WESTTHESUNFROMANOTHERSTAR, Chapter 33: Pretty Sweet
Arthit
“You want me to fall, don’t you?”
“No.”
“See, you’re flirting, you like me.”
“I’ve already told you that.”
“Oh, I want to take off my shirt and do the grown up stuff with you right here.” I said quietly, feeling frustrated. If we were in a room, I would definitely take off my shirt, and pants too, but unfortunately, we’re still at the temple.
Earlier, I was so taken aback that I couldn’t stop smiling, and my heart was beating like crazy. Oh, I might die. No, no, I can’t die here, I haven’t even become his husband yet!
“This is a temple.”
“Meaning it’s okay in a room?”
“No. That’s not what I meant.” He quickly retorted. I couldn’t help but smile at that action; he’s so damn cute, what the hell.
“You’re not human anymore.”
“What?”
“You’re too damn cute.”
“You’ve complimented me too much.”
“Is that bad?”
“I don’t know, I’m indifferent.”
“That’s not a compliment, you’re genuinely cute, I’ve never seen anything in the world I thought was cute until you.” I said honestly because before this, I never found anything cute. I didn’t even understand what ‘cute’ meant, “I thought you’d be bored of me by now.”
“No.” He said, stopping in his tracks, making me stop too, looking at him in confusion, “I’m not bored, I’ve told you before.”
“…”
And then he made this serious face…
That’s all he said before walking on.
“I thought you’d be bored of me.” I asked, feeling a bit hopeful, quickly catching up with just a few steps. He nodded in response.
“No, if you want to say something, just say it.”
“Damn, that’s a good sign.”
I couldn’t help but smile widely again. As everyone knows, I’m the type who says everything I feel, so telling someone I love them every half hour isn’t just talk. And this shorty saying he’s not bored, even though he initially said he wouldn’t get bored, in reality, he might have become bored, but what he said now was an incredibly good sign.
“Phipungto, come look at this.”
“North, you always interrupt.”
“What, are you guys being sweet?”
“Checking numbers?” the short one asked, walking over to where North and Jo were looking at the lottery stall.
“Yeah, come help choose.”
“I’m not good at this, North, just pick the numbers you like.”
“I’m torn between these three numbers, what do you think, Phii Jo?” North pointed and asked, and of course, Jo’s answer was…
“Buy them all.”
“Look, oh rich daddy.”
“North, just one number is enough.”
“You take it, take it, three sets, you won’t take some more? Are you that determined to get only one?”
“Yeah, it’s better this way, trust me, with my lifetime experience in playing the lottery, the more greedy you are, the less you win.”
“But you still hope to win, right? What’s this about?”
“Leave me alone, if you don’t get it, keep quiet.”
“Damn you.” I cursed. This kid is really annoying, “You don’t want it? I’ll buy it for you just in case.”
“What if you win?”
“I’ll quit, of course. No more studying medicine , better to switch to playing the lottery.”
“Welcome.” North said, giving me a thumbs-up with pride.
“Forget it, Arthit, you have better chances at a casino.”
“Yeah.” I said, thinking back to when I went to the casino with Jo. That time, we came back with a ton of money, so much that we almost got killed by the owners. We’re really good at gambling, it’s like boasting, but I’m genuinely good, “Why don’t I go make a career out of that?”
“Exactly, why torture yourself with this?”
“Oh, Johan, you’ve made me want to quit for the millionth time.”
“You quit, I quit, deal?”
“No way, bastard, I’ve fought so hard for this.” I said, feeling exhausted, and we both sighed when talking about this. It’s even more disheartening when we’re together, “You need to study for Hill.”
“Why study for Hill?” Jo asked. Now we were standing, talking while waiting for those two to choose their lottery numbers.
“So Hill can be proud of you.”
“Damn it, do I have to do that much for him? Saying it’s for North would give me more motivation.”
“The wife’s doctrine?”
“Oh, isn’t it you too?”
“I follow Daotok’s doctrine, where I am the prophet and have no disciples because I don’t accept disciples.”
“Why?”
“Jealous.”
“What’s there to be jealous about?”
“He’s treating you like a senior.”
I said through gritted teeth, hurting myself with my own words, damn it. Jo burst out laughing.
“What are you laughing at, you’ve been a brother before too, right? Everyone needs time.”
“Time, but how long? Might be a senior for life, stuck right here.”
“Damn.”
