EASTTAGYOUREMINE, Chapter 10: Something In Your Eyes
I stepped back from the crowd, understanding why Phii Thanmild was crying; because Phii Hill is the one she loves, but maybe it’s been too long for her to keep giving love to someone who has never looked back.
But I can’t really say anything, as I’m probably not much different.
I think I understand that pain well.
But we have a choice…whether to keep wallowing in that pain or not. I walked out and looked left and right for a place to sit, then I saw senior Ant sitting at the snack and beverage area with a bored expression. So I walked over to her.
“Phii Mot, may I sit with you?” Phii Mot was startled when she heard my voice unexpectedly.
“Oh, sure, go ahead, do you want some cold water? It’s not hot, but people are making a fuss.” Phii Mot said with a sigh, handing me a glass of cold water.
“Thanks.” I took it, not forgetting to thank her, “So, what’s all the fuss about?” Even though I had an idea, I wanted to ask Phii Mot for more details. “Well…just a bunch of drama, causing trouble for everyone. How many staff have to wait? We were supposed to start the rehearsal at 10:30 when the sun was nice. Look, it’s almost 11 now. We won’t even get to walk before lunch, and by the time we can rehearse, it’ll be afternoon, the sun will be scorching hot, and we’ll all be sweating. Can’t she just cry at home?” Phii Mot complained at length.
Tired and exasperated, I guess she must be really fed up.
“Sorry, Nong Ter, I’m just a bit upset.” Phii Mot gave me a wry smile. “It’s okay, what’s the summary of what happened?” I asked back, sipping cold water for refreshment.
“It’s about Thanmild, the medical star, you know her?” I nodded to indicate I knew her, “She likes Doctor Hill, for whatever reason, and now she’s just crying. It’s so confusing. I don’t know the details, but someone said she’s crying because of Doctor Hill. And the doctor, well, he’s disappeared.” Phii Mot let out a big sigh. “And many of the stars are her friends. So they won’t practice; they’re all busy comforting her. When asked why she’s crying, what’s wrong, she won’t tell. She just says it’s nothing, acting like an abandoned woman in a lakorn, really annoying.” Phii Mot rolled her eyes.
“You don’t like Phii Mild?” I asked out of curiosity. Phii Mot paused a bit with my question.
“Well, you’re direct, aren’t you? Not exactly. I’m just tired of her. I mean, I don’t have any issues with Doctor Hill, but she’s been all over him since the first year.
It’s quite annoying to see.”
“Does Phii Mild like Phii Hill one-sidedly?” Even though I knew the answer from Phii Hill, I wanted to ask Phii Mot again to understand what outsiders thought.
“Definitely. Anyone can see that Doctor Hill isn’t interested in her at all. Maybe she’s the only one who can’t see it, but no one says anything, it might hurt her feelings.”
“And…does Phii Hill not have…a girlfriend?” My heart beat a little faster as I decided to ask this question. Phii Mot looked thoughtful.
“I think not…he seems uninterested in anyone, like he’s emotionally dead. I don’t think he’s dated anyone since he started university.” After a moment, Phii Mot seemed to remember something, “Oh, but he did mention someone he likes in an interview video last year.”
“…”
“Uh…I can’t remember, let me show you.” Phii Mot rummaged through her bag, then pulled out her phone, probably to show me the video she was talking about. “Oh my god, he’s here, the doctor is here!” Phii Napdao’s shrill voice had both me and Phii Mot turning abruptly to look, and everyone else did the same, looking towards the tall figure walking into the activity area.
Phii Hill…
“Come here, you good boy, come here!” Phii Napdao ran over to drag Phii Hill towards where everyone was gathered. For a moment, I made eye contact with Phii Hill before he looked away.
“Nong Ter, want to go see what’s happening? Maybe there’ll be something interesting.” Phii Mot whispered. I agreed; I was also curious to see what would happen next.
“Calm down, Mae, do you want some smelling salts?” Phii Meili rushed over, panting, before stopping Phii Napdao, who had suddenly dragged Phii Hill into the center of the crowd.
“Leave me alone! Dr. Hill, where have you been? What about this?” Phii Napdao pointed at Phii Thanmild, who was still slumped over crying. At first, there weren’t many people around, but once they saw Phii Napdao dragging Phii Hill in, the curious onlookers gathered as if watching a soap opera, including myself.
