WESTTHESUNFROMANOTHERSTAR, Chapter 42: Shooting Star
Daotok
I put my phone down after finishing the chat on LINE, unable to hold back a smile as I imagined the other person’s reaction from the rapid messages sent. I could picture how he would look.
“…” I looked up to see everyone in the room staring at me. I tilted my head in confusion, asking what was going on.
“Talking to Phii Arthit?” Ter was the first to speak up. I nodded in response.
“Why?”
“Nothing. We’re just surprised. We’ve never seen you this happy before.”
“Oh…Really?”
“Yeah, you’re smiling so much you don’t look like the old Daotok at all.”
“I used to smile too.”
“But not like this.” Ter said, giving me a slight smile, “We should thank Khun
Phii Arthit for making our friend this happy.”
“I think we should thank the little fighter for putting up with someone like Phii Arthit.” North added, which made me smile at him, and North paused.
“Don’t smile at everything, I’m not used to it.” “Really?” I smiled even broader.
“Getting goosebumps, it’s not natural at all, you jerk.”
“Just teasing.”
“The atmosphere around Dao has changed.” Said Cat from the sofa, turning his back to rest his chin on the backrest, supporting it with both arms, looking like a
Cat cub staring intently at something, “It’s warmer.”
“Is it that noticeable?” North asked.
“You’re not sensitive, so you wouldn’t feel it.”
“It’s not true, I think you guys are just imagining it.”
“I’m not imagining it at all.”
“You don’t need to argue with him, Phoon. North is just one of those who opposes everything. Sometimes he doesn’t even disagree, he just likes to argue for the sake of arguing. Ah! You, I told you not to take Dao’s things!” Ter turned to scold quietly.
“You’re the good one, Ter, arguing with North there.” Cat said.
“Yeah. Since we’ve been living together, have you had many issues with me,
Ter?”
“You’ve caused me more trouble. We must argue, just arguing is enough, at least once a day to feel at peace.”
“I don’t know. I just feel like I can’t stand you because I see your face every day, it’s like I’m sick of it.”
“But you call me back to sleep every night.” Ter raised an eyebrow.
“Why do you make it sound like I’m clingy?” “Can’t you sleep alone?” I asked.
“Not exactly. At home, I can sleep alone, but when it’s unfamiliar, I can’t sleep at all.”
“Why are you so afraid of ghosts?” Cat asked.
“They’re scary, aren’t you scared?”
“Not really. I’m more afraid of the dark, but Dao isn’t scared at all, right?” I nodded in response, “What about you, Ter?”
“I’m scared, but not as much as North, to the point of being scared out of my wits.”
“You exaggerate.”
“Which are you more afraid of, cockroaches or ghosts?”
“Cockroaches.” Ter answered immediately, “No way, I’d rather deal with ghosts than cockroaches, I’m telling you. And back then, damn North used to prank me with them, it was so annoying.”
“What are you scared of? They’re kind of cute.”
“They’re disgusting.”
“Come on, why can’t you call them cute? They’re small.”
“You call what’s cute and adorable, size isn’t the point.” Ter argued before offering me an apple. I opened my mouth to take a bite, “So, do you have anything you are afraid of?”
“Exactly, you don’t seem afraid of anything.” Cat added.
“Exactly.” I said.
“Oh, what’s that about? You still don’t know what you’re afraid of, do you?” “I don’t know either.” I said honestly, because since I was born, I can’t recall ever being afraid of anything.
“That’s nice, being someone who isn’t afraid of anything.” Cat said, and then we continued chatting until dinner time. I ate dinner along with my medication and drifted off to sleep due to the effect of the drugs while everyone was still in the room.
I slowly opened my eyes, feeling much clearer. The heaviness in my head from earlier in the day was gone. Looking around, there was no sign of anyone else, but I heard sounds as if someone was in the bathroom. Looking at the sofa where some items were left, I immediately knew who was in the bathroom.
It was dark outside, and the room lights were bright. I saw that it was now halfpast nine. After a while, Phii Arthit, dressed in a white T-shirt and long pajama pants, came out.
