WHYARU, Chapter 08:
It had been over a week, probably, since Hwahwa called him to ask why he canceled the tutoring session. Fighter didn’t have an answer for her question. When they talked, someone was already prepared to refuse outright. Tutor had no intention of resuming the English tutoring, and Hwahwa didn’t know what else she could do to convince him. If Tutor said no, it was simply no.
Honestly, Fighter wasn’t too bothered. If Tutor didn’t want to teach him, he didn’t care.
But part of what Hwahwa said—about apologizing to Tutor and how bad Tutor’s situation was—made him pause and think.
Fighter’s mind drifted back to that day when Tutor, soaked to the bone, climbed into his car. It was probably the first day Tutor went job hunting. The image of his drenched figure and exhausted eyes still lingered in Fighter’s mind. Even though he sometimes tried to brush it off, every time he heard Tutor’s name or saw him pass by, that image came rushing back.
“Hey, Fai… isn’t that Tor, your junior?” Dew asked, nodding toward a slim figure in a perfectly neat student uniform who had just pushed open the door to the coffee shop across from where they were standing.
“Yeah,” Fighter replied to his close friend, his eyes following the person who had just entered the shop. In Tutor’s hand was a folder that Fighter recognized as job application documents.
“What’s he doing around here? Dressed all proper like he’s applying for a job.”
“Probably applying for a job, yeah.”
“Why’s he applying? For experience or something?”
“Nah, his family’s got some issues. Seems like he has to pay for his studies himself.”
“Oh, really?” Dew nodded in understanding. “So that’s why he was taking on tutoring gigs before—to cover his school fees, huh?”
“Mm.”
“And the tutor Hwahwa found for you last time… that was Tor, right?”
“Yeah, but he’s not teaching anymore.”
“Huh? Why’s that? Poor kid.”
“…”
“It’s not like I’m out here job hunting because you wouldn’t let the kid tutor, right?” Fighter didn’t respond. The questioner didn’t dare press further, as the look Fighter shot at Tutor made Dew hesitant to ask anything reckless.
“Whatever, let’s just go. Dew just messaged, they’re waiting.”
Fighter didn’t say anything. He just nodded and followed his close friend. But he couldn’t help glancing back at the shop one more time. The sight was of a small figure walking out with a frustrated expression. Tutor’s body language was clear enough to guess.
“Yo, Fai.”
Tutor probably didn’t get the job.
Annoying, but whatever. Whether someone got a job or not had nothing to do with him.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming.” He tore his eyes away from the figure and walked toward Dew.
The usual hangout spot he and his high school friends used to gather at had a nice vibe. The view from the second floor, where you could watch people pass by, was another thing Fighter liked. They didn’t meet up here often, but when they did, they’d spend hours talking about random stuff, like now, when more than three hours had already passed.
“You look kinda stressed, Fai.”
“Do I? I feel normal,” Fighter said, taking another sip from the glass in front of him. He shrugged lightly, as if to tell his friends he wasn’t stressed at all.
“Bullshit.”
“I’m not.”
“Your face says otherwise. We’ve been eating here for three hours, and we can practically count the sentences you’ve said.” “True.” The other friends nodded in agreement with Dew.
“Is there something we don’t know about? Keeping quiet like this, we might have to pry your mouth open.”
“What could there be? I’m fine,” Fighter said in a flat tone, not feeling anything was off about himself.
“Or maybe you’re fighting with Hwahwa?” When no answer came, they guessed again.
“Not fighting.”
“Yeah, right. How could you fight when you’re not even dating? Not sure if you even care enough to argue with her,” someone chimed in, as if they knew he wouldn’t bother with someone he wasn’t serious about.
“Exactly. I bet it’s just lack of sleep messing with him.”
“Or maybe he’s overthinking about a certain someone,” Dew cut in, raising an eyebrow teasingly. Fighter shook his head, knowing full well that Dew and the others wouldn’t drop it. The “certain someone” Dew just dropped like a bomb was definitely going to stir things up.