“Sniff…Hill, waaah, I am sorry…waaah, I don’t want Hill to be troubled.” Phii Thanmild said between sobs, her words broken due to her heavy crying.
Phii Hill looked at Phii Thanmild with an unreadable expression.
If this turns into a sweet romantic scene…please call an ambulance for me, because my heart is aching right now.
Phii Hill crouched down next to Phii Thanmild.
:
Sniff…
I didn’t want to watch anymore…
Please, don’t wipe Phii Thanmild’s tears like you just did for me…
“It’s me who should apologize.” said the tall figure in a calmer voice than expected. Phii Thanmild looked up at Phii Hill with hopeful eyes and a faint smile amidst her tear-streaked face.
“Hill…” she called out sweetly to him.
I clenched my mouth shut.
Just a while ago, you said you liked me, didn’t you…
If that’s the case…then help me understand that you’re not lying…
“There’s someone I care about more. I won’t make that one cry because of me anymore.” Phii Hill smiled before standing up, giving me a gentle smile as he turned towards me.
And for the first time, I found myself smiling back.
It was just for a fleeting moment, probably unnoticed by anyone else.
But it made me feel incredibly warm inside.
“…But I am still crying, Hill! Can’t you care about me a little?” Phii Thanmild started to wail loudly, still sobbing, while the women around her tried to hold her back and calm her down. Everyone around started to look around in confusion.
Soon, various criticisms began to rise.
Phii Hill made it as if to leave, but Phii Napdao grabbed his arm first.
“Wait a moment, Doctor, what are we going to do?”
“Mild is tired today. Let her rest. We’ll start practicing in the afternoon.” Phii Hill said. Phii Napdao nodded in understanding, thinking that this was probably the best solution for now, as the stars were already exhausted.
“Okay, let’s do it this way. President of the club, whatever you say goes. Doctor, let Mild rest first, okay? Today, we won’t take it seriously. Let’s go for lunch first, then disperse.” Phii Napdao announced through the loudspeaker. After that, everyone started to disperse for lunch. A few of Phii Thanmild’s friends helped her walk out of the activity area.
Phew, somehow it felt relieving.
I walked back with Phii Mot to sit at our original spot.
“Wow, that was intense earlier. At first, I thought it was going to turn into a love scene where Doctor Hill would bend down to wipe Mild’s tears and embrace her. But no, there’s someone else he cares more about, oh my, saying it like that is like a slap in the face.” Phii Mot said, laughing with relish.
Cares more about…Is that so?
Oh dear…how should I handle my own heart now!
“Everyone doesn’t have to go out for lunch, it’ll take too long. Our staff has provided boxed lunches. Line up over there, where Phii Mot with a showy face is sitting.” Phii Napdao announced again through the loudspeaker, pointing towards where Phii Mot and I were sitting.
“Hold on, Phii Napdao, what do you mean by ‘sitting there with a showy face’?” Phii Mot shouted back in a teasing tone. Soon, people started lining up, and the staff brought in several bags of boxed meals, arranging them. Since I was sitting nearby, I took the opportunity to take some photos. Even if Phii Meili wasn’t around, she’d probably tell me to take photos if she were here. Even if the photos weren’t usable, it didn’t hurt to take them.
“Do we have fried pork neck?”
“No, we have basil stir-fry, fried rice, and garlic pork, that’s all.”
“Aw, that’s boring, I’m tired of these three dishes. Can’t we order something else?” If I remember correctly, this person should be Phii Sky from the Agriculture Department. She clearly looked bored after seeing today’s lunch offerings.
“Other things are expensive, Sky. You know our club has a tight budget.” So Phii Sky reluctantly picked up a box of food.
“Nong Ter, have you taken the photos yet?” Suddenly, Phii Meili’s voice from behind made me jump slightly.
“I’ve taken the shot, but where did you go?”
“Chasing gossip, that’s what. Today we’ve got the talk of the town, did you manage to take a photo of Dr Hill earlier, Nong Ter?”
“I didn’t take any photos.” I hadn’t even thought about taking pictures at that moment.
“Hmm, keeping it in your heart is enough then.” Phii Meili said half-jokingly. I looked puzzled, and she let out a small laugh, “Ah, if you make that confused face,
I won’t dare to tease you.”
