MYENGINEER, CHAPTER 23: Forbidden
[Bohn]
After posting the photo to compete with the famous guy, I go back to watching the fool cook like before. Now he’s finished frying the chicken. Next, he’ll probably make stuffed tofu.
“Duen.” I tried to get his attention by standing close, but…he didn’t pay me any mind, being busy with mixing some white powder with tofu. What is this about? Or does he think Ben and I are so annoying that he’s trying to kill us with this powder?
“Huh?” He answered while still intently mixing the white powder.
“What is that?”
“Tofu, what else?” He answered with an innocent look. When he acts all clueless like this, I find it quite cute. He looks a bit slow, not keeping up with people, but…I already knew it was tofu!
“No, I’m talking about that white stuff.” This time, I pointed directly at it, almost poking it. If you say, “Oh, the cup.” I swear I’ll smack you down.
“Oh, corn starch.”
“Why do you need to mix it?” I’m genuinely curious about this, aren’t you? Like when you see someone cooking and you’re tempted to ask why they’re adding this or that, even though they might not know themselves, but you still want to ask.
“I don’t know, Mom told me to do it, so I did.” He might not know…like that.
“Heh.”
“Bohn, watch out for the splattering oil.” He warned as he was about to put the tofu into the hot pan.
“I like it.”
I said, gently resting my chin on his shoulder. I wasn’t putting much weight on it, just touching.
“Huh? You like getting oil splattered on you?”
“I like when you call me Bohn.”
“…” We made eye contact for a moment, even though the conversation had gone quiet. If it were any girl, just a smile from me would make her blush. Damn, Duen has such a strong heart.
“Can’t you call me that all the time?” After saying this, I carefully pressed my lips to his beautiful shoulder through the fabric, holding it there for a moment before slowly lifting my head to meet his eyes again.
“You flirt too much.” Duenhaw used the back of his hand to hide his face, probably embarrassed, but his face wasn’t that red. I’ve tried all sorts of flirting and teasing, but you blush…just this much?!
“I’m afraid you’ll forget I’m courting you.” I said sincerely, he often acts so clueless, like he doesn’t understand what I’m trying to convey, sometimes I wonder if he’s forgotten he’s being wooed.
“You’re crazy…I only think about you because of this. How could I forget?” He said without much interest, his expression unchanged, and then slowly lowered the tofu into the pan.
Do you know what you’re saying…and do you know what it means?
“Damn, you speak like you want to be pinned down.”
“You speak like a dog with bad breath too.”
“Of course, huh.”
“You thick-skinned…”
“It smells good.” I can smell the aroma of garlic after Duen drops it in…stir-fry? Or something like that, I’ve heard chefs and cooks often say that, whatever, the point is, the smell now is appetizing.
“Pass me the ground pork.” His white finger points to the bowl of ground pork on the table. I walk over to hand it to him as requested; he takes it and immediately adds it to the pan to fry with the garlic.
“Who taught you to cook?”
“Mom taught me, grab the vegetables too, all of them.” The fool keeps stirfrying what’s in the pan until the pork starts changing color. I fetch them easily; there’s a lot of vegetables, but that’s good, I like them, lots of colors make it look tasty.
“Can you cook anything else?” I ask after handing over the bowl of vegetables. As soon as he receives it, he dumps them in, the sound from the pan sizzles, exciting, just like in those cooking shows I like to watch, Duen is so awesome!!
“A few things, but not much.” He answers while adding this and that, (from what I’ve seen, I only know water and oyster sauce). Until the initial green smell of the vegetables turns into an appetizing aroma.
“Pass me the corn starch.”
“This white bag, right?”
“Yeah.”
Upon hearing that, I hand him the whole bag, and he pours the cornstarch into the pan, stirring it to dissolve. That’s it…just that makes it look delicious, this dish doesn’t seem complicated at all when Duen does it, or maybe anyone else could…am I the only one who’s terrible at cooking?
