The breakup in Episode 9: Khun Chai Ronnapee

I simply cannot let this episode slip away without commentating- venting, spazzing, popping a blood vessel, whatever you want to call it- because the marathon of invoking pains to Chai Phee, and thereby me, has continued.

Gawd, it sucks so bad being Khun Chai Ronnapee. I would not want to be a gentleman, much less a Khunchai because a fancy palace to live in, a fortune awaiting at my feet, but a life decided by my grannies, does not equal a happy life or a life worth living. So as a side note to Khun Pranod, don’t be a gentleman, run away, run far away from being anyone but yourself. It sucks balls, just look at your P’Phee.

From the previous episode, Chai Phee’s status and identity was revealed, so the next best thing he could do is to try to make it right with Piangkwan. So in episode 9, we start out with a quieter moment, which is really nice and sweet as we’ve been dealt with so many blows and I’m not sure if I can handle more upper cuts, or cuts to the heart. Chai Phee apologizes to the entire family, he’s trite and beautiful (ok I’m stating the obvious) as he tries to make them understand that his deception may have started out very cruel, but it turned into a life changing event for him, he has never felt this way about any lady before, and he was afraid that if he came clean, he would lose Piangkwan entirely.

But that is a moot point now, and so all he can be is apologetic. Yet because Piangkwan declares that he is not welcome in her home, her family must stay on her side and one by one, they walk away without a word, except for Khun Pranod who excuses himself to catch his fish, not sure what to say in such an awkward situation. So day-by-day Chai Phee returns to see Piangkwan, hoping that she would forgive him, and this hurts her too (because she cries behind closed doors,) but she has a heart of steel and doesn’t give in easily.

And what Chai Phee proceeds to do next just continues to win my heart and thereby making it all the more heart wrenching. At the filming location, and as Chai Phee slips his ring onto Piangkwan’s finger, he declares in front of everyone, including Vilairumpa, that Piangkwan is the only women he will love, thus the only woman he will marry. Aw, you guuys, let’s give him a round of applause! Rumpa crumbles and Piangkwan is speechless.

But her silence still depresses him as he broods at work. Khun Pranod scored number three in class and wanted to show off to his P’Phee and decide to sneak to the airfield.  But before he gets there, Piangkwan and Chai Phee gets a scare that perhaps Khun Pranod got into an accident. They have a bonding moment together, under the mutual fear and concern that something might have happened to Pranod. It turns out, Pranod made it to the airfield fine and even gets to watch the soldiers train. This gives Piangkwan the opportunity to watch Chai Phee in his most comfortable state, that he’s a mere soldier and she remembers what he had said to her earlier when he declared to everyone that he loved her: he would take care of her with his own salary and he would move out of Juthathep palace should worst comes to worst.

He’s damn well determined to see it through should his grannies stop him. And what happened next really shocked me, I didn’t think I could still be surprised, or have any more indignation left for the grannies.

Grandma Aeit decides that pushing him away is not the solution; they need Piangkwan to be the one to end this relationship. So they tell Chai Phee that they will ask for Piangkwan’s hand in marriage. What they didn’t tell him is their underhanded way of going about it.

First offensive thing was to have their maids go to Piangkwan’s home and usher her mother and auntie to meet them at a restaurant. Secondly, once the trio arrive at said restaurant, Vilairumpa is there with the two grannies. This is no marriage discussion for Piangkwan at all. Grandma Aeit shares the sacred vow that Chai Phee’s father made with Rumpa’s father, and that Chai Phee is the last one to follow through with the promise. Grandma Orn asks Piangkwan a rhetorical question of whether she wanted Chai Phee to be an ungrateful son? If she loves him, she would not make this of him. Third and final offense is when Grandma Aeit slides a packet of cash towards Piangkwan, that it’s more money than she would ever see in her lifetime.

They know how to play towards her character. They know just the right buttons to push. Being a person who upholds honor and respect above all else, Piangkwan replies that she would not allow Chai Phee to be an ingrate on her behalf- and that she has enough honor to walk away from the money. Grandma Orn has the gall to ask her how they could trust her. So Piangkwan sets up the next big, awful break up ever.

She uses Khun Art, her brother, to set up a scene for Chai Phee. Which is so poetically painful to Chai Phee. First, Chai Phee has always been threatened by Khun Art, and so this blow is the biggest kind. Chai Phee goes to her after learning from his grannies that she declined his marriage offer. In his blue, handsome uniform, Chai Phee rides a motorcycle to Piangkwan’s home. But before he could even climb the staircase, he sees them, Piangkwan and Khun Art. His beloved tells him that she could not forget Khun Art, thus she has chosen the other man.

Chai Phee is confused at first, because he put his heart on the line, his whole status on the line for her, he thought she felt the same way. The revelation settles on him though, and his facial expression says it all- I’m surprised Piangkwan doesn’t turn into a puddle of mess- because that face can turn anyone into a sobbing fool.

Which is so cruel on Piangkwan’s end. She hated the fact that he lied to her, but she uses the misunderstanding with Khun Art as a tool to lie and end things with Chai Phee. The song in this lakorn always says, “please don’t be so cruel,” and yet to push him away, must she stomp on his heart? I remember the last thing he said to her when he slipped the ring back onto her finger: she can’t stop him from loving her. But I guess, she can damn well stop him from being with her. And now it’s very clear why they keep prolonging the misunderstanding about Khun Art, they want to use it for this grand breakup, of course. Two birds with one stone, Chai Phee is hurt and now, so is Jan who overheard this developing tidbit.

I love the symbol of the motorcycle. Even when Chai Phee’s identity was revealed, he hasn’t shed that motorcycle, showcasing to us that he doesn’t care for the materialistic things anymore, doesn’t care about his fancy cars, all he cares about is being the normal Phee and loving Piangkwan. Beautiful and sad.

[On a side note, who here got all hot during Rumpa’s dream? Dang, Chai Phee knows how to play a love scene. I needed a moment after that!]

And speaking of love, where is the brotherly love? I get that Chai Phee hasn’t told them about his problems or the grand scheme of things, but if they’ve noticed that their little brother is in the worst condition he’s ever been in, and he’s completely not himself, wouldn’t you want to get to the bottom of this? They are just sitting there (and Chai Pat is reading his damn medical book) and telling Chai Phee to toughen up! If ya not gonna help, keep that useless advice to yourself! That’s like pouring salt on wound: oh buddy, just toughen up! Yeah, Chai Phee’s world is crumbling around him and he’s heartbroken, so therefore he should just toughen up? If I were them, I would be on suicide watch. Men who watch their team lose can drive off a cliff, our Chai Phee has just had his heart handed to him, he’s going to do something stupid! Like maybe, go to war or something.

Show, you are the death of me. I don’t even know what to say anymore.

Watching Chai Phee’s marathon of heartbreak (and loving the fact that he’s completely ignoring his grannies and Rumpa now) is so damn painful. But maybe I like this kind of pain, because I keep coming back for more.