“Meili, perfect timing, could you go get some crates of soda? We’re running low here.” Phii Mot turned to Phii Meili for help since she was busy distributing water. There were staff, stars, and even onlookers from outside the rehearsal who were casually getting in line for some sweet drinks, but it seemed like the seniors didn’t mind, as there was plenty of water to go around anyway.
“Don’t make me do the lifting. I’m a delicate woman, and Nong Ter is here, why don’t you ask him to help?”
“Don’t make the younger one do it, he’s here to take photos, not to carry water.”
“Oh right, I forgot, I’ll go get them then.” Phii Meili raised her hand to pinch my cheek gently before heading to the back to fetch the soda crates. Initially, I thought to help, but it looked like Phii Meili could handle it on her own, maybe even with just one hand.
“Oh, Dr. Hill, are you eating here at the site? You usually eat out.”
The staff member distributing lunch boxes spoke up, making me turn towards the source of the voice. Phii Hill, who was bent over choosing a lunch box, looked up to see who was talking.
Phii Hill…
Why does it feel like this time, just hearing his name makes my heart beat unusually fast?
It’s beating harder than it ever has.
Just hearing his name makes my heart tremble?
It’s serious this time, Ter…
“Uh, I thought the box lunches here today would be especially good.” said Phii Hill, his sharp eyes briefly meeting mine, and my brain automatically commanded me to look away.
I still can’t bring myself to meet his gaze…
“Maybe his sweetheart is around here, huh? Eating with someone special makes everything taste better.” Phii Meili’s voice echoed from a distance, “Hehe, just kidding, Dr., don’t be mad at me, okay?” She then smiled broadly, twisting her body playfully. Phii Hill didn’t say anything, just gave her a polite smile before walking away.
“Meili, do you know who it is?”
“Know who?” Phii Meili looked confused at the person asking.
“Don’t do that, what you teased earlier, do you know who it was about?”
I started to feel anxious. Phii Meili looked at me as if she knew, but if it was Phii Meili, it wouldn’t be hard to guess. After all, Phii Hill had been flirting with me in front of Phii Meili, and earlier he had even dragged me away.
“Um…I don’t know, I just said that.”
“I don’t believe it, tell me, Meili, you’re keeping secrets.”
“Not sure yet, but even if I knew, I wouldn’t say. Doctor Hill might kill me if I did.” Phii Meili stuck her tongue out at the person asking.
“Oh come on, just hint a little, I want to know, everyone wants to know.” Then the staff who had finished distributing the boxed lunches gathered around Phii Meili, forcing me to move back, leaving only Phii Mot still handing out meals. “Oh, you’re such a gossip, why are you so eager to know? Wait for the doctor to tell you himself.” “How did you find out?”
“My gay intuition is strong, but if I’m wrong, then I don’t know. It’s even more dramatic than what the doctor said earlier.” I started to sweat. If Phii Meili really knew, please don’t tell anyone, I am begging, T^T
“Really? Then can you give us a hint?”
“No, no, stop crowding around me, it’s hot, go away. I’m not even sure myself, go ask Doctor Hill again. If he decides to not tell you.” Phii Meili shrugged,
“You’ll find out eventually.”
“How will we know?”
“You guys don’t keep up with the news, do you? Check this out, the Cute Boy page already posted about it.” Hearing what Phii Meili said, I didn’t hesitate; I immediately grabbed my phone to check.
Cute Boy & Girl – MU – Posted a new video 10 minutes ago
Direct from the star contest event, our second-year medical student, Doctor
Hill, due to some spicy and hot issues from #DoctorGenerous and
#WhoOwnsTheWatch, this time we have a clip that’s like a slap to all the girls in the university, especially…um, one particular person…If you secretly like or are in love with Doctor Hill, admin would like to throw this clip at your face, because even the admin is hurt by this. Who could be this clear, I truly admire the doctor, I really do //wipes tears, #DoctorManlyHill
It was the clip of Phii Hill talking to Phii Thanmild just now, with a clear shot of Phii Thanmild crying and making a scene. Wow, news spreads fast on social media.
I scrolled through the comments.
: Oh my, boo-hoo, Dr. Mild, Dr. Hill is too harsh. He didn’t have to be this direct.
Isn’t it better that he’s finally being straightforward?
Doctor’s eyes, what’s with that look? It’s too serious, it’s like a death sentence.
