#and then also in bbs when pran asks ''do you want to be my friend?''

[airenyah]

i'm only 4 minutes into ep 11 of 10 years ticket and i'm already cring over ohm pawat's acting

HE'S DOING THE SAME THING AS HE DID IN EP 5 ROOFTOP SCENE (MY BELOVED <3) AND YET IT'S SO DIFFERENT

[telomeke-bbs]

Okay, not (quite) anonymous any more, but still not (that) active yet. With all the recent discussion of episode 5 and the rooftop scene, I think I've yet to see analysis of 5 [4/4] 9:06-9:13, from when Pran says "We're not even friends" to when Pat says "That's right." Of course, we didn't know it on first viewing, but based on what we learn later from episode 12 [4/4] 12:58-13:54, what Pran says must have hurt. And we see it in Pat/Ohm's reaction. I'd love to see that deconstructed.

Hi @pandasmagorica! 😍 Sorry this reply is so late; I was struggling with my post about OS2 x BBS x ATOTS and also some work deadlines.

With regard to the Ep.5 rooftop, I must agree with you that Pran's comment "We're not even friends" must really have stung for Pat.

By this point he'd been totally swept away in the rush of his new-found feelings that he also knew were returned. But Pran, contrarian as ever, was vehemently denying the existence of closeness to his face. And to deny that they were even friends when they had actually been so close and affectionate behind the scenes before must have felt like a gut punch to Pat, who was laying himself so bare and vulnerable here.

For almost all of Ep.5 we watched as Pat sank deeper and deeper into the disorientating realization that he had somehow fallen in love with his supposed rival. And he must have been pushed so close to the brink of despair by the swell of these anguished, bottled emotions that he couldn't wait even a second longer than necessary to confess it all to Pran (which of course is quite in character for our open-hearted boy).

(above) Bad Buddy Ep.5 [4/4] 1.18

This was why he waited up for Pran down at the base of their block, drunk as he was, so as not to miss his return. And when he was prevented – by Wai's presence – from expressing all that was churning within him, of course he couldn't contain that pressure and it all erupted into a brawl.

But Pat on the rooftop is now showered and clearheaded, and once again focused on his task of confessing all to Pran.

(above) Bad Buddy Ep.5 [4/4] 7.45

Unfortunately, as before, Pran is unaware of Pat's true feelings and is expecting their usual jostling, competitive dynamic to be the framework of their exchange. And so Pran continues to toss barbs at Pat, thinking he'll find some way to lob them back as he'd always done before.

And in a sense he does, but Pat's energy is different now. For him it's not a game anymore and the usual teasing impishness that we saw so much of in preceding episodes (and at the start of Ep.5 too) is gone.

This scene is also a callback to (and a parallel with) Ep.3 [4/4] 6.09 – in the corridor there, Pran had been so moved by Pat's generosity and help with the bus‑stop that he decided to dial back on the rivalry and was wanting to take things to the next level.

(above) Bad Buddy Ep.3 [4/4] 6.51

This was the motivation behind his seemingly off-the-cuff "Have you eaten?" at Ep.3 [4/4] 7.20 – he was wanting to interact with Pat socially instead of as a competitor (see this write-up linked here for more analysis). Before this, the only other time we'd seen them at a meal together was at the wonton noodle stall (Ep.3 [1I4] 6.20), and it only happened by accident (and Pat soon turned it into a chopstick battle anyway) so I like to think Pran was wanting a romantic do-over in Ep.3 [4/4] by asking Pat out for a meal.

But there in the corridor Pat only seemed to want more of their usual relationship dynamic (more gameplay), and he signaled this with another of his bait-and-switch moves, lulling Pran with the return of his guitar and then saying "I just like to see your face… when you lose."

Here on the rooftop the tables have turned. In the corridor of Ep.3 [4/4] Pran was left resigned with Pat's unchanging focus on their rivalry (and yet maybe still relieved that they could continue their relationship, even if it was based on competition). But on the rooftop it's now Pat – all ready to bare his soul – who is thwarted and exasperated by Pran instead.

During the fight scene we already saw Pat getting annoyed at Pran (who was operating in their default mode of pretending to be bitter enemies). And he retaliated with a refusal to play along, turning snarky when Pran said "Why? Is it so hard to accept defeat?" at Ep.5 [4/4] 2.41. Pat's snide response "Defeated by that lousy song. Why would I feel anything?" landed like a slap too (though Pran couldn't have felt it, unlike Pat and us viewers who knew the truth behind his sarcasm). Because of course Pat had his heart torn to shreds when he finally understood that the song Just Friend? was really about Pran's unrequited love for him, and was now speaking to his feelings for Pran in return.

So on the rooftop Pat – perhaps annoyed at having to delay the confessing of his own truths – calls out the double-sidedness of Pran's comment and laces his response with more sarcasm and layers of unspoken meaning. His skewed, sardonic smile when he says "That's right" is a mix of sadness and derision, a colloid of contrasts ironically just like the relationship that they've always known – a forced mix of enmity and friendship, a combination of two opposites that will never truly meld.

If we're being generous, it's possible to read that Pran intended his "We're not even friends" to mean something like they're not allowed to be friends in the fullest sense of the word, in front of society and the world at large, even though they were always friends behind the scenes. But what Pat does is to take the literal meaning of this and flip it on its head.

They're both aware that their illicit friendship exists, but it's a friendship that dare not speak its name because of outside disapprobation. Pat's answer in the affirmative also snorts cynically, not just at Pran's surface denial, but also at their pitiless circumstances that don't allow them ever to be seen in front of others as anything besides bitter rivals.

And this is why he goes on to list why others might think they're not friends – in spite of the fact that (for all intents and purposes, except for how their relationship is presented to the world) – they actually are:

"How can we be friends when our parents despise one another?"

"How can we be friends if we live next door to each other yet can't even talk?"

"How can we be friends if we have to compete against one another in everything?"

But just like his sarcastic "That's right" and the cynicism of his mirthless smile, his words here are rhetorical, and are meant to highlight the opposite of what they seem to be saying – because his list is only made up of obstacles to friendship, but not reasons for enmity.

Their parents' mutual hostility, the ban on communicating with the boy next door, the enforced competition – these were constraints imposed on their friendship, but in themselves are no foundation or justification for any kind of animosity between them. And early on, little Pat and Pran found ways to get around the barriers and become firm friends in all but name, because there was never any justifiable reason for them not to be so.

Pat is calling Pran out here; he's telling Pran that he's just repeating what they'd been told since childhood, but the two of them, despite having drifted apart after Pran was sent away – they know better. And he's also calling for an end to the verbal gameplaying, and for them to face their truths.

Because after each rhetorical question is the silent, unspoken answer that BOTH know to be true:

"How can we be friends when our parents despise one another?" "But we ARE friends…"

"How can we be friends if we live next door to each other yet can't even talk?" "But we found a way around it…"

"How can we be friends if we have to compete against one another in everything?" "The competition was never a barrier to us ACTUALLY becoming friends…"

He's using rhetoric and sarcasm to illustrate that they weren't allowed to be friends and they've been conditioned not to call themselves that – but it doesn't change the truth about their friendship.

And I think Pran hears him loud and clear – despite what the world's been telling them all their lives, they are close and they have been friends, which is why there's a discernible softening on Pran's part.

I think Ohm did a fantastic job in Ep.5, heaving onto his shoulders the weighty stone that was also BBS's glowing heart, when it was Nanon doing all the heavy emotional lifting in the first four episodes. You can see what Pat is going through – but just in case you want further insight regarding his inner turmoil, BBS actually lets us in on a little more info.

Pat's audition as Riam in Ep.7 [4/4] 5.26 was also a play-by-play repetition of the Ep.5 rooftop scene, but Pat/Riam verbalizes his feelings a bit more directly, and adds further dimension to our understanding of Pat's motivations while on the rooftop.

(above) Bad Buddy Ep.7 [4/4] 5.26

Using Riam's voice, what he says in Ep.7 [4/4] cuts out all of his previous rhetoric, and instead speaks plainly of his weariness with the gameplay and of his willingness to give it up (repudiating his playful corridor self of Ep.3 [4/4]):

"I’m tired. Tired of pretending to hate you while your face has taken over my heart. Aren’t you tired too?... Let’s stop it. I don’t want to play this game anymore. I don’t want to lie to people anymore. You asked if I still wanted us to be friends. What if my answer is no? What do you say?"

Part of why Ep.5's rooftop scene hits so hard is not just because Pran walking away embodies the loss of a romantic story that could have been. It hits also because we see just how far battle-weary Pat has come, on a rollercoaster journey of grappling with emotions (over the course of just one episode) that Pran had taken years to integrate as part of his reality.

The loss is all the greater because we see how much it cost them to get to this point. For Pat it meant dismantling his worldview and lifelong sense of self as Pran's rival in every respect – and yet he was willing to cast it all aside, after recognizing the truth underlying his closeness to Pran.

As BBS is also an allegory for the lives of queer people, all the rumination around "friends who are not friends" here (also calling out to Pat's favorite among all of Pran's personally-scented tees) parallels how closeted LGBTQ+ relationships are often not allowed to speak their truth to wider society.

But while the allegorical message may speak to us intellectually, I think it gets drowned out by the molten magma at the searing core of this scene on the rooftop, which communicates directly – deafeningly – with the heart. All intellectual preoccupations aside, it's also just two young, would-be lovers stumbling through a conversation where so much is unknown and so much has yet to be said, trying to find the truth of their relationship in the maze of all the semantics – which is what many of us who have had to navigate young love must have experienced at some point.

Some of us get beyond the maze and fall into the truth behind the words straightaway. Others, like Pat and Pran, will have to take a little longer to get there. But as they ultimately demonstrate, it's always worth the journey when your erstwhile "friend" (or "enemy") turns out to be your soulmate instead. 💖

[watchingblsnowandforever]

No. No. NO. This can not be happening. The one thing I was most afraid of. The dreaded cliffhanger (quite literal in this case). I'm going through the 5 stages of BL grief help. And I've already reached de Nile T~T

When i first realized that Bad Buddy and ATOTS would air back-to-back, I had an inkling that something like this might happen. Because it's P'Aof. But now my brain is this close to 'killstabrip rinse and repeat' mode.

I was thinking of not watching today's episode because of the exam tomorrow, and for once, i regret not listening to the logical part of my brain.

Anyways what's done is done.

Let's move on.

I loved today's episode, and *maybe* Our Skyy has made me like ATOTS more than i originally did so bonus.

I have a lot of favourite scenes from today.

The waterfall scene where they play in the water. It's a throwback to the beach scenes from BBS. I like the similarities; in the beach, they'd escaped from their friends and family and really enjoyed themselves with each other for the first time, when their love was just starting to bloom. Here, they are already very much in love and in a secure relationship, but it's also away from their friends, a small haven just for themselves. They still enjoy each other's company and playing with each other. The ost song plays in the background, but the lines that are highlighted are "I hope you are not bored; Looking at this same old face." which just emphasizes the point that their love is still going strong.

The sleeping together scene – after the mosquito net kiss (still smiling from that) – loved the short tickling moment because it reminded me so much of the BTS of when Pat hugs Pran from behind as he plays the Thai xylophone and in real life, Nanon is trying so hard to not laugh. Loved even more the "You're an Architecture student, right? Haven't you wondered how much shaking this house can withstand?". We all know what that meant, right? (If you don't, it's nothing sweetie, just boring old people stuff. Be a child as long as you can.) Pran's reaction cracked me up but also made me want to wrap them both up in a blanket and hug them. Yeah, I'm weird like that. Also, Pran's "No, i don't want to know. I'm not curious." – of course you don't want to know, Pran, of course.

I love that they managed to fit in a song by Nanon. It was a pretty good song, too. I also really liked how fast Pran's expressions changed when Pat arrived. Saying this for probably the millionth time, but Nanon is an amazing (Off Jumpol's voice) actor.

The Pat and Hona (Chief) waking up shirtless together scene. It. Was. Hilarious. I am never ever forgetting it. Them being like: my boyfriend is going to kill me. And yeah, they probably would if they came to know. I liked the reference to PatPran ep 11 when Pran asked how many points he got out of 10. And Pat realizing it's not his faen just by the hand made me a little soft. Also liked the reference to the rangers' t-shirt that Hona had first offered to Tian. Though the first thing that came to mind after seeing it was "Tian and Pran are going to be so jealous when they (mis)understand what the t-shirt means". Ya'll have ruined my innocence so you need to suffer too.

The watch made a comeback! So happy. I really wanna know how Pran will react when Pat gives back the watch. I have a hunch to what Pat will say when he does.

As for the preview, I'm happy (and a teeny tiny bit skeptical) about Hona & Pat's and Tian & Pran's growing friendship.

[Unmute :D Do NOT repost; I'll do more than find you]

I have neither time nor energy to make more than this one clip today, but if i find the energy and motivation on Saturday (i will have literally no time tomorrow), be sure I'll make a lot of clips (at least 4 or 5). If you have any requests in the meantime, feel free to send them through my asks!

[kornswasianguyswag]

Hi! I’m ling/6480. I make bad buddy fanart :) 23, he/him. I’m also weird about Korn.

Feel free to submit drawing requests in my ask box! I won’t guarantee they’ll be done, but I like hearing what people want to see.

Anyone can use my art as a profile picture or banner, etc, with credit given (a link to my twitter, tumblr, or ao3 will work fine). Please do not repost to other sites.

Most of my finished illustrations are also currently up on ao3 here.

Links: Twitter (@6480Y), Ao3 (macaque), BBS thai dialogue details guide

Note before you follow: I am a huge sucker for waikorn. I post waikorn and patpran, but I do also ship and often post poly/rarepairs, including stuff like waipran. If you don’t want to see this, please make sure to block the appropriate tags (explained under the cut).

(Click on any tag to see my posts with them)

Art tags: #l.bbs art (everything), #l.favorite (my current favs), #l.drawing (anything finished), #l.sketch (sketches and doodles), #l.silly (jokes/memes)

Ship tags (apply to both platonic and romantic drawings): #patpran, #waikorn, #patpranwaikorn, #waipran, #waipat, #prankorn, #patkorn

Character tags: #pat, #pran, #korn, #wai (other characters tagged with their name when applicable, but I mostly draw these guys)

AU/verse tags. There’s a few AUs I have that I draw often, and these are:

#l.femswap au: An AU exploring what Pat and Pran’s story would be like if they were cis women. The gender of their friends are also changed. (Note: It’s not a cisswap because not all the characters are cis. I don’t know what term to use, really. For context, Wai is nb because he sometimes is in my other AUs, and Korn is trans because she always is when I write her.)

