Tag: North How Much is Your Love

NORTHHOWMUCHISYOURLOVE, Chapter 3 part 2

   “Yes, sir. I won’t sleep.” I said, my voice groggy as I tried to keep my eyelids from closing. So he just wants me to stay awake while he works?

“Should I talk to keep you company, sir?” I asked.

(Why?)

   “I thought you might get sleepy. Normally, when someone watches over you, they would talk, right?” I said, thinking back to the times I stayed up with my ex while she studied.

(Really?)

   “Um, yes, sir. When I used to keep my ex…my ex-girlfriend company, I always talked to her.”

(I’m not your ex.)

   Oh, why so harsh again, T^T

   “So, I shouldn’t talk then, sir?”

(Right.)

   Ah…okay. I’ll just stay quiet.

…

01:17 AM

“North, I’m going to bed now.” Ter said, getting ready to turn off the light. I nodded at him. “Ah, sweet dreams then.” Ter said before turning off the light and flopping onto the bed, leaving me with just the desk lamp on, scrolling through the computer screen, feeling extremely sleepy, just listening to the sound of the keyboard.

“Phii Johan, sir.” I called out, “I’m sleepy.”

(…) Phii Joe didn’t respond, but if he did, I guessed it would be something like, “Your problem.” Would someone like this really be a playboy? I mean, with such an abrasive demeanor, do women really find that appealing? If I were a girl, I definitely wouldn’t dare approach.

“How much longer for work, sir? Just asking, don’t scold me.”

(A little while longer)

   “Do you work like this every day, sir?”

(No, just some days)

   “Should we take a break? Seems like you’ve been working for hours.”

(No)

   “Phii?”

(What)

   “Can we chat for a bit? My eyes are closing over here.”

(You’re supposed to watch over me, but I have to start the conversation?)

   “Uh, I can’t think of anything to talk about.” I said with a sleepy voice. Normally, I’d be asleep by now, especially after a tiring day at work.

(Oh, then tell me about yourself.)

   “Is that a good idea? I’m quite private, you know.” As I got sleepier, my speech became more rambling.

(Hmm, then something not about you.)

   “But you seem so eager to know. I’ll force myself to tell you if you want.”

(No, I don’t want to know anymore.) “My name is North, my real name is Natthachanan, I’m studying Electrical Engineering, first year. I’m roommates with Ter, who’s in Veterinary Medicine, which is Phii Hill’s boyfriend, and Phii Hill is your friend, right?”

(…)

   “I’m pretty laid-back, not too serious, cheerful, bright, but respectful to elders, considerate to others, and I try to be a good friend.”

(Did you get someone else to say that for you?)

   “Yes, that’s what my teacher wrote in the parent-teacher notes.”

(Messy, when you’re drunk you’re messy, when you’re sleepy you’re messy.)

   “Just a little, oh yeah, I’ve washed your shirt for you, when can you take it back?” I asked, referring to the shirt of Phii Joe that I borrowed to wear back.

(Don’t need it)

   “What? I’ve washed it till it smells good.”

(Don’t need it)

   “Can I ask why?”

(No)

 Ah…okay then. If you don’t want to, you don’t want to. What’s with him anyway? His clothes are so expensive, isn’t it too much to be this annoyed? I even washed them for him.

  

01:36 AM

   (Hey?)

   “Yes, sir, I haven’t slept yet.”

(Hmm?)

   “You thought I would sleep, right? Not yet, sir, you won’t charge me interest that easily.”

(That’s good.) “And how’s work going, sir?”

(A little while longer.)

   “Until dawn?”

(Annoying.)

   “Heh heh.” I gave a dry laugh to the person on the other end of the line. Honestly, I’m easy-going and easy to talk to. That’s probably obvious without me saying it. After talking, I didn’t feel like Phii Johan was that scary or bad. Just that some things about him were more than puzzling, like his temper and sharpness, which made my face twitch several times a day.

“I have something I want to ask, can I?”

(No, I told you to stay quiet.)

   “Oh, come on, that’s going to bore someone to death watching over you.” I said, “Do others complain about being bored, sir?” I managed to ask what I was curious about. I just wondered, for someone like Phii Johan, wouldn’t there be a line of people wanting to call to keep him company? Why me? And if he didn’t want someone to talk to, why not just not call from the start, so he could work quietly?

(Not really.)

   “What do you mean, sir?”

(I’ve never had anyone call to keep me company.)

   “Oh, then why did you have me call?” I asked with a raised eyebrow, even though my eyes were already half-closed.

(They would call, it’s annoying.)

   “Oh, so you left your phone on so when someone called, it would go through to me like this?”

(Yes.)

   “And you didn’t turn it off or put it on do not disturb?”

(In case of urgent business) “Oh, so I’m like your emergency contact for dog disturbances?”

(Hmm)

   “Alright, I’m also a very sleepy emergency contact.” I nodded in understanding, even though no one could see me. Wait, or could they? I turned sharply to see Ter sleeping, probably because he read too many ghost stories and got scared. …I’m the type who’s super scared of ghosts but loves to watch and read about them, so I can’t sleep alone. Ter always complains. No matter where he is in the world, he has to come back to sleep with me, or I have to crash with another friend.

“Oh, I was thinking of asking you something, I have a lot of questions.”

(Wait)

   “Uh, okay.”

(Are you on your bed?)

   “No, I’m sitting at the desk, about to turn off the lamp because my eyes hurt.”

(Why not go to bed?)

   “I’ll fall asleep, this way is better, at least I can stay awake a bit.”

(Hmm)

  

02:06 AM

   “Um, on another note, I won’t get beaten up by your girlfriends if they find out you’ve been on the phone with me, right? If I get ambushed, you better take responsibility.”

(…)

   “Are you still there? You’re not asleep on the job, are you?”

(Still here.)

   “Oh, then why aren’t you answering?”

(What did you say?) “I said; what if your girlfriend ambushes me and hits me on the head. What if she found out I was on the line with you, sir?”

(You could fight back)

   “Oh, come on, sir. I wouldn’t hit a woman.” I said.

(Then just stand there.)

   “That’s too much, it would still hurt, and she’d definitely call for backup to beat me up.” I said, unwittingly making a slight grimace, “Would she bring a gang to slap me like in the dramas?”

(Really nonsensical.)

   “Hey, I’m serious. If I get attacked, I’ll claim damages and compensation for the scare, and deduct it from the debt.”

(Yeah, yeah.)

   “That’s great, then. Tomorrow I’ll announce that I’m the one who called you. If I get threatened, I’ll come for that compensation.”

(You, my friend’s family runs a psychiatric clinic, should I get you in touch?)

   “Oh, what? Just kidding. Who would do that?”

(You might.)

   “I’m not that crazy, but you, sir…what made you decide to study medicine?” I tried to start a conversation, especially since I was super sleepy now. If we talked a bit more, maybe I wouldn’t be this sleepy.

(Told you to be quiet.)

   “Oh, come on, people talk to pass the time. I’m sleepy, sir. Who can be a caffeine addict like you?”

(You know?) “Just guessing, especially doctors, they’re often coffee addicts. Given you work so much without getting sleepy, it’s pretty safe to assume…I also guessed you like Americano.”

(Smart.)

   “Enough with the ‘smart’, thank you. I guess I’ll have to practice making coffee then.” I went on, naturally being quite talkative and good at engaging in conversation, “If I brew a good one, I’ll let you try it, sir.”

(Flattery?)

   “You got me, hoping for a little kindness to reduce my debt.”

(Keeping it this low is kind enough.)

   “Why, is there anything else you want to charge for?”

(Lots.)

   “Okay, thanks for not charging anyway.” Initially, I wanted to say I felt bad, but on second thought, just this is enough. Thank you so much for only charging this much, T^T

(And why are you learning to make coffee?)

   “Oh, well…for work. I’m looking for more jobs, got one at a coffee shop, and I’m going to start training there.”

(With Ter?)

   “Yes, Ter is quite stubborn about it, he insists on doing it. I guess I’ll have to have a big talk with Phii Hill about this.”

(Hmm, and why do you need to work?)

   “Uh, to make money, of course. With the increasing debt, I want to take on two or three more jobs. I’ve got a huge debt on my shoulders.”

(I’m not charging interest anymore.)

   (Don’t rush.) Why does Phii Johan sound so relaxed? There’s no rush for him, he’s not the one in debt like me. How can anyone feel good with hundreds of thousands of debt? T^T

   “What if one day you decide to charge interest again?” I said. It’s true, what if one fine day he decides to start charging interest or even increase it? What can I do? He’s quite capricious.

(Where are you working?)

   “At a coffee shop near the university, it’s called Marry Me.”

(…) Phii Johan didn’t respond, before the sound of writing on paper came again, he must have started working again. I then scrolled through my Facebook, doing some more reading, and before I knew it, it was 2 AM. I should have been sleeping for a long time now, T^T.