“Oh, you’re awake already?”
“Uh-huh.”
“How are you feeling? Does your head still hurt?”
“It doesn’t hurt anymore.”
“Oh, good.” He said, coming to sit beside me.
“You came to watch over me?”
“Yeah, I changed into these clothes ready to sleep.”
“Oh…What about Mr. Jeon? When will I get out of the hospital?”
“I left the chubby one with Fah. As for when you can leave the hospital…I don’t know, maybe we’ll have to wait and see how you feel for a bit longer.”
“…You don’t have to stay here.”
“Are you kicking me out? I’m not leaving.”
“No, not kicking you out…I just thought you have many things to do, like racing, making music, studying.”
“I can study here. As for racing and making music, it’s not necessary right now.”
“Oh…Uh-huh.”
“And about Gard…well, you don’t seem too interested, so forget about it.” He said casually, playing with my hand.
“You can tell if you want to.”
“It’s not much. I went to check in the evening, and when Direk found out he had hurt his future daughter-in-law, he wouldn’t negotiate anymore. He said to deal with it fully.”
“Oh.”
“As for Ging, Meen took care of her so badly she’s almost unrecognizable.
Those siblings will remember this for a long time. Do you think it’s enough?”
“It should be enough. I’m not holding a grudge.”
“Really? But I think it’s not enough.”
“…”
“It’d be better to keep them around for some more playful torment before letting them go.”
“Hmm, as you wish.”
“Aren’t you scared of me?”
“Are you going to hurt me?”
“That’s a stupid question. If I had to hurt you, it would hurt me more.” “Hmm.” I nodded slightly, “Then there’s no reason to be scared. Plus, I’m not scared when someone wants to hurt me either.”
“What are you scared of?”
“You’re asking like Ter did.”
“Really? And what was your answer?”
“I don’t know, bro.”
“You mean what I’m afraid of?”
“Yes.”
“Afraid you won’t love me, afraid of losing you.”
“Hmm? It’s all about me.”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“Hmm, then there’s nothing to be scared of.”
“You’re teasing me again. What’s going on, Daotok, I’m asking seriously. Ever since we started chatting, my heart feels like it’s going to kill me. Did someone hire you? I’m starting to feel uneasy.”
“Exactly, someone did hire me.”
“What did they hire you for?”
“Maybe they hired me to make you like me and then leave.” I teased, the person next to me sighed.
“That’s cruel.”
“You mean the one who hired me?”
“You, actually.”
“Ha ha.” I laughed a bit at his dissatisfaction.
“How much did they pay you?”
“Hmm…” I was silent for a moment, contemplating, “One million.”
“Is that all my feelings are worth? Then I’ll give you a hundred million.”
“Why give it to me?”
“To hire you to love me back.”
“No.”
“Why not? Isn’t it enough?”
“You don’t need to.” I smiled, “I already love you.”
“…”
I laughed again at his reaction; he was so shocked he couldn’t speak, his sharp face slightly turning red. He reached out to cover my eyes with his rough hand.
“Oh, you’re cheating. When I’m embarrassed, you still like to watch.”
“Don’t look.” He protested, “Oh, shit…you jerk.”
“Let me see.”
“No.” He said firmly. I used both hands to try to pry his hand away, and after a while, he let go, his face back to normal.
“You recovered fast.”
“Nothing happened. Everything was fine.”
“Oh, is everything normal?”
“Yeah. Totally normal.”
“Then say it again.”
“No! Not yet!” He protested before quickly covering my mouth with his hand, looking flustered, which made me laugh out loud. Why is this big dog so cute? He tells me he loves me almost every hour, but when I want to say it, he stops me,
“No, keep it for later.”
“Uh…” I made a sound in my throat since I couldn’t move my mouth, he removed his hand again, “Don’t you want to hear it?”
“No! I do want to hear it, but…damn, my heart beats so hard, shit, I might die, whether you’re saying love or committing murder.”
“Ha ha.”
“You seem in a good mood.”
“I guess so.”
“It’s fun, isn’t it, to tease me.”