#l.kiki au: A silly witch AU where Pran and Pat are rival witches... and Korn and Wai are their familiars, respectively.

[charthanry]

BBS: My Favorite Pran Moments

Of all the characters on the show, Pran is probably the one many of us relate to the most. We see ourselves in Pran. We understand unrequited love, have walked in his shoes. We see how he lives inside his head and makes himself smaller for others. How he gives so much yet takes back so very little so we applaud Pat for recognizing this and setting out to compensate by loving Pran LOUDLY and unequivocally- all of him, just as he is.

Here are my favorite moments from the series of our soft architect. It would be impossible for me to put my favorite Pran moments in any kind of ranking order because I LOVE them all. So instead I’ll list these chronologically as they appeared on screen.

EP3: You seem happy when you get to compete against me.

This is the face of complete and utter devotion to all things Pat. I go back to this scene a lot just to revisit this soft moment. Pran comments that Pat seems happy when he gets to compete against him and Pat responds by teasing Pran that he does it because he likes to see Pran’s face...when he loses. And it’s very subtle here because Nanon is a masterclass actor, but you can see the light in Pran’s eyes at Pat’s words and again see that very same light extinguish when Pat qualifies it with when you lose. Go rewatch it. It’s very subtle but it’s there and it’s a testament to Nanon’s acting.

EP4 - Ink, do you like Pat?

Forget about Pat wrestling the gun from that goon, this was the bravest moment on the show for me. When I first watched this scene, I couldn’t believe Pran would willingly put himself out there like this, it almost seemed out of character. BUT I later realized that there’s a quiet strength in Pran that’s undeniable. It’s not ostentatious or in your face, instead it’s a soft and unassuming confidence that many might overlook and oftentimes underestimate. He’s cerebral and overthinks everything so I imagine that this wasn’t an impulsive question for him. He’s thought about it, a lot, and by that I mean all the time, probably ever since high school as he watched Ink and Pat interact from the sidelines. (Oh, Pran.) And so he asks and waits with breath held...and we can see the exact moment when he’s relieved that Ink’s answer is no:

I love this scene sooooo much because it not only underlines Pran’s bravery but also reveals the extent of his feelings for Pat. It’s so relatable because we’ve all been here. This moment allows us to see Pran’s vulnerability and applaud his courage in the same breath. Truly masterful direction by P’Aof and incredibly nuanced performance by Nanon. Also, with the surrounding natural light, Nanon looks absolutely stunning here. Like, I can’t look away.

EP4 -  Someone like you? What’s to like? I...hate you.

No list of favorite Pran moments would ever be complete without this iconic scene from the end of EP4. I’ve said a lot about this scene in my ranking of BBS endings so I’ll try not to be repetitive here. Except to say that I consistently come back to this anytime I feel like dying a little because honestly that’s what it does to me. How much did Pat’s yes take from Pran? Everything. Watching him fight to hold back his tears as Pat lists all the reasons why Pran (as Ink) should like him, I have a visceral reaction to it every time. And then the soft, adoring smile as he watches Pat sleep as if he’s unable to look anywhere else. Ugh, it gets me every single damn time.

EP5 - Why? Do you want us to be friends?

This is the exact moment where Pran looks at Pat for a split-second and decides to pull him in for that second, deeper kiss. This is when he makes the decision that he’s going to allow himself to have this. To have Pat. For just this small breadth of time. And there’s just something both beautiful and incredibly sad about how much of himself he pours into this kiss. Because for Pran, this is a one-time thing. So he goes for broke and lays himself bare at Pat’s feet. It’s both a destructive and healing kiss. His face at the end reveals his turmoil as his defenses make its way back. He knows that he can’t ever really have this, not in the way that he truly wants because it was only mere days ago that Pat admitted to having feelings for someone else. And more than that, is the constant weight of their families’ rivalry hanging over them so Pran does what he has always done- locks it away and leaves behind a reeling Pat.

EP6 - We know how it’s going to end, isn’t it better not to start at all?

Pran leaves his guitar with Wai and in the process his feelings for Pat. We know he’s very conflicted but is also resolute in his decision to finally let Pat go. But as he leaves we see him look intently back at the guitar, take a moment to steady himself and walks out the door, determined to see it through. I found this scene again so relatable. That moment when you make the decision to let go of something or someone, not because you want to but because you know you have to. 

EP6 - I should take a break. It still hurts.

Even though this started out as Pran distracting his friends from beating up Pat, we know that Pran isn’t lying here when he says it still hurts. He knows that Ink doesn’t reciprocate Pat’s feelings, but to protect his own heart he’s decided to let Pat go. Only Pat shows up and makes it impossible for Pran to do any of that letting-going. Remember Pran is an overthinker, so imagine how long it took for him to reach this point of acceptance all for Pat to swoop in and ruin it with his relentlessness. But in spite of his irritation with Pat, we see that Pran still deeply cares, he doesn’t want to see Pat hurt and repeatedly steps in to prevent that from happening. This small moment, two lines, is so telling of Pran’s emotional state. I love how he says it quietly, almost dismissively to his drunk (unhearing) friends. 

EP7 - Why did you come? Don’t you want to win?

The radiance of Pran’s smile can part the clouds on a rainy day, hell, it can compete with the sun on any day. I love that Pran forgets his surroundings and everyone around him as he openly beams at Pat. Even though Pat says the words and declares himself the loser, they are both winners here. The bet was Pran being careful and guarded waiting to see if Pat is as serious and committed as he is, that this isn’t just one of their games. Pat said he would sweep Pran off his feet and though he would never admit it- try as he might, Pran has never been immune to Pat. Let’s face it, Pran lost to Pat years ago, long before the bet.

EP8 - I'm done adjusting. 

I love this scene so, so much. Because as larger than life and confident as Pat is in everything he does, he’s insecure when it comes to Pran. He doesn’t want to mess this up and Pran knows this. This small moment right here is Pran letting Pat know that you can’t mess this up, I want this as much as you do, we’re in this together. Now take my hand and let’s go forward, together. It would be so easy to deny Pat this small gesture but he doesn’t because that would mean denying himself and I love this so much for Pran that he’s letting himself openly have these small Pat-shaped moments, no longer tucking them away to quietly look at later.

EP8 - Hey, that’s love. You can’t choose the person or the time.

Pran gives heartbroken (pfft) Wai advice on the challenges of being in a secret relationship. The layers this conversation has could rival an onion. Here Pran is telling us that he knows his relationship with Pat is imperfect. That it’s difficult to even talk or see each other when they want to, that this is not the kind of relationship he ever imagined for himself- BUT he’s in it now and despite the many obstacles, being with Pat is entirely worth it. Because the opposite? The not being with Pat? That is unfathomable and not an option.

EP8 - Let me see your big smile with squinty eyes.

Where everyone can see that Pat loves loudly, Pran shows his affection in softer, more muted ways- neither more or less than the other just different and this is a great glimpse into that. Pran hears in Pat’s voice that he’s not fine so he rushes home to be not fine with him. We usually have Pat acting up and teasing Pran to coax out a smile, but here the roles are reversed and Pran fills in admirably by doing funny bits and being the cutest to make Pat laugh. He asks at the end if Pat is better now, he needs to hear him say it, needs that reassurance that Pran can be for Pat what he’s been for him and that’s his safe haven, where he can lay down his troubles and worries and simply, rest.

EP8 - But I care about you more.

I love the conversation they have behind the curtain. And I love that it’s Pran who initially seeks out Pat. A total reversal of EP6 where Pat did most of the chasing and heavy lifting to get Pran to talk to him. Here Pran realizes while watching Pat play the xylophone that everything he has with Pat means more. That the whole of Pat is greater than the sum of everything else. It means if posting photos on social media makes Pat happy then Pran will figure it out, he’ll come around on being okay with it. Because for him, Pat’s happiness is non negotiable. It’s not even a question, Pran chooses Pat everytime. And I absolutely love that he makes this clear to Pat.

EP9 - But I ordered less sweet. 

Pran recognizes what Pat is willing to do here and that is go back into hiding for him just so that his friends will talk to him again. And I think this is the moment that Pran fell that much harder for Pat (as does the entire fandom). I love that Pran doesn’t even consider Pat’s suggestion, not even for one second, the hestitation we see is Pran considering Pat. He’s asking himself how are you even real? How are you this good? Can I keep you forever? (Yes Pran, all you have to do is continue looking at him like THAT). And for once, Pran initiates the touching by placing his hand over Pat’s and grips tightly, a telling action that says thank you, thank you for being you and for caring about me this much. I’m not going anywhere.

EP10 - If I do that, how can I ever really quit?

Pran’s reaction to finding out that Pat ran after him with his guitar on the day he transferred is everything to me. This is one of my most favorite Pran moments of the entire series and I don’t say this lightly. If I had to rank this, it would be in my top five for sure. It’s the show’s small, quiet moments that grabs me refusing to let go and this right here is one of the standouts. Again it’s small, almost fleeting and so nuanced that blink and you might miss it but it’s impact envelops me like a warm hug everytime I rewatch it (which is a lot). After Pat reveals to Pran that he ran after him, we see Pran make this face of utter surprise and contentment like he’s lit from within by Pat’s words. But more than that, we see him take a small gulp and look away because he’s choked up- I am completely floored by Nanon’s acting here. THIS tiny swallow is what gets me. He’s so moved by Pat’s confession that it chokes him up. I’ve always been grateful that Pat is an excellent communicator, that when he wants Pran to know something he tells him, but never more so than in this moment. 

EP10 - Uncle, please calm down.

Pran sees that Ming and Pat’s conversation is escalating and does the unthinkable of jumping in between them. Pran has never been one for physical altercations, we’ve seen him try to make peace between the two friend groups. Using his wits to defuse tense situations is more on Pran’s radar, not fists. So it says something here that he bodily steps in front of Pat unconcerned for his own welfare and more intent on protecting Pat. I love him for this especially because no one would have fault him for continuing to watch from the sidelines. This wasn’t his fight to bear but he did it anyway. Pran so fucking cool.

EP10 - I can’t take it anymore.

What gets me the most about Pran’s breakdown is how he holds himself back and only when he sees Pat does he let himself completely shatter. His faith in Pat to catch him in this moment is so breathtaking and raw and overwhelming. This entire scene left me completely gutted. Pran finally releases all his repressed feelings because he now has someone that he can lean on to carry some of the burden. His shoulders rack with each sob and it takes Pat holding him up for him not to fall. We can see how tight his grip is on Pat, anchoring himself to him. This moment between them is deep-rooted with trust and love and everything unspoken. 

EP11 - It’s our last night on this honeymoon.

Pat’s gratitude for never leaving his side and making him happy is the ultimate affirmation for why Pran stays in their honeymoon bubble. Pat needed this time to eventually realize and accept that they’d both have to return home at some point. Pat needed to arrive at this realization on his own. Pran knows this and remains patient and present for him. When Pat finally tells him let’s head home, Pran tears up because he understands what this means, the gift Pat is giving him by acknowledging that Pran needs his mom too. And with a quivering voice and a gentle smile he says let’s spend our last night celebrating, let’s not end this time on a sad note but a happy one instead. It’s the voice wobble and the smiling through the tears that gets me.

EP11 - I wrote this song for him.

This show has never had characters come right out and say ‘I love you’ and it never needed to because of scenes like this one. This is Pran's I love you to Pat and the flashbacks in the montage are all the reasons why. But what’s even more revealing is what Pran says to the bar audience (but really its words solely meant for Pat to hear) that he doesn’t regret anything because everything that led up to this point gave him Pat. These words and this song is Pran’s answer to Pat’s stairway love declaration in EP10. Without knowing it, we became two people who can’t be just friends. I wrote this song for him. And damn if this doesn’t beat all the raised boomboxes blaring ‘in your eyes’ and all the rain-soaked airport chases in all the world.

EP12 - That's for other people.

This scene where Pran reassures Pat that only he has access to his home through Pran's window and everyone else has to use the front door is so simple yet so endearing and genuine. Pran is telling Pat why would you want to be like everyone else? You have me. And as long as you pay the fee (of loving me) you can have this (me) for life. This is Pran committing his life to Pat. (Sobs). We close out the series with the two of them talking and laughing and looking at each other like they always have and will continue to do - only now with the unwavering certainty that the other person will already be looking back.

):):):):):):):)

Thank you so much for reading my favorite moments with our soft architect. Up next, my favorite moments with our clingy engineer as well as the daunting task of full episode rankings so stick around for both. If you missed it, please check out my rankings for all 12 BBS episode endings. Thanks again!

[dribs-and-drabbles]

#BADBUDDYREWATCH

Ep 5

You know how Pran asked if Pat was Pran's boyfriend in ep 2 as a joke despite actually wanting that...well, after Pran's heart gets broken by learning that Pat likes Ink and any hope for him and Pat to be together has been shattered, Pran somehow is able to take it to the next level and ask Pat if he's Pran's wife. I mean, go big or go home right? What's that saying that there's always an element of truth in a joke. Pran is so brave. (This also applies to the "Who on earth told you this was cute?")

I love that there's so much of that condensed milk stuff in that sandwich that it flies out when Pat picks it up and drips over himself and the worktop.

Also...@telomeke-bbs pointed out that when Pran's making his own breakfast at the beginning of ep 2 he only makes a sandwich but here there's also eggs, sausages, and salad...which might mean he made all that for Pat.

Oh and then Pat seeing Pran eating the sausage might be why he made Pran sausages when he cooked breakfast in bed in ep 8...because he thought that's what Pran liked/ate.

Pat's "I hope you're not as cruel as to make me wait outside" has always interested me because you can hear the teasing/whining tone and also because he uses the polite form of 'pronouns' of P'Pran and P'Pat instead of the informal/rude 'guu/meung' which they mainly use (not sure what it means when P' is being used for both people but brushing over that...)...BUT I think Pat ends with a 'ja' instead of the polite 'krap', which according to @absolutebl is "used with very close friends/family and by the queer community". I think Pat uses it here because they've been joking about the 'wife' status...but I wouldn't be surprised if this had an effect on Pran even before the pleading 'na'.

LAKYIM my beloved!

If you haven't read @telomeke-bbs analysis of this first scene you should - there's a fantastic bit about how a water splash is a substitute for saying 'asshole'. Love it!

"If I see any stain on them, I'll barge into your room and yell at you" -> Pat must have had a huge dilemma with this...I mean, does he clean the dishes well to impress Pran and get his praise? Or does he do them poorly in the hope that Pran will barge into his room and scold him? I mean...that's a difficult choice!

(omg I've only just got to the credits and I've written all this already...sorry it's going to be a long one...I mean, I guess it's to be expected since it's ep 5...)