“Who’s this ‘someone’? Why don’t we know?” The teasing voices of his friends made Fai let out a frustrated sigh.
“Your junior, huh? This evening, I saw you staring after him with those pitiful puppy eyes. I can tell you feel sorry for him.”
“Sorry about what?”
“He’s out there looking for a job, right? Probably has family issues, so he’s working to pay for school, yeah, Fai?” Dew turned to Fighter with a sly grin, raising an eyebrow.
“Yeah.”
“Whoa, sounds like the kid’s got some problems.”
“If you feel that sorry for him, why don’t you just take him in, you idiot? What’s so hard about throwing money at it? Man, my friend’s not just rich—he’s dumb as hell too,” one of Fighter’s high school friends said in a mocking tone, prompting Fighter to fling a soda cap at his face.
“But your junior’s a guy, dude,” Dew said loudly, making the group’s eyes light up. They hadn’t expected Fighter to take an interest in another guy.
“Enough, you guys. Stop looking so curious. I’m still the same. I don’t like guys that way, and besides, me and that kid don’t even get along.”
“If you don’t get along, then make it work. What’s so hard? And the guy thing isn’t even an issue. I just wanna know if the kid’s cute or not.”
“…”
“No answer? Fine, I’ll ask Dew.” Day turned to Dew, who was sitting across from Fighter. “So, what’s the deal, Dew? Is this junior guy cute? Is he small?”
“Not small, just a bit shorter than Fai, I think. Cute? For me… yeah, I’d say he’s cute. Kinda endearing, maybe cause he’s got that cheeky look. And his build—pretty slim, kinda striking. Overall, he’s definitely decent.”
“Then what’re you waiting for? Take him in, problem solved. You’ve got money, just support him.”
“Support what? He’s so damn stubborn. Just thinking about it gives me a headache. Even when Hwa got him to tutor me, he was so annoying I told him to quit.”
“Was he annoying, or were you just running your mouth? With a personality like Tor’s, I doubt he’s the annoying one,” Dew said, his tone skeptical.
“You don’t know him well enough.”
“But I know you plenty.”
“…”
“…”
“Fine! I was the one running my mouth, alright? I went and insulted him about money,” Fighter admitted. His friends erupted into applause, as if rubbing it in. “Told you so!”
“I’m starting to piece things together,” one of his high school friends chimed in again. “That sulky face you’re making right now? It’s cause you had a plan to take the kid in before, but he wouldn’t fall in line. He didn’t obey, super stubborn. So you ran your mouth, insulted him, looked down on him. It didn’t seem like a big deal back then, but now that you’ve seen him struggling today, you’re worried. And now you’re thinking about taking him in again.”
“You guys are such a mess,” Fighter grumbled, shaking his head wearily at his friends.
He wasn’t worried about Tutor at all, but he was quiet today because he was wrestling with his own thoughts. His mind kept replaying the harsh words he’d used to belittle Tutor, mixed with the image of the younger guy walking around looking for a job that evening.
But at this hour, he’s probably found something by now, right?
“Hey, isn’t that Tor?” Dew’s voice snapped him back to reality.
“Damn, he’s kinda cute.”
“Nice build, too.”
“I’d say he’s more handsome than cute.” Their voices were annoying, but Fighter couldn’t help glancing at the other guy. “Looks like he’s still out there looking for a job.”
“His face looks so stressed. Bet he didn’t get anything.”
“Well, part-time jobs are hard to come by. With this economy, shops around the university probably prefer full-timers, right, Fai?”
“Probably,” Fighter replied indifferently, causing his friends by the window to exchange looks before returning to their seats, eyeing him suspiciously.
“It’s 10 p.m., and he’s still out looking for work. Poor guy.”
“Yeah. If it were me, I’d have gone down to help him find a job the moment I saw him earlier.”
“And if I’d talked shit to him like that, I wouldn’t have the face to sit here drinking like it’s nothing.” Fighter shot his friends an annoyed look. He knew they were picky, but he didn’t expect them to be this harsh.
