SOUTHBESIDETHESKY,  Special Chapter: Sweet: )

   “Phoon, can I have some of that snack?”

“Yeah, can I stop you? You’ve already taken it.”

“Phoon, I want some cocoa.”

“Make it yourself, or should I make it for you?”

“Could you please, bro? I can’t let go of this. Otherwise, North will definitely hit me.”

“Ter, focus a bit, you bastard.”

“Yes, yes.”

I slid off the sofa and got up to make cocoa for him. Today is a holiday after they finished their finals, so they came to hang out in my room. Of course, the medical students haven’t finished their exams yet, even though they started earlier than other faculties. Today, Phii Fah had an exam in the morning.

   I set down two cups of cocoa on the table in front of the sofa where these two were playing a game.

   “You guys,” I called out.

“…”

“You guys.”

“Phoon, wait, Ter, I’m counting to three and then attacking,” North said, his concentration fully on the phone screen, “Three!”    “Damn it! You can’t just count to three like that, shit, don’t attack yet, tank, North, wait for me.”

“Okay, okay, I’ve got the carry, damn, the mage is about to die, Ter, tank the tower, don’t let him escape.”

“No, damn it, I’m about to die.”

“Yeah, you support, it’s a mage, it’s worth the trade.”

“Here we go.”

“Yeah.”

“Damn, you survived, how did that happen? And you even managed to kill him.”

“See, I told you, what level are we at?” North raised an eyebrow at Ter. I could somewhat understand what they were talking about because North had taught me a bit, but I’m not good at playing, so I don’t like to play much, “You’re too slow, Ter, if you were quicker, the whole team would’ve died.”

“Isn’t winning the fight enough? We’ve taken the middle tower, don’t be greedy.”

“Yeah, yeah, you haven’t written anything yet, Ter, been in ghost mode for a while now.”

“Right, you play with Dao a lot, you guys sync like what,” Ter said. “It’s all about timing, I can’t explain it, but for me, ghost mode is number one for tanks, it’s so thick, playing with him feels safe knowing there’s always someone protecting.”    “Is Dao good at games?” I interjected.

“Dao is like fabric softener, how could he be good at games?”

“…”

“…Okay, let’s keep playing,” I cut in with a sigh, the humor isn’t necessary, focus on stressing the friends out. Once they finished playing, they picked up the cocoa I had just made to drink, “Can I ask something?”

“Go ahead.”

“What are your plans for the holidays?” I asked.    “I’m going home, waiting to go back with Phii Hill.”    “To Rayong?” North raised an eyebrow to ask.

“Yes, my parents, my sister, everyone is asking about Phii Hill.”

“Didn’t your dad not like Phii Hill at first?”

“He likes him now, they get along well. What about you guys?”

“I’m probably going home, Khunying keeps complaining about missing Phii Jo. Not a single mention of missing me, what about you,

Phoon, do you have any plans?”

“Yeah, I don’t know yet. Aside from taking on photography jobs, I don’t have any other plans.”

“Yeah, how’s the photography going for you? I heard you’ve started doing it,” Ter asked.

“Yeah, the first time I was super nervous, but once I got used to it, it was pretty good, fun even. When they complimented my work, it boosted my confidence a lot,” I said honestly, thinking back to my first job. I was so nervous I almost messed it up, but once I got the hang of it, it was fun. The earnings might not be much since I’m not a professional, but I’m gaining experience.

“That’s good for you, doing what you love is nice,” North said,

“What do you usually do when you’re in your room?”

“Just tidy up, clean, use the computer, watch movies,” I said while North got up to look around the room.

“I always thought Phii Fah’s room would be full of books, and it is, damn,” North said, scanning the bookshelf and picking up some books to look at, “It’s like a library, even with books not related to studying.”

“Phii Fah has all sorts of books, general knowledge, history books. Sometimes, when he’s tired of studying, he reads European history to relax his mind,” I explained truthfully. I was surprised the first time I saw it too, who rests from reading by reading more, but Phii Fah said reading history was enjoyable in its own way.

“I’m impressed,” North said, raising his eyebrows in surprise as he walked over to the balcony area, “Wow, it’s beautiful, did you put the bed here?”

“Yeah, I did it myself, almost killed me with the effort.”

“What do you do when it rains?”

“The rain doesn’t reach here, the awning is huge,” I said, having calculated the distance so that even if it rains, it wouldn’t reach where I placed the bed because of the wide awning.

“That’s romantic of you.”

“I thought it looked nice, some nights Phii Fah reads outside here, the atmosphere is quite nice, feels good to have done something for him,” I said before turning to see Ter looking at the bookshelf, “What are you doing?”

“Hmm, lots of books, it’s exciting.”

“Exactly, I haven’t even read half of it.”

“You read too?”

“Yeah, when I have free time, I read to keep Phii Fah company. It’s not that fun, but it’s not bad either, just leisurely reading. General knowledge stuff,” I said, “What about your rooms?”

“Phii Hill’s room is mostly textbooks, hardly any other books.”    “Phii Jo’s room has nothing much, textbooks, work-related stuff, documents like that. Your room has a lot of stuff but it’s wellorganized, Phii Fah’s books are plentiful, not to mention your camera equipment.”

“Yeah, so I always try to keep it organized, it makes it easier to find things. Hey, do you guys want to watch a video, from my birthday in

Japan?”

