NORTHHOWMUCHISYOURLOVE, Chapter 27 part 2
“You’re all talk, North.” Ter remarked before picking up his cards, “Are you going to be the dealer, Dao?”
“Sure.”
“Wait, what’s going on here?” Phoon asked, looking confused and slightly annoyed at us, “At first, North was going to check his fortune, wasn’t he? How did it turn into playing poker?”
“Open your cards, Cat.” Daotok said.
“Damn it…Officer, please stop these guys.” Phoon said, “Why do we have to play this?”
“Open your cards, Cat.” I repeated what Daotok said. “What’s all this?”
“Open your cards, Cat.” Ter repeated.
“Oh, fine!” Phoon exclaimed, out of patience, and picked up his cards to reveal them, “Poker nine, you animal!”
“Oh, fine!” Phoon said, out of patience, picking up a card to look at, “Pocket nines, bastard!”
“Wow, what’s that?” I placed my cards down with a sigh. Our card game only lasted a few rounds because Daotok’s luck was too good. What kind of dealer is this? But we weren’t betting money since none of us had any, and why was my luck only good for the first hand? When I went back for another fortune reading, Daotok said that my luck was very good now, especially financially.
“Really? Then I must buy a lottery ticket.” I said.
“Lottery again, North? You’ve only won once since you started buying, and you used it to buy drinks for your friends.” Ter remarked.
“People need faith, Ter. I’ve got my eyes wide open, dreaming of getting rich quick, you know? Think about it, Ter. I buy a lottery ticket for just a few hundred, and if I win, it’s millions. That’s the life, bastard. No need to work till your back breaks, it’s a real investment for profit.”
“I heard your boyfriend is rich, isn’t he?” Ter asked.
“But I’m not rich, am I? While Phii Joe is asking for thousands from the ATM, I’m still wondering why the machine doesn’t give out twenties.”
“Let’s see.” Phoon suggested. Daotok nodded, shuffled the cards, and laid them out again. Phoon picked the cards as instructed.
“Cat…”
“Huh?”
“Do some good deeds.” “Wow, Dao is telling you to do good deeds.” I said, laughing. Phoon looked really shaken, “Why, Dao? Am I going to have terrible luck?”
“No, just kidding.”
“Dao, you scared me.” Phoon said, “My heart just dropped.”
“For the cat, there will be something about love…”
“All students!!”
We all turned sharply towards the voice, finding that the club advisor had come in. Today we were assigned to draw objects that the teacher had prepared, aiming to create the most dimensional drawings. I felt quite uncomfortable with drawing. When I first joined the club, Ter and Phoon were just as bad as me, but over time their skills improved, leaving me alone here…
Plus, the teacher was quite strict, which is why there are so few people in the club even though it’s specifically for drawing.
“Wow, Dao, are you trying to outdo me with your watercolors?” I peeked over at Daotok’s painting while I was trying to cover up my own mistakes with charcoal. Daotok was using watercolors, “You’re mean, you know that.”
“Is it wrong to use colors?” Dao said, making a face at me, “The teacher said it was okay.”
“And here I am, still struggling with shading.” I said in despair, before lifting my drawing board to look at my work, “Art and I just aren’t meant to be. It’s not my path.”
“North, let’s see.” Phoon said, leaning in to have a look, “What’s this? Why do your leaves look so pitiful?”
“Shut up, or I’ll hit you with a dried fish.”
“Hit a cat with a fish?” Ter asked, bursting into laughter. After I finished my own work, I went to sit next to Daotok to watch the way of the artist. No matter how many times I watch it, I’m still amazed. How can he paint so beautifully? Ter and Phoon are also good at drawing.
Damn, it really feels like a complex thing in my life, T^T.
“Dao?”
“Ha?”
“Why do you have to be named Star when you’re a guy?” [1] Dao means Star
“Oh. It comes from my parents praying to a falling star for a child. They wanted to name me Daotok regardless of whether I was a boy or a girl.”
“Really? Why pray to a falling star? If they prayed to something else, would you have a different name?”
“Why do you have an issue with my name?” Dao asked while still focused on his watercolor painting, “I don’t have any problem with my name though.”
