NORTHHOWMUCHISYOURLOVE, Chapter 13 part 1
Chapter 13: Sold Out!
Two hundred thousand…
“I refuse.” I said. “…”
“Phii…will you listen to me?”
“No.” Phii Johan said softly, before leaning his face close again. I quickly turned my face away, but it was held back by his strong hand, forcing me to face him again. His soft lips met mine once more, just a gentle touch before he pulled away.
I clenched my lips, looking at him with a mixture of courage and fear, then had to look away when I couldn’t meet his gaze.
Why am I feeling this embarrassed…
“So…is that one thousand then?” I asked, furrowing my brows.
“Yes.”
“And just now?”
“Doesn’t count.”
“Huh!”
Even though my lips are split now!!
“I hadn’t said so earlier.”
“No, Phii. Can’t I pay off the debt another way?” I said seriously, with a serious look on my face. “This way it’s just like…uh, trading myself, isn’t it?”
“It’s not like that.”
“Because I like you.”
“The kiss earlier was the same. If you had seriously refused, I wouldn’t have done it.”
“You’ve started to open up to me, right?”
!!!
“Phii!!”
“…” “You bastard…” I muttered softly, frowning and turning away, before Phii Johan lay down beside me and pulled me into a hug. I squirmed a little, and he tightened his embrace, seemingly aware of where I was hurt and avoiding those areas.
Plus, he already knew that I had opened up my heart to him…
Sigh, so embarrassed I could cry…
“…”
“Phii, are you asleep?”
Wait, you can’t just drop a bomb like that and then fall asleep.
“I can transfer ten thousand back to you first if you think I’m too slow. But I’ll definitely pay you back, just not this way.” I said. I have some savings now, I’ll transfer it to Phii Prang right away, just so I don’t have to return it in this manner, T^T
“Transfer it then, but I won’t count it.”
“Huh…how can that be?”
“Told you, I won’t accept money from other sources.”
“Phii…look, it’s not good, right? I’ll really pay back the debt, and you’re not in a hurry for the money anyway, are you?”
“Are you negotiating?”
“Something like that.”
“You think because I like you, you can negotiate?”
“…You don’t have to say it so often…sir.” I said softly, feeling extremely embarrassed. I’m not used to Phii Joe’s expressions of liking me. Usually, when someone says they like you, you’d feel embarrassed, right? But when it’s Phii Johan…I’m so embarrassed I feel like crying, seriously, I’m embarrassed to the point where I don’t know what to do. And being hugged like this makes it even worse. When Phii Johan fell silent for a while, his warm breath gently touching the base of my neck made me feel even stranger. I was all stiff now, probably because I was tired and had already fallen asleep. If I wasn’t tired, I wouldn’t have fallen asleep so easily. Last night, I was out of it and didn’t know anything, but Phii Johan must have been really tired.
And he had to watch over me all night…
I really appreciate how kind he is to me, but if he does things like this…I think I…can’t handle it. I might die of a heart attack first. As I said, I don’t feel bad about it, but it’s…oh my, it’s too fast, we’re not even dating yet.
“Phii…” I called out to him in a soft voice.
“Phii Joe.”
“Hmm.” it seemed like he was awake now. Phii Joe slightly moved his arm before hugging me tightly again.
“Actually, I wanted to ask something…we’re not even dating, can you do this?”
“Why? Do you want to be my boyfriend?”
“…”
“I didn’t mean it like that. I was just saying we’re not dating, so doing this feels weird, doesn’t it?”
“Then just date me.”
!!!
“Phii! Are you crazy? How can that happen?” I raised my voice, feeling a slight pain from my wound. I didn’t expect him to say it so calmly, suggesting we date, shouldn’t we talk or get to know each other first? But we’ve never done that.
“Then stop being so fussy.”
Hey! Now I’m the one being fussy.
I fell silent because I didn’t know what to say next, and couldn’t find any reason to argue. Phii Joe just wouldn’t listen to me. And just date like that, how could that even work? We’ve just met, never really talked, and it’s not like I’ve told him I like him that much yet.
“You’re loud.”
“Huh?”
“Me? I haven’t said anything yet.”
“Your heart, it’s beating too hard. Want to die of a heart attack?”
!!!
“…”
How can you control that, Phii!
I could only complain in my mind. I was too embarrassed to say anything, wishing I could just vanish from here.
“Hey!” I exclaimed in surprise when I suddenly felt a gentle nibble on the back of my neck.
“Phii! What was that!”
“Oh, I meant per session. You count it yourself, then tell Phii Prang.”
“…” I furrowed my brows, trying to understand Phii Johan’s words. So, no matter how many times he does something, I’m supposed to count it myself?
“And what am I supposed to tell Phii Prang?”
Phii Joe didn’t respond…
“Phii.” I tried calling out again.
