WESTTHESUNFROMANOTHERSTAR, Chapter 26: Zero, point
Daotok
(Present)
From a distance, I could see the sleek black car parked, standing out against all the others around it, both in shape and shade. Of course, that includes the price. No need to ask why, but I was sure the owner of that car was the one currently holding my shoulder.
In the few minutes it took me to walk from here to where the car was parked, three people had already stopped to take pictures of it. Once I stood in front of this beautiful black car, I immediately felt more eyes on me than usual.
The warm hand on my shoulder relaxed as he moved away, taking the warmth of his body with him. He returned my phone and earphones before walking over to the driver’s side, and at that moment, I decided to say what I had been thinking since I first saw the car.
“Uh, could I ask for a favor, please?”
“What?”
“Could you go pick up Mr. Jeon for me?”
“You mean this?” He said, opening the door. I walked over, confused, and saw a mysterious black round object on the passenger seat; Mr. Jeon was curled up, then he lifted his yellow eyes to look at me. I rushed to pick him up without even thinking.
“You’ve already picked him up?” I asked, happy even though my face didn’t show it, starting to hug Mr. Jeon tightly and nuzzle him until the familiar scent filled my nose.
“Surprised, huh?”
“Hmm.” I nodded, turning to look at the person standing behind, only then noticing that the car window was slightly down, probably so Mr. Jeon could wait in the car.
“How much?”
“Hmm?”
“Points, I mean. If I successfully woo you, I get 101, right? How many for this?”
“Uh…um. Not possible.”
“Oh.”
“Why should I put up with traffic to pick him up from Fah’s room? If I knew this, I would have waited for Fah to be free on Sunday and let you wait for Fah to bring him.” He grumbled while reaching into his pants pocket, looking very annoyed.
“I feel grateful.”
“And where’s the thank you?”
“Thank you.”
“Thank who?”
“Thank you, Phii Arthit.”
“Smile.”
“Do I have to smile too?”
“Yeah.”
I slowly gave a slight smile to the person in front of me.
“Yeah, that’s a bit more pleasing. And about the score, can’t you even give me one point?”
“None.” I shook my head gently. He shrugged as if to say, ‘then whatever,’ before walking around to open the driver’s door and getting into the car. I followed, still holding Mr. Jeon in my arms. He started the engine, and the beautiful black car slowly moved away from the water reservoir.
This car must have been newly bought, probably very expensive, and of course, with the high price comes a powerful engine that can accelerate quickly. However, it’s a pity that this car, capable of reaching speeds up to 400 kilometers per hour, couldn’t be driven out of the parking area due to the traffic. The driver also looked very annoyed.
“My dad invited us to eat at home.”
“…”
“You can’t refuse, don’t even think about it.”
“Oh…why invite?”
“I told him I like you, so he invited me.”
“Oh.”
Although he said I couldn’t refuse, if an elder makes such an invitation, I wouldn’t refuse anyway.
Even with the road ahead packed with cars, having Mr. Jeon in my embrace made everything feel more relaxed, along with the sound of my playlist playing. Since the car couldn’t move and it looked like it would take a while, the driver handed me his phone. I took it, puzzled.
“Hand.”
“?”
“Give me your hand.”
He spoke as if he was commanding. I hesitated but extended my hand; I didn’t like or was used to it at first, but as he held my hand more often, I got used to it, and this time I didn’t feel bad about it anymore.
It’s quite scary to let yourself get used to someone’s touch, but what can you do when you can’t refuse? Even if I didn’t let him hold my hand now, he would keep at it anyway.
And I didn’t feel strange about holding hands with him anymore; this is something I need to think about.
“Traffic like this is stressful, you know.” He said while gently playing with my hand, playing here meaning changing how he held it, interlocking fingers, moving them around, “I damn hate traffic, but I think now it’s okay.”
“You’re flirting a lot.”
“Well, of course, I’m trying to woo you.” He said, “Use my phone to take a picture.”
“Picture of what?”
“Our hands holding each other.”
“No.”
“Take it.”
“…Hmm.”
I let go of Mr. Jeon to let him lie on my lap, his phone wasn’t locked, and the wallpaper was solid black. I went into the camera app and took a picture of our hands together. Of course, it captured the car’s gear area in the background.