“Want to taste it?” The impromptu chef asks while holding a spoon in mid-air. I nod and lean in to taste, this must be the feeling of being newlyweds.
“Is anything missing?”
“Umm.”
“What?” The medical student looked displeased, examining what he had just finished cooking. He was looking at it, but what’s missing…is me, ha ha.
“It lacks love.”
“…”
“You’re blushing.”
“You little shit!!!” What’s that? I tried to add some color to the kitchen with some flirting, why do you have to flip me off?
“It’s done. Go sit at the table and wait, call your brother too.” Duen said after he had finished preparing everything. Believe me, everything Duen makes is delicious and looks so appetizing. He cooks without rushing, taking his time to season, tasting slowly, sometimes offering me a taste. Life is good.
“Will you eat with us?” I asked. If he’s eating, I’ll grab an extra plate.
“No. I don’t eat dinner.”
“Dieting?”
“Crazy. I’m not that serious about my figure.”
“Then why not eat together?” I raised an eyebrow, still not moving from my spot, which means I was blocking the kitchen doorway.
“I usually don’t eat anyway.”
“Why not?”
“Hey, I’m just not hungry.”
“Eat with me as company.” I said softly, taking his white hand and pressing it against my cheek. Even if he’s not hungry, I want to watch him while he eats, making me feel all embarrassed, woo!
“Why do I always meet people with loneliness syndrome?” He pulled his hand away before standing with his hands on his hips, looking at me. He says why he always meets people with loneliness syndrome…so it’s not just me doing this?
“Besides me, who else?”
“The senior I told you I went to the mall with.”
“What did he do?” I asked eagerly, he must have been teased a lot, damn, this guy is a master of cluelessness. Whatever people do, he doesn’t realize what it means, he might even be flirting back without knowing it.
“He didn’t do anything. He just likes to say, ‘Be my company,’ ‘Can we walk together,’ ‘Can we eat together,’ stuff like that.”
“And you just go along with it?!”
“Uh-huh.”
“Next time, don’t do it.” I lightly slap my own forehead. Why are you so naive? Can’t you see he’s interested in you?
“Why?” My conversation partner tilts his head, asking in confusion. You’re still asking, you damn fool! How have you survived all these years? Phu and the gang are damn good at looking after you to have made it this far.
“Because I told you to.”
“Are you my dad?” Don’t stick your tongue out like that or you’ll get hit with something big.
“…”
“Then-”
“I’m your husband.”
“Damn, Bohn! I told you not to say that!” Duen protests, hitting my shoulder hard. Have his hands gotten heavier each day or what? I feel like at first, it was just a light touch.
“I’m satisfied.” I shrug, not caring anymore, and walk straight to wait at the dining table, hearing Duen curse from behind.
“You…jerk.”
“Ben, come eat.” I go to call my brother on the sofa. You can go sleep in the room if you’re that tired.
“What’s there to eat?” Ben asks, sitting up properly. Kids are like this; food is a big deal.
“Fried chicken, stuffed tofu, steamed eggs.”
“…”
“What?” I ask when I see him go quiet, but he just stares at me with a mischievous grin.
“This is what you call a good wife, huh?”
“That’s right, little brother, hehe.” I smile with confidence, changing my posture to cross-legged, looking at the TV screen in front with ease. Wow, it doesn’t look as appetizing as what Duen made.
“And will Honey eat dinner?”
“I don’t know, I’ll ask Duen for you.” I walk over to Duen at the dining table, seeing him placing the food he just made on the table. It smells amazing.
“Duen.” I nudged his shoulder to get his attention. He’s still wearing the apron I put on him; he must have forgotten.
“Huh?”
“Will Daonuea eat dinner?”
“I don’t know, let me go wake her first.” The slender figure was about to walk to the smaller room, but I stopped him with my hand.
“Wait.”
