Content Warning: This work is intended for mature (NC17) audiences. If you are younger, please kindly leave this site.
~~~
Perspective - Third Person
"Go watch a movie; go watch a movie. I'm gonna watch a movie!"
The past few days, the atmosphere between that short engineering guy and the handsome International College dude has seemed a bit off, to the point that Pond, who's been observing closely (of course, they've been having breakfast together almost every day), has noticed it well. It's like these two are talking more, but at other times, they fall silent. They also glance at each other a lot, which is starting to annoy this mixed-blood guy.
Since the day when Ae said he was horny, Pond has wondered. Was Ae horny because of AV or because of Pete? Because in the end, Ae went out for a run. So, a person like Pond has to find a way to pry out his friend's secret, by... creating a situation.
This morning, when Ae brings Pete to sit down, Pond doesn't wait for Ae to run to buy food for Ai'Khun-chai. Pond speaks up immediately.
Inthach turns to look at him briefly with a certain look, then turns to the person next to him.
"What do you want to eat this morning? The same as usual?"
"Um...the same as usual." In addition to ignoring his stupid friend, Ae also asks this question in a normal manner and walks through the crowd to the restaurant he had his eye on, leaving Pete to smile at his table mate who is holding a fork in one hand.
Pond shifts his meal around to have Pad Thai in one hand and a strawberry smoothie in the other.
"Pete, I want to go see a movie."
"Uh... sure," the handsome Khun-chai can only reply, his gaze full of expectation, not daring to interpret its meaning.
"And then..."
"Uh, and then..." Pete can only repeat, prompting the listener to pout, blinking rapidly.
"When a friend invites you, you're supposed to say..." The speaker gestures as if to coax the words out, until the listener pointed to himself.
"Uh... Pond's inviting me to go see a movie?" Pete, as he is asking this, looks confused, not expecting to hear something like this.
Before the mixed-race guy can persuade any further though faint voices from the table behind them reach his ears.
"Girl, that guy is so handsome."
"Yeah, super handsome! So fair-skinned, good-looking, like the hero of a novel... Oh my God, he just made eye contact with me..."
Pete can't quite catch what the girls at the table behind his friend are saying, as he is looking past Pond's shoulder, searching for the football player. If Ae were around, he'd know this was just another one of Pond's usual jokes.
In contrast, the mixed-race guy hears everything loud and clear and chuckles. He didn't want to crush the girls' dreams, but that handsome guy is already eyeing his short friend. He almost turns to let them know that Pete isn't the only good-looking one, but before he can, a familiar voice speaks to his friend at the table.
"Hmm, fair-skinned people are handsome. Dark-skinned people though... unacceptable."
Wait a minute, Ae isn't here, and the fair-skinned one is Pete, so the dark-skinned one must be...
Swish.
Oh dear, now it's clear.
Pond can only tell himself this when he turns around and sees his old adversary from that general requirements class—Chae-em, the girl from the Faculty of Arts, with her hair tied in a low ponytail. She has a casual look, yet it can't hide her undeniable cuteness.
Pond stops his inner dialog… don't think I'm complimenting her, because as soon as she opens her mouth...
"He's got a bad attitude, talks too much, and if our section falls behind the others, it's because he's always distracting the professor." He hears her say.
As if that wasn't enough, she turns and meets his gaze, as though deliberately targeting him with her insults, forcing Pond, who hears it loud and clear, to console himself, saying...
Let it go, Pond. There are so many girls around here. If you pick a fight with her, people will start saying the Engineering guy is causing trouble with women. You'll end up ruining your chances.
"Em... He's looking at us now."
"I'm just speaking the truth! I think this guy's not all there!"
This is too much—insulting him like this!
Whoosh.
"Hmm, Pond... Hey!!!" Pete gasps startled.
At this moment, the dark-skinned handsome guy is no longer interested in the fair-skinned good-looking one, as he has moved to sit in Ae's place and draped his arm—yes, you read that right—draped his arm around Pete's shoulder and pulled him close, while turning to wink at that group of girls. This leaves the girls who had been fawning over the handsome guy stunned and wide-eyed.
Especially that girl with the ponytail.
"What is Pond doing..."
"Shh, help me out, be quiet," Pond says, leaning in close to Pete's cheek as if about to kiss it a few times.