“Let’s see how it looks.” He said. So I showed him the picture, “Super couple.”
“We’re not.”
“Come on, post it on Instagram too.”
“Sigh.” I inadvertently let out a sigh, “Everyone will misunderstand.”
“Why?”
“You are not my boyfriend.”
“They don’t even know who you are, but if you want them to know, just tag yourself.”
“Do you have Instagram?”
“Isn’t it the one where you post your drawings?”
“Uh-huh.”
“I just followed you. Didn’t see it.”
“I didn’t check that.”
“Follow me back.”
“Do I have to?”
“Yeah, follow, come on, I’m this good-looking.”
“…”
“Have you posted the picture yet?”
“Not yet.”
“Post it then.” He said. I was still stuck on his Instagram page, which had nearly a hundred thousand followers. My drawing Instagram account had around thirty thousand. I think I have some recognition in the drawing community, but he’s very famous, just like North used to brag about.
Can’t help it, his pictures are really good, his looks, physique, and the places he visits, all of it.
Even if I don’t post, he probably would anyway, unless I delete the picture.
“If you don’t post, I can’t guarantee your safety for the next three nights.”
“What should the caption be?”
“Green light.” He burst out laughing, “Just one heart icon, red, is enough.” “Hmm.” and then I posted the picture of our hands holding each other that I had just taken on Instagram with a red heart caption as he instructed. Likes started coming in almost immediately. I locked the phone and handed it back to him, but the light turned green, so I kept it with me for now.
He let go of my hand to shift gears. I then placed my hand back on Mr. Jeon.
“What, as soon as I let go, you grab Cat’s hand, is it a male?”
“Yeah.”
“Jealous, I’ll eat him up later.”
“Don’t do that to Mr. Jeon.”
“He won’t survive, I’ve already grabbed his balls once.”
“Mean.”
“But he seems to like me.”
“Mr. Jeon can tell who loves him.”
“It’s me, I love him, I love you too, love you lots, yeah?”
“…”
“You’re quiet, are you embarrassed?”
“It’s weird to hear ‘I love you’.”
“It’s good, keep it. You won’t hear it from anyone else for sure.”
He turned into the garage at the front of the house instead of going around to the back because he was too lazy to drive around. As soon as we got out, the maid came to take Cat, the short guy’s cat, to look after it, since bringing Cat inside might not be a good idea. The owner handed Cat over willingly, as if knowing what to do.
This Cat is almost exactly like its owner. Not stubborn, not mischievous, doesn’t scratch, stays calm. Anyone can pick him up, and when I playfully poked at his balls, he just looked at me with a bored expression.
After a while, Direk came in with a warm, friendly smile. In the eyes of most people, Direk would be seen as a nice, warm, good-hearted uncle. He looks dignified and trustworthy, just like how a CEO should be. But when with me, he has another side. It wouldn’t be right to call it his true self because one should know how to behave depending on who they’re with, something Direk says. The person beside me raised my hand in a respectful gesture, and Direk returned the gesture.
“Surprised that I suddenly invited you, huh?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I was just surprised that Arthit told me about it. I’ve been with him for over twenty years and that was the first time I heard him say something like this. I guess
I was a bit excited, understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Come on in.”
And then Direk led us into the house. The dining table was set with all sorts of dishes, just like every time I come back to eat at home. Normally, if Direk is alone, he’d eat with the house staff in the kitchen, being a very chill employer, which is great. And of course, I’ve inherited this laid-back nature from him; no need to say where I got it from, but let’s just say I got everything from Direk.
If you ask why I decided to bring this little guy here without any objections, even though Direk invited him because he was excited, the answer is that I wanted him to meet Direk. Direk is my only family, and my friends all know him. The one thing about me he hasn’t met yet is my family. I just want him to see everything in my life, without hiding anything, to know that this is all there is to me, nothing more.
Direk might have thought the same since, after over twenty years together, he knows me best. He probably knew that if I told him I liked someone, that person must be the last one in my life, so Direk took it seriously too. When we sat down at the dining table, Direk immediately started the conversation.