I’m so sleepy, my eyelids are so heavy. I can’t take it anymore…

02:40 AM

   ‘End of call: 3 hours, 20 minutes’

   Johan: I told you not to sleep.

   Johan: Go lie down properly on your bed.

   03:15 AM

   Johan: Don’t take on any more part-time jobs, understand?

   Johan: canceled message

   NORTH HOW MUCH IS YOUR LOVE CHAPTERS HOME

NORTHHOWMUCHISYOURLOVE, Chapter 3 part 1

Chapter 3: His Voice

   23:20 PM

   I unlocked the door to our room with Ter, feeling exhausted. Normally, we finish work at 10 PM, but it was past that after dealing with the last customers and cleaning up. Phii Hill came to pick us up and took us for a meal before heading back, which he always did when he picked us up. Honestly, it’s quite embarrassing, but Phii Hill insists on treating us.

I quietly asked Phii Hill about Phii Johan, wondering what I could do to soften him up to reduce the interest. Phii Hill said he didn’t know either, and advised me not to worry too much, just to talk to him. Just don’t irritate Phii Joe, especially during this period. That’s the problem…I saw that Phii Johan sent messages around 11 PM, but I hadn’t checked them yet, so I didn’t know what they were about.

“Hey, if I reply late to Phii Johan’s messages, will he get annoyed?” I asked Ter, who looked a bit puzzled by my question. “He sent them at 11 PM, and I didn’t take my phone with me. Even if I had, I couldn’t reply while working.” I explained, wondering why I was even justifying myself to Ter, T^T.

“Oh, that’s what Phii Hill emphasized, not to annoy Phii Joe, right?” Said Ter, “I’ll ask Phii Hill for you.” He then picked up his phone and messaged Phii Hill.

“Here.” Ter said, handing the chat over to me.

HillRatchakit: He won’t get annoyed.

   Phew, that’s a relief. I let out a big sigh, I wouldn’t feel this nervous if Phii Hill didn’t keep emphasizing it.

HillRatchakit: If it was me.

   HillRatchakit: But if it’s North…not so sure…

   HillRatchakit: He bought you the phone. Haven’t you replied to him yet?

   Oh my, the sentence from the other side left me speechless, T^T. I handed the phone back to Ter, took a moment to compose myself, then opened the message to read.

Johan: No interest charge then.

   Johan: Will you agree to do everything I say?

   I immediately made the most puzzled face upon seeing the message from Phii Joe, staring at the screen for a while before my brain started processing.

What now?

No interest charge?

No interest charge!!

And what does he mean by doing everything he says? Does he want me to be his servant or something? This sentence is super suspicious!

North♣: sent a sticker

   Not knowing what to say, I sent a confused sticker, but Phii Johan didn’t read it. So I showed the chat to Ter instead.

“What does that mean?” Ter furrowed his brows, looking equally surprised, “What does he want you to do?”

“Exactly, but the part about not charging interest is really tempting, it saves me thousands.” I said, pondering a little, “If it’s about being a butler or something like that, it might not be so bad…I guess.”

“Would it be good? But he said everything, what if he wants you to kill someone?” “Now, Ter, you’ve made me think. He does seem like someone who could really do that.” I said, voicing what I thought, feeling like anything could happen if it’s Phii Johan, T^T.

…Phii Johan has read it.

But he hasn’t replied.

North♣: What do you mean by everything?

   Johan: Not telling.

   North♣: Come on, khrap, TT

   North♣: Sorry, I was working.

   Johan: Who?

   North♣‘: Who’s asking?

   North♣: No, I wanted to tell you.

   Johan: Who cares about what you’re working on?

   North♣: Come on.

   Did I just imagine that you are secretly annoying, at least a little…

North♣: So, what’s the deal with everything? If it’s not too heavy, I can handle it. If I have to pay that much interest, it’ll never be paid off, seriously, T^T

   North♣: At least reduce it a bit, man. These days, if Phii Hill didn’t feed me occasionally, I’d be malnourished.

   Phii Johan read but didn’t reply for almost ten minutes, or am I making too big a deal out of this? But it’s not that exaggerated. Even if I’m not really malnourished.

“Phii Joe isn’t responding.” I sulkily walked over and sat down next to Mr-Ter.

“Is he working or just annoyed with you?”

“Oh, just annoyed with me, this is a big deal for me.”

“He’s probably working, too lazy to type. I heard Phii Hill say that Phii Johan has been busy lately, so Phii Hill often takes over the duties at the faculty or the labs.” “What does he do for work?” I raised my eyebrows, asking curiously. Come to think of it, people say Phii Johan works for himself, but I still don’t know what he actually does.

“Lots of businesses, he splits time working at home too, does it himself. I don’t really know much about it.”

“Wow, that’s impressive.”

“You look like you don’t believe it.” Ter turned to look at me, as if he caught me out.

“Well, he doesn’t really show it. If you told me he spends his days partying and chasing girls, I’d be more likely to believe that. That’s why they say don’t judge a book by its cover.”

“Yeah, he parties with girls and works too. They say Phii Joe is quite the playboy.”

“Ah, I can believe that.” I said, not too surprised. He has this bad boy look, unlike Ter’s boyfriend, who’s handsome and rich. So, being a playboy fits the bill. Are all good-looking, rich guys playboys? Not necessarily…Phii Hill isn’t one.

“Would it be bad if I texted again?”

“Go for it, it seems like you’re really anxious.”

“Yeah, he suddenly says no interest, then changes his mind and disappears. It’s stressful.” I said before picking up my phone and deciding to type again.

North♣: Are you working, sir? I don’t mean to disturb.

   North♣: But could I have a moment, please?

   North♣: sends a sticker

   He read it, but still didn’t reply…

Johan: Pick up, don’t take more than five seconds.

   North♣: Huh?

   I frowned at the phone screen in confusion. A call from ‘Johan_’ came through.

I quickly answered when I remembered he said not to take more than five seconds, and tried to speak as politely and naturally as possible, “Yes?”

(…)

   “Uh, Phii Johan…” I tried to call out when I received no response from the other end.

(What?)

   “It’s nothing, sir, you called…”

(Too lazy to type)

   “Ah, yes, sir.” I turned to look at Ter for help because I didn’t know what to say, and he seemed equally perplexed by the sudden call from Phii Joe.

“Are you working now, sir?” I decided to ask a general question first.

(Um)

   “…”

(…)

   “Uh. I’d like to talk about the interest, sir.”

(Are you going to agree or not?)

   “Does that mean the offer to do anything and everything?”

(Yeah)

   “I want to know what that entails. Like I said, if it’s not too extreme, I should be able to handle it.”

(What do you consider extremely heavy?) the voice on the other end asked evenly.

“Um…Like, if you tell me to kill someone, smuggle drugs, rob a jewelry store, snatch a purse, that kind of stuff, I really wouldn’t be able to do that.”

(…)

   “Getting scolded feels better than this.” I said. I was just joking earlier. Even though there was a bit of seriousness in my jest, being met with silence made me feel guilty for playing around.

(Is that so?)

   “Yes…but it’s not better.” I replied. Just being called a stupid duck would sting less. “So, what’s the conclusion then? You’re not going to make me do anything weird, right?”

(Such as?)

   “…”

(What you just mentioned.)

   “…”

(Do you have the capability to do any of that?)

“No, I don’t.”

Ohhh, why is Phii Johan so harsh with me? T^T, I’m already feeling hurt all over.

(Hmm. I won’t ask you to do anything beyond your capacity.)

   “Yes, and my capabilities aren’t that extensive either, so it’s all good.” Playing myself down hurts less!

(Then forget it.)

   “What?”

(Useless.)

   Phii Johan, why do I have to deal with someone like this? Ohhh, I feel like crying again.

“Come on, just kidding, sir. I’m versatile; please waive the interest for me.”

(Sure?)

   “Yes, I’m sure…I think, I mean, I’m sure. Just as long as it’s not something weird, right, sir?”

(Define ‘weird’ for me.)

   “Well, weird…how do I explain? Just generally weird, you know.” I said…because how else do you explain it?

(Um…okay, weird as I understand it.)

   “Yes, just as you understand it. So, to sum it up, no interest, right?” I said with a joyful tone, thinking there’s nothing better than saving thousands every month.

(Yes, but…)

   “But?”

(If you don’t please me, I’ll charge daily interest instead.)

   “What!? How can you do that?” I protested immediately upon hearing that.

(Why not?)

   “Nothing, sir.” I softened my voice a bit when met with the blunt tone of the other party. Thinking it over, it seemed fair enough. Phii Johan was waiving the interest with the condition that I follow his orders. If I didn’t do it well or didn’t follow them, the deal would be off.

“So, if there’s a day when I don’t please you, you’ll charge interest, right, sir?”