Is he asleep, or is he just ignoring me?
And how am I supposed to count this? Do I have to keep track of how many times he hugs or kisses me? This is crazy, I’m going to die of embarrassment first.
No, we shouldn’t be settling debts like this from the start anyway.
I slowly reached for my phone in my pocket, with great difficulty. I could barely move with him holding me so tightly. Why does he have to hug me so firmly?
Just thinking that I’m being hugged by Phii Johan right now, who wouldn’t be embarrassed, seriously?
North♣: Nao, what’s up?
North♣: Red alert, now way, help me, I’m going to die
North♣: Duen, my dear friend
North♣: Please respond quickly
North♣: #S%^&&^%$#@#S%^&&^%^&
☾.: What the hell is wrong with you, you beast.
☾.: I am trying to study here.
North♣: My dear friend, I can’t take it anymore.
North♣: Oh, you have class too?
☾.: If you can’t handle it, just die already.
North♣: Why are you not gentle at all?
☾.: Why the hell are you typing, what brings you here?
☾.: Yeah, I have class. You never show up to class.
☾.: But I’ll let you off the hook, your husband said so.
North♣: …
North♣: What husband? Speak properly, you beast. Do you want to eat lunch or eat my foot, choose.
☾.: You get angry so easily.
☾.: I said husband. You don’t need to say the name, we know who it is.
☾.: Oh my.
North♣: Don’t tease, I’m sensitive.
North♣: Beast! I said don’t tease!
☾.: Calm down first.
.: I haven’t even started teasing yet.
☾.: Why are you spamming messages then?
☾.: And don’t say it’s nothing.
☾.: I’ll punch you in the head.
North♣: It’s nothing.
North♣: Oh, didn’t send it in time.
North♣: End of the month internet.
☾.: Utter nonsense.
☾.: I’m going back to studying.
North♣: Just kidding, there is something I want to talk about.
North♣: Can I ask something? What if someone doesn’t listen to anything you say? No matter what reason you give, they just won’t listen. And you can’t argue with them either. What should I do?
☾.: Accept it.
North♣: Is there something better than that?
☾.: What do you expect me to do? Think for yourself, and why can’t you argue?
North♣: That’s why I can’t argue.
☾.: Then forget about it.
North♣: Can’t just forget about it.
☾.: Beast.
☾.: Let it go, it’s fate.
North♣: Can’t just let it go either.
☾.: What’s wrong with you, nothing works, so demanding.
North♣: Am I being demanding?? .: Yes, what’s up with you? Normally, if anyone doesn’t listen, you wouldn’t care.
North♣: It’s not the same, this is a big deal.
☾.: What’s the big deal?
North♣: Well, yeah, that’s it.
☾.: Peace out.
☾.: It’s your problem now.
☾.: I’m going to class, come to the afternoon session too.
☾.: Professor said we must not miss this class.
North♣: Oh, okay, fine.
North♣: Alright, I’ll go, you beast!
☾.: Why do you have to be so emotional?
I locked my phone screen and set it aside with a sigh. Just like what Nao said, if there’s really nothing I can do, I can’t just not do it. I’m in debt of hundreds of thousands, but leaving things like this…would it be good?
I ended up thinking too much about it, just like what Tiger once said, if he makes me think, I’m sure to think all day. I believe it now. I’ll definitely think about it all day, so I can’t just let myself go and say, “Do whatever you want.” It’s past eleven now. I have to go to the one o’clock class.
And who can I talk to about this? The answer is no one. Not even Ter. I mean…it’s too embarrassing to tell anyone, so what should I do? Thinking too much gives me a headache. Maybe I should just stop thinking about it?
Yeah, but after thinking it over, it’s just excessive thinking, and I can’t do anything anyway, because he won’t listen to me.
I picked up my phone and messaged Nao again. North♣: So, there’s really nothing I can do, right? .: What’s with you now?
North♣: Should I just let it go?
☾.: wtf
☾.: What’s up, talking to yourself?
North♣: What should I do, man?
☾.: Go to sleep.
☾.: And don’t wake up.
☾.: Annoying.
North♣: Okay!
North♣: Goodnight.
☾.: …
☾.: Yeah, yeah, sweet dreams.
North♣: sends a sticker
☾.: That sticker is so lame.
North♣: Cost me a hundred bucks.
☾.: What kind of person are you, spending money on something so crap?
North♣: sends a sticker
North♣: sends a sticker
North♣: sends a sticker
North♣: sends a sticker
☾.: Enough!!
North♣: So, what class in the afternoon?
☾.: Elective, Kyu chose for me.
☾.: You have to come, there’s group work.
North♣: What elective?
North♣: I didn’t hear about this.
☾.: Just come, I’ll be at the faculty, we’ll go together.
In the cool room, being held made me feel warmer. I dozed off, feeling like I’d only napped for a moment when my alarm went off.
