WESTTHESUNFROMANOTHERSTAR, Chapter 27: Bro Zoned
Arthit
Shit, shit, shit.
I was so shocked I slammed on the brakes with all my might.
Since the car wasn’t going fast and we hadn’t left the house, there was no danger, but the main issue was what the short guy had just said.
“…Are you serious?”
“Yeah.”
“Fuck… damn, damn. No lies, I’ll knock you out if you’re lying.”
“…Not lying.”
“Damn…so we start from zero now?”
“Hmm.”
“How much is full, zero?”
“Is there such a thing as full zero?” He asked in a flat tone, contrasting with my excited, impatient happiness that left me unable to do anything properly at the moment.
“There is, so does that mean you’re my boyfriend now?”
“Not yet. I just said we’re starting.”
“We can date in the meantime, right?”
“No.”
“And how do we count the points? What’s the full score, is it five?”
“I don’t know, there might not be a fixed score like that.”
“So it depends on the feeling then.” I asked before slowly releasing the brake and stepping on the accelerator to move the car away from the house.
“Uh-huh.”
“Damn, for real, I’m so damn happy.” I said according to my true feelings, this is awesome, starting to count points means opening your heart, right? Wow, he’s so handsome, I really don’t know what to say. If it’s not me, who else could make a robot open its heart? This is the best, right, Hia? Damn, I’m so happy, I’m so happy I can’t even go on anymore, “You’re so damn cute.”
I said with a grin, lightly pushing his head. He didn’t react at all, even though he should have shown some reaction more than me, but whatever, he’s just a lowbattery robot.
He said because I was sincere and trusted him, that’s why he opened up. Well, of course, who else would dare to give as much as I do, huh? Ha, in this whole universe, who could give as much as I do? Damn! Damn! It’s me, I’m the one who gives this much!!
“And how long do you think it’ll take before you date me?”
“Don’t know.”
“Depends on what I do?”
“Yes.”
“I’m giving my all for you.”
“Oh…uh-huh.”
“And will I get any special rights, like being able to kiss after six in the evening until five in the morning?” I asked because since it’s progressed to the next level, I should get some rights, right?
“No.”
“What? Then can I at least hold your hand willingly?”
“Haven’t we been holding hands already?”
“I want it to be willing, like you reach out to hold my hand yourself.”
“Can’t do that.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m not fully willing.”
“You’re so difficult.” I grumbled in frustration, “Fine, I’ll force you like before.”
“Hmm.”
“Yeah, you know everything about me, can I get to know you a bit?”
“No.”
“You answered without even thinking, think about it.”
“No.”
“Come on.”
“I don’t like others knowing my business.”
“I’m not ‘others’ anymore, am I? So, what am I to you?”
“A senior I know.”
“Damn, senior zoned.”
“…”
“Yeah, so you know me as a senior, then you should be able to talk about yourself, right? You know everything about me. It’s not fair, where can I sue? Do I need to call a lawyer, or will we meet in court?”
“…I’ll tell you.”
“Good, I like it when you play along. Let’s ask when we get back to the room.”
“Hmm.”
And then I drove until we stopped under my condo, at the very end of the parking lot where I have my spot reserved. Of course, no one else is allowed to park here except for my cars, and this was now the fourth car parked here. I really want to know why a person like me drives four cars, it’s so wasteful, but if you ask if I like it, I do. I could change cars every day if I wanted to; there are plenty at home, but I only drive a few regularly, so I keep some here at the condo, just like Jo does. Hill and Fah, who aren’t into cars, only have two, with one as a spare.
I parked next to my beloved black McLaren, which is now falling out of favor because of this Bugatti I’m driving. Even though Direk said not to drive it casually, after the race, it’ll be mine anyway.
“Do you like this car?”
“Huh?”
“Do you like it, the new car?”
“Mmm, good.”
“Compared to the old one, which do you like more?”
“Why?”
“To be used for picking you up and dropping you off.”
“Oh, either one is fine.”
“Pick the one you think is more comfortable.”
“They’re the same.”
“So whichever one then?”
“Uh-huh.”
“What about the motorcycle?”