(Yes)

   “How much would you charge?”

(Five percent monthly, which comes out to what daily?)

   “Uh, oh, just a moment, sir.” I said before grabbing paper and a pencil to calculate. Even though I study engineering, not everyone can do math in their heads, and I’m one who always needs to work it out on paper, it’s become a habit.

(What are you doing?)

   “Calculating on paper, sir.”

(Drawing lots to get into class?)

   Man, why is everyone around me so sarcastic? It’s unbearable, my heart feels like it’s made of tissue now. T^T “More than three hundred, right?” I said, “It would be bad if I keep upsetting you.”

(Yes, including today.)

   “Ohhh, can I negotiate that? I was at work.”

(And you didn’t take your phone with you?)

   “Yes, I left it charging in the room.”

(I bought you that phone so you wouldn’t forget it) the voice from the other end reminded me of what Phii Hill had said earlier, “He bought you a phone, and you still didn’t reply?” Okay…I’m at fault. T^T

   “Yes, I won’t do it again.” I said, feeling guilty. I wouldn’t feel this guilty if I wasn’t being charged for it. Charging me money just for replying late, really?

(Hmm)

   (And don’t use the phone I bought you to chat with others.)

   “Huh?”

(Don’t understand?)

   “I…understand, I guess.” Why is my creditor so harsh? “Can you tell me what might annoy you?”

(That’s your job to figure out.)

   “Oh, okay, then I’ll hang up now, thank you.” I made sure to thank him and was about to hang up, thinking the conversation was over.

(No)

   “Huh?”

(Don’t hang up)

   “Yes, is there something else?”

(Don’t ask too many questions, just stay quiet.)

   “Huh? Oh…okay.” I decided not to ask anything else since Phii Joe said not to ask. After a while, I heard the sound of scribbling and typing; he must be working. (Stay close to your phone)

   “Ah, yes, sir.” I then went to get my headphones and put them on. Initially, I was worried about the noise so I planned to place the phone far away, but with this command, I had to use the headphones. Then I muted the game sounds from Ter, fearing they might leak through.

(No sleeping either.)

   “…But I’m starting to feel sleepy.”

(What did I say?)

 

   NORTH HOW MUCH IS YOUR LOVE CHAPTERS HOME

NORTHHOWMUCHISYOURLOVE, Chapter 2 part 2

 

“You too, Skater, acting like you won’t have any issues.”

(Less than the two of you, I know you’ll apologize, but you don’t have to. Just apologize to Kyu, me and Nao don’t need it. Especially Nao, no need, he seems totally fine, I’m confused.)

   “But Kyu doesn’t accept my apology, why? What’s wrong with everyone?”

(It’s creepy, better to treat us to drinks instead.)

   “I’ve already said I’ve stopped, I’ve renounced the world.”

(Alright, then I’ll go eat. Oh, and thank the person who broke up the fight for me.)

   “Yeah, I will do it.”

(Kyu already told me. But can you tell me what happened?)

   “A senior I know.” (You answer like he’s a celebrity, come on, tell me, what’s his name or whatever?)

   “Why does it matter? Just someone I know.”

(Okay, your senior is intense, huh? At the time, I was out of it, but I remember when he walked in, the whole bar went silent, like he was there to kill someone.)

   “You always exaggerate.”

(Not exaggerating, but I think I’ve seen his face before. Is he a senior from our university?)

   “Yes, Phii Joe, second-year medical student.”

(Oh, the famous one, Ter’s boyfriend’s friend.)

   “Yeah, you know him?” Skater, being someone who follows gossip, in simple terms, he’s nosy, knows about everyone. It wouldn’t be surprising if he knew Phii Joe as well.

(He’s someone who keeps up with the news.)

   “He’s just nosy.”

(Mouthy, but he really is famous. Well, I wish I got carried like that.)

   “Carried?”

(Yeah, he carried you out of the pub, princess-style. Well, if not, why would I tease you like this?)

   “I hate you for that. And why carry me? He could’ve just dragged me, I wouldn’t have minded.”

(Well, after he placed you on the table, you just sat there and fell asleep, so he had to carry you, I guess.) Why does it feel odd when he says ‘placed you’? Like I’m some object that was set down. Oh right, there’s also the issue of the debt. It’s not really something you’d want to talk about, but I thought it might be good to discuss it, though I wouldn’t ask them to help pay for it. After all, it’s all because of me.

“Yeah, I have something to tell you guys too, but let’s wait until everyone’s here. Nao’s missing.”

(Probably playing soccer.)

   “Soccer! I give up. What kind of person is he?”

(The blood of a soccer player runs thick, you’ve got to understand. So let’s meet at the dorm. It’s been a while since I’ve seen Ter too.)

   “Miss him?”

(A lot, he is my side chick, pfft! His boyfriend would have my blood for breakfast. Don’t tease me so much, I feel like I’m getting closer to death every day.)

   “We’re just joking, but I secretly want you to get caught too.” I like to tease Skater about Ter because, back when we didn’t know each other well, Skater said my roommate, meaning Ter, was quite cute. Not that he liked him, just that he found him cute. When I told him Ter was dating Phii Hill, he turned pale. So I like to tease him about it often.

(Please, North, you’re getting it all wrong. If Phii Hill hears about this, you’re dead.)

   “Alright, I’m hanging up now, see you later.”

(Sure, see you.)

   “How did it go?” asked Ter.

“Phii Joe came to sort things out, just as expected. As soon as Phii Joe stepped in to calm things down, the fight really did end.” I replied. “That’s good then. I told you, if it wasn’t for Phii Joe, things wouldn’t have been settled so smoothly. And don’t forget to add him on Line and his Facebook, here, Phii Hill sent it.”

“Got it.” I agreed easily, adding him as instructed. As a debtor, I shouldn’t make a fuss, right? T^T

“Phii Joe is kind of strange.” Ter suddenly said.

“Your boyfriend is even stranger.” I teased. From my perspective, Phii Hill really was strange. He seems hard to approach, yet approachable in some way, though I’m not sure how.

“He’s strange, but in a different way.”

“How so?”

“Sometimes Phii Joe seems approachable. I’ve seen him joking around with Phii Hill, but there are moments when he looks scary. Phii Hill says Phii Joe gets angry easily, and he doesn’t want to mess with him when he’s mad. Look, this morning when they were in the room together, they hardly spoke at all.”

“Yeah, he seems to talk little.”

“He was probably angry.”

“But Phii Hill talks little whether he’s angry or not.”

“That’s normal.” Said Ter, slightly furrowing his brows. I made a face at him. How many times do I have to tell you that he only talks to you?

“So, what’s he like then?” I asked.

“Interested?”

“Well, I should know my creditor, right? Might end up in debt for life. Not that I can’t pay him back, bastard.”

“I don’t really know, he’s talkable, he talks normally, just don’t make him angry as Phii Hill says.”

“And how am I supposed to know what not to do to make him angry?” “I don’t know. You ask like I know everything.” Ter exclaimed, “Like I said, he has aspects I don’t understand. Friends like Phii Hill, Phii Fah, Phii Arthit know when to mess with him and when not to. What do they call it again? Having depth, too deep to fathom.”

“I still don’t get it, so basically, he’s someone who gets angry easily, right?”

“Um, probably. I’ll ask Phii Hill for you, and have you added him on LINE yet?”

“I’ve added him, but he hasn’t accepted it.” I said.

“Let me see, wow, that’s cool, the black and white tone really suits Phii Joe.” Ter commented on the black and white profile picture where his face wasn’t too clear, “Send him a message.”

“Shouldn’t we wait for him to accept my friend request first?”

“Will he even accept you? And that profile picture is so childish.” Ter said. Childish? It’s cute. I use a picture of a silly duck as my profile picture because I really love that stuffed animal. It’s now sitting on my headboard.

“You really don’t get the charm of the silly duck.” I said, deciding to wait for him to accept before messaging. Even though I don’t fully understand Phii Joe’s personality from what Ter has told me, I thought it wouldn’t be an issue.

After a while, the notification sound from my phone went off.

Johan has accepted your friend request.

Ah, he accepted it.

Ding!

Johan: Who?

   Johan: That profile picture looks like a heel.

   I’m so sorry, T^T

North♣: North here, T^T

   I quickly replied to the message and went to change my profile picture. Why does he have to be so harsh? No one has ever criticized my duck so harshly, T^T, this is my beloved duck!

North♣: Thank you again, khrap. My friends also asked me to thank you.

   Johan: Um

   Johan: And here I am, suddenly out of hundreds of thousands.

   North♣: Yes. I might be a bit slow in paying you back, khrap. I don’t have much money.

   Johan: I’ll charge interest.

   North♣: Can it be 2 percent, please?

   Johan: …?

   North♣: …

   Johan: Ha, interest is calculated monthly.

   North♣: I don’t even have the means to pay the principal yet.

