MYENGINEER, CHAPTER 43: It’s About Who Does It
[Duenhaw]
“You can let go now.” You’ve already gained too much from me, Bohn. I pushed his face away to create some distance, but he didn’t budge and instead hugged me even tighter.
“Can’t you give me just a little more time?” Don’t make that face!
“Aren’t you hungry?” I’m not hungry because I just ate, but Bohn, when I met him, the table was full of food, but his plate was empty, he hadn’t eaten yet.
“I’m hungry.”
“There you go, I’ll go make something for you to eat.”
“I’m hungry…I want to eat you, Duen.”
“…”
“Gggr.”
“Do you want to? You said you weren’t hungry…but you’re actually hungry too, huh?”
“Let go or you won’t eat…”
With that, the arms that were holding me immediately loosened. Just so you know, if you hadn’t let go just now, I would have really kicked you.
I walked to the kitchen, opened the fridge which was still empty as usual. Bohn said he doesn’t stay at the condo much; he mostly stays at home…then why buy a condo? I can’t handle it; the fridge only has liquor and beer, not even a bottle of water!! If you die, I’d bet it’s from liver cirrhosis.
“Bohn, I’ll go downstairs to buy some fresh stuff first.” There’s a supermarket downstairs; I’ve been there before. I saw they have a fresh food section. What should I cook? I want to make something simple since Bohn is eating alone; I don’t need to cook much.
“Go with you.” The room owner ran over to me, with bread in his mouth making his speech unclear. Does he think it’s cute?
“I’ll be back in a bit, just wait in the room.”
“Let me help carry things.” I didn’t argue further, might as well let him. It’s good; I won’t get tired.
“What do you want to eat?” I handed Bohn the basket. I didn’t want to use a shopping cart since we wouldn’t need much. There were quite a few people shopping, mostly women…it feels familiar, why don’t I ever see househusbands shopping like this? Don’t they know Phii Duen feels uncomfortable being stared at!
“Let me think.” He walked close to me, picked up a tomato, and made a face of disgust. He probably doesn’t like tomatoes…but I like them. I didn’t like them before, but my mom forced me to eat them, saying, ‘Your skin will be beautiful if you eat this…swallow!! If you spit it out, you’ll have to eat it every day,’ and in the end, I couldn’t stand the texture and spat it out…and my fate after that was to eat them every day, both in juice and solid form. I feel so sorry for myself.
“You don’t like tomatoes?” I asked before Bohn nodded slightly while his eyes stopped at the meat section. Does he want chicken drumsticks?
Should I make something simple like fried chicken or maybe a clear soup?
“I know what I want to eat now…I want to eat what you want to eat.”
I stopped my hand holding broccoli immediately upon hearing that…Recently, Bohn has had such an influence on my heart, some words, even if they’re short or just ordinary, when spoken by Bohn, make my heart beat faster. Did you drug me?
“…The one eating is you. What if I suddenly want to eat tomatoes?”
“I’ll eat them.” He answered while making a disgusted face, which made me smile a little before nodding in understanding and heading to the meat section…Today, I’ll want to eat whatever you want to eat.
“Would ginger stir-fry be good…” Bohn mumbled to himself upon seeing the ginger. Although I’m allergic to ginger, it’s not a severe allergy; it only affects me when I swallow it…swallow, uh, eat it.
“Aren’t you allergic?”
“I am allergic, but you like it.”
“…”
“Shy, huh? Your face is red, Nong Bohn, let Phii Duen take a look, are you feeling hot, good sir?” I teased while gently pinching his cheek, Bohn’s face slightly flushed, not too red, but definitely red.
“Damn, Duen, are you learning to flirt now?” Bohn gently brushed my hand away and folded his arms, trying to act tough to cover up his embarrassment, frowning and crossing his arms.