“Isn’t it the same with the big bikes?” it said, which was true; I only have two big bikes, one as a spare. If you ask why I must have big bikes, it’s because they look good, and they match my height. Everyone in our group rides big bikes, even Fah, because if it’s not a big bike, our legs would be too long, so it has to be a large motorcycle to fit right.
“They’re different, different models, different brands.”
“Either one is fine, but I’d rather drive myself.” it said, and right now, I was thinking that one day, I would definitely puncture the tires of that motorcycle, that obstacle in my path of love, that damn bike.
I didn’t say anything, just got out of the car and took out Cat’s soft-boiled egg ghost’s belongings.
Speaking of which, what should I do with my snake? Cat and the snake probably shouldn’t live together…or should I try to let them meet first, maybe they could be friends, it’s better than nothing, my snake is expensive, damn.
We took the elevator up to my room and unlocked the door.
“Oh, what about the snake?” it asked first, “It’s pretty, but Mr. Jeon probably won’t like it.”
“Yeah, that’s true.” I agreed, putting down the things in my hand and walking over to pick up the snake’s box. Mr. Jeon immediately looked scared.
“Then should I go back to my room? So both the snake and a cat can be safe.” “Do you think you can lure me with that?” I narrowed my eyes, “It’s not you who has to go back to your room, it’s my snake that has to stay in your room.”
“…”
I picked up some dinner for the snake and put it in a box before leaving my room with the snake box in hand, the other holding the key card to the room next door. I unlocked the door, placed the snake box on the table, and then returned to my room. I saw the short guy playing with Cat on the floor.
“Why not sit on the sofa?”
“No.”
“Why?” I asked as I sat down on the floor opposite him.
“Why don’t you sit on the sofa?” He countered with the same question.
“I’ve got my snake here, why would I go anywhere else?”
“…”
“Where did you get Mr. Jeon from?” I asked, reaching over to play with Mr.
Jeon, who didn’t seem to mind my touch, confirming that Mr. Jeon really likes me.
“I picked him up from my old dorm, but they wouldn’t let me keep him.”
“Oh, so you moved because of him?”
“Yes.”
“Are you Cupid or something?” I said playfully, teasing him. Then Mr. Jeon left the short guy’s lap to come lie on mine, which made him furrowed his brows in confusion, “He likes me more than you.”
“Mr. Jeon. No, come back to me.”
“…”
“Mr. Jeon…do you like him more than me?”
“Now, Mr. Jeon, he’s being dramatic, what should we do?” I spoke to the black lump lying on my lap, completely unconcerned.
“Phii…”
He called me in a soft voice, his brows slightly furrowed. I didn’t know what it meant, but for sure, I was completely lost, my mind in a mess.
“…”
“Mr. Jeon, go back.” I said, but it still didn’t pay attention. Ha, you like me, I’m fine with it, but your owner, Cat, will be jealous.
“It’s okay, Mr. Jeon might be sleepy. Please put him on the bed.” He said before trying to stand up. So, I took the black ball and placed it on its bed as instructed by its owner.
“What are you going to do?”
“Well…work.”
“What work?”
“Designing a poster for a clothing store.”
“Oh, can I see?”
“Is there nothing else for you to do?”
“There is, but I want to stay with you first.”
“Oh…uh-huh, can I use the desk?”
“Sure, go ahead.” I was allowed before he opened his computer, which was already on the desk. I dragged a chair over to sit beside him, watching him work like I had nothing else to do, but in reality, I had heaps of study sheets to read until my butt was practically on fire.
I saw him open a file with a poster.
“Did you design this yourself?”
“He gave a brief.”
“Oh.”
“How is it?”
“Are you asking for my opinion?”
“No, I am asking Mr. Jeon.”
“Oh, then go ahead.”
“…I asked you, how can Mr. Jeon answer, are you crazy?”
“Oh. Normally, I see you talk to him.” I furrowed my brows, “If you’re asking me, I’d say it’s okay, but it’s not attractive enough, and what does the store need?”
“They need a poster”
“Sorry, damn, I mean what kind of work do they want?”