   Johan: That’s your problem.

   Oh…please, T^T

North♣: Can it be 3 percent? Otherwise, the interest will be nearly ten thousand.

   Johan: That’s high.

   North♣: Please.

   Phii Joe read the message but didn’t reply. I guess negotiation is out of the question. With a debt of almost two hundred thousand, at 5 percent interest compounded monthly, my debt will increase by ten thousand every month…

Wow, suddenly I feel like crying…T^T

“Ter, comfort me, Phii Joe, he’s squeezing me dry, he’s so harsh, such a ruthless creditor.” I went over to complain to Ter who was playing games at his desk.

“Why?” Ter took off his headphones and turned to me. “He’s charging 5 percent interest.”

“That’s better than 20 percent. I thought he started with 20 percent.”

“Bastard, am I dealing with loan sharks or what?”

“Generally, it’s 6 or 8 percent, 5 percent is good enough.” Ter said, looking completely unbothered.

“I asked for 2 percent at first.”

“You’ve got some nerve.”

“Hey, don’t be too harsh, I’m sensitive right now.”

“Come on, you usually make quite a bit each month from work.”

“It’s not even up to ten thousand, and I can’t afford the interest, let alone food, rent, and other expenses.”

“Right, let’s try talking again later.”

“He seems hard to talk to somehow, he should be kind like Phii Hill.”

“Don’t connect them like that.”

“Ha, you’re really jealous, aren’t you?” I teased a bit and got a sigh from Ter, “I’ll think of some good words to plead with him again later. Let’s go eat, I’ve got to go to work soon.” I said. I’ve been working part-time since high school, and even after getting into university, I’ve continued. Ter works too, at a Japanese restaurant, some evenings to late at night.

Considering my studies, I do study hard, but I think I can manage if I take on more work, especially now with all this debt, T^T.

“Can you really work in this condition?”

“I’m fine, the injuries aren’t that bad.”

“And you’re not dizzy or anything? You drank a lot.”

“Yeah, my head hurts, I’m a bit dizzy, but I don’t want to miss work. Sister Ya would kill me.”

“Okay.” Ter said as he got up from the table to put on his shoes, “Aren’t you taking your phone?” He asked after noticing I left it charging at the bedside.

“Nah, it’s expensive, I’m not used to it yet, don’t want to lose it.”

“Ugh, you’re such a worry. Alright, let’s go.”

“By the way, I meant to tell you but forgot, when Phii Hill came to pick me up at the shop that day, after we talked, I whined about wanting to work, and Phii Hill sighed and called Phii Joe.” Ter shared.

“Why would he do that?” I raised my eyebrows in curiosity.

“Exactly, I was puzzled too. They talked about something for a while, and after that, Phii Hill didn’t really fuss about me working anymore, just said he was worried about this and that.”

“Yeah, and after that, he’s been picking us up and dropping us off. If he could, he’d probably come every day.” I teased with a bit of sarcasm. Since then, Phii Hill often picks us up and drops us off at the shop, and when we finish, he comes to pick us up. I’ve really benefited from this. Some days, if he’s free, he almost stays to watch over us, “It’s good that Phii Hill comes, Sister Ya loves it, him staying over brings in more customers, but she says she feels bad so she doesn’t want to disturb us often.”

“Don’t want that, people stare at Phii Hill a lot.”

“Jealous?”

“Yes.”

“Alright, you used to say you didn’t like him, and now I feel like slapping you around the world.” I teased again, only to get a hard slap on the arm from Ter, “You blush so violently.”

“Shut up, or I’ll wish you to fall down the stairs and break your neck.”

“Look at you, getting all aggressive when embarrassed, what kind of person are you?” After dinner, we headed out for our part-time jobs. We got scolded by our boss, Phii Ya, for the fighting incident, but in the end, I was allowed to work as usual.

21:32 PM

   ‘Johan: (New Notification (2))’

   Johan: I won’t charge interest.

   Johan: Will you do everything I say?

   NORTH HOW MUCH IS YOUR LOVE CHAPTERS HOME

NORTHHOWMUCHISYOURLOVE, Chapter 2 part 1

 

Chapter 2: Duck’s Cuteness

   ‘Jaja: (New Notification (120))’

   I wasn’t too surprised that Jaja had messaged me. After all, just yesterday, I had an altercation with her boyfriend, but this flood of messages was unprecedented for me.

I opened the messages without much thought. Even if she was scolding or lecturing me, it wouldn’t affect me as much as the debt amounting to hundreds of thousands, right?

Jaja: North!!!

   Jaja: Why haven’t you replied to me at all? Last night you read my messages and then disappeared again.

   Jaja: Temp told me everything.

   Jaja: You’re still as hot-headed as ever, and you told me you could take care of yourself.

   Jaja: Temp said you suddenly picked a fight. I’m half believing, half doubting. I want to hear it from you. What really happened? You’re hotheaded, but I believe you have your reasons.

   Jaja: Please tell me your side of the story.

   Jaja: Oh, and who was the person that came for you last night? Temp said it was his senior from the faculty, and Temp didn’t continue the fight out of respect for his senior. Jaja: I’m waiting for you. I’m worried, we’re still friends, right? Jaja: Don’t ignore me, please reply. Jaja: I’m waiting for your response. Jaja: I’m waiting…

   Jaja: sends sticker

   Jaja’s messages were numerous. I skimmed through them; most were just a string of stickers. We haven’t really talked much since we broke up, and seeing those old pronouns we used to use, which she liked to refer to her in the cutest way and ‘you’, I didn’t like it. We’ve broken up, why talk like before? I’m not sure if she’s genuinely worried or what, but the constant emphasis on being friends just irritates me.

North♣: …

   I typed out dots because I didn’t know what to say, sneaking my phone away from Ter, who would definitely be annoyed if he knew I was chatting with my ex.

Jaja: Yay, you replied. How are you?

   North♣: Just fine, nothing special.

   Jaja: Good to hear. Can you tell me what happened…last night?

   North♣: What did Temp say? It’s just as he said.

   It’s not that I don’t want to explain, but I’m just too lazy to talk much. If I told her the real reason was because I saw Temp with someone else, she might not believe me anyway. Temp seems like such a good guy in front of others. Right now, I’m just too lazy, thinking about other things, including homework and what happened yesterday.

Jaja: That can’t be true. You just saw Temp out with friends and went to start a fight?

   Jaja: That’s not like you. I know how you are, tell me.

   Jaja: Is Temp seeing someone else? North♣: You know? Jaja: No, I guessed. Was I right? North♣: Ask North, he’ll tell you the truth, believe me. Damn…I accidentally used my own name instead of just saying ‘I’.

Jaja: I don’t know. I’m confused. I really don’t know, honestly, I’m a bit scared. I just agreed to date Temp. If what you’re saying is true, I don’t think I could handle it.

   North♣: Maybe I just misunderstood. I was really drunk at that time.

   Jaja: TT

   North♣: Don’t cry.

   Jaja: Ugh, sob sob

   North♣: So, what about Temp?

   Jaja: He’s pretty bruised up, and so are his friends. They said you hit really hard, haha. Everyone was scared of the guy who came to pick you up. Who was he, by the way?

   North♣: A senior I know.

   Well…Can I really say I know him?

Jaja: Oh, a medical faculty senior, right?

   North♣: Yeah, yeah.

   Jaja: Temp said he probably won’t dare show up at the faculty for a while. That senior is quite famous, even among his friends. Do you have any connections these days? Haha.

North♣: No, just a friend of my friend’s boyfriend, that’s how we know each other.

   Jaja: Oh, okay. I gotta go now, I need to check on Temp. Let’s talk again soon.

   North♣: Sure. Jaja: Can we talk? Just as friends, talking to you makes me feel a lot better. North♣: …I don’t know, I’ll reply when I’m free. Jaja: Okay, bye then. “North.”

“Hey, you scared me!” I jumped at Ter’s voice who had somehow snuck up behind me. When I realized he had seen me chatting with Jaja, I quickly hid my phone.

“I saw that.”

“Saw what?”

“Jealousy.”

“Ter, that’s creepy.” I said, giving him an annoyed look.

“Why are you talking to Jaja?”

“Am I being interrogated here?”

“Yeah, didn’t you say you weren’t going to talk to her anymore?” Ter said, looking at me with a slight hint of displeasure.

“She texted me, we talked about me going after her boyfriend.”

“And then what? Swear to me you won’t waver.”

I didn’t respond.

“Here you go, and you’ll drink again, I’ll smack you.”

“I’m done with that.” I said before letting out a deep sigh, thinking about the problems I’m facing now made everything else seem trivial, “But I don’t get her. She acts like nothing happened, like leaving me was just a small thing.”