“I thought you wouldn’t show us. You never mentioned it,” Ter said.

“I forgot, come on.” I sat down at my desk and opened the video from my birthday in Osaka for both of them to see. Mostly it was Phii Fah throughout the video, with some others appearing, I added some music to it. The video was only four minutes long, “How is it?”    “Good, you’re good at editing,” North said.

“I learned from YouTube and stuff, in case I get to do more editing in the future.”

“Good work, keep it up, Phoon,” North patted my shoulder gently,

“Whose phone is ringing?”

“Mine,” I said before getting up from the desk and walking over to the sofa where the phone was making noise. I found it was a client who had previously hired me for photography and had scheduled a new shoot with Arthit. I quickly answered, “Yes, Phii Mew?”

(“Phoon, are you free, dear?”)

   “I’m free, what’s up?”

(“Can we move the appointment to this afternoon, the one we scheduled? The model rescheduled.”)

   “Oh, one moment please.”

I muted the call and turned to ask for advice from North and Ter.

“Guys, the person who hired me to take photos wants to move it to this afternoon.”

“Yeah, so what’s the problem?”

“How am I going to do it? Phii Fah isn’t done with his exams yet.” “I’ll drive you there,” North said, “Go ahead and agree, or you’ll lose the job.” North’s words made me unmute the call and speak back into the phone.

“Okay, I’ll be there an hour early as usual, at the same studio, right?”

(“Yes, yes, thank you for the trouble.”)

   “Yes.”

(“Thank you.”)

   “You’re welcome.” I hung up the phone and immediately asked

North, “How are you going to drive me? By car? It’s quite far.”

“Can’t you drive now?” North raised his eyebrows in question. I made a slightly troubled face; I can drive, because I just learned at driving school and got my license, but I’ve never driven on the road. Not counting the practice sessions with my instructor.

Initially, I couldn’t even turn left or right properly, so I had to memorize it; otherwise, I wouldn’t pass. Being able to drive is better because once I’m in my first year and Phii Fah is in his fourth year, our free time won’t overlap much. At least, I’ll be able to go places safely without Phii Fah worrying, and maybe I could even pick him up or drop him off. So, I practiced driving very diligently.

“Will it be okay? I’ve never driven on the road. Not counting with the instructor, that is.”

“Be a bit braver. If you’re not brave, you won’t learn.”    “You’re not driving, North, you’re good at it,” I said. “And when will you get good at it?”

“Okay, okay, I’ll tell Phii Fah first.” I looked at the time, it was just past eleven. I wasn’t sure if Phii Fah had a break from his exams yet, so I left a message on LINE saying I would take the car out to the studio. After a while, he read it and called back.

(“Are you going out?”) That was his first question after I answered the call.

“Yes, can I borrow the car…please?”

(“Will you be driving?”)

   “Yes.”

(“Okay, then drive carefully, drive slowly, don’t speed.”)

   “Yes.”

(“Are North and Ter going with you?”)

   “Yes, I will drive carefully. I won’t let your car get a single scratch.”

(“A little scratch is okay, but don’t crash or cause an accident.”)

   “Yes, at what time is your exam?”

(“The next one is in the afternoon. Send me some encouragement, will you?”)

   “Okay, do your best.”

(“I feel like it’s not enough somehow.”)

   “So, what do I need to do?”

(“I really want to see your face, send me a photo please.”)

   “Okay…sure, I’ll hang up then.”

(“Okay.”)

   I hung up and took a selfie to send in the chat with Phii Fah.

Typhoon: sends photo

   T.fha: Cute

   T.fha: Can I get one more sweet smile?

   Typhoon: I doesn’t like taking photos, TT

   Typhoon: sends photo

   T.fha: But you always take them for me 

   T.fha: Drive safely, okay?

   Typhoon: Okay, yes

   Typhoon: You’ve reminded me several times already

   T.fha: I’m worried

   T.fha: I’m about to fail the exam because I’m so worried

   Typhoon: Nah, I am fine, really

   Typhoon: I’ll take care, North and Ter are here, so rest easy.    Typhoon: Focus on your exam, okay?

   T.fha: Yes, I’ll focus on the exam.

   T.fha: And come back to me soon.

   T.fha: ♥

   Typhoon: ♥

   I put my phone in my pocket and hurried to prepare my camera equipment. It took some time to get everything ready, and then it was time to go to work. I grabbed the keys Phii Fah had mentioned and left the room with North and Ter.

“I’m a bit nervous, no idea why,” I sighed, “First time driving on the road without an instructor, really.”

“Come on, we’re here with you. It’ll be fine.”

“Will you guys be of any help?”

“You won’t die alone.”

“You’re such a dog,” Ter said, giving North a playful smack on the back as we were in the elevator heading down to the first floor, “Do you drive often, North?”

“Quite often, I like to take Phii Jo’s car for a spin, it’s fun.”

“Isn’t Phii Jo’s car dangerously fast?” I asked because someone like Phii Jo, who loves cars, only has sports cars. Phii Fah, on the other hand, isn’t that into cars; he just has his regular car and another for backup, parked in the VIP lot below the condo.

“Super fast, just touch the pedal and it takes off. But which car is it?”