“So, what do we do? He’s kinda pitiful.”
“All alone, working to put himself through school. Could anyone’s life be sadder than that?”
“…” The more they talked, the harder it was for Fighter to ignore their words. And the more he thought about it, the more irritated he got.
Really damn irritated. In the end, Fighter stood up, pulled out four thousand-baht bills, and handed them to the friend in front of him.
“What’s this?”
“I’m heading home.”
“You sure you’re going home?”
“Yeah.”
“Right, sure we believe you.” Their teasing tone didn’t faze Fighter much. After handing over the money, he walked out of the bar immediately.
Tutor sat on the sidewalk near the shop where he had applied for a job less than an hour ago. He glanced at the “Closed” sign the staff had just hung up, his eyes filled with dejection. He had spent the entire day walking around looking for work until his legs ached. He couldn’t understand why part-time jobs were so hard to come by—maybe because this area was close to the university, and most applicants were students like him. In the end, all he could do was leave his application behind.
“Haa…” Another long sigh escaped Tor’s lips. He wasn’t sure how many times he’d sighed today. He was exhausted— honestly, he was always like this whenever he found himself in this kind of situation.
Tutor slowly closed his eyes. He leaned forward, resting his head on his knees, completely drained.
Tired…
So tired.
He wanted to escape, but he didn’t know how to break free.
“Ah!” The boy hugging his knees flinched slightly when something touched him. Tutor slowly lifted his head and saw a bottle of water being offered to him.
“Phii Fai.”
“Mm.”
“…” Tutor fell silent, looking at the water in Fighter’s hand before meeting his senior’s eyes again.
He didn’t know why he suddenly felt this way—a lump in his throat, a heaviness that made him want to cry even more than the exhaustion he felt moments ago. Maybe it was because he was tired, discouraged, and thought no one would reach out to help him. But seeing that single bottle of water from someone he didn’t even get along with—it was enough to make his heart swell with an indescribable gratitude.
Maybe Phii Fai was just passing by. Maybe he just happened to see him sitting here and decided to approach. But somehow, Tutor couldn’t help but feel glad.
Glad and grateful that Phii Fai showed up at this moment… This moment when he was almost too tired to go on.
“Stop making that face,” Fighter said, looking away. He didn’t like the expression Tutor was giving him right now. The usually strong and composed Tutor, who never showed his vulnerable side, looked like he was about to cry right in front of him. “Hurry up and take the water already.”
“Mm…” Tutor reached out to take the water from the person in front of him. “Thanks, Phii.”
Tutor murmured his thanks softly, opening the bottle and drinking with a sense of thirst. Meanwhile, Fighter watched him for a moment before sitting down beside him.
There was no conversation between them—just the light from the streetlamp and a silence loud enough to hear the sound of Tutor swallowing the water.
Fighter glanced at the person beside him. He hesitated for a long time, debating whether to say something, but in the end, he decided to speak.
“What are you doing around here?” Fighter asked, even though he already knew what the smaller boy was up to. He didn’t quite understand why he even bothered asking.
“Oh, I’m here looking for a job.”
“Any luck?”
“Not yet.”
“…”
“But I’ll probably find something soon.” Silence fell between them again, but this time it was painfully awkward. Fighter didn’t know if Tutor was still mad about the insulting things he’d said before. Maybe the kid had let it go, or maybe he didn’t care about those words anymore. But for some reason, Fighter couldn’t stop thinking about it.
“Tor.”
“Yeah?”
“If finding a job is that tough, you can just come back and tutor me.” Tutor froze for a moment, turning to look at the speaker with a hint of surprise.
“Are you trying to make up with me or something?”
“Make up? Nah.”
“Sounds like you’re begging me to tutor you again.”
“Funny. I’m not begging. I’m just giving you an option.”
“Oh, really?”
““Yeah. Come back if you want. If not, whatever.”
