WHYARU, Chapter 17:
Deawdry changed the group name from “Gang of Jerks” to “(Fai) The Ultimate Jerk”
Out of nowhere, a notification from the high school group chat, which they rarely used, popped up on Fighter’s screen. Deawdry had changed the group name to something with his name in it, and Fighter couldn’t help but ask why.
Fighter; What’s your deal, Deawdry?
Deawdry: What’s with your private IG? That latest post— what’s up with that?
Fighter had a private Instagram account that only a handful of close friends followed. Most of the posts there were casual— scenery, streets, or random people. But last night, for the first time, he posted a picture of Tutor. Not counting the public IG where he’d shared photos of Tutor in a mascot costume, because the private account was his truly personal space.
Deawdry: Posting on your private IG is one thing, but that pic you posted is next-level.
Fighter: Next-level what?
Deawdry: Next-level adorable, you jerk.
The picture Fighter posted was of his younger companion, face buried in a white blanket, with only their eyes peeking out. Not only was their face tucked into the blanket, but they were also adorably resting their head on his arm. When the photo was taken, a bit of his jawline was visible, but not the whole thing.
Fighter: So what? It’s just a picture
Deawdry: Liar!!!
Since when did you start lying to your friends, huh?
Dew chimes in: @deww, is the person in his latest post the same one who was with him at that job thing?
deww: Yup, that’s the one.
Deawdry: See! How is that any different from what I said!!!!
TOMON: The annoying thing is how he doesn’t update his friends.
Back then, he was all, “It’s nothing, blah blah.”
Now he’s taking the kid to the beach, huh? What’s that about, Phii?
What’s really going on?
Fighter: Nothing’s going on, I just took the kid along
Deawdry: Kid???? KID?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
Back then, didn’t I hear you call them “that guy” or something?
TOMON: His heart’s not his own anymore, that’s what.
From “that guy” to “kid,” what’s next?
Fighter: Whatever the kid wants it to be
Deawdry: A dog, maybe?
deww: LOLOLOLOLOLOL
TOMON: LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
And after that, they spammed stickers like crazy. I was about to mute them when I saw Dew’s question.
deww: So, how was last night?
Alright: Fighter
Deawdry: Have you guys hooked up yet?
Fighter: Jerk
TOMON: LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
Fighter: Laugh it up
deww: Can I ask something serious for a sec, Fai?
Deawdry: Asking if we’ve hooked up counts as serious?
deww: No, you idiot! I was just gonna ask if the kid actually likes you.
Fighter: Would he have come with me if he didn’t?
Deawdry: Just because he came doesn’t mean he’s into you, you dumbass.
TOMON: Maybe he came out of politeness?
Deawdry: Didn’t want to hurt his friend’s feelings, you know.
But he hasn’t said a single word about liking you, right?
Fighter: Yeah
But you can feel these things through actions, can’t you?
deww: Feeling it through actions but never saying it or admitting he likes you even once? Sounds like it’s not the real deal.
TOMON: True.
deww: Real talk, Fai. Whether or not the kid says he likes you isn’t the main issue. Have you ever told him how you feel?
If you keep dragging your feet, someone else might snatch him up first.
As Dew finished, the group flooded the chat with another wave of LINE stickers. Fighter let out an annoyed sigh, sat up, and glanced at the person who showed no signs of waking up.
Yesterday, Fighter let the guy sleep to his heart’s content. Even took him out for dinner in the evening, only for him to come back and sleep more.
This morning, seeing someone who’s usually an early riser still buried in the blankets, Fighter couldn’t help but shake his head with fond amusement.
“You awake, Tor? You’ve been sleeping all day,” Fighter asked the figure still buried in a pile of white blankets. Tutor stirred slightly, groggily sitting up from the bed with his eyes still closed, swaying as if he might collapse back onto the mattress. Fighter, watching him, couldn’t resist reaching out to ruffle the messy hair of the person in front of him. The clean, fair skin and the eyes peeking out from the collar of his shirt were another striking feature he couldn’t look away from. He wondered if, should anything mar that fair skin, it could be him who left the mark.
“Awake yet?” The large hand resting on the smaller one’s head gently ruffled it, as if trying to wake him again.
“…” Tutor didn’t answer. He just shifted, resting his face on Fighter’s shoulder, eyes still closed.
Was he used to this kind of clinginess from the younger one? Never. Not even once.
“Tor.”
“Mm.”
“You really gonna keep sleeping?” Fighter asked the drowsy figure on his shoulder, stroking his head.
“Five more minutes.”