Since the girls are making such a fuss, he decides to crush their dreams a little. Especially that girl, Chae-em, who needs to know that no matter how much she screams, Pete isn't going to be her partner—he likes his short-haired friend instead!
However, today, the noble Khun Pond must not have checked his daily horoscope.
"What the hell are you doing, Pond!!!"
Uh-oh, the owner's here. I'm in trouble now.
Right now, Inthach, with his stern and fierce eyes, is holding a plate of rice and a bowl of noodles, glaring intensely at his friend's hand resting on Pete's shoulder. He looked visibly irritated, watching Ai'Khun-chai remain stiff and silent.
Pond is somewhat like Trump, isn't he? Not that Pete likes him...
Just thinking that Khun-chai might prefer his friend makes the onlooker annoyed. He puts both items on the table with a loud clatter, a signal that makes Pete quickly shift his position, pulling Pond's arm off his shoulder.
"Ah, don't get me wrong, I was... Oh, I invited Pete to a movie this afternoon. Pete agreed. You're coming too, right? I'm skipping class this afternoon. I feel sorry for the nerd who can't keep up, or they'll think I'm bothering the professor." He shouts the last part loudly, clearly directed at someone, before quickly releasing Pete's neck and pulling his short friend closer.
"I'm not stabbing you in the back, buddy. I just can't stand that girl at the next table who called me a half-ghost-half-human... I'm not involved with Pete."
"Then why are you hugging him?" Ae asks in a stern tone, without realizing it, causing someone to quickly explain.
"I want to show the girls that a handsome guy is single and gay. They look at me with such disdain, so I'm giving them a taste of reality—handsome guy with a partner like me, how's that?" Pond finishes and then releases his friend's neck, moving to sit down and placing his hands together as if in prayer, bowing slightly to Khun-chai Pete.
"Sorry. Sorry, but we've already made plans to see the movie, Khun-chai."
Oh, when was that? Pete wants to ask, but doesn't say anything. He just nods since he only has classes until noon. After that, he is free.
Thud.
"Then I'll go too." At that moment, the football player says casually, sitting back down in his previous spot, sliding the bowl of noodles over to Pete, much to the satisfaction of the person across from him who claps on the table with pleasure.
"That's the spirit, buddy... Yeah... I saw Piing briefly. I'll go invite him too."
The invitation could be done later, but seeing the look on the short guy's face is terrifying, so he grabs both the plate and the drink and heads off in another direction, turning back to wink.
Pond, once again, leaves the two people sitting quietly where they were before.
"I was so startled just now, suddenly Pond pulled me in..." Pete sputters.
Seeing Ae's look, Pete quickly jumps in with a lighthearted comment, now feeling relaxed, in contrast to the person beside him who immediately interjects, leaving Khun-chai Pete astonished.
"Did he kiss you on the cheek?"
"Huh! Kiss on the cheek? No, no, not at all!"
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely, Ae. He didn't touch me at all, Pond just put his arm around my neck."
Ae doesn't know why he was so curious, and Pete doesn't understand why he feels the need to assert the innocence of his own cheek. That answer makes Ae glance at him briefly before turning to look elsewhere.
"Good."
"Sorry?"
"Your cheek—let me be the only one to kiss it."
After that, the two don't make eye contact at all. Don't even ask Pete what flavor that bowl of noodles has, because the only thing he knows is... his cheek feels incredibly hot.
~~~
Later that afternoon, after classes end, the group consisting of Pond, Piing, Ae, and Pete go to a cinema not far from the university in a luxury Benz. It is up to the one who initiated the outing (Pond) to drag the chubby friend (Piing) along to buy tickets together, before a debate ensues over which movie to watch.
"So, will you make it to cheer practice on time, Ae?" The fair skinned Pete asks, glancing at his watch, which is showing almost 2:00 PM.
By the time they buy tickets and wait for the movie to start, it doesn't seem like he'll be able to get back by 5:00 PM.
"I already figured I'd have to skip it. There's no way I'll make it in time. Let's just hope the seniors don't kick me out when I show up tomorrow," Ae shakes his head.
The closer it gets to the day they'd be on the stand, the more intense the singing practice becomes. Skipping like this at the last minute, he has no idea what the hell Pond is thinking.
Then again, Pond doesn't care about anything anyway.
The football player's thoughts drift as he glances at the person beside him, only to see that he is watching their close friend walk away. The thoughts from earlier that morning flicker back into his mind.