“This one,” I said, pressing the remote to unlock the door of a black Porsche whose model I didn’t know. I also didn’t know the price, and I thought it was better that way. Otherwise, I’d be too nervous to drive. I opened the driver’s door, sat down, adjusted the seat, and set the mirrors as my instructor had taught me. North got in beside me, and Ter sat in the back. “Put on your seat belts, guys.”    “We know,” Ter said while pulling out the seat belt.

“Phoon, let’s go already.”

“Okay, just give me a moment to calm down, I’ve got a cramp in my leg.”

“Huh,” North, sitting next to me, sighed. I sighed too to ease the tension, slowly released my foot from the brake to move the car forward, pulled out from the parking lot, and stopped in front of the condo.

“Which way?”

“Go right,” North looked at the GPS on his phone and gave directions because he wasn’t very sure of the way to the studio, so he decided to use GPS for certainty. I checked left and right to see the passing cars until I was sure it was safe to turn, then I turned according to North’s directions, “Am I in the right lane?”    “Yeah, you’re in the middle of the lane, the motorcycle on the left can go,” North replied.

“OK.”

“Speaking of which, Phii Fah is just like your dad, Phoon,” Ter, sitting in the back seat, chimed in.

“How so?”

“At first, I thought someone as caring as Phii Fah, if he were with someone as childish as you, Phii Fah would be very protective, not letting you out of his sight, but turns out, he lets you drive by yourself, lets you go to work by yourself.”

“Hmm, Phii Fah once said he wanted to make sure that even without him, I could take care of myself, he encouraged me to learn to drive, if I wanted to work, he let me, like he was pushing me to grow up, but he still worries, like today, if I were alone, I wouldn’t be allowed to go, but with you guys here, he lets me.”

“That’s the way it should be,” said North, “My Phii Jo, he doesn’t let me work at all.”

“You still haven’t learned,” Ter shot back immediately, causing

North to frown slightly, “If you were to work part-time at a restaurant,

Phii Fah wouldn’t let Phoon go there, it’s dangerous, he almost didn’t make it last time.”

“Enough, stop talking, don’t bring that up.”

“You’re so heartless.”

“It makes me mad,” North pouted immediately.

“Should we pick up Dao?” Ter asked, “Dao just finished his exams.”

“Sure, tell Dao to wait in front of the faculty,” I agreed, before heading into the university to pick up Dao as well. There was a bit of traffic in the university, but we managed to get through. I drove, parked in front of the Faculty of Science, and saw a small figure in a baggy student uniform, carrying a backpack, looking dazed in front of the faculty. I rolled down the window and called out, “Dao.”

“…” Dao turned towards the sound of the call, slowly stepping towards me in the car before going around to sit in the back seat next to Ter, “Is the cat driving?”

“Uh, it’s safe, don’t worry. Even though I’m a beginner.”

“And where are we going?”

“We’re taking the cat to work, a photo shoot,” Ter said, and Dao, sitting next to him, nodded slowly. I glanced at the rearview and side mirrors, ensuring there were no other cars, then slowly drove out from the Faculty of Science. “How was the exam?” Ter started talking to Dao.

“I didn’t do that well, but I should pass.”

“Good, and was it your last exam day?”

“Tomorrow is the last day, has everyone finished their exams?”

“Everyone’s done, so you will be on break soon.”

“Yeah.”

“Any plans for the break?”

“Uh, I’m fully booked,” Dao said, still as hardworking as ever.    “And didn’t you bring your motorcycle?” I asked, because if Dao had brought his motorcycle, he wouldn’t have had us pick him up.

“I did bring it.”

“Oh, then what are we doing?”

“I don’t know either, I saw Ter said he would pick me up, so I forgot to think about it.”

“Oh well,” North sighed heavily, “We can just drop you back at the faculty, won’t anything happen to the bike?”    “It shouldn’t, there’s a security guard.”

“Why do you look more lethargic than usual?”

“I…just finished the exam.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

I drove carefully along the way, with North directing me to the studio. It took a while to get there. I parked with difficulty, barely breathing because I was afraid of hitting another car. I asked North to park for me, but he told me to practice by myself, it was going to drive me crazy, but in the end, I managed to park without any issues.

“I feel like I’ve aged ten years less,” I said after getting out of the car, I was holding my breath while parking earlier, and now my stomach feels all twisted.

“Told you, you can do it.”

“Yeah, jeez,” I said, feeling annoyed.

“You did well, Cat,” Daotok complimented. I couldn’t help but feel good, even though we’re both guys, I found Daotok really cute; his laid-back attitude and slow speech have become his charm.    I carried the camera equipment, with North helping to carry some as well, and we went in to greet Phii Mew, the owner of the clothing brand. This was a new collection that had just been completed, but it wasn’t a famous brand since it was just starting out. Previously, they hired me to shoot their first collection, and the feedback was quite good.

“Phoon, prepare your camera in a bit, okay?”

“Yes,” I nodded in acknowledgment before going to prepare my part.

“Phoon.”

“Yes?”

“Go talk to the model about how you work, your style, what you’re good at, work it out with him, but he’s a pro, he’s done a lot of shoots already, so don’t worry. It won’t be like last time,” Phii Mew said because last time the model wasn’t very good at posing, which made things a bit tough for photographers like me, but it wasn’t a big problem.

“Wow, hiring a pro like this. Not bad at all,” I teased a bit, and Phii Mew gave a small smile.

“This guy is getting quite famous, it was tough to schedule him, he’s a bit demanding as celebrities tend to be, rescheduling at will.