“Oh, Arthit, it’s okay, at least you’ve got another ‘little junior’.”
“What kind of junior, what kind of ‘damn senior’, no, I want to be a husband.”
“You’re pushing it.”
“Just a bit more and I would have pushed it, the other day when he said I was cute, I took off my shirt, to the point where he thinks I’m always ready to strip.” “Is that true?”
“True.” I said. We both burst out laughing.
“And you plan to keep calling him ‘mung’ forever?”
“I’d better not call anyone ‘mung’.”
“Hill’s wife and Fah, why?”
“My head would explode, those guys are polite to their wives to death, and who am I to call them ‘ai-this, ai-that’ to their wives?”
“And you don’t speak nicely to the one you like?”
“He’s not like me, I feel uncomfortable talking to him, he probably wouldn’t like it.” I said, reflecting on how talking to those two guys’ wives felt so awkward I wanted to rip off my shirt. Having to say ‘Phii’ and ‘Rao’, it’s a mess, but we don’t talk much anyway, there’s nothing to talk about, “Did you talk with North ‘you’ at first?”
“At first, I was a bit angry with North, he had some issues…you know.” Jo shrugged. I thought back to what had happened and understood, “He got used to it,
I guess, but when we became lovers, we adjusted. I’m not as crude as you.”
“Yeah, well, shorty is okay with who I am.”
“I told you, it’s rare to find someone who’s okay with who you are, I’m not even okay with it.”
“If you’re not okay, you can punch me.”
“Are you challenging someone?”
“One on one, no need for clothes.”
“Sigh. That’s just how you are. Who would want you if not for him?” Jo let out a big sigh.
“Taking forever to choose the lottery numbers.”
“That’s how it is.” Jo said resignedly, “It’s like when Chinese girls choose lipstick colors, they have to be meticulous.”
“When you drop North off alone, you must get lonely.”
“Not really, North would feel guilty and choose quickly. Seeing me with you, he’s enjoying himself a bit more.”
“I have a question.” I said, “Why, even though you have money, is North still playing the lottery?”
“You don’t understand.” Jo sighed slightly, “It’s like some kind of mission in his life. If he succeeds, it’s like completing it, get it?”
“Oh, I see.”
“That’s it, and North is the type who wants to do things on his own. He doesn’t like to rely on me much, even though we’ve talked about financial stuff, he relies on me very little. He prefers to fight his own battles, because that’s how North has always been.”
“Playing the lottery is fighting his own battle?”
“It’s a mission, but with studying, work, stuff like that, he hardly relies on me at all. At most, he’ll ask for a tutoring session.”
“Does that mean he doesn’t ask for money from you either?” Jo shook his head in response.
“Well, that’s good in a way, so in his mind, instead of asking you for thirty million, he’d rather help you find another thirty million, something like that.” I said, “He’s aiming to win thirty million, right?”
“Depends on what you buy.” Jo answered, “Yeah, something like that, but you know, North’s happiness doesn’t give me anything. It’s fun to see him excitedly waiting for each draw though. When he doesn’t win, he doesn’t feel bad, he’s just kind of used to it now.”
“I’ve started to see things a bit differently since having the shorty around.”
“How so?”
“Of course, I don’t want to continue working under Direk. Don’t want to be a doctor either.”
“And what do you want to be?”
“I’m not telling.” I said, because right now, only the short guy knows my dream, and I still want it that way, “You’ll find out soon enough.”
“Yeah, we’ll see. And how is this related to your brother? I noticed your perspective has changed.”
“He’s the one who makes me want to pursue my own dreams. After I’d given up on them for so long.”
“Huh?” The listener raised his eyebrows in disbelief, “That’s hot.”
“Can’t you ignore my cool words?”
“Damn, why is it so hot?”
“Because of my own hotness.”
My words made the guy who was standing there, looking annoyed, turn to look at me immediately.
“What the hell?”
I forced out a laugh when I heard him curse out of frustration. After a while, Jo took a deep breath to try to cool his head down.
“You seem to handle the heat well.”
“I can handle everything.” I shrugged and smirked annoyingly, “Except cold weather. I don’t like it, and I can’t tolerate Dao saying he hates it. He once said it as a joke, hurt like hell that time, lucky he didn’t really hate me.”
“Really? That’s weird.”
“What’s weird about it? I love him.”
“It’s weird that he doesn’t hate you.”
