The Life We Choose

The Thanaphum residence was glowing under the warm lights of the evening.

The house was large enough to feel more like a private hotel than a home, but tonight it felt unusually lively.

Voices echoed from the dining room.

The Thanaphums and the Worapongs were gathered together for dinner, as they often were.

Their families had known each other for years. Business meetings had turned into dinners, dinners had turned into holidays together, and eventually the children had grown up seeing one another so often that the line between family friend and family almost disappeared.

Save had practically grown up in this house.

So had Aerin.

And unfortunately for everyone else, so had Auau.

"Auau."

He looked up from his phone.

His mother was staring at him from across the table.

"What?"

"Put your phone away."

"I'm not doing anything."

"You're holding it under the table."

Auau looked down.

Sure enough, his phone was still in his hand.

He slowly put it on the table.

His mother smiled.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Aerin snorted.

"You sound like a five-year-old."

Auau turned toward her.

"Do you want me to remind everyone who cried because I wouldn't let her borrow my motorcycle?"

"I was twelve!"

"You were dramatic."

"You pushed me!"

"You tried to steal my keys."

"Because you were twelve too!"

"Exactly. And somehow you thought you could drive."

Aerin crossed her arms.

"I could've."

"You couldn't even reach the pedals."

Save quietly laughed.

Aerin immediately turned toward him.

"Don't encourage him."

Save raised both hands.

"I didn't say anything."

"You laughed."

"That's not the same thing."

Auau leaned back in his chair, looking far too pleased with himself.

"See? Save agrees with me."

"I didn't."

"You laughed."

"At you."

Teetee would've loved this conversation.

Auau narrowed his eyes at Save.

"You've changed."

Save shrugged.

"Maybe."

Their mothers exchanged amused glances.

"These two haven't changed at all," Mrs. Worapong said.

Auau's mother smiled.

"They're exactly the same as when they were children."

Save looked down at his plate.

"Not really."

Aerin looked at him.

"You still don't talk at family dinners."

Save gave her a blank look.

"I talk."

"Three words don't count."

"I said hello."

"And?"

"That's enough."

Aerin laughed.

Their parents laughed too.

Save simply continued eating.

He wasn't uncomfortable.

He just preferred listening.

Family gatherings were different from being around his friends. With Por and Patji, he could talk for hours.

Here, surrounded by parents and older relatives, he became quieter.

He had always been that way.

Auau knew it.

He had known Save for practically his entire life.

Whenever their families gathered, Save would sit quietly beside Aerin, listen to everyone talk, and occasionally answer when someone asked him something.

It was normal.

So normal that Auau had never questioned it.

At least, he hadn't before tonight.

"Auau."

His mother interrupted his thoughts again.

"Hm?"

"Eat your vegetables."

Auau looked down at his plate.

There were three pieces of broccoli sitting untouched beside his food.

"No."

His mother raised an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?"

"I don't like them."

"You liked them when you were younger."

"I've grown."

Aerin laughed.

"Apparently growing means becoming allergic to vegetables."

His mother sighed.

"Just eat two."

"One."

"Two."

"One and a half."

His father finally looked up from his conversation.

"Just eat the two."

Auau stared at him.

"Why is everyone against me?"

His mother smiled and picked up a piece of broccoli with her fork.

"Open."

Auau stared at her.

"Mom."

"Open."

"I'm twenty-one."

"And I'm still your mother."

Aerin was already laughing.

Save tried to hide his smile behind his glass.

Auau noticed.

"Don't laugh."

Save shook his head.

"I'm not."

"You are."

"I'm really not."

"You definitely are."

His mother put the broccoli on Auau's plate.

"Eat."

Auau sighed dramatically before picking it up.

"Happy?"

"Very."

He ate it.

His mother immediately smiled like she had just won a major battle.

"Good boy."

Aerin nearly choked on her drink.

"Mom!"

"What?"

"He's an adult!"

"He's my baby."

Auau smiled proudly.

"Exactly."

"You're unbearable," Aerin muttered.

"Jealous?"

"Of what?"

"Mom's favorite."

"You're literally the only son."

"Still counts."

Save laughed again.

This time, he didn't bother hiding it.

Auau looked at him.

For a second, neither of them said anything.

Then Save looked away.

Something about that tiny smile stayed in Auau's mind longer than it should have.

He didn't know why.

So he ignored it.

---

After dinner, the adults moved into the living room to continue talking.

The younger ones escaped toward the garden.

Aerin walked beside Save.

"Finally," she said. "I thought we'd never get out of there."