“Can’t give you that,” Fighter teased, making the one leaning on his shoulder turn to glare at him with mild annoyance.
“Just five minutes. Why so stingy?”
“We agreed to go out together,” Fighter said with a sly smirk, looking at Tutor. “You know, Tor, since we got here, you haven’t acted like my boyfriend at all.”
“Don’t use that word,” Tutor, who had seemed half-asleep, sat up and narrowed his eyes at him. That stubborn face made Fighter want to pin him down on the bed and tease him right then and there.
“Then what word should I use?”
“Tutor or Tor is enough.”
“But I really want to say ‘boyfriend,’ boyfriend.”
“…” The younger one stayed silent, looking away.
“Your ears are red, boyfriend.”
“It’s hot.”
“The AC’s at twenty degrees. Really hot, huh?”
“…”
“Look at me,” Fighter used his fingertip to gently lift the smaller one’s chin, making their eyes meet. “If I can’t call you boyfriend, can I call you darling instead?”
“So this is the kind of person you are, huh?”
“What kind?”
“Such a pain in the ass, seriously,” Tutor said, shoving Fighter’s face in annoyance.
“Oww! That hurts!” The guy who got pushed wailed dramatically, flopping onto the bed as if in agony.
“Overdramatic much,” Tutor shook his head, ignoring the guy acting like he was in pain. He got up from the bed, grabbed a towel, and headed to the bathroom. He didn’t even care how loudly Fighter was groaning, because once he was in the bathroom, the sounds following him made it clear Phii Fai was just faking it.
“Hurry up and shower, Tor. We’ve got a lot of places to hit today.”
“I know, I know,” Tutor muttered, looking at himself in the mirror. The redness on his cheeks and ears was proof that the guy outside had way too much influence on his heart.
Way too much.
Whether it was his words, his actions, or even his gaze.
“Where are we going today, Phii Fai?” Tutor, dressed in a tshirt, shorts, and flip-flops, raised a hand to shield his eyes from the sun, looking at the guy fiddling with a camera.
“Just walking around the city, taking some photos. Later this afternoon, we’ll head to the island. I’ve already booked the tickets,” Fighter replied, lifting his camera to snap a shot of Tutor. At first, Tutor wasn’t used to having the older guy constantly pointing a camera at him for every little thing, but eventually, he just had to get used to it. The guy even took pictures while he was eating. Maybe it was because of the joyful smile Fighter had while snapping photos of crabs or whatever that made Tutor not want to protest too much.
“The island, huh?”
“Being a smartass, are we? Watch it, or you’re gonna get it.” Fighter raised his hand as if to bop Tutor on the head, but Tutor blocked it just in time, raising an eyebrow cheekily as if to say he wasn’t fazed. Of course, Fighter’s other hand still managed to ruffle his hair anyway.
The two of them wandered around the city, taking photos, grabbing street food here and there, and even climbing up to pray at a temple on the hill. The view was peaceful, even if the sun was a bit intense. It was fun, partly because of the person by his side.
“Smile for me.”
Having someone who kept turning to check in, asking this and that all the time.
Having someone who, whenever he turned around, was always standing beside him or just behind him.
It felt… really good.
So good that he couldn’t help but wonder how he’d feel if, in the future, Fai wasn’t there with him anymore.
“What’s wrong? Why the long face? Hot?” Fighter walked over, placing the back of his hand on Tutor’s forehead. “You feeling okay?”
“Nah,” Tutor flashed a wide grin, brushing off the worries in his mind and scrunching his nose. “Just hungry, Phii Fai. Wanna grab something to eat before we get on the boat?”
“What do you feel like eating? Noodles?”
“Tea! Tea!”
Before Fighter could finish speaking, rain came out of nowhere, pouring down without warning. They, along with others nearby, scrambled for cover. Many ducked into shops or convenience stores. Fighter was no different, pulling the smaller figure by the hand into a large convenience store.
“It’s coming down hard,” Fighter grumbled, eyeing the relentless rain that showed no signs of stopping.
“Yeah.”
“Will we even get to visit the island like this? I went through the trouble of booking a boat.”
“Probably not. With rain this heavy, they won’t let the boats go out.”
“Ugh, what a bummer.” Fighter looked like a big, sulky dog, his pout oddly endearing.
“You really wanted to go, huh?”
“Of course. We came all this way.”
“Then let’s go tomorrow.”
“But what if it rains again tomorrow?”
“If it rains again, we’ll try another time,” the smaller one said, shaking their wet hair as if to flick off the raindrops clinging to their head.
“You’d come with me again?” Fighter asked, his voice tinged with excitement.