“Damn you.” I cursed with a laugh, glancing at the blue-haired guy standing not too far away, not letting him out of sight. Because of the crowd, Jo and I had to step back to stand further away from them.
He was hesitating when North handed him two lottery tickets to choose from, then picked one. After paying, he walked over to us.
“Done already?”
He nodded in response.
“What numbers did you get?” Jo asked. North smiled broadly and showed him the lottery ticket, “Okay, should we head back then?”
“Wait, Phii Jo isn’t you going to work?”
“Yes.” “At the bar?”
“Yes, why?”
“I was thinking of watching a movie with Phipungto, can I go?”
“Oh.” Jo looked thoughtful, then turned to me, “Can you look after him?”
“Look after North? No way.”
“No need to rely on someone like Phii Arthit, I can take care of myself.” “He’s implying that he can take care of himself and doesn’t need you anymore.” I teased. Jo turned to me with a look of utmost boredom.
“When someone’s love for themselves doesn’t work out, they think about ruining other people’s love.” North said, raising his eyebrows, clearly wanting to say that his words were deeply affecting me. That bastard was such an asshole, followed by his hearty, satisfied laugh.
“So, will you watch it at the cinema?” Jo returned to the previous topic. “Yeah, what should we do?” North seemed hesitant before turning to the short guy for his opinion, who just shook his head lightly.
“It’s up to you North.”
“You always say that, so can we watch it in the room? I barely watched Netflix this month, afraid it won’t be worth it.”
“Sure.” Jo agreed surprisingly easily. Normally, getting permission to enter his room was almost impossible, “You can stay and play in my room, but…” “But don’t break anything or touch stuff.” I interjected, because this was a common warning from Jo whenever I was about to enter his room. They are just like that, protective of their belongings and their space.
“Then let’s go to my room.” North said.
“Why not watch a horror movie in our room?” the short guy suggested, “The atmosphere would be perfect.”
“It’s like 4D, too much maybe, with all the visuals, taste, smell, and sound, I might not handle it.”
“I think it’s good.” I agreed with the short guy, “North is a real joker.”
“Here comes that word again, do you think it can provoke me every time?”
“Then you’re easily provoked.”
“I’m not, I’ll go if I want to go.”
“You’re easily provoked, damn your wife.” I said, turning to look at Jo, who was smiling slightly in an endearing way. We walked back to the car with the two of them in front and us following as usual, “At first, I thought you wouldn’t let him come to your room, why did you agree so easily?”
“He’s not going anymore, is he?”
“I mean, at first when we talked about going.”
“Oh, I haven’t been spending much time with North lately.” Jo said with concern. “I know North understands, but I also want to spend a lot of time with him. But even on my day off, I have to attend meetings.”
“Just skip it.”
“I’ve already done that. So, I want North to spend some time with friends.”
“And what does he usually do if he’s not with friends?”
“Plays games, watches movies, watches cartoons in his room. I’m afraid North might get bored.”
“Bored of games?”
“Bored of me, maybe. Why are you teasing me at a time like this, I’m serious.” Jo furrowed his brows. I chuckled a bit, “That’s the problem I’m quite worried about, but I’ve asked before, and North didn’t say anything. I know North really isn’t bothered, but I worry on my own.”
“Another problem for the househusband, huh? And you can’t even cut back on work.”
“I’ve reduced it recently, but it’s been heavier lately.”
“You’ve been with him all this time, why worry so much?”
“Arthit, if you were in my shoes, you’d worry too.”
“Thankfully, I’m not you, working that hard would kill me before anything else.”
“You’re the one with all the free time.”
“Hah, not really, I don’t have much time, nor money, damn, what do I have to offer him?” I said thoughtfully, “But I try to find something.”
“Money?”
“Maybe you’re looking for trouble, what’s up, you’re just as annoying.” I grumbled quietly, and the other party burst out laughing, “Because it’s North, there’s no problem. Who can understand his craziness? Stop worrying about nonsense, it doesn’t suit you.”
“I guess I’ve been a bit stressed lately, I’ve been focusing more on my studies.”
Jo sighed, “Okay, now I feel better, thanks for listening.”
“When did I listen to you? Have you vented enough already?”
“Yeah, that’s it.”
“Alright, glad you feel better.” I said, and we returned to the same car. I opened the car door, sat back in my original spot, and lay down with my head on his lap like before. He looked displeased, tried to push me off but didn’t succeed, so he reluctantly let me rest on his soft lap until the car pulled up under my condo.