Oh the embarrassment! We've all been there Pran.

I've never really understood the "Don't butt in next time" line... Anyone got any thoughts?

Ooof Cloaked Emotions by Lama House...another piece of music that stabs me in the heart...and the title fitting the scene -> Pran hiding his feelings at seeing Ink and Pat together.

Pat eating properly because of Pran 😭

Because of the order of filming, it looks like Pat gets a haircut before his date with Ink.

😂 I can't with the horse sound effect 🤣

The mental gymnastics Pa must have done without realising to justify why she should tag along to the date that she told Pat to go on with Ink.

"I don't have to tell you I love you. I fed you pancake". AFTER INK ASKED PA TO FEED HER THE PANCAKE AND THEN INK FEEDS PA THE PANCAKE.

I'm irrationally disturbed by the continuity error with the hands on the guitar.

But that gets erased because the choreography of Pat turning his head away unblinking when Pran looks at him on that bit of music (6:06 in part 2) is DIVINE.

Also, I love Pran's hair and I know it must just be because the instrument shop scenes were filmed early on and therefore Nanon's hair was shorter/tidier (like Ohm's) but still, I love that they both look so good during Pat's Oh moment.

When I first watched this I didn't need Pa's repeated voiceover of the four signs because I got it just from Pat's expression...but now I don't mind it.

But also back to the music again because the way they edited the recap of the four signs (actually the whole instrument shop scene) with Pat and Pran's head turns, their actions, or the camera angle/frame changes hitting either the piano chords or the 'silent' suspensions in the music is actual choreography and adds to why this scene is SO GOOD. They are dancing to the music...and the irony of them being in shop surrounded by instruments...

I've just noticed that during the bread-eating scene, the pink and purple of the condensed milk tube is amplified by the painting on the wall behind, the sticky tape and post-it notes behind, and the selection of pens in front...

This has already been pointed out, but the lyrics of the song Pat suggests they sing in the flashback, Never by 25 hours, basically reflects Pat's loneliness when Pran went away. brb crying.

When We Were Younger instrumental over the flashback scene 💖

That flashback is Pat wondering if Pran liked him, no? I mean, I know Pat is realising his feelings for Pran and remembering back to high school is part of that...but that particular memory is Pran telling Pat he wants to write something that reflects the idea of 'born to be together' and two people growing up together falling in love as well as them writing the 'are we friends or are we something more?' song...so Pat must be wondering how Pran felt and still feels now.

Pat's freshy day outfit!

I must have known this already but can't remember if I've written about it before when I've talked about this shirt, but the word 'pineapple' is written in both red and blue on Pat's shirt.

Oh the hurt in Pran's eyes when Pat says the song is lousy.

'silly' ... 😭

PRAN THE WARRIOOOOOOR!

And we're back to Cloaked Emotions. This time Pran is forcing Pat to stay quiet.

You know how the production team created the condensed milk tube...well I wonder if they put a rose on it because that's the usual flower people give as gifts to those they like...and Pat bought it as a gift for Pran...effectively buying him a rose. But maybe this has already been pointed out.

"IT WAS DEPRESSINGLY LONELY FOR ME" 😭😭😭

Pat's tear...😭 Then Pran's tear...😭 (and mine of course)

Oh god, the way they both move towards each other...

THE MUSIC when their lips touched...

It's the way we all thought the ep, the show, had reach its peak at that short first kiss because the music hit a crescendo and BECAUSE THEY HAD KISSED already in ep 5...but then not 10 seconds after their lips had parted the show absolutely DECIMATED us with that epic second kiss. Pran pulling Pat in, the hand on the neck, Pat's first hand gripping the back of Pran's head, the gasped inhales as they shifted their heads, Pat's second hand joining his first, the increase in speed, Pran's second hand also going to Pat's neck, the symmetry of it, the MUSIC, the way Pat hunched into his shoulders to devour Pran's mouth, and the slow pull away as the music tailed off...

Pat's smile and breath of relief

Pran's devastation

The rain

Pat's tear-filled eyes

Baseball mom

The prolonged black screen at the end as the music ended...

The way I was never the same again.

This ep has such special memories for me, not only because of the show and what it did to me but because of where I was when I watched it. I've since sold and moved from the apartment I was living in at the time and I treasure the memory of settling into my sofa with a blanket over my legs, a warm cup of tea and something sweet to eat, the light slowly dimming to black outside even though it was only 15:30 (it was end of november and I lived in Sweden), and then the euphoria when I realised this silly little Thai romcom bl was doing something different. Ep 5 part 4 not only changed me in many ways but it changed the way we watch bls now. We have higher expectations - a bar has been raised - and I'm seeing where shows are reaching for it. Last December, I watched the GMMTV Live for the first time because I caught some people talking about it on tumblr (I didn't know anything about it before even though I'd been watching Thai bl for a year). Now, I'm ridiculously excited about seeing it this year, to see what we may be in store for next year. Hopefully they will build on Bad Buddy, Vice Versa, The Eclipse, and others. And I know there are other production companies and I'm also excited to see what they do too...and for all the gl coming out... But back to Bad Buddy ep 5 and it was this ep that finally brought me to make this blog because I needed a way to process what I was watching - and to scream about it with others. I had never analysed a piece of media in this way before this show and I've since continued with many others. This is who I am now. This is part of what I mean by Bad Buddy changing me. And I'm thankful for it, and for Aof, Nanon, and Ohm, and for all the people who I've interacted with on here about it. There is something exceedingly special about this show and I wish I could adequately express it to the whole world but I also want to keep it for me, and for us, to treasure always.

[kaleidoscopic-quiddity]

things i loved about episode 12

i owe p’aof my fucking life 

the way they had us in the first half!! bbs rlly said ‘ep 11 curse? break up? separation arc?? fuck that’ 

patpran acting emo not bc they broke up but because they were in a long distance relationship for a year 

the way pat pulled pran into his apartment 

‘you only served me for 5 minuets’ ‘i was excited’ jhjhgfgh oKAY 

inkpa being the cutest gfs ever god i love the two of them so much, ‘its like we have 2 daughters now’ aawwwww

pat and pran’s smirks when they lied to their parents about breaking up 

pran and wai fucking winking at each other when pran told his friends that he and pat had ‘broke up’ 

pat going to the wrong airport like the himbo he is 

the return of pat’s scent kink and pran finally indulging him 

pran speaking english 

the bait and switch with wai and korn, i bet their respective girlfriends hate going on double dates bc the two of them spend more time flirting with each other than them 

the way dissaya and ming both know that pat and pran are still spending time together, even if they dont necessarily know they’re still dating, and have decided to let it happen 

pat and pran going bacl to visit tong and junior after graduating 

pat aggressively pushing more food onto his family bc he’s a habitual caretaker 

‘now thats my little sister :D!!’ 

korn an wai doing the arm wraparound beer thing 

the way they switched to the child actors during the tin can phone scene 

‘this isn’t a porno pran!!’ had me howling with laughter 

pat getting a turn to narrate along side pran

the way the drama between their families wasnt magically resolved but instead the parents have come to realise that their shit should stay between their generation and not be pushed onto their kids 

yes yes its pretty sad pat and pran had to back to hiding their relationship BUT the fucking comedy of that car scene is unparalleled  

plus them linking pinkies as they walk past each other and just generally being dorks 

the return to the noodle truck 

all the fuckin cheek smooches this episode 

that guy from their high school who was like the MC of the reunion, my mans was bringing so much energy to that scene 

prans’s very obviously green screened view from his room in singapore made me giggle 

pat putting the shirt on nong nao

korn and pat teasing wait for being such a ‘religious man now’ 

that engineering boy in wai and korn’s bar who asked an architecture girl if she had a boyfriend and the way she replied ‘i have a husband, your dad’, queen shit right there 

pat jokingly telling the engineering and architecture students in the bar to not fight bc they might end up with a lover and pran jokingly telling them it’s not worth it if they end up with a lover like pat 

korn with his hair down for basically the whole ep 

that classroom scene with pat and pran flipping each other off, it was like the definition of pigtail pulling 

wai calling pa ‘my girl’ only to immediately get dunked on 

pran making pat think he was gonna do something sexy and then just pulling a fuckin judo move on him 

pran teasing pat by joking that wai had also snuck into his room before 

‘good luck, buddy’ happy edition 

the dumb drinking game and pat’s overblown reaction to the shots 

pran getting the lyrics wrong when he and pat were singing together in his room and the two of them laughing like total goobers 

the way bad buddy went it’s entire run without homophobia ever being an issue or source of drama, that’s super refreshing to see 

the recontextualization of the red shirt scene in episode 11 not as a breakup but as a vow to always stay by each other’s sides, even when it feels like the whole world is trying to push them apart 

pran being just as much of a horndog as pat is lmaooo 

the call back to their early dynamic and calling each other ‘the guy with the fierce eyes’ / ‘the guy with the dimples’ 

pat telling pa to drink her water every time she says she wants to try liquor 

pat crying at the end op ep 11 not being bc they’re breaking up but bc he’s a dramatic little shit and is upset he cant flirt with pran in public or gush abt him to his friends anymore, which, like, definitely is sad in it’s own right but mans was acting like he’d just had his heart ripped out 

ive said it before but it bares saying again: the way pat and pran also feel like best friends who genuinely have a solid foundation to their relationship as well as loving boyfriends 

the way there wasnt a proposal but pran did say that he wanted pat to be the one to sneak into his room for the rest of his life 

the zoom out on pran’s door handle thingy showing the smiley face at the end of the final scene ):) 

[patandpran]

Hello! I truly enjoy reading your analysis of BB. You really capture what I felt while watching the episodes. I know since the last one was a Pran centered, there are not a ton of these types of analysis on Pat for episode 4. I know this is asking a lot but do you have it in you to do one of these for the scene of when Ink invites Pran to join her and Pat at the table? Pat’s expressions from the time Pran walks passed the chair to sit next to Ink and then their whole conversation afterwards. I noticed Pat’s many expressions it still with me and I don’t know how to truly capture it in writing. I know at the time most people where drawn to Pran’s feelings but Pat was right showing us some as well.

Sorry it took so long for me to get around to this. Being a new mom takes a bunch of my time up! Haha

Anyway here goes….

First of all, Ohm is the king of micro expressions so there’s a lot to pick a part in this scene and I’ll likely only scratch the surface.

This whole situation is so complicated. At this point, Pran is jealous of Pat and Ing and Pat is trying to figure out why Pran is being so distant and awkward with him. The epitome of this whole interaction for Pat is confusion and hurt.

One would assume that Pat would chase away a potential rival suitor if he really had feelings for Ing so when Pran appears and Ing invites him over, this reaction is surprising.

Pat doesn’t look pissed off, he looks almost concerned. He can tel that something is off with Pran, especially with the sheen in Pran’s eyes. He likely wants Pran close so he can figure out why he’s upset.

Pat doesn’t skip a beat and pulls out a chair, inviting Pran to sit next to him. When Pran ignores the offer and sets his bag on the chair, instead, Pat tries to mask his own hurt because of the rejection but doesn’t do a great job of that.

At this point, Pat can only assume that what’s going on is that Pran also has feelings for Ing and her arrival has caused the tension between the two of them. It’s clear that Pat is already mourning the closeness that they’ve developed over the past few weeks.

Ing notices the tension between the two boys and calls it out right away, suggesting they blame their interaction on the bus stop. In reaction fo this, Pat has a rather dejected look on his face which is very out of character for him, especially when he’s usually so goofy and flirty around Pran and Ing separately. It’s like he can’t figure out how to handle them all being in one place, as if he’s confused by the amount of conflicting feelings blurring his judgment. Again, he tries to hide this all but his effort is in vain.

Later in the episode, Pat uses this line against Pran before the game, likely employing it in a petty way to remind Pran of the interaction.

Ing brings up the upcoming game and teases Pat and Pran by asking who she should be cheering for, noting that they are always in competition with one another. This likely brings up the worry for Pat that he and Pran will now have something else to fight over: Ing.

Pat puts on a fake smile but it quickly fades as if he’s trying to grasp for his usual demeanor but his heart just isn’t in it. The conflicting feelings he’s experiencing are overwhelming and too much for him to process and be able to keep himself in the moment at the same time.

His struggle is: can he still be friends with Pran if they both have feelings for the same person?

But his jealousy might be coming from somewhere place that he isn’t even aware of yet. Maybe it’s not Ing that he wants to be with…

Pat seems to pull himself together and gets back to his flirty self when Ing notices that he’s wearing the bracelet she gave him back in high school. It seems like he’s overcompensating with his flirtiness as it doesn’t seem as genuine as when he is playful with Pran. Again, this is likely because it is inauthentic and is trying to, in a way, hurt Pran just in case he is competing for Ing’s affections.

Because that’s Pat and Pran’s default: rivalry and competition . That’s where they’re comfortable with each other, at Least to the outside world and in public. With witnesses, they must act as if they can’t stand each other and hide any sort of friendship (or more) that they might share.

After recalling the memory of seeing Pat receive the bracelet from Ing, Pran has a pained look on his face. He gets up to leave and Pat instantly looks like he regrets acting like that in front of Pran, shame and guilt written all over his face.

As Pat watches Pran leave, his expression looks broken, as if he wants to go after Pran to see what’s wrong but instead fights the urge because he’s “supposed” to be with Ing and not Pran. He’s supposed to stay with the one he likes instead of the person that is his ‘rival’.

The whole scene is so revealing about how much Pats relationship with Pran is both very important but confusing to Pat. He doesn’t know where they stand but he knows that he cares about Pran.

I took this is also what inspires the conversation later in the episode. Pat wants to clarify what’s going on between them but, because he’s so oblivious, he ends up hurting Pran even more.

[nongnaos]

bl / gl tag game

I was tagged by @icouldhyperfixatehim in probably Feb/Mar but I literally just had not watched enough bl/gls to actually do this. Then got tagged again by @talays-portkey recently (it is no longer recently, this has been in my drafts, 98% done for a month??) and was like ohhh I can probably do this now!

your all time favourite bl character and why

I'm gonna say Pat and Pran both bc bb is SO dear to my heart and I feel like they are a good representation of "opposites attract" bc they handle things/think differently a lot but are so similar it works.

what's your one character from a bl you wanted to punt into the stratosphere ( you only get one so choose wisely )

Honestly none? If there has been any show where I've really disliked the leads then I've probably given up watching, as for side characters I'm willing to forgive a lot in fiction that I probably wouldn't IRL. Also shitty people give the story more drama and I do live for the drama. One thing that I do find bizarre and I struggle with are characters who ship other characters in the show and will tell them, or post about them on social media... it's just something I would feel weird about if it happened to me (and I can't imagine that happening realistically as someone who grew up in Ireland in the 2000's.)

the best music moment from a bl

Ok ok, living for bb and the rooftop kiss but the very specific moment when Pat is telling Pran all the things he liked when Pran was gone (I didn't need to compete, or be paranoid, or know what your GPA was etc) and Pran is clearly upset about it and then he says "but it was so depressingly lonely for me" and Pran looks back at him and it's the moment where everything starts to change and just as Pran looks back into Pat's eyes with hope for the first time there's a little 4 note drum roll (@10:14) and it just perfectly encapsulates that feeling of anticipation when your heart skips a beat, I just [muffled screams into a pillow]. Also the Not Me industrial sounding background music. It was so different for a bl but works perfectly with the aesthetic and the feeling of the show. Same with Heartstopper, great soundtrack, perfect vibes for the show. Also the intro song for The Eclipse, I really love it too!

what's a popular heterosexual text that you would like to see adapted into a bl / gl ?