Save stretched his arms.

"My legs are asleep."

"You've been sitting for two hours."

"Exactly."

Aerin looked toward the swimming pool.

"Want to walk?"

"Sure."

They started walking along the garden path.

A few steps behind them, Auau followed.

He had his hands in his pockets.

"Why are you following us?" Aerin asked without turning around.

"I'm going outside."

"We're outside."

"Exactly."

Save glanced over his shoulder.

"You don't have somewhere else to be?"

Auau raised an eyebrow.

"Are you trying to get rid of me?"

"No."

"Good."

Aerin looked between them.

"You're both weird."

Auau laughed.

"You're the weird one."

They reached the pool.

Save sat on one of the lounge chairs while Aerin dropped onto the one beside him.

Auau remained standing.

"You two still play that stupid game together?" he asked.

Save looked up.

"What game?"

"The one you and Aerin were obsessed with."

"Which one?"

"You had like twenty."

Aerin smiled.

"The cooking game."

Auau groaned.

"That one."

"It was fun."

"You spent three hours making virtual soup."

"It was a good soup."

Auau looked at Save.

"You actually enjoyed that?"

Save nodded seriously.

"It was a very good soup."

Auau stared at him.

Then laughed.

"You're impossible."

Aerin grinned.

"See? Save understands me."

"Unfortunately."

Save smiled.

The three of them stayed outside for a while, talking about university, classes, and random things that didn't matter.

Auau complained about one of his professors.

Aerin complained about a laboratory assignment.

Save complained about a programming bug that had ruined an entire evening of work.

"That's why you shouldn't leave your project until midnight," Aerin said.

"It wasn't my fault."

"Wasn't it?"

"No."

Auau looked amused.

"What happened?"

Save sighed.

"Por changed something."

Aerin laughed.

"Of course he did."

"He said he knew what he was doing."

"That's your first mistake," Auau said.

Save looked at him.

"You don't even know Por."

"I know enough."

"How?"

"You're always complaining about him."

Save shook his head, smiling.

For some reason, Auau liked seeing him like this.

More relaxed.

More talkative.

More like the Save he remembered from childhood.

Not the quiet boy sitting at the dinner table.

Just Save.

---

Later that night, the Worapong family prepared to leave.

Everyone gathered near the entrance.

Mrs. Thanaphum hugged Mrs. Worapong goodbye.

"We'll see you next weekend, right?"

"Of course."

Their fathers continued discussing a business event.

Aerin hugged Save.

"Text me when you get home."

"I will."

"And don't forget we're going shopping next week."

"I won't."

Auau stood nearby.

When Save finally turned toward him, Auau simply nodded.

"See you."

Save nodded back.

"See you."

He walked toward the car.

Auau watched him for a moment.

Then Aerin appeared beside him.

"You've been staring."

Auau immediately looked at her.

"I wasn't."

"You were."

"No."

"Okay."

She smiled suspiciously.

Auau frowned.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You're annoying."

"I know."

She walked away.

Auau looked toward the driveway again.

The Worapong car disappeared through the gates.

He stood there for another second before turning back toward the house.

He had known Save for years.

They saw each other all the time.

There was nothing unusual about tonight.

Nothing at all.

At least, that's what Auau told himself.

---

Later That Night — The Worapong Residence

The Worapong family returned home a little after ten.

The house was quiet compared to the Thanaphum residence.

Save slipped off his shoes at the entrance and headed toward the stairs, already thinking about his unfinished game project.

He had barely taken two steps when his father's voice stopped him.

"Save."

Save froze.

He slowly turned around.

His father was standing in the living room, still wearing the suit he'd worn to dinner.

His expression was serious.

"What?"

His father looked toward the stairs, then back at him.

"See them?"

Save frowned.

"Who?"

"Auau and Aerin."

Save didn't answer.

His father continued.

"They're both preparing to take after their parents. Auau will eventually have to take responsibility for his family's business, and Aerin is already working toward her own future."

Save's expression hardened slightly.

His father stepped closer.

"But you?"

Save sighed.

"Here we go."

"What did you say?"

"Nothing."

"You are twenty years old, Save. When are you going to get serious about your future?"

"I am serious."

"Serious?"

His father's voice rose.

"You spend your time sitting in front of a computer designing games."

"That's what I'm studying."

"I know."

His father took a breath.

"I never told you to stop studying Game Design."

Save looked at him, surprised by the statement.

His father continued.

"I don't even want you to quit university. Finish your degree. Learn everything you want to learn."