“What time is your football practice tonight?” Jo asked from inside the car.
“Around five or six, what time do you get off work? Should I drop off North?”
“I’ll call you around five.”
“Okay.”
Letting Jo and North say goodbye took just a few seconds before North walked over to join us. The three of us took the elevator to the seventh floor. While walking down the long corridor, I heard some noise from one of the rooms we passed, making North jump and cling tightly to the short guy, which irritated me. I grabbed the back of North’s shirt and pulled him away.
“Ouch. That almost shocked the life outta me.”
“It’s just noise from the room, probably someone moved in.”
“Really, someone new moved in?”
“Yeah, probably. If there isn’t, this condo is doomed.” I said, because it had been a long time, and there should have been new residents by now, especially since the condo owner gave the short guy a discount to move in cheaply to improve the condo’s reputation, with the idea that this floor was livable without any ghosts, not knowing that the ones who could live here were not afraid of ghosts – me, the short guy, and Meen.
Speaking of which, I don’t know where she disappeared to.
“Ha. I don’t trust it, Phipungto, scan if there’s anything.”
“Nothing.”
“What’s that?” North pouted, looking annoyed before stopping in front of the room, “Do we really have to go into his room to watch the movie?”
“If you don’t want us to go in, I can go in alone.”
“It’s already bad, we came early, and the room owner opened it first.” “Keycard, please.” The short guy turned to me, asking for the keycard with his hand outstretched. And I wanted to say that if he made his voice a little more pleading, I’d give him the whole world, like shoving the entire universe into his hand, damn, he’s so freaking cute.
“I’ll open it.” I said, trying to keep my cool. Someone like me shouldn’t lose composure over something like this. I pulled out my wallet to look for the short guy’s room keycard, but couldn’t find it, “Bad news, I think I lost the keycard.” “…” The room owner immediately made a disgusted face at me.
“I think you should have it on you at all times, losing the keycard is one thing, but the person who loses it is good. If I were the condo manager, I’d punch you in the eye.” North said with a scowl. I shrugged indifferently and opened the door to my own room, with the short guy and the freeloader following.
“You guys choose a movie, I’ll use the bathroom for a sec.” I said and headed to the bathroom.
When I came back out, I saw the two of them sitting on the floor, leaning against the sofa, probably choosing a movie to watch.
“Got it yet?” I asked, collapsing onto the sofa, pulling Dao’s arm to make him sit on my lap instead. North raised his eyebrows and smirked teasingly, “I’ll punch your mouth if you make fun of me, you bastard.”
“Between the little brother and the nephew, why does it have to be sitting on the lap, isn’t there a chair?”
The person sitting on my lap squirmed as if wanting to sit on the floor.
Want to sit on the floor, huh? Oh, alright then.
So, I moved to sit on the floor too, lifting the person slightly before settling down so he could still sit on my lap.
“What’s this about?” He asked, not sounding too pleased.
“I saw you wanted to sit on the floor.”
“Not like this, though.”
“Did you choose a movie yet?” I held his slender waist tightly, resting my head on his shoulder, glancing at the laptop on the floor.
“We did, Phii, and I have to witness this love scene again.”
“Yeah, that’s fine, you’re on my team.”
“I’m on Kim’s team.”
“Which Kim?” I asked immediately, not understanding when suddenly an unfamiliar name popped up. What the hell is Kim, and who is this Kim? “What, explain it.” I said firmly to the person sitting on my lap, who let out a small sigh.
“No. Just a client.”
“Damn, that doesn’t sound good, talking like that.”
“See, your mind is only filled with crap.” North said, “Earlier when we went to pray, someone sent a message to Phipungto, named Kim…Kim what?”
“Kim Tae Min.”
“Yeah, that one. They’re a client wanting to set up a work meeting, but my gut feeling says they’re clearly trying to flirt.”
“North, you’re messing with me. Just someone wanting to discuss work?” I frowned, “And are they Korean?”
“Is there a Chinese person with a surname like Kim.”
“Oh, I asked a dumb question, have you worked with them before?”
“Hmm, once, about a year ago maybe, they wrote a novel and had me illustrate it.” He explained. I nodded in understanding.
“And how do they flirt with you, North, stop making things up.”
“Trust me, my Observation Haki Skills are never wrong. I can see the future three months in advance.” North said, with utmost confidence in himself. “Really? Then why don’t you see what numbers the next lottery will draw?” I asked back, and he immediately looked annoyed.