Typical.
“Then I’m not coming back.” Tutor shrugged nonchalantly, meeting Fighter’s eyes and raising an eyebrow teasingly. Stubborn as hell.
“Do what you want.”
“Yep, it’s always up to me.”
“Hmph.” Fighter let out an irritated huff.
“By the way, what are you doing around here?”
“Just some errands. Saw you sitting here, so I came over. Shooting a music video or what?”
“Idiot.”
Bang!
Before Fighter could say anything else, the shop door behind him suddenly swung open, and an employee was pushed out. The taller guy stood up and reached out to pull the younger one up with him. Tutor looked at the hand grabbing him, feeling confused, but that feeling quickly faded as the employee’s voice cut through.
“I told you already, didn’t I? Stealing breaks company rules.
“Why the hell did you do it again?”
“I didn’t mean to do it, Phii, but…”
“Enough, Sa. Stop making excuses. I’m tired of warning you, you know? Just take care of yourself from now on.”
“I’m really sorry, Sis Fai. I didn’t want to do it, but I had no choice, really.”
“Whether you had a choice or not, I don’t know. What I do know is you did something wrong, and you’re out. I’ll let the store manager know.”
“I’m sorry, Sis Fai,” the person accused of stealing from the company apologized, his face pleading for sympathy once more. But all Sis Fai could do was shake her head lightly. In the end, the accused sighed, filled with regret, before walking away from the storefront.
Fighter and Tutor glanced at each other briefly before turning to look at the employee who had just fired the worker.
“Hey you…”
“Yes?”
“Are you the one who applied for a job with me earlier?”
“Yeah,” Tutor gave a faint smile. “Sorry for sitting in front of your shop like this.”
“No worries. So, have you found a job yet?”
“Not yet,” Tutor said, shaking his head so vigorously that the employee smiled fondly.
“Wanna come in for another interview?”
“Really?” Tutor’s voice brimmed with uncontainable excitement.
“Of course, come on in.”
“Thank you!” Tutor replied, flashing a wide, joyful grin. It was enough to make Fighter let out a chuckle, which prompted Tutor to turn and pout at him, slightly annoyed. “Laughing at me, huh?”
“What do you think?”
“Whatever, laugh all you want. I don’t wanna talk to you anymore. I’m going for the interview.” With that, the younger one followed the employee into the shop. But then, as if remembering something, he turned back to look at Fighter again. “Oh, Phii Fai.”
“?”
“Get home safe, okay? And thanks for the water.”
“Oh, uh, no problem,” Fighter replied, his voice stumbling in a way that even he found odd.
“Hey, kid, I’ve set up the table. Come in for the interview!” the employee called.
“Coming!” Tutor responded, then turned back to Fighter one last time.
“Go for the interview,” Fighter urged the slimmer figure toward the shop. Tutor nodded in understanding and walked in to interview with Phii Fai, a staff member who seemed to be the assistant manager of the place. The shop was a well-known drugstore, mostly selling cosmetics. Naturally, Tutor knew nothing about this stuff, but Phii Fai was kind enough to let him learn gradually. She’d let him know later about the sales targets.
“Thank you, Phii Fai.”
“No problem! See you tomorrow,” Fai said, patting Tutor’s shoulder a couple of times before heading back into the shop.
Tutor smiled, genuinely happy. He’d thought today would end with him jobless, but luckily, fate wasn’t that cruel to him.
“What’s got you so happy?” a familiar voice called out nearby. Tutor turned to see Fighter leaning against the wall, chuckling at him with amusement.
“Why hasn’t you gone home yet? I thought you’d left already.”
“I had some free time, so I wanted to see if you’d pass the interview.”
“Of course I passed.”
“Well, you’re something,” Fighter said. “By the way…”
“…”
“Have you eaten yet?”
Not yet,” Tutor shook his head, his expression a bit glum.
“Hungry?”
“Starving.”
“So… wanna go?”
“Huh?”
“Wanna grab some food together?”
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