“Well, she feels comfortable talking to you like friends.” Ter emphasized. Ter and I have often listened to each other’s problems. We always talk things out. Jaja keeps texting, trying to talk like we’re just friends, saying that talking to me makes her feel at ease. How can she not be troubled? We’ve been together for so long.

The problem is, I’m still the one who’s emotionally weak and easily swayed.

“But you promised me you wouldn’t go back to her, and one day, when you’re strong enough, you need to stop talking to her.” Ter said. “Yes, sir.” I nodded in agreement.

“I don’t want to see you like this anymore. Do you want me to remind you how disastrous last night was?”

“No need, sigh, it’s stressful just thinking about it.” I said, flopping back onto the bed again, “But at least it’s someone you know, your boyfriend’s friend, so we can talk. If I had debts with the mafia, yakuza, or a bank, it would be even more stressful.”

“Yeah, I’ll ask Phii Hill to keep talking to him for now, at least you won’t be rushed to pay.” Ter said before lying down on the bed next to me.

“Thanks, man.” The other guy looked slightly surprised when I suddenly said that.

“For what?”

“For worrying about me. What happened made me realize a lot of things.” I said softly, “At least I now know I’m not as strong as I thought, I’m not someone who can just take care of themselves. Still like a hot-headed, impulsive kid.”

“You’re just realizing this now?”

“I’m having a moment.”

“Don’t thank me. Everyone has their rough patches in life, I’m no different. You’re actually stronger than you think, you know that? Don’t overthink it, things will get better, isn’t that what you told me?”

“Damn you, I feel like crying now.” I said, making a face like I was about to cry at him.

“Make that ugly crying face.”

“Hey, you said you were going to cry, be gentle, will you?”

“Don’t cry, you look terrible when you do. Call Kyu, you’ve been told to call him for ages. Don’t sneak off to chat with Jaja.” “Yes, Dad.” I said in a drawn-out, annoyed tone. Honestly, I had more to say to Ter, but I knew he wouldn’t want to listen. We’re both embarrassed, I guess. I immediately called Kyu without checking the messages he had sent earlier.

(Hey, you good now? Recovered?)

   “You call me cutely, huh? Yeah, I’ve recovered. Got all thirty-two bruises, split lip, split eyebrow, a bit battered, it hurts but it’s bearable.” I preempted it because I knew Kyu would ask. “What about you, and the others?”

(I’m bruised, and got a small cut on my lip.)

   “What do you mean by ‘small’?”

(Just a small one, not much. Your punch wasn’t hard enough, sorry about that.)

   “Wow, not enough? Want another?”

(No more. Good thing it’s the break, going to class like this would make all the girls run away.) It was the break after the first semester ended, but I’m not sure if you could even call it a break because it’s just a few days.

(Skater’s pretty beaten up, Duennao was way too cool, barely got hit at all. At first, I thought we’d all get more hurt, but since both sides were drunk, it looked like a big fight, but there were more misses than hits.)

   “So, how did last night go? I can’t remember much, Ter said you called him.”

(Yeah, you told me to call him, but he said he couldn’t come out because of the storm. He only has his motorbike, so Ter said he’d handle it. I thought his boyfriend would come, but…)

   “But?”

(Someone else came, I was totally confused. Suddenly this person walks into the bar and drags you away from frolicking with Temp.)

   “Frolicking? That’s creepy, don’t use that word.” (Alright, alright, what word should I use then? Whatever, I can’t think of one. He just pulled you guys apart. Temp was yelling about some nonsense, and he was about to punch you again.)

   “…”

(The guy grabbed Temp by the collar, with one hand too, it was such a cool scene, I tell you. Then he pushed Temp away, and Temp stumbled and fell to the ground.)

   “…”

(It was really scary. Is he part of the mafia or something? By the way, who was he? Forgot to ask.)

   “Just a senior I know, go on.”

(And then you were about to go after Temp again, right? I mean, Phii Joe, he held you back, told you that was enough. But you were still ranting, so he carried you over his shoulder. He then sets you down on another table.)

   “What? Carried over the shoulder?”

(Yeah, because you were ranting. If it was me, I would’ve punched you in the gut.)

   “Harsh, huh? And then what?”

(Once he managed to stop the main fight, the owner and others took that moment to stop the others from fighting. Our brawl ended naturally after that. Then he asked me if I could take the other two back, and I nodded. He told us to head back first.)

   “…”

(I asked, ‘Oh, what about North?’ He said he’d take care of it. I figured it was probably Ter who asked him to take you.)

   “You…didn’t you worry about your friend? What if he was taking me to kill me?” (Yeah, I didn’t think of that at the moment. And then I saw him paying for the damages at the pub, plus the medical bills for Temp and his gang. They were demanding a lot, but they weren’t that hurt, yet he paid anyway. He even added more money for hush money, just to get it over with.)

   “How much is ‘just a little’?”

I sighed inadvertently; it would’ve been great if Phii Joe could’ve negotiated a bit with them since ultimately, I’m the one paying, T^T.

(Tens of thousands. Medical bills that high? I just found out. Did they stay in a special ward or what? Temp’s family is rich, so they probably wanted to get back at you. At first, he even said he’d report it and tell the university.)

   “Oh, the bastard. If he did that, he’d be in trouble too, right?”

(But you started it. You’d be in more trouble. There’s CCTV footage too, and the cost to delete that footage was also quite a bit, I guess.)

   “Sigh, and then what? Was he going to tell?”

(No, no, initially he said he wouldn’t take the hush money, but then Phii Joe said something to Temp, and Temp went pale and took the money quietly. From what I saw, I’d guess he won’t tell anyone now.)

   “Sigh, sorry, guys, for putting you through all this trouble and getting hurt because of me.”

(Nah, we got involved on our own, you didn’t force us.)

   “But I was the one who started it.”

(Yeah, but we got involved by choice. Nao was the first to jump in, saying they were going to gang up on you. Whether they actually would or not, I don’t know, but he just went and started punching, even quicker to get heated than you.)

   “Nao might have been confused, but anyway, sorry about that, and thanks. I won’t cause trouble again.”  (…)

   (Hey, Kyu, come listen to this)

   (What?) Kyu’s voice.

(North says he won’t cause trouble anymore, be a witness.)

   “Bastard.” I said.

(Really? Tell me something to cheer me up, North.)

   “Yeah, yeah, I’ll be cool-headed now. No more trouble. And I’ll cut down on the booze too, it’s not good, I won’t drink, I’ll try not to.”

(I’m glad you’ve turned over a new leaf, but not completely happy though.) said Skater.

“Why?”

(Everyone else will still cause trouble. Look at Duennao, he said you were hot-headed, but he’s even worse. He hasn’t learned his lesson at all. You should remind your friends too.)

  

   NORTH HOW MUCH IS YOUR LOVE CHAPTERS HOME

NORTHHOWMUCHISYOURLOVE, Chapter 1 part 2

“I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to…um.”

“Vomit?” Phii Joe said with a slight raise of his eyebrows.

“Yes.” I bowed my head in genuine remorse.

“It’s okay. Just pay for the damages.”

“Pay?”

“For the damages.” Phii Joe clarified, pointing to a piece of paper in my hand. I looked at it and then turned to Ter again, seeking a clearer explanation.

“The list of things you broke. You have to pay for all of that.” Ter explained.

“…”

“Are you crazy? This is hundreds of thousands! What did I break to cause this much damage? It was just a little scuffle at the pub.” I exclaimed loudly. Normally, I wouldn’t make such a fuss, but the figures on the paper were way too much!

“No, I was helping the housekeeper check the bill this morning. You really made a mess.” Ter said with a serious tone, looking grim, which made me feel grim too.

“And what about this list of liquors? I don’t remember drinking that much.”

“You didn’t drink them, but you broke the bottles, and they were expensive ones at that.”

“How so?”

“They were on someone else’s table, and I guess they were within your reach.” Phii Joe explained. That was all I needed to hear to understand how bad it was…

“And what’s this ‘hush money’ for?”

“To keep the staff and the people at the pub quiet. If the university finds out, you might not just get suspended, you could get expelled.” “And the medical expenses?”

“Those guys are asking for a lot, plus there is this thing about the compensation for their shock.” Phii Joe answered, sounding exhausted, like he was scolding me, T^T.

“And the clothes, why are they so expensive, in the tens of thousands?”

“It’s for the shirt of Phii Joe that you threw up on.”

“That’s insane. Wearing clothes worth tens of thousands.” I muttered to myself quietly so Phii Joe wouldn’t hear. And why does it have to be included in this? It’s just a shirt. I’ll buy him a new one, T^T.

“For the fight you got into and the damage you caused at the pub, that’s under ‘other charges’.” Ter said, pointing to the last line. That ‘other charges’ part is pretty heavy too.

“And why am I paying for it alone? They were fighting with me too!”

“They’ve already paid.” Phii Joe said.

Damn fate…Temp’s family must be rich…

   “And this, the vase, wine, and other stuff?”