“You can say it all the time, but when I want to say it, I can’t.”
“But you do love me, right?” He asked as if he couldn’t believe his ears. I nodded in response, he averted his gaze, stood with his hands on his hips, one hand covering his mouth, but his cheeks were visibly red.
“Damn, oh wow, I want to bang my head against the wall, the world must know this for real, the bro zone must be trembling, you bastard!”
“Calm down.”
“You go take a shower!”
“Okay.”
“Hey, no way, just wipe yourself off, you might faint or slip again.” He said before going to grab wet wipes, prepare a cloth with water and a change of clothes for me.
“Close the curtains.”
“Yeah, yeah.” before the curtains around the bed were drawn. I took off my old clothes, cleaned myself, changed into new clothes, and spoke to the person behind the curtain.
“Done.”
He slid the curtain back into place.
“Here.”
“What?”
“How’s your racing practice going?”
“Why ask suddenly? Are you afraid I’ll lose and we won’t become a couple?” He teased, raising an eyebrow, sitting back down on the chair by the bed, and picking up his iPad to read something.
“North told me.” I said. During our conversation earlier in the day, North mentioned that because his boyfriend had helped Phii Arthit practice, North got to watch, and he said Phii Arthit was really good. The reason I didn’t go to watch the practice was because Phii Arthit himself forbade it, saying he wanted to show off his coolness during the actual race.
“Oh, what did he say?”
“Just praised you.”
“I paid him to praise me, to make me look cool in your eyes, so you’d fall for me.”
“Exactly.”
“…Ah, oh, sigh! You’ve surrendered, huh? I’m not playing anymore, damn it! I’m the one who’s going to die, why do you counter with such a strong punch, like this, I can’t tease you anymore, what’s this?” He pretended to clutch his chest as if he was having a heart attack.
“This is retaliation, wasn’t it you who was good at teasing?”
“Too strong, damn it, too strong, don’t do anything to me.”
“Ha ha, you give up already?”
“Yeah, I give up, I give up, you go to sleep.”
“I just woke up.”
“Sick people need a lot of rest, sleep, sleep.” He gently pushed me to lie down, sat with his chin resting on his hand by the bed, making a grumpy face, looking somewhat annoyed. When he noticed I was watching him, he pulled the blanket over me, “What are you looking at? Sleep!”
“You’re cheating, you can still look at me.”
“Just go to sleep.”
“Have you never been this embarrassed before?”
“Still asking about that, huh?” He said. I laughed again, peeking out from under the blanket. I saw him sigh and sit back down, “I’ve never been this happy since I was born, sigh, finally, there’s today. Damn it, I’m proud of myself.”
“Hmm.”
“And do you need to tell your family that you’re in the hospital?” He changed the subject.
“It’s fine, I’ll be discharged soon.”
“Usually, no one comes to visit anyway.”
“Yeah, just friends come by sometimes.”
“Ha, I’m the first to stay with you then.”
“Yes.”
“Having a doctor stay with you, you’ve got some special privileges.”
“Here.”
“What?”
“Hmm, speaking of being the first…don’t you want to ask?”
“Ask what?”
“Like…about the first kiss or something like that. Don’t you want to know if you were the first?” I asked quietly. I was just curious why he never asked; usually, I think most people would want to know if they were someone’s first kiss or first in something with someone they like.
“Oh, like if I was your first kiss or the first time for something like that?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t care about that.”
“Why not?”
“I’ve told you before, I don’t care about your past. If I got to be your first kiss, I’d be happy, but does that mean I wouldn’t be happy if I was the second, third, fourth, or fifth? That’s not true. As long as you trust me and allow it, I’m already very happy. Plus, being the last one is what’s more important. So, that’s why I don’t ask about your past.”
“…”
“I don’t believe in saving the first time for someone special. When you love, you give it your all. You think the person in front of you is important. Who knows how the future will end, right? You’ve been deceived before. My job is to help you forget the past, isn’t it? So why would I ask, right?”
“Hmm, that’s right, you put it well.”