“Now you go and ruin it.” He said with a pout, “But they like you, I swear, this
Kim. Last time I saw…”
“Saw what?”
“Let’s just say I saw.” North cut off the conversation easily when he couldn’t continue, “But you need to be careful. I really feel it. If you don’t believe me, let me touch you.”
Then he reached out to lightly touch my arm before pulling his hand back.
“See, I can feel it.”
“What are you playing at?” I asked, laughing at North’s incredibly juvenile act.
“Trust me, be cautious.”
“North, you’re imagining things.”
“Look, I thought I was just imagining it, but Ter kept saying this until Phii Hill started to get annoyed and went to handle it himself while Ter was still calmly eating his pork hot pot, completely oblivious.” North said with a serious expression, “Not to mention the guy who harassed Phoon almost got punched by me; I almost got kicked back when I was escorting my friend.”
“You’re quite the friend-shield, huh?”
“Let’s call it protecting friends, Phii, and I’ll protect Phipungto if you trust me to look after him and pay me monthly.”
“Helping your husband make a living, huh?” I teased slightly, “It’s fine, I can take care of mine. But should we get rid of Kim now? Where is she at the moment?”
“He was just here to talk about work.” He said wearily, “You two have already gone too far.”
“Prevention is better than cure, right, brother?”
“Yeah, better to burn him before he starts flirting with you, that would be bad.” “Sigh, enough. Let’s watch the movie.” Said the person sitting on my lap as he reached to turn on the movie. The sound from the TV got our attention; the horror movie playing didn’t scare me or the short guy much, but the one who was most scared was definitely the one sitting next to us, hugging his knees under a blanket, visibly trembling. I thought he might need to go to the bathroom.
“Don’t wet yourself, if you need to go, use the bathroom.”
“It’s okay, Phii, I’m fine here.”
“What do you mean ‘okay’, I should be the one saying that.”
“We’re friends.”
“It’s a bit too friendly, show some civilization, will you?”
“Let Phipungto go to the bathroom.”
“No.”
“You’re confused, come on, come on.” He started to reach out from under the blanket and shook the arm of the person sitting on my lap hard, “Go pee.”
“Sigh, how old are you again?”
“Twenty-one.”
“Sigh, okay.” In the end, I had to take North to the bathroom, “Let go a bit.”
“I don’t want to let go.”
“Normally, I don’t try to stop anyone from doing anything, but this time, please, Phii.”
“Yeah, yeah, feel sorry for you.” then I let go of the person in my embrace, leaving just a faint scent and warmth behind. The person got up to accompany North to the bathroom. After a while, both came back, with the short guy looking like he wanted to sit somewhere else, “Come back to my lap.”
“No.”
“Quickly.”
“Are you forcing me?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“You’re so stubborn.”
“It’s not stubbornness, you’re the stubborn one.”
“If you sit somewhere else, I’ll just carry you back to my lap anyway, what do you say? The movie is getting good, hurry up.”
“Sigh.” He let out a big sigh before reluctantly sitting back on my lap. I didn’t care about his bored expression before holding him tight as before, “What are you looking at, North?”
“Damn, just relax, pretend I’m not here.”
“I wasn’t paying attention to you anyway.”
“…Yeah, whatever, shit, the scene in the movie is so dark.” And then we continued watching the horror movie until it ended. North was a mess, his hair all over the place. The short guy, on the other hand, remained calm as if nothing was happening, even during the jump scares when North screamed, he remained indifferent.
We chatted a bit until Jo called North to say he was coming to pick him up. I checked the time and saw it was earlier than we had agreed. I immediately knew how much Jo must have rushed his work to pick up North.
“Off you go, Phii, off you go, Phipungto.” North said from the other side of the door.
“Um.”
“Yeah.”
“Keep an eye on Khun Kim.”
“Yeah, yeah, got it, I’ll deal with him tomorrow.”
“Yeah, good, deal with the root cause, don’t just fix the symptoms, you won’t be able to convince him to give up in time.”
“Sigh, enough already.” the short guy warned again. North laughed before quickly running off, the sound of his footsteps indicating he was really sprinting.
“And what about Khun Kim?”
“Do you believe North?”
“Half and half, let’s say. Anyway, he won’t be able to flirt with you.”
“Hmm, me too.”
“Huh?”
