NORTHHOWMUCHISYOURLOVE, Chapter 4 part 2
“Are you crazy…” I started to protest. Even if he’s my creditor, he can’t do this to me. I’ll lose work time, lose money, and then how am I supposed to pay him back?
“…”
“Wait, you’re not going to deduct this from my debt, right?” I protested after seeing Phii Johan take out his phone and start typing.
“Almost.” The other side gave a slight smirk.
“Oh, come on, how can you do this?” I said with a straight face, secretly sighing once before deciding to message Phii Tharn.
North♣: Phii Tharn, sorry, but I might be late getting back.
T-Than: Why?
T-Than: Something wrong?
T-Than: Did he do something to you, North?
North♣: No, sir.
North♣: Just have some errands to run.
T-Than: He’s not making you do anything weird, right?
North♣: No, no, I’ll be back soon, sir.
T-Than: Alright, don’t be too long, we’ll have more customers soon.
North♣: Yes, sir.
After letting Phii Tharn know, I slouched down onto the sofa, stealing a glance at Phii Johan who was busy with a pile of documents on the table. Ah, so why am I here? To watch him work again? “Still not done with work, sir?” I asked. “Do you have eyes?” His tone was as sarcastic as yesterday, ugh.
“So, I have to sit here quietly again, right?”
“Uh-huh.”
Here I am, just sitting here again. Wasting work time, just like last night when I lost sleep time. After sitting quietly for a while, I started to get bored and took out my phone to play with. As I played on, I unwittingly leaned back and fell asleep without realizing it.
And because of the exhaustion from not sleeping enough last night,
I ended up dozing off without realizing it.
“Umm…” I rubbed my eyes slightly as I groggily woke up. Oh no, did I fall asleep in Phii Johan’s room? What time is it now? Where’s my phone…where did my phone go?
“Looking for this?” Phii Johan asked, handing it over.
Why did he take my phone?
I was a bit startled when I turned to see a woman sitting on a smaller sofa nearby, smiling at me. Even though I was still confused, I smiled back.
Don’t tell me she’s his girlfriend?
She’s been sitting quietly here, waiting for Phii Joe to work? And why didn’t they wake me up? T^T
“Are you done?” The woman looked up and asked, to which Phii Johan nodded in response, “Have you been overworking lately? The work isn’t that urgent.”
“I just wanted to clear it up before the semester starts.” Phii Johan said before sitting down on the sofa next to me. The Americano I had brought had completely dissolved. If he wasn’t going to drink it, why order it?
“And what about what I asked for, did you get it?” “Yeah, I did.” “Yay! That’s how it should be!” “You can go back now, go.” Phii Johan said with a slightly annoyed tone, and the woman’s face immediately soured.
“What? I’ve been waiting for so long, and now that you’re done with work, you’re sending me away…hey, where are you going?” She asked when she saw the person beside me stand up and walk away.
“Shower.” Phii Johan replied before disappearing into another corner.
Leaving just the two of us…
This is awkward.
“Uh…you’re Nong North, right?” I nodded when asked, “I’m Prang.”
“Ah, okay.”
“I came to see Joe and saw a friend sleeping there. Plus, Joe was working, which made me too scared to move, afraid of making any noise.” Phii Prang said, thinking maybe it was too comfortable…Maybe too much at ease. Normally, when people are dating, seeing someone else in their partner’s room wouldn’t make them so casual.
“Stop it already, you thought we were dating, right?”
“Yes.” I replied as per my thought, which made the other person chuckle a bit.
“Sorry, I’m just an assistant…or you could say a secretary. I’m just here to listen and help with work, as Joe’s father asked me to. And I have a kid too, look, cute, right? I left my child at home just to follow up on work.” Phii Prang said before showing her phone screen with a lock screen photo of a baby.
“Your child, Phii Prang?” I raised my eyebrows and asked, “So cute.”
“Right? But lots of people misunderstand that me and Johan are dating, it’s so annoying.”
“Oh.” I nodded to acknowledge her point, “And how long have you been here?” “Not long, I just got here and saw you asleep. I was quite surprised. Wondered who was sleeping on the sofa like that.”
“Haha, you could have woken me up.” I said while scratching my head in embarrassment.
“Joe said not to wake you.” Phii Prang said before standing up and walking towards Johan’s desk, “Wow, all the work is actually done, that was quick.”
“Uh, but…why were you sleeping on the sofa?”
“I was just delivering coffee, Johan ordered it.” I answered truthfully.
“So you ended up sleeping on the sofa?”
“Joe didn’t let me leave, for some reason. So I just sat there and accidentally fell asleep.”
“Oh, right…Are you the one who owes Joe money?” Phii Prang suddenly remembered. I nodded and sighed, “Ah, I remember now. I went to Joe’s house, but you weren’t there. He said you went back to your condo. Your matter is still a hot topic among the house staff.”
“Really?” I sighed heavily again, oh dear…T^T
“Yeah, heard it was quite a mess, the chairman was pretty upset.”
“What!?” I widened my eyes and turned sharply to her, “Phii Joe’s father?”
“It was about the wine, you know, it was for a client welcome party. It was premium wine, but the whole cabinet got destroyed. Johan got an earful for it.”
“Oh, really?” I felt guilty, remembering Ter saying I knocked over the wine display, but I still don’t understand how I could have done that, T^T, “And why was Phii Johan the one being scolded, not me?”
“Joe said he made it himself, you know. And I have to go find wine to replace it too. Some of the bottles are really hard to find, so it’s not going to be easy.”
