15 Years Ago
November 13, 2030 | 02:30 PM | Phayao, Thailand
At the university entrance, a place swarming with students, the sound of a phone ringing echoed repeatedly. Mook, who was a little soft around the middle, gripped his phone tightly. His heart was a chaotic swirl of emotions—the thrill of sharing a hard-won success and the gnawing dread of a relationship that was fraying at the seams.
He glanced down at the screen. "First-Class Honors."
Those words should have been his ticket to pride. Instead, Mook hurriedly tugged at his oversized student shirt, trying to hide the protruding belly that was becoming increasingly noticeable in a fit of self-consciousness. His round face looked haggard, with dark circles under his eyes from years of relentless studying. He clung to the hope that this achievement would be the "glue" strong enough to keep her from leaving.
“I’m right behind you,” a small, familiar voice chirped.
Mook spun around, his eyes lighting up. “Mint!”
Mint, a petite and slender young woman, strode toward him with effortless confidence. Her doll-like face, meticulously adorned with makeup, was tilted up in an annoyed pout. Her eyes remained glued to the phone in her hand, refusing to meet his hopeful gaze for even a second.
“What is it? Why did you have to call me out here?” she asked, her voice laced with irritation.
“The professor told me... I’m getting First-Class Honors. Look, Mint!” Mook rushed toward her, thrusting his phone forward with pride.
Mint spared the screen a fleeting glance before returning to her rapid-fire texting. “Oh. Congrats.”
Her voice was flat, devoid of the joy he had longed for. Mook caught the way her eyes swept over his chubby frame with a silent, judgmental comparison before she looked away. A bitter pang of inferiority flared in his chest. “Who is that? Are they really that important?”
“Just a friend, Phi,” Mint replied coldly.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
“A guy or a girl?”
Mint snapped her head up, glaring at him. “I told you already! He’s the one I asked to help me study via chat!”
A lump formed in Mook’s throat. He knew exactly who that ‘friend’ was—the handsome, popular guy from her class. “Does he really need to talk to you every single second?”
“God, what is your problem!?” Mint shrieked. “If you don’t trust me, then let’s just break up! Why even bother being together!?”
The word ‘break up’—uttered so easily and so often—made Mook flinch. Usually, he would back down to save what was left of them. But not today.
Snatch! Mook lunged and grabbed the phone from Mint’s hand. He scrolled through the messages, and what he saw hit him like a physical blow: a photo of the man, shirtless, flaunting a set of perfectly defined abs by the beach.
“Phi…! Give it back!” Mint lunged to retrieve it.
“Do exams these days... really require shirtless photos of guys with six-packs!?” Mook cut her off, his voice trembling with heartbreak. He threw the phone back at her face in a fit of despair.
Thud!
“Ow!” Mint cried out as the edge of the phone struck her cheekbone before she managed to scramble and catch it before it hit the ground. “That hurts! Why do you have to be so violent!?”
“Then why are you doing this to me!?” Mook bellowed, years of suppressed pain finally exploding. “You know how hard I’ve worked for us!”
“Doing what? It’s just one picture! Why are you making such a big deal out of it? He’s just a friend!” Mint argued defiantly. “If you’re going to be this pathetic and irrational, then just go! It’s over! We’re done!”
“Fine! You want to leave? Then go! Go die wherever you want!” Mook screamed at the top of his lungs, pointing away as his heart shattered.
“You said it, not me!” Mint turned on her heel and stormed off without a single backward glance.
Mook stood there, his fists clenched and body shaking. But then, a sight ahead felt like a sledgehammer to his soul. Mint reached the roadside, and within moments, a luxury sedan driven by the man from the photo pulled up. Mint feigned a dramatic sob, throwing herself into the handsome man’s arms for comfort before climbing into the car. It was clear—someone had been waiting to take his place all along.
As the car vanished from sight, the strength he had tried so hard to maintain crumbled. Mook collapsed onto the ground, utterly broken. Amidst the crowd of passersby, he began to sob uncontrollably.
Thud... The phone slipped from his hand and hit the pavement. The screen, displaying the list of First-Class Honors, was blurred by drop after drop of hot tears.
In an era where the world is only kind to those who are beautiful or handsome... the honors he had traded his sweat and intellect for were worthless, simply because he lacked the handsome face and the alluring six-pack of someone like that.
Great things often have small beginnings... don't you think?