“Let me take off the apron for you.” I said, turning him around so his back was to me before untying the knot of the apron. After removing it, he went to wake his sister. That was all, nothing more.
“Here.”
“Huh?” I turned in the direction of the voice to see my little brother standing there, tapping on his phone. Your pose looks familiar, Ben, I feel like I’ve seen it somewhere…oh, I do this too.
“Something to show me?” He looked up with a grin before walking closer to me. What, don’t tell me you have some embarrassing childhood video, you little scoundrel.
“Huh?” I bent down to be at eye level with him. At first, I looked at him puzzled as he showed me pictures of his toes. I was about to say, “Are you calling me a kid’s heel?” but I paused when he scrolled to the previous picture…
“Do you like it?”
It wasn’t just one picture, there were many. And each picture was clear with good lighting, like it was taken by a pro photographer. You…or maybe even though you’re a kid, your mind is that of an adult…your craziness is metabolic.
Really.
Want to know what I was looking at?
I don’t know how to describe what I saw either, let’s just say there were many pictures, and each one captured every pose of me and Duen in the kitchen while cooking, with the last picture being when I was taking off the apron for the idiot.
“Give it.” I reached out to grab the phone, but I only grabbed air when the scoundrel quickly hid it behind his back, faster than I expected, like he knew I’d try to take it.
You’re so mischievous…
“Bro, you want this?”
He asked innocently, looking down at his phone screen with curiosity…I know he’s faking it, ugh, you crazy kid! I can see he wants something from me.
“What do you want?” I asked, folding my arms in annoyance. Why is he so cunning? I remember when I was his age, I was still standing as a pole for girls to play jump rope, and look at him.
“It’s not that hard, it might even be beneficial for your life.”
“What is it?”
“Keep Honey’s brother away from that guy…”
“That’s cruel, in this case, we need to call the tiger.” He’s crazy, his cunning nature must not be inherited just from me…he must not be just an ordinary guy, like what I’ve seen, as the Thai proverb says, ‘The fruit doesn’t fall far from the
tree.’
“Shirt?” …half-breeds are always like this. [1] Tiger is Sua and Shirt is
Su…they sound almost the same and written the same just Tiger Sua have a tonal inflection and Shirt Sua uis flat
“Tiger, not a shirt…still being naughty as usual.”
“Whether it’s tiger or a shirt, who cares. So, do you want this photo or not!” His face turned red…probably embarrassed for misunderstanding.
“Alright then.”
“So, deal?”
“Yep.”
“Alright, then…we have a deal.”
After that, I dragged all the photos he took into the trash folder, then sat down to plan with my brother. I didn’t know if luck was on our side or what, because Duen and his sister walked out of the room just as we finished our evil plan. Daonuea looked extremely dazed, her brother was quite attentive, asking her this and that, probably because he was so smitten with Daonuea.
I mean the kid next to her. I was the one who said he was smitten.
“Awwww, she’s like an angel with no wings.” The brat smiled dreamily…where did the cunning kid from earlier, who made a deal with me, go?
“You psycho kid.”
“Excuse me,. If you call me a psycho, then isn’t someone who secretly takes photos of others every ten seconds even more psycho?”
“That’s not psycho, that’s called being lovesick.”
“Ew! He hasn’t even agreed to marry her yet, but you’re already calling her your wife. Aren’t you embarrassed?”
“Adult matters, kids wouldn’t understand.”
“Oh really?” Damn it… “So, did your sister eat too?” I went to ask when the slender figure set his sister down on the chair.
“Uh-huh.”
“Phii Bohn, good morning.” Said Daonuea, yawning and nodding at me as if to say hello…but saying good morning at six in the evening, almost one in the morning?
“Daonuea, it’s not even morning yet.” Said Duen playfully after hearing his little sister say that.
“Oh, really…?”