“Of course, what crazy person is this handsome?” He shrugged casually. I looked at him and couldn’t help but smile; he might be right about that. Who cares about the first one? It’s the last one that matters, “And why ask suddenly?”
“Just talking about the first one.”
“The first one who got to stay overnight in the hospital with the first kiss, how does that relate?”
“It doesn’t relate. Just made me think of it, I wanted to ask but never got around
to it.”
“Oh, and you made me think too far ahead, I’m getting obsessed.”
“Think what…Oh, sigh, you’re really obsessed too.” I sighed at him. He couldn’t act cool for even ten minutes, this guy, “Then I’ll sleep now.”
“Okay, sweet dreams.”
“Uh-huh, same to you, don’t do anything weird, okay?”
“Yeah, I know, when have I ever disobeyed what you’ve forbidden?”
“Good, be a good boy.”
“Can I have a kiss on the cheek?”
“Uh-huh.”
“You’re so kind.” He said before leaning down to softly kiss my cheek, ruffling my hair a bit before walking to turn off the main light, leaving only a small one on.
I took a while to fall asleep, with someone reading beside me.
I was discharged from the hospital after three days; my body wounds were healing gradually, and I no longer had headaches or dizziness. I could return to daily life as if nothing had happened. I completely forgot about Gard and his sister.
I didn’t ask or care about their situation anymore.
SomSri’s Cat kittens found new homes with the help of the clinic’s vet. As for SomSri, Phii Meen fully adopted her, and Phii Meen often brought SomSri to play with Mr. Jeon; they got along quite well. There’s no worry about them having kittens since both have been spayed/neutered.
Phii Arthit still revolved around me as usual. He still brought breakfast every morning, ate dinner with me every evening, and sometimes slept on the sofa in my room. After understanding that he needed to be patient and wait for me to be ready, he never did anything beyond what I allowed again.
This made me think that because he was experiencing love for the first time, he was more like a child who didn’t know how to express himself. He’s not one to listen to others much, but at least, he listens to me; he doesn’t do what I forbid, though he might pout a bit when scolded, ears drooping, tail between his legs.
North said I might be the only one in the world who finds him cute.
But I think…I’m the only one in the world who finds him cute.
Time passed quickly, and when the day of the real competition arrived, I was indescribably excited. Even though I didn’t show it outwardly, thinking about the agreement we made last month made my heart race.
I remember I didn’t set the condition that he had to win for me to agree to be his boyfriend. I just said that winning would be nice. I set the condition to give my answer after the competition because I wanted time to prepare myself, so no matter the outcome of tonight’s race, my answer would remain the same.
The person who seemed the most excited and in the best mood was definitely the one competing today. He brought me soy milk in the morning like usual, with the brightest, most cheerful demeanor, saying that North and his boyfriend would come too because his boyfriend wanted to see the result of the competition after helping with training for so long.
He said he would pick me up around nine in the evening, so I should get ready.
I got back to my room around five in the evening, showered, and got dressed. Today, I wore the shirt he bought for me. I played with Mr. Jeon until nine, and he came right on time.
“Hey, are you ready?”
“Yeah.”
“The shirt I bought you, it really suits you.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Let’s go.” He took my hand and led me down to the parking lot below. “Are you excited about the race?” I asked while in the car. It seemed like the car for the race was already at the venue, so the car I was in now was a different one.
“I’m more looking forward to what happens after the race, there won’t be any
‘no’ anymore, right?”
“Hmm.”
“Damn, I’m excited, like…is there going to be a surprise or something?”
“Why ask me?”
“Well. I don’t know who else to ask, I asked Direk, and he said it’s up to you, I asked Jo, and he also said it’s up to you.”
“How would it be a surprise if you tell me?”
“Right, forget it, how can it be a surprise if we already know, right?”
“Hmm.”
“Being a senior you know ends here, those bastards, no one will mock me anymore.” and then he burst out laughing loudly with satisfaction. I furrowed my brows slightly, looking at the person next to me.
Hmm…it’s strange, but what can I do? There’s no surprise since we already knew, and besides, our feelings have gone too far. Even so, he still patiently waited as we agreed.
