MYENGINEER, CHAPTER 14: The Importance of Giving
[Duenhaw]
“Ugh…my head hurts so bad.” I swear, what they say about drunk people waking up with missing memories might be true. I don’t remember a thing, just that I was drinking with Thing’s gang, complaining about the foreign kid, and vaguely recall Bohn messaging me to come sit with him. After that, nothing. Oh well, it probably wasn’t anything important.
Ugh…my body can’t take it; I think I’ll need to call in sick.
Rrrrrrrr
‘King’
“Uh.”
(Can you make it?)
“Probably…probably not.” I really can’t, I feel like I’m dying. My head hurts like hell. And I’m still dizzy, I feel like doing nothing, ugh, Phii Duen has such a headache.
(I figured as much. But do you remember anything from last night?)
“Huh. No, I only remember drinking and then Bohn talking about the foreign kid.”
(Oh…well, that’s fine then.)
“Why? What did I do? Don’t tell me I got drunk and wrestled with someone.”
(You’re the one who would get wrestled.)
“Huh? What does that mean?” Does that mean modern girls are strong enough to wrestle guys?
(You…you’re such an idiot, always an idiot, sigh.)
“Hey, why are you scolding Phii Duen?”
(That’s all for now, I have class in the afternoon. If you can make it, come, if not, I’ll excuse you.) Oh right, I have class in the afternoon today. This subject isn’t too hard, it’s the least brain-intensive I’ve had…but the exam is the toughest one.
“Yeah, yeah, thanks, I’ll call if there’s anything.”
“What should I do…” I mumbled to myself while checking the class schedule of that idiot (he told me to keep an eye on it to bring flowers at the right time) He has class at eleven. Should I buy flowers to take to him, or not? But I don’t want to break my promise…but my head is so dizzy…but! I told him yesterday I’d bring them. And he even said he’d wait.
“Geez! Fine, go then!”
I get up to head to the bathroom, but stumble on my first step off the bed, nearly falling. Thankfully, I managed to catch myself in time. Ugh…would I die on the road if I tried driving myself? Wait! That’s right, I came back in Ram’s car…so where’s my car?
Beep
(What’s up?)
“King, where’s Supachai?”
(Did I ever tell you how much I hate your car’s name?)
“It’s kind of cute, so where’s my car?”
(You left it at the club last night.)
“Ha. It hasn’t been stolen, has it?” I ask while slowly walking down the stairs. After showering, I feel a bit better, though still a bit dizzy. When I got out of bed, my head felt heavy for some reason…or could Ben, that little prankster, have done something to me! Huh, since you see me as a thorn in your side, you want to get rid of me, huh! Just wait, I’ll put a spell on you with a kitty arrow!
(Yeah, Phii Bohn told Phii Diao, the club owner, to keep it for you.)
“Oh, I’ll go get it later then. That’s it, bye.” You did well, Bohn, this makes you a bit more respectable.
“Mom, I am super hungry!”
“Then go find something to eat, it’s in the kitchen. You woke up late today, son.”
“Sorry, I have a slight hangover.”
“Haha, you were forced to drink, huh?” Here’s my chance to tell on him, huh?
“Yeah, Mom, you need to scold Dad. I said I didn’t want to drink, but Dad threatened that if I didn’t drink, he’d make the others pour liquor down my throat.”
“Oh my! Direk! He’s going to get it!” Mom shouts and pretends to wield the broom like a sword before heading upstairs…probably to call Dad.
“Dad is in for it.”
It’s now 9:10. I’m thinking about something big on the sofa…hmm, what should I do?
“What’s wrong? You look stressed.” Oh, Mom’s done talking with Dad already?
“Uh, Mom…”
“What’s up?” Mom walked over to organize the books in the cabinet in front of the TV. She loves reading, so our house is full of books, a gazillion of them. Most are about animals, like frogs, and so on. That’s why I’m not that scared of animals, except for lizards; they’re genuinely terrifying. There are also a few cookbooks; surprisingly, I’m good at cooking, but I don’t cook often because I’m too busy. “Mon do you think…”
“Huh?”
“What color roses should I buy?”
“…”
“Red roses are beautiful, but Duen has already given him those. I don’t like repeating, but white ones bruise easily…if they’re pink, they’re too cute. What color do you think, Mom?” “Mom?”
