When last we left our confused high schoolers, Kongthap realized he has feelings for Atom. But since he thinks Atom doesn’t like him that way, what now?
Everyone goes on a horrible school camping trip!
Mudmee and Atom agree to confess their crushes during the trip. They hold onto their determination as they are yelled at by an evil camp Sergeant and forced to do obstacle courses. They don’t do well with obstacle courses.
As punishment, they’re given rice and an egg in a bag with no spoons. Maybe it’s porridge? Luckily, Half and Kongthap share their PPL snacks. Kongthap also rescues Atom from being forced to sleep alone outside. When the Sergeant patrols the sleeping area, Kongthap hides Atom by cuddling him.
This is really about bravery
The next day our leads become a team of four. Atom, who is afraid of heights, decides to take on the zip line challenge to prove himself. He faints on his way down. He’s proven something.
He wakes up in the infirmary with Mudmee. The Sergeant yells at them for being cowards and gives them one last chance to prove themselves. They must dress up as ghosts and scare other students in the forest at night as they go to pray at a shrine. Nope. That’s no good.
But they do it. And it sounds like there are a lot of wolves howling? Or is that an animal that lives in Thailand? Atom is still scared. Kongthap shows up to get him because it’s over and together they burn joss sticks at the shrine.
Natsumi Soseki strikes again
Atom is really trying to be brave and confess to Kongthap, but on his first attempt he just says that “the moon is beautiful”. I love it.
Atom tries again, asking Kongthap why he was relieved when he learned everything was a misunderstanding. Kongthap worried that Atom was troubled and was relieved he wasn’t. Now Atom is relieved. He decides to confess, from behind a tree a couple dozen feet away.
Kongthap can’t hear him and gets closer. When Atom discovers this he’s startled and falls backward and Kongthap goes down the hill with him.
The fall doesn’t hurt Kongthap, but he gets bitten by a snake. Atom doesn’t want him to move and goes running for help.
Atom finds an unattended zipline in the middle of the night
And decides it’s the fastest way to get help! He puts on all the safety straps and buckles, but I still question the wisdom of all this.
He gets to the other side and alerts the Sergeant. Luckily the snake wasn’t poisonous. As a reward, Atom gets a strange little stuffed brown creature with wings and a light-up butt.
Walking with Kongthap, Atom uses his newfound bravery to confess. He tells Kongthap how he appreciates his kindness and patience and gives him the brown creature with a light-up butt. He knows it might be too late but he wants to say it.
Kongthap hands him back the toy that no one wants and asks Atom out. Kongthap is ready to be at the talking stage, more than friends, less than boyfriends. Hundreds of fireflies show up to affirm their relationship.
And at this point, I realize the doll is a firefly. I think.
So what does it mean that they’re at the talking stage?
Atom isn’t sure so he asks Half. Half suggests that he talk to Kongthap. He goes to the roof and sneeze-sends a text before he’s ready, and Kongthap appears.
Atom feels things should be different at the talking stage, but neither he nor Kongthap knows how.
Atom goes to Mudmee next. She’s looking distressed and there’s violin music playing. During their camping trip not only did Half reject her, he didn’t remember their pivotal first meeting.
Then the guy who runs the mechanic shop in Not Me shows up as a substitute school counselor. He talks with Atom about his lack of scholastic direction. Atom says he wants to get into the same university as someone he likes.
At the merest hint of approval, Atom asks his new school counselor what someone at the talking stage should do.
Based on his advice, Atom tries touching Kongthap’s hand. This startles Kongthap. Atom returns to his new best friend/authority figure who now suggests he ask Kongthap on a date. This school is the worst.
But Atom asks Kongthap out on a date and is accepted!
Half solves a mystery
He can’t remember the first time he met Mudmee, but he remembers her giving him a cupcake. But not the flavor. Mudmee goes from sad to angry and even kabadons him.
Eventually, he remembers that Atom ate his cupcake after he accidentally destroyed Atom’s. That’s why he doesn’t remember the flavor. He even has picture proof. This soothes Mudmee enough that she teases him about the picture.
She thought he didn’t notice her because she was plain, but he says she’s lovely. They haven’t talked much and he sees them as friends. Mudmee vows to talk to him more so he learns more about her. And seeing her smile he remembers the first time they met
Atom and Kongthap go on a date
Thanks to Mudmee’s help getting dressed, Atom looks silly in layers of lucky colors. Kongthap’s wearing an unlucky black jacket but Atom, and I, think he looks good.
They see a movie and Atom gets subversive on Kongthap by not letting him eat popcorn off his face. A cat dies on screen (boo!) so Atom sobs when it ends. Kongthap comforts him by taking his hand.
Atom jerks his hand away because he thinks Kongthap wouldn’t want people to see them. Kongthap explains that on the roof he felt a static shock that’s why he withdrew. But he looked up how to avoid static shock, which involves stroking Atom’s arm. Nice!
Atom takes Kongthap to a pretty temple covered in ribbons. He wants to go to the highest point to tie a ribbon for the best luck. Unfortunately, when not saving Kongthap’s life his fear of heights remains. Worse, the bridge to the highest point has a glass walkway.
But Kongthap won’t let him give up and helps him across the bridge by looking into his eyes and holding his hands. They both tie a love-wish-ribbon. Then they walk down holding hands.
Only to run Atom’s new bestie, the school counselor. They let go of each other’s hands fast.
My Mixed-Up Feelings
This show loses me in places. Too much comedy relies on effects like speeding up the playback and silly sounds, instead of funny things happening with the characters. This reliance on effects for comedy isn’t exactly new territory, but it’s not working for me here. It makes the show feel childish.
Still, our leads are as adorable as they were in Moonlight Chicken (a favorite) and My School President. Whenever the story loses me they’ll have a cute scene together and pull me back in. I think it’s the sweet and sincere moments that work best, not the super-speed comedy.
In the manga the “camp” scene is actually a ski trip. That wasn’t going to happen in Thailand. Japan is known for skiing, but the drama also had a snowless camp scene, I’m guessing because of timing/cost. That episode is one of my favorites in the Japanese drama.
Still, would have been fun to see Atom and Kongthap skiing. Somewhere. Water skiing?