The bar will be packed today for sure, a whole school’s worth of heartbreak, including mine. You could have been kinder, Dr., boo-hoo.
: Doctor, you can’t do this, sob, it’s too hurtful.
:. Who, who is she? Why is the doctor doing so much for her? Oh, I’m so curious, so jealous.
: I think the doctor really likes this person a lot. Think about it, he’s never spoken like this to anyone before. Rejecting Phii Mild so directly means he’s really sure about someone else.
He never spoke up before, why now all of a sudden?
: One team has lost all its energy, this is team Fern, she’s cute, she even brought water to Phii Hill.
Team Mild, no more fussing, you lost fair and square, let it go. : Hey, who’s to blame here? Phii Mild is the pitiful one. As she said, it’s totally unfair. Phii Mild has been taking care of Phii Hill since year one.
: Taking care or being clingy? Annoying.
: Mild takes care of Hill? That’s a laugh, Hill doesn’t care about her at all. He’s already rejected her like that. Said there’s someone he cares about more than Mild, what else is there to be confused about? Mild should love herself.
Mild has tried so hard, Hill should appreciate that at least.
: So, the right person wins even before the game begins, huh? Don’t know who it is, but congratulations. Please take good care of our Phii Hill, T^T I stopped reading the comments when I saw that the page had posted another new message.
Cute Boy & Girl – MU – 1 minute ago
Let’s stop arguing. I don’t know which team you’re on, but let’s all be team Dr. Hill. We see the person we love, if they love someone else, we should be happy for them (the ultimate heroine). Our Cute Boy page will no longer remain silent on this topic, as the Moon and Star competition doesn’t want outsiders like us to interview. So, we’ll throw money at it, err! Donate a certain amount because the Moon and Star team donates money and old clothes to children in the mountains every year. We’ve talked with the competition organizers, and they said if our page contributes to the donation, they’ll allow an interview with Dr. Hill.
So, anyone wanting to know the inside scoop on Doctor Hill, donate, five or ten baht each. Don’t give too much, or there might be drama about us exploiting our followers. Admin isn’t using the money to buy booze, cosmetics, or to treat anyone; it’s for donations. So, consider it making merit, you’ll earn merit and get the scoop.
P.S. The Moon and Star contest committee also asked to promote the commemorative postcards from the event, which help support children against the cold this year, are still available. Please support by buying one, the photos will be hot for sure (even if she says they haven’t been taken yet, haha). Wow, that’s awesome, the Cute Boy page is accepting donations to interview Phii Hill. They’ve gone all out, supposedly for the mountain children. That’s a pretty good idea.
But it’s not so great for Phii Hill to be interviewed, huh.
“Phii Meili, what are these commemorative postcards from the Moon and Star contest?” I asked Phii Meili.
“Oh, every year we take pictures of the stars and moons, but it’s the second year, because this is when we’re supposed to sell them. First year faculties don’t have their stars and moons yet, so we’ll take photos of the second years.” Phii Meili explained, “We have a tradition of donating to help children in the mountains facing cold weather and providing educational scholarships every year. So, we make postcards of them to sell, and all the profits go to donations.”
“…”
“It’s an order from the university.”
“I see.” I nodded in understanding, “So, they haven’t taken the photos yet, like the page mentioned?”
“I was hoping Nong Ter could help with that.” Phii Meili said with a wry smile. “The old photographer isn’t good, and it’s hard to find a new one, so I thought I’d suggest Nong Ter to do it, since you take beautiful photos.” “No…I don’t think I can handle official photography like that.”
“Come on, let’s propose it first.”
“Uh, I doubt anyone would agree to that.” Really, I think it’s beyond me, these are postcards for the contest, if they’re not good, it’s all over.
“Someone will.” Phii Meili whispered beside me, “If Doctor Hill agrees, no one would dare to object.”
“…Huh? Why would Phii Hill need to agree?” What is Phii Meili talking about? “Oops. Nothing, I didn’t see or hear anything, hehe.” Then Phii Meili played off like she was joking, rolling her eyes elsewhere, which made me even more sure that she knew something.
I have a bad feeling about this somehow.
Sigh…If it were North, Foam, or Phoon, I’d threaten to kill them to keep them quiet, but it’s Phii Meili, T^T
“Finally done, I’m going to take a break now. Meili, please watch the stuff, and don’t let Nong Ter disappear again.” said Phii Mot before twisting her body to relieve the stiffness from standing and distributing water for so long. I only now noticed that the other staff members had gone to sit together and eat at the back. Only me, Phii Meili, and Phii Mot were left here.