“Phii Joe.” I called out, gently shaking his arm. Phii Johan stirred, seeming to wake up. “I have a class at one in the afternoon.”
“You don’t have to go.”
“…”
“No, Phii, I can’t miss it.”
“…”
“If I miss it, it’s going to be bad. Nao said there’s group work too.” I said. Phii Johan loosened his embrace, probably because I was hugged for so long, I still felt the warmth from his body. I slowly sat up, because if I got up too quickly like before, my wound would hurt. Before I could say anything else, Phii Joe’s phone rang. He sat up with a slight annoyed look when he saw the screen, then answered.
“What?” Phii Johan grunted into the phone.
“…” I couldn’t hear what the other person said.
“No.”
“…”
“Hill, I’m tired.”
“…”
“Okay.” Before hanging up, was it Phii Hill who called? It seemed like whatever Phii Hill said made Phii Johan even more irritable. I looked at him confusedly, and Phii Joe didn’t say anything before stepping off the bed, picking up his phone, tapping on it for a bit, and then putting it down.
“So…I have to go to class this afternoon.” “Yeah, I know.” “And how am I supposed to get there? Oh, and what about the motorbike?” I asked, suddenly remembering, I rode the motorbike to work last night.
“It’s in the garage.”
“The garage? Why is it in the garage…” I fell silent to think, shit. It must be those guys like Phiii Day, they probably did it to prevent me from running away.
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
“Young master, may I come in?” That’s Auntie Da’s voice.
“Yes.” Phii Johan responded, then went to open the door. Auntie Da walked in with her hands full, carrying what looked like university uniforms.
“What size do you wear, dear? I wasn’t sure, so I brought a lot.” Auntie Da said, placing the uniforms on the table. I walked over immediately, did they prepare uniforms for me too?
“Actually, I can go back to my dorm to change.”
“I have class in the afternoon too. I’m not going out of my way to drop you off at your dorm.” Phii Johan said.
“Oh, but I feel bad.” I said quietly so only Auntie Da could hear, giving her a forced smile. I really did feel bad.
“Don’t worry about it. What size do you wear?”
“Medium, please.”
“And for pants?”
“This one will do.” I picked up what seemed to be the best fitting pair.
“I have shoes prepared for you downstairs. Would you like to eat here or go out to eat?” Aunt Da turned to ask me. I nodded without much thought.
“Then come with me.” Aunt Da said as she pulled me along, leading me back to the same room in a daze. I showered and changed, only then noticing the bruise on my stomach, which was quite noticeable. Damn, thinking about it made me angry. Oh, and I didn’t even ask Phii Johan how he was doing.
“Put this on too, please.” Aunt Da said, handing me a jacket and a face mask.
“Uh?”
“Put it on to cover, uh.” Aunt Da spoke hesitantly, pointing to her neck, her eyes then drifting to my neck.
The mark left by Phii Johan…
No way could it pass as an insect bite, it was too clear.
I quickly covered my neck out of embarrassment. While showering, I was so focused on the bruise on my stomach that I forgot to check my neck.
“And the face mask?” I asked as I zipped up the jacket to ensure the mark was completely hidden.
“Well…uh, it shows.” Aunt Da replied, clearly trying not to embarrass me. I was embarrassed indeed and went to look in the mirror again, noticing not only was my lip split but also slightly swollen.
That was too much…
T^T
I sighed lightly before putting on the face mask.
“The young master has never brought anyone home before.” Aunt Da mentioned as she was walking me to eat. Along the way, people in the house passed by, some smiling at me, others whispering. I caught snippets like, “This is the one who knocked over the wine cabinet.” Oh my, my reputation here is terrible, T^T.
“You might be the first one he’s brought home that I know of.”
“Huh, really?”
“What? Did I say something wrong? Why do you look so surprised?”
“Well, it’s just…” We’re not dating, I wanted to say that, but Auntie Da, she seems to have figured out about the kiss and the mark on my neck. If I say we’re not dating, it would definitely look bad. “He’s never brought anyone home before?” “That’s right, dear. I heard he doesn’t even let people into his condo.” “Oh…really?”
“I’ve heard that the young master is quite the flirt, so I was a bit worried. It’s good that he’s settled down, no matter how talented someone is, in the end, everyone needs someone, right?”
“Yes…” I could only go along with her words. Everyone seems to say the same thing about Phii Johan being a flirt, but from what I’ve seen, it’s not that extreme.
After eating at home, I got a ride with Phii Johan to the university. The ride was silent. I didn’t know what to say, and when I glanced at him, I couldn’t help but think about what happened this morning.
No, no, I must not think about that.
Must not! Absolutely! Not!
I need to compose myself before class.
I took a deep breath and let out a silent sigh.
The notification sound from my phone went off, prompting me to quickly check it.
