MYENGINEER, CHAPTER 16: Something Strange
[Duenhaw]
You might think that after Bohn said that ambiguous sentence, he would do something to me, right? No, he just took me to get my CBR from the pub, then I went home after getting my bike. He went to class. Nothing happened. After that, my life revolved around going to class, going home, and bringing him flowers. I don’t even know how much time passed, but let’s just say I saw him so often I got sick of his face.
Now, I’m in class waiting for time to pass…foreign kid, don’t think Phii Duen has forgotten about you. Never! Today, I’ll pick up Dao as usual since our parents aren’t home. Huh, you won’t die easily.
“What’s with that look, Duen?”
“Huh, someone as good-looking as me looks good no matter what face I make.” I answered Tingting before posing with a cool chin gesture. Whoa, I really am handsome.
“You’re so full of yourself. You…I’ve gained weight recently.” Huh, you call that weight gain? Who told you that, or does your mirror at home have a convex lens?
“Huh, besides having a belly without a father, now you have a belly without a child too.” Isn’t it easier to just call me fat, Tang? But it’s good, call me out, I’ve gained so much weight and still haven’t heard Bohn say anything.
“Tang! You’re evil.”
“I’m just tired of you, Bohn can at least admit he’s fat, what kind of fat, your whole weight doesn’t even reach half of Phu’s foot, damn.” Oh, I’m hashtag teaming up here.
“I’ll tell Phu!”
“Go ahead, I’m so scared, mom.”
“Shh.” Let’s put their stuff aside for now, Ram, let’s talk about something important. Once I found out I was in the news with Bohn, I started feeling the eyes of everyone around me. When I was with that goose, Bohn didn’t say anything about it other than, ‘Why care?’ Burp! I have to care, I’m being seen as your partner, you idiot! Who would want me as a husband like this!
Duennhaw: Bohn
Ai-Hia Bohn: What
I’ve changed his name in LINE now. At first, I wanted it to be long with lots of curses, but then I thought…too lazy to type. This is good enough.
Duennhaw: Aren’t you going to do anything?
Ai-Hia Bohn: No
Damn! I know that the more you deny, the more it looks like you’re making excuses, but you can’t just let it go either. I tried to think of a reason to make him do something, and suddenly, my brilliant mind came up with an idea.
Duennhaw: Don’t your juniors think you’re gay or something?
Ai-Hia Bohn: I don’t care.
Fuck! Care a little, will you? After reading his response, I can only raise my hand to massage my temple lightly, furrowing my brows at the screen. I don’t know what to type next.
Duennhaw: So, being handsome gives you options?
Ai-Hia Bohn: Something like that, huh.
Duennhaw: You’re so annoying.
Ai-Hia Bohn: Are you jealous?
Ha, jealous of your dad.
I stare at his messages, dumbfounded. Are you this self-absorbed, Bohn? I scroll up to read the sentence I sent him again, considering it. I don’t see any jealousy in that sentence, and…why would I be jealous of you when we’re not even anything to each other? Are you crazy, so self-absorbed?
Ai-Hia Bohn: Why are you silent?
Duennhaw: Jealous of your dad. If you have the time to do this, go talk to your little lovers.
Ai-Hia Bohn: Jealous, typing like this
I sigh deeply, rolling my eyes upward. Such a pain. No one has ever annoyed me as much as you. I look at the screen blankly before typing back sarcastically.
Duennhaw: Yeah!
I send only that and then lock my phone, turning my attention back to my studies. Talking to him never gives me anything useful, just frustration. Better to study.
Brrr
I followed the vibration beside me; the phone screen showed a blue icon with an
“F” in the middle. I must have left it logged in last night, let’s check it. With that in mind, I rested my chin on my hand and lazily scrolled through the notifications.
“Yawn…just a c-” Damn! I choked. I covered my mouth, hurriedly checking the latest notification. Someone had tagged me in a photo, it was a screenshot from LINE, a conversation I was very familiar with…how could I not be, I just talked to him.
That jerk!
I wouldn’t have minded if it was just sent in a private chat, but he posted it on his own Facebook page. And he tagged me! What’s with that caption?
Bon Ss:
Don’t be so cute, #BohnDuen, with Krisda, Duennhaw
Duennhaw: If you’re handsome, you can choose, right?
Bon Ss: Something like that, huh
Duennhaw: You’re so annoying Bon Ss: Are you jealous?
Bon Ss: Why are you silent?
Duennhaw: Jealous of your dad. If you have time to do this, go talk to your little lovers.
Bon Ss: Jealous and typing like this
Duennhaw: Yeah!
Cute, my ass! Might as well stab each other with knives, not only does it not help, but you’re adding to the rumors. When did I even become friends with him?
Or was it when we were eating pad thai, and he was scrolling through my phone…
I was about to tell him to delete it before someone sees it, but it was too late…320 likes, your dad, posted just 10 minutes ago! Do these people who liked it have no jobs or what? Now there are comments. Let’s see:
And they’re all his friends teasing:
Boss Thanarit: They say studying medicine makes you a doctor…what does Bohn study to get a doctor as a wife?
Megha Setthakit: Huh
Tang, Nakrab: Hey you mister husband and mister wife, go be sweet somewhere else
Bom Boomm: Don’t make him too jealous, or you might end up sleeping like the principal in a freezer without realizing it
I’ve never been jealous! But the idea of making Bohn sleep like a principal in a freezer, I’ll think about that.