Looove a cheesy romcom so maybe a GL 10 Things I Hate About You, or maybe one day my dream of seeing A Cinderella Story with Austin Ames realising she's a trans girl will come true!!! Or the lesbian 13 Going On 30 where she goes to the future to realise she's in love with her best friend (a girl, sorry Mark Ruffalo) and realises she's gay and maybe that's why people picked on her at 13 bc they all knew she was ✨️different✨️ and she goes back and is like "i know being gay is scary rn but it actually does get better and I've seen it!!". Coyote Ugly!! The Prince and Me!!!! Gimme lesbian romcoms I beg!!! Most of these gave off wlw vibes anyway, making them gay now would just be righting the world.

a scene from a bl that always makes you laugh ?

We Best Love where they almost get caught on the couch and Shuyi introduces himself overly formally and Shide just laughs at him and Shuyi gives him the 👀🤨 (gif)

Also, that moment in Semantic Error after Jaeyoung gets asked to work on Sangwoo's project and he's in slow-mo dancing down the stairs like "yeah, I'm gonna ruin this kid's life".

what two random bl/gl characters would make hilarious exes ?

Not hilarious but Namu from Not Me and Ink from Bad Buddy. They meet when Ink is taking scenery photos and sees Namu's graffiti and they get to talking and they have similar ideas and ideologies, Namu starts bringing Ink to protests and Ink brings her to some exhibitions etc etc they stay friends after bc wlw.. and then in the future the BB gang inkpa&patpran all start attending protests together. (Didn't P'Aof say patpran would definitely be joining those protests if they were in the same show? Like it all makes so much sense)

biggest disappointment ?

The way Not Me just sort of fell off in terms of storyline in the second half. Its only a disappointment bc those first episodes were incredible and the show deserved better.

who would be the funniest person to watch a bl in its entirety and which one would you make them watch .

Tankhun, and seeing as we've seen his reactions to steamy scenes and action or horror shows I feel like we should watch Manner of Death? I haven't seen it yet but I've heard it's steamy and mafia based so he could pick apart the mafia stuff and go wild at the smut.

best wardrobe moment / or character wardrobe from a bl

Shuyi's emo boy wardrobe from season 1 of We Best Love.

Wei Wuxian's emo boy wardrobe but make it historical.

Ink's lesbian art teacher vibes from Bad Buddy. (Extra shout out to Pat's ep 12 teal shirt and Pran's jumpers)

Tagging: @wkxs @talaypuens @wahgifs @snimeat @surajmukhis no pressure if you don't have time or energy! 🥰🥰

[snickerdoodlles]

was rewatching bb (as one does) and the scene in the cafeteria when Korn winks at wai... If u look closely i think he's actually winking at pran,, responding to prans nod. also, the angle also makes it seem like it. this ask has no point i just got excited and u have your kornpran friendship agenda so yeah...they're besties who tease wai and pat together. thank u for your service btw. i absolutely love all your bb fics...💗💗💗💗💗

you know when someone waves at you and you wave back, only to realize the person was actually waving at the person behind you? that’s korn winking at wai or pat. it’s never actually for them, it’s a signal to his bestie pran standing behind them that the day’s prank is a-go

the kornpran agenda is ALWAYS import, so thank u for thinking of me during your rewatch 🥺💕 and thank you for you’re sweet words ajkfdkjdf, here’s a sneak peek at the first ~600 words or so of my next kornpran friendship WIP ❤❤ (*see full snippet under the read more)

):)  (:(

Korn’s going to pass all his classes thanks to his new best friend.

Pran is the best study buddy. Sure, he has negative interest in learning engineering concepts, but he lets Korn rant when he’s stuck. (“Really?” “Honestly, I’m so used to Wai bitching as we work that it’s the perfect white noise to me now.” “I feel unloved.” “What can I say? I thrive when you suffer.”) It’s so much better than studying with Pat or Mo--Korn actually gets a chance to figure shit out, instead of one of the geniuses just doing his homework with a vague Like this, see?

So yeah, reserving a room with Pran? Secret to academic success right here. Korn’s currently spending today’s study date just whining about his stupid calculus professor, but he’s doing it with his head pillowed on his textbook and he’s probably absorbing the information via osmosis or something.

“No cheat sheets unless they’re permanent tattoos,” Korn mimics in his whiniest voice. “Asshole. Professor Worapong says he’ll give us all the equations we need, but in the midterm he only gave us the general equation, which we’d spent a week deriving all our other equations from at the start of the term. Like what the fuck? We only have two hours to do an exam, does he want to test us on how well we actually apply the knowledge or just our powers of derivation? Ugh.”

Pram hums and taps the back of his pen against the table thoughtfully. Korn twists so that he can see Pran better; he doesn’t usually respond to Korn’s whining.

“You said he allows cheat sheets?”

Korn frowns. “Only if they’re tattoos,” he reminds. “If you want to cheat here, you should be ready to cheat in life. He thinks he’s so funny.”

The corners of Pran’s lips twitch. “I meant, he put that in his syllabus?”

“Yes?” Korn wrinkles his nose. “Bolded and fourteen sized font and everything.”

Pran carefully doesn’t look at Korn. “Did you know that if you only ink the surface of your skin, a permanent tattoo will eventually fade and drain away?”

Korn stares at Pran. “What.”

Pran shrugs, still avoiding Korn’s incredulous stare. “You’d have it for a few months. Maybe up to half a year? But…temporary permanent tattoo.”

Korn straightens. He hasn’t blinked once this past minute.

“Amazing,” he breathes out with a wide smile, and Pran blushes. Awww. Then Korn frowns. “Do artists do temporary stuff like that? How much would it even cost?” Korn sticks his tongue out at the thought. “Maybe I should just do it myself…”

Pran snorts. “Absolutely don’t do that, your handwriting is atrocious. See if you can get a tattoo gun and we can do it at my place this weekend.”

Korn takes a second to process that. “You know how to give someone a tattoo?”

“I’ve done it a few times,” Pran says modestly.

“A- A few times? How? When?!”

Pran scoops up his markers. “I have to get to class.”

“I memorized your schedule, no you don’t.”

Pran ignores him. “My place, Saturday, after rugby practice. Bring lunch.”

“Pran.”

Pran makes a hasty retreat. “Text me if you can’t source a gun. Bye.”

“Pran.”

But he’s already gone and down the hall, Korn’s questions trailing behind him. Korn gets the feeling that something sudden and mysterious is going to pop up during tomorrow’s study session too, which means that if Korn wants to know more about Pran’s shady past, he’s going to have to either go through Pat or show up Saturday with hopes of the tattoo drawing out more information.

“Well played, Pran,” Korn murmurs as he pulls out his phone and pulls up machine listings, “Well played.”

[yichens]

Helloooo. Hope I am not too late coming in with a prompt? Because we talked about this the other day, could I request for an edit with a BBxVV crossover. With Talay or just Sea in the BB universe, or any AU you deem fit. I just want to see the 4 of them together in one set? You can go crazy with it, however you feel. 💙

mimi! as you kind of got confused by my interest post all that time ago, you get the honor to be the first one to receive your gift!

here it is

i told you already that this isn't Exactly what you asked for but this idea plagued my mind for a long while and i thought it came close enough to be fitting (they're all in the same set! it's kind of an au! am not wrong!).

i also know you and i thought you might appreciate getting something like this either way ♥ so i hope you like it and thank you so, so much for being here with me through this all ♥

(a couple more thoughts under the cut - for anyone interested in hearing stories about my edits and the thought process behind them!)

ok so first of all, a bit of an explanation why i didn't follow your prompt as strictly as i would've liked to:

in the beginning, i did consider making an edit where i would smash together both vv and bb scenes to create an illusion of talay joining the bbs universe. i actually wanted to make that happen bc you know how obsessed i am with the thought of wai meeting talay (or at least his own version of a sea -faced character).

but as talay is very finely dressed (when he's appearing as tess, who we see him mostly as) and doesn't wear a university uniform at any point, it started feeling too challenging. in bbs the guys dress very differently compared to the general vibe of vv (they're very relaxed; simple t-shirts and pants etc vs. everyone looking very stylish in vv), so talay would've stood out too much. i also considered using pangpond to get closer to the student look but that wouldn't have been talay so i abandoned that thought. maybe one day i will end up trying again but this apparently wasn't the time.

and then about this edit:

after abandoning the idea of throwing talay into the world of bb, i started thinking about the patpran/tesstun parallels everyone was after when vv was airing. how different yet similar they are and how they have some matching scenes with different feelings involved. then i came to remember the quote i used as a caption in the edit. then the other quote appeared. and then it just clicked - the tragedy of it all in both of these universes.

bc when in bbs patpran end up happy, wai does not (or well, waikorn is an option. wai with his faceless partner they mention in the last ep is an option. but we never really see him ending up with anyone and even his short-lived crush only offers him heartbreak. plus his whole storyline with pran, his best friend, that is also painful). and then in vv puentalay end up happy but tesstun do not (or at least we never get to see it). it's two different universes tearing them apart. not everyone can be happy at the same time.

and so we have this now, this edit that made me a bit insane :'D trying to find matching shots was a struggle but i think i managed quite well. i hope you can see what i was aiming at! bc i tried really hard to capture different situations and parts of their relationships. there was very limited footage, especially for tesstun, but am quite happy with what i got ^^ (this also unintentionally displays the pranwai relationship in a lot more romantic light than i intended? or is it just me?? very funny tho)

thank you so much for such a challenging prompt and for giving me such freedom to explore these two shows at once! i haven't gotten into doing that before so it was a lot of fun. now i will probably return to crying a bit more about this bc these thoughts opened up something in me rip

[the-wayside]

Here is me apprehensive to talk about the sexual activity/positioning conversation but I'mma do it because I do believe it has it's place in a story narrative. Specifically that.

Leo and Fiat from Don't Say No had their sexual intimacy built into their narrative because that was literally the only thing they didn't do as friends. It tells a story. Some people may disagree with me but Tutor and Fighter, their intimacy was built into the construct which is why it was so terrible when P'Fight did what he did when he was confused about their break up and missing Tor. You have to build up the norm to feel the deviation. Their language both physical and verbal was so disconnected and then you also see them reconnect. But the way those stories are set up isn't better or worse, it simply is. Sexual intimacy is a tool and if you use it well, I think it adds value.

The fandom fractures when there is again deviation from the expected content and structure but you really have to "read the room". Pat and Pran are deeply in love, so it's not a wild assumption that they're having sex. Well we know they are now. Go them. But that intimacy isn't the intimacy built into the narrative. It's the verbal support and affirmations they provide to each other.

And, you know, as an older queer person I remember vividly the way queer characters were and are treated post the AIDS crisis. I think there are a lot of us who struggle with the hypersexualization of LGBTQIA+ in media (the immoral gay) and the juxtaposition of the Ken doll queer who is your BFF but is never having sex in their entire life (the safe gay). I remember watching Queer as Folk US for the first time and Justin's "bashing" at the end of s1 and the subsequent homophobia from his attacker will probably never leave me. Brian's utter shock and how he looked like he had his heart ripped out of him was so painful and so well acted. But at the beginning of S2, their intimacy was structured around sex because that's what the story needed to be. Justin struggled to be touched and Brian struggled to feel like Justin was there and safe without it. Some would argue hypersexualization, I personally wouldn't for the aforementioned reasoning but that show was held as ground breaking due to it's portrayal of sex. Even now I would say it's stereotypical, Brian Kinney, the "man whore" gay man, but at the time, I was a confused queer who never realized my sexuality and later proclivities could be just for me until I was ready to tell people.

My point is and always is that sex has a place in the narrative when done well but it doesnt have a place in every narrative. That's why, to me, I need to examine the narrative to see what the director and production team is trying to tell me. We're not being mocked by BB. P'Aof has given us a beautifully complex queer relationship (+1) and he told us what he needed to tell us and how he needed to tell us and we love this for him.

However, the positioning talk is something that kind of needs to die off. Not all sexual intercourse requires penetration and people are verse. If you're going to write a story then it has to be on your best understanding of the characters. I pretty much propped up a whole rare pair with a character considered to be a "top" as a "bottom" and engaging in BDSM activity specifically because I believe a) he 100% would enjoy that and b) sex shouldn't be boxed up and allotted as if it's that simple. It's not.

Nonetheless, I do think the examination of relationship dynamics when it's pertinent to the narrative has it's place. And by that I mean, P'Fighter. It was never explicit but the dynamics of their relationship indicated that he and Tor were verse characters but the narrative is left open for that interpretation and put it into the universe. I mean, the final episode Tor literally asks if he can take back what's his. BB on the other hand does not allow for that so let's not. If P'Aof wanted to tell us he would have and it's not necessary. His story isn't about that.

In short, know your show. Not everything is about sexy sexy time but when it is, go ham. Not before.