"Pete, can I ask you something?"
"Yes?"
The listener responds, glancing past the two friends who were talking to the ticket seller, turning his attention to the screen displaying previews of various new movies.
What kind of movies does Ae like? That is the only thought in the mind of the one secretly in love, though it seems to contrast with the person beside him, as Ae pauses for a moment before speaking.
"Do you like Po—"
"Excuse me, sir!"
Thunk.
Before Ae can voice his lingering question, a sweet voice rings out from behind, causing both young men to turn around. They see a high school girl standing there, blushing and staring intently at the handsome Khun-chai. Behind her are two or three friends watching as well.
Their gaze makes Pete smile back, a little confused.
"Yes?" His smile, which only enhances his already strikingly handsome face, makes him even more captivating and softens his sharp eyes, which in turn causes the girl to blush all the way to her ears.
She stammers a little before blurting out: "Do you have a girlfriend?"
"Huh? Me!?" Pete points to himself, visibly bewildered, making the girl quickly rush to clarify.
"Well... um, my friend likes you, and we were just talking for fun, wondering if you have a girlfriend. So, I volunteered to be the brave one and ask... So, does the extremely handsome gentleman have a girlfriend?" Once she starts speaking, the words flow smoothly, and the rapid-fire question leaves the listener stunned, momentarily unsure how to respond as he meets the hopeful gaze of the girl in front of him.
"Uh..."
Pete can only glance at the person beside him, as if asking for help, feeling unexpectedly awkward. All his search for help finds though is Ae's smirking grin and amused eyes.
Come on, help me out here, Ae. This isn't funny!
That was all he can think, as Ae takes a step back, as if signaling he will just watch from the sidelines. The one who doesn't have a girlfriend but secretly likes the football player beside him can only scratch his head a little before turning back to face the high school girl.
"Um... no, I don't have one."
"Well then..."
"But I already have someone I like," Pete quickly continues, before it becomes any more awkward.
His cheeks warm slightly because the person he likes is standing right there. This makes the bold girl frown a little, clearly disappointed.
"Oh, that's okay. Someone as handsome as you though should just confess your feelings. I'm sure it won't go wrong."
With that, the girl walks back to join her friends, relaying the answer she got, causing the group to let out a collective disappointed sigh before heading in another direction. As Pete breathes a sigh of relief, he is left to answer the next question.
"So, who do you like?"
"Uh..."
Pete isn't sure if he is imagining things, but he feels that Ae looks unusually stern. He quickly shakes his head, not daring to admit that he likes Ae, and just gives him a thin smile.
"I was just kidding," he says.
The response makes the listener narrow his eyes slightly, as if trying to observe something. Before he could ask further, the two ticket buyers return, holding out their hands.
"There's no such thing as a free movie. You guys need to pay for your tickets. Oh, and for the popcorn too. Split it four ways, friends."
"I'm not eating it."
"If you're not eating, you still have to pay. We came together, so split it four ways, Ae," Pond says with a wide grin, waving his fingers in front of his shorter friend.
The listener sighs and reluctantly takes out his wallet to pay for his own ticket, trying not to think about the fact that Pete might like that rather strange girl.
It must be my imagination.
However, even though Ae tries to convince himself that he isn't thinking about anything, he ends up holding Pete back to walk at the end with him, pushing their two friends to sit to the inside, leaving the seats arranged with Pond, himself, and Pete sitting in the outermost seat close to the aisle.
From the advertisements and movie trailers to the start of the film, Ae's focus seems to keep drifting to the person beside him. This isn't just happening now. it had been going on for a while, ever since the night they stayed together.
What am I even thinking?
The football player can only question himself and glance at the person sitting beside him, almost smiling fondly at how Pete is hugging the popcorn bucket like a child but not eating any, just staring at the screen in front of him. The old logic begins to loop back into his mind again.
The reason he thinks about Pete is because he feels affectionate... but he has never used his niece's face to help himself! NO!!!
No matter how much he tries to reason with himself, there is always a counter-argument, making him frown at the person beside him who is tense, fixated on the screen, almost completely unaware of everything around him, and too shy to make eye contact, even though Pete himself knows he is being watched.
In the end, Pete takes a deep breath, trying to force his face to turn and give a somewhat nervous smile.
"Khun-chai Ae, would you like some?" Pete asks while extending the can in his hand.