“Do you have a girlfriend, Duenhaw?” Huh? Does Duenhaw have a girlfriend?! Maybe my hangover symptoms have metabolized through the air into the other person.
“Me? This Duen, huh?”
“Oh, so who are you buying roses for?”
“What should I call a senior? But he’s not that respectable, he’s a friend!”
“What kind of friend is a senior?”
“Well, Bohn acts so unlovable.” I pouted when I thought about the actions of the person we’re talking about – teasing, annoying, nerve-wracking, and he’s also quite pretentious!
“Bohn? Is that his name, son?” Mom asked, surprised. Not just her, I was shocked when I learned his name. What kind of name is Bohn?
“Boy.”
“A boy?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Oh my god.” Mom put her hand to her cheek and exclaimed loudly.
“?”
“Is he handsome, son?”
“That scoundrel?” Actually, he is handsome, but I hesitated to say that word, haha.
“Scoundrel?”
“Bohn is the scoundrel.”
“Why do you call him that?”
“Well, he called me ‘Pale Fool’ first.” He never explained what ‘Pale Fool’ means. So, I looked it up online, you know what I found? It’s a cockroach!
“Haha, I really want to see his face.”
“No way, don’t, please. His face is just so-so. Not even a fraction of the bacteria under my toenails.”
“But I don’t think so. You seem oddly jealous of him.” Jealous of him? Not at all. Phii Duen is quite handsome, man-hand-some, the kind you’d want to wrestle in the grass.
“Where should I go to buy them?”
In the end, I didn’t get any good advice from Mom because she was too busy asking about the ‘scoundrel’. Not a bit about the flowers. Now I’m in a taxi because I don’t have a car to use; I was afraid I’d crash Dad’s car again, and besides, I’m too hungover to drive. I told the driver to take me to one of the commercial areas, it’s famous, teenagers love to hang out here, there are lots of shops open, even in the morning.
Today is another day Mom dressed me up, but it’s just a normal look, a white Tshirt that cost thousands…is it made from gold threads? And jeans that are almost as expensive as the shirt…the entrepreneurs are making a killing. Why don’t people wear free T-shirts from powdered milk and JJ pants like me, it’s economical, or is it because no one makes them so no one wears them out? I might be setting a new trend, I’ll wear them to the mall next time.
Oh, I’ve found the flower shop. It’s a small shop with vintage-style flower decorations that are pleasing to the eye, and there’s a cute wooden table outside for sitting.
“Can I help you with anything?”
“I’m here to buy flowers.” Damn! What did I just say? Who comes to a flower shop to buy curry soup? Doesn’t she think I’m messing around? Sigh, Phii Duen apologizes, Phii Duen has a hangover.
“Um…sure, haha.”
“I…would like some roses, please.”
“Roses, this way then.” She gestures and leads me to one corner of the shop where there are shelves filled with roses of various colors, both natural and dyed. “Hmm…which color should I get?”
“Do you need help choosing?” That would be good, there are so many, am I opening a flower shop or what? …Oh, she’s actually running a flower shop.
“He’s pretty good looking, I guess.”
“To whom are you giving them?”
“To a friend.”
“And for what occasion?” If you hadn’t said you were helping, I would have thought you were just being nosy. But you didn’t show any curiosity; you probably just asked to find the right flower…it’s like choosing a Pokémon Pikachu (?) I chose you!!
“How should I put it…he forced me to buy them? Uh. He wants them.”
“Okay, haha.” You laugh so well, it’s kind of annoying.
“What color would be suitable?”
“Hard to say. If he wants them, why don’t you ask what color he prefers?” Well, then what’s the point of me asking you for advice? But Phii Duen is Phii Duen, good at heart…on the outside, he’s just…
“Thanks, I’ll ask him quickly.”
“I’ll be at the counter, feel free to ask if you need anything else.”
“Thanks.” As soon as I hung up, I immediately called that idiot. He’s not in class yet, plus I’m too lazy to type.
(Duen?) Why do you have to sound so surprised?
“Yeah, it’s me.”
(…)
“Hello, you idiot.” I called out when there was an unusual silence on the other end.
(Are you sober now?)
“Wow, who are you talking to, I am Phii Duen, right! Definitely, at this level, I’m just hungover. No.” I lied…I only just sobered up a little while ago.
(Is that so?)