[forcebook]

hey! so this is for the bbs novel anon. i actually read the book while waiting for the show to air bc i was just obsessed with that trailer (why? idk what to tell you), and basically aof took the bare bones of the story; the romeo-juliette/ star crossed lovers/enemies to lovers trope and then subverted every single one of them.

for one, they completely omitted out pat’s internalized homophobia and his extremely dudebro behaviour and wrote the bestest boy for the show. in the book, he often visits pran’s room to get his bruises treated after their gangs fight each other, and when he starts to get infatuated with pran he goes and sleeps with this girl (i forget her name but this is another character the show changed), and they make this girl out to be a bitchy and clingy woman who wants to sink her claws into pat when all pat wanted was sex. basically the classic BL bitch which is another can of worms tbh. anyway, that makes pran jealous.

their first kiss is also wayyy less emotional and impactful in the book and a little uncomfortable to read because of the dubcon undertones. pat basically forces a kiss onto pran. (ew).

the show also completely changed the girl’s character — substituted by ink, my lesbian queen (long live inkpaa!) i love that they did this. in the book there’s absolutely no lesbianism.

and then, pran. my boy pran. i think the show retained a lot of his qualities from the novel but also got rid of a LOT. the biggest difference is that in the novel he falls into the archetype of BL boys who’re in a relationship but will continue to act like physical affection is a chore for them. just sooo emotionally repressed. this isn’t a dig at asexuals or anyone else, because if you are asexual then you’re so valid! but the way they wrote him wasn’t as an asexual person, so it was a little jarring to see. and show! pran god bless his soul loved smooches and showing warmth and affection to pat. the domesticity was so nice to see.

third change was wai and korn. novel! wai was an angel he is my baby gurl. i liked him a lot. he was so supportive and understanding and is actually one of the first people to reach out to pran because he senses that something is up after patpran start seeing each other. korn, was changed too, because show korn actually turned out to be the biggest patpran stan we loved to see it. in the novel he’s not so bad if i remember correctly. he also notices something’s up with pat and asks him if he’s gay. and novel pat actually says something as a reply that i love a lot, and that is: i am a god, and i can like/do whatever i like.

in the novel, pat adores and love paa the same. the whole drowning thing is also the same. but the novel didn’t show us that pran’s been pining for pat since he was a teenager. it also didn’t go in too deep with how patpran were actually really close friends and they even wrote a song together. that’s credited to the show. which i loved because it just gave so much depth to them as characters.

one thing thing the novel did really well was the Angst. A+ effort. in the novel pran’s parents catch them in bed after sex, and separates them. pat’s phone gets taken away, and while pran basically ends obeys the parents’ rule to stay in his room and stay away, even though it kills him, pat keeps rebelling. because pat’s parents start to arrange a marriage with a family friends’ daughter. they send pat and the girl on dates, which makes pran jealous etc etc. but i think the novel handled this well, because the girl wasn’t a villain and both patpran were just miserable.

one night pat packs up a bag and calls pran and asks him to run away with him. and pran refuses, even though he says it breaks his heart, because he wants pat to have a good life, and he knows if they run away they can’t support themselves financially, and pat can’t leave paa alone with his parents. he basically says; think about paa, and that’s when pat realizes he can’t leave his sister. so they break up!! thats why so many people were anticipating a break up because it was such a central part of the plot.

pat gets engaged/married to the girl. pran leaves for england to be with his cousin for a while. over time pat tells the girl how he feels: he tells her it’s not you, i don’t think i can ever love a girl. and the girl understands and they break it off, which causes pat’s parents to lose their shit. but eventually they have to agree. that’s another thing in the novel: the parents are mad homophobic (fuck those boomers).

then, pat starts working with his dad and he interacts with pran’s dad for a tender and he shows pran’s dad that he’s smart and he still loves pran. eventually pran’s dad caves and tells pat where pran is, and to go to him. then pat shows up on pran’s doorstep and there’s a whole emotional reunion and they have extremely sappy reunion sex after kicking pran’s cousin out of the apartment or smth i can’t remember too well. i think they go back home and end up together and that’s basically the end of the novel.

the reason for the family feud in the novel is just bad blood bc of business deals. so pat being a scholarship stealer was entirely the show’s writers’ genius decision i think it made a lot more sense.

the novel did deal with a lot of important themes like familial expectations and how queer people are always forced to put their parents’ happiness over their own. how it ruins lives in the long run. it’s definitely not the worst BL novel out there because i think the authors really set out to send a message and they succeeded, and a lot of the original text and context was lost in the translation, so it’s not for me to say if it was better or worse than the show. i just prefer what the show decided to do with patpran. its the romcom we deserve.

i’m so sorry this reads like an essay, i just saw the opportunity to talk about patpran again and i took it 😂 i miss bad buddy. can u tell? lol.

hi! thank you so much for this very thorough summary of the novel!!

sounds like A Lot and i agree that the show did a lot of things better while still keeping the essence of the novel

i can definitely tell you miss bbs!! kajsksjs and i feel you!!

once again, thank you!!!! ❤️💙

[projectjasper]

hiiii how are uuuu ????

I finally had time to watch ep 7 and none of my friends give a shit about bb but i neeed someone to talk to so i’m just gonna dump my thoughts on u IM SORRY

honestly im feeling a little underwhelmed with this ep :(( judging by the trailers leading up to the release, the concept of the bet seemed like it was going to be a pretty big part of the plot and i was super excited bc it had the potential to give us so much fluff and angst and tension, but they wrapped the whole thing up in a single episode, the entire thing just felt so rushed and played down I mean the last episode literally ended with pran licking chip dust off pats finger IN PUBLIC. idk maybe they gave us too much too soon with that scene because aside from the part when they meet in the library everything else that happened in ep 7 just paled in comparison :(((( i feel kinda robbed !!!

I’m at the point now where i literally hate wai, there is absolutely nothing redeemable about him whatsoever i’m sorry hes just progressively becoming more and more unlikeable as the show goes on

inkpa is canon. that’s all i have to say on that.

can we talk about how beautiful pats confession was!!!!!! the way he orchestrated the whole thing so that he could be the one to confess first so wholesome so on brand for pat, he really is the sweetest most, thoughtful boy in the world!! he’s always so careful not to push pran, who always acts so cool and collected but i think secretly loves being chased ((remember last week when he was gloating about pat following him from bangkok all the way to some camp out in the middle of nowhere)) i just love their love so much i can’t even explain in words, I’m pretty sure it’s the same in thai culture, but where i’m from sharing food and feeding the ones you love is one of the softest, most purest forms of intimacy so in the final scene when pran feeds pat without saying anything i think i melted, him giving pat the (albeit non-verbal) confirmation he has been longing for literally had be sliding down the wall, the way he wiped the food from his mouth and pulled him in, the way they sniffed each other and stole kisses AHHJKAHSGGSSHBAVAFAC I WANT TO SCREAM im just so glad they’re finally on the same page like they’re actually boyfriends now i have a feeling this weeks episode is actually gonna be a lot fluffier and sweeter than most people expect, but the ending will probably destroy us SORRY THIS WAS SO RAMBLY IM SO ANNOYING IM SORRY BYYYEYEEE

heeey!! feel free to talk to me about bb any time babes <3

you do you boo - obviously, but i actually loved what they did this episode. i never thought the bet would be a big part of the plot in the first place, and i don't think it should have been. especially after the time jump, it was very clear that it went on for WAY too long, and it was more important to finally get it over with rather than figure out who won or who lost at that point. i also thought all the moments were super on point. the moment in the library was great, of course, but it's far from the only amazing moment this episode to me.

the first scene was very adorable (if we ignore the parents), like pran literally choking on his food because of pat's flirting? immaculate! the whole back-and-forth in the first part, with pran knowing that he has pat wrapped around his little finger, asking him to pretty please fix the printer and batting his eyelashes, pat referencing a freaking porn video, and eventually freaking out afterwards? incredible! all the fucking tension in the scene with the bottle? i'm sweating here my dudes! pran being so confident that he knows every little thing about pat, and pat just hitting him with his ranat ek skills out of nowhere, and pat basically confessing his feelings through his little improvised speech? unparalleled! the fucking make up remover scene, where pat notices the sad sign on pran's door, manages to cheer him up in five seconds, with them being all lovey-dovey and pran drawing a literal heart on pat's face? adorable! even the fucking scene where pat has to hide and experiences such a range of emotions towards wai? chef's kiss!! pat basically being a fucking knight in shining armor, coming to save the love of his life? made me cry! and then the final scene with the metaphorical confessions and all the cute lil adorable kisses? the perfect ending to this whirlwind of events!

so yeah, needless to say - i fucking loved this episode fjglkdfjglkfdjgkfdjg

i am quite mad at wai atm and you will certainly find no wai apologist agenda on this blog, but i think he will be redeemed eventually, and we'll all get over it pretty quickly.

INKPA IS DEFINITELY CANON.

pat and pran are literally the best boys and they are so perfect for each other, i am so glad we have finally gotten here with them! 🥺

and after every single "ARCHER PREPARE TO DIE OF ANGST" i am actually quite happy with your idea of the next episode.

[brighter-than-the-fireflies]

after finishing both seasons of the gifted in two days I've literally been day dreaming about like...it being the events of the three year gap in bb?? (like they didn't release the audio file and the programme is still a secret au thingy) and the events of bad buddy happening but pran's behaviour is just like...slightly off

like after fighting with the literal government I don't think the faculty rivalry/ parent disapproval will matter to him as much

he might

1. care less about his grades because he hasn't before so why start now? also he has a future job guaranteed no matter what ig

or 2. care even more about his grades because he slacked off in hs and wasted A LOT of time plotting revolutions and not studying so...if he wants a job on his own merit without name dropping his school/ the programme he needs to take college seriously

and he kinda wants to keep his potential a secret and live a normal life (he's still reluctant to use it on people)

(the ministry cries about wasted potential but theyre reluctant to go against him again..bc who knows what that kid will do now that he's a legal adult who doesn't have to listen to hs authority figures...they're finally scared of what they've created)

maybe some of the gang finds out he went to one of the top schools in the country and they're like...why are you not in a better uni?? and then he has to explain that he was literally the bottom most student of that entire school😂😂

and since the gifted programme is pretty famous and everything maybe someone finds out he was in it...and head of his class?? and they ask him about it but he's really sus

and maybe they meet the gifted gang/ realised he's friends with really famous athlete/actress/influential rich dudes son and they all really respect him/ treat him like their leader and they wonder how exactly pran fits in that circle??

once he returns from boarding school he's really confident and probably doesn't worry about the small stuff anymore, but he's really serious at the same time..like he's been forced to grow up too soon (that part is the same I guess) and his parents wonder what on earth happened to change him like that..and then they maybe start to regret sending him off to boarding school finally

(also had this day dream scenario where pran was with pat the night they got shot (because maybe he refused to feel guilty for not telling wai and actually all of the engineering/architecture gang were there to celebrate the win) and they get into a fight with the opposite team bc of course they do and when the guy pulls out his gun on pat, pran just...tells him to stop. and he does. (bc he would def use his potential to save his bf cmon) and everyone is so confused!!!

as you can tell...im sleep deprived and I've seen 26 episodes in 48 hours...but yeah...thanks for reading my pang!pran agenda

(even their names are similar enough)

i think the only reason no one has done a gifted/bad buddy crossover yet despite the timelines matching almost perfectly is because no one wants to choose between pangwave and patpran

[charthanry]

BBS: Deconstructing the Entire Series (Part 5 of 13)

Welcome to my deep dive into each episode where I break down character motives, P’Aof’s delivery, and general musings of all things BBS. Basically, a scene-by-scene recap with commentary from me, your friendly neighborhood commentator. If you missed the previous installments of this post series, you’re welcome to check them out:

Part 1  |  Part 2  |  Part 3  |  Part 4

Recapping the recap: We left EP4 with Pat and Pran further blurring the lines between the boy I can’t stay away from and the one I can’t get out of my mind to nothing good ever happens when you’re near, but also, don’t go too far. Their frenemy status is put to question when a mutual blast from the past resurfaces forcing the boys to confront their growing feelings. During an impromptu sleepover, Pat unknowingly breaks Pran’s heart by revealing that he likes Ink. We end the episode with Pran crying into his pillow while unable to stop himself from adoring a sleeping Pat.

Episode Five: Seeing the Light, Lyrics to a Song, and a Confession (or AKA “Why? Do you want us to be friends?”)

Pat’s doppelganger says he’s heard and seen too much. He’s requesting witness protection.

The episode opens with Pat waking up from the smell of food cooking. He really is an adorable golden retriever who’s led by his nose. In his sleep haze, he makes the connection that something must be on fire because this is a foreign smell to him. Pat, you’ve really neglected the kitchen in that dorm of yours, huh? How have you survived this long? Have you been subsisting on the noodle truck all this time? Is that how you built such a great rapport with Uncle Noodle? By essentially eating your way to funding his mortgage?

It’s the morning after and we're still in Pran’s dorm. We are impatient for the show to reveal Pran, curious as to his state of mind from the events of the night before. How will he act now in the morning light to Pat's confession of liking Ink? We know he's harboring a wounded heart, but Pat is still frustratingly oblivious about the entire thing. Ever the stoic, Pran is a picture of calm and unperturbed as he sarcastically responds to Pat’s exclaim of fire! with yeah, at your house maybe. And Pat answers with if my house catches on fire, it will spread to yours, genius. How curious- Pat is pointing out that whatever happens to him, happens to them, that they’re in this together. As they’ve always been. Call it the red string of destiny or entwined fate, but his life’s raft is bouyed to Pran’s for better or worse. How very Jack and Rose of them minus the sinking ship and all the dying, of course.

The boys banter over Pran’s homemade breakfast, Pat angling for some of it. Pran swats his poaching hands away and asks are you my wife? Why should I make your breakfast? Make your own. When Pran turns his back, Pat swipes his toast and messily shoves it into his mouth. Pran puts on a front that he’s pissed but we know he’s internally reveling at the sight of bedhead Pat. Early-riser Pran must have taken in his fill of a snoozing Pat this morning, why oh why show, did you deprive us of seeing this on screen?

Checking his watch, Pran notes that it’s time for him to head to campus. But first he has a pesky dorm guest he needs to kick out. Pat instead negotiates waiting at Pran’s for Pa to bring him the spare key to his place. Much to our amusement, Pat attempts to win Pran over with his aegyo. Pran asks him who in the world told him this was cute and Pat calls him out by saying your face is telling me right now. This be facts yo. After bargaining that Pat will clean up the mess from breakfast, Pran begrudgingly agrees to let him stay but not before chin-booping Pat. YAASS Pran! I know you’re all with me in asking: is this the same Pran from the night before? 

“I’m a little teapot, short and stout. Here is my handle, here is my spout.” I can’t be the only one hearing this, right?

The chin boop? How far you’ve come. And now allowing Pat to stay in your room unsupervised? We hope you don’t have anything lying around that shouldn’t be privy to Pat’s eyes. But also, this entire morning was so achingly wholesome that we yearn for our boys to wake up to this, and to each other, for the rest of their lives. How do we make this happen, gang? Let’s put our hearts and minds together and will it so.

Sometime later, Pat holds up his end of the deal with a spotless kitchen. So, hold on, you’re telling me that this golden retriever can be trained? Pat sits himself at Pran’s desk and flips through an open notebook. Oooh is this the sketchbook that Pran often doodles in? What are we gonna find, Mr. Pat? We should feel secondhand embarrassment for Pran, but we’re all squeeing at the possibilities instead. 