Tg.: Where are you?
North♣: Why?
Tg.: Can you buy some snacks for Duennao?
Tg.: Nao didn’t have breakfast.
Tg.: I bet he won’t have lunch either.
North♣: Why?
Tg.: Just look at his schedule. He probably won’t have time for lunch.
Tg.: You didn’t go to the morning class, right? Could you buy some for him?
North♣: Transfer me the money.
North♣: I’m broke.
Tg.: Pfft, you want me to transfer money for snacks that cost just a few baht.
Tg.: Isn’t your boyfriend rich or something?
North♣: And what about you? Why don’t you buy it yourself?
Tg.: Where would I get the money?
North♣: Whatever, you loser.
North♣: Afraid Nao would get suspicious, huh? Ha ha ha.
Tg.: Shut up, I’ve transferred the money.
North♣: Got it.
North♣: Can I keep the change?
Tg.: Hmm, sure, keep the change.
North♣: Why are you rich?
North♣: Rich attitude?
Tg.: Do you like rich people?
North♣: Of course, who doesn’t? LOL
Tg.: What about your Phii Johan?
Tg.: He’s richer than I am.
North♣: …
North♣: I’m not talking to you anymore.
Tg.: Get shy and run away.
“Who?” Phii Johan asked when he turned to see me chatting with Tiger.
“Tiger.” I said. “He asked me to buy snacks for my friend, he likes my friend.”
Damn it…
I accidentally said it out loud again.
Tiger, I’m sorry, T^T
I don’t know why, but when Phii Johan asks, I tend to explain in detail, afraid that he might get angry.
“Is it about Duennao?” Phii Joe asked. “Yes, you know about it too?” “Yeah, he told me when he came to visit.” I exhaled with relief, so Tiger had already told him. It must have been when Tiger said he was going to see Phii Joe to clear things up about Temp and his friends.
Soon, the beautiful Audi car came to a stop in front of the engineering faculty. I thanked Phii Johan for taking the trouble to drop me off, and reached out to open the car door.
But he grabbed my arm first. Phii Johan pulled me closer, pulling down the mask from my face, and his lips suddenly met mine. I widened my eyes in surprise at the gentle invasion.
I closed my eyes tightly, my heart which had just calmed down, started racing again. This kiss was gentle and soft, not as forceful as before. The tenderness made me inadvertently accept the sensation.
Even so…it wasn’t gentle on my emotions at all.
“Uh.” By the time I came to, Phii Johan had pulled away from the kiss. I looked at him in confusion, why were my cheeks so hot? Was my face going red?
“Knowing this.”
“…”
“I should have not reduced your debt from the beginning.”
Phii Johan said with a slight smirk. It took me nearly ten seconds to understand the meaning behind his words, and once I did, I wanted to protest immediately, but I couldn’t say anything. All I could do was quickly open the door and get out of the car.
This guy…
And why did he have to smile like that?
When he said he shouldn’t have reduced my debt initially, it means he thought my debt was more than this, but Phii Johan reduced it to only two hundred thousand. If he had said he wouldn’t have reduced it initially, it means he would have wanted me to owe him more so he could…
Why does it have to be like this?
“Here.” I walked over to Nao, Skater, and Kyu who were waiting at a table in front of the faculty, and placed bags of snacks on the table. Tiger had transferred me a thousand baht, but after going back and forth, I thought it wouldn’t be fair to pay only for Nao since Skater and Kyu hadn’t eaten either, so I bought for them too. Plus, it would help reduce any suspicion.
And the several hundred baht in change was mine.
“You’re so kind. You buy snacks for us, you’re definitely trying to charm me.”
“Do you use your brain or your heel to think?” I scolded Skater, telling him it’d be better to take poison.
“Are you sick?” Kyu asked. “Are you that cold, Nao, with the jacket zipped up like that?”
“Yeah, I’m Nao.” [1] A silly play on word since Nao means cold in Thai
“Aren’t you North?”
“Here comes that dumb pun again.” Nao said, busy picking out snacks, “Get the red bean filling.”
“No, I want chocolate.”
“I want chocolate too.”
“North, you bought this wrong, we have to fight over it now. Why are we fighting like kids over candy?” Kyu said. I was in a hurry when buying them, just grabbing without thinking, my mind was full of all sorts of things going on.
“So, you don’t want the chocolate filling, Kyu?” Nao asked.
“Sure, give me the chocolate filling.”
“You beast, not giving it.” “Let’s play rock-paper-scissors.” Kyu suggested. “Is that how adults decide on candy?” I asked. Just a moment ago, they were saying we were acting like kids fighting over candy. In the end, we decided with rock-paper-scissors. No one was willing to give up the chocolate filling.
The result of our candy division through rock-paper-scissors:
In the end, I got the red bean filling…
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