"Then what's the problem?"

"The problem is what comes after."

Save's jaw tightened.

His father pointed toward the hallway.

"You have a place in this family business. You always have."

"I know."

"Then join it."

Save shook his head.

"I don't want to."

His father's expression immediately changed.

"You don't even know what you're refusing."

"I know exactly what I'm refusing."

"You think designing games is going to give you the kind of future this family has built?"

Save looked away.

His mother, who had been quietly listening from the other side of the room, finally stepped forward.

"Enough."

His father looked at her.

"I'm talking to my son."

"And he's listening."

She glanced at Save.

"Go upstairs."

Save hesitated.

"Mom—"

"Go."

Save looked at his father once more.

His father was still angry.

Save swallowed whatever he wanted to say and turned toward the stairs.

"Save."

He stopped again.

His father's voice was quieter this time.

"Think about what you're doing."

Save didn't turn around.

"I have."

Then he walked upstairs.

His mother waited until his footsteps disappeared before turning back to her husband.

"You don't have to decide his entire life for him."

"I'm trying to protect his future."

"He's your son, not an employee."

His father rubbed his forehead.

"I just don't understand why he can't see what's right in front of him."

"Maybe because what's right for you isn't necessarily right for him."

Neither of them spoke for a moment.

Upstairs, Save closed his bedroom door.

He leaned against it and let out a long breath.

The house was silent again.

He walked over to his desk and opened his laptop.

His unfinished game project appeared on the screen.

For a few seconds, he simply stared at it.

Then he sat down.

Maybe his father didn't understand.

Maybe nobody did.

But this was something Save had chosen for himself.

And he wasn't ready to give it up.

Save remained at his desk long after the argument downstairs had ended.

The glow of his laptop illuminated the otherwise dark room.

His game project was still open.

But he wasn't working.

His father's words kept replaying in his head.

When will you get serious?

Save leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling.

It had never really been about Game Design.

Not completely.

His father had always wanted him to have a plan.

A proper plan.

A respectable plan.

A plan that fit the family.

Save had wanted something much simpler.

Freedom.

He had wanted it since he was a child.

He remembered being eight years old and asking if he could go outside and play with the neighborhood kids.

His father had said no.

There was homework.

Then tutoring.

Then dinner.

Then something else.

There was always something else.

When he wanted to learn something new, his father would ask whether it was useful.

When he wanted to try something different, his father would ask what it would do for his future.

Even the smallest choices somehow became decisions about the person he was supposed to become.

But his mother had always been different.

Whenever Save wanted to draw, she bought him sketchbooks.

When he became interested in computers, she found him his first laptop.

When he told her he wanted to learn game design, she hadn't laughed.

She had simply asked,

"Is that what you really want?"

And when he'd said yes, she'd smiled.

"Then try it."

She had always been the one person who didn't make him feel like every choice needed permission.

She didn't always agree with him.

She didn't always understand what he was doing.

But she listened.

She let him choose.

Save looked at the laptop in front of him.

This wasn't just a degree.

It wasn't just a hobby.

It was one of the first things in his life that had truly felt like his.

He wanted to build worlds.

Create characters.

Give people stories they could step into.

Maybe it sounded childish to his father.

Maybe it wasn't the future his family had imagined for him.

But it was his future.

Save slowly closed the laptop.

For a moment, his room was completely dark.

Then his phone lit up.

A message from Aerin.

Aerin: You home?

Save smiled faintly.

He typed back.

Save: Yeah.

Another message came almost immediately.

Aerin: You okay?

Save stared at the screen.

He thought about lying.

Instead, he typed:

Save: I'll be okay.

He placed his phone beside the laptop and looked out of his bedroom window.

Somewhere across Bangkok, the Thanaphum house was probably quiet by now.

Auau was probably asleep.

Or maybe he was still awake, doing something reckless as usual.

Save smiled to himself.

Then he looked back at his room.

His own room.

His own laptop.

His own choices.

For as long as he could remember, Save had been searching for a place where he could finally breathe without someone telling him which direction to go.

Maybe one day, he'd find it.

Maybe one day, he'd have the courage to choose his own life completely.

And until then—

he would keep choosing himself, one decision at a time.

Because Save Worapong had never wanted to be the perfect son.

He had only ever wanted to be free.

End of Chapter 1.

---

Thanks for reading, this is your author Elara. I made this fanfic based on the actors of DMD. This fanfic is made clearly for only entertainment purpose and is fictional. Please enjoy it and tell me your opinions freely.