Damn! You crazy bunch, your faculty works like a well-oiled machine better than the country’s administration! Just watch, I won’t go near your faculty…ah, but I have to give flowers to the poster every day, forget that for now, let me curse first!
Krisda, Duennhaw: Bohn, you bastard
As soon as I sent that comment, I was startled because the likes shot up so quickly! Oh no, I forgot I commented under the photo! And these people liking the post, don’t they have anything better to do? Don’t they have classes or jobs?
Click
Bon Ss: If you want, DM me.
Krisda, Duennhaw: You play games I don’t understand.
Bon Ss: I only play with you.
Just as I was about to type a reply, I stopped because I realized I was exposing myself. There were no further comments from others, but every message between me and Bohn kept getting likes…Are you guys lurking? There’s even factionalism going on.
Jingjakja, Why Run From Me: Jealous, so cute, #TeamDuen
Itniew, Lily Loves Her Husband Who Slaps: Rough guy, so good,
#TeamBohn
Prince Flea Looking for a Sidekick: I don’t want to be your patient, but can I be in your heart, Doctor? #TeamWaitingForThemToBreakUpAndGetIn
I don’t want you as my patient either, you damn flea! I stopped reading social media comments and decided to call the culprit immediately. I don’t care if I’m in class right now. I ducked under the table. Of course, everyone in the section turned to look, whatever…
(Ring)
“Hey, you bastard, what are you doing?” I spoke softly because I was afraid the teacher might hear. Only ten minutes left until class ends.
(What. Now? I’m working on a project in the courtyard with friends//yawn, there’s a report on living conditions too//. Who?//Bohn’s boyfriend//ew, is that the hot guy he tagged earlier?//Yeah//I want to see him in person, come meet us//) Bohn only said the first sentence; the rest was all his friends’ voices. Did I ever mention how much I hate this faculty’s students?
“Not that, I mean, you screenshot our conversation and posted it, what the hell!” I raised my voice slightly, not too loud, but enough to make King look down at me with raised eyebrows as if asking, ‘Are you looking for treasure down there?’ Let me be alone, my friend.
(I want to)
“Crazy! You don’t think at all, this is—” Being with him makes me seem so irritable. You make me so bad-tempered.
(I don’t care, I’ll do whatever I want)
“Sigh, I knew you’d answer like that, I’m tired of talking to you.” Whatever, if he doesn’t care, why should I?
(Don’t you have class or something?)
“I am in class, but I’m hiding under the desk to talk to you.”
(Oh…that’s dedication, huh)
“Shut up. That’s all.” I hung up before slowly rising from under the desk, waiting for the moment the teacher looked away to quickly sit back in my chair, huffing.
“Who were you talking to?”
“Bohn.” After class, I have to pick up Daonuea, but before that, I have more classes. Boo, I want to run out of the room, throw my sheets away, and shout, ‘I’m not studying anymore,’ but I can only think about it…
“…”
“Why are you guys so quiet?”
I raised my eyebrows in question, facing Tang and, frankly, the atmosphere around felt different from usual. My experience as a friend told me they were in
‘serious mode.’
“Nothing.” No, your face says otherwise.
“What did you talk about with him?”
“Just nonsense.” I brushed it off. I didn’t know how to answer them, ‘Bohn posted our conversation and now people think we’re dating,’ saying it would just make my mouth dry.
“You don’t have to answer this question, but you must answer the next one.” Tang continued to speak. I started to feel something odd, what would they ask next? “What color underwear are you wearing today, or not, probably not…but if he asks, how should I answer? I don’t even remember what color I grabbed today.”
“W…what?”
“What’s going on between you and him?”
Oh…it wasn’t about the underwear color, yes!
“We’re just acquaintances.”
“Really? I don’t see it that way.” Tang looked into my eyes…when he looks like this, it feels like I’m being interrogated by a lie detector.
“Overthinking, you fool.”
“I’m not overthinking, but it’s really not normal.” They both said this as they approached me. What do you mean by not normal? Do I look irritable? I already know that.
“How so?”
“You never use foul language with seniors.”
“Well, fuck Bohn, he’s not respectable.” Our first impression wasn’t great either.
“You rarely go far from our faculty, but you went all the way to the Engineering Faculty to see him.”
“I had to take something to him.” I don’t want to say I was taking flowers, or they’ll find out I was lying alone in the public garden…I’d definitely get scolded.
“You never skip class, but you did to deliver something to Phii Bohn.”
“I promised him I would go.”
“Listen to me! He looks at you differently, not just as an acquaintance.” What does not just as an acquaintance mean? Senior and junior? If that’s the case, then it’s not strange at all.
“Are you overthinking it?”
“I’m smart, not stupid like you; I can see what’s what with just one look.”
“Huh, Tang, you’re so in love with yourself- “When you’re with him, you act differently.”
“…”
“You don’t realize it because you’re dense, but we’re your friends, we’ve been together for a long time, how could we not notice?”
“…”
“Actually, it’s not that different from normal. I don’t know.”
“It just looks…strange.”
“…”
“What do you think about him?”
“You don’t have to tell us now, because it seems like you don’t even know yourself.”
“If anything comes up, you can come talk to us. We won’t judge if your relationship with Phii Bohn changes.”
“If Phii Bohn makes you sad, we won’t keep him around.”
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