NORTHHOWMUCHISYOURLOVE, Chapter 13 part 2
“Bastards.” I said, feeling dejected, “I bought them myself.”
“It’s your fault for losing. You can’t argue. In the end, the chocolate filling is mine.” Skater said proudly. Really, Duennao should be the one to get the best stuff since this was money Tiger gave for him.
Forget it. If you want Nao to have something nice, you need to stop being trash and buy it yourself. “Let’s go, we’ll be late for class.” Kyu said, chewing on his snack. “North, take Nao with you.”
“Got it.” I agreed.
“I always have to bother you. If you have a boyfriend, let him give you a ride. Your motorcycle, the one you ride, just leave it at the dorm. Let the spiders make their webs on it. If you’re not using it, tell the guard to sell it off.” Nao said.
“You’re taunting me like you’ve got a real grudge against me.” I said.
“Grudge? You got out of an Audi, your face all red, wow, what were you doing in there? With such dark tinted windows, we couldn’t even see.”
“It’s good, then stop being so nosy.” I hadn’t even thought about whether others could see us in the car, but when Nao said the windows were tinted and you couldn’t see inside, I let out a sigh of relief. However, they could still see my red face even with the mask on, probably because I rushed out of the car without putting it on properly.
“I’m jealous, I wish I could sit in an Audi as a blessing for my butt.”
“Really?” I raised an eyebrow, should I tell Tiger that Nao wants to ride in an Audi? “I’d like to see what it’s like inside, if it’s luxurious or not.”
“It’s luxurious, to the point where I didn’t dare to breathe, scared of polluting the car.”
“That much, huh?”
“That much.” I said as we, the four of us, walked to the parking lot.
“How much does an Audi like that cost?” Skater asked.
“I don’t know.” I replied.
“It depends on the model, Phii Joe’s one must be in the tens of millions.” Kyu said, “Maybe even twenty. Why would someone that rich need to chase after our friend?”
“Boats and oars can race each other, but luck and karma can’t, as North once said.” Skater said with a hint of pride.
“When did I say that?”
“So, are you guys dating yet? Why did he drive you all the way to the faculty?”
“Yeah, I was going to ask that.”
“And why were you blushing when you got out of the car?”
“You were together in the morning too?”
“Really!”
“Yeah, I called North wondering why he wasn’t coming to class, and Phii Joe answered, saying you weren’t going. What does that mean?”
“Why were you together, or were you together all night?”
“Look, you’re not even dating yet, or are you?”
“You’re all such dicks.” I said to cut it short. It’s not that I didn’t want to explain, but I didn’t know how to. These bastards were really something.
“Wow, you curse at us, but your face is red. Even with the mask, you can see you’re blushing.” I looked at them with a fed-up expression and adjusted my mask slightly, “Dick, even under the mask, I am.” And so, we finally made it to class. At first, I was wondering what the elective Nao mentioned was about. He just said that Kyu signed us up for it.
Home Economics…
“Damn, Kyu, you made me travel all the way from the engineering faculty for this?” I said, exasperated. He’s gone mad. An elective in home economics. What was he thinking? After studying all the stressful subjects, now we have to make cakes?
“I told you I was serious, taking our names and codes to sign up for this.”
“Hey, my friend said it’s fun.” Kyu said, “A way to de-stress after calculus.”
“I’m going to be more stressed than before.”
“North, can you cook at least?” Kyu asked.
“Yeah, I can cook food, but not cakes!”
“This is going to be a disaster, are we going to fail this elective?” Skater said with a look of boredom, “If we fail an elective, that would be the worst. Normally, electives are supposed to boost our grades.”
“If we fail, blame this idiot Kyu. I’m running out of insults.”
“Nao has been cursing me since last night, my heart is all bruised. North, help me out, please comfort me.” Kyu said, coming over to cling to my shoulder.
“Comfort you with my heel, you mean.”
“North isn’t taking your side at all.”
“Why are you guys so mean to me?”