I’ve…decided to choose him too.
A luxurious car pulled up and parked outside the race track. I looked around with interest because I had never been to a race track before. The inside was very lively; as we walked in, many people noticed, and he became the center of attention again, but he didn’t care at all. He took my hand and led me in another direction.
We went up the stairs to the upper level, stopping in front of a large black glass door. Inside, there were several men in suits standing guard. I guessed they were bodyguards. Uncle Direk turned to look and walked over to us immediately.
“Hello.”
“Uh-huh, hello.”
“Finally here, little fighter.” North’s voice rang out. I turned to see North and his boyfriend sitting on a large, plush sofa. Phii Arthit led me towards them. I sat down next to North; in front of us was a large glass partition, with seating outside. If Uncle Direk was here, I guessed this room must be the best spot to watch the race.
After a while, someone brought water to serve us. I nodded slightly in thanks.
“What time do I need to get ready?” He asked Uncle.
“In another half hour.”
“Can we go out to see?” I turned to ask North.
“Sure.” North invited, and we walked outside. Just as I thought, we were on the top floor, with a panoramic view of the track. Simply put, this must be the VIP area, “Wow, there are so many people, damn.”
“Yeah.” I agreed; people were gradually taking their seats in the stands. “I should bet on this. No matter what, Phii Arthit should win, it’s a good investment…isn’t it?”
“Why are you so sure he’ll win?”
“He looks so serious about it.” North said, turning to look at the person inside the room. Phii Arthit was talking to North’s boyfriend with a slightly more serious demeanor than usual, “The only thing I’m worried about is if the other side plays dirty.”
“Hmm? Why? Is there something suspicious?”
“The race is on their turf. It’s not our side’s field; they might have set traps on the ground.”
“That would be too obvious.” I said, scanning the field with my eyes. It was around half past nine, the surroundings were dark, so the field lights were turned on, making the atmosphere even more exciting, “Do you know anything about the opponent?”
“I asked around a bit, his name should be Fight, same age as Phii Arthit, son of a big company, just like Phii Arthit. Not really a good guy, involved in fights, woman troubles, stuff like that.”
“Oh.” I nodded, feeling a slight chill from the cool breeze, rubbing my arms lightly. Suddenly, someone covered me with a jacket.
“I should have told you to bring a jacket, it’s cold around here.”
“Wow, taking off your jacket for a romance scene.” North teased.
“Shut up.”
“Oh.”
I turned to see North’s girlfriend, who was already sitting on the outside sofa.
North made a face at Phii Arthit before sitting next to his girlfriend.
“How’s the atmosphere?”
“Hmm, it’s crowded.”
“It’s peaceful here. No need to squeeze with others, and you can see my car clearly.”
“And with such a big field, they’re only racing two cars?”
“No way. When I race against him, there are other cars too. The agreement is whoever crosses the finish line first wins, but no matter how you look at it, I’ll come in first. Being too good, I don’t know what to do.”
“And where do you prepare?”
“Down below, I’ll go in a bit. Do you remember my car?”
“Yeah.”
We stood by the balcony rail for a while to take in the racing field’s atmosphere before Uncle Direk came to tell us it was time to get ready.
“Go, watch my victory, and be ready to say yes.”
“Hmm.”
I couldn’t help but smile at his confident demeanor and words; he left the room, leaving just me, North, his boyfriend, and Uncle Direk to watch from here.
“Doesn’t Uncle need to go with him?” North asked.
“Hmm, the racers’ prep area doesn’t allow outsiders, they’re afraid someone might do something harmful.”
“Oh, right, imagine if someone slipped in some laxatives or something, that would be bad.” North nodded in agreement. After a while, the crowd cheered as the first car moved onto the track. North and I stood up, gripping the balcony rail with excitement, looking at the cars modified beyond their original design.
“Hmm…you can modify the cars however you want, right?” I said.
“Yeah, it’s not an official race, you know.”
“Oh.” I nodded slightly, feeling a flutter in my chest when I saw the familiar black car drive onto the track, “What about the car of the person he’s racing against?”
