Content Warning: This work is intended for mature (NC17) audiences. If you are younger, please kindly leave this site.
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Perspective - Third Person
“Oh! This table is so beautiful. What is your name, beautiful one?"
During the lunch break, the cafeteria bustles with students and staff seeking energy for their afternoon classes or work. Similarly, Ae's group, having finished their classes, makes their way here. While searching for a table, the radar of the charming gentleman Pond spots someone familiar to his eyes and now familiar to his heart... Chae-em.
This becomes the source of the teasing remark that makes the group of liberal arts students turn to look all at once.
“Oh my, is this beautiful one the only one, Pond?"
“I am not specifying, miss. Everyone at the table is beautiful.” Though Pond’s words claim to be nonspecific, his gaze directed toward the beautiful girl with loosely tied hair at her nape makes all the girls at the table smile shyly, glancing at each other mischievously.
“Sweet, isn’t he?”
“Super sweet.” With that, they giggle, prompting Chae-em to clear her throat softly and turn to a more approachable friend than her flirtatious boyfriend.
“No table, Ae? You can sit here; we’ll leave soon.”
“Yeah, right. Feel free to sit longer… by the way, you’re in the same section as Pond, right? Then we’ll be off. Call us after your class so we can head back together.” At this point, the students look around and find that every table is packed with students. Searching for an empty table would leave them without time to eat. So, they grab their plates, bid farewell to Chae-em, who has class in the same section as her boyfriend, and depart.
“Piing, let’s go to the steakhouse. I feel like having spaghetti.” Says Bow.
"Always like this—going to a steakhouse but eating spaghetti." Piing shakes his head in mock exasperation as he is dragged off by Bow in another direction. Similarly Ae, who goes off to find food elsewhere. Before long, the group returned to the table where a couple was sitting closely together. But... don’t assume they were being sweet.
“Eat your vegetables. Why are you pushing them aside?”
“I don’t like these water mimosa vegetables.”
“Then why did you order stir-fried water mimosa with crispy pork?” Chae-em raises her voice at the person who still hadn’t wiped the grin off his face.
That one confidently replies though, “Because I wanted the crispy pork in the stir-fried water mimosa with crispy pork. But I don’t want to eat the morning glory, Em.” This bewildering answer makes the young woman heave a deep sigh.
Swoosh.
“Eat it.” So, Chae-em stabs the tender, crunchy stalk with a fork and holds it up to his lips, her expression faintly commanding. But for Pond, it is... bloody adorable. She is feeding him! Of course, he eats it immediately, prompting Ae to burst into laughter.
“Well done, Chae-em, for getting him to eat vegetables.”
“Have some sympathy for the farmers who grow the vegetables. Don’t be picky; think of their effort.” Chae-em speaks with a weary tone, unfazed by the act of feeding him. It doesn’t embarrass her; she just feels like she is dealing with a spoiled overgrown child. Then, naturally, when there’s a chance to tease, it isn’t missed.
The mixed-race guy chimed in: “Hey, hey, you’re jealous, aren’t you? If you want the same treatment, go ask Ai’Pete.”
“What does Pete have to do with this?” The young woman immediately furrowed her brows, just like Bow, who is eating and playing a game, turns her bright eyes toward them.
“Yeah, yeah, what does Pete have to do with this?”
The curious stares of the two girls make the person at the center of the attention do nothing but…
Thud!
"Ouch! Why did you kick me?"
"Such a loud mouth." The football player says flatly, shaking his head in annoyance at his loud-mouthed friend. Looking over at Piing, he finds him eating and laughing.
"Ai'yeahhh!" But before he can ask for clarification, a voice calls out just as the group's jokester rushes in quickly. His pale face has beads of sweat, but his eyes are shining like someone who can't sit still.
Khaen says without taking a breath. "I ran into you just in time! Tonight, P'No said he's treating us. Are you going? P'No's paying! He usually is so stingy, but now he says he's taking first-years out for dinner. I guess his allowance just came through. Let's go! Let's hit up P'No!"
The talkative football player says all of this enthusiastically, his words spilling out so fast that Pond can't help but chuckle. "Are you serious? Do you plan to breathe while talking? Every time I see you, I'm exhausted just listening."
"Well, I'm alert!" Khaen replies, flashing a smile so wide that his eyes disappear.
Of course, both Khaen and Pond met each other at the same time as Khaen met Ae, which is why he is closest to this talkative football player, second only to Ae.