“Oh, that’s bad.” I said in a weak voice…guilt creeping up on me until I felt completely deflated…But looking at the price of the wine I have to pay, it’s not that expensive, I mean, not outrageously expensive, right? That’s what Phii Johan said about it being generous to keep just that much.
“Okay, all done…finally sorted out. Hey…have you known Joe for a long time? Why haven’t I seen him before?” Phii Prang asked while stuffing documents into her bag.
“No, we don’t know each other, I met him for the first time when I was drunk.”
“Oh.” Upon hearing my answer, she furrowed her brows in extreme surprise, “You’re not dating, right?”
“No.” I shook my head firmly.
“Oh, now I’m totally confused.”
“Aren’t you going back yet?” Phii Johan, who seemed to have just finished showering, walked out and said, “You can go back now.”
“I haven’t cleared things up with him yet.” Phii Prang said.
“No need to talk, go back.”
“Oh, so strict, see you later then.” Phii Prang said before she grabbed her document bag and left. I waved goodbye, still not having had a proper conversation with her. I turned to Phii Johan, who no longer looked as worn out after his shower.
It’s truly miraculous.
“Sorry, I fell asleep.” I spoke to break the silence, “The work is done, right?”
“Yeah, finally done.” Phii Johan said as he slumped onto the sofa next to me, leaning back tiredly.
“Should I go to bed? I’m about to leave.” I’ve been away from work for a while. Ter and Phii Tharn will definitely complain like hell.
“Who said you could leave? I haven’t had my Americano yet.”
“Oh. Here it is. You didn’t drink it yourself, it’s all melted.” I pointed at the coffee cup on the table. “You didn’t make it yourself.” Phii Johan said, a hint of annoyance in his eyes. “I told you I haven’t trained yet.” I repeated, “I’ve never tried making it myself, not even once.”
“Go make some, the coffee machine is in the kitchen.” The person next to me said. Was he ordering me to make coffee? And if he has a coffee machine, why did he make me go out in the sun and wind to bring one here?
I sighed quietly to myself, complaining that it wouldn’t help, so I decided to get up and head to the kitchen corner, spotting the coffee machine on the lower shelf. I picked it up and put it on the counter.
I let out a small sigh, just complaining to myself, then decided to get up and walk towards the kitchen corner. I saw the coffee machine sitting on the lower shelf. I picked it up and placed it on the counter.
How do you use this thing?
Johan had followed me in at some point. He reached out and helped by pressing various buttons.
You act like you’re not going to do it yourself!
“Will my room explode?”
“Oh come on, at worst, it’ll just not taste good.”
“Probably.” I muttered the word ‘probably’ quietly. I’ve seen Phii Tharn use it often, but it’s a different model with lots of stuff I don’t know about. And do you have to pour the coffee beans first or what, you’re supposed to be a barista, right? T^T
“Uh, can I ask something?” I said while fiddling with the coffee machine, without turning to see what the other person was doing.
“No.” “Uh, about the wine cabinet, did you tell your dad that you did it?” I asked, “If you didn’t say it was me, you got scolded instead.”
“Saying you did it would have made things more complicated.”
“…”
“Uh, thanks, I guess.” I thanked him again, for, uh…can we call it protecting me? And for being kind enough not to ask for more money for the wine.
“…”
Johan didn’t reply.
“But are you going to drink more coffee? I thought you’d rest since you said the work was done.”
“Hmm. Not exactly, there’s some faculty work.”
“Oh, so the work you said was yours, but Phii Hill is doing it for you?”
“How do you know?” One espresso shot was ready. I carefully placed it on the nearby table before turning to look at him. Phii Johan stood there, arms crossed, leaning against the table, looking at me.
“Well, Ter told me, he said if you’re busy…Phii Hill has to do the faculty work for you.”
“Ah.”
“Should I just add water, or do you want milk?”
“Add water.” Phii Johan said before turning to sit on a chair instead. I proceeded to fill the machine with water to make an Americano as instructed. I like coffee too…but I’d prefer it with some milk.
I placed the first Americano I’d ever made onto the table, and Phii Johan looked at it with a slight suspicion before picking it up for a sip.
“How is it?”
“Do you really work at a coffee shop?”
“Yes, I do.” “Where do you work?” “Marry Me, why?”
“I’m going to buy that shop.”
“…”
“And then fire you.”
That’s harsh!!
“Why? Is it that bad?” I asked while inadvertently making a grumpy face.
“Uh-huh.”
“Like this, do you think I’d let you make coffee for others?”
“Oh, come on, Phii.” I muttered under my breath, really wanting to shout out why Phii Joe wasn’t gentle with me at all! It was really disheartening.
“If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t believe it, that you’re friends with Phii Hill.” I said with a sigh. Phii Johan took another sip of the coffee, furrowed his brows, and looked at me.
“Why?”
“Well…your personalities are so different. You don’t share any of Phii Hill’s gentleness.” I said, “Phii Hill, he’s incredibly warm.”
“What game are you playing?”
“Huh?” I raised my eyebrows in surprise at the question from the person in front of me. What does ‘what game are you playing’ mean? “Last time, Hill called to yell at me about Ter.”
“Huh?”
“Ter complimented me to Hill, and then Hill got mad.”
“Oh…I see, and then what?”
“And then here you are.” “Huh?, Oh…where are you going?” I didn’t even finish my sentence before Johan put down his coffee cup and walked out to the balcony. Then I saw him take out his phone and call someone.
(What’s up, is the work done?)
“Hill, you bastard.”
(What?)
“I’m annoyed.”
(With whom?)
“With you, of course.”
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