“Are you sick, Bohn?” His voice sounds off. Not bad, just different from usual. Normally, he speaks quietly like he’s having a casual conversation but with sharp and annoying remarks. When he’s in a bad mood, he turns into a real headache, and he’s always in a bad mood.
(No.)
“Yeah, yeah, I forgot to ask. Are you free to talk?” Seeing him like this, he’s really popular with the girls. They even agree to this even though they know this idiot isn’t serious. I don’t understand their thinking at all.
(I’m…free, yeah.) Even if you weren’t, you’d have to talk to Phii Duen.
“I’m at the flower shop on xxx, trying to buy roses for you but can’t decide on the color, so the shop owner suggested I ask you instead.” I say this without much hurry, my eyes scanning the various colored roses on the shelf until they catch on the blue-green ones.
(…)
“Are you listening to me?”
(What’s the name?)
“Ha, it’s me, Duen. Are you hungover or something?” It’s not that bad, I thought you’d be stubborn, but no…you’re just as weak as me.
(The flower shop you’re standing in, what’s its name…?)
“It’s called Fang Garden, why?” I walk over to read the shop’s name before standing with my hands on my hips, questioning the voice on the other end.
(Wait for me there.)
“Ha. You’re coming?”
(Yeah)
“That’s good then, I can’t decide. You come and choose yourself.”
(Don’t go anywhere. If I come and you’re not there, we’ll see what happens, Duen.) He even threatens me, what am I going to run away for?
“Okay.”
“How’s it going? What color does he want?” the shop owner asks, why does she smile so much? Her cool girl image doesn’t quite fit with this kind of shop, but when she stands next to the flowers, she looks sweet, like a different person.
“He’ll come and look for himself.”
“Then you can wait here.” She slid a vintage-style wooden chair for me to sit on. My legs are getting tired, so thank you.
Meow
“Hey, little one.” I call to the chubby white Persian cat with fluffy fur, wearing a collar with the shop’s name on it.
“Ah, don’t bother the customer, you troublemaker.” She scolds the cat, clearly her pet.
“No, it’s okay. Can I play with it?” Oh, the more I look, the cuter it gets, its eyes are so bright, even if it’s making a world-weary face.
“Ah, sure. It won’t bother you.”
“Okay. Can I hold it?”
“It’s fat, you know. Can you handle it?”
I nodded awkwardly, extending my hands to take the kitten from her. How heavy could this creature be? It looks chubby like a pot, probably because it’s a long-haired breed…
Pheep!
O_O!!!!
Damn, my arm dropped due to the weight of the creature I was holding. Let me take back what I said…is this a cat or a gas cylinder! You tricked me, Dao, this fat one is incredibly heavy, heavier than weight training!
Meow
Meow burp, if you weren’t so cute, I would have dropped you on the floor.
“What’s your name, you fat thing?” I asked while gently patting its belly, making it look dreamy.
“Its name is Nong Mai.”
“Is this the name of this one?” I turned and raised my eyebrows to ask the voice’s owner.
“Yes, it likes to look at the flowers in front of the shop too, it makes such a dreamy face, it’s quite funny.” Hearing that, I immediately took Nong Mai to the front of the shop. The place was quite crowded now, people walking by would glance at the shop but not come in, probably just thinking it looks nice.
“Which flower do you like?” I bent down to ask the fat cat, it looked up at me before turning its gaze towards some bluish-purple flowers right in front. Oh, I know this one, Mom used to grow them but they got destroyed by the neighbor’s variegated plant, looking absolutely pitiful now. If I remember correctly, it’s called Hydrangea.
“Do you like this one?” I scratched the white chin covered with fur, and it genuinely looked dreamy, huh. Are you on some catnip, you fat cat?
“Nong Mai.”
Meow
“Nong Mai.”
Meowww
“You fat thing.” Meow.
“Haha, I heard you.” I laughed when the fat cat seemed to respond but then went silent and looked away. So cute, damn! Gosh, so heavy, Phii Duen’s arm nearly broke, Nong Mai.
“Sorry about that.”
“Huh, sorry?” I turn to look at the group of four girls standing in front of the shop. Oh, is my charm showing through now! Just like dad said! The bad boy in Phii Duen is radiating, hitting the girls in the eyes, isn’t it! Well, I only had one night of drinking, but then again…they might be here to buy flowers and think I’m working here.