"I can't make it tonight. I have plans." Says the short guy, speaking up and shaking his head.
He bends down to continue eating, making everyone frown instantly.
"Why not? Come on! It's a rare occasion!"
"I can't. I've had this planned for days." Ae responds flatly, causing his close friend to burst out laughing.
"Don't force him! No matter how hard you try, he won't go. Today he is moving into the dorm."
"Huh?" Almost everyone at the table turns to look at Ae in unison, making Pond laugh loudly as he waves his hand dismissively.
"I might've shortened it too much. I should've said he's helping a 'friend' move into the dorm." The half-foreign guy emphasizes the word "friend," making Ae glare at him, prompting him to change the subject by looking at Khaen instead.
"By the way, do you know Ai'Pete?"
"Pete? Oh, I know him! That handsome guy who is at IC, right? The one who's good-looking and has a good personality, but his friend is such a jerk! His mouth is so foul that even dogs wouldn't eat it." As he speaks, Khaen's memory seems to be triggered, and he nods vigorously, expressing his annoyance at that nasty-mouthed friend.
"Who is it? His friend?"
"His friend from IC! He's such a jerk! He looks down on me and Ae. He says we're disgusting. Even when Pete came to drop us off at the football field, he said we'd get Pete's seat dirty. Who does he think he is, so high and mighty? If I see him again, I swear I'll crush him into the ground! I'm so angry!!" Khaen gestures as if throwing punches in the air, making Pond frown sharply. He's never heard about this before and raises an eyebrow at the friend who has finished his meal.
"Alright, enough already! You're going to run out of breath! Don't tell Pete about this. It'll just make him uncomfortable."
"I want to tell though!" Khaen shouts, his face eager to spill the details.
The friend, who has his shoulder, just wants him to calm down, replying simply...
"Then you'll make Pete sad." Just that short sentence makes the youth with the crescent-moon eyes reluctantly agree, even though he isn't pleased.
The one who cautioned him then stands up and continues flatly. "This afternoon, I'm skipping."
Ae then quickly takes his plate to be cleared, prompting each friend to ask where Ae is skipping off to. When asked, Khaen replies that in the afternoon, who will schedule football practice? The only one who knows about the arrangement, Pond, just snickers.
It's showing, Ai'Ae!
~~~
Inthach doesn't take long to arrive at the large dorm, which is far bigger than a typical dorm. He looks down at his watch, which indicates that it's almost afternoon. He knows from his partner that he will arrive around one-thirty or two. Although Pete says he can come after class, just thinking about him moving in alone makes him worry.
So, the football player intends to find a seat and then call when the time comes. Before he can do that… Seeing a woman over fifty struggling to lift a suitcase…
"Excuse me, ma'am, can I help?" Ae asks.
Yes, you heard that right. The suitcase looks like the kind you'd take on a trip abroad. As she gets it off the back of a sleek black Benz, a kind-hearted person rushes in to help immediately.
The call makes the woman turn to look, and she offers a faint smile.
"Can you help me, please? I thought I could manage it alone, but it's quite heavy," Ae immediately returns her smile and swiftly lifts the large suitcase off the carseat, leaving the middle-aged woman looking stunned. Then he turns to her with kindness.
"Can I help you with anything else?" The young man's fierce expression, paired with his sincere smile, makes Aunt Jeab beam at him affectionately.
She had actually been trying to lift the suitcase down for a while. Many students have passed by, but this one is the only one who steps in to help.
"I'm done here. Are you staying here?" The person who had worried about their Khun-nu and followed them here asks.
The helpful youth immediately shakes his head. "No, I'm just here to help a friend move into his room."
The answer makes the listener smile even wider at the kind-hearted boy. "Me too. I'm here to help check out my Khun-nu's room as well…"
"Khun-nu?"
Who is that? Do people still use the term Khun-nu these days?
"P'Jeab, why are you lifting it down by yourself? It's heavy!" Just before they could chat any further, a voice calls out from behind, prompting Ae to turn and look. He then sees a woman whose age is hard to guess because she still looks quite beautiful, dressed casually.
She steps this way, followed by another person.
"Aunt Jeab, let me handle it... Ae!" However, as soon as the person behind shows their face, Ae immediately knows who the Khun-nu being referred to is.
Why is it that the moment I realize it's Ai'Pete, I have no doubt at all?
