WESTTHESUNFROMANOTHERSTAR, Chapter 30: Something To Tell
Daotok
“…Damn, why didn’t I record that?” North looked stunned in a way I’d never seen before, fidgeting before pulling out his phone, “Say that again, I’ll sell it to Phii Arthit.”
“No need.”
“Damn, you can’t just let such a line go blurry, I want him to hear it. Just complimenting him as cute would make him take off his shirt for you, hearing this sentence, he wouldn’t rush to propose at your place?”
“I’ll tell him myself…when the timing is right.” I said honestly because that sentence just now came from the heart. I felt that before this, I was indifferent to everything, my heart hadn’t beaten this strongly in a long time, it was truly him who made me realize I’m just an ordinary person with feelings too.
“Say what?”
“This is the right moment, I think.” North said after we both looked towards the door, the room owner in a T-shirt with a gown draped over his shoulder, looking exhausted, probably from a hard day of studying, “Just say it.”
“Say what? What were you guys talking about?” He asked while closing the door firmly, shooing North to move elsewhere before sitting in a chair close to me instead. North chose to sit on the bed.
“Wait. I’ll say it when the time’s right.” I said according to how I felt. Saying it now wouldn’t be right. He nodded and shrugged. Normally he might press, but today he seemed too tired. He glanced at the medicine on the table as if to check if I had taken it all, “I have.” I answered him.
“You didn’t flush them down the toilet?”
“Not like that.”
“And do you feel better?”
“Uh-huh. If I stay still, I don’t feel any pain.”
“Good.” He said, gently ruffling my hair. North, watching, widened his eyes and bit his lip tight. Honestly, North’s face looked quite funny right now, “What’s with that grumpy face?”
“Come on, I’m being a good-love’s witness without making any noise. What’s with the gentle side of this bastard? I really want to know.”
“Asshole, and what’s this?” He asked, referring to the bag of cursed snacks by North’s side.
“Cursed snacks.” I answered, “North brought them over.”
“Cursed?”
“North’s friend stole them from the child spirit at his house and stuffed them in
North’s bag. North was scared of being haunted, so he brought them here.” “Oh, so you got them here so Dao can be haunted instead.” He raised his eyebrows before turning to curse, “You’re an asshole, North.”
“Hey, Phii, listen to me, my friend said that the child ghost at his house is really fond of sweets. I’m scared, but the ghost isn’t afraid of the sweets, and they’re delicious, fair enough.”
“Fair enough?” He repeated the word before grabbing the snack, tearing open the bag, standing up to walk over to North, and using his other hand to pinch his mouth open, stuffing the snack inside. North protested and tried to resist. “Ugh, you bastard, ee, ee, urgh.” North cursed with a mouthful and ultimately had no choice but to swallow the piece of snack, his face immediately turning sour,
“I’ve eaten cursed snacks now…”
“Serves you right, you asshole, got haunted instead of others.”
“See, I was just worried about him, Arthit.”
“He’s my fiancée, why?”
“Shameless, you don’t need to go for the ghost, would you open your heart to someone who stuffs snacks in your friend’s mouth, someone who uses violence like this?” North complained, grimacing in displeasure. I couldn’t help but smile a little at the act.
“It’s nothing, North. Just snacks.” I said before unwrapping another pack and offering it to the room’s owner, “It’s tasty.”
Instead of taking it, he leaned in and grabbed it with his mouth instead.
“Yeah, tasty.” He said while chewing, “Feed me another one.”
“I’m not going to feed you. Just offering.”
“Even a dog wouldn’t know if you’re feeding or offering.” North said, the one being criticized immediately looked over, “Why the hard stare, scared now, are you ?”
“Uh, seems like it.”
“Ah, there you go.”
“Me?”
“Doberman.” I said.
Because honestly, sometimes I secretly think he’s like a big dog, a Doberman is a big dog that likes to exercise and can be quite aggressive if not properly trained, so I think he’s similar.