“Are you calling me annoying?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s right, you’ve got some guts now.” I said, which made Daotok chuckle a bit, “And why does it have to be a falling star? Could it have been something else? A falling star is like a meteorite fragment, right?”
“Do you want me to be named Meteorite then? That’s not it, North.”
“Change the language then, what’s it in English, Meteor?”
“…”
“Mete-or?”
“…”
“…”
“Hey, why does it have to be Daotok? I don’t get it. If someone calls a name Dao, it sounds like they’re calling a girl.”
“Why does it feel like I’m being bullied?” “Yeah. Don’t bully the one who’s doing your work for you, North. You’re so bad, bastard. You don’t attend club activities, and you don’t do the work, so Dao has to draw two pictures every time. You really don’t have any sense.”
“Wow, what’s that?”
“Don’t take it to heart, Dao. North is just like that.” Ter said.
“Exactly.” Phoon chimed in.
“I think the one being bullied right now is me.”
“And why is your name North?” Daotok turned to ask me, his brush moving back and forth in his hand.
“My mom said North means ‘above’ or ‘north,’ so why not just name me ‘North’ and be done with it? I was confused too.” I said, having asked my mom about my name before, but she just wanted it to mean ‘north.’
“And what about Ter and Phoon?”
“Oh, it comes from the Easter festival, my mom went abroad on Easter and liked it, and my younger sibling is named Christmas, also a festival theme.” Ter explained, having told me this story before when I asked.
“Your sister, Christie, she’s really cute.” I said, “If I were Phii Hill…”
“North, you’re such a villain.” Ter said, throwing a piece of paper at me.
“Come on, what’s that?”
“And what about Typhoon?” Dao looked up to ask.
“It’s to match with my sister’s name.”
“You have a sister, Phoon?” I raised an eyebrow in surprise, “That’s great, I wish I had a sibling. What’s her name?”
“Thofan.”
“How do they match?”
“Phoon and Fan, they sound similar.” And then we talked and worked at the same time. After a while, it was time to end the art club meeting, and my work score was embarrassingly low. Daotok left early, leaving just the three of us. Ter also needed to wait for Phii Hill, so I decided to go with him.
“Phoon, what are you going to do?”
“Yeah, what should I do?”
“Want to grab something to eat together? There’s food at the cafe under the medical building. You’re free now, Phoon.” Ter suggested. Phoon hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement.
We sat down to eat and chat. I had texted Phii Joe to let him know I’d be waiting with friends. We chatted for a while, then the medical seniors entered the cafe, all of them together. Phii Hill sat next to Ter, and Phii Joe sat next to me.
“Oh, Phoon you are leaving?” I commented when I saw Phoon getting up.
“Yeah, I’m off, see you.”
“Okay, see you.” Ter and I said, a bit confused, as Phoon stood up and walked away. Was it just my imagination, or did he seem to be in a hurry? He was quite calm before, and then suddenly he dashed off.
When I turned back to our table, I thought I saw Phii Fah looking after the person who had just left, but he quickly looked away again.
Before we could continue our conversation, there was a buzz from the people in the cafe. I turned to see what everyone was looking at, and there was a woman standing in front of the cafe, visible through the clear glass.
Beautiful…
Really beautiful, stunningly so. No wonder everyone was so excited. She had long hair down to her waist, probably in her late twenties, wearing a pantsuit and high heels, giving off an aura of a celebrity or an idol, or maybe she was a celebrity I just didn’t recognize. “Gene…” I heard Phii Johan call out like that, then he got up from the table and walked out of the cafe.
gene?
Someone Phii Joe knows?
“Is she an acquaintance?” I asked the others. Phii Hill was about to answer when another scream erupted in the cafe. I quickly turned to look.
A cheek kiss…?
That woman had kissed Phii Joe’s cheek, and he didn’t seem to react much to it. I was stunned by what I saw, mixed with confusion, before both of them walked into the cafe.
“Come here.” Phii Joe called out to me, and I noticed the woman walking over to another table. As the two of them entered the shop, it seemed like everyone was watching, they made an impressive pair standing together.