“Just kidding.”
“Damn, what does ‘just kidding’ mean? Have I already won you over?”
“Not yet.”
“Alright, look, you’re dodging the question.” I said with irritation. He went to sit at the work table and picked up various tools, ready to continue painting. I sat down in the chair next to him, “So, what’s my score?”
“Don’t know.”
“Why don’t you know? You’re the one giving the scores.”
“Umm…it’s hard to say.” He pondered for a moment, “But it’s not low.” “See, a man has hope.” I said proudly and stole a kiss on his soft cheek. He turned to look at me, not too pleased.
“I will deduct points.”
“Why?”
“Harassment without permission.”
“Then I’ll ask for a kiss.” I said, planting another kiss on his soft cheek. This time it wasn’t accidental; it was forced because the short guy knew what was coming but couldn’t push me away, “There, I’ve asked for permission.”
“Sigh.”
“Sigh a lot, you’ll have a short life.”
“Then I guess I’ll have a short life.”
“No way, if you die, who will I be with?” I protested slightly.
“Don’t know.”
“If you die, I’ll use your body for experiments, find a way to revive you so you can stay with me.”
“No matter what, I can’t escape it, huh?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm, maybe it’s not that bad, I want to try a revival, please take care of it.”
“Yeah, you can trust me.”
He didn’t respond, just continued to paint on the drawing of my mother. I sat watching with nothing else to do, which means I really had nothing to do at that moment.
“Hey, I’m going to play football with friends, do you want to come?”
“Are you Inviting me to play football?”
“Yeah.”
“No way.”
“Why? It’s fun.”
“I don’t like football.”
“Okay, then come watch me play.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“I don’t like it.”
“Why don’t you like it?”
“I’ve gone to watch before.” He said, his hand holding the brush pausing slightly,
“and a football hit me in the face.”
“Damn…and then what happened?”
“My nose bled, lucky I hadn’t had a nose job; otherwise, the silicone would have gone straight into my eye.”
I burst out laughing loudly when I heard that.
“Come on, I’ll make sure the ball doesn’t come your way.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“Still no, mosquitoes will bite me.”
“Mosquito repellent spray would be good.”
“It’s hot.”
“The weather’s cool there, the breeze is nice, the atmosphere is good, there’s light, you can paint comfortably.”
“Why do you want me to go?”
“Just want you to watch over me. Don’t you get jealous? When I play football, there are always people watching and asking for my number.”
“Hmm, congratulations.”
“Damn, come on, you should be like, ‘Oh, people are flirting with you? Then I better go watch over you,’ something like that.”
“No.”
“Be a little jealous.”
“No.”
“You’re so stubborn.”
“No, I’m not that kind of person.”
“Yeah.” I said, the short guy isn’t really stubborn. That’s true, like when his heart beats fast because of me, he admits it, he just said that for the sake of saying it. “Let’s just go.”
“…”
“Come on, I want you to come.”
“You want me to be jealous?”
“Yes.”
“Better not.”
“Why?”
“I’m not the jealous type.”
“Ugh, whatever.” I made an annoyed face immediately, “But seriously, you should be jealous of me because I look damn good when I play football.”
“…”
He didn’t say anything, just looked at me with an expressionless face, which made me laugh and playfully push his head, annoyed.
“Okay, let’s go, I’ll pack your stuff, you get up and leave.” I quickly concluded and started packing his drawing equipment back into the same bag. He looked slightly puzzled before letting out a resigned sigh, allowing me to continue packing for him.
After I had packed everything for him, I packed my own things. I took him to the football field where I had arranged to meet my friends, not really knowing why but genuinely wanting him there. I didn’t want to leave him alone in the room; I wanted him to sit next to me, even if he wasn’t going to watch or cheer for me.
It felt comforting just to have him in my sight.
“My friends are definitely going to tease me.” I said while driving. Although it was a holiday, in the evening around five o’clock, many people were still out for dinner, making the road near the university as congested as on a regular weekday at this time.
“On purpose?”
“No.” I said. I didn’t mean to bring him here for my friends to tease, the reason was just as I mentioned earlier, “Actually, I’m just protective of you. I don’t want anyone looking at you.”
“No one’s looking.”
“With hair like that, and you’re so cute it’s ridiculous.”
“No.” He replied immediately, his voice as calm as ever.
“What do you mean by ‘no’?”
“Not cute.”