“Doberman? Why?” He furrowed his brows in question.
“You’re better than me being a Golden.” North said.
“Damn, but you really are like a Golden, that’s for sure, but why Doberman, isn’t it a guard dog?”
“Phipungto, you mean I’m loyal, huh?” He turned to ask.
“You mean I’m loyal?”
“Are you?”
“It’s obvious, don’t you think this dog wants some love from you?”
“It already got some…”
“Good, very good.” He said with a broad smile. I turned to see North sitting there, looking grumpy.
“It’s quite fitting for us to be together, why not just become lovers?”
“Isn’t that what your friend said too?”
“You said there was no rush.”
“Oh, I see. No rush, being with you like this is good.” He said before looking towards the bed, “Aren’t you going back, North?”
“Phii Jo isn’t done with rounds yet, and how is it being with Phii Hill?”
“It’s more meaningful than being with Jo.”
“Phii Jo says the same when he’s with Phii Fah.” North said, making the person next to me burst into laughter.
“We shouldn’t be doing rounds together except when going out.”
“And you’re not going out these days?”
“Where am I supposed to get the time, you bastard? Don’t let it end, I’ll travel around the world, you bastard.” He said, “Are you interested in traveling around the world, climbing mountains, sailing, stuff like that?”
“Don’t take my friend to get bitten by piranhas.”
“Why not, it’s an experience.” He said, raising one hand to point at the scar between his index and middle finger, “How many people in the world do you think have been bitten by piranhas?”
“How many people in the world drag their bodies from Thailand to get bitten by piranhas in Brazil, skipping school too, you scoundrel?” “Are you going to catch piranhas?” I asked.
“Yeah, are you interested?”
“Why did you fall?”
“I wanted to fall, saw the villagers falling so I went to join them.”
“Oh, was it fun?”
“It was good. If I go again, I’ll definitely go for a boat ride to see the anaconda.”
“Uh. Look first.”
“Why look? Better to book the ticket right away.”
“Wait a minute, Phii, calm down.” North cautioned.
“Joking, but if he really takes you , can you handle it?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you sure?” North furrowed his brows and asked.
“I’m quite capable, you know.”
“Good, I like people who can go anywhere with me.” He said, patting my shoulder lightly. We talked. Well, it’s more like he and North were joking around and playing games together while I worked. After a while, North excused himself to leave and asked us to walk him back because he was scared to go alone.
“How was it when you got here?”
“I ran so fast my feet nearly fell off, Phii, it was so haunting, I banged on the door like crazy when I got here.”
“Completely scary.”
“Scary or not, at least I managed to get here.” North grumbled a bit before hopping on his motorcycle, saying a quick goodbye, and riding off.
“What are your plans for tomorrow, it’s Saturday?”
“Looking for a job.”
“Oh, yeah, I was thinking about reading a book too.”
“Can I go back to my room?”
“Sure, but I’ll stay with you.”
“…I just need to get some paper to color in your mom’s drawing.”
“Oh.”
“Yes. Last time you said you’d let Arthit have what face?”
“Okay.” He said before we took the elevator back to the seventh floor, walked into the room, sat at the desk, and turned on Ter’s computer. “What you said about getting a little bit, is that true?”
“Umm.”
“I’m glad.”
“Here.”
“Hmm?”
“You really won’t change, huh?”
“Yeah. You don’t have to give me your heart until you’re sure. Just keep an open mind, being like this, I’m okay with it.” He said, which made me feel unexpectedly relieved, like there was no need to rush anything. “If you want to be lovers, just admit what you want to do with me, more than this.”
“…”
“Haha, you look stunned, but I’m not lying, it’s not strange to want to do things with someone you love, right?”
“Ugh…”
“Or do you not like this kind of thing?”
“No…it’s not that.”
“But I can’t help thinking about it, with you.”
“…Pervert.”
“Yeah, I admit it.”
“Let’s change the subject.”
“Okay, what do you want to talk about?”