“I can’t ask how you got together because you’re not together yet. Arthit is courting you, right?”
“…He said so, yes.”
“Are you okay with it? This one isn’t like normal people, it’s quite troublesome. I apologize on behalf of my son, he’s quite selfish and has a bad temper, with a foul mouth too.”
“Oh, why the sudden criticism?” I interjected.
“Why? I’m telling the truth.” Direk said before turning to ask the person sitting next to me, “Does Arthit speak rudely to you?”
“He speaks well.” I answered him.
“How rude is he?”
“Just normal.”
“Wow…and how does he put up with you? Friends are one thing, but you’re courting him, and you’re rude to him.” Direk looked stunned.
“I’m not asking you, I’m asking him, are you tired of having Arthit following you around?”
“Not tired, but annoyed, sir.”
“Wow, so straightforward.” Direk looked slightly taken aback, “Tears are falling.”
“It’s nothing, I’ve dealt with worse, but there’s nothing I can do about it. Use your time for something else, why don’t you like someone else? Give up, get over it. I don’t like you, brother.”
“Oh, my poor son, you’ve been beaten like a dog.”
“Not a dog, really being a dog would be against our agreement.”
“What agreement?”
“That he wont be with anyone for life. So I’ll stay with him since that was his own decision to never have a boyfriend for life.”
“Oh. So that works in your favor?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, and why don’t you want anyone for life?”
“I just don’t want anyone, sir.”
“You don’t want this bastard either, right?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Arthit…You’re still so shameless.”
“Well, I want to be with him, why?”
“You’re so damn selfish.” Direk laughed again, “Okay, okay, it’s good. If it’s not too much trouble, I’d like you to open your heart. He’s my son, after all, I have to support him. He might be rough, but he doesn’t deceive people. He’s straightforwardly honest, in a foolish way.”
“Oh, I see, sir. I know he doesn’t deceive people.” the person next to me said in a calm tone.
“Knowing me this well, why not be my boyfriend?” “Damn, really?” Direk asked.
“Absolutely, I ask him to be my boyfriend ten times a day, there’s got to be one time he nods without thinking.” I said, genuinely thinking that, like it’s a play on his inattention. I noticed the short guy starting to frown, deep in thought, “You must be thinking you need to be careful now, right?”
“Hmm. I’ll be careful not to nod or respond to anything.”
“We agreed that since he would be alone for life, I would stay with him. It’s his own intention to never have a partner for life.”
“Oh. So it plays into your hands?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, why don’t you want anyone for life then?”
“I just don’t want anyone.”
“You don’t want this bastard too, right?”
“Yes.”
“You’re still so shameless.”
“Come on, I just want to be with him, why?”
“You’re so damn selfish.” Direk burst out laughing again, “Good, good. If it’s not too troublesome, I’d like you to open your heart. He’s my son, you know, I have to support him. He might be rude, but he doesn’t deceive people. He’s straightforwardly honest, like a fool.”
“I understand he doesn’t deceive people.” Said the person next to me with a calm tone.
“Since you know me so well, just be my partner.” “Damn, can you?” Direk asked.
“You can be my partner ten times a day; there must be one time when you nod in agreement by mistake.” I said according to my thoughts, I genuinely think this way, like playing a trick. I noticed the little guy starting to furrow his brows, looking thoughtful, “You must be thinking you need to be careful, right?”
“Uh-huh. I’ll be careful not to nod or answer anything.”
“Hahaha, yeah, be very careful.”
“You two are quite strange.” Direk said, shaking his head slightly, then he asked the little guy about his studies or work. I listened while playing with my phone, not inserting myself into the mundane conversation.
I opened Instagram to check if the little guy had posted the picture with the caption I told him to use, and indeed he had. That made me smile with satisfaction. I knew he was a real fan, too bad no one knows who he is yet, but whatever, I’ll wait a bit longer and take a sneaky photo of him to post later, claiming him in the process.
I’ve said his hands are very small, but they’re not that soft because they’re his dominant hand for drawing, and they fit perfectly in mine.
“You did well in school, huh? Arthit in high school was nothing like that, he was quite the troublemaker.”
“What are you gossiping about?”