“Okay, go ahead, Mot.” Phii Meili nodded in agreement, and Phii Mot walked off to join the other staff.
“Oh, someone’s partner is eating over there.” Phii Meili said in a cheerful tone, pointing towards Phii Hill who was eating with a group of second-year moon friends, causing me to glance over and give a slightly reproachful look.
“Phii Meili, come on, what partner?” I frowned at her.
“Oh my, someone’s embarrassed…Dr. Hill, there’s someone here blushing a lot.” Even though Phii Meili wasn’t loud enough for others to hear, it still made me feel embarrassed. What’s this about? Why tease me? T^T, stop it already, boo-hoo. “Your face and ears are all red, is it from the sun? But it’s not that hot. Wow, he looks handsome from afar, doesn’t he?” Phii Meili continued to point at Phii Hill without stopping.
“What’s with you, Phii Meili?” I pretended not to know what she was talking about.
“Even when he’s just sitting with the moon group, he still stands out so much, it really grates on my heart.” Phii Meili twisted with feigned embarrassment, “Come on, let’s go take some photos.” and then she grabbed my wrist, pretending to drag me away. Why does everyone want to drag me around today?
“No…I don’t want to.” I resisted her pull, “They’re eating, we’d bother them.” “Bother what? They’re eating, but he’s been sneaking glances over here several times, afraid someone might kidnap you or what?” she said with a hint of irritation.
“He’s…looking here?”
Does that mean Phii Hill was sneaking looks at me? Hey, before I could even think, Phii Meili had already dragged me over to the table where the moon group was eating.
I protested to Phii Meili because I wasn’t ready to face him right now. I really wasn’t. At least give me some time to prepare. Not just drag me like this. But before I knew it, I was pulled to the moon group’s table by someone stronger than me, and the guys were talking loudly as guys do.
“Hey guys, can we take some pictures?” Phii Meili asked, and everyone turned to look at us.
Including Phii Hill.
Phii Hill looked up at me.
Just like that…my heart started feeling uneasy again.
“Take photos while we’re eating?” one of the seniors said while still chewing. “How about we do some behind-the-scenes shots? I’m not going to direct you, too lazy to talk much. I’ll introduce you all before we start practicing. Just act natural, eat like there’s no camera here.” Everyone nodded in understanding and then turned back to eating and chatting casually. “Are you taking photos today, junior? That’s so cute.”
“What’s with you, Jijo? Nong Ter, this is Jijo, the moon from the Law Department. You are not allowed to flirt with him, Jijo, this one is off-limits, someone’s already claimed him. Meili here will defend the junior, like an ant guarding its hill.”
“Wow, what’s all this about?”
“Just being cautious, Jijo isn’t trustworthy.”
“Is your name Nong Ter?”
I simply nodded without responding verbally.
“Do you have a girlfriend?”
“Hey Jijo, I said no flirting.” Phii Meili retorted, hands on her hips.
“I’m not flirting, just asking…what do you say?”
“Uh…” I looked around, unsure what to say, “Right now…no.”
I decided to answer truthfully…because I really don’t have a girlfriend. If I had said yes, they would have asked who it was.
“See…if you don’t have a girlfriend, then I can flirt, right?” Jijo said halfjokingly.
“You can’t.” Phii Meili argued.
“But he doesn’t have a girlfriend, does he?”
“I told you, someone has already claimed him.”
“But that doesn’t mean they’re dating, right? So technically, no one has the right to block others.” Jijo gave me a mischievous smile. All I could do was give a dry smile back, “In cases like this, the freshman should decide.” Jijo’s words made Phii Meili let out a big sigh.
“So, are you going to flirt with the junior?” Phii Meili raised her eyebrow, pointing at me.
“Well…I don’t know. I just think he’s cute, that’s all.” Jijo said as he took out his phone, “We could exchange Line IDs, get to know each other better.” and he handed his phone to me.
I wasn’t sure what to do…
I remembered the time when my senior got mad because I exchanged Line IDs with Phii Junior…
I turned to look at Phii Hill, sitting not far from Phii Jijo, his face impassive, but his eyes betrayed his anger which he was barely containing…
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