WESTTHESUNFROMANOTHERSTAR, Chapter 23: Light Yellow
Arthit
I set the bottle down, my gaze still fixed on the same spot. Even though his face looked tired and sleepy, he was forcing himself not to doze off, and his expression was somewhat grumpy, which I found quite cute.
Cute?
I’ve never thought anything was cute in my whole life; it’s another unexpected thing that has happened again. With this short guy, no matter what feelings arise, I’m no longer surprised. It’s becoming the first time for many things, really. “Hmmph.” He made a sound in his throat like he was slightly displeased when I ruffled his hair again, his face looking drowsy, which made me want to pinch his cheeks right then and there. Every little action of his made me smile uncontrollably.
“You’re so damn cute.”
“…”
The person I complimented was slightly taken aback, but the one more shocked was North sitting beside us. His eyes were now wide open to the point of almost popping out. Even Jo, who was standing there, froze.
“What’s with you guys, why are you so shocked?”
“No, no, Phii, I just need some time, just a bit of time to adjust to the fact that you’re not the same person anymore.” Said North while gently touching his own face. “The ones who react to your words are me and Phii Jo, but look at my friend
first.”
“But just now he was stunned, even if just a little, right?” I said to North before turning back to look at him, “Right, are you stunned? Are you embarrassed?” “Uh…”
“Uh means what?”
“Stunned.”
“Embarrassed?”
“Uh…” He furrowed his brows in thought.
“Do you have to think about whether you’re embarrassed or not?” North asked.
“I don’t really remember what being embarrassed feels like.”
“Sigh.” I inadvertently let out a sigh. It’s good that he said he doesn’t remember because that could mean he might be embarrassed but doesn’t know it. Flirting with a robot like this, in a while, I’ll get used to it more, “Teach your friend how to feel embarrassed, okay? Jo, let’s continue, I need to score five points before we leave.”
“Five points? One is enough to reach.”
“Don’t underestimate me. Even if basketball isn’t my main sport.”
“Then let’s play football in the evening if you’re going to claim it’s your forte.”
“Okay. If you lose in basketball, Jo, you’re a dog.”
“Sure, if you lose in football tonight, you’re a dog too.”
“Okay.”
And so our silly banter ended. Not for any reason other than Jo’s main sport being basketball. Seriously, without boasting, we can play almost anything, but since Jo is in the basketball club, he gets a lot of practice. As for me, I play football and am the team captain. If we compete one-on-one and lose, we might as well howl in defeat.
Speaking of football, I’m still annoyed, even though it’s been a year. No matter how good I am, it’s a team game, and my teammates are just average, while the other team had two, three, four, five million people marking me alone, following me relentlessly like they’ve admired me for over ten years. Even if I managed to shake them off, there was more waiting. That day was exhausting as hell, and we lost; not only was I tired all day, but then I had to drown my sorrows with alcohol, feeling totally frustrated.
Do we have to talk about Hill and Fah’s sports? Well, I’ll say a bit since you guys won’t read this part again after this, haha. Hill has been playing basketball since high school, and he played football too. He’s into typical boyish sports, and here he became the basketball team captain, and because of Hill, Jo followed suit, like in that movie, “Ghost Rider” or something.
Hill is very disciplined, an exemplary student and active in extracurriculars. I don’t know where he gets his energy from, he’s good at everything he does. He practices basketball intensely before competitions; besides his natural talent, he works hard on himself.
The same goes for Fah. Initially, Fah joined tennis because they were short on players, and he was kind enough to help. Eventually, the girls fought over him, causing too much trouble, so Fah switched from the tennis club to the football club with me. Fah, who had played football before, didn’t have any issues; he got good with just a little practice, but it was unfortunate he changed clubs late because after that, there were no more matches, just studying.
Because these three have to carry a lot on their shoulders, business, hospital, hopes, dreams, all sorts of shit, but I carry stuff too, you know, like eggs, big eggs.
Why does everything I say end up sounding so crass?
While I was thinking aimlessly, Jo scored, and we kept trading points back and forth, until we lost count of how many.
“North.” Jo shouted a bit loudly because of the distance, and the person called turned around immediately, “Did you count the score?”
“Oh, three each.”
“Really? I have three, Jo has two, or what? Are you siding with your husband?”
“Damn, you won’t admit it, will you?”
“It’s true, ask the ghost of the referee. Why would I count the score wrongly?”