“You’re the meanest, Kyu.” I said with a sigh. Oh, for heaven’s sake, even after high school, I can’t escape this. It seems like it’s a subject related to food for some department. I wasn’t sure which, just that it was held in the home economics building. I sighed in anticipation. Soon, students from other faculties started coming in. The teacher told us to pair up and make a simple cake. It sounded easy enough from the instructions, but pairing with Duennao wasn’t going to be simple.
“Why isn’t Kyu paired with me?” I grumbled a bit. Kyu is the best at cooking or baking among us.
“The team won’t be balanced, North.” Skater said while helping Kyu sift the flour.
“I and Kett can’t do it. You and Kyu can, this division is correct. The team is balanced.” Nao said, “So, do we just dump the flour now?”
“Sift it first, you beast, didn’t the professor just say that?”
“Isn’t it sifting?”
“I’ll do it. You step back.”
Incoming call: Phii Pan’
“Nao, can you take over for a moment? I need to take this call.” I said. Nao nodded in acknowledgment and took over, while I would ask the professor for permission to step outside to talk.
“Yes, Phii Pan.”
(Little brother, are you in class? Can we talk?)
“I’m in class, but I’ve asked the professor to step out to talk. What’s up, Phii Pan?”
(Day has left, Chain has been complaining a lot, we’re short-staffed.)
“Oh, really? I was actually planning to resign too. Sorry, Pan, I don’t think I’ll be working at the bar anymore.”
(Oh come on, I was about to call to ask if you could work extra days, because we’re really short-staffed.)
“But I’ve made up my mind, sorry.” (Little brother, please, we were already short on people. If you leave, you won’t get your salary, no severance either, it’ll be like you’ve worked for free all this time.)
“It’s okay, I really want to quit.” I said, feeling uneasy. I don’t like it when people plead like this, I always end up softening.
(Why do you want to quit? Can you tell me?)
“It’s several reasons. I just can’t handle it anymore, the closing time is too late for my safety.”
(Oh, you’ve been doing this for so long, and now you’re worried about the late hours? Can you work a bit longer? We really can’t find anyone in time.)
“Phii Pan, saying it like this makes it hard for me.”
(See, I don’t want to make it hard for you, but it’s also hard for us here. Are you worried about Day harassing you? Day is gone now.)
“But Phii Pan, it’s really not possible anymore.”
(Please, I’m begging you, don’t leave just yet. I’ll take you back to your dorm even if it’s late.)
“Oh, I’d hate to trouble you again.”
(It’s no trouble at all, we’re short on staff anyway. Come tonight, okay?)
“Phii Pan, I really can’t. I really can’t go back to work.” Besides not really wanting to do it anymore, Ter has been telling me to stop, and Phii Joe has absolutely forbidden it. I don’t want to lie or make you feel bad again.
(North, I’m begging you, if there’s any problem, just tell me. Come on.)
“It’s not like that. I really can’t go.” I tried to decline, but Phii Pan is quite persistent.
(Oh, so I won’t get to see you then. Who will chat with me? I’ll be so lonely.)
“Phii Pan, don’t say that. Someone new will take my place eventually.” (You’re really not coming back?)
“Yes.”
(But if you want to leave, you need the owner’s permission first. Chain probably won’t let you go, like I said, we’re short on people.)
“Oh, Phii, then I’ll talk to Phii Chain.”
(No, don’t do that. Let’s think about it first, okay? I’ll call you later tonight to plead again.)
“Why plead? I’m not upset at all.”
(Alright, I’ll hang up now. I’ll call you later.)
“Okay…yeah.”
I hung up the phone with a sigh. Why does he have to be so insistent? Just wanting to quit my job, T^T, this, after Phii Pan kept pressuring me, started to make me feel uneasy. The bar must really be short-staffed; otherwise, he wouldn’t be begging me like this.
Maybe I should talk to Phii Johan about this.
North♣: Phii.
North♣: The bar called, they’re really short-staffed and want me to keep working.
North♣: I’m not going to go back to work.
North♣: But it seems like the owner won’t let me quit.