Alright then. Now, we’re all here together – father, mother, child…I was joking, but the atmosphere was really like that. We were sitting at the dining table, four of us; Daonuea was eating in a daze, like she hadn’t woken up yet, and Duen was busy wiping her mouth like a mother.
So caring.
“Normally, do you do this?” I asked after chewing my food until my mouth was empty. The one I was talking to turned to me, raising his eyebrows in confusion.
“Do what?”
“Wiping her mouth, doing stuff like that.”
“Oh, I see.”
“Do it for me too, I’ve got sauce on my mouth.” I said, intentionally smearing some tofu sauce on my lips with my spoon. Instead of seeing my attempt at being cute, he just grimaced and made a disgusted face. Idiot, I went all out, man!
“Do it yourself, you’re an adult.”
“I want you to do it sometimes too.” As soon as I said that, I grabbed a tissue to wipe my own mouth. Duen definitely wouldn’t do it for me, letting it stay messy would just be pointless, making my mouth sticky for no reason.
“Why? Don’t you have hands…or feet?” Initially, he probably wanted to say ‘feet’ but seeing the kids at the table, he refrained. Ha, now he’s got me.
“I do.”
“Then-”
“But I want you to be caring.”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“Too much care will spoil you.” He said, folding his arms and furrowing his brows. It looked so picture-worthy. If I had known he’d do this, I would have had a photographer install cameras all over the condo.
“It’s nothing.” I shrugged, reaching out to serve some fried chicken to Ben, who had been staring for a while, probably because his arms were too short to reach it.
Short-armed kid, Ben must have known I was cursing him in my mind because he kicked my leg hard…damn, short arms but long legs…
“Grow up. Do it yourself.”
“You won’t do it for real?”
“Bohn, shut up and eat, before I shove it down your throat.”
“Wow, that’s harsh, mom.”
“Huh? What did you say, Ben?” The person in question turned to ask Ben again, unsure of what he heard. My little brother was also good, responding with an innocent face.
“Mom, right?”
“Me…Phii?” He pointed at himself with his finger, eyes wide, like he was going to say “me” at first.
“Yes.” Ben nodded, looking very innocent, I wish you could see it for real. If I hadn’t conspired with him beforehand, I’d think he was just an innocent kid (magic).
“Mom?”
“Uh-huh.”
“But you’re-”
“And this is dad.” my brother didn’t wait to be interrupted, pointing at me and continuing immediately.
“Ew! We are playing house, then I should play too.” Daonuea looked eager, but only the guy next to her wasn’t happy, looking grumpy. This is what I wanted, my little bro.
“Let’s hear it, who am I?” I pointed at myself for my kids, both of whom had just learned their new roles fresh and new.
“Dad!”
“Hehe, and that one?” I smiled as the kids got into their roles before Ben pointed at the only one at the table with a grumpy face. Who else could it be other than…
“Mom!”
“Hey, wait-”
“Good job, good kids.” I didn’t let the idiot finish speaking and interrupted. He turned to make a scary face at me, but who am I? Phii Bohn. I raised my eyebrows provocatively at him twice before turning back to eat.
“Bohn! The kids will get used to it.” the medical student complained. The kids, however, didn’t care about anything other than the big piece of chicken on their plates.
“Just let him install it.”
“Huh-”
“When eating, you’re not allowed to talk, kids, understand?”
“Yesss/yesss.”
“I-”
“Mom…Dad said no talking.” Said Daonuea, scolding her older brother before pointing a blaming finger at him. Thank God, Duen’s family has such obedient kids, everyone.
“Dao-”
“No talking!” Daonuea kept her pose.
“Uh…okay, okay.” Hey, I talked until my mouth was wet, and you didn’t listen, but your sister says a few words, and you give in? I was right to go through Daonuea…no, my daughter, huh.
“I’m so full, I feel like my stomach will burst.”
“Hey, honey, want to watch some cartoons?” The rascal asked innocently when he saw his chance. I should send you to study management…for some profit, but on second thought, better not. I hate those little management students’ faces.