North said before turning to ask the person sitting next to him, “Right?”
“We didn’t watch.”
I didn’t hear what the short guy said, but I could read his lips.
“Whatever, three-three then, let’s make it to five.”
“Come on, we have to present the case soon.”
“I have to present too, I was up all night preparing, my eyes are all bloodshot.” I grumbled with annoyance. Presenting a case in the morning is extremely frightening. Especially if it’s your own turn, damn, just thinking about it gives me chills.
“Ready yet?”
“As ready as I can be, any better than this and your dad should do it.” “You won’t let Uncle Direk do it, huh?” Jo furrowed his brows while we were struggling over the ball.
“Direk would probably curse at me, ‘You little shit, I work my ass off and still have to work for you, go resign and sell your face like you do, your grades are shit, you bastard.’“
My words made Jo burst out laughing.
“Your dad, man, I really like him.”
“Want to trade dads?”
“Sure, I’m so sick of my dad these days.” Jo grumbled with a sigh. I don’t really get it, but it seems like this father and son duo have quite the bite. Given Jo’s personality and his sharp tongue, it makes sense.
“I’d rather trade moms. Your mom is beautiful, I want her as my new mom.” “Sure, take her. I’m tired of helping her choose lipstick, man, one mouth but three or four hundred lipsticks, I’m serious, how can red be different, red is just red.” I laughed out loud. Jo can be quite a complainer if you notice, and this lipstick color thing, let’s just pass on that because there have been many times when Jo called us to help carry and choose stuff for his mom. Once she starts asking about makeup colors, imagine four guys, hands full of stuff, looking clueless.
“It’s like you have many pairs of shoes.” I said.
“I don’t have three hundred pairs of shoes, you bastard, and I don’t buy the same model in the same color.”
“Your mom says they’re different colors.”
“Different shit, they’re the same color, she put them on my arm in stripes, asked which one is prettier, they’re all the same damn color.”
I burst out laughing, Jo can really rant with feeling, especially since his dad is rarely free, he ends up being his mom’s date every time. Though lately, North has been tagging along too.
We chatted aimlessly, and in no time, the score was 4-4, with the next point deciding who wins this playful competition, but we were taking it quite seriously. “I win, dude.” Jo said with a mocking smile. I sighed in frustration, wiping the sweat from my face with my shirt. Jo went to put the basketball away while I walked back to our seats to find the two who were waiting had already fallen asleep, leaning on each other.
I sat down on my knees to look up at the one who had drifted off, probably too sleepy to stay awake any longer.
“Asleep again.”
“Does he always fall asleep when you take him for a run?”
“Often, it’s too early for him.”
“Oh, he’s not used to staying up late like us.” I said. Even though this short guy often overworks, going for a run in the early morning isn’t something he’s accustomed to, especially since he hasn’t exercised in a while. His body probably can’t take it.
It’s good that the one he’s leaning on is North. If it were anyone else, I’d be annoyed just thinking about it.
“Jo.”
“What?”
“Help me get him on my back.” I said before turning the other way. Jo helped him onto my back without waking him up. If he woke up, he wouldn’t have agreed to be carried by me. I slowly stood up, adjusting my arms to secure him better. Jo nudged North awake, and North, half-asleep, climbed onto Jo’s back with practiced ease before falling asleep again.
“It’s like work.” I said.
“You’ll be like this soon enough.”
“You said that well.”
Me and Jo walked out of the gym with someone on each of our backs. People looked at me, probably surprised as hell, because I’ve never done anything like this before. On the other hand, everyone was getting used to Jo doing this.
Warm breath tickled the back of my neck, and I could feel the relaxed breathing rhythm, indicating he was sleeping soundly.
“Are you going to walk back, or do you want to hitch a ride with me?”
“That sounds good, feel sorry for him, want him to get to bed quickly.”
“Wow.” Jo made a disgusted face at me, “Seriously, I’ve got goosebumps.”
“Damn.”
“You’ve never done anything like this before, man. It’s too much, give me some time to adjust. No, give me a lot of time, damn it. That bastard is changing. Even if it’s just for one person, it’s still good.”
“Well said, here’s ten baht for you.”
“Keep it to suck on.”
“Damn.”