“The shop owner is inside.”
“No, can we take a photo?”
“Huh…oh, of the fat one here? It’s not mine though.”
“We’ll take a photo of the cat, but we also want to take one with the person holding it.” Me, you mean? Or has my bad boy vibe really struck them!
“Huh? Me?”
“Yes, can we have your permission to post your photo on our page?”
“Me? Is the page dug up from the ground or something?”
“No, no, it’s called ‘Handsome Guy Alert for Gibbon Girls’.” Ha? Who came up with that name? I want to see their faces. Wait, are you complimenting me by calling me handsome?
“Well, I guess…but I don’t really fit the page’s name, haha.” Phii Duen lies, Phii Duen here is the most fitting for that page name, damn.
“Very fitting, very much so.”
“Okay, but let me ask the shop owner if I can borrow the cat for the photo…Hey, can I borrow the cat for a quick photo?” I turn to ask the shop owner, who gives me a puzzled look for a moment before smiling in amusement.
“Go for it.”
“What pose should I do? I’m not really into taking photos.” I rub the back of my neck with my free hand, feeling a bit shy.
“How about…you hold its cheeks and make a kissing face like you’re going to kiss it?” She suggests. Hearing this, I nod and do as she says. It’s pretty funny; the cat looks so world-weary. I burst out laughing several times.
Click, Click, Click, Click
Why do I hear four clicks?
“Thank you. If it’s not too much trouble, may we know your name? Your
Facebook would be great too.”
“Sure…but I haven’t been on FB in a while, my profile pic is still from high school.” Thinking about it makes me laugh; in that picture, I’m laughing too, it looks good but I’m not too confident about myself.
“Oh, that’s fine.” Fine, huh? Whatever, it probably won’t be a big deal. After giving them my details, I go back to sit in the shop on the same chair, placing a gas canister on my lap.
Ring Ring
“Aren’t you afraid the kids from the shop will hit you on the head?” I asked the newcomer. He was wearing such an eye-catching shirt, it was more noticeable than anything.
“Why be afraid, I have hands and feet too.”
“Huh, suit yourself…go choose some roses.” I urged the other person to pick out roses before I bent down to play with Nong Mai on my lap, shaking its belly until it trembled. Hey! It’s angry! Why are you so fat, huh?
Meh, ah, meow
Nong Mai confused
“Then get up.” Huh, is it talking to me? I looked up at the other person, puzzled, and met his gaze that was already looking at me, holding his phone close to his body, the other hand in his pocket. Wow, so cool, but I’m way more handsome than you.
“Why would I get up, the flowers are for you, not me.”
“But I want you to choose.” His big hand pulled me up, damn, so strong, the fat one almost fell, good thing I caught it in time.
“Well then, why did you come?”
“For my pleasure.”
“You…crazy!”
“Choose already, what are you standing around for, bring the cat too, I want to play.” He orders me around and then wants to steal my cat!
“Do you really want me to choose?”
“Yeah, his face looks so bored with the world, it’s hilarious, huh.” Now the thief was rolling Nong Mai on the floor, sitting cross-legged, petting its chin further, evil!
“Wouldn’t it be better if you choose yourself?” I slowly bent down, intending to reclaim the gas cylinder, but he seemed to anticipate it, quickly picking up the gas cylinder and standing up, damn, don’t let your guard down!
“Why? Can’t you choose? …Ah, don’t even think about trying to take it back, I’m serious.” The tall figure held Nong Mai with one hand, the other leisurely stroking its fluffy fur, give it back! I want to play with the gas cylinder!!!!
“Well, the flowers are yours anyway. Just pick what you like.” I looked at Nong Mai with droopy eyes, come on, (Mai) jump to your dad quickly, my dear! Oh, it seems like it understands, it’s looking at me!
Meow
Don’t try to charm me, you fat thing!! I’ll take you home to raise you right now.
I want to play with it too, you damn gas canister!!
“It’s not related.” It is related! How am I supposed to play with the gas canister in your hand if you’re choosing flowers?
“I have no sense for this kind of thing, I don’t even know what the colors mean.
What if I pick flowers with a bad meaning for you?” When you want something, you have to try to get it, even if you scrape your sides.
“For me, the meaning isn’t important…it’s the person giving them that matters.” “?”
Leave a Reply