North♣: My work senior called, they’re really buying into it, T^T
(Read)
It was read, but there was no response…
I put my phone back in my pocket and went back into the home economics room.
“North, the yolk broke.”
“It’s probably fine.”
“North, there are eggshells in it too.”
“Just take them out.” “How?”
“Pick them out.”
“I already blended everything together.”
“Damn it.”
“How many points did your pair get?” Skater came over to ask me where I was sitting looking like a dead man in front of the building. After my partner and I finished, we took it to the professor to taste, then came out to wait for Kett and Kyu.
“Nao. You can proudly tell Kett.”
“Our team with North, got! two points! out of! fifteen!”
“Beast.” Said Skater, laughing out loud.
“What’s so funny, you beast?” I cursed at him, “The professor asked if we tried to poison him, I was mortified, there was no time to redo it, we fed the professor eggshells, damn it.”
“People make mistakes, right, North?” Nao said, patting my shoulder in consolation. It’s your fault, and you still have the face to console me!
“What kind of idiot blends eggshells in? It’s good the machine didn’t break, or you’d have to pay for repairs. Seriously, what were you thinking at that moment? Why didn’t you take out the eggshells?”
“Honestly, I forgot to look, thought it was texture, you know, crunchy when you chew.”
“Crunchy your dad, it’s a cake, you beast.”
“Poor thing, but it’s also funny.” Skater and Kyu were laughing as they watched me argue with Nao.
“Go ahead and laugh, how many points did your pair get?” “Fourteen, but we lost some for being too slow.” “Great, share some points with us then.” “Proud of yourself, North. Let’s team up again next time.” “Once with you is enough, I’d rather do it alone.” I was arguing with Duennao so much that I didn’t notice someone had been standing beside me for who knows how long.
“How did it go?” a girl asked me with a sweet smile, this is Khaofang, who was making cake at the table next to mine. I kept asking her about the equipment and various methods because Kyu was placed at a table far away.
“Well, if ground eggshells are delicious, then it should have been good.”
“Did North really submit that cake to the professor?” Khaofang raised her eyebrows, trying to hold back her laughter.
“Really.”
“You could have submitted ours instead.”
“No way, what if the professor found out?”
“They wouldn’t find out. I’ve seen others do it before.”
“It’s fine, the professor said it was good, said to make it again, student, the professor will be waiting to eat more ground eggshells.”
“You, North, you bastard.” Skater said, laughing heartily, you guys find it so funny.
“Why is North so funny?” Khaofang laughed, “Are these your friends?”
“Yes, yes, this is Skater, Kyu, we were at different tables earlier.”
“You call us ‘this’?”
“Oh. I’m Khaofang, I was at the table next to North earlier. Are you all in the engineering faculty?”
“Yes.”
“Wow, you must be good at physics, can you tutor me sometime?” “What do you study?” I asked, Khaofang said I could just call her Khaofang. “Architecture, first year includes basic physics. It’s giving me a headache, I can’t seem to escape it.”
“I can’t seem to escape it either.” I said.
“You’re studying engineering.” Duennao added.
“Are we heading back? We’re about to leave.” I asked.
“Head back how?”
“I brought a car.”
“Then let’s go to the parking lot.”
“Okay.” and then we walked back to the parking lot with Khaofang following us. Khaofang walked beside me since she didn’t really know the others, but to be honest, I didn’t know her that well either.
“And so…North.”
“Huh?”
“Do you have a girlfriend?”
“Not yet, why do you ask?”
“No reason, just thought you are quite funny, it’s enjoyable to be around you.”
“Oh…” I nodded back at her.
“And what about you?” I asked out of politeness.
“Me? Not yet. Can I have your Line ID then? For when we have class together again.”
“Uh, can I give it to you next time? Nao is in a hurry to leave. Bye.” I quickly cut the conversation short before getting on Duennao’s motorcycle, waving goodbye to Khaofang as we drove off.
“She asked for my Line ID just now.” I mentioned while Nao was driving with me riding pillion. “Did you give it to her?” “No, I said you were in a hurry.” “You used me as an excuse, does that make me look bad?” “Not really, I mean, there’s no need for Line anyway, we’ll see each other in the next class.”
