The story continues from Wai and Fia, introducing Fia's ex, Ung-Ing. Once small and slender, Ung-Ing now boasts a toned, well-defined physique, every muscle perfectly sculpted. Despite the transformation, Ung-Ing still can't let go of Fia. So, the twin friend tried to find someone to cheer him up but ended up with someone who looked just like Fia's ex, as if carved from the same mold.
The only difference was…
"Did you really win that slum land auction behind the mall?"
"Yeah, the location's prime, right in the city center. Thought it'd be better to develop it into a luxury housing project."
"You're really impressive. Have you gone to check it out yet?"
"Not inside. It's pretty crowded—lots of homeless people have settled there. Seems like there are drug issues too. The governor wanted to bring investors in to turn it into a more livable spot in the city."
"With looks, brains, wealth, and a killer profile like yours, why not get a partner to help out too?"
"I don't want anyone."
…
The three high-society friends sipped coffee in the VIP room of a skyscraper mall, looking out over the Chao Phraya River winding into the distance. Across the river, a dense maze of corrugated metal rooftops stretched out, starkly different from the polished heart of the city they were in a place they had been talking about earlier.
Whenever the topic of love came up, the talented friend would usually cut the conversation short and scroll through a phone stubbornly. The other two just exchanged glances, unsure what to say, and whispered quietly among themselves.
"So, Ung Ing still can't get over Fia? Just sitting there looking at photos," the younger twin muttered to the older.
"Don't even ask. If Ung Ing had gotten over it, they wouldn't still be single by now… probably already with a kid," the elder replied, leaning closer to reassure the sibling.
"They have a male partner, though," the one usually annoyed by kids said, eyes widening at the mention of a child.
"They got a cat, saw it on Instagram it's cute," the elder teased, nudging the younger lightly for being so jumpy.
"Fia's so warm knows how to cook, clean, loves animals. No wonder Ung Ing's jealous," the younger whispered.
The person being discussed was the ex of their close friend, someone they'd known intimately for years. Growing up together, the friends naturally expected love to last forever, but the older sibling had been unclear with the younger, leaving the younger one feeling frustrated and hurt when Fia suddenly married someone else, leaving a void that changed everything.
"Well, if they're that crazy, maybe they should try finding someone like Fia… anything's better than being stuck," the younger suggested.
"Just because someone looks similar doesn't mean the feelings will be the same," the elder replied.
"Still, look at them getting fitter, looking stronger… kinda like the bad type now," the younger said, impressed.
"They hit the gym because they know Fia likes bigger builds. Honestly, this is good too… looks sharp, got solid muscle…"
The two handsome twins sat across from the person everyone was talking about. Their friend, expressionless, seemed frozen in time. Ming and Khwan leaned toward each other, whispering quietly, consulting on what to do about their close friend. Even from the outside, the friend still radiated an aura of heartache, the kind that comes from disappointment in lovea sadness that refused to fade. It was worrying enough to make them fear a deepening depression.
The once cheerful, radiant figure, whose face had always lit up with smiles when greeting friends, had changed completely. The bright, lively smile of the past was gone. Now, all that remained was someone hunched over, endlessly scrolling through another person's feed, silent and withdrawn.
Ung-ing, the close friend of Ming and Khwan, from their high-society circle, felt weary seeing this over and over again. No matter how many times they met, their friend's brokenhearted, unlucky-in-love state never seemed to improve. It reached the point where they felt compelled to do something, anything, to help.