I got up and followed Phii Joe, still not understanding anything, and sat down next to him. I raised my hands in a respectful greeting, and she returned the gesture. Phii Johan sat there, resting his chin on his hand with a bored look, but I was the one feeling uncomfortable.
What…what is this?
Why are they staring like that?
I inadvertently looked away because of all the eyes on us. She then propped her chin on her hand, looking at me and giving a slight smile, which was very beautiful.
Why do I feel like I’m about to be swallowed whole? It’s like when Phii Joe looks at me, the gaze is very similar.
“What are you looking at?” Phii Joe said, sounding a bit annoyed, but the smile of the person opposite us didn’t fade. She just shifted her gaze from me to Phii Joe.
“Can’t I look a bit?” “No.”
“Just a little, he’s getting shy.”
“Gene.” The person next to me said, his voice lowered slightly but still sending shivers down my spine. She then broke into a broader smile, noticing Phii Joe’s displeased demeanor.
“Hmm?”
“…”
“Wow, that’s scary. I’ve never seen you like this before, Joe.” She said, lowering her hand from her chin. “Oh, I won’t tease anymore. I just wanted to see how cute he is, since he’s managed to make you fall head over heels.”
Mom…?
Is this Phii Joe’s mother…?
She’s as beautiful as Phii Prang described, even more so than I had imagined.
So, the guess that she was in her late twenties must be wrong then.
“You’re so cute.” She said, reaching out to pinch my cheek, but before she could, Phii Joe’s hand intervened. “What’s this? Can’t I even touch?”
“No.”
“Yep. You are quite protective of what’s yours, having waited for three years now.”
My mom’s teasing words made me give a dry smile out of embarrassment.
“And so, why have you come?” Phii Joe asked.
“Just driving by this area, wanted to see my son in his medical student uniform, thought it would be better to stop by.” She said in a cheerful manner, she really seems like a lively mom, but why wouldn’t he want me to meet her?
“You’ve seen him now.” “You look so handsome with this hairstyle, can I take a photo?” She said, pulling out her phone to take a picture of Phii Joe, “Really handsome, this style suits you perfectly.”
“It’s normal, handsomer than your boyfriend, even.”
Topping being called handsome by saying you’re handsomer than your mom’s boyfriend, that’s the ultimate level of confidence!
Phii Joe’s words made his mom burst out laughing immediately.
“Fine, fine, I won’t argue, even handsomer than your dad when he was young. Let me introduce myself, I’m Johan’s mom, my nickname is the same as what Joe calls me. I’ve been called this since he was little because I asked him to call me that way, I like it. It gives a friendly vibe.” She introduced herself cheerfully, “And what about this, are you two dating?”
“Yes.” I replied with a broad smile.
“Oh my, how delightful, let me tell you, the story starts when my grandma told me that Joe was coming home drunk almost every day, and wouldn’t tell anyone what was going on. He had never been this drunk before. When I visited that day, I found Joe drunk again, and no matter how much I asked, he wouldn’t tell, until he fell asleep and started talking in his sleep.”
“Talking in his sleep?” I repeated her words, looking at Phii Joe who didn’t react at all, but I was the one feeling embarrassed, why, T^T.
“Yes, your name is North, right?”
“Yes.”
“That’s it, I started investigating until I found out it was someone who lived nearby, but Joe got really mad at me when I tried to approach you.”
“Approach me?”
“Yes, for some reason, he got angry.”
“And why would you go?” Phii Johan asked with a hint of annoyance. “Come on, why not? I was even thinking of proposing to North’s family, my dear. With a dowry of a hundred or two hundred million, twenty bars of gold, we’d take the engagement gifts right from grandma’s house and send them to North family. Or I could start by getting to know your mom first, asking for her son for my son. I promise to take good care of him.”
“…”
I couldn’t help but chuckle a little at her words. Why is Phii Joe’s mom so charming?
“Hey. He complains that the soymilk is too sweet, but he drinks it every day.”
“Really?” I said, turning to look at the person beside me, not expecting he’d eat it all.
“When grandma found out Joe was complaining it was sweet, she stopped forcing him to eat it. But then he had been visiting to buy it every day on his own, whether he wanted the soymilk or just to sneak a peek at the cute seller.”