“Don’t you read?” I asked, because actually, this desk is quite long, he could sit and read here too.
“I’m tired from being in the ward all day, I’ll read tomorrow. Or another day.” He said, looking a bit down, “Tomorrow is Saturday, I would like to take you out but my feet hurt.”
“Hmm.”
“Next time then. If I have time.”
“If you graduate, will you work as a doctor?”
“Definitely not.”
“Why not?”
“I promised I’d be a doctor, but once I graduate, that doesn’t mean I can handle the work. I’d probably end up fighting with patients until they die. Just being in the ward now is a total pain, sometimes you meet really annoying patients, you know?
I want to curse them out loud, but I can only say ‘sir’.”
“You’re doing well.” I turned to say. I knew that studying medicine wasn’t easy and the job ahead would bring a lot of responsibility; doctors are just ordinary people too. No matter how crude he might be, he couldn’t act like that at work. “Really?”
“Yeah, you’re doing great.”
“Like praising a dog.”
“Well, I’ve acknowledged it.”
“Yeah. Not even giving me a head pat.” You have to endure and differentiate.
He said that. So, I slowly raised my hand to gently pat his head.
“You did very well today.”
He was silent for a moment before a wide smile broke out on his face.
“Yeah, thanks, that made me feel less tired.”
…
Arthit
He slowly lowered his hand, returning his attention to his computer screen. I sat watching his profile from the side without saying anything.
That gentle touch lingered strangely; in my entire life, no one has been allowed to do that except my mother, and even Direk wouldn’t do it, not that I would let him if he tried. Just thinking about it gave me goosebumps.
And the feeling from before seemed to come back.
“Could you do it again?”
“Hmm?”
“Can you pat my head again?” I asked, and he slowly raised his hand to pat my head once more before withdrawing it.
…really similar.
Warm and comforting, like before when my mother was still here, waiting for me to come home.
“You’re going to be too miraculous, are you my mother reincarnated or something?”
“Huh?”
“I don’t know, it feels…similar, strange.”
“Oh, like when mom strokes your head?”
“Yeah, you know it well.”
“Hmm…maybe because it’s the same kind of love, isn’t it?” He said with a soft voice, slightly pursing its lips, and the pale cheeks turned a bit pink as if embarrassed to say such words. That made me smile again before pinching its cheek playfully.
“Yeah, but it’s a different kind of love, I definitely don’t want you to be my
mom.”
“Hmm.”
At first, when I said to stroke my head, that was just playful sarcasm; I didn’t think he would actually do it. So I was a bit shocked. If it were anyone else, I would have punched them for real. When he first stroked my head, it felt oddly strange but not bad, even good, and those words just made all the exhaustion from the day fade away unbelievably. That’s why I said he was going to be too miraculous.
“What are you doing?”
“Just chilling.” He said. I looked at the screen to see him scrolling through movies.
“Not working?”
“Taking a break, and I want some paper and colors too.”
“Oh, from my mom’s stuff?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, wait a sec, where are they?”
“In the desk drawer.”
“Got it.” I agreed before heading to his room to grab the paper and colors, seeing my own light yellow snake that the shorty named…uh, uh, what the fuck, what was it again, forgot, whatever, I just went back to my room with the paper, handed it over, and then came back again.
Cleaned its cage and changed the water bowl as usual, then left it as it was. No one can say I’m not a good snake owner, you asshole.
Returning to my room, I saw a short one mixing watercolors, so I went to take a shower while waiting. When I finished my shower, he was just starting to paint.
“How’s it going?”
“Hmm. It’s alright.”
“What drawing is this?”
“A gondola.”
“Let me see.” I sat back down in the same chair and started looking at the drawing by his mother, a sketch of a gondola in Venice. “Oh, I miss it, do you want to go there?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s go.”
“When?”
“How about right now, I’ll book the tickets.”
“No way.”
“When we’re free then, you promised to go with me.”
“Did I promise?” He turned to ask, slightly tilting his head.
“Yeah.”