“People need to develop, how can I just be the one getting teased by you?” I answered with a smug look. Tang told me to develop my flirting and teasing skills with Phu. I went to watch him tease the accounting girls in front of the faculty while waiting for Bohn. I want to say it was very flirty, ‘Watch out for slipping…my heart is melting around here,’ yeah…
I picked up a few more things before heading back to Bohn’s room. In the end, Bohn would have his usual fried chicken for this meal, but with the addition of ginger stir-fry. He said there was no need to make a lot since he’d be eating alone. Damn, Bohn kept flirting with me while we were shopping; he must have gone mad. Even the aunts in the supermarket were suppressing smiles. I don’t mind, it’s kind of funny. Just when I told him to update his flirting skills, he really did, checking out flirty hashtags on Twitter to try out on me.
It’s pretty cute.
“Duen, do you need any help?” Bohn came to stand beside me while I was washing vegetables. The produce here is so fresh and cheap. If I lived near my house…I’d go shopping every day; near my place, there’s only expensive, not-so-fresh stuff. Damn, nothing good at all. I need pork that bounces back when pressed, like Dao on Tuesday!! Not meat that sinks into a crater when you touch it! Damn, even with a light touch. What would happen if you poked it?
“Can you cook or not?” I asked the person beside me while my eyes were still happily fixed on the vegetables in the basket. This is how it should be!
Beautiful shape, white skin, firm texture, fresh, beautiful, new. Never been touched by anyone before…I mean, the vegetables.
“Then teach me.” Bohn hugged me from behind and gently swayed back and forth. Damn, I’m admiring the veggies in the basket! Our love is old, Bohn! I have a new love with these veggies!…since when?
“Do you want to learn to cook?” I imagined it. If Bohn wore that cute apron his mom bought, standing at the kitchen counter chopping vegetables…it would be quite a sight.
“No…I just want to be close.”
Okay, I give in, your flirting skills and your cheesy lines are so advanced, with a hidden power beyond measure, perhaps even greater than Dao in the sky and the space junk in the Milky Way galaxy.
“Your face is red now, huh?” He said in a teasing tone while poking my cheek repeatedly, look at me when you do something! See, I’m frowning, my mouth pouting! See that?
“…It’s not red because I’m embarrassed by you, the steam from the rice cooker blew on my face.”
“Can we try again? The last one doesn’t count…”
“Sure, but can you tell now that I was lying?” If you knew, then be quiet. I made a face of annoyance; every time I’m with you, I turn into a Bohn hater, you brute.
“Alright, alright.” I waved him away. He’s not really annoying when he’s around, but he likes to flirt so much that I don’t know how to react. I remember last time, I almost poured dish soap into the pan thinking it was oil, we almost died.
“Oh, I really want to learn to cook.” He swayed me back and forth. I like doing this when Daonuea is sulking; every time I do this to appease her, she always ends up laughing.
“Okay, when you’re alone with Ben, you’ll be able to cook something for him to eat. Eating instant noodles all the time isn’t good for your health.” If I can’t cook, what I would do is go out and buy food from outside. Not sit and eat instant noodles like him, or he’ll die of malnutrition.
“Just for you to eat…I want you to know you’re more special than anyone.” Damn…do you want my face to explode and die? What should I do, huh?
“Pfft…don’t you want to cook for your parents?” Bohn is so petty, looking up at me peeling carrots. To be honest, you can eat them with the skin, but I just wanted to do something…
“No way, my parents might die. Suppose I cook and it tastes terrible or is poisonous…you’ll die alone.”
“Damn, Bohn, so that’s how it is…I won’t teach you then.”
“Just kidding.” He dragged out the word, can you stop hugging me now, sir!
I haven’t given him flowers today yet. I didn’t forget, mind you. At first, I planned to buy them on the way back from eating, but things turned out like this because of you, you jerk, Bohn.
But don’t worry. I bought them a while ago.
[Bohn]
“Cut the carrot into squares.”