“See, and humble too.” I teased, not really knowing why I was teasing him. The one being teased showed no reaction and didn’t respond, so I continued, “If not cute, then what?”
“I don’t know, just normal, I guess.”
“Just normal, fine, do people usually look at you when you go out?”
“No.”
“I think they do, but you just don’t notice.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, believe me.”
“…”
“Aren’t you going to ask why I’m protective and brought you here?”
“No.”
“Just ask already.”
“Hmm, I am asking.”
“Those people can only look at you, and besides, it would be nice to show off, right? Show off that my future wife is super cute, you bastard.”
“…” He didn’t respond, just let out a small sigh, holding the bag with the drawing supplies I had prepared, looking out through the car window.
We arrived at the small football field at the university; it was surrounded by a high steel fence to prevent the ball from flying out and hitting people or cars passing by. As soon as I took Dao’s hand and walked inside, everyone on the field started to turn and look.
Of course, all these people were my friends, from different faculties but part of the same football club, so we knew each other. There were also some who I didn’t recognize, probably friends of my friends who were invited.
“Hey, doc!” Tim was the first to approach, “Thought you weren’t coming.”
“I said I’d come, didn’t I?”
“Yeah, and who’s this? Your boyfriend?” He asked, looking at the person standing next to me.
“Not yet, I’m still courting him.” I answered honestly.
“Damn, cool. What’s his name?”
“Daotok.” I answered for him, letting go of his hand to put my arm around his shoulders instead. He gave a small smile and nodded slightly to Tim in greeting. “My name’s Tim, I’m Arthit’s friend. Wow, my friend’s going to have a boyfriend, you bastard, take care of my friend, please.” Tim smiled broadly back,
“Everyone, Arthit’s here, let’s start the game again.” Tim shouted across the field, and everyone who had stopped running when I entered started moving again, ready for a new game.
“Hey, it’s fine. You guys go ahead and play, I’ll just sit and wait.” “Is that so? But hey, just a moment more, and my team’s going to lose, you bastard.”
“So, what’s the plan, start over?” one of the friends shouted from the field.
“Let’s continue.” Tim said, jogging back onto the field.
“Arthit, you’re on my team, dude.”
“No way, hey, Arthit has to be on my team.”
“I’ll play alone.” I shouted back, “All of you, come at me.”
“Fuck, you’re bold now that you’ve brought your boyfriend, huh?”
“Whoever looks at my wife, I’ll poke their eyes out.” I smiled, as the whole field teased me before I led the person holding onto my shoulder to sit by the side of the field. I put down the two bags I was carrying, slid his equipment bag in front of him, “Is it okay for you to sit here?” “Hm.” He nodded to confirm.
“I won’t let the ball come your way. I won’t let anyone bother you, okay?” I said seriously while gently stroking his cheek. He pursed his lips slightly and nodded again, “It might get a bit chaotic, the mosquito repellent is in the small pocket of the bag, spray some.”
“Hm.”
I watched him prepare his things, helping whenever I could, like arranging his stuff or handing him things. He took out a large board and placed a large sheet of paper on it.
“Hold this for me.”
“Hm.” I murmured softly, holding the corners of the paper to keep it steady,
“Then I’ll go now.”
“Hm.”
I changed my shoes and went to warm up by the side of the field. When they finished playing, they called me to join in, and we chose teams by drawing short or long sticks, then the game began.
Once I was on the field after a long time, I felt a bit excited, but soon I got used to it and started enjoying it. I was focused on what was in front of me, the positions of everyone, the ball, and my direction, analyzing everything thoroughly. When I, as a forward, scored, everyone cheered happily before going back to focus on the next ball.
During a break, I glanced at the person sitting on the sideline, and our eyes met. I gave a broad smile, and he returned a slight smile, which made me feel indescribably happy, as if something was welling up to fill my heart.
“You score a goal and then give your partner a sweet smile, huh? You two are so cute.” one of my teammates teased. I raised an eyebrow at him.
“Not my partner, I’m still courting.”
“With this much attention, they’re practically your partner, coming all the way here to watch.”
“I brought them here, I’m courting them, no one looks, you assholes.” “Yeah, just by bringing them here, no one will look anymore. Hope they agree soon, buddy.”
“Thanks for the good words.”
“Damn, you’re such an asshole, is that a blessing or what?”
And it was just as he said. Just by bringing him along, no one dared to look at him, even though he was very cute.