Anyway, don’t forget to talk to him; he’ll be done with makeup soon.”

“Okay,” I smiled, scanning the room to check the lighting and the setup, then sat with my friends for a while until the person who seemed to be the model walked in.

“Looks familiar, doesn’t he?” Ter furrowed his brows, looking at him, “Hmm, isn’t his name Mek, the one who acted in that short film?”

“Which short film?” I asked, as I don’t really keep up with these things, but Ter still follows some local news.

“I can’t remember the name of the short film, but he’s famous, even though he’s still in high school.”

“Oh,” I nodded to show that I understood. Even though we didn’t know each other, I left my seat and walked straight to the guy named Mek. If we’re the same age, there’s no need to be too tense, “Hello,

I’m Typhoon, the photographer for today.” I smiled and greeted him, Mek turned to look at me before giving a slight smile.

“Mek, the model, nice to work with you,” he extended his hand. I reached out to shake his hand in greeting, “Sorry, but how old are you?”    “Twenty-one.”

“Oh, the same age, you look young,” I was a bit surprised that Mek said we were the same age, wasn’t Ter saying he was still in high school?

“Thanks,” I smiled a little, “What kind of style are you good at,

Mek?” I started asking and we began talking about today’s work, once everything was okay, we started shooting. He must have been telling the truth about having a lot of experience because he was really good at posing and angles, so the first half of the shoot went well until break time.

   “How’s it going?”

“It’s good,” I replied to Ter while accepting the glass of water he handed over.

“He was looking at you weird,” North said with a serious expression.

“Mek?”

“Yeah, Mek, the model.”

“Really, how?”

“Like he wanted to devour you, like he wanted to swallow you whole.”

“…Really?” I furrowed my brows at North who still looked serious. I didn’t want to believe it too much, but since North said it, I couldn’t help but think about it. Probably not, right?

   “Trust my sharp eyes, tiger sees tiger.”

“Oh, you dare say that, are you the tiger?” Ter turned with a look of disbelief at what he just heard.

“Ah, well, just know that I can see it, let’s just finish work and go home quickly, don’t talk to him.”

“Uh, there’s nothing to talk about anyway,” I said, before hearing Phii Mew’s voice sounding like she was arguing with another woman, who I didn’t know, but from the situation I saw and what I heard, I guessed that woman must be Mek’s manager.

“We’ve paid in advance already, you suddenly delaying it again is unacceptable, let’s finish the shoot first. There’s no professionalism at all.”

“Oh, since you are a new brand, we decided to lower the price. Normally, with what you paid in advance, you only get the model’s rate for two hours, and now there’s some urgent business, urgent work, so we’ll have to reschedule the shoot for another day.”    “What other day? We’ve already paid for the studio rental.”    “It’s not my problem anymore. What do you want to do? If you want Mek to continue shooting, you’ll have to pay more.”

“How can you suddenly ask for more payment like this? That’s awful. You should have announced to everyone that this new model, who just got famous, is already scamming people.”

“Watch your words. Scamming? The rate was set like this from the start.”

“You yourself said you’d lower the price.”

“I’m not lowering it anymore.”

“Oh, come on!” Phii Mew looked quite upset, clearly because of the issue with the model’s fee, “Okay, okay, give me some time.”    “Uh, how about this, Phii Mew?” Suddenly, Mek, who had been quiet for a while, spoke up, but I couldn’t hear clearly because he was speaking very softly. After he finished, Phii Mew looked even more stressed, but Mek smiled.

“This isn’t going to end well,” North whispered. I looked at him, “Such a villain, that guy will come for you soon, look, there he comes.”

“Are you some kind of fortune teller?” I raised my eyebrows to ask.    “The real fortune teller is right here, can you predict anything, ghost whisperer?” North asked, Dao shook his head slightly but said nothing. I turned around and saw that Phii Mew was indeed walking towards us.

“Typhoon.”

“Uh…yes?”

“Can we talk for a moment?”

“Uh, yes.” I got up and followed Phii Mew not far from where we were standing, “What’s the matter?”

“Sigh. I didn’t want it to be like this, but I told you, didn’t I? Mek is very self-centered, there are lots of rumors about him with girls, you can guess what I’m going to say, right?”

“…”

“He said he’ll lower his fee back to normal, but in exchange for your LINE contact.”

“LINE?” I raised my eyebrows, repeating what he said, “Why does it have to be me?”

“Maybe he likes you, I know you already have a boyfriend, but I’m really in trouble here, you can give your LINE and then block him if you want.”

“…” I furrowed my brows, looking tense. I didn’t want to give my LINE, but I understood that Phii Mew was in a difficult situation, “I’ll go talk to him myself.”

“Oh, don’t say anything bad, consider it a favor for me.”

“Sure,” I agreed. What bad thing could I say anyway? I walked over to Mek, who was calmly eating his snacks, “Mek,” I called out his name.

“Yes, what is it?”

“It’s like…I know now, you shouldn’t do this, work is just work.”    “I know, but if I don’t do this, you wouldn’t give me your LINE, right?”

“Even so. I still won’t give it.”

“Why?”

“I have a boyfriend.”

“I see. I’m pretty used to this kind of rejection,” Mek gave a halfsmile, looking at me with sly eyes, just like North had said about this guy not being ordinary, which made me sigh.

“I don’t care if you want to abandon this job.”    My words made the other party stop smiling.