We walked to Jo’s parking spot. I opened the back door and gently laid down the person I was carrying onto the seat. Turning around, I saw that Jo had already placed North on the front passenger seat. I went to sit on the other side of the back seat but found there wasn’t enough space, so I had to let him rest with his head on my lap.
“Looks like you’ve got yourself a big job.” Jo teased.
“Damn it, is this all the space this car has? Why didn’t you buy a bigger one?”
“That’s funny, bastard, the seating space is just like this, isn’t it good?”
“How could it not be good?” I said before looking down at the face of the person who was asleep and unaware, gently stroking his head, and inadvertently smiling.
“You seem quite fond of him.”
“Stop staring at me, you creep.”
“Look in the mirror, you can see your own face.”
“And what do you mean by ‘fond of’?”
“Fond of, like what you’re doing. When you pet his head, it’s like you love him, want to protect him, I can’t quite explain it.”
“Oh, I see, I get it now, this is fondness, right?”
“Yes.” the driver replied before the car started moving out of the parking lot.
“You’ve gotten much smoother at driving. Not so rough anymore.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? My wife would wake up and nag me if I drove like before.”
“So you said, how did you go from driving like crap to driving this well?”
“Try having a wife, you’ll understand.”
“But this little guy isn’t scared even when I drive.”
“Oh really? Well, that’s good then, you guys get along in a strange way, that’s nice.”
“Yeah, that’s true.” I agreed while still gently running my hand through his soft blue hair. He shifted slightly, turning to face me.
Cheeky…
Why are you trying to burrow into me!
I grumbled to myself as he nestled his face near my stomach. Seriously, burrowing in won’t help because my stomach isn’t soft like a pillow; it’s just hard abs.
I tried to nudge his head away a bit, but he just burrowed back in.
Damn it! I can’t breathe properly here, can I just pinch him right now? Calm down, self, he’s asleep, he doesn’t know what he’s doing, he’s asleep, he doesn’t know what he’s doing, he’s asleep, he doesn’t know what he’s doing!!! While I was chanting to calm myself down, the car arrived at the condo. I gently moved his head to the seat and quickly got out, walked around to the other side, and lifted him up. “See you.”
“Yeah, see you.”
Then the black car drove off. I walked into the condo building, still carrying the small guy in my arms. He’s really small, light as if he’s been fasting since birth, and too skinny for my liking.
Into the elevator, I pressed for the seventh floor. While thinking about finding his key card, a very sneaky plan came to mind. I opened my own door and laid him on my bed, rummaged through his pants pocket for the key card, and took a look at it.
I’ll hold onto this for now 😉
I left my room, used the key card to open his door, and took the liberty of grabbing his student uniform, laptop, and the pen and mouse he uses for work, bringing them back to my room. I placed everything on my desk. Even though there were some of my things on the desk, it was spacious enough to fit his stuff too.
I hung the student uniform on a shelf beside the bed. That seemed to be all for now. I passed by the condo management earlier and saw a notice saying they’d be closed for about three days, so he wouldn’t have a spare key card either.
I took out his phone, unlocked it with his finger, wondering if adding my fingerprint would be noticed. No one would check whose fingerprints are on their phone, generally thinking only of those they’ve registered. But even if he found out, so what? I added my fingerprint to his phone.
I opened it up without any manners – yeah, manners are out the window right now. Normally, I have some manners with people who deserve them, but not with this short guy. If it were any wife, it wouldn’t matter if she had her favorite’s phone lying around; anyone would want to take a peek, humans can’t resist their inner curiosity. I looked through the photos, curious about what he had captured. There were no pictures of people at all, just photos of cats, landscapes, various drawings, cartoons, and portraits.
I checked his social media and chat apps; he didn’t talk to anyone except clients for work. It was probably true what North said, that he blocks everyone who tries to flirt with him. But he hasn’t blocked me, huh? Here’s a chance.
After roughly scanning through his phone, I checked his alarm. It was set for noon, meaning he might have afternoon classes and set an alarm to wake up for lunch.
I placed his phone on the shelf beside the bed, on top of his school uniform. Thankfully, the uniform was already folded in the wardrobe, otherwise, it would have been a mess when I grabbed it. I went to take a shower, changed my clothes, and prepared for school. Before leaving the room, I looked at the person sleeping peacefully on the bed, completely unaware.
I left my spare key card there in case he came back first before I got back from class.
I sat on the bed, leaned in, and gently kissed his forehead before slowly pulling away.