“Oh.” He said, turning back around, looking totally resigned. That’s how it is then, because no matter how he tries to refuse, I’ll force him to go anyway. I haven’t been to Italy in years because I’m the type who prefers to travel to places I’ve never been before, doing things I’ve never done. With so little time, revisiting isn’t appealing, but seeing this drawing by his mother makes me miss it and want to go back.
And I want the short one to come with me.
Ever since you came into my life, everything in me has been a mess, damn it.
“I love you, you know.”
“Huh?”
Suddenly, without any regard for the atmosphere, I blurted it out, leaving the person I confessed my love to slightly stunned. I couldn’t help but find this expression and demeanor endearing.
“I love you. That’s why I said it.”
“Isn’t it just liking?”
“No, I think it’s love.”
“Oh, um.”
“Won’t you get tired if I say it every half hour or every time I feel it?”
“Is that love or painkillers?”
“Painkillers aren’t taken every half hour for sure, so, will you get tired?”
“If I say I’m tired?”
“Then it’s your problem, endure it until you get used to it.”
“Oh. I won’t get tired.”
“That’s good, and don’t think I’m just saying it, when I say it, I really mean it.” I said because what I said certainly wasn’t just words; it meant exactly what I just said, that I would say it every time I feel that love for you.
“I know.”
“Yeah, you know everything, can you read my mind or something?”
“No.” He answered without looking at me, pressing the tip of the brush onto the white paper to check the color and repeating the motion.
“Why not read it, so we would know each other completely?”
He turned to look at me with a smile.
“Can’t you prove it?”
“I can.” I answered without thinking. I wasn’t trying to prove anything, because what I do is already clear as day. Come to think of it, this kid is quite something, managing to tease me like Jo, “Aren’t you going to take a shower?”
“Waiting until I finish coloring this picture.”
“It’ll be late by then.”
“Hmm.”
“Tell me something about your family.”
“I’ve told you already.”
“Give me more details, any photos? You’ve seen my photos from my mom’s drawings.” I said, because all of my mom’s sketches were of places we had visited together, “Let’s exchange photos.”
“I’m not free.”
“Then give me your phone.”
“Hmm.”
“Damn, letting me see your phone isn’t something you do every day.” “…” He didn’t respond to my teasing, not sure why I was teasing, but he had already picked up his phone from the table. Since I had secretly scanned my fingerprint into it before, I easily unlocked it. I went to the photos and scrolled to find an album named ‘Family.’
“Is this your dad and papa?”
“Hmm.”
“Sweet.” I teased again upon seeing the photo of his dad with his dad’s partner. His dad seemed like a very nice person. And his dad’s partner was just as I had seen before, “What does your dad do for work?” “My dad is a legal consultant for business.”
“And your other dad?”
“Software company.”
“Your family is pretty rich, huh? And what about when you said you had that money problem when Khram stole your money?”
“Back then, we didn’t have much money, things weren’t settled yet.”
“Oh, who else is in your house?”
“Grandma.”
“What does she do?”
“She takes care of cats.”
“Oh, I feel like I’m interviewing you for a news piece, aren’t you going to ask anything back?”
“You can just tell me what you want me to know.”
“I want you to know everything about me.”
“Then tell me.”
“I don’t know what to tell you, really.” I said when I tried to think of what to say; mostly, you already know everything, right? “You know my dad’s profession by now, don’t you?”
“Company owner.”
“Did I tell you that?”
“Not sure, but I guessed.”
“Yeah, correct, that’s why Direk is so rich.”
“As rich as North’s boyfriend’s dad?”
“Direk is almost as rich as Jo’s father, but overall, Jo has both his father and grandfather. For me, only Direk is rich, oh, and my grandfather too. But not me.”
“Where’s your grandfather?”
“He’s in Switzerland, retired, living with grandma. He doesn’t work anymore, just leaves the inheritance for me, his only grandson. I’m waiting to inherit.” I said in jest. If Grandpa Dilok heard this, he’d definitely hit me with his cane, he’s still strong as hell despite his age.