“Because I’m just a photographer. I’m fine with getting paid only half. I just feel sorry for Phii Mew, that’s why I came to talk, but if we can’t talk, I don’t care.” I said firmly, then turned around to leave but was grabbed by the wrist first, “Don’t touch me.”

“Okay, okay, Phoon. Can we talk again? I’m really interested in you, I liked you from the first time our eyes met.”

“Let go.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll let go, but don’t go anywhere, please.”    Ugh…so annoying.

   He was giving me those pleading eyes like a tiger conceding defeat, but it wasn’t going to work on me.

   “I have a boyfriend, I’ll say it again. I won’t give you my LINE, don’t touch me. Don’t bother me, and if you don’t want to work, don’t work. I’ll leave, and if you touch me again, someone will get mad,” I warned, guessing that North, having seen the scene earlier, must be getting pretty heated by now.

“Oh, a boyfriend, huh? The one in the black shirt, he’s been staring since earlier, like he’s about to come and punch us.”

“That’s my friend, but he will punch you if you touch me again.”

“And there’s someone to protect you too.”

“So, what’s the deal?”

“You’re quite fierce, little cat, are you going to scratch me?”

“…”

“Okay, okay, I give up, don’t be mad, little cat. Even though you look cute when you’re angry, I don’t want you to be mad. Let’s continue with the shoot; after all, you’re the one taking the photos.”

“Don’t call me cat.”

“Huh?”

“You have no right to call me that.”

“Wow, so fierce, I like you even more.”

“…”

I wanted to swear at him even more, but I remembered we still have to work together. I could leave like this, but I felt sorry for Phii Mew. It seemed like she had poured everything into this project, so I shouldn’t let my anger or personal issues cause trouble for others.    …But the one causing trouble was the person standing right in front of me.

   “Damn.”

“Oh, are you going to start cursing as soon as you arrive?”

“Why did he grab your hand? I’ll tell Phii Fah.”

“So what if he did? Forget it, just bear with it, we’ll finish this shoot and leave soon.”    “Really?”

“Hmm. It’s okay.”

“I’ve never seen the cat get so annoyed,” Daotok, who had been quiet for a while, finally said.

“Yeah. I’m serious about my work, it’s what I love. I don’t want it to go to waste, and I feel sorry for Phii Mew too,” I said with a sigh before smiling, “Okay, don’t make a fuss, North. Otherwise, my work will be ruined, no one will hire me again, you understand, right?”

“I know, I won’t make a fuss, what do you take me for? Don’t worry, let’s get back to work.”    “Yeah, good, be a good boy, North.”

“Ugh.”

“Oh, got smacked again.”

I went back to work, entering serious mode, but it seemed like the other guy wasn’t in the same mindset, just playing around to flirt with me.

“Enough,” I said, “Phii Mew, if the model doesn’t stop playing around, I’m leaving.”

“…Phoon, don’t be so serious.”

“This is work, not a playground, do you think everything’s a joke?”

“…”

“I’m ready to leave, I already said I don’t need the money.”

“Okay, okay. I was just messing around, now I’m serious, don’t make that scary face.”

“…” I stayed silent, looking at the person in front of me with a serious expression, indicating that I wasn’t joking. I told him how serious I am about this job.

It took nearly another two hours to finish the shoot. While I was packing up my camera,

“Typhoon,” I turned to look at Mek who was walking towards me, calling my name.

“…?”

“Sorry. I guess I was too playful, wasn’t I?”

“Hmm.”

“Phoon you is really cool when you are serious. At first, I was just playing around, but now I really like you, Phoon.”

“…” I didn’t respond, turning back to pack my gear, ignoring him,

“Move, you’re in my way.”

“Don’t be so harsh.”

“Sigh, seriously, what do you want?”

“I like you.”

“I have a boyfriend.”

“I don’t care.”

“That’s your problem.” I said dismissively before North came to help carry the equipment. I walked out with North, but Mek took the liberty to grab my wrist again. I shook it off forcefully, “I’m getting angry.”

“Don’t make that angry face, it’s cute.”

“Let’s go,” I told North and dragged him out, because it wasn’t just me who would be angry; North was starting to look irritated too.

“Do you think you can keep running away?” I heard Mek shout from behind. I sighed out of annoyance again, walked out of the studio, put everything in the car, opened the driver’s door to head back to the condo, but the same persistent person followed me out.

The three friends in the car exchanged looks, “Can’t we talk for a bit?”

“Mek,” I called his name in a low, frustrated voice, “What do you want?”

“I told you, I like you.”

“I told you I have a boyfriend, what more do you want?”

“Don’t be so harsh.”

“Are you going to say I’m cute again?”

“Uh huh. Aren’t you even a little bit embarrassed?”

“Not at all. Listen, do you really like me? I don’t care, you might just want to win. But let me tell you, the world doesn’t revolve around you; you won’t win everything. If you think I’m playing hard to get to seem interesting, I’m not. I have a boyfriend, and that’s that. I came here to do my job well, but you’re playing games for a LINE contact or whatever, it’s ridiculous, it’s so childish.”

“Ouch…that hurts.”

“Yeah.”

“Hey, don’t go yet.”

“What now?”

“Really not? I genuinely like you, you know.”

“That’s your business.”

“Heartless bastard.”

“I’m not heartless. I just don’t like you.”

