Shopping in Bangkok is some of the best in the world, with everything from gigantic open air bazaars to high-end shopping centers covering entire city blocks. Ma?l exited out of Siam Station, Kaori in tow, and headed into Central World, a village-sized mall selling just about anything.

  Getting replacement for his lost clothes should be a breeze. A few minutes at most. There was an outdoor shop where he could get himself a sweet pair of cargo pants and a couple of shirts which would not profess his love for Kagoshima.

  The foolishness of his plan became apparent within seconds. This was Kaori’s world, and she had long decided he was in need of a makeover.

  He never made it to the Outdoors’ shop. He never had a chance.

  She shoved him inside the first hairdressing salon they found and sent him to shampoo while she discussed looks with the stylist, leafing through an impressive stack of fashion magazines. When he made it back in the stylist’s chair, the decisions were all set and the girl began to cut. He tried to inquire, but that was a lost cause, he was overruled right from the start.

  Besides him, Kaori was also getting a haircut, probably fixing his “creation” from back on the boat. It had looked good, but then again, everything looked good on Kaori.

  He closed his eyes and let himself drift as the stylist’s deft hands rummaged through his mane, snipping long strands of scraggly hair. He always enjoyed having his hair messed with and the girl was so gentle he nearly purred.

  “Chob mai?”

  Do I like it? What? Oh right, haircut. He opened his eyes and stared at the stranger in the mirror.

  The girl beside him was beaming. “Loh mak mak!” she said, admiring her work.

  She was right too, he looked quite handsome indeed. He turned to Kaori and she gave an approving smile. Not long after, they began to hit the shops, and he learned the pains of runway models, trying what seemed like every possible outfit in the universe. They quickly gathered a gaggle of sales girls stacking towering piles of clothes. They weren’t on commission but playing dress up with an handsome farang and a Japanese princess was more fun than waiting around and it would provide days worth of gossip, the one true currency amongst Thai sales girls.

  After half an hour of such hilarity, Ma?l pulled Kaori in the changing room.

  “There’s no way we can carry all that, you know?”

  “Not a problem, we will just send it to the hotel, won’t we?”

  “Sure, but then what? We need stuff I can wear now and not attract tons of attention. Plus you’ve seen what Songkran is like. We have almost a week of water fights ahead of us!”

  She looked contrite, but he was right. They were still on the run after all.

  “Fine, but once things are sorted, we will get you a decent wardrobe. Can’t have my man go around wearing rags!” she paused and looked at him. Did I say that part aloud?

  Clearly she did, for Ma?l was beaming with a wide smile. She pulled him in a hug and gave him a hungry peck on the lips.

  “Yes. My man. Mine. Now stop flirting with all these other girls outside.” she said with mock jealousy.

  He stepped out a moment later wearing beige pants, a black leather belt, a navy polo shirt and a jacket flung over his shoulder, he took an exaggerated pose for Kaori and she nodded in appreciation.

  As they walked out of the mall, Kaori looked once more like herself and he was utterly unrecognizable. He was truly undercover now.

  His phone rang. Noi.

  Figures. After a brief exchange, he turned to Kaori.

  If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  “Let’s go back in, our helicopter will pick us up on the roof,” he told Kaori with a grin.

  “Where are we going now?”

  “No clue, but there will be food. Besides, Noi would kill me if I don’t let him show us a good time. You wouldn’t want your man to get killed, right?” he teased.

  The helicopter ride was short and they landed in a car park in a cloud of dust. There were dozens of police cars and military vehicles of all sorts. Kaori even spotted a tank.

  “Thais like to show off, sometimes.” Ma?l grinned as he jumped out of the helicopter and helped her down. They headed to a gigantic wooden building. Mounted on the gate were a large pair of buffalo horns.

  Tawan Daeng, the red sun, a “traditional” Thai party hall. The place was essentially an airplane hangar with a massive stage at one end, and hundreds of tables with stools and chairs. The inside was dark, candles lighting the tables, large projectors illuminating the stage and colored lasers drawing lines haphazardly above their heads. The place was packed with thousands of patrons already, but Noi headed inside confidently toward the middle where a table had been kept for his party. Moving through the hall was no easy task as he stopped at every table, greeting an endless number of friends and acquaintances—was there anyone he didn’t know in the place?