“You’ve got quite a few admirers, you know. Are you playing around?”
“What are you talking about? She just asked for my Line ID.”
“If she wasn’t interested, she wouldn’t have walked back with you. She was looking at you while we were making cakes. Did she say anything else?”
“She said I was funny.”
“Yeah, you are funny.”
“But if I were her boyfriend, I’d be even funnier.”
“Don’t tell me you flirted with her like that.”
“I didn’t flirt, I thought it in my head, but didn’t dare to say it out loud.”
“Why?”
“Alright. It’s not like I have any special thoughts about him, but it’s not good to flirt without meaning, right?”
“Is that so? Or is it because you already have someone in mind and don’t want to give anyone false hope?” Nao said before parking his bike in front of a coffee shop near the university. I was a bit confused because he didn’t mention stopping beforehand.
“I have something important to talk to you about.”
Hmmm?
Nao said he has something important to talk to me about!!
“Shit. You’re making me nervous.” I said, following him into the shop.
“What is it? Is it serious? I’m starting to take this seriously.” I asked, furrowing my brows as I looked at the person sitting across from me. “It’s important. I’ve been thinking about this for a while.” “Oh, okay, can you give me a heads-up on the topic first? So I can prepare myself a bit.”
“It’s about Tiger.”
So cliché.
Duennao wanted to talk about something important with me, and it turns out to be about Tiger.
Or perhaps…
“Hey, is it true?” I said excitedly, now so eager that I could barely sit still. Maybe Nao is here to consult me like, “I think I like Tiger. What should I do?”
Oh Tiger, you might finally get your wish, oh man, I’m almost in tears, finally, the old, lame Tiger is gone. Who said Tigers can’t fly? Not true at all. Look at my ship, damn it, secretly buying treats for him, secretly taking embarrassing photos of Nao for ages, and finally…
“Nao, I’m on the edge of my seat, tell me, just say it.”
“…”
“So, I…”
“So, you…?”
“Was wrong.”
“…”
“I was just thinking…”
“…”
“Does Tiger like you?”
“…”
“North, why are you making that face?”
“Nao, look at my mouth.” “Uh?” “You are an asshole.” “Hey, why are you cursing at me?” “Do you think with your heel or what? That bastard Tiger likes me?” Look at me, you idiot! Tiger likes you, he likes you, Tiger likes you, dammit. I want to grab him and shake him while telling him, “He likes you, not me!”
“I see you guys talk a lot, and Tiger often mentions you to me.”
“How many times?”
“Not that often, but he does talk about you.”
“You asshole.”
But Tiger, he talks about you in the morning, noon, evening, and before he goes to bed, seriously.
“I thought he acted like he already had someone. He’s turned down several people who’ve flirted with him. I asked why he didn’t try talking to them, and he said he didn’t want to. So I figured he must have someone he likes, which might be you.”
“How did it end up being me…How could it be me?” I raised my hand to my forehead in frustration. How does it conclude that it’s me in the end? Doesn’t he question himself at all?
But honestly, it’s not surprising that Nao didn’t realize it. Tiger is such a coward, he can’t even buy snacks on his own, let alone confess his feelings.
“Seriously, you, he might actually like you.”
“No way.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“…”
“See, you’re not even sure yourself.”
He likes you, that one I am sure!!! “That’s why I wanted to talk to you about this.” “Oh, go on.” “I’m not trying to force anything on you, but like…Tiger seems to be someone who, when he likes someone, he really likes them a lot. So I wanted…”
“Wanted?”
“I wanted you to consider opening your heart to him.”
“You asshole.”
“You’ve already started to have feelings for Phii Johan, and I know it.”
“Hold on.”
“Is it true? Otherwise, you wouldn’t be spending so much time together, but can you at least give Tiger a chance? As someone who’s been your friend since high school, I don’t want to see him get hurt. He’s a good guy, you know.”
Tiger must be crying out loud.
He is still in the friendzone.