“You broke a lot of stuff in Phii Joe’s house. From vomiting on the floor, breaking expensive vases and various items, even the housekeeper couldn’t clean it all up. She said you probably got up looking for the bathroom at night, wandered around, and broke stuff along the way.”

“…”

“I even knocked over the wine display cabinet.”

“Shit…”

There was nothing else to say but ‘shit,’ really.

   I took a deep breath to regain my composure, wishing this was just a dream, but it was too real…Everything happened so fast. I wasn’t even prepared. Just went out to drink, got the drunkest I’ve ever been, had a small…no, quite a big scuffle, and now I wake up owing hundreds of thousands.

   I should’ve listened to Ter from the start not to drink too much.

   North, you idiot…

   Life’s gone to crap.

   When I glanced at the numbers on the paper again, I had to look away, almost too afraid to face the truth. Why were the numbers so large? Just thinking about having to pay that much sent chills down my spine.

   “Um…but you broke my phone too.” I said, remembering, thinking maybe I could knock a thousand or two off my debt…though, a thousand or two wouldn’t even make a dent in the number on the paper, T^T.

Upon hearing that, Phii Joe tossed something in a bag towards me. I wasn’t quick enough to catch it, so I looked down at the bag that landed in my lap, confused.

“That’s not included in the debt.” Phii Joe said. When I opened it, I found it was a new phone, still in its plastic wrapping.

So, you bought a new one because you’re saying a phone isn’t a big deal, right?

“You could just cover the repair costs.” I offered. Even if he did break it, buying a new one was too much; the cost to repair the old one would’ve been much less.

“It’s cumbersome.” He said, showing a slight sign of annoyance.

“Take it, it’s just this.” Phii Hill chimed in, probably because he noticed I was uncomfortable. His words made Ter and me exchange looks.

Using the phrase, ‘just this’…

You can’t call a phone worth tens of thousands ‘just this’…

I fell silent for a moment, gathering my thoughts. I probably needed to tell Phii Joe straightforwardly that I really didn’t have that kind of money. Who would have that much? I’m just a student. No, even if I was working, that amount of money… Asking for the debt to be waived or reduced might not work; all this happened because of me, and Phii Joe is just covering the costs upfront. “Can I pay in installments, like a thousand a week…?”

“You can, but with interest.”

!!!

“How…how much?”

“It’s not that high…I guess.” Phii Joe said, pausing to think, “Twenty percent…?”

“No way!” I interrupted before he could finish. That’s insane! Twenty percent interest! Are you some kind of loan shark?

   Phii Joe gave a slight smirk, seemingly pleased by my outburst. Is he in the mood for games at a time like this?

“Then we’ll figure it out later.”

“See ya.”

“You are leaving already?” Phii Hill asked as the person sitting next to him stood up from the sofa.

“Yeah, take care.” Phii Joe said as he left the room.

What’s with him, leaving so suddenly…

“You got homework, wanna head back?” Phii Hill asked.

“Yes, let’s go back!” I nodded quickly, making Ter chuckle, “In such a hurry?”

“I better hurry back. Who knows, maybe I’ll rack up more debt if I stay.”

“Hahaha, poor guy, but it’s kind of funny, don’t make that sad face.”

“Try waking up with debts in the hundreds of thousands like me.” I said with a pout, feeling rather annoyed before standing up with some effort. The hangover was still there, but not as bad as the body aches.

“You’re still standing strong. When Kyu told me, I thought it would be worse.” Ter looked me over from head to toe, guessing I probably had a split lip, a bruised eyebrow, and some bruises. “Just a typical day, dude.” I said, raising an eyebrow at him, “By the way, whose clothes am I wearing?”

I asked after checking myself out. Not asking about what happened to my old clothes, I was more concerned about whose new clothes I was wearing so I could return them properly.

And I didn’t ask who helped me change clothes either.

Ter mentioned that a housekeeper came to clean me up, which means it must have been her who changed my clothes…That’s embarrassing to think about; better not to dwell on it.

“They are Phii Joe’s, so you can ask.”

“Well, it might have been the butler’s clothes too, right? They’re expensive clothes, and he still lets me wear them.”

“Good at being sarcastic, huh?”

“Give me a break. I can’t do anything else anyway.” I said, and then the three of us left the room. This place isn’t just a house; it’s more like a mansion or a castle. I believe now that he’s very rich; those rumors weren’t exaggerated. I couldn’t look around for long before I had to focus on walking, or I’d risk falling over and damaging something else.

Along the way, we encountered the house staff, and they all looked at me. I was so embarrassed I had to hide behind Ter, silently repeating to myself:

“Just this.”

“I’m sorry for causing trouble.” T^T.

Phii Hill’s luxury car slowly drove us back to the dorm. After letting the couple say goodbye, Ter and I headed back to our room.

“Oh, add Phii Joe on LINE too.” Said Ter after I flopped onto my bed, exhausted both physically and emotionally.

“What?” “You’re his debtor now, don’t make a fuss.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I grumbled slightly, picking up the new phone I had received, feeling out of my element with such an expensive device, not knowing what to do with it.

“You don’t seem too stressed about it. I thought you’d cry, too bad.” Said Ter.

“I’ve run out of tears, man, I’m empty now.” I said, “Sure, I’m stressed. Who wouldn’t be? But part of me still can’t believe it.”

“I couldn’t believe it either. If I hadn’t seen the state of the living room downstairs at Phii Joe’s, oh, I’d think Godzilla had attacked.”

“That bad?”

“So bad. Do you usually go wild like this when you’re drunk?”

“Not like this, maybe I was just really angry. Angrier than I’ve ever been.”

“You get angry when you play games too.”

“That’s different, Ter.” I sighed at him, “Seriously, I feel more guilty. He’s just fronting the money for me, it’s like I owe him…just a lot more than usual.”

“So what are you going to do? It’s not a small amount.”

“If your boyfriend’s friend decides not to charge interest, I’m thinking of paying a thousand a week.”

“Bastard…”

“Hey, I’m serious. My job could handle that.”

“A thousand a week, until you graduate.” Ter shook his head slightly at my idea, “But if he just charges a little interest, it’s okay. You have to understand where he’s coming from, he works for his money, suddenly losing hundreds of thousands without getting anything back, it’s a big opportunity cost in business terms.”

“Did Phii Hill tell you that?” I asked. No doubt about it. If Ter says something with such reasoning, Phii Hill must have taught him. “Yes. At first, he explained it at much greater length, but that’s what I remember. Otherwise, I’d have gone berserk about the interest on my friend’s debt.”

“Yeah, yeah, I understand. Sigh, should I sell this phone? It’s worth tens of thousands at least, and these clothes too, they’re expensive.”

“North, use the phone, he bought it for you. Just return the clothes.” Ter said.

“Okay, okay, I know. Just kidding.” I was just joking anyway. Selling the phone he bought to pay him back would look bad, wouldn’t it? “But why did Phii Joe have to pick me up? This part is still unclear.”

“I told you, I don’t know, but if I had to guess, it’s because Phii Joe is responsible, maybe?”

I looked puzzled at Ter after he said ‘responsible’.

“Like…I don’t know everything, ask Kyu. But if I had to guess, Phii Joe probably went to handle the brawl situation. Remember the medical and hush money? He probably sorted it all out. Don’t worry, if they had left you there, you’d have been expelled before you could even shift gears.”

“Don’t curse me, but you’re right. Never had issues at university before, it’s more complicated than high school for sure.”

“Have you learned your lesson?” Ter asked, his tone slightly mocking, or maybe I was just imagining it.

“Absolutely, I’m not drinking again, damn it.” I said, lightly ruffling my hair.

“Good. Call Nao and the others, they must be worried.” Ter suggested, reminding me I should check on them too. I quickly opened LINE, logged into my old ID.

There were tons of new message notifications.

But what’s most important is:

‘Jaja: (New Notification (120))’ When I opened it, Jaja sent even more messages. Or maybe this was the person Ter was talking about who was bombarding me with messages.

Before Phii Joe threw my phone against the wall…

   NORTH HOW MUCH IS YOUR LOVE CHAPTERS HOME

NORTHHOWMUCHISYOURLOVE, Chapter 1 part 1

Chapter 1: If I Didn’t Get Drunk

   I opened my eyes with great difficulty, swearing that I had never had such a terrible headache from drinking before. I clenched my teeth to suppress the pain shooting through, the first thing I saw was a blurry white ceiling.

“Umm”

Why do I feel so heavy?

“North”

Hmm?

I turned towards the voice calling me.

“Ter.” I called out to the owner of the voice. No matter how messed up I was, the first face I saw when I woke up was still Ter’s, “Ouch, fuck.”

“Why would you try to get up? Don’t you see your own condition?” “I wasn’t trying to get up, just moving a bit, damn it, my whole body hurts.” Even though the wound at the corner of my mouth still hurt, I managed to grumble.