“Isn’t that called dicing?” I followed what Duen said. After I pestered him to teach me how to cook for a while, he finally gave in. Duen is very softhearted; a little coaxing and he’ll do what you ask. It’s this kind of personality that I like.
“Oh yeah, how did you know?”
“I like watching cooking shows…usually for ginger stir-fry, they cut the chicken normally, don’t they?”
“I just wanted it to be in squares. Got a problem with that?” Oh, he’s looking for trouble, huh?
“No, sir, no problem, Phii Duen.” I bowed my head and pretended to look scared. Duen likes to do things that go against his character, which is quite cute. It’s like he’s trying to be tough, but he’s still…cute. How many times have I complimented him on being cute since we met?
“Good, if you do, I’ll kill you with this toothpick.” After saying that, Duen waved a toothpick in the air as a gesture. Wow, I might die from something like this…poking might be okay, but smashing?
So brutal, whose boyfriend is this?
“Alright…all the ingredients are ready, just need to stir-fry now.” I looked at the ingredients prepared on the table; it wasn’t much since I’m eating alone, but when I invited Duen to eat with me, he said he wasn’t hungry.
“Put oil in the pan, once it’s hot, add the garlic and stir-fry.” I followed each step Duen said as he stood beside me, giving instructions. Like this, I felt like the food would turn out delicious.
“Uh-huh.” Duen said that when the garlic starts to turn yellow, add the chicken, stir-fry until it’s almost cooked, then start adding the seasonings…this is where the problem starts.
“What should I add?”
“Fish sauce, light soy sauce, oyster sauce.”
“This much…is it enough?”
“Hey! That’s too much! Do you want kidney disease or what?”
“Really, then what should I do?” I asked without rushing, why be scared? I have a chef right here who can help me, believe me. Duen sighed softly before pointing at the sugar jar.
“You can add sugar, it will…hey!” I scooped sugar from the jar and threw it into the pan immediately. I added too much fish sauce earlier, one spoonful of sugar won’t make it less salty…it needs four heaping spoons.
“?” I looked at Duen with raised eyebrows when he grabbed my hand. I was about to add the fifth spoonful…or does he want me to switch to brown sugar? That would be good too, for a variety of flavors, for umami.
“You’ve already added too much, Bohn!” Oh. Isn’t that right?
“Really…I want it to be sweet like the love I have for you.” I’m lying…I just don’t know how to fix it, so I made up something to cover my mistake.
“…”
“Embarrassed, huh?”
“Yeah, now that you know, stop flirting, you bastard.”
“No way.”
“What’s that burning smell?” I sniffed when I caught a strange odor. It wasn’t just a smell, smoke was coming from somewhere…or maybe…!!
“Bohn! The pan!!”
“I think…let’s do the teaching another day, today I’ll cook for you.”
“That’s good…I’m hungry.” I answered dismissively, burying my face in my arms. In the end, I burnt the chicken to the pan, blacker than charcoal and hard as a rock…I didn’t even get to add the vegetables yet. I guess I really don’t have a talent for this.
“Yeah…go watch TV, I’ll call you when it’s done.” Duen said while patting my shoulder lightly, as if to comfort me. I’m not that stressed, just a little fail…
I looked down at my phone…I’ll upload the picture to troll myself; I took a photo of that thing earlier. I take pictures every time I cook because it’s rare…usually, it looks good but tastes bad, but today it looked bad…and the taste must be a hundred times worse.
Bon Ss: I guess I really can’t cook for anyone.
Can cook, but the taste is bad, sorry, you fool.
This time, I chose not to tag Duen. Shortly after posting, there were likes coming in; people, huh…even posting something nonsensical like this, I get hundreds of likes in ten seconds. I’m not kidding when I say I’m hot, Duen should be happy to have me as a boyfriend.
Boss Thanarit: We’re rich, man!! Just buy food! I’ll call an Italian chef to deliver right to you! We’re rich! Use money to slap them in the face and make them all our slaves…
Thanthep King: Ha! Don’t exhaust yourself, save your energy for your wife!!
