friend makes me a lot less lonely.
Think Chris Kitkat : And from now on, Chris will make Karn even less lonely.
Aontakarn : How can you do that?
Think Chris Kitkat : Chris will learn how to drink beer, so Karn won't get lonely when Karn thinks of your mother.
After I typed that, Aontakarn went quiet, though it said "Read." I'm nervous. It's a sensitive topic. Did I sadden her? As I'm anxious and am about to do something, my phone rings. The screen shows the number of the person I'm thinking about. So I pick up the call nervously.
"Karn, are you okay?"
[I don't know. Suddenly, I feel like calling you. Can I talk to you on the phone?]
"Of course you can." I get up and glance over to my family members. They are chitchatting. I head up to my bedroom to fmd a quiet spot to talk without worrying that someone is listening to my conversation. "Karn can talk to Chris anytime you want."
[Anytime?]
"Yes. At all hours."
[Even at 9 p.m.?]
"Yes."
[How about 11 p.m.?]
"Can."
[And 2 a.m.?]
"Surrrrrrre."
[5 a.m.?]
"Okaaaaaaaaay."
[You're too kind. What if Kant gets too carried away?]
Her whining voice makes me smile slightly. When we were drinking beer, I remembered that she could be whiny, but I didn't think that she would be like this when she wasn't drinking.
"Let's say Kam can call Chris whenever you're lonely because we're close."
[What if Chris has a lover?]
"Chris won't have a lover."
[Does this mean that if you do, we can't talk like
this?]
"Let's say even if Chris has a lover, Chris will still talk to Karn like this and will always have time for Karn. Okay?"
There's a giggle at the other end of the line. Aontakarn seems to be having fun. It shifted the mood. Normally, if you look at her, the one with a sweet face, you will feel peaceful. It's like a straight line without any ripples, or if you compare it to water, it's a calm pond, not the sea with constant waves. But it's not like that now.
She's laughing... There are waves of happiness.
[Chris makes Karn feel like I'm talking to my mother. I feel warm.]
"You're not saying that I'm old, are you?'
[Not at all... It would be nice if Karn could see Chris more often. When we work on the website, we only talk when we're doing new content or scheduling a meet-up.]
"There's no need to wait until there's work. We can arrange to meet up anytime we want. How about this... Chris will pop by to see Kam every day after work. Does that sound good?"
[Would that be okay...]
I roll my eyes in panic because it seems like I'm pushing it too hard. I may make Aontakarn feel uncomfortable.
"A... ah, maybe not that often..."
[No. No. Karn just doesn't want to bother you that much...]
"Oh? Bother me? I thought we're close."
[It would be good if we could meet every day. It would be great, actually.]
What the sweet-faced woman said makes me smile in adoration.
"If you want to see Chris every day, I will go to see you every day. My house is close to where you work. It's not at all a problem. If you're no longer lonely or bored with me, you can just tell me. That's all there is to it."
[Who will be the one to get bored first?]
"Then Chris will go see you tomorrow. Do you broadcast every day?"
[Not every day. Three days a week... Ah, so we can't meet every day.]
"Then Chris will go to your house. I will go hang out and learn how to drink beer. Does that sound good?"
[Don't be so kind. What if 1 fall in love with you? ]
Thump Thump...
My heart is pounding so hard that I have to put my hand on my chest. It takes me two seconds to focus back on our conversation on the phone. I tease her back, so it's not too weird.
"Chris is this cute. How can you not love Chris?"
[Such a tease... Then let's start by meeting up tomorrow and every day after that.]
"Ah-huh... the next day, and the next."
We continue to talk for a while before we hang up. The embarrassment makes me bury my head under my pillow and scream. I didn't notice that someone had entered my room.
"Do you have a lover?"
Puth's voice startles me. I sit up straight. My handsome brother looks at me and smiles from the corner of his mouth.
"What lover? Are you crazy?"
"I see it with my own eyes. You snuck up to talk on the phone. This is a clear sign that you're talking to a guy. I didn't want to believe that until mom asked me to eavesdrop on you. You giggle like a slut."
Evil brother...
"You eavesdropped on me? How rude? Didn't your parents teach you any manners?"
"They're your parents as well. Don't be pregnant without a husband. That would be embarrassing."
"Idiot! I was talking to Aontakarn! How can I become pregnant? By her finger?"
"Oh?" Puth's eyes become wide open. "You talk and giggle with Kam? When did you two become close? Ah... I know, when you got drunk that time."
"Isn't that good?"
"It's good that it wasn't a man you were talking to. I'm just worried about you. Women these days are so easy. I don't want my sister to be easy like those women I talk about."
"Idiot."
I glance over at my brother and twist my mouth. What's this possessive brother act? He's been like this since we were kids. Puth just shrugs and leaves the room. But before he does, he turns back to ask something.
"Or maybe you like women."
"Get out of here!"
"Okay. Fine. I'm leaving." Puth retreats, but he pauses when I change my mind and call him.
"Puth."
"Huh?"
"Can you drink beer with me?"
"Huh?"
"I'm learning how to drink. Can you drink with me? And I may ask for your help on this every day."
"Every day? What a drunk?"
I give him a bored expression. Yet he's the only one I can trust to let Karakate come out to see. He can handle her.
"Yes. Every day."