  Occasionally, he introduced Ma?l and Kaori.

  By the time they arrived to their table, they had met what seemed like half of the country’s police and military forces, along with their wives and mistresses.

  Ma?l was surprisingly comfortable in that environment, bowing respectfully and dishing out “yindis”—nice to meet you—and smiles like a politician. Kaori followed his lead. Every new person offered a drink from their table, mostly beer and Thai whiskey.

  Refusing wasn’t really an option, and when they finally managed to reach their own table, Kaori was already feeling a buzz and Ma?l was noticeably louder, although that might have only been an attempt to overcome the roar of the loudspeakers. On stage, the band had switched from the traditional Morlarm music and moved to something more recent—80s dance tracks from the States. People gave up trying to talk and many started dancing around their tables. Laser lights streaked through the darkness, turning the place into a disco, albeit one without a dance floor.

  A few girls from a nearby table offered Ma?l a drink, which he took, but Kaori pulled him over, challenging him to dance. She was imitating the moves she had seen on stage with remarkable accuracy—performing was her area of expertise after all. It wasn’t Ma?l’s however. He froze like a deer caught in the headlights.

  “Come on.” she said, pulling him by the sleeve.

  He looked around, desperately searching for a way out of this jam. His gaze landed on Noi who gave him a wide grin and a massive shove, nearly knocking him off his feet. Kaori caught him and tried to pull him up. There was nothing for it. He bounced to his feet and spun around, lifting her and throwing her at arm length. Her eyes flared. She acted betrayed and accusatory, miming an argument.

  Space around them cleared as they began to duel, trading move for move. Soon, spotlights landed on them and the singer on stage called them out, encouraging the “dispute.”

  Ma?l’s disco dancing skills weren’t up to par, but he could fight and Kaori took advantage of it. She jumped toward him with a kick he caught with both hands. He launched her high up. She turned it into a back flip, landing gracefully, but he followed close, seizing her as if he meant to capture her. Thousands of people watched in awe, but Ma?l didn’t notice, absorbed as he was with his “fight” with Kaori. Was that dancing? He could do that!

  She was his world, only she mattered, she and their duel. He tore through her defenses, dominating but always leaving space for her to escape, which she did. As the song ended, she pushed him back and he allowed himself to collapse to a knee, holding his chest as if shot by an arrow to the heart. She loomed over him. He surrendered and she pulled him back up into an embrace. Climbing casually on his shoulder, she waved to the crowd. Ma?l followed her lead as people cheered, suddenly becoming aware of the audience.

  Everyone stared at them and Ma?l realized they were on the big screens. He felt a strange mix of panic, excitement and a rush of adrenaline not unlike that of a fight. He had thrown himself with abandon and they loved it.

  So much for being undercover! But then again, Kaori had said they were fine and she’d know best. Besides, they’d just made friends with hundreds of police/army officials. Kaori’s enemies, whoever they were, couldn’t touch them here.

  With Kaori by his side, he could do no wrong. They passed around the tables, dancing, eating and drinking with any who offered, and those numbered in the hundreds. Try as he may, alcohol was slowly but surely destroying the last of his inhibitions and the night melted into a blur of drinking and dancing. By closing time, he’d met more people than he had in the previous decade and couldn’t have recalled a fraction of them if he tried. He carried Kaori out into the parking lot. There was a trick to managing your drinking at a Thai party, but neither of them knew how that was done and in spite of her best efforts, Kaori ended throwing up the content of her stomach into the garden. He didn’t—he’d already taken care of that in the bathroom a tad earlier.

  Late into the night, he sat at the back of the helicopter, a somnolent Kaori curled up against him. They'd both burned every ounce of energy and were content to cuddle.

  Noi gave him a thumb up.

  “Sawasdee Pi Mai!”

  Happy New Year indeed. How did he get this lucky?