“…”
I broke into a wide smile and instinctively raised my hand to cover my mouth slightly from the embarrassment. I didn’t dare look at Phii Joe, so he did come to sneak looks at me every day?
“He’s cute, isn’t he?” Phii Joe’s mom continued to tease.
“He is cute. If he wasn’t, why would I go every day?”
!!
I placed my arm on the table and slid my hand to cover my face a bit, almost unable to hold back my smile. My face felt hot, and my heart started beating faster. How could he say something like that so casually?
“Sometimes you’re too straightforward, I’m embarrassed for him.” Mom said, covering her face with her hand, “And about work, he works for you, dear.” “Me?” He works for me? At first, Phii Joe told me it was because of me that he started taking an interest in the family business, and I was really happy about that.
“I heard him say…”
“Joe wants to be someone you can rely on.”
“…”
“After that, he started working harder and decided to inherit the family business. I was wondering why he accepted the offer when he’s still only in his second year, but then it clicked, because you’re here, Joe has become even more serious about work.”
Because of me…Phii Joe decided to take over the family business? That’s why his work has been so intense…
“But when there’s someone new, he suddenly wants to spend more time with them. He’s always been all in with work, but after finishing the project in Boston, he said he wanted to put some work aside for now.”
“Well, I have someone to take care of now.”
“…” I lowered my head and bit my lip tightly, feeling my heart swell with joy upon hearing the words from the person beside me. I was so happy that he said he wanted to spend time with me. I’ve never had a problem with him not having time for me; I’ve always said I understood, but it does feel better knowing I’m someone he wants to make time for.
“That’s good then. I don’t want you to overwork, you’re still studying too. You can work more after you graduate, but once you start working, you might not have as much time. Will you understand that, North?” Mom asked, turning to look at me. “He might even work harder than before.”
“I understand.” I said, “But if he overworks, I’ll worry, you know.”
“Can I hug you? Why are you so adorable? And you’re someone my son loves so much.” Mom said, standing up from her chair and walking over to sit beside me. “Gene, no.” Phii Joe said, pulling me closer, “That’s why I said I didn’t want you to meet.”
“What’s wrong? I’m just happy, why is he so cute? I can see why Joe likes him, just one little hug.”
“No.”
“Aww.” Mom said with a sigh, sitting back down, “But I want to thank you, thank you for everything. If there’s time, I’d like to treat you to something nice to eat, but I’m sorry, I have to rush off now.” She said, glancing at her wristwatch.
“That’s okay.” I replied.
Then Mom asked me some general questions like what I was studying, if my studies were going well, before she had to leave in a hurry. We walked her to her car.
“Bring him home sometime, I’ll talk to your dad about it.”
“Will Dad have time?” Phii Joe asked.
“He’ll have to find the time one of these days, we’ll meet soon, and Joe, take good care of him, you’re so protective.” Mom teased again, then rummaged through her bag for something, “Ah, here, for snacks.”
“No need, I can pay for him.”
“Really? Oh, I forgot, my little Joe probably has more money than me. Then, can I at least give him a kiss?”
“No.”
“A hug then?”
“Gene, I made things clear.”
“So fierce.” Phii Joe’s mom said, making a pouting face at Phii Joe. I think they’re a really cute mother-son pair, “Mom’s starting to get scared now, what if someone messes with the kid, won’t they die? Oh, but there’s already one person.”
“Ha? What?” I looked at her with a puzzled expression. “The person who messed with you, dear, be careful, this one is very protective. If he gets really protective, someone might actually die.”
“Ha, what do you mean?”
“It’s nothing, so I will go now, Joe, you should come home too, you can come back with him.”
“Alright.” Phii Joe said, before my mom got in the fancy car and it drove off.
“Your mom is so cute.” I remarked as we walked back to the original coffee shop. It seemed like my mom was quite touchy-feely like Phii Joe, always wanting to hug or kiss, maybe that’s why he didn’t want them to meet.
“Is she?”
“And what did mom mean by what she said earlier?”
“Hmm, what?”
“About someone messing with me.”
“Oh. Just that.” Phii Joe said with an air of not caring much. He had this attitude that told me asking wouldn’t get me any further answers.
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