His snooping is interrupted by his phone trilling. It’s Pran and immediately Pat goes I didn’t do it, I didn’t touch your stuff. Hahaha. Pran says he can sense the guilt through the phone. I can’t with these two. Pran is calling to see if Pat can deliver a file on his computer to him at the architecture building. Pat says sure and is eager for the task. Recall that Pat’s love language is acts of service and this time Pran is the one asking instead of declining. So, of course puppy Pat is clamoring to do Pran this favor. Pat asks for the password to access his computer and we can visibly feel Pran freeze.. ah, crap his password isn’t something Pat-related, is it? We’re still high on the dumpling sketches that this new bit of information is taking us for a spin.

Pran covers his face in embarrassment and spells out his password as Pat types it in. It turns out his password is PranSoCool, after a popular Thai rock band from the early-aughts to mid-2010s per wikipedia. I’m imagining Pran thinking himself as an honorary member of his favorite boy band a la the sixth member of N’Sync or BSB. Hahaha, how mortifying to reveal this to your longtime crush, but also because it’s Pran- totally adorable. C’mon Pran it’s not that bad. It could have been PranLovesPat or Pran-the-Unruly after you gave Pat so much snark for his chat ID. What’s even more telling is Pat doesn’t actually tease Pran all that much about it, I bet he finds it as adorable as we do. It’s a small peek at Pran’s quirks that he doesn’t let just anyone see. He tells Pat to make sure to keep a low profile when delivering the usb so no one, mainly his friends, spots him loitering around the architect building.

While in Pran’s computer, Pat finds photos from their high school days including those from the Christmas concert they performed together. Our boys are both sentimental fools. Pran, for hanging onto these pictures all these years. Imagine how often he looked through them during his three-year separation from Pat? This tokened evidence of the boy he loves frozen in time. And Pat, for smiling so warmly while looking through the photos, basking in the nostalgia of a time long ago. There’s a sense of longing for the Pran of years past underscoring Pat’s efforts of getting back a version of that Pran now in the present. A harder, more cynical Pran, but still him nonetheless. You’re fighting a worthwhile fight, Pat. You haven’t quite worked out the reason why you’re putting so much effort in having (and keeping) Pran in your life but you will soon.

We cut to Pat meandering through the halls of the architecture building, not heeding Pran’s warning of staying out of sight, because he catches the peripheral of Wai, the nose-flaring bull-weasel. Note that Pat is still wearing Pran’s friend/unfriend shirt from the night before but now he’s also sporting jeans. We know he didn’t show up at Pran’s in jeans last night (he was still wearing his rugby uniform) and assuming Pa hasn’t yet shown up with the spare key since Pran called shortly after Pat finished cleaning the kitchen, did Pat raid Pran’s closet for a pair of jeans, y’all? This is what I’m sherlocking and I’m planting my flag in it.

Before Wai and co. can corner Pat, he’s dragged away by someone. It’s Pran and he’s got Pat in a headlock, something we never thought we’d get to see because it’s always the reverse with them, again, how far you’ve come Pran to be so handsy now. He scolds Pat for being so careless that he was almost caught by his friends then notices that Pat is still wearing his borrowed shirt, and out in public. What if his friends saw and put two-and-two together? Pat says it’s not a big deal re-wearing clothes, especially when it smells as good as Pran. He proves it by grabbing Pran and sniffing him. The boy can’t get enough. Pran puts up a token effort of pushing Pat away, but c’mon bro, we see you – are you even trying? They’re then interrupted by Ink who teases them that for two guys who aren’t supposed to know each other, they’re awfully chummy. Girl, we agree but also way to time your entrance, you couldn’t give them another minute or ten? 

Pran, flustered, leaves Pat holding the bag and runs away, ha. Ink zeros in on Pat teasing that she senses a lovey-dovey aura in the air which Pat tries to deny, but Ink argues that they’re being so obvious. Girl, PREACH. In the midst of Ink’s prying and Pat’s dodging, Pran returns and holds out his hand for his forgotten thumb drive. As Pat fumbles in his pocket for it, Ink gives Pran this hilariously probing look that makes an already flustered Pran even more so. If Bad Buddy were an anime (please, someone make BBS into an anime!), this is the moment where Pran’s face becomes tomato-red. I love her so much.

With a weak parting shot telling Pat to mind his own business next time, Pran again scampers away. Pat turns the table on Ink asking what she’s doing at the architecture faculty and implies she’s there to meet a guy, but Ink tells him to quit changing the subject. They tease each other some more as friends often do. We then see Pran watching them from afar and we’re reminded yet again that this isn’t something new for him, watching Pat and Ink interact from the sidelines only this time he’s armed with the knowledge that Pat has feelings for Ink. Ugh. He shakes his head at himself as though to knock some sense into that overthinking head of his and walks away.

It’s nighttime and we’re at the food truck, Pat must have a standing appointment with Uncle Noodle. He asks Ink how she’d like her noodles and she says with three wontons and Pat chuckles that he didn’t think there was anyone who also ordered their noodles this way. Ink asks who else does and Pat gets this faraway look in his eyes and tells Ink it’s a secret. Aww. You miss him. It’s been a whole how many hours since you last saw him. Has the scent on his shirt worn off and you need another sniff of the actual person?

Food truck uncle conspiratorially asks if Ink is Pat’s girlfriend and Pat smiles and suavely responds that he’s working on it. Ohhkaay, Mr. Smooth Operator. You were thinking of another boy not two seconds earlier but okay we believe you.

It’s sometime later and we’re in Pat’s dorm, Pa is visiting with his laundry and the two powwow over whether Ink reciprocates his feelings and if he should make a move. Pa says out loud what we’re all thinking that Pat is smart about everything else BUT THIS and instructs Pat to ask Ink out on a date. Pa says there’s a surefire way of knowing if Ink returns his feelings and outlines her four signs that someone is into you.

Cut to the mall with Ink and Pat inside a dessert pancake shop. Pa joins them and nudges Pat to employ the first sign: physical touch. Per love guru Pa, a reaction to physical touch reveals how a person feels about you. Fork-in-hand, Pat reaches for the same pancake at the same time as Ink so that their hands bump, but womp womp there’s nothing on Ink’s end as she continues eating as if nothing happened. Onto sign two: eye contact.

Pat is truly horrendous at this as he makes eyes at Ink complete with a mood-setting neighing horse in the background. He stares at her intently but with each passing second it becomes more and more hilariously awkward. Ink questions if there’s something on her face – why else would Pat be staring at her like that and takes out her phone camera to check. The siblings whisper that sign numero dos is even worse than the first one, ha! 

Enter Pa with the assist on sign three: someone who is interested in you would want to know if you’re taken. She says that she heard her big bro is a hot shot on campus and asks Ink if that’s true. Ink, once again, bursts Pat’s ego by saying she wouldn’t know implying she never paid attention. Hahaha. Poor Pat. Ink seems more interested in tasting all the sweets than she is on what Pat and Pa are serving as if we couldn’t stan this girl any more than we already do!

Pat is saved by his phone ringing. It’s the music store saying his order is available for pick up. Ready to leave this pride damaging non-date, Pat takes advantage of the excuse and escapes. 

In the music shop, while waiting for the store employee to find his order, Pat reaches for a hanging guitar when another hand reaches for it at the same time and their hands inadvertently touch. It’s Pran! They both stare at each other dumbfounded. Pat realizes he still hasn’t let go of Pran’s hand and quickly does so. Pat asks Pran what he’s doing there and Pran answers defensively with why can’t he be there? Is this music shop solely for Pat?

The shop employee hands Pat his drumsticks and rather than book it out of the store and back to Ink, he instead lingers and watches Pran admiring the displayed guitars. We don’t blame you Pat, it’s our favorite way to pass the time too, watching Pran do just about anything.

Pran catches him staring because of course he does. Pran always catches him because Pran himself is very much aware of Pat’s proximity. Pran receives a phone call to which Pat can’t help but eavesdrop. I suspect that it’s a call from Waisel and after he hangs up Pat comments on Pran’s good mood and tries to ask nonchalantly if that was Pran’s date calling, I say nonchalantly but Pat couldn’t be more obvious if he were wearing a flashing neon sign that broadcasted how badly he wants to know Pran’s answer. Pran doesn’t give him the satisfaction and simply responds with his usual: none of your business.

Then something amazing happens. We see the exact moment when all of Pa’s counseling and love signs reveal themselves to Pat in one fell swoop. The physical touch of both their hands on the guitar. The eye contact where Pat is the first to look away. And then Pat asking about Pran’s date. It’s dawning on Pat that Pa’s love signs are applicable to him when he’s with Pran. OMG IT’S HAPPENING. MOOTS ASSEMBLE! This is not a drill, I repeat, this is not a drill people. Sound the alarm. Alert the media. He’s finally figured it out!

To borrow from Mr. Darcy who put it so succinctly, Pat was in the middle before he realized that he had already begun. 

He watches as Pran, almost forgetting his audience of one, blissfully touches a guitar with admiration. Time seems to slow down for Pat as he finds himself unable to take his eyes off of the boy standing in front of him. He’s asking himself if Pran has always been this cute beautiful stunning DISTRACTING. Has Pran always had this unique ability to encompass every single wonderful adjective in the Thai-version of Merriam-Webster’s dictionary by simply existing? Why is his heart beating so loud and fast, can Pran hear it? He swears Pran can hear it. His heart is pounding, threatening to leap out of his chest and onto the floor by Pran’s feet. Why does it bring him so much contentment to watch Pran admiring something he loves...a simple guitar? And why is his heart so excited to be near Pran? Oh Pat, you’ve got it bad. It’s like you’ve been half-asleep this entire time or breathing underwater and only now taking your first breath of fresh air and you’re realizing that the buzzing you feel in your veins means you’re ALIVE.

It’s a stunning display of emotions and Ohm NAILS IT. From realization to disbelief to confusion to panic. Ohm shows the full spectrum in a span of literal seconds. In his panic-stricken state, Pat tries to make an escape to wrap his head around what is happening to him, but there’s still the small matter of Pran blocking his exit. The two do an amusing dance of you go right, no I’m going left, when Pran finally gets fed up and asks if Pat is purposely trying to annoy him. And normally, Pat would take this moment to tease Pran with a cheeky maybe you’re the one trying to annoy me or perhaps even physically pick him up and move him aside, but he doesn’t and thus we learn about the fourth and final sign: someone who likes you can’t be themselves around you. Oh Pat, you’re so gone dude. RIP pre-realization Pat. You had a good run, my friend, but Pran owns you now.

Pat hightails it out of the music shop as if he’s being chased. Pran doesn’t know that Pat is going through an existential crisis and can only look after him in total confusion. 

Pat makes his way out of the store and into the mall area, he’s lost and stumbling not knowing heads from tails. He stutters to a stop at a railing and texts Pa that he’s taking off. He shakes his head and wonders what has gotten into him.

I know Pat is going through a life-changing moment here, but I have to say this look is FIRE on him. Something about the complementary colors and the halfway rolled-up sleeves that highlights his bicep is really doing it for me. That, and the sexy awakening of feelings = HOT.

Back at Pran’s dorm, he decides to snack on some toast. He takes out the bread and reaches for the rose condense milk only to find a note attached to it. It’s in Pat’s messy handwriting and reads I’ll buy you a new one. Aww. Pran smiles at the note and oh, this is the sweetest and softest thing ever. Pran munches on a piece of plain bread, not needing the sweet condiment after all, since Pat’s note is sweet enough by itself. 

He begins to draw the bottle of milk and the attached note in his sketchbook. We’re then shown a flashback of earlier in the mall when Pran happens on Pat and Ink in the pancake shop. Where without chaperone Pa, they look like they’re on a date. Oh no. Just when Pran allows himself this small moment of relishing something sweet that Pat has done for him. Damn you, show, why are you so adept at both giveth and taketh away. Pran proceeds to cross out his doodle and adorably munches on his bread lost in thought.

I love that Ink is on the other side of the camera here. You go on and make love to that camera, girl.

It’s the next day and in between classes, Pat seeks advice from Korn of all people by asking who do you think can make our hearts beat faster? To which Korn ridiculously responds a ghost! Hahaha. Pat shakes his head as if to say why do I even bother. But Korn regains composure and says he’s joking, and states isn’t it obvious? Our hearts beat faster when we’re with someone we like. To which Pat reasons that maybe our heart speeds up from excitement? And Korn says that could be true, but how you can really tell is if you’re jealous then you like that person for sure. Okay someone must have swapped my usual for decaf because crazy Korn is actually making some sense here? Pat seems to agree and decides to test out the theory.

He shows up at Pran’s and asks if he can come in. Okay, now we know something is really going on and Pran has to be picking up on it too, right? Because under normal circumstances, Pat would just barge in, not politely ask permission first. Pat explains he’s there for the earbuds he lent to him. That’s so weak, my dude, did you come up with that on the walk over? 

Pat enters Pran’s room and starts asking him question after question. Has he eaten yet? Yes. What’s he working on? His song. Why isn’t he in class? Don’t have any today. Whoa there, Pat, do we need to get you a notepad to write down Pran’s answers? Are you being quizzed later?

He walks over to Pran’s desk and starts checking out the photos tacked on the wall. He peers at one of Pran posed with a girl and recalls Korn’s words about being jealous and determines that he’s not feeling it. Right when he’s about to ask Pran another question, Pran’s phone rings and it’s Wai. He tells Pat to be quiet as he answers. 

Pat listens in on their conversation and learns that Wai has been invited to Pran’s home for dinner on numerous occasions, that Wai and Pran’s mom get along very well, enough so that Dissaya asks after Wai from time to time. The two make plans for Wai to come have dinner with Pran’s family on Saturday. While listening to all this, Pat’s face grows poutier and poutier by the second. His leg starts tapping impatiently. He decides he can’t take being neglected another second, not for Wai of all people, and starts making noises to get Pran off the phone.

After Pran hangs up, Pat comments that the two of them seem close. Pran says of course, they’re friends. Pat asks if Wai is coming over to Pran’s house and comments that his mom hates having people over. Aww, Pat. Pran confirms what Pat already figured out that Pran’s mom loves Wai and Wai is always complimenting her cooking. 

Pat then takes a different approach and asks if Wai has ever spent the night at Pran’s dorm? Pran quickly says no and we can see Pat visibly sighing in relief that he at least beats Wai in this one thing. Only for Pran to take it back and say actually, Wai has, and not only that but he slept in the same spot that Pat did**. Pat doesn’t take this news well and demands why Pran didn’t tell him and then leaves in a huff. Pran is left wondering what the hell has gotten into Pat lately and why he’s been so weird. He even left behind the earbuds that was his pretense purpose of even coming over. Pat says they’re yours and lets himself out of the dorm leaving behind a bewildered Pran.