“If not with you, then who?” Tutor’s reply brought a smile to Fighter’s face, almost as if Natee were there.
“You are…”
“What?” Tutor looked up, raising an eyebrow as if to question.
Cute.
So damn cute.
“Nothing,” Fighter brushed it off, knowing if he said it out loud, the younger one would get so shy they’d lose their natural charm. In the end, he just reached out to wipe the wet hair from their face. The damp strands, with droplets trickling down their cheeks and hair, made the person in front of him look… sexier.
But none of it compared to the few words the younger one had said.
If not with you, then who?
7:27 PM
The post-rain atmosphere cleared the sky, making the stars stand out vividly against the black canvas. A cool sea breeze brushed their faces, sending their hair fluttering in the wind. Tutor and Fighter were strolling along the beach in front of the hotel after returning from the walking street.
Fighter loved moments like this.
And he liked it even more when Tutor turned to smile and look at him. The only thing that bothered him was that the guy refused to wear his shoes.
“You should put your shoes on, Tor. Why are you carrying them? You’ll end up stepping on glass or something.”
“No way, Phii Fai. I haven’t seen any glass since we started walking.”
“How would you know? It’s this dark. There’s no way to tell what’s buried in the sand. Just put them on.”
“Let me go a bit longer, okay?”
“If you step on glass, I’m gonna make it worse,” Fighter grumbled softly, only for Tutor to flash him another wide smile. Tutor’s bare feet splashed through the sand and seawater with obvious joy, his beaming expression reflecting genuine happiness that Fighter could feel.
Fighter wasn’t fooling himself into thinking that Tutor’s big smile was all because of him.
Part of that relaxed grin came from the fact that Tutor was out on a trip, finally getting some rest.
He got it—working hard for years had kept Tutor from going out with anyone. Now that he finally had a chance to have fun, Tutor seemed happier than usual. Seeing him like this, Fighter couldn’t help but think that if Tutor took Phii Tong’s advice and quit his job, he’d probably live a much happier life.
But as expected, Tutor refused to quit. He’d explained his perspective: if he left his job, the family would be left with only one option. If something happened to Phii Tong someday, there’d be no one left to support the family.
So, he chose to keep working, even if it meant cutting back on hours.
“Ow!” A yelp came from behind. Fighter turned to look at the person who was supposed to be following him but had stopped, standing still with a guilty expression.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Tutor denied, lifting one foot slightly.
“I asked what’s wrong.”
“If I tell you, promise not to get mad?”
“You stepped on glass, didn’t you?”
“Not sure.”
“Seriously, I just warned you,” Fighter rushed over in a panic, crouching down to check Tutor’s foot. But it was too dark to see clearly. In the moment, he didn’t think to use his phone’s flashlight, too focused on grabbing his junior’s foot to inspect the wound. “Lift it up so I can see.”
“…”
“Put it on my lap.”
Tutor steadied himself with one hand on Fighter’s shoulder and placed the foot that had stepped on something onto his senior’s lap.
“Can’t see a thing, but it doesn’t look like it’s bleeding.”
“Then it’s probably not a big deal, right?”
“But your foot still hurts, doesn’t it?”
“Mm,” Tutor nodded, admitting it readily.
“No more taking off your shoes to walk on the sand at night. I warn you about stuff, so listen sometimes instead of just being stubborn,” Fighter shook his head at the younger one, his face showing mild frustration, making Tutor feel guilty.
“Phii Fai.”
“What?”
“Don’t scold me. I already feel bad,” the younger one said in a soft, pleading tone, his guilty expression melting more than half of Fighter’s irritation.
“Fine, fine. Let’s go check the wound in the room first to see how bad it is,” Fighter said, turning his back to Tutor. “Get on… piggyback.”
Tutor didn’t dare defy the older one too much. Though he felt embarrassed about being carried on someone’s back in front of others, he eventually climbed onto Fighter’s back, resting his chin on his shoulder in a clingy way. “What a nagger.”
“You’re just as good at being stubborn. When I teach you something, try remembering it.”
“Got it already.”
“Better mean it.” The one carrying someone almost his size on his back glanced at the side of Tutor’s face, catching a slightly skeptical look. But when Tutor didn’t say anything back, Fighter just carried him back to the room.
Good thing Tutor had brought first-aid supplies, or he’d have to waste time going back downstairs.
“Sit on the bed,” Fighter said to Tutor, who had just come out of the bathroom after being told to wash his feet.
“You don’t have to check it, Phii Fai,” Tutor mumbled to himself softly as he sat on the bed. “The wound’s not that deep.”