“Is there Conan?”
“There is!” The half-Thai kid nodded quickly. I must thank the karma he’s accumulated from past lives because this little rascal likes watching Conan and tends to leave the discs here; there are enough to start a shop.
“Let’s go!”
“Dao-”
“Let’s do the dishes.” When I saw Duen was definitely not allowed, I dragged him to the kitchen, not forgetting to grab the plates and bowls. I told you, if you mess with his little sister, the spirit of some ancient glass will possess you instantly.
“But my sister-”
“Ben is still a kid. He won’t do anything.” I lied…he definitely will.
“But-” Duen tried to resist, but eventually, seeing that his resistance was futile, he stopped and led me to the sink.
What’s this, the scene is supposed to be easy, but it’s too easy.
“Bohn…if you’re that free, go play with the kids.” Duen stopped washing dishes and turned to look at me with an annoyed expression. What’s with me trying to keep you company because I was worried you might be lonely?
“Which kid?” I feigned ignorance, standing there watching him continue to wash dishes.
“Do you keep a child spirit or something? There are only two kids in the whole condo, Dao and Ben.”
“Those are my kids.”
“That’s another issue, I don’t understand what you’re playing at.”
“Huh.”
“What do you want me to do with that information!?”
“Satisfied.” I said, raising my eyebrows at my conversation partner. He huffed and turned back to scrubbing the dishes with such force that it made a loud scraping noise.
“Talking to you gives me a headache like a migraine coming on.”
“Is it?” I asked in surprise, thinking I might have annoyed him too much. Could he really be sick?
“No, I just heard my mom say it so I said it too.”
“Sigh.” I sighed, not knowing what else to say. Here I was, worried he might have a migraine and wanting to apologize, but instead…Speaking of which, in this situation…“Hey.”
“Hmm.” He responded irritably since I had bothered him again after less than a minute of silence. What, I just want to talk, it feels like I’m not even flirting with him.
“Help with this?”
“Can you even wash dishes?” Well, what does that question mean? Does he really see me as the rich kid like he used to say?
“I can, I’m human, you know.”
“No, go away.” He waved me off dismissively and turned back to the dishes. Seeing that, I slipped my arm around his slender waist to help with the dishes while resting my chin on his beautiful shoulder.
“But I want to help.”
“Bohn, you’ve been quite flirty lately.”
“You noticed, huh?” I turned my face to ask, still washing dishes. He stopped, looked at me, probably because our faces were so close that our noses almost touched.
“I’m human, not a buffalo.”
“Oh, really? I didn’t see anything.” I teased, moving my face closer, which made him turn his head away.
“I want you to realize it on your own!”
“I don’t want to.” I said dismissively, continuing to wash the dishes.
“I’ll find myself a beautiful girlfriend.”
“You dare.”
“Crazy! You’re just flirting with me. You’re not even my boyfriend, so what right do you have to stop me!”
“Then give me the right.”
“How?”
“Be my boyfriend.”
“No!”
“Why not?” I washed my hands and made him turn around to face me properly. Just now, he rejected me like he didn’t even think about it.
“You’ve only been flirting with me for a short while, plus, I already told you I like girls!”
“I told you to-”
“Enough, Bohn. You don’t like me, do you?”
“…”
“If you’re not sure, don’t do this.”
“…”
Kiss!
I didn’t wait for him to finish speaking; I quickly leaned down and kissed the tip of his nose. He looked stunned. I held it there briefly before pulling away.
“I’m jealous of you.”
“…”
“If I didn’t like you, I wouldn’t be jealous.”
“…”
“You don’t have to agree to be my boyfriend now…but you’re not allowed to be someone else’s boyfriend.”
“Damn, Bohn…you’re trying to get too much out of me.” He cursed me while hitting my shoulder hard, his face slightly red…Can he only get this red?
“…”
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