When it came to halftime, I went to sit at the same table as him.
“Did you watch?” He nodded.
“Was it fun?”
“You’re good at playing.”
“Me, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“Wow, you’re complimenting me again, I’m happy.”
“People are looking.”
“Who? And why didn’t you finish your sentence?”
“They’re looking at you, a lot.”
“Oh.” I turned to look at the girls around the field; on the other side of the steel fence, there was a seating area where people were watching. I turned back, uninterested, “You’re jealous, aren’t you?”
“No.”
“Whatever, so how’s the painting going? Can I see it?”
“No.”
“Come on, you’re being jealous about a painting now? Let me see it. Normally, you’d let me look.”
“This one’s different.”
“Why? Fine, I won’t look then.” I gave up on asking to see the painting he was working on. Although I didn’t understand, I let it go for now, “Are you tired sitting here?”
“Not tired.”
“Hungry?”
“Not yet.”
“OK, then I’ll play a bit more.”
“Hm.”
And then I went back onto the field to play another round with the others, occasionally glancing at Dao who was painting by the sideline. I could see he was very focused on his drawing but tried not to look too long or too often so as not to lose focus on the game.
As I thought, having him within sight really made me feel at ease.
My team had won three times already and was about to win for the fourth time; we weren’t playing seriously, so we didn’t play for ninety minutes as per the rules. Plus, the field wasn’t very large. The first team to score three goals was the winner, then we’d take a break, recover, and play another round.
Today ended with my team winning all five games, the other team losing every one. When it came to drawing the sticks, they all wanted to be on my team because I was the star player. I walked over to the short guy and found that he had already packed everything up.
I changed my shoes and said goodbye to my friends for a bit. Since it was Saturday, they suggested going out for drinks, but I declined because I wanted to be with the short guy more. They were shocked because it was rare for someone like me to refuse alcohol.
Because of my sweat, I didn’t dare to put my arm around his shoulder much, just held his hand and walked back to the car.
“My friends all said you’re cute.” I said honestly since we had talked a bit on the field, and everyone said he was really cute, “At first, I didn’t feel anything, but the more time passed, the more I started to feel protective over you.”
“…”
“Can I be protective over you?”
“Is it too late to ask that?”
“I’m asking now. Even if I can’t, I’ll still be protective.”
“Hm.”
“Sigh, you, letting me do whatever I want until I’ve fallen for you, I don’t even know how far I’ve fallen, but you don’t know how many points I’ve scored.”
“I don’t know, it’s really hard to say.”
“Alright then, I’ll wait anyway.”
“Hm.”
Suddenly, he opened the bag that was on his lap, pulled out a rolled-up piece of paper, and unrolled it for me to see.
It was a sketch of me amidst a crowd at the football field, bathed in light. My face in the picture was covered in sweat but with a broad smile.
“Why did you draw me? I thought you were painting.” I said, utterly surprised, because I initially thought he was actually painting.
Oh…that’s why he wouldn’t show it to me when I asked to see it earlier.
“…”
“Why aren’t you answering?”
“It’s beautiful.”
“Huh?”
“Your smile is beautiful, I wanted to capture it.”
“Damn.”
I pulled him closer, pressing my lips gently against his soft ones. He pushed me away with all his might, but I didn’t yield, leaning in closer, one hand around the back of his head to keep him from escaping, softly nibbling on his lower lip as if asking for permission. The hand that was pushing me away began to weaken, his small mouth gradually allowing me to advance.
I explored his mouth with my tongue, savoring the sweetness that felt like I had been craving for so long, sweeter than I could resist. I gently squeezed his slender hand, comforting him while he tensed up, unsure of what to do. I kissed both his upper and lower lips, letting Dao get accustomed to my rhythm. I sucked on his tongue intermittently, the person being kissed trembling and showing signs of inexperience, which only made me more eager.
The smaller one began to breathe heavily, his warm, rapid breath beating against my chest as a sign he was running out of air. With great reluctance, I pulled away from his lips.
Still not satisfied…
I looked at his sweet face, flushed red all the way to his ears. I had never seen his usually calm face show such embarrassment, he was both adorable and teasingly tempting. I raised my hand to gently stroke his soft cheek.
“Sorry, but I meant it.”
“…”
“I meant it because, honestly, you’re really cute.”
Observation Haki; Comes from the manga “One Piece.” where “Haki” refers to the hidden power within a human’s body in the One Piece world.
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