“…”

The other person seemed to freeze. I turned my back, opened the car door, quickly started the engine, and drove off even though I was still a bit annoyed.

   “You look pretty fierce, it’s kind of unusual.”    “Really? But Ter sees it often,” I said.

“Really?” North turned to ask Ter.

“Uh. You guys don’t know, Phoon is like an aggressive cat, but only when it comes to his camera or when someone talks nonsense,” Ter began explaining, “Back in our old faculty, anyone who tried to flirt with him and didn’t make sense, he’d get fierce with them all the time.”

“I can’t believe it,” North made a gesture of disbelief.

“You guys only see him when he’s with Phii Fah, try with someone else.”

“Then there’s nothing to worry about, I guess,” said North.

“What’s there to worry about?”

“Oh. I shouldn’t even ask.”

…

Tonfah

   I walked out of the exam room feeling completely exhausted from the accumulated fatigue of several days. I would have one day to rest and study, then another exam the next day. I slumped down next to Jo and Arthit, who were already waiting there.

   “Why did you finish so quickly?” I asked.

“I don’t know, I just did it normally, hasn’t Hill come out yet?”    “Probably still working,” I said.

“And you?”

“I was completely focused, went over it several times, thought I’d be the last one out of the exam room.” When I left the exam room earlier, I saw about five or six people still sitting inside, including Hill, with only fifteen minutes left.

I picked up my phone and saw some notifications. The first message was from Phoon saying he had finished work and was heading back, asking if I wanted anything special, to text him if I had time. The other message was from North, a video clip, filmed from inside the car, showing Phoon talking to someone.    It seemed like Phoon was not in a good mood.

After watching the clip, I couldn’t help but smile. Phoon was angry because someone was flirting with him, I guess. Phoon is very serious about work, and it sounds like that person wasn’t taking the job seriously, which made Phoon mad, and even more so when he wasn’t making sense.

“Heartless bastard.”

   “I’m not heartless. I just don’t like you.”

   This made me think back to the first time I met Phoon, when he was still messaging me.

“I’m not kind. I just love you.”

That’s the difference between someone who loves and someone who doesn’t, I guess.    So cute.

Whose boyfriend is this? I want to grab him and fight.

“Your smile is too wide.”

“Why?” I looked up and asked, “You’re not me, you wouldn’t know.”    “What?”

“It’s hard if you’re not me.”

“Explain it properly.” Jo said, looking annoyed at me.

“Can I explain?”

“At this point, explain, I want to know.”

“Someone was flirting with Phoon. Today at work, he was persistently flirting until Phoon got angry at him.”

“Persistent?” Jo raised his eyebrows, repeating my words, “How so?”

“North said he asked for Phoon’s LINE in the studio, but Phoon didn’t give it to him. He then caused a fuss, saying he wouldn’t continue with the shoot if he didn’t get Phoon’s LINE. So, Phoon scolded him once during the shoot. Even after it was over, he still tried to talk to him, following him all the way to the car.”

“Hmm, and then what?”

“That’s it, he got scolded, Phoon left, so there probably won’t be anything more to it.”

“Not necessarily, they might meet again, a photographer and a model.”

“…”

“Seriously, do you think if he really likes Phoon, he won’t be able to find Phoon’s contact?”

“Jo.”

“Oh, you’re getting mad?”

“Don’t stir things up.”

“I’m not stirring, just think about what I said, did I say anything wrong?”

“…”

I fell silent and sighed a little to calm myself down. Phoon’s refusal today was good, but North texted to say that the guy seemed very serious, and as Jo said, he might easily find Phoon’s contact. My phone vibrated again. I looked down at the new message.

North♣: Oh, Phii Fah. I forgot to tell you.

   North♣’: That guy even held Phoon’s hand.

   North♣’: Like, twice, I think.

   T.fha: Do you know his name or any other information?

   “Jo.”

“?”

“What should I do?”

“I don’t like it, but there’s nothing we can do about it, right?”

“Are you talking to me?”

“You can’t tell me not to go to work, but I can’t stop others from looking either.”

“Hmm, I understand, your wife is cute.”

“Yeah, it’s annoying.” Arthit, who had been silent for a while, said with exasperation.

“That’s just how it is if you don’t have one.”

“Yeah, it’s frustrating.” Arthit said as he slumped back onto the table to nap, before Hill walked out of the room.

“What’s wrong? You look stressed.”

“Someone was flirting with Phoon,” Jo answered for me, “and it seems like they were trying to buy him too, so Fah is a bit tense.”

“Oh.”

“Do you have any good advice?” I turned to ask Hill who had just arrived at the table.

“Accept it.”

“Huh?”

“Accept it. I don’t like it when anyone looks at my partner either, but in some situations, we can’t control it. You know that, Tonfah, why are you asking?”

“Hmm, I understand.” I nodded slightly and sighed. Just like Hill said, there are some situations we truly can’t control. If it were like before, when I was the one to take Phoon to work and watch over him, no one would dare approach Phoon. They might just sneak a peek, but in today’s situation, there’s really nothing we can do about it. “Well, it’s good that Phoon turned him down, but if he persists, it won’t be good.”

“If he persists, he’s not smart.” Johan said.

“Yeah, that wouldn’t be very smart.”