Even though it’s annoying…you guys are trying to cheer me up, right? I’m not that stressed. I typed back:
Bon Ss: Yeah, thanks, lol.
After a while, my friends started talking about random stuff, including Tee, Bom, and Merk. Although Merk doesn’t type much, I know he cares about me just as much as the others…damn Boss, your husband is flirting with me.
I was reading some funny stuff when someone commented…I wouldn’t have cared if it wasn’t my boyfriend commenting, “Are you slacking off, you bastard Duen? The pan’s going to burn soon.” I wanted to type that, but after reading it, I didn’t feel like doing anything anymore.
Krisda Duennhaw: Just tell me what you want to eat, I’ll cook it for you.
Aren’t I your ‘private’ chef?
He attached a photo too, in the picture there was a plate of ginger stirfry…if I’m not imagining it. I could smell it for real. The plate of food took up about seventy percent of the image, but…the focus wasn’t on the plate of food, it was on the back of a man.
Which was me.
According to protocol, friends, I did my job well…
Boss Thanarit: Oh, I forgot he has his own chef.
Thanthep King: I think it’s his heart too!!!
Tee Pattharawin: Oh, oh my, I’m so jealous of people with boyfriends!!!
Tang Nakrad: Wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!
Bom, Boomm: Yessssssssssss!!!
Megha Setthakit: Hmm…
Are you joining in on the teasing too, Merk? But whatever, tease more, I like it, heh. Speaking of which, has Duen finished cooking? I think he has. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have taken a photo with my back in it.
Just as I was about to move, something green with a slender stem and white flowers was extended over my shoulder from behind.
“Ah, I haven’t given you flowers today yet. I didn’t forget, I planned to buy them after eating but you dragged me here first. This isn’t exactly flowers. It doesn’t have a meaning either, but it does have flowers. Don’t mind.”
“Chive flowers?” I turned to ask Duen. He hadn’t taken off his apron yet, probably waiting for me to do it…no, stay focused, you jerk.
“Yeah, I saw them when I went down to buy fresh stuff. Do you want roses or something better? I’ll go buy them.”
“Do you have your bike?” I asked teasingly. I don’t really want him to go buy new ones; the flowers in his hand are nice. Even if they’re nice…believe me, only Duen would give his boyfriend chive flowers.
“Hmph. No, we can walk.”
“No need, I’ve told you before, haven’t I? For me…what’s important is the person giving them.”
“Same.”
“?”
“For me…the taste doesn’t matter, what’s important is who made it.”
“…” Wow, your face is red again, Nong Bohn, are you embarrassed by Phii Duen?” Duen walked around to sit next to me, then poked my cheek deeply. I don’t know where he learned to say things like that, but it’s okay.
…I like everything he does.
“What, why didn’t you deny it?” He looked annoyed.
“I’m not as saucy as you.” I rested my chin on my hand, looking at him. Duen pouted and hit me with the chive flowers, hey! My flowers will bruise…it’s not even a flower, but whatever, don’t hit me!
“I’m not saucy! It’s called…considering how to answer questions logically based on scientific principles and probability.” Oh, I see…
“…Who taught you to lie like that? I’ll go drown them.” I mean it. I’ve never met anyone who can lie so smoothly before. Whoever taught Duen must be quite something, if we leave them be, they’ll produce bad influences for the country…we need to eliminate them!
“What if I said I learned it from you?”
“That’s not true, I’m really good at lying.”
“Then, would you know if I’m lying to you?”
“You don’t need to know.”
“Huh, you-”
“Because I wouldn’t lie to you.”
“Oh, alright, do whatever you want, want to make my face red? It’s already red, why make it redder, and do you want my heart to explode or something?” Duen forcefully placed the chives on my lap and walked away immediately. Even though he walked far, I could still hear him muttering “Bohn this, Bohn that.”
Is it me or you who’s called Bohn?
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