“Or maybe I’m just meddling where I shouldn’t.” Nao said with a slightly sad expression. I wanted to shout, “Yes! You’re meddling big time!” but I couldn’t.
Damn, Tiger, you, this friendzone from Nao is seriously making it look like he wants me to open my heart to Tiger for real.
“It’s not like that, I understand you mean well.”
“I do mean well for all my friends.”
Shit, Tiger, do you feel this pain? I’m hurting for you now.
“But he doesn’t like me, really.”
“Why would you think that?”
“Well, I should be asking why you think he does. He doesn’t like me, really, believe me.”
“Really? But I thought you guys have been talking a lot lately, chatting when in the room, calling you.” “We’re just friends.” “Tiger likes you, but you only see him as a friend? That’s cruel, ass” Yeah, that would definitely hurt. “He doesn’t like me, I can tell.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, trust me.”
“Should I go ask him secretly then?”
“Definitely not.” Don’t go confirming his friend-zone status, or he might end up being the crying tiger for real.
“So, did I misunderstand? I mean, you’ve got your eyes on Phii Johan anyway. I was just worried that Tiger might come crying to you.”
“Crying too?”
“Uh, he’s actually quite sensitive.”
“Really?” I raised my eyebrows in disbelief at Tiger, the guy who breaks people’s arms like they’re matchsticks, “When did he cry?”
“At the graduation ceremony, he said he missed his friends.”
“Is that true?”
“Yes.”
“And you didn’t cry?”
“Almost.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“I was about to, but then a junior confessed to me, so that day, I…didn’t dare to cry because I was embarrassed in front of them.”
“For real? What happened after the confession?”
“I gave it a try, talking to them.”
“Does Tiger know about this?”
“He knows very well.” “Did you tell him?” “Oh?” “Tell me.” “Tell me, do you like, find her cute, maybe even consider dating seriously, we’re all grown up now, not here to just play around.”
Hmm
I think…
I’m definitely not crying because I miss a friend…
“And where did that girl go?”
“We talked for a bit over a month, then she stopped talking to me. Maybe because we’re far apart now, since I’m at university.”
“Oh…that’s how it is.”
That girl is now sleeping under the sea, you know…
“So, in conclusion, I was just imagining that he likes you?”
“Definitely imagining it, let’s drop this topic.” It’s touching my heart, I can’t handle it. “Let me treat you this time.”
“Wow, my friend’s rich!”
“Order whatever you want.” The money Tiger gave me is for treating you guys anyway.
“Okay, let’s go for it!”
I looked at the person across from me who seemed thrilled to get something for free. In my heart, I was just thinking, Tiger, I can’t really help you much except send you some encouragement, buddy.
I ordered some snacks to eat with Duennao for a while. Today, we got out of class early, so I didn’t feel like going back to the dorm to just lie around.
“Why is your lip swollen?” Nao looked up from his honey toast and asked me. I forgot I needed to keep my mask on, but how would I eat if I didn’t take it off? “Got stung by a bee.” “Ass.” “Alright, I’m telling the truth.” “No, really, did a bee sting your lip?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Well, fuck, I’ve been stung by a bee before. It wasn’t this swollen.”
“It stung you lightly then.”
“Oh, lightly. That’s what happens when you don’t train much.”
“Yeah. In the morning, they gathered all the bees to practice stinging, but this one didn’t show up. See, it doesn’t sting much.”
“It’s a trainee bee, then.”
“Yeah.”
“Pfft, mentally weak, huh? What did you actually get into?”
“Got stung by a bee, that’s it.”
“Still playing around? Or should I sting you in place of the bee?”
“So fierce, huh?” I said, already cornered by Nao. T^T, “It’s just that…like, damn. I won’t tell you, even if you pry my mouth open with a crowbar.”
“You’re making me curious as hell. There aren’t many things you can’t talk about.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, why, did Phii Johan kiss you or something?”
“…”
“Damn, I was just joking. Was I right?”
“When did I say you were right?”