…

   Typhoon

   “How was your day?” I walked over to Phii Fah, giving him a hug as we usually do whenever he returns to the room, tiptoeing to lightly kiss his cheek. Phii Fah smiled back and kissed my cheek in return.

“It was good, how about you Phoon?”

“He’s good too. Despite a small issue, work went smoothly.” I answered, “Shall we have dinner?”

“Yes.”

After we finished eating together, I took the dishes to wash at the sink. Phii Fah went to take a shower, and after a while, he came out. I dried my wet hands and walked closer to him.

“Phii Fah…do you want to read?”

“Phoon”

“Yes?”

“Is there anything you haven’t told me?”

“Huh? Oh…uh, well…”

“Did someone hit on you today?”

“How did you know?” I asked, tilting my head curiously, “Not that I wouldn’t tell, I just forgot. I meant to tell you when you got back, but then we had dinner and chatted, and I forgot.”

“North told me.”

“Oh…Are you angry, Phii Fah?”

“What should I say, he was pretty insistent with you, wasn’t he?”

“But I already turned him down, clearly said I have a boyfriend.”

“Why did you let him hold your hand then?”

“I shook it off,” I tried to explain immediately because I was afraid it might cause problems between us, but it seemed too late as Phii Fah looked displeased, “Phii Fah…are you mad at me?”

“No, forget it.”

“…”

“Just a little annoyed,” Phii Fah smiled, then pulled me into a hug,

“Which hand?”

“Huh?”

“The one he held, which hand?”

“Uh, here,” I raised my right hand, Phii Fah took that hand, kissing it all over, nibbling gently on my wrist, which left me stunned and my face flushed with heat.

“How did he hold it? Isn’t this mine?”

“Yes, I’ll be careful. No one will get to it.”

“Yes, so this is also mine, right?”

The person in front of me glanced at my lips, pressing down with his thumb lightly before our eyes met. I knew my face must have turned red again, my heart beating even faster.

“Yes…it’s yours.”

“…”

“The whole body, the whole heart, hmm.” Before his thick lips came down for a gentle kiss, his warm tongue intruded without waiting for my permission, and of course, I didn’t resist, letting him take everything he wanted. Phii Fah lifted me off the ground. I closed my eyes, accepting every touch from his lips, wrapping my arms around his neck.

Phii Fah laid me down on the bed on the balcony, close by. I leaned back on the pillow as he leaned in. We kissed, our tongues mingling with embarrassing sounds, biting each other’s lips gently and forcefully, our warm breaths mixing with hearts beating like we were out of breath.

I ran my fingers through his soft hair, Phii Fah slowly unbuttoned my shirt, his hands roaming over my bare chest, the warmth making my body react immediately. Phii Fah pulled back from the kiss slowly, moving to my neck and ear, making my mind go blank.    He bit into the crook of my neck. It hurt, and I knew it would leave a mark, then he moved down to suck on my nipple, biting and licking it. I arched my back with the tingling sensation.

“Hmm, oh, ah!” I inadvertently moaned as Phii Fah left red marks on my chest, starting with one, then two, moving down to my stomach. I felt a twist in my gut, my breath catching with the ache in my hardening core, “Kiss…”

“Hmm?”

“Kiss.” I whispered, and he moved from my stomach back to my lips for another kiss, this one more intense, biting my upper and lower lips fiercely, but I didn’t resist. Then my pants were taken off, and my skin felt the gentle breeze outside on the balcony, “Hmm, ah.”    Phii Fah spread my legs apart, his slender fingers touching the back entrance with gel, causing me to shiver slightly at the cold touch.

“Umm…uh, why…” I was about to ask why there was gel.

“Last time we did it here, don’t you remember?”

“Oh…uh,” I averted my eyes a bit shyly; when I said we should change the atmosphere, I meant for Phii Fah to read a book. Not to change the atmosphere in this way. Unintentionally, his slender fingers pushed inside me, “Ah! Umm…”

I moaned in my throat when I was kissed again, feeling his fingers pushing in and out. Soon, he added more fingers, increasing the intensity.

“Uh…ah, pa…Phii Fah, too…too hard.”

“It’s just fingers.”

“Uh, it hurts.”

“Oh, sorry, but bear with it a bit.”

“…”

“Because today someone crossed the line, I want to make you mine quickly.”

“I…ah, uh, pa…ah, I’m already yours,” I said that before the three slender fingers were withdrawn, replaced by something larger slowly pushing in. Due to the urgency, it hurt more than usual, but I could bear it. I felt Phii Fah slowly entering me, then suddenly thrust all the way in, “Ah!! Uh…”

Not giving me time to get used to its size, this time Phii Fah started moving, accelerating the pace. I moaned with both pain and pleasure.

   “Ah, uh, ah!!”

I bit my lower lip and gripped the arms of the person in front of me to cope with the pleasure. As my body adjusted, the pain faded, replaced by increasing pleasure.

   I raised both arms to wrap around his neck, pulling him down to kiss me. Phii Fah complied willingly, the movements below still intense and forceful, our tongues intertwining fiercely.

   “Mmm, Phoon.”

“Ahhh! Uh, yes…”

“So sexy.”

“Really…, uh…”

“Yes, you’ve gotten much better.”

“I…I want to do it, ugh, ahh,” I almost couldn’t speak properly as the force from the other side hit my body intensely, making my voice go crazy, my heart beat wildly, and my whole body felt hot.

“Hmm, Phii Fah.”