“Oh, then tell me about your high school life.”
“Middle school in San Francisco was normal; I was a bit of a troublemaker, didn’t get better as I grew up either, but when I came to high school in Thailand, that was the peak, I had trouble almost all the time. I don’t understand why Thai schools are so wild, or maybe it’s just me being a troublemaker.”
“Oh, probably the latter.”
“Yeah. It was fun though, I was fluent in Thai from the first year, really cool. In high school, I had the nickname Arthit the Horse, I can show you if you can’t picture it.”
“…”
“And how was your high school time?”
“It was normal.”
“Oh, there’s the story about Khram too.”
“Yes.”
“Can I ask about it?”
“About Khram?”
“Yeah, have you moved on from him yet? You should have by now because if not, I’ll ride my bike to the hospital and beat him up again right now.”
“I have.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“So, you’re ready to be mine then.”
“…” He was silent, not answering, his eyes focused on painting. So, I didn’t dare touch him, afraid I’d mess up his painting.
“Do you get hit on a lot?”
“No.”
“Bullshit, North said his friends like you a lot, almost to death.” I said, and those assholes better stop trying to hit on my future wife. Otherwise, I’ll deal with them one by one.
“If they’re not allowed to hit on me, they don’t. So, no one does.”
“Oh, but I get to hit on you.”
“Can’t stop you, can I?”
“Even if I wasn’t this brash, you wouldn’t have escaped, huh? Ah, I won’t ask about Khram.”
“Why not?”
“Uh, do I have to ask? But I don’t want to know.”
“Usually, you’d want to know about exes, I mean.”
“I don’t want to know, even though I love to gossip about people, but I don’t care about your past love life. No matter what you’ve been through, I don’t care.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I should ask you if you can accept me instead.”
“Why?”
“I used to be a gigolo.”
“…”
“I had to sell my dignity for survival when Direk wouldn’t give me money.” “Oh…it’s okay, but…if you’re that hard up for money, you can talk to me about it.” it said with its usual calm voice, but the worried look on its face made me burst out laughing.
“Just kidding, you idiot, I’ve never been.”
“Oh, um.”
“Why do you look so worried?”
“It’s…pitiful.” He said, frowning.
“I’m joking, damn it, what would the rich do with me, mow the lawn in front of their house or something? But if it’s Johan, I’m interested, his wallet is thick enough to make me willing to sacrifice myself.” I said jokingly, “Yeah, but I’m not as rich as those guys. I mean, my dad is rich, but not me, I’m rich to the extent that my dad shows mercy.”
“Hmm. It’s okay.”
“Can you support me? I’m too lazy to work.”
“…Are you flirting to get me to support you?”
“Yes.”
“Then go ahead and leave.”
“Oh, you’re just kicking me out, the dog you just petted, I’m even willing to bark, please support me, seriously, as the owner, you should support your dog, right?” I said playfully, laughing.
“Can you eat dog food?”
“Yes, just give me one bag of Pedigree Sunday and that’s enough.”
“Then I guess that’s acceptable.”
“Excellent.”
“Then bark a bit.”
“Are you crazy? I was just joking!”
“I know. I was joking too, but if you really want to bark, it’s fine.”
“You’re quite the tease.” I said, “Hey, next month I have an important car race, can you come cheer for me?”
“Car race?”
“Yeah, at the big track.”
“Oh. If you’re free.”
“It’s really important, like betting billions. If you come to cheer me on, I might win.”
“Oh…it probably depends more on skill.”
“I have skill, but I lack morale.”
“Hmm. Let’s see.” He said, “Who are you racing against?”
“The son of that company, probably not Johan, it’s Jon, and he’s not even funny, damn it.” I sighed, imagining Jo stepping onto the track, both of us would be laughing dryly, it’s a mess.
“If North’s boyfriend doesn’t win, will he lose?”
“Half and half, that bastard is hard to beat, the only one who gives me a headache every time I race against him.”