“The shop has a promotion next month, they want a poster that makes people turn into the store when they see it.”
“Have one employee stand at the front and hit customers over the head to drag them in, it would be much easier. How could a poster make everyone who passes by turn in?”
“…Not attractive enough?” He said as if talking to himself, already ignoring my words, before starting to work on the poster. I sat there, chin on my knee, watching him from the side.
Why isn’t he losing focus, if it were me with someone staring like this, I’d have kicked them away by now, looking at him so intently, why not look at me instead, bastard?
“Can we talk?”
“Hmm.”
“You’re not losing focus?”
“I can manage. Just need to adjust a bit.”
“Oh, why did you dye your hair blue?”
“I wanted to.”
“I’ll dye mine too, to match you.”
“Up to you.”
“Do you have any tattoos?” I asked, noticing a small part of a tattoo peeking out from under his sleeve.
“A little.”
“What do you have tattooed?”
“Things that represent my parents’ names, my grandma, stuff like that.”
“Oh…Can I ask about your family?”
“Hmm, sure. I know everything about yours, consider it an exchange.” “Damn, who was the tall English guy in your room that day?” I asked, my voice unintentionally showing some annoyance. He paused slightly before slowly turning to look at me.
“In the room?”
“The tall Englishman you called ‘Daddy’.”
“It’s ‘dad’ then.”
“…Your father?”
“No. Not him, my father is someone else.”
“…”
I inadvertently clenched my fist upon hearing that answer.
“Break up with him.”
“Huh?”
“Stop messing with him.”
I spoke with a firm tone and a serious expression without realizing it, and then anger started to surge within me, so much so that the person sitting next to me looked confused and moved away slightly.
“Don’t run away.”
“…”
“Don’t go away from me.”
I sighed to calm myself down.
“Sorry, why call him ‘dad’ if he’s not your father?”
I asked after cooling myself down a bit, trying not to show my anger. The person I asked furrowed his brows before looking like he remembered something.
“Oh, there’s a misunderstanding.”
“What?”
“He’s my papa’s husband.”
“…Oh.”
“So I call him ‘Dad’. Not in the way you thought.”
“Oh, uh, okay.”
I sighed again, and now the anger was quickly fading away. Why did I get so mad before even getting an answer? I know I have a temper, but I didn’t think it was this bad, to the point where I didn’t even wait to hear him out.
“Are you scared?”
I asked while gently patting his head.
He nodded.
“But you know I won’t do anything to you.”
“Won’t go that far.”
“What if it’s like what you think?”
“Are you trying to test my heart?”
“Yes.”
“That’s not the answer you want to hear.”
“Are you going to kill Daddy?”
“Why do you think I’d kill him, that’s too much.” I furrowed my brows, a small laugh escaping because of how serious he looked.
“You’d definitely do it, tie him up, burn him, or cement his feet and throw him into the water, or feed him to sharks or crocodiles.”
“I’m not a mafia, damn it.”
“So you can’t do it?”
“I can.” I answered truthfully, “I can have someone else do it, even erase his record.”
“Oh…I see.”
“But if it really happened, I wouldn’t know what to do. I’d be angry first, but then I’d figure out what to do next.”
“If I was dating someone else from the start, I would have told you already. I wouldn’t let you hover around like this.”
“What if it was a secret that someone else was there already?”
“Oh…hmm, then what would you do?”
“I don’t know, just forget it.” I said to close the topic. Because if the short guy really did have someone from the start and kept it a secret, I wouldn’t know what to do either. “But I’d want you to choose me.”
“Like, break up with him and then date you?”
“Yes.”
“It’s wrong, you know.”
“Who cares? I have to fight even if it was the other man.”
“Oh…uh-huh.”
“Papa is really your dad, and that person is your dad’s new partner, which means your parents are divorced?”
“Yes.”
“Why did they break up? Can I ask?”
“Uh-huh. They just didn’t love each other anymore, that’s all.”
“Are you okay with it?”
“I’m okay, they’re just ordinary people. They had love, but that love hit a dead end like anyone else.”
“Yeah, good, so you live with your Papa and your Dad now?”
“Yes.”