“[Sigh]…looking at your state, I don’t even want to scold you, but just once. I don’t know where to start scolding you.” Ter furrowed his brows, looking stressed at me.

“Save the scolding for later, thanks for picking up my corpse.” I said, not really remembering much, just that I was super drunk and got into it with Temp, then everything cut off.

“I didn’t pick up your corpse, open your eyes properly.” Said Ter. I raised my eyebrows in surprise at his words, then scanned the room around me.

This isn’t my room…

   “Confused, huh? I won’t tell you.” Said Ter before tossing a damp towel at my face, “I’m super annoyed with you, bastard.”

“What are you annoyed about?”

“Do I still need to tell you? I’ll kick you again then.” He said, pressing his thumb hard against the wound on the corner of my mouth, I mean, really hard!

“Ouch, how can you do this, I’m already hurt, you know?” I protested, then turned to see Phii Hill sitting on the nearby sofa, looking as unconcerned as ever.

“Hello, Phii Hill.” I greeted. Phii Hill gave a small smile in response.

“But what’s going on here, is this Phii Hill’s room?” I asked, guessing it might be Phii Hill’s room since it was way too luxurious to be anything else.

“No, it’s the room of the person who braved the storm to pick up your corpse last night.” Said Ter, letting out a small sigh as he placed another small towel back into the basin.

His words made me even more curious.

Someone braved the storm to come for me…?

   “What are you confused about now? Seeing your face ruins my mood, seeing your wounds makes it worse. I’ve never complained about you being drunk, but you went and picked a fight, North. I wanted you to get beaten up more so you’d learn your lesson. I’m worried about you, you know, damn it. Around 5 PM to midnight, Kyu called to say you were drunk and causing trouble at the bar. I couldn’t go because of the storm. You need to think a bit about what you’re doing. If something had happened to you…”

“Ter…chill out.”

I was at a loss when Ter suddenly scolded me fiercely. Plus, he looked like he was about to cry. I know Ter is very caring, he cares a lot about me. I remember, even if he’s busy, he never leaves me alone in the room because he knows I can’t manage on my own.

“You…I hope Temp and his gang beat you up next time so you end up in the ICU. Maybe then your hot-headedness might cool down a bit.”

“What do you hate about me, Ter?” I let out a deep sigh, “I’m sorry…I’ll be calmer next time.”

“There won’t be a next time.” Ter said.

“I’ll be calmer next time.” I argued back.

“Yeah, you won’t dare drink so much again anyway, I’ve warned you.”

“Why? And what’s the situation now, what happened, you can tell me, right?” I said, adjusting myself to lie more comfortably. The bed is really soft, by the way.

“Last night, there was a storm coming, and it looked like it was going to rain since early evening, so I couldn’t pick you up.” Ter began to explain, “I went to stay with Phii Hill once it started raining. I called you, but you didn’t answer.”

“Of course, if I’m not there, you go sleep with your boyfriend, huh?” I couldn’t help but tease, and the storyteller immediately looked annoyed.

“Is this the time for that?” “Sorry, please continue.” “Kyu called me, told me to come get you, you passed out at the pub. He said you started the fight, suddenly went over and started punching. Both of you were drunk and hot-headed, only Kyu was somewhat sober but couldn’t carry you back.”

“So how did I get back? Did I teleport like an animal?”

“Phii Hill said he would handle it.” Ter said, glancing at Phii Hill, who said nothing in response, “In the morning, I asked Phii Hill to take me to you.”

“In the morning? Is it still morning now?”

“It’s almost four in the evening, man, you either slept or were knocked out, who knows.”

“So, Phii Hill picked me up?” I furrowed my brows, asking again, not sure if Ter wasn’t clear or if I was still too drunk to understand.

“No, it was Phii Hill’s friend.”

“Oh?” I drew out the word, raising my eyebrows in complete surprise. How could it be Phii Hill’s friend? At first, I thought it was Phii Hill, which was strange enough.

“Phii Jo, you remember him, right?” Said Ter, looking as surprised as I was.

“Yeah, I remember that part, but why did he come to get me? And with my state…fuck, tell me I didn’t vomit on him.” Suddenly, a vague memory of last night came back, ohhh, thinking about it now makes me embarrassed, T^T

“You emptied your stomach on him.”

“Fuck…” I rubbed my face back and forth with my hands.

“You don’t remember anything else?”

“I remember a bit…but I thought I vomited so I didn’t think much of it.”

“Bastard, what kind of mind would think like that?” Ter scolded me, raising his hand as if to press on my wound again, but I quickly stopped him. “Come on, I was just kidding.” I said, “But seriously, how did it go down? It must have been a hassle for him to bring me back. And I probably caused him more trouble.”

“Yeah, he was pretty mad.” Said Ter, which made me feel even worse.

“But why was it Phii Jo who came to get me?” I asked, but Ter probably didn’t know, so Phii Hill answered for him.

“His condo is close to the bar.” Phii Hill explained.

“But isn’t this Phii Jo’s house?” Ter countered, and then I realized, oh, we’re at Phii Joe’s house right now?

“North was in pretty bad shape, so it was better to bring him here.” Phii Hill explained.

“Yeah, this morning I saw the housekeeper wiping you down. If they had gone to the condo, Phii Jo would’ve had to look after you, so this was better.”

That’s true…bringing me home was better than having him clean me up at his condo…

Before I could ask more, Phii Hill’s phone rang. He excused himself to take the call and left the room, leaving me alone with Ter in a room that felt completely unfamiliar.

“I don’t understand.” I said, because my head was full of questions. Besides the confusion, there was also the lingering effect of the alcohol. I could understand if it was just because his condo was close by, but if it were me, I wouldn’t go out in a storm to pick up someone I barely know who was drunk and causing trouble.

“I was confused at first too when Phii Hill said he’d handle it. I didn’t expect him to call Phii Joe to pick you up. What confused me even more was that Phii Joe agreed. You know, last night, the storm was really bad.”

“Um…so how did the night end exactly?”

“That, I don’t know. You should ask Kyu.” “Where’s my phone?” I asked, silently praying that it was still intact. “Here you go.” Ter turned around to hand it to me.

Yeah, it was still there…

But not in a good state, huh…

“Why…” I looked at my phone screen which was completely shattered. My heart sank; no money for a new one, and no funds for repairs either, “What happened?”

“At first, it probably wasn’t this bad.”

“Huh?”

“Until Phii Joe threw it against the wall.”

“Ha!?” I was left speechless for a moment, shocked by Ter’s response, “Phii Joe threw my phone!?”

“Yeah, he said he did it because he was annoyed by someone spamming your phone with LINE texts. He was probably busy dealing with you throwing up at the time.”

“Damn, is he that pissed at me? Why take it out on my phone? I don’t have money to fix this, man. This is too much, it won’t even turn on now.”

“When Phii Hill found out about the phone, he didn’t say anything. At first, I thought he might have said something.”

“You didn’t say anything either, did you?” I asked.

“Well…I was kind of scared, you know. You too.” Ter replied with a sweet tone, giving me a pleading look.

“Do you think that’s cute? I’m not Phii Hill, you don’t need to act cute.” I said with a slight jest, putting down the completely dead phone beside me. Honestly, I was really mad about someone throwing my phone like that. No matter how bad what I did was, couldn’t we just talk it out first?

“By the way, where did Phii Joe go? Haven’t seen him yet.” I asked. “Heard he had some errands. Since the afternoon. He said he’d be back later. Oh…he asked me to keep an eye on you.”

“Keep an eye on me?” I repeated.

“Probably afraid you’d bolt.”

“Bolt from what?” My question made Ter pause as if he’d just remembered something before he walked out of the room. He returned shortly, carrying a piece of paper.

“Ah, remember when I said you wouldn’t dare drink so much again?” I took the paper to look at it, finding it was an incredibly long list that stretched all the way to the bottom of the page.

I looked around the room, still puzzled, and just as I was about to speak, Ter…

The room’s owner returned…

   Phii Joe opened the door, walked in without saying a word, and sat down on the sofa behind where Ter was, where Phii Hill had been sitting earlier. Soon after, Phii Hill also came back into the room and sat down in his previous spot.

Phii Joe turned to meet my gaze, his eyes revealing no emotion. I had initially thought he’d be in a bad mood, but honestly, I don’t really know him well. I’ve only met him when he came to pick up Ter at the dorm.

And then the room fell silent…

   It seemed like only Ter and I felt uncomfortable. Your boyfriend is sitting right behind you, so why are you uncomfortable? It’s the likes of me, who isn’t close and caused the trouble, that should be feeling this way.

   I looked at Ter with a gaze that was asking for help.

   Why isn’t anyone saying anything? Like, “Oh, you’re awake, how are you feeling?” Or even scold me about last night. Why the silence? Or should I be the one to speak first?

