Chapter Text
The morning arrived like a whisper.Soft sunlight slipped through the curtains, settling gently across the room. Everything felt still, calm—like the world itself hadn’t fully woken up yet.Perth hadn’t either.
“I’m going to be on time today,” he mumbled into his pillow.
“I refuse to embarrass myself again.”
And then—
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
Chaos.
The alarm rang like it had personal beef with him—loud, relentless, unforgiving.A hand shot out from under the blanket, blindly slapping across the table.
SMACK.
Silence.The hand retreated.Perth went back to sleep.
—
Three minutes later—His eyes snapped open behind his glasses.
“…Wait,wait,wait.”He grabbed his phone.Looked at the time.
“…WHATTTTTTTTTTT?!”
He sat up so fast he nearly fell off the bed.
“THIRTY MINUTES?! OYYYY I’M DEAD,THAT SHITTY BOSS WILL SCOLD ME AGAIN IN FRONT OF OTHERSSSS I CAN'TTT—”He stumbled out, already panicking.
“Okay okay okay—think. Noo,it's not the time to think aii perthh. MOVE.”
—
The bathroom turned into a battlefield.Toothbrush in mouth. Face washed harshly like he will pick his skin out. Shirt half-buttoned. Glasses fogging up.
“I am a professional,” he muttered through toothpaste foam.
“I am calm. You can do it aii pedd—”He bumped into the sink.Dropped his comb.
“shiaaa…I am being tested.”
—
Minutes later, he rushed out, still adjusting his glasses.Despite everything—He stopped at his wardrobe.Because no matter how chaotic his life was…His standards were not.He picked a perfectly ironed shirt. Smooth. Crisp. Not a single wrinkle. His trousers matched exactly. Every detail aligned.
“Even if I'm late I should tuck my shirt perfecly,” he muttered, fixing his collar,
“I’m going to be late properly.”He tied his tie perfectly.Checked himself once.Then checked the time again.
“…oyyyyy, this is bad.”
—
He ran downstairs.Fast.Too fast.His foot slipped.And—
THUD.
He landed flat on the floor with face downwards.Right in front of his entire family.Silence.Book blinked with sandwich on his hands.Junior paused mid-bite.Namtan stared.One second.Then—They burst out laughing.
“hahahahhahah You fell again?” junior laughed soo badly
“Shiaa don't laugh, please help mee!”
“Let me take pictures of my beloved nong chai” Book pick his phone and starts to take pictures
“oyyyyy!!I hate all of you.”
Perth stayed on the floor, staring at the ceiling.
“…I live with villains.”
He didn’t move for five minutes.Namtan goes nears to him and look at his face and laugh for a second and give her hand to help him but Perth ignores it and stand up with his hurt back and looks at Namtan and states at her,She laugh at him and says
"Oyyy don't laugh at my nong chaii naa he is hurt his back let me massage your back naa"!!!
Their Mom came suddenly and shouts
"what wrong with you everyone can't you stay quiet for a second my ears are hurting"
"Oyy my perth what happen to you"
Perth, fixing his glasses.and says
"Nothing maee I just slip"
"Are you okay my son I always tells you not to rush and bump into things naa"
"Oyy maee you always cares about aii ped,are we not your kids always ped ped ped"Junior says.
Mae came to Junior and knock his head with her hands and says
"You all are my kids but Ped is young na I should focus on him he is working soo hard my poor son"
"Heyy maee"when book starts to talk
Perth ,checked the time on his watch.Froze.
“Shiaaa, I'm latee aahhhhhhh.”
He grabbed a sandwich from Namtan's hand that she bite little.
"eyyy shiaa pedd that my sandwich" says
PERTH ran as fast as he could and grab his paper from the desk.
"Lukkk Goo Safely" Mae wave her hands to himBut Perth was already out the door.
—
Bag on one shoulder.Loose papers in his hand.Running.Just in time to see his bus…Drive away.Perth stopped.Breathing hard.
“…Shiaaaaa.”
“Why always happen to me My god.”
—
So he decided to ran ,Five kilometers.No plan.No hope.Just vibes.
“You can do this,aii pedd” he gasped.
“I absolutely cannot do this.”
His glasses kept slipping.His tie loosened.His perfect image slowly falling apart.
And then—
THUD.
He collided with someone.Papers flew everywhere.
“…aiiii shiaaa—”
He dropped instantly, scrambling.
“Page 3—where is page 2—no no no—”
“I’m so sorry—are you okay phii?” the other person asked, crouching down.
Perth didn’t even look up.
“I’m fine—just—the papers—please—”
“…Are you really okay phii .”
“I'm fine. Page 2 is not fine.”
The stranger paused.Then quietly helped him pick everything up.He was tall. Broad-shouldered.Wearing hooddy that covers him whole. Calm in a way that didn’t match the chaos happening on the ground.
Santa.
He handed the last sheet over.
“…Here,phii."
Perth grabbed it quickly.
"I'm soorrrr"Santa can't complete his apology.
“Thanks.”And just like that—He ran again.
Santa blinked.Still crouched.Watching him disappear.
“ohhh…He didn’t even look at me.”Santa kept looking at running Perth confusingly
—
Perth kept running.Slowing down slightly.Breathing uneven.
“oyyyy,I’m not going to make it,what should I do” he muttered.
He looked around desperately.Think.Think.Think.Then—A bike.He stepped forward quickly.
“Excuse me! Please—can you give me a lift? I’m really late!”His voice cracked slightly.
For a moment—Everything paused.Because maybe—This was his last chance.And somewhere behind him—
Santa stood watching, something unreadable in his expression.
“Ummm…Interesting.”
—
Maybe it was just a coincidence.Or maybe—This was the beginning of something neither of them saw coming.
To be continued…