“It’s probably red, that guy, right, Phii Jo?” North turned to ask.
“Uh-huh.”
“That’s right, the one on the right.”
“Oh.”
Once the cars were lined up, the starting signal sounded. I watched the race intently. As expected, the black car took off quickly, leading the others, before being caught up by the red one. The cheering was so loud it made me feel nervous for him.
“…Wow.”
I gasped when I saw the cornering at full speed without slowing down at all. The red car slowed down a bit, falling behind, and once overtaken, it was hard to catch up again.
“How can they drift at that speed?” North said in awe. I was no different, speechless, having heard about how good he was at racing but not understanding until I saw it with my own eyes.
My heart beat a bit faster, my hands clenched in anticipation.
“North.”
“Huh?”
“He’s really good.”
“Impressed, huh?”
“Hmm, he’s always impressive.”
I was even more surprised when the black car picked up speed. I started to feel anxious, fearing it might be dangerous, but he handled that speed very well, this time leaving the other cars far behind, almost determining the result.
“Damn, come on, bro, well done!” North cheered excitedly. I was just as excited, the cheers from the spectators were thunderous, and as the gap widened, the cheering grew even louder. Amidst the spotlight shining down, on the field where cars were racing at high speed, that sleek black car captured everyone’s attention. “Won!!!” the person next to me shouted with joy, North grabbed both my hands and shook them up and down, the roar of the crowd echoing around.
“He…he won!” I turned to look at North after standing there in shock for a while, smiling broadly without realizing, then I shook his hand back with enthusiasm.
“Yeah! He won, yay!!”
“Uh-huh, uh-huh, he won.”
I looked over at the two people sitting on the sofa; Uncle Direk also looked pleased, more than that, he looked proud of his son.
“Phii Jo!! He won!” North let go of my hand to shake his girlfriend’s arm instead, who gave a slight smile.
“He was bound to win.”
“Isn’t that right? It wasn’t a waste to come cheer, nor was it a waste for Phii Jo to help with the practice.” North said enthusiastically, “And now, my senior and my friend will have a boyfriend too.”
North’s words made me purse my lips slightly to hide my embarrassment, turning back to look at the field where the other cars were crossing the finish line one by one. Once all were in, it was time to announce the winner. Even though from here it was a bit far, I could see Phii Arthit getting out of that black car.
And when his name was announced as the winner of this race, he turned this way, seemingly sending a smile in our direction.
I smiled back at him.
Congratulations…you’re the best.
After that, all the cars moved off the field. I stood there watching with a feeling of pride in my heart, then suddenly, Uncle Direk stood up beside me. I turned to look at him.
“He’ll be back soon.”
“Yes.”
“I know the terms both of you agreed upon. It might seem strange for me to say this, but you must know how my son is. He might be troublesome for you, he’s stubborn, crazy, and annoying every day. I myself sometimes get headaches because of him, but he’s my only son, he’s my whole life. This is the first time he’s told anyone he loves them.”
Uncle spoke softly with a smile and warm eyes.
“He’s never loved anyone before, except for his mother, me, and himself, despite his rough and tough exterior. But if he loves someone, he gives his whole life. As an ordinary father, I want my son to be happy. Since he loves you, I love you too.
So if you also have feelings for him, don’t leave him, okay?”
“Yes. I promise.”
“You’re really cute.” Uncle gently patted my head. I gave him a sincere smile. We talked and waited for him to return, but after a considerable amount of time had passed, there was still no sign of the person who should have come back.
“It’s taking so long.”
“Indeed, what is he doing? Or did he get diarrhea?” Uncle showed a sign of impatience before picking up his phone to call, “He’s not answering.”
“What about the people who went to check on him?” North’s boyfriend asked immediately.
“Uh, let me go check first.” Uncle walked to slide open the large glass door to go back inside, and everyone followed. Before long, two guards came in, panting.
“Sir…the young master is gone!”
“What did you say!!”
“At first, someone said they saw the young master go to the bathroom. We’ve looked everywhere, but he’s not there.” one of them explained.