I smiled happily, feeling like just this act made today a good day for me.
…
Daotok
I slowly opened my eyes, still half-asleep, and was met with an unfamiliar smell from the blanket and pillow. I found myself in an unfamiliar room. Startled, I sat up quickly, clutching the blanket without realizing it.
What…what is this, where am I, why am I here…
I quickly looked around, trying to understand the situation, spotting my phone and uniform nearby. I grabbed the phone first. I put my feet down from the bed and walked around cautiously.
I saw my computer and equipment on the desk, next to which were books and sheets of paper. After a moment, I began to understand that I was in the room next door, and it wasn’t surprising if the neighbor took me there. It’s not strange for someone like him, who does what he wants with people he likes, to do this. I opened my phone and saw a message from the neighbor, so I opened it immediately:
☀︎: If you’re reading this, you must know you’re in my room.
☀︎: And I’ll be honest here, I’ve taken your key card.
☀︎: The concierge at the ground floor is off for three days. So no spares for you.
☀︎: You probably know the reason. Feel free to use the room.
☀︎: Your school uniform is on the shelf next to the bed, your laptop is on the desk.
☀︎: The car keys are hanging, take your pick, drive your 40.
☀︎: There’s food in the fridge, you can use the microwave.
☀︎: If you think the room is a mess, help tidy it up a bit.
☀︎: Yeah, there’s a snake in the clear container next to the wardrobe, be careful.
☀︎: My spare room key card is on the table, take it in case I’m late coming back.
I read the long message he left before inadvertently raising my hand to rub my cheek. If you ask whether I’m angry about this, how should I put it? I think I’ve started to come to terms with it because I consider myself quite adaptable. Arguing or resisting wouldn’t achieve anything; it would just be exhausting, and that feeling of being tired and wanting to do whatever comes back again.
He said he wouldn’t do anything I dislike. If he isn’t lying, I can probably forget about any serious concerns. If it’s not too bad being here, I’ll just bear with it. Sigh. Even though I say that, it doesn’t mean I’m not mentally exhausted. Why does it have to be me, for heaven’s sake? Sigh, well…sigh.
I tripped over the words “be careful with the snake.” I immediately walked over to the side of the closet and saw a snake in a clear glass enclosure, a beautiful light yellow ball python, very beautiful.
I knelt down, getting close to look at its pattern, it was incredibly beautiful. No need to ask how expensive it might be.
“So beautiful, why is it so beautiful?” I spoke to the snake lying still in its enclosure. It was clear how well the owner took care of it. I immediately took out my phone to take a photo and then opened the chat with my neighbor.
SS: This snake is so beautiful, can I handle it?
☀︎: Sure, but be careful, it might not be used to your scent.
☀︎: But it’s not aggressive.
SS: What’s its name?
☀︎: Doesn’t have one.
☀︎: You name it.
SS: Is it male or female?
☀︎: Female.
SS: Warali.
SS: It means bright like the moon.
SS: The light yellow one.
☀︎: Okay, good.
☀︎: Be careful not to get bitten, I don’t want to kill it.
SS: It’s fine, this type of snake doesn’t hurt when it bites, right?
☀︎: You might not feel it, but I would.
SS: Can I ask how much it cost?
☀︎: A couple hundred thousand.
SS: Oh
☀︎: What are you doing?
SS: Just woke up.
☀︎: Not going to ask about me bringing you to my room?
SS: What are you going to do to me?
☀︎: Nothing. Just wanted to be with you.
SS: Uh-huh.
SS: So it’s fine then.
SS: I’m tired of arguing.
☀︎: 5555555555555555, that’s so you.
☀︎: I went through your phone too.
SS: Are you going to steal my work?
☀︎: 555555, I just wanted to see who you were talking to.
SS: Oh, uh-huh.
☀︎: What time do you have class?
SS: In the afternoon.
☀︎: Grab something to eat.
SS:
☀︎:
I set my phone down and opened the glass cabinet, gently taking out the beautiful boa constrictor and placing it in my hand. I’ve never kept snakes or handled them often, but I know one thing: you must never let it fall to the floor. This snake is worth a few hundred thousand, yet he lets me play with it. Even though I said getting bitten would be fine, he insisted it wasn’t okay for him and reminded me several times to be careful.
Does this mean he cares about me?
Hmm…it’s nice when someone cares like this.
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