   “Um…I mean, I’m sorry.” I finally said in a low voice. “…” Phii Joe looked at me, as if waiting for me to continue. “Sorry for last night, and thank you.” I added.

“Hmm.”

Suddenly, he seemed to be in a worse mood…

 

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NORTHHOWMUCHISYOURLOVE, Chapter 0 part 2

“Well, his partner is hot, anyone would want to be with them.” Skater sighed slightly. My friends had started to get close to Ter, so they also knew his partner.

“Yeah, I don’t know if I’m jealous or just happy for him. Since Ter started dating Phii Hill, I’ve benefited a lot, he brings rice, snacks, and other stuff. Not only has Ter put on weight, but I’ve also gained some extra stuff in the room, even started paying for the electricity and water bills recently.”

“Good-looking, good-hearted every year. I wish I could get some of that good karma. Even now, I’m still arguing with Kyu about splitting the electricity bill.” Skater said, since he’s roommates with Kyu.

“Let’s split it then.” I suggested.

“How can we split it when he uses more than me?”

We were just chatting and clinking glasses, not really making much sense, our necks starting to droop, our eyes half-closed. “North, I think I remember, what was that Temp’s name again?” Skater said in a tipsy voice, “Doesn’t he look like the guy you showed us in a photo?” pointing in another direction. I turned to look.

Oh…

That’s right.

“Damn, I was just praying we wouldn’t run into each other, and who’s that sitting next to him? That is not Ja!” Duennao said. I took another careful look.

“Bastard! North, where are you going?”

I stood up abruptly before my brain could process any further, ignoring any calls from my friends, and staggered slightly towards the person who had once promised to take the best care of my girlfriend.

And now he was breaking that promise!

“What the hell are you doing?” I asked, my voice harsh, which caused the people who were laughing at the table to fall silent and look at me in unison. Temp looked surprised to see me, before slowly releasing his embrace from the woman.

“North?” Temp stood up and called my name.

“I’m asking what the hell you’re doing!!” I didn’t need to wait for an answer. I clenched my fist tight and slammed it into his face with all my might; Temp fell with a scream and a murmur from the crowd around us.

I admit I’m not really the calm type.

And being this drunk doesn’t help either.

No doubt about it, I couldn’t control myself now.

I grabbed the shirt collar of the one who had fallen, the other party staring back at me without a hint of fear, a mocking smile playing at the corner of his bloody mouth.

“You hate me that much, huh? Why? Because you lost and now you’re taking it out on me?” “Damn you, Mr-Temp!”

“North!” A shout came from behind.

“You don’t need to stop me, go home.” I said without looking back, recognizing the voice as Duennao’s. Temp took the chance to land a counter punch. Normally, I would have dodged, but not when I’m out of my mind like this; I staggered a bit before wiping the blood from the corner of my mouth.

“Who said I’m stopping you?!”

“Damn, Nao. Why did you punch him?!” Kyu’s voice.

“He was about to gang up on my friend!”

“You guys are all messed up, drunk like this. Hey, I’m not involved, don’t start trouble with me, okay? I don’t want to get hurt, you animals!”

The small bar erupted into chaos. I didn’t stop hitting him, and he didn’t stop either. We didn’t care about the people trying to intervene or the situation around us, only knowing that Duennao stepped in to help against Temp’s friends who were about to jump me, along with Skater, and even Kyu, who didn’t like trouble but got caught in the crossfire.

Then everything cuts to black, I don’t know when…

“Umm.” I clenched my jaw tight, feeling a dull pain all over my body as I slowly regained consciousness, especially a severe headache, with a faint scent of perfume drifting into my nose.

What the hell is this, am I awake or still dreaming?

But I couldn’t even open my eyes.

If I had to guess,

I’m either not that drunk or I got punched until my eyes swelled up.

“Headache.” I muttered because the pain was getting intense.

“Who told you to drink that much?”

…Huh?

   Who’s that?

   The voice is unfamiliar.

   And why does it feel like I’m being carried?

   Damn it. I feel nauseous…

   Even though I haven’t fully regained consciousness, I remember this feeling well.

“Careful.” The voice said quietly.

“Huh?”

“Shit! My shirt!” The same person exclaimed because…everything in my stomach, fried chicken, snacks, and liquor, was coming out. Oh, what a waste, but there’s no way I could swallow it back.

“Sorry.”

“…This again.”

“Hey!!”

   NORTH HOW MUCH IS YOUR LOVE CHAPTERS HOME

NORTHHOWMUCHISYOURLOVE, Chapter 0 part 1

Prologue Chapter:

   Watch out!

Soft music played, people were bustling, the faint smell of alcohol lingering. Although it was the night sky, it was clear that rain would soon fall. The air was slightly cool, the breeze was lazy as I was listening to a beautiful song, but if it’s liquor…no number of bottles would be enough.

I let the bitter liquor flow down my throat in a big gulp, then slammed the small empty glass down on the table. Duennao picked up the glass before pouring more liquor.

“Nao, take a break, you’re pouring it so eagerly.” Said Skater, who was sitting opposite.

“North drinks fast, I can’t keep up with pouring.”

“Then don’t pour.” I said before reaching for the bottle, but Nao snatched it back.

“Stay sober, friend, you can’t handle more than this. Take a break after this glass.” Said the guy next to me before handing me another glass of liquor. I finished it in one go and put it down. “I hate stiff-necked people because they waste liquor.” Nao complained.

“I’m not stiff-necked, seriously.” I said while strongly ruffling my hair. Dammit, I was so frustrated.

“But right now, your neck is stiffer than your feelings.” Teased Skater. From his demeanor, it seemed like he was also losing control.

“Right on point.” I said, giving him a thumbs up, “You’re drinking too little, Kyu. I’m paying, you know.” I turned to ask Kyu who was just eating something else. I had won the lottery and brought them here to celebrate my belated heartbreak.

“Hey, North’s friend. You’re drunk, I’m drunk, Nao’s drunk. If I get drunk too, who’s going to clean up the corpses?” Said Kyu, slightly smirking.

“Nao’s drunk too? Can’t tell.”

“He’s the type that hides it well. Looks sober but if you ask him to stand, he’d fall.” Kyu said, trying to hold back laughter at Duennao’s displeased look.

There are four of us in total: me, Duennao, Skater, and Kyu. We’re all engineering students, and today we decided to meet up for drinks…because honestly, I’ve had it.

   “[Sigh] why you guys? I’m just an engineering student, what can I compete with? Oh, I don’t even have a future, why? I can take care of myself too, give me another chance, will you?” I said, because being drunk makes you talk in circles. “Don’t say that, it affects the whole group, we’re all from the same faculty.”

“Seriously, I can’t compete with anyone?” I repeated the same old question to my friends who had no answers, and I wasn’t really looking for one either.

“I’ve got no answers for you, just pure shots.” Said Nao, handing me a shot glass.

“Oh, didn’t you say you couldn’t handle pure stuff?”

“Too lazy to mix.”

“I’ve been strong all this time, until you handed me this pure alcohol.” I said, then smiled slightly, and quickly downed the shot. The heat ran down from my throat to my stomach.

Honestly, I can’t fully say I’m heartbroken; we broke up some time ago. But when she announced their serious relationship…I thought I was over it, but it hit me hard. “Jaja” is the name of my ex-girlfriend. She just updated her status to say she’s dating ‘Temp, the doctor,’ who she’s been talking to since we broke up, or maybe even before. She broke up with me right before we graduated from high school, with the reason that she needed to choose someone with a better future.

   “North. We want you to understand, okay? We’re all grown up now. We have to choose people with a future. We can’t just date for fun like when we were kids, right?”

Yeah…But wasn’t I serious too?

But what can I do now? I’ve lost that right.

“Hey, so your ex, Jaja, is she at the same university as us?” asked Kyu.

“No, she’s at a nearby university, but Temp is at ours.”

“Doctor Temp, huh? I hope we don’t run into him.” Said Nao, “Especially since North is quite hot-headed.”

“Crazy, I’m not that kind of person. Just don’t make my girl sad, that’s enough, you animal.” I said before grabbing some snacks to eat. “Wow, bastard lover mode, I’m not used to this North. Spit out the old North, will you?”

“Hey, North. Are you going back with me?” Kyu asked; he had brought his car today, intending to take us drunk guys home.

“No, my dorm is in a different direction from you guys. If I start to stagger, just call the number I gave you labeled ‘Hell Roommate’ and tell him to come pick up my corpse.” I said. I had already told Ter that I was going to drink, left my motorcycle with him, asking him to pick me up.

“Hell Roommate? That’s Ter, right? He’s not that bad, is he?” Skater asked, his eyebrows furrowed in disbelief.

“Nah, he’s just got official with his boyfriend, and it pisses me off.”

“…”

 

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