**We’re betting Pran didn’t watch Wai sleep with pure, unfiltered adoration even as his heart was breaking. That the one unknowingly responsible for breaking his heart is the very same boy who breathes life into him every day, spanning years and distance. You’ve got Wai beat in more areas than you know, Pat. With Pran, it’s not even a contest. You win every time. And we can’t wait for you to be certain of this fact, because it’s coming.

Cut to later in Pat’s dorm as he sits and contemplates all this new and confusing information. We’re then treated to a high school flashback of the two of them in the school’s quad working out what to perform for their Christmas concert. Pran says he wants to compose a song that conveys that sense of born to be together, growing up together and seeing each other every day, where nothing happens in the beginning but then without realizing it, their feelings...and here Pat finishes his thought for him by saying... their feelings change. And Pran does this blink, and you’ll miss it expression where he’s hopeful that Pat gets it, too. Oh, Pran. Just a little longer bud, he’s nearly there.

But idiot that Pat is laughs and says they change and become rivals, he says Pran is talking about their situation only we know that’s not what Pran was getting at, at all. Pat, you idiot. Pran even stutters out a huh? He was speaking his thoughts (and feelings) out loud, caught up in the moment. And our boy Pat is too dense to pick up on it. Ugh. And he’s sooo close too! He narrowly misses the forest for the trees by pointing out Pran means them, he’s talking about himself and Pat. Which yes, he is, but not as rivals you knucklehead.

I can’t decide if Ink is right – if high school Pat is hotter than university Pat? But I do think that four-years-later Pat leaves them all in the dust. Because adult Pat is DEVASTATING.

Pran then asks Pat if he’s ever had a secret crush on someone (I mean, hello? Pat, he’s literally spelling it out for you?) and at Pat’s confused laugh Pran explains that Pat seems to always end up with whoever he likes so he’s just curious if there was someone he ever secretly liked. Pat responds that he’s genuinely insecure and hesitant to approach the person he likes too. Pran jots down the word insecure and says he likes it. That feeling of not knowing if it’ll turn out good or bad. You’re afraid to feel more. You hesitate. You want to jump in but you’re afraid of getting your heart broken. You want to step back but at the same time you also want to seize the chance. Pat gives him a considering look then grabs his notebook and signs his name to it saying he’s taking partial credit for this idea, and lays claim that this is now THEIR SONG.

I know I said Pran’s bravest moment on the show was when he asked Ink if she liked Pat, but this flashback is another example of how courageous our Pran is, and it’s only by doing this recap that I’ve really paid attention to what he’s saying (and not saying) here. He’s literally telling Pat how he feels under the guise of songwriting and for all intents this is as close to Pran confessing his feelings for Pat to Pat as he’s ever gotten. And stupid Pat, completely mind-skates over it. But not three-year-older, uni Pat who is remembering this scene much differently now. But the million-dollar question for Pat is, does Pran still feel this way? Or has Pat’s realization come too late?

Pat is jostled out of his memories by Pa stopping by with dumplings to share. She surmises that Pat is depressed because the love signs didn’t work on Ink. She sees Pat’s current state and encourages him to push forward with Ink since he obviously likes her so much (does he though? What is it with you siblings and your knack for missing things entirely?) But credit to Pa for asking if there is someone else that Pat likes over Ink? Wishful thinking here, Pa? Hmm? But Pat just shakes his head and denies it. You know it’s SERIOUS FEELINGS if he can’t even discuss it with Pa.

Cut to the day of the music contest and we have Pran and the architects psyching themselves up for their performance. Pran apologizes for not finishing his song in time so that they now have to play one of his older songs. Uh oh, don’t tell us it’s Just Friends?! Pran, how could you?! There was no other song in the entire discography of Thai music that you could cover instead?

Pran and Pat run into each other turning in their song selections. It seems it’s been a minute since they’ve seen each other last, and this makes me sad. They’re so much better together than apart. And to imagine that they were both separately hurting and pining for the other across the hall all this time. More telling is they’re now acting differently towards each other. Gone is the fun banter and playful teasing. Pat, because of his realization doesn’t know how to act normally around Pran and Pran, because of his knowledge of Pat’s feelings for Ink, holds himself at even more of a distance than usual. Just look at that wide space between them. It’s an entire chasm.

Pat asks if Pran is ready for his performance and Pran inquires about Ink’s whereabouts. Pat asks him why he’s asking about Ink and Pran says because he wants to know. Pat responds with why does he want to know? Boys, just kiss each other already. I can’t take much more of this tension. Then Pran says because Ink should be here supporting Pat and AWW, PRAN. But before Pat can respond they’re interrupted by a weasel in the form of Wai. Pran leads Wai away as Pat watches on. His heart heavy that Pran’s attention is now elsewhere and no longer on him. Aww, he’s in the same room as him and still misses him so bad. We hate it here.

The architects are next to perform and Pran gets on the mic to introduce the song. Watch Pat’s expression carefully here as he’s reacting to several things happening at once. First, at Pran’s words at describing their relationship in high school. He calls Pat his friend whom he co-wrote this song with, not simply ‘a’ friend but ‘my’ friend, and yes, there’s a difference. Saying a friend could be anyone from high school, any former classmate, someone meaningless to Pran, but he qualifies it with MY friend instead, and we know the significance of this qualifier because Pran does not have many friends, not any whom he publicly makes claims on like this and definitely not while said boy is present. So, can we blame Pat’s face for reacting to Pran calling him his friend even if it’s past tense?

Secondly, Pran takes it another step further by looking directly at Pat and says he hopes everyone (Pat) likes it. Is he challenging Pat to read between the lines? To really LISTEN and HEAR the lyrics? This, right after Pat having remembered the flashback of them writing this song together however many days ago? Or is Pran challenging him in a different way here? Is he saying, you’ve made your choice with Ink and now this is me saying good-bye to my feelings for you. I have to let you go, for myself. So, I’ll say good-bye by singing this song we wrote together one last time. He then proceeds to do just that and sings it directly to Pat. And really it can go either way here and is left up to individual interpretation because this show is just THAT good.

Pat stands there listening to their song and it’s probably causing his insides to twist in sheer happiness but also confusion and doubt. But then Pran unknowingly hits Pat where it hurts by doing the solo guitar part with Wai and beaming as he does, something he used to do with Pat. Oh no. Then it all comes rushing to Pat. The disastrous music concert where Pran’s parents showed up, then Pran’s immediate transfer away from him, and he’s reminded quite cruelly of their family rivalry JUST as he was coming to terms with his feelings for Pran. And then seeing Pran so carefree up there on stage with Wai, who doesn’t come from a family that Pran’s mom hates. Who can blame Pat for feeling that Pran has so easily replaced him? That Pat is no longer orbiting the space next to Pran, the space that Pran used to carve out for him now being taken by someone else. 

Overcome with emotion, Pat can’t take it anymore and leaves the concert. Pran notices from the stage and watches Pat leave. There is a hint of concern in his expression as he wonders if this song hit Pat just as much as it has himself.

I stand by my statement that Ink is Pat’s female-Korn only with less eyebrows.

Pat watches Pran and the architects as they wait to find out the outcome of the music contest. Ink finds him and great friend that she is asks him what’s going on with him. Pat beats around the bush and she teases him to just spit it out because it sounds like he’s working himself up towards a confession. He says what if he is? He explains that he’s liked her for so long ever since high school but was always too afraid to do anything about it because he didn’t want to lose her as a friend. She then asks him what about now? Why isn’t he afraid now? And he says he doesn’t know, maybe he’s grown up. 

She smiles at him knowingly and tells him she doesn’t feel like his words are a confession, but more like he’s getting something off his chest. She teases that he’s being so obvious. Then points out how relieved he seems now that he’s done it. She says if it was a true confession, he would be more afraid of having his heart broken rather than relieved for getting it done and over with. He immediately apologizes to her, and she lightens his guilt by telling him even if it was a true confession, her answer would still be no. He asks her why and she says she has plenty of hot friends already, she doesn’t want to lose the one crappy friend she has and playfully nudges him. Oh, this girl, we shall erect a shrine in your likeness, our goddess. 

She then says she can tell that Pat has something weighing on his mind and when he feels ready to share, she’s here to listen. I love that even though she senses what’s going on, she doesn’t push Pat to talk about it. She instead assures him that she’s there when he’s ready. 

I love their friendship so much. I wish we all had a Pat and Ink in our lives. Someone who gives it to us straight but then always makes sure we know it comes from a place of love.

We find out the architects are crowned the winners of the Freshy music contest at the surprise of absolutely no one considering we didn’t get to hear any of the other bands actually perform, haha. Wai of course doesn’t hold back and gloats right in the engineers’ faces. Ugh. This is gonna get ugly, isn’t it?

That night, Pat and his crew show up at Wai’s bar where the architects are celebrating their victory. Why, Pat? Of all the bars you could have gone to did you choose to come here? Waisel, still high off of their win over the engineers, rubs it in by telling Pat and his crew to come on in and that he’s reserved a table for them far in the back in case they can’t handle the sound of their celebration. Ugh, what an asshole. Did the engineers gloat this much when they beat them in the rugby match? 

And Pran is just standing there letting Wai go off and just waiting to see what Pat does. As if Pat is the one who needs to be reined in and not Wai?? And Pat sees Pran just standing there not saying anything, letting his boy run his mouth. He determines where Pran’s loyalty lies and the choice he’s made. And above the losing and gloating, this is the unexpected gut punch that lands on Pat. Man, just looking at Waisel’s face, if I was there and a foot taller, I’d sucker punch Wai so bad here. Don’t tell me he doesn’t deserve it. Quick, somebody get me a ladder.

I don’t know if it’s the angle here, but Ohm is like head and shoulders taller than everyone. And it even looks like he’s slouching. Damn Ohm, share some of that vertical wealth dude.

Pat, to everyone’s surprise, even Pran’s, does the unexpected and diffuses the situation by telling Korn and the gang that they’ll go somewhere else, that he’s had enough for today. He looks at Pran as he leaves and the unspoken tension between our boys could fill an entire novel (or this recap post, ha). Pat is saying I’m walking away because I don’t need you to see me lose my temper, but right now I am out of my mind jealous of you and this Wai character. I’m choosing to walk away from you because if I don’t this will escalate and the person it will hurt the most is you and I can’t have that. And Pran is looking on saying what has gotten into you lately? What is going on in that head of yours? Have you gone to a place that I can’t reach? That I can’t follow?

Later that night, Pat sits on the steps in front of their dorm building waiting for Pran to come home. He most likely already tried his dorm and his phone and didn’t get an answer. And rather than give Pran the opportunity to ignore his knocks and texts, he’s gonna sit right here and wait for Pran to show up. Pat is definitely not sober which leads us to believe that after leaving Wai’s bar, he got totally hammered to wipe the memory of Pran singing with Wai from his psyche. He chugs some water to sober himself up before seeing Pran. He checks Pran’s IG and sees a post of him and Wai drinking it up. Oh, don’t do this to yourself, Pat. 

Pran rolls up on the back of Wai’s motorcycle. Oh God, this is the worst person to show up with right now. And Pran is not entirely sober himself. Pat sees them before they notice him and the slight shake of his head just says it all, great, of course you’re showing up with this guy. Choosing to ignore Wai completely, Pat gets up and gently tells Pran to come to him. To ignore Wai, it’s just them now, and to come to him. Wai does this gross faux flexing as if he’s gonna mess Pat up bad and Pat just shakes his head at him like back your ass on down SON, you don’t want a piece of me, not tonight. Consider this your warning. And I’m just over here like, daddy don’t warn him, just do eet, I want to see.

Pran appeases Wai and tells him he’ll just go see what Pat wants. And this is where Pran makes his first mistake. He puts up the same front that he always does when they have an audience and asks Pat what the hell do you want? Is it so hard to accept defeat? Only Pran doesn’t know that the rules of the game have changed on him. Pat is not here to be the counterpart to their public rivalry. And Pran’s display for Wai’s benefit hurts. It wounds him deeply and so Pat counters with his own verbal jab, defeat? By that lousy song? Am I supposed to feel something? Pran finally picks up on it and realizes Pat isn’t playing, not tonight. So, he tells him to go. He says you’re drunk, don’t act silly (foolish). This isn’t the time. But Pat doesn’t listen, and this is where Pran makes his second mistake, he puts his hands on Pat and demands he quit this right now and pushes him. 

Pat then asks him why? Why can’t he be (silly) and say what he wants to say? He looks over at Wai and says are you afraid he’ll find out? Do you care about him that much (more than me?) and Pran pushes at him some more to get him to quit talking. And Wai chooses this moment to butt in, ugh, and yells at Pat to stop messing with his friend. And Pat just rounds on him and says mind your own business, this is between him and me. You have no say here.

Pran holds Wai back and Wai turns on him and asks point blank what is your problem with this guy? Pran doesn’t answer and Pat goads him by chiming in with tell him, go ahead and tell him, I dare you. Pran races back and grabs at Pat again and ask him what the hell is his problem. And as well-acted as all this is, it hurts to see our boys like this so you can stop it right now, please, both of you. Let’s go back to the dimple-poking and chin-booping.

Pat has kept his hands to himself this entire time and just lets Pran grab him and push him again and again. And only when Pran screams in his face does Pat lose it and grabs him back and asks him why can’t he say it? Why is it that Pran can only be nice to him when no one else is around. Isn’t he important to him, too? Doesn’t Pat matter to him? Why does it have to be like this? Acting like they’re enemies when they’re not. Acting like there isn’t something more between them when there is. He’s tired of this, isn’t Pran?

Wai sees the two of the grabbing onto each other and decides he’s seen enough. He pushes his way in between them and lands the first punch on Pat.  Pat immediately gets up and gives it back just as good. And the entire fandom rejoices, I’m kidding, though not really. No, really, I kid. Wai showed up at the wrong moment and suffers the wrath that is Pat at the height of his emotional breakdown. Though he’s not innocent, Wai should not be here to take on Pat who is itching for a fight. I will only say this once and never again, but I reluctantly commend Wai for not physically interfering until he saw Pat grab at Pran. There I said it. Now I must go sanitize my hands for typing that out.

After knocking out Wai with that single punch, Pat stalks his prey and advances for a would-be beat down and if not for Pran rushing in to hold him back who knows how much more this would have escalated. I hope Wai has medical insurance. Pran tells Pat to stop and to calm down. And to his credit, he turns around and tells Wai the same thing and tells him to go home. Wai looks at him and asks point blank again if he’s sure there’s nothing going on here between him and Pat? And here Pran makes his third and final mistake, he says like I said, nothing means nothing. Wai believes him and takes off. 