“Yes?” Phii Fah answered while looking at me, his eyes almost melting me.

I didn’t reply before trying to push myself up, throwing myself at him and pushing Phii Fah down to sit, even though he was still inside me. He looked slightly confused before smiling.

Now, I was sitting on Phii Fah.

   I leaned my face closer and kissed him, our hot tongues and breaths intertwining. I started to move my hips up and down slowly, feeling a tightness in my lower abdomen because of his size, but the pleasure made me press down again. His strong hands caressed my hips before guiding them up and down.

“Ugh, ahh,” I pulled away from the kiss and rested my forehead on his neck, both hands gripping his shoulders, my hips moving with the guidance of his hands. When I pressed down on the sensitive spot repeatedly, I couldn’t help but moan, trying to suppress it by biting my lip, but it never worked. The warm breath from the person in front of me grew more rapid, accompanied by deep moans from his throat.    Soon, I felt like I was about to finish, holding back as the body in front of me twitched slightly. I then released the cloudy white liquid along with Phii Fah.

Phii Fah lifted me up slowly, kissing all over my cheeks. I, breathless, just leaned against him like that.

Phii Fah took off the condom, tied it, and threw it into the nearby trash can before reaching for another condom.

Because Phii Fah said that using a condom is better because you don’t have to clean up often.

We could do more rounds this way.

   Oh…

   “Ahhh, ugh,” Phii Fah turned me around, pulled my hips closer, thrust himself in again, and started to move, increasing the tempo, making my whole body sway with the force. I gripped the bed sheet tightly to cope with the sensation, glanced back at the person behind me slightly, the waist thrusts were relentless, making me moan louder,

“Ugh, ahh, ugh, there, right there.”

“Right here?”

“Y…yes, ugh…”

“Your spot, huh?” Phii Fah said with a hoarse, low voice, before thrusting into my sensitive spot, shattering my consciousness once again.

“Ugh…ahh, umm, oh!” I cried out when I felt a sharp pain in my back; Phii Fah left red marks all over my back again, just like he always does when we have sex. I let him leave his marks of ownership wherever he wanted because I truly belong to him.

We have sex often and multiple times each session; every time feels so good, and there’s no sign of boredom. I think Phii Fah feels the same. We start with deep kissing, and if it’s a day off or we have some free time, it always ends with sex; it’s not a bad thing since it’s with someone I love. I try to make myself stronger for my lover’s pleasure.    Our love story continues. This time it was more intense and took a bit longer than before; when reaching the climax, Phii Fah withdrew.

No matter how many times, it always feels tight, probably because it’s just too big.

   My body has started to adjust. Even though it hurts, I can bear it; Phii Fah got dressed and then just put a shirt on me before carrying me to the bathtub.

   “Shall I bathe you?” Phii Fah asked while stroking my slightly wet hair.

His gaze has never changed.

   Since the day I agreed.

   It’s always full of love, warmth, and kindness.

   “It’s okay, I’ll go out to find you later.”

“I want to soak for a long time, but it’s good to hurry too. I miss you, I want to hug you.”

“You hugged me just now.”

“Sleep hugging, hurry up. Otherwise, I definitely won’t have the energy to read.”

“Uh, sure.” I agreed, and Phii Fah leaned his face close, touched his lips to mine, pressing a little harder before pulling back, smiled at me, and then left the bathroom. I leaned back against the bathtub and soaked in the warm water like that.

   I’m already won over.

   What kind of person is this?

   The best at being clingy.

   And I’m defeated, defeated from the start. Why do I always make myself so vulnerable? There’s no way out like this.

   I soaked in the hot water for a while until I felt it was enough, then got up from the tub, put on pajamas, and went to find someone reading on the bed on the balcony. Phii Fah seems to really like the setup I arranged for him.

   I sat down and moved closer, slowly nestling into the person in front of me. Phii Fah slowly reached out to hug me.

   “When’s the next exam?”

“Tomorrow.”

“You have to go out to study with the seniors from the medical faculty, right?”

“Yes, will you come along?”

“Yes, I’ll bring my work to do.”

“Work? Oh, photo editing?”

“Yes.”

“Did it hurt earlier? Was I too rough?”

“Ugh, being rough and then asking like this every time.” I pretended to be slightly annoyed. The person hugging me immediately looked uncomfortable. I couldn’t help but smile, then gently pinched his nose,

“Jealous type.”

“Yes, my boyfriend is so cute.”

“But it’s a pity, isn’t it? Jealous but not actually jealous because Dust takes care of everything.” I said with a smile. Phii Fah chuckled a bit before gently pinching my cheeks.

“Oh my, I love you so much I can barely handle it.”

“Then don’t handle it, love me lots.”

“I can’t love you more than this, it’s the maximum. I’m going to die from love.”

“If you die from loving me, I’ll bring you back to life to love me again.”

“You won’t let me go anywhere, will you?”    “Definitely not.”

“You’re really good at being clingy, number one indeed.

And you always lose, you’ve been losing since forever, why do you keep acting like this? With this attitude, you’ll never get anywhere.    “This is as much as I can handle, it’s the end; I’m going to die of love.”

“If you love me until you die, I will revive you Phii Fah to love

Phoon again.”

“You won’t let me go anywhere, right?”

“Definitely not.”

“Alright, then I won’t go anywhere.”

“Mm, I won’t go anywhere either then.”