“What are your Papa and Dad’s names? So I can get to know them.”
“Papa’s name is Pai, Dad’s name is Gavin.”
“Oh, uh-huh, I’ll have Direk arrange the dowry in advance then.” I said, and of course, I wasn’t joking, there will come a day when Direk has to make contact.
“No, thanks.”
“Why not? You could get a billion if you want.”
“Your money?”
“My dad’s money, where would I get a billion from?”
“…” He didn’t answer and turned back to his work. I took advantage of him being focused on work to gently pinch his cheek with a grin, “What are you doing?” He asked while letting me play with his cheek like that.
“It’s soft, can I kiss it?”
“No.”
“Really?” I answered that before leaning in and pressing my lips to his soft cheek, ignoring the previous refusal. He was slightly startled before moving his chair away. This time, I caught the chair immediately, “I told you not to move away from me.”
“Why?”
“Don’t like it.”
“Sigh.”
“You look tired being with me.”
“Yeah.”
“That’s bad, just a little tired, keep fighting.”
“…Hmm.”
“And what about your future dream?”
“Oh…to make Mr. Jeon happy.”
“Damn, say something you want to do, like a career or something.”
“I want to open my own gallery.”
“Oh…that’s fitting, where would you open it?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“Wait…what are you studying again?”
“Biology.”
“What, why not study art?”
“I like biology.”
“Oh, I see.”
“You can study art outside of school, but not biology. Many things are only taught in specific departments.”
“Oh…yeah. What will you do with the biology you’ve studied once you graduate?”
“I might…draw microorganisms more accurately.”
“…” His answer left me speechless. Draw microorganisms…what is that,
“Seriously?”
“I might do something related to biology, after all, I’ve studied it for years, and I’ll have to do an internship too.”
“Then would you be interested in forming a band with me? You play guitar.”
“No, thanks, I only play a little.”
“And what about drums, are you still interested?”
“Oh, I am. If I have free time, I’ll go learn.”
“I’ll teach you for free.”
“Really?”
“I don’t want to brag, but I’m really good at drums, you know, you’d be my first student.” I bragged while raising my eyebrows, “When you have time, I’ll take you to the practice room.”
“Oh…uh-huh. We’ll see.”
“Cool.” I shrugged, still sitting with my chin propped on my hand, watching from the side. While we were talking, I kept touching him, pinching his cheek, grabbing his arm; I don’t know why, but I had to look closely, had to touch. I didn’t understand myself either. And he didn’t say anything; he must have given up on me because resisting was pointless, and he couldn’t overpower me. Sigh, it’s pitiful.
“I just realized how jealous I am of you.” I said, thinking back to a few minutes ago when I suddenly got so angry I couldn’t control my tone or my expression. Normally, I don’t bother to control it, but this time, my emotions flared up so quickly.
“Actually…you can’t be jealous.”
“Yes, I can.”
“No, you can’t.”
“I must be.”
“You can’t.”
“I said I can, so I can. Why can’t I?”
“We’re not dating.”
“Then let’s date.”
“You’re so self-centered.”
“Only for you.”
“…”
“Oh, can’t speak, huh? You’re embarrassed.”
“No. Not embarrassed, just genuinely shocked.” He said with a sigh.
“How many points for that kiss earlier?”
“Zero.”
“What, at least one.”
“No.”
“Zero point five, I tried to flirt with you, damn it.”
“No.”
“You’re so complicated.” I grumbled in frustration before reaching out to play with his hair, the blue strands that were quite standout compared to others’ hair color and importantly, they were soft, “This is just how I am. That’s why I said you’ve got a lot of karma, but don’t worry, you can extend your compassion to me.”
“Will you leave after I do?”
“No.” I answered, “Then let me give you one piece of advice.”
“What?”
“Don’t mess with anyone, and don’t let any bastard mess with you. You wouldn’t want anyone to get hurt, right?”
“Are you threatening me?”
“Yeah, let’s say it’s a threat at this point.”
“Hmm.”
“Hmm means?”
“I understand.”
“You’re not objecting at all, I’ll get full of myself, you know.”
“Then get full of yourself.”
“…Damn.”