I like the coloring of this scene a lot. I also like that it wasn’t filled with overly distracting background music. It’s just enough so you can feel the building tension. Also, the actor placement is intentional too. Look at the space between Pran and Pat. The chasm has widened, and we’re left thinking can Pat ever bridge that gap again? Basically, I just like all the directing and editing choices made here.

Pran stays long enough to make sure Wai leaves. He then turns to look at Pat on the ground and there are no words, but his look says it all. He is disappointed. He is confused. He doesn’t understand what brought all this on. But he’s not going to stay and listen to anything Pat has to say. He’s done with Pat. He turns away and leaves Pat on the ground, alone.

Pat gets up and walks over to the steps. He pulls an item from the gift bag, seemingly the reason why he waited for Pran to come home in the first place, and pulls out the promised new bottle of condensed milk. Oh, Pat. You done messed up, completely. He seems instantly regretful over what transpired tonight even if it wasn’t his intention, he recognizes that he’s at fault, but first a gratuitous shower scene to sober himself up.

Thank you show, for this scene. But also, damn Ohm, how tall are you? You actually have to duck to wash your head. And here I am lugging around a ladder just to punch deserving weasels.

A freshly showered and sobered Pat knocks on Pran’s door to no answer. We note that Pran’s door tag is flipped to the frowny side, aww. Pat next tries Pran’s phone and that goes unanswered as well. Deciding he needs some air, Pat heads to the rooftop only to find Pran there. He sighs, hesitates and wonders if he should just leave him be for the night. But never one to shy away from confrontation and getting things out in the open, Pat pushes on and walks forward.

Pat doesn’t immediately say anything and Pran makes a move to go, but Pat turns and faces him and credit Pran for staying and staring right back.

This whole conversation was too good that nothing I write could ever fully encapsulate the show’s incredible dialogue, so I’ll be typing it out mostly verbatim. I’ll share my commentary at the end.

Pat asks why did he play that song? Pran doesn’t understand, why can’t he play that song? It’s his song, he wrote it. Pat says but it’s the song they played together. And Pran goes, so? Oh, is that why you were so angry? Because of this little thing? Pat replies with little thing? Does it (read: I) mean that little to you? Pran goes dammit, Pat, what’s gotten into you? And here Pat lays himself bare for Pran: I didn’t like it. I didn’t like seeing you play that song with someone else. And Pran’s response is: Pat, you’ve got to stop doing this to me. You and I are nothing to each other. We can’t even be friends. And cue Pat’s monologue:

You’re right. How can we be friends if our parents despise each other? How can we be friends if we live next door to each other and can’t even talk? How can we be friends if we’re forced to compete against each other in everything? You know what, when you were away, it was so peaceful for me. I didn’t have to compete against you. I wasn’t paranoid. I didn’t need to know what your GPA was. I didn’t need to know which sports you were involved in. But you know what? It was so depressingly lonely for me.

Pran is stunned by Pat’s confession because depressingly lonely doesn’t even come close to what Pran experienced those three years apart from him. At least Pat had Pa, his friends, his familiar surroundings. Pran was ripped away and dropped into an entirely new environment, and this is a lot for someone who relies heavily on having a set routine. And the only person who could have eased that loneliness and burden for him lived on his computer, frozen in pictures.  

Pat asks, what we have now, what should we call it? If we’re not enemies, do you think we can be friends? And Pran answers Pat’s question with one of his own: Why? Do you want us to be friends? And Pat stares and stares at Pran understanding that the answer to this question will determine everything going forward between them. And Pran is not going to give him an answer until Pat does so Pat has to be brave and honest for the both of them. And he does with a very emphatic, no. No, he doesn’t want to be just friends with Pran.

Pat is saying: “I’m just a boy standing in front of another boy asking him to love me.” Only on a Bangkok university rooftop instead of Notting Hill. Not knowing that Pran already does and always has.

With that no said, he steps forward and Pran meets him. And Pat just goes for it and kisses him. He pulls away and stares at Pran gauging his reaction and whether or not he wants this, giving him an opportunity to say his own no. And Pran takes a moment to war with himself and decides in that split-second that yes, he wants this, very much so. He’s going to allow himself to have Pat, to have this moment, right here and right now. Screw everything and everyone else. He’s going to do this because he wants it. For himself. And for the next 28 seconds, possibly for the first time in his life, Pran lives for no one else but himself. And that, friends, is the courage of one Pran Parakul to finally take and take and take.

And then the music soars and so does all our hearts as we are gifted with the most tender and emotional kiss of all BL to date. You can audibly hear the breathing between them, can see the tight grip that Pran has on Pat’s neck, anchoring him in place as though he doesn’t want him to ever leave, and Pat answers by pulling Pran in even closer by cradling the back of his head with both hands as if he needs him to be closer than he already is, saying I’m here, I’m here, I’m not going anywhere. And they both have their hands and lips on each other as though this is where they were meant to be all this time. They just took the long way to get here. And everything that has happened between them has led up to this moment. And we are right there with them. Our boys, giving into their feelings, at last.

They chase each other’s mouths for a few more kisses and then pull away. And the utter joy and contentment on Pat’s face is everything. Like he’s finally home and everything he knows of himself is wrapped up in this boy, his childhood, his present, and all the unknowns of the future is all there in Pran. That it all makes sense to him now. That every piece of the puzzle slots in just so because Pran reciprocates these feelings. This moment right here as Pat stares into Pran’s face is when Pat decides Pran is his priority from this point forward and this fact never changes for him, not even years later. Pat’s commitment and devotion to Pran is unshakable. Pat can look back on this as the definitive moment where Pat chose Pran to be the center of his everything.

But Pran’s face doesn’t mirror Pat’s. Pran seems shattered by their kiss. And not in a he’s overwhelmed by Pat kind of way, but more of a tormented what have I done kind of way. His face contorts painfully as he breaks down into tears and we hurt for him. He then flees and leaves behind a reeling Pat.

Pat watches Pran take off and stumbles backwards as if it finally hits him what this all means for himself and for Pran. How this changes everything.

I’m no cinematic expert, but this wide shot of Pat right as the aftermath of the kiss hits him is très magnifique. Or as tumblr critics like to say *chef’s kiss*. I think it’s meant to show how small Pat is compared to how much larger the world is that surrounds him and Pran, illustrating what they’re about to go up against. It really is them against the world.

This concludes our fifth hour with our boys. Full disclosure, this ending and the ones for EP8 and EP11 are the three times in the show where I physically stood up with fists raised and cursed at the screen, yelling IT DOES NOT END LIKE THIS?!! NOOOO!! I was quite literally fists of fury at the injustice of it all. How dare you, show, for leaving us hanging for an entire week before finding out what happens next. Damn your cliffhangers, P’Aof. Why are you so masterful at leaving us wanting more?

First of all, Pat, you know it’s not really love if you bring your little sister on your supposed date, right? You’d want the other person all to yourself. And if you were certain of your feelings, you wouldn’t need a third person to come along and confirm them for you. While hilarious and mostly meant for laughs, the entire pancake shop scene served a more intentional purpose. We’re meant to learn about the four signs as we watched Pat epically fail at applying them to Ink. We’re also meant to see that Ink clearly is not interested in Pat in that way as she told Pran in EP4, but it was important that Pat learns this for himself. And it was necessary to give Pat a barometer on which to measure the four signs when applied to Ink and how different he felt when applied to himself with Pran.

Pat’s epiphany was beautifully portrayed. I absolutely love that Pat was completely undone by it. More so because we got to see the very moment when it happened, it wasn’t offscreen like Pran’s. Seeing Pat going through his realization really makes me wonder how Pran would have handled his? I bet he was in middle school when he realized his feelings for Pat were less than rivalry-fueled and more than I just want to be his friend. I bet it took him by surprise as much as it did Pat. I can see it all so clearly...

How one day a breeze flutters through the open window of their classroom and ruffles Pat’s hair just so and it causes Pran to stare. How a week later, he happens to walk by and hears Pat laughing loudly at a joke and the sound suddenly makes Pran’s chest feel warm. How he watches Pat strut to the chalkboard to answer a math equation causing Pran’s fingers to tightly grip his own piece of chalk, while standing at that same board a mere a foot away writing out his own solution. How Pran freezes when Pat reaches around him, bumping his waist, for a piece of chalk and Pran can feel his neck heat from his involuntary blush at Pat’s touch.

I picture his heart speeding up whenever Pat is nearby. How he has to run away and sneak into an empty classroom clutching his chest, steady his shaking hands, and ask himself what is happening. And how it happens again the next day and the day after that and all the days since. Where eventually Pran can’t deny it any longer and admits to himself that he only feels this way when Pat is near. And Occam’s razor explains that this can only mean one thing.

And now things are different for Pran. I can see him trying to keep his face from morphing into heart eyes when Pat accidently brushes his shoulder on his way to lunch. How he has to avert his eyes when Pat changes out of his PE clothes. How he has to school his face when Pat does something ridiculous to get a rise out of him. How he secretly wants to laugh or even beam in response but holds back for fear that such an act would give him away. How he finds himself alone in a classroom with a slumbering Pat and has to stop himself from reaching out and brushing Pat’s hair away from his forehead. How he doesn’t put up that much of a fight when Pat steals his milk carton from his lunch tray. And how later that same day he doesn’t hide the dimple in his cheek when he finds a yogurt drink on his desk knowing who left it there as payment. So Pran watches Pat, tries harder at beating him at everything to get him to look his way more often, and feels his heart growing in size to accommodate this boy and his enormous feelings for him.

I picture him watching Pat play soccer with the sun framing his profile, a sight that captures his breath making Pran commit it to memory, a picture-perfect moment when the warm sunlight and the sunshine boy melds together as one. How he was never quite able to keep his gaze from flickering back to Pat when he was supposed to be feigning reading his history lesson on the bleachers. How he has to stop himself from cheering when Pat scores a goal because that’s not something a rival would do. And how he lingers just a bit longer than necessary after the game ends to watch Pat down an entire water bottle and tries not to notice the bobbing of his Adam’s apple as he swallows. I can see it all, can’t you? And I wish we got to see more of it in the flashbacks. I wish we got to live it alongside Pran.

I want to address Pat’s depressingly lonely statement and really the entire rooftop conversation. Has there ever been a more emotive way of saying you missed someone than this? To reveal that he wasn’t just lonely without Pran, he was depressingly so. He was walking through a haze, barely functioning, a shell of himself. And after a long time, he adapted and going through the motions became routine but there was always something unsettled about his life. And he knows it and sees it now. It’s because Pran wasn’t there beside him. To joke with him. To compete with him. To always extend that finish line just an inch further. To challenge him. To dare him to be a better version of himself. Pran wasn’t there and he missed him. So fucking much. He didn’t realize how much until he saw him in that alley right after Pran landed that kick to his chest. 

And how for a while he was even angry at Pran for leaving, even though he knows logically that it wasn’t Pran’s doing, but he was still pissed that Pran could so easily leave him behind. Was he someone that could so effortlessly be tossed aside and abandoned? But now Pran’s back and things are almost as good as they used to be.

He didn’t realize it then but having Pran back in his life it’s loud and clear to him now, that he wasn’t himself without Pran. He was fucking lonely and seriously, fuck their parents. They taught them to hate each other. They groomed them to be rivals. But it was never Pat and Pran’s fight, he knows that, and he knows that Pran knows it too. But Pat wants to tell Pran something very important here: the joke is on their parents. Because Pat never hated him, not even a little bit.

And what they have now? He doesn’t know what this is. He doesn’t know what Pran wants them to be. But he wants to find out. With Pran. He wants to explore and navigate this thing between them. Because Pat knows that Pran feels it too. He knows it just like he knows how deep the dimples in Pran’s cheeks get when he’s happy, truly happy because Pat himself has been responsible for putting that look on Pran’s face countless times before. So, this is all of Pat, stripped and naked, standing in front of you asking what do you have to say to that, Pran?

Let’s talk about Pat’s “no” on the rooftop and how it is a direct juxtaposition to his “yes” in EP4. How when he answers yes to liking Ink he does so impulsively and without care, but his no here to Pran is drawn out and given the time and breadth to fully convey that he means it, like really, MEANS IT. He does not want to be just his friend. And I love how the show chose to sum everything Pat is feeling in one succinct word: no. One simple word and then relying on Ohm to DELIVER it. Bravo P’Aof for trusting your actors.

Also, note that Pran throws Pat’s question back at him. He wants Pat to answer, none of this let’s both answer at the same time bullshit. He wants to know what Pat wants because Pran has always known what he himself wants but needs to hear it from Pat’s own mouth. And we can all relate, for how many times have we wanted the other person to make their feelings known first? Afraid to be the first one to put ourselves out there, to risk our hearts especially in Pran’s case when his heart was given away long ago only the person receiving it had no idea what kind of treasure he’d been entrusted with.

Look at the way they’re looking at each other. Officer, I swear they’re in love.

This episode obviously veered from the first four in that we got to see things unfold from Pat’s point of view instead of Pran’s. It’s curious that from Pat’s perspective, he doesn’t see Pran as pushing him away or declining his presence. He sees it as Pran wanting him there, but not being able to vocalize it. See the two negotiating over breakfast for Pat to stay and how quickly Pran gives in, see also how easily Pran allows Pat into his room for the earbuds. And then note how Pat leaves on his own without needing Pran to kick him out. Even in the music store, it’s Pat who leaves first. Perhaps from Pran’s perspective and in his mind’s eye, he’s putting up a front to keep Pat at arm’s length, but we see things differently from Pat’s view, that Pran wants him there he just needs to believe that it’s not coming from himself but is of Pat’s doing. That Pat WANTS to be there and keeps COMING BACK despite Pran consistently giving him an out is the key difference for Pran.

Growing up they couldn’t talk to each other when others were around, but they developed a mode of conversation without words where one immediately picks up on the other’s needs even distorted through a tin can. This is Pat hearing what Pran doesn’t say across the invisible strings of a metaphorical tin can. And we’re counting on Pat to continue to listen for what Pran doesn’t say as he tries to distance himself from Pat in the next episode. Because what Pran doesn’t know is that Pat is already all in, his cards are laid on the table and he’s showing all hearts. And he’s patiently waiting for Pran to push all his chips in too.

):):):):):):):):)

And that’s a wrap on my deconstruction of EP5, thank you SO MUCH for reading this far and for reliving the episode with me. This was a monster of a recap and not gonna lie, it totally got away from me. Not my fault. It refused to be contained. Up next, we have EP6 featuring one of my favorite drama tropes: THE CHASE. I can’t wait!