It seems that Piing and Pond are both engrossed in eating and stuffing their mouths, leading him to think that Ae might also want some.
The question causes the listener to pause for a moment before nodding and reaching out to take the can of popcorn.
Grab.
"Hmm, why is your hand so cold?"
However, just as the rough hand was about to pass the can, it brushed against the pale hand, feeling the icy coldness of the palm. The person who has been so tense that they haven't noticed the temperature around them flinches and widens their eyes when Ae places the can on his lap and then holds the cold hand with both of his.
"Uh... it's just a little cold, Ae."
"What? I couldn't hear you," Ae says, leaning in close to Khun-chai's cheek, whispering right by his ear since the sound from the screen is louder.
Pete is grateful that it is dark in the room.
"I said I'm just a little cold, Ae."
"Not just a little—your hands are freezing," Ae frowns deeply and begins rubbing the cold hand, sending warmth from his palms all the way to the other's feet, and then up to his head, causing all the heat to gather on his face.
"Uh... it's just that when I'm in cold places, my hands tend to get this cold, Ae. It's fine," the person whose hand is being held is now so flustered he wishes to be released.
However, upon hearing this, the person holding his hand only rubs it harder, transferring more warmth, then pulls the other hand in to do the same, whispering sternly.
"It's not fine at all. You're so fragile—what will you do if you get sick?" Ae asserts.
The stern tone makes the listener's heart swell, and all they can do is watch their own hands, which he is gently rubbing until both have warmed up again.
Grab.
"Uh, Ae, I'm fine now," Pete's eyes widen as the other tightens his grip with the hand still holding his.
Pete wants to pull away quickly because his heart is about to burst, but the one holding his hand shook his head.
"No, I'm going to hold it. Your hand is soft... I like it," the football player says, intertwining his fingers tightly with the soft hand he has touched before, telling himself it was just because it felt nice—and besides, Pete is cold too.
However, Ae knows very well that the pounding in his chest is growing stronger, and his full attention is on that hand, making him completely unaware of the movie.
Honestly, he just wants to hold Pete's hand.
~~~
"Wasteful! If you guys weren't going to eat, why didn't you pass it over?"
As soon as they step out of the theater, Pond, walking behind his friends, is wide-eyed when he sees the nearly untouched popcorn. He snatches the can and begins to complain.
"Did you know that I couldn't even keep up with Piing? He finished the whole can before the movie was even halfway through! Look at you guys—this stuff costs money, you know!"
"Yeah, yeah, if you want it, just eat it," Ae responds nonchalantly.
"It's not the same at all! You've got to eat while watching to get the feel, you know what I mean? The feeling, man—the feeling! Eating now won't give me the same vibe anymore! … But hey, Pete, why's your face all red?" Pond has just noticed the quiet one walking at the very back.
Khun-chai's cheeks and ears look unusually flushed, making Pond squint suspiciously.
Could it be that Pete didn't eat because he was busy doing something else?
"Spill it! Tell me what you were just—mmph!!!"
"Uh, guys, I just remembered that Pond's coming over to my place later. You guys can head back first," Piing quickly stops Pond's mouth, flashing a cheerful smile at the other two.
Pond turns to glare at him.
"Did you forget, Pond? You said you want to see the dogs at my house, remember?"
Grab.
"Going to see the dogs, huh? A mission of national importance, I see. Fine, I won't argue... Yeah, I'm heading to Piing's place. See you, Pete."
"See you later, Pete."
"Yes, see you," Pete replies softly, almost flinching when the two excuse themselves, as he still can't act naturally.
The warmth and sensation of the touch lingers on his palms and fingertips.
"Are you hungry? Do you want to eat anything?" After their friends have left, Ae turns to ask in a casual manner. Pete, tense as ever, wants to nod but ends up shaking his head instead.
"I'm not hungry, Ae. Besides, I have dinner plans with my mother at 7:30 PM," Pete says, knowing his voice is shaky but trying to smile, as if the incident in the cinema didn't bother him.
"It's already almost six. Will you make it in time?"
The other person quickly checks the time, knowing it is rush hour. With traffic, it is uncertain if he can make it back to the city center in just an hour and a half.
"I should make it, Ae."
"Alright then, you should head back. No need to drop me off at the university. I can just take the bus, so you won't waste any more time."