“Look up from your screen for once, I’m telling him how much of a delinquent you were in high school. And you haven’t changed much, have you?” “Normal.” I shrugged, unconcerned.
“Have you told him about your band?”
“Not yet, forget about it, I’ll tell him later.”
“Okay, okay. So, is your major tough? What subject are you studying again?”
“Biology, sir. It’s okay for me, not too hard.”
“You still have time for work, but if you overdo it, as you get older, you’ll really feel how your body isn’t up to it.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Do you have any of your work to show? If I like something, I’ll buy a piece or two to hang at home.”
“What kind of work do you like, sir?”
“I like acrylic on canvas. If the colors are vibrant, I like it even more.”
“I’ve done that before.” the short guy said before showing him a picture. I leaned in to look too; it was a canvas with bold, full colors.
“Wow, I like this one, is this piece still available?”
“It’s sold, actually, this was a commissioned piece.”
“Then I’ll commission one too.”
“Yes, sir, but it’ll be next month before I can start painting.”
“Oh, that’s fine, I can wait. Let me see some other pieces.”
“Yes, sir.” and then he handed his phone to Direk to look at the other pictures. I felt a bit proud for some reason that Direk liked the short guy’s work. At first, Direk had said he wasn’t that into art, but since his mother loved it, he grew to like it too, which is why he has quite a collection of art pieces.
And since the short guy’s canvas work was exactly the style Direk likes, it’s even better.
“Oh, you still have my work?”
“What work?” Direk asked, his eyes still focused on the screen.
“The painting that mom didn’t finish coloring, I asked him to color it.” I said. Upon hearing this, Direk immediately looked up, “To make it complete as she intended.”
“Really?” He turned to ask the little guy instead.
“Yes. I’m trying my best to make it as close to what your mother did.”
“Oh…uh, I see, since you’ve decided, I won’t say anything. Thank you, and when it’s done, show it to me.”
“Yes, sir.”
Direk smiled warmly. I could tell that the person sitting across from me was happy about what I had just said; the painting my mother created would be completed with someone’s full effort.
I turned to look at Dao, who was watching Direk look at his own work, before he realized I was watching him and turned to look back in confusion.
It’s another time I felt grateful to him; having you in my life has brought only good things.
After looking at the picture and being satisfied, Direk handed the phone back.
“I like it.”
“What?” I asked when Direk suddenly said he liked something.
“I really like this daughter-in-law, you’ve chosen well, Arthit.”
“…” Dao looked like he wanted to argue but didn’t say anything. I smiled secretly at that reaction.
“Right? So, how about it? Should I propose right away?”
“Alright, do it. I’ll tell someone to find an auspicious date, and I’ll go to Italy to get my suit tailored.”
“Does it have to be that far? But can I choose the venue?”
“Where do you want it?”
“I want it at Suvarnabhumi Airport, where people coming in and out of the country have to stop because of me alone. It’ll be a huge hassle for everyone, I want to try it, have a wedding where people throw bottles of water and shout.” “Damn, why would you do something like that there? And what about your groom’s outfit, what fabric do you want? How about dog leather?”
“Let’s write your name on it.”
“And your outfits, do you want any particular theme? Where do you want to hold the event, when will you be ready, when will our parents be ready to talk about this, we can set a date if you want, I’ll make time, I don’t care about the dowry as long as you take my son as another burden in your life.”
“…”
“Look, my dad said all this and you still don’t say anything?” “…No.”
Its soft refusal made both me and Direk burst out laughing.
“Let’s be family, I really like you.”
“…Thank you, sir.”
Well, now you’ve even got my dad to like you, huh? You’ve done well to make this house like you.
“I’m just kidding, don’t think too much about it, but I’m serious about the artwork. I’ll have my secretary contact you, I won’t be very free next month.”
“Thank you, sir.”
And the playful conversation at the table continued for a while until we finished eating. We planned to leave, and Direk walked us to the front of the house.
“See you again.”
“Yes, sir, take care of your health, please.”
“Hmm. Good luck.”
“See you later, Direk.”
“Yeah, drive carefully, take care of him so he doesn’t faint.” “Got it.”