“But we found an emergency exit that was supposed to be locked, with signs of being forced open.”
My heart sank upon hearing that; the room fell into a brief silence. Me, Uncle, and North were all stunned until Uncle’s phone rang; he answered it immediately. The middle-aged man’s kind and warm face turned into one of anger, the atmosphere around him growing cold and intimidating. He gripped the phone tightly, his hand trembling.
“…So, it’s going to be like this, huh?”
“Let me talk to my son…now.”
A deep, intimidating voice rose. Even though no one in the room showed any reaction, the room was filled with tension.
I couldn’t hear the voice from the other end of the line; Uncle’s demeanor was terrifyingly calm, speaking only a few sentences into the phone.
“You won’t die well.”
His voice lowered even further. I was sure this wasn’t just a threat. Uncle lowered his phone before stepping out.
“Orders, sir?”
“Everyone to the abandoned warehouse up north, prepare weapons and money. They said they want to negotiate first, after the negotiation and we get Arthit back…kill them all.”
With the command given, everyone started moving immediately.
“Jeff!”
“Yes, sir!”
The man who seemed like the head of the bodyguards ran over.
“Divide the team to go behind the warehouse too, this isn’t the plan we had. There are definitely only a few of them, but don’t be careless, you know what’s most important.”
“Sir’s safety!”
“Good.”
Then that man quickly walked out. Uncle turned to look at me.
“Kid, stay here, there’s a small emergency. Don’t be afraid, Johan, take care of my future daughter-in-law for me.”
“Yes, sir.”
And then Uncle ran out. I watched him go, not saying anything because I was afraid it would delay him. The room was left with just the three of us; North came over and gently touched my shoulder.
“…North.”
I called out to the person beside me, my voice trembling, my hands icy cold, as if my heart was being torn apart. No words could be said at this moment; my mind imagined various scenarios of what might happen next.
And then tears flowed without me realizing it.
“Why…why is it like this?”
“You’ll be fine, calm down first.”
“North…North, huh, he’s in danger. We…what can I do, North? What can I do?
What should I do, North, huh…if he, huh, if he…”
I let myself cry for the first time in a long while; tears flowed relentlessly down my face. I started sobbing so hard my body shook, the fear I had never felt before was gnawing at my heart intensely, leaving me completely drained. North pulled me into a comforting hug.
“Calm down, buddy. It’ll be fine, trust me, Arthit is tough to kill, he might even deal with those guys before Uncle even gets there. Right, Phii Jo, isn’t that right?
Phii Arthit will be fine.”
“Uh-huh, he’s told me this isn’t the first time he’s faced something like this.” “Hic, hic…but…but that doesn’t mean this time won’t be…different, he told me to wait for the victory and be ready to say yes, so…why isn’t he coming back?” “I understand you’re worried, what can we do, Phii Jo? Can’t we do anything?” North asked with concern and panic in his voice.
“There are enough people already. If we go, we’ll just get in the way.”
“Uh…then can we just sneak a peek at the situation?” I pleaded, my face still wet with tears.
“Try to think from Arthit’s perspective, what would he want you to do more?”
“…”
“I know you’re worried, but if it were me, even if I were to die, I wouldn’t want the person I love to be in danger. I think Arthit feels the same. Plus, Uncle asked me to look after you, if we go there, Arthit definitely wouldn’t agree.”
“Uh-huh, you’re right, calm down first, don’t cry. I’ve never seen you cry before, it breaks my heart. Don’t cry, it’ll be fine, trust me, he’s been waiting for you to say yes for so long, with that kind of determination, he won’t die.”
“Hic…uh…thank you.” I pulled myself out of North’s embrace, wiping my tears away, trying to regain my composure as much as I could, telling myself to trust him.
He said he would be by my side forever.
He wouldn’t lie, he promised.
“Come, come, sit down, have some water first.” North led me back to the same sofa, pouring water into a glass for me.
“North.”
“Hmm?”
“Remember when you asked if I’ve ever been afraid of anything?”
“I understand now…I’m afraid of losing him. I’m afraid…I…I can’t lose him. I really can’t lose him.”
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