Shake, shake
Upon hearing that, the listener shakes his head so vigorously that his hair flies.
"Let me drive you, Ae."
"You'll just waste time."
"It's just a short drive. Please, Ae," Pete insists.
Pete isn't being difficult—he just… wants to spend a little more time with Ae. It seems that his unusually stubborn demeanor makes the other person sigh, causing Pete to feel a bit disheartened.
"Alright, alright. Stop begging."
Pete wants to argue that he isn't begging, but is unsure of what expression he is making, he just lowers his head, looking at the ground as they walk together to the parking lot.
However, as they are about to leave the building, a familiar face makes Ae smile broadly. "Khaen!"
"Oh, Ae! And—hey!!!"
The person Ae greets is a tall guy, about the same height as Pete's 174 cm, with fair skin, and mischievous eyes that turn into slits when he smiles. He is wearing a student dress shirt, football shorts, and Chang Dao flip-flops. As soon as he sees who is standing next to his friend, he points and shouts, then runs over.
"You're the guy who got beat up, right? How are you? Have you recovered? Did you find the people who did it yet? Want me to help you beat them up?" Khaen fires off questions so quickly that Pete can't respond, staring at him in confusion, trying to remember where they have met.
Khaen laughs when he realizes.
"It's me. It's me! I'm the one who found you lying near the International College. Good thing I'm friends with Ae, or things could've escalated. At first, when you kept saying ‘Ae from Engineering,' I thought he was the one who beat you up!" Khaen continues to chatter, while Pete blinks in surprise, in contrast to the other football player who bursts out laughing.
"Take a breath, man. Pete can't keep up with you." Ae injects.
"I'm alert. I'm alert!" Khaen laughs loudly, then turns to the person he had helped, and Pete quickly smiles.
"Thank you so much for that day. If it weren't for you… uh, Khaen, I don't know what would have happened."
"It's nothing. Ae's friend is my friend. So, have you found the guy yet? I can get some people together to give him a good beating—don't leave it to Ae!" Khaen says eagerly, making Pete chuckle awkwardly.
"No, it's okay."
"Hey, don't be shy..."
"What are you doing here, Khaen?" Ae interrupts.
"Ah!!! I completely forgot! I need to buy something... see you at the field later!" The hyper-alert Khaen waves enthusiastically and runs off in another direction, leaving Pete a little stunned, while Ae, who seems used to his friend's behavior, chuckles softly.
"Khaen's always like that... but he used to hate me. He said engineering students and sports science students could never get along. We had a little incident, though, and ended up becoming close." Ae explains as he walks toward the car, and Pete nods in response.
He truly wants to thank Khaen more, because if it hadn't been for him, that night could have gone badly.
After that, from the mall all the way to the university, their conversation remains brief, as both of them have things on their minds. Pete occasionally glances at Ae, who is driving, until the luxury car finally pulls up on the road near his dorm.
"Thanks for the ride… get home safely."
"Wait, Ae!!!"
"Hmm?" The person named Ae turns to look, then sees Pete, who has turned to the back seat where a bag printed with an airport design is lying still, and proceeds to grab the entire bag.
"My aunt just came back from Europe and brought a lot of snacks. I know that you have a niece, so… may I give some to your niece?"
In truth, Pete wants to give them to Ae himself, but he says this and then pushes himself back to the front, while Ae also turns to look back.
Thud.
Thus, when Pete turns back around, their faces are only... an inch apart.
Thump thump, thump thump
At this time, the sky outside has begun to darken, and the last light of the day shines into the car just enough to see each other's faces. The atmosphere in the car becomes completely silent, so Pete can hear the sound of his own heart racing in his chest. His body and mind seem to stop functioning due to the closeness that has occurred.
"Uh..." Pete mumbles, blinking repeatedly, trying to compose himself. It is only a few seconds, but it feels long for both of them, and it ends with...
Pff
Ae's lips press against the bright orange lips right in front of him. The touch is soft and warm, and it remains in that position, causing Pete's eyes to go wide. His body suddenly stiffens, only seeing... the eyelashes brushing against his skin.
Ae... is kissing... me...
The stunned expression on Pete's face only makes Ae press his lips down a little more until both their lips are completely touching with no gap.
Then Ae slowly pulls away, his sharp, intense eyes and a slightly rough, husky voice saying, "I... might feel something for you beyond just friendship, Pete."
Comments
Post a Comment