I answered dismissively before we walked back to the car. The maid brought Cat back, and he took the black Cat into his arms before opening the car door. Even though Direk said not to use this car casually, right now Cat and his stuff were in the back seat, so we’d change it when we had the time. As for the motorcycle, I left it here since I have another spare parked at the condo.
“How was it?” I asked immediately after we started driving.
“It was good.”
“Not uncomfortable?”
“Not at all.”
“My dad is like this when he’s with me. Are you okay with it?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Really? That’s good then.”
“Why did you bring me there?”
“Huh?”
“Why bring me there when…”
“Oh, why ask now?” I said, “You didn’t ask before we went there.”
“I forgot.”
“Oh, yeah. Here’s why, I want you to see everything about me as it truly is. This is my dad, my family, that’s all there is. I haven’t hidden anything from you, if anyone says I’m not serious about you, I’ll kick them in the face.”
“Oh…uh, but…”
“But what?”
“About the band.”
“Oh. That was the high school band.” I said, “I don’t usually tell people about this, but I said I wouldn’t keep any secrets from you. You know I play drums, right?”
“Uh-huh.”
“I want to do music.”
“…”
“I mean, that’s my real dream. If we don’t count studying medicine because of my mom, I have loved playing drums, playing guitar since I was little. Then, in high school, I came to Thailand, but during the holidays, I’d go back to San Francisco and make music with friends, which got quite popular in the city. But then I had to come back to Thailand often.”
“Oh, that’s too bad.”
“Yeah.”
“Why did you choose to study medicine?”
“As a kid, I promised my mom I’d be a doctor to take care of her, it’s kind of stuck with me.”
“If you can fulfill what you promised, would you go back to making music?”
“I don’t know. It’s been a while since I did that.”
“Oh.”
“What about you? If I make music, would you be interested in being the guitarist?”
“I don’t know.”
“If you were the guitarist, I’d be tempted to give it another go.” I said, turning to raise an eyebrow at him. He looked back with the same indifferent expression,
“The others probably won’t come back to it, we’ve all gone our separate ways.”
“Oh, I see.”
“You, huh? You’re asking me, but you don’t seem interested at all.”
“I want to try listening.”
“To what?”
“To the music you’ve made.”
“Look for it on my phone, it’s named ‘My Songs’.” I said. My phone was already in the car because I had used it to play music. The old songs I had made started to play, and it felt weird, indescribable. Not right, like I was being pulled back into the past.
“You play drums?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“I like it.”
“You like me?”
“The drum rhythm.”
“It’s never off-beat.”
“Hmm.”
“Who made this song?”
“Mostly me.”
“Ah…you’re really good.”
“Just complimenting me, but yeah, thanks.” I said before going quiet to listen to the song until it ended, then I switched to the next one, going through all three songs, “Now, give me your comment.”
“It’s really beautiful, I want to hear more songs. If you were some artist, I’d probably tell you to go back to making music.”
“Ha, you…” I shook my head slightly, smiling involuntarily, feeling my heart swell for no reason, “Be my guitarist.”
“You want me to be your guitarist?”
“Yeah. I just said so.”
“Thank you.”
“Why thank me?”
“It’s a great honor.”
“Damn, why suddenly…what’s it called, formal? And why the honor?”
“Great musicians have to choose, right?”
“No, I just like you, so I chose you.”
“…Then no.”
“Kidding, I really like your guitar playing. If I ever go back to making music, I’d want you to be my guitarist.”
“Uh-huh.” He nodded slowly, petting Cat’s ghost at the same time, “Thank you.”
“What else? Are you the national thank-you champion or something?”
“For being serious.”
“Huh?”
“Thank you for being serious with me.”
“…”
“Not everyone would trust someone this much, bringing them to your home and saying you want them to see everything about you means you trust and are serious about me, right? There’s nothing you’re hiding from me anymore, not even stories from your past you didn’t want to tell or dreams you never shared with anyone.”
“Really, you sound like you’re about to open your heart to me.”
“…Really?”
“Yeah, sure.”
“…Then I will give you zero points.”
“What?”
“Zero from nothing in the beginning.”
“What does that mean?”
“From now on, we’ll start counting points.”
!!!
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