“No way. We’re checking it first,” Fighter insisted, sitting on the floor. He pulled Tutor’s foot onto his lap, but Tutor hesitated, trying to pull it back.
“But it’s really not bad, Phii Fai.”
“Even if it’s not bad, I need to see it’s not deep,” Fighter said. Tutor looked a bit uneasy but finally let his foot rest on Fighter’s lap.
Truthfully, Fighter had suspected from the start that it wasn’t a serious wound. But he didn’t expect it to be this minor—just a small scratch.
“Just this little scratch, and you acted like you stepped on a landmine. So dramatic.”
“You’re the one being dramatic first, Phii Fai.”
“With the way you were crying, anyone would think you got cut by glass.”
“It was dark, okay? How was I supposed to know if it was a seashell or broken glass? You’re nagging like an old man, Phii. Any more of this, and I’ll start thinking you’re my dad.”
“You want me to be your dad, huh?”
“…”
“A dad who’s not actually a dad,” Fighter said with a sly eyebrow wiggle and a mischievous look. Seeing that, Tutor couldn’t help but kick at Fighter in annoyance. “Whoa, Tutor, getting bold enough to kick now, huh?”
“You’re the one talking nonsense.”
“Pretty gutsy, using force like that,” the older guy said in a chilling tone, grabbing Tutor’s leg and pulling it toward himself.
“Phii Fai…” Tutor’s voice came out as he felt the warm breath and lips of the older guy inching closer to the sensitive skin of his inner thigh. “Let go of my leg first.”
But saying that now was like shouting at a wall. Fighter didn’t listen. Instead, he stood up, pulling Tutor’s leg to wrap around his waist. Just as Tutor tried to squirm away, Fighter moved to straddle him.
A larger hand pinned Tutor’s wrists to the bed. Those cunning eyes locked onto his, making his heart race wildly. The face inching closer felt like danger was seconds away.
“I… want to shower first,” Tutor finally said, twisting to the side. Even as he dodged, he could still feel the brush of Fighter’s nose and warm breath grazing his cheek.
“…”
“Go ahead.”
“Fine, go shower,” Fighter said, flopping onto the bed beside him and closing his eyes slowly. Tutor got up and headed to the bathroom instead. He didn’t know if Phii Fai was mad or not. He wasn’t even sure if Fighter might’ve misunderstood, thinking he didn’t want to do anything.
But how could he explain? It wasn’t that Tutor was scared or anything.
He already knew that coming on this trip, it was normal for two people who liked each other to have sex.
But it was pure embarrassment that made him run off to regroup like this.
Creak.
When Tutor opened the bathroom door, the room’s lights were off, leaving only the soft glow of a small bedside lamp. Phii Fai was outside talking on the phone. When he came back, he went straight to the bathroom to shower.
Tutor thought Phii Fai was probably upset about being rejected earlier. The way he didn’t say a word and disappeared into the bathroom made him wonder if he was angry. But that thought vanished the moment his eyes landed on a familiar-looking box tucked under Fighter’s wallet.
At first, when Tutor came to check, he wasn’t sure if it was what he thought, but upon closer inspection, he realized Fighter wasn’t the type to forget something like this.
Damn… seeing this, he couldn’t help but want to ask Phii Fai outright how much preparation went into this trip. What else was in that suitcase that he didn’t know about? Because Tutor was certain the box of condoms casually tucked under the wallet wasn’t something bought while they were strolling in town. Phii Fai had to have brought it from home.
Phii Fai, oh Phii Fai… you’re getting way too cunning.
Always one step ahead, huh? If Tutor went to buy something himself, would it be like a challenge to let Phii Fai know he wasn’t just going to stay on the bottom?
What to do? Should he go buy something himself?
“I thought you were already asleep,” Fighter said.
“!!?”
“Why’d you jump like that?” The guy who’d just come out of the shower asked, a towel wrapped around his waist, one hand holding a smaller towel to dry his hair.
“Nothing. I just couldn’t sleep,” Tutor said, putting the item he’d been holding back in its place before sitting on the bed, acting like nothing was up. But the more he tried to play it cool, the more suspicious he seemed. Even though the dim light from the lamp made it hard to see Fighter’s face clearly, Tutor caught the small smile when Fighter glanced at the box under his wallet.
“Really?” Fighter said, walking over to where Tutor sat on the bed. His strong fingers gently brushed Tutor’s cheek, a tender touch that contrasted with the intensity in his eyes.
“…”
“If you can’t sleep, then… how about we find something to do to pass the time?”
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