“Hmm, interesting.”
“Me?”
“Car racing.”
“Oh. No way, even when you’re focused on painting, you can still divide your attention.” I said, disappointed, watching him carefully paint. It’s good in its own way, but too bad he’s not easily distracted, “I’m sleepy.”
“Then sleep.”
“No, I want to watch you paint.”
“Why?”
“In case you make a mistake with the colors, I can warn you.” I said, and suddenly Jeon came and sat on my lap, “Oh, Mr. Jeon.”
“Mr. Jeon.” He called out his name, putting down the brush immediately, reaching out to pick him up, but Mr. Jeon had already settled on my lap,
“Oh…feeling left out now.”
“Meow.” not Mr. Jeon’s voice but mine. The one sitting next to me looked up. “What’s up, could be a dog, could bea cat, Mr. Jeon doesn’t care about you, but I do.”
“…Hmm.” He turned back to his work, leaving me to sit still so as not to wake Mr. Jeon, secretly touching his balls too, but Mr. Jeon didn’t react at all, Cat is so easygoing. Anyone can play with your balls like that, huh?
“Why do you like cats?”
“We already raised one at home.”
“Oh, yeah, speaking of home, your fortune-telling ability comes from your grandmother, right? Like North said if I remember correctly.”
“Right.”
“Can you take a break from painting and read my fortune for a bit?”
“Hmm…okay.” He put the brush down again, “What’s your birth date?”
“Tenth of July.”
“What time?”
“Afternoon, I think.”
“Oh, um.” He took a pencil to write something on a blank sheet of paper for a while, then asked for more information before giving the fortune reading, “It’s good, you have a very strong fate, everything you do turns out well, lots of people love and support you.”
“Lots of people love? Including you?”
“No.”
“Not yet?”
I asked, but since it didn’t answer, I continued with another question, “How about love?”
“…Good.”
“What does ‘good’ mean?”
“The love graph is on the rise.” He said quietly after putting down the pen and reaching for the brush again. I noticed his ears seemed to turn redder. I thought there must be more to this fortune reading.
“No other results?”
“Hmm, but I won’t say.”
“What, that’s cheating.”
“Yes.”
“Oh well, then I’ll take a nap, I’m exhausted.”
“Hmm.”
Before I collapsed face down on the table, Mr. Jeon jumped off my lap, probably because he couldn’t sleep comfortably anymore.
“Why not go sleep on the sofa or the bed?”
“I’ve already said I want to stay with you, how many times do I have to say it?” I said without looking up, slowly closing my eyes due to the exhaustion from a day in the chaotic ward, “Or do you want me to say it clearly?”
“…It would be good if you said it.”
“Yeah, I want to stay with you, I want to hold your hand but your hands are busy, so frustrating.”
“…” He didn’t respond until I gradually fell asleep, still slumped over the table next to him.
I woke up to an unfamiliar phone ringtone. The person who was sitting next to me was nowhere to be seen, but I heard sounds from the bathroom, which meant he must be taking a shower. Checking the time, it was past 9 PM, and the painting was about half done.
The phone making the noise belonged to the short one. I took the liberty of picking it up and saw that the caller had been saved as “Dad”. I figured it must be either his dad or his other dad. Since I was already holding it, I answered the call. “Michael, what are you doing now?”
“Who is Michael?” I asked, since the caller was asking what Michael was doing, I needed to know who Michael was first.
“Who are you?”
“Dylan.”
“How do you get this phone?”
“Ah…I’ll ask you again, who is Michael?”
“My son, Did he drop the phone?”
“No. Are you Gavin? I’m in the next room of your son’s room.”
“I met you once, right?”
“Yep.”
“And why do you have my son’s phone?”
“He is in my room, and he is taking a bath now. Gavin, I have something to tell you.”
“What?”
“I love your son.”
“What!? wait, wait, You love my son?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, why tell me?”
“Because I want something.”
“What?”
“I want your son to be my wife.”