I despise Payu (Storm) and I’m not talking about the weather. The 23-year-old rapper from Ghana is one of the most irritating artists in the music industry today. His music is repetitive, unoriginal, and just plain bad. He’s also a terrible performer - his stage presence is embarrassing and he can’t even sing properly. ..
Rain drives back after taking his car back from Payu’s garage when he gets a call from the man himself.
Rain wonders how Payu got his number and recalls writing it down on the customer slip while signing the car out of the garage. He calls Payu unprofessional whereas the biker asks Rain to pay back the repair cost. Payu suggests that Rain does not have to pay in cash but in kind which leaves the latter wondering. He asks Rain to speak respectfully to everyone around him as a punishment and ends the call. ..
Rain is frustrated when he hears the weather forecast on the stereo that warns citizens about frequent storms (in Thai, phayu/payu). After the call ends, Payu’s younger brother asks about his chirpy mood but Payu digresses. At the University, Sky wonders why Rain keeps hiding behind pillars. Sky pokes fun at a visibly scared Rain as they walk inside the building. Once inside, Rain is shocked after he spots Payu.
Rain’s classmates are confused about the duo’s relationship. Sky is left confused about the duo’s relationship.
Rain drags Payu to the men’s room where the latter corners the student about paying back for the car repair. Payu is now up and close to Rain’s face as the younger of the two feels overwhelmed. When they hear a noise outside, Rain drags Payu inside an empty stall. Payu starts feeling Rain’s body but the latter asks him to stop. The biker asks Rain to politely ask Payu to stop by using honorifics in his sentence. Rain is adamant about not giving in so Payu tries to kiss him.
As Payu begins to cause chaos, Rain warns his classmates about people hearing them and begins to hover his mouth all around their faces and necks. After a few minutes, Payu lets Rain go and the student rushes out of the stall hastily.
Rain and Payu follow each other as they walk to the men’s room. Payu tells Rain that he only did what he did because Rain did not keep his end of the bargain and continued to swear at him. Rain asks Payu if he was forcing himself on Rain but Payu pats his head and states that he is considerate. Payu leaves Rain with a warning asking him to rethink using bad words. After Payu leaves, Rain cusses him out once he realises her has a boner. Sky finds Rain in the men’s room and is confused about Rain’s reaction.
Rain rushes to the cafeteria and finds Ple’s brother Som there. He asks Som about Payu’s weaknesses but Som only has good things to say about the alumni student. Rain confronts Som and the two end up having a fight. Sky intervenes and apologises to Som as he leaves. Meanwhile, Rain tries to warn Ple against Payu but she also shuts him off as she follows Som.
Sky confronts Rain about his actions but he responds by stating that he was going to teach Payu a lesson and asks Sky for his help. Sky eventually gives in unknowingly. The episode then moves to a bike race between two racer bikes with the blue biker, Payu winning over his friend Prapai. It has started to rain and Prapai states that they should be going as he recalls them both not liking the rain. Payu states that he no longer hates the rain. ..
Rain and Sky are left alone as they search for Payu. Rain is chased by security when Payu notices the commotion and suddenly intercepts Rain. Payu takes responsibility for Rain and asks security to ignore the commotion.
Rain and Payu are fighting in his house. Payu is telling Rain that he would have been in grave danger if it were not for him. Rain is upset with Payu and fires back admonishing him for calling Rain stupid.
After breaking free, Rain promises to make Payu fall in love with him so much so that he would never call Rain stupid again. Payu returns the kiss back with the same intensity and asks Rain to bring it on. As he leaves Rain alone regretting his mistake, Payu thinks back at Rain’s promise and wonders if Rain would have still made the promise had he known Payu better. Rain regrets his words the next morning as he wakes up in a room in Payu’s house. ..
Rain asks Payu if he’s working on an architectural project. Payu tells Rain that he is and that he would like to work on something like this in the future.
Rain inspects the project, Payu sneaks up behind him and looks into his eyes, distracting him momentarily. Payu points out that Rain was wearing the underwear and mocks him about it. Rain is irritated and continues to finish his breakfast as Payu watches him. Payu then drops Rain at his house where he instigates Rain. Rain makes a commitment to Payu saying he will make the biker fall in love with him in a month’s time. ..
Rain accepts Payu’s new challenge and asks him to bring it on. Inside his house, Rain wonders if Payu is making him dance to his tune but he dismisses the thought. The episode ends with a prologue from the night of the illegal race when Payu calls his boss and backs off from the race that night after Rain caused a commotion on the race track. Prapai is shocked that Payu is dismissing an important event while Payu states that Rain is more important to him. ..
This episode was better than the last and the chemistry between Payu and Rain is so palpable. I love that Rain’s motive behind wanting to date Payu is so generic and it is chaotic; I understand that the makers specified that Payu was bi in the first episode itself, but I hope that the show gives us some insight into Rain’s discovery of his sexuality when the time comes.
As a Thai-born journalist, I am sure that I know something about Thai BL dramas. Usually, these dramas get no mention in the media, but I am hopeful that this will change in the future!
I feel like all other side characters on the show are enabling Rain and Payu’s romance, and I love Sky for how supportive he is of Rain. However, calling your friends out when they’re wrong is a great quality in a friend so Sky, Ple and Som really deserve brownie points for that. ..
I love that Love In The Air is not trying to brush off the toxic mentality of a homophobic character before giving them a redemption arc but actually showing the audience an instance of the homophobia being called out. This is an excellent way to show that this character is not invincible and can be changed. ..
The life of a biker seems relatively normal for Payu, but I hope that future episodes bring in the tension and drama around the race because the show seems slow-paced for now.