“Your face looks super suspicious. Damn, you two kissed, didn’t you?” Duennao looked extremely surprised, as if he couldn’t believe what he had just said. Even if I tried to deny it now, it wouldn’t look believable. “Can we not talk about this?” “But I want to know.” “You’re such a dick.” “Are you guys dating now?”
“No.”
“Oh, then what was the kiss about?”
“Well…you bastard, there’s nothing I can do. What I asked you this morning, about someone who won’t listen to anything I say, what should I do?” I said, taking a big sip of my cold cocoa to calm down.
“Really, like you’re forcing yourself?”
“…Not to that extent, he said if I seriously refused, he probably wouldn’t do it.” I said truthfully. Even though saying it made me feel embarrassed.
“So, you’re willing?”
“Not that much, but if he does it…I don’t feel bad about it.”
“Oh…so you do have feelings for him, like I said. And he’s not just playing around with you, right?”
“He said he…likes me.” I said the last bit quieter, feeling embarrassed just saying it out loud.
“Damn, why is he more straightforward than a ruler? I’m embarrassed for you, bastard. And why do you like him, or should we say, do you like him?”
“For me, I’ve…opened my heart to him, a lot.”
“Why did you open your heart to him?”
“He’s good to me, really good. It’s human nature, if someone treats you well, you’re bound to feel good too, right?”
“If he’s good, that’s good, but you also have feelings for him. Otherwise, you wouldn’t let him do that.” Duennao said, looking thoughtful, “I believe if you didn’t feel anything, you wouldn’t allow it.” Duennao is right, like when Phii Day kissed me, I really felt disgusted. “Did Phii Joe say that if you seriously stopped him, he wouldn’t do it?” “Yes, he said something like that.” “Which means he’s paying attention to how you feel. If you’re truly unwilling, he wouldn’t do it.”
“Yeah…must be like that.”
“Really got guts, huh, kissing you until your lip split. It’s split there, right?” Duennao asked, pointing at the area around my lower lip.
“Should we call it brutal instead?”
“But seriously, with someone like you, normal flirting doesn’t work, I think.”
“How so?”
“You like to think you don’t think anything, and you slowly push them away. You won’t keep their matters in your mind, but with Phii Joe, see, you can’t not think about it.”
“Is that so? Is this him flirting with me?”
“Yeah, he’s flirting with you.”
“Flirting with what world is this!!”
While chatting with Duennao, I suddenly remembered Phii Pan because she said she would call again.
Phii Pan is very persistent. If it weren’t for the lesson from Day, I might have gone back to work. Even though I had already quit, this time it taught me a big lesson about being more cautious.
Just as I was thinking of reasons to decline Phii Pan, the call came through.
I took a deep breath to prepare myself before answering.
“Hello, Phii Pan, I really don’t want to work anymore. Sorry, no matter how many times you call.”
(Yeah, little brother, I just called to say it’s fine now. You don’t have to come.)
“Oh, why is it so easy this time?” (That’s just how it is.)
“Did the bar owner not mind then?”
(Uh, actually, you’ve been fired.)
“Huh? I’ve been fired?”
(Yes, you don’t have to come anymore. That’s it, bye.)
“Okay, uh…”
Before I could finish speaking, Phii Pan had already hung up. What’s all this about? Oh, but it’s good. Whatever, I should tell Phii Johan first.
North♣: Phii, they said I’ve been fired.
North♣: I’m so confused.
(Read)
Johan: Really?
North♣: Yes, at first they wouldn’t even let me go, but now they say I’ve been fired.
Johan: And is that good?
North♣: Well, it’s good. I’m not being pestered anymore, LOL.
Johan: Hmm.
Johan: That’s good then.
…
MaPrang: Joe
MaPrang: What are these documents you sent?
MaPrang: What are they for?
MaPrang: Buying another establishment?
MaPrang: This time a bar?
Johan: Hmm.
MaPrang: That should be enough, what else are you planning to buy?
MaPrang: You’re not buying more shops, are you?
Johan: Oh, right.
Johan: I want a coffee shop and a Japanese restaurant.