However, it seems that this call causes Khun Patcharaporn to raise an eyebrow slightly and turn to look at the well-proportioned young man in student attire almost immediately. The short guy also turns to look at the woman who bears a striking resemblance to Ai'Pete, as if he begins to understand something.
"Oh, so this is Ae, huh?"
Right now, Khun Inthach stands in front of... his romantic partner's mother.
~~~
Initially, the football player had thought that the suitcase in the Benz wasn't all that Ai'Pete brought. It turned out to be true. After half an hour, a large pickup truck drives up with another worker. As soon as they open the back, Ae begins to wonder if Ai'Pete is moving houses.
"Ai'Pete, where should I put this?"
"Uh, um, just put it on the table, Ae."
At this moment, Ai'Khun-chai is looking left and right, unsure of where to start organizing things, while the house workers are gradually carrying items upstairs, with his romantic partner also helping out as a volunteer. When Pete is about to go down to help lift things, Ae immediately shakes his head.
"Don't bother, you're so small. Where will you get the strength to lift? Just go organize things in the room."
Upon hearing that, the listener can only smile awkwardly. Furthermore, when he comes to organize items in the room, his Aunt Jeab is neatly arranging clothes into the closet, while his mother is instructing the workers on where to place each box, leaving him with an inexplicable feeling of being useless.
It isn't until Ae lightly elbows him that he realizes the other person is lifting the printer, so he quickly steps into the bedroom and points to a table.
"Ae, can you manage?"
"I can handle it. It's just a few boxes."
"Ah, it's not just a few boxes, you know." The listener laughs dryly, feeling guilty.
Pete watches his romantic partner, who is currently pulling his student shirt out from his pants and has already unbuttoned two buttons. Sweat is pouring down his body due to the effort and the sweltering afternoon heat.
The onlooker pauses for a moment before breaking into a smile.
"Stop being so polite to me. You can't even handle this much work at home," the speaker says with a chuckle, feeling fond as he sees Ai'Khun-chai spinning around, unable to find a place for himself.
Ae finally suggests, "You should put the books on the shelf. I saw you brought a box of books."
"Ah, okay." Pete says, then continues, "What are you so nervous about?" Ae’s anxious demeanor prompts the observer to ask.
In response the listener's smile fades gradually before he asks softly, "Uh... I feel strange for some reason meeting your mother." Ae finally admits.
In truth, Pete himself isn't just nervous. He feels more worried. During his first encounter with Ae's mother, she didn't know about their relationship. As for his mother...
She must surely know by now, yet she hasn't said anything.
The thoughts of someone fearing that their mother might not like their romantic partner intertwine with the uncertainty of reading her feelings. From the moment they met, his mother simply greeted Ae after receiving a wai and then casually said, "I've heard about you, Ae, from Pete many times. I'm glad to finally meet the real person."
She only says that, and it leaves Pete with deep anxiety.
Will his mother like Ae? And what about Ae? Will he think that his mother is strict?
So, it's not that Pete isn't worried. In fact, he might be even more anxious than Ae. Pete can't help but think about it. When it comes to the two people he loves, his heart is filled with worry. He realizes just how frightening it is to fear that his mother won't like his partner.
Then, Ae asks him, "Don't you want me to meet her?"
"Uh... no, I don't!!!" The listener shakes his head vigorously. It's not that he doesn't want to meet her. He can't quite put it into words. He just feels anxious, which causes Ae to glance toward the bedroom door before pulling his Khun-chai into the dressing area adjacent to the bathroom.
"Ai'Pete."
"Y-yes?"
The football player falls silent for a moment before speaking seriously. "I... I'm not good at impressing adults. No, I don't even know how to approach adults, so I really don't know if your mother will like me."
Pete's mother is a woman who is polar opposite to his own. His mother is the type of commoner who shouts loudly, straightforwardly expressing whatever comes to her mind, which can be described as quite rough around the edges. In contrast, Pete's mother—how can he put it?—isn't condescending or haughty, but every gesture and action reflects a woman who has been well-educated. Her smile, her manner of walking, her tone of voice—all convey a sense of refinement, even if she tries to be relaxed.
Yet, despite the fact that the North Pole and the South Pole are opposites, they share some similarities. He thinks their mothers are alike in one way: they both love their children. While his mother expresses it in a boisterous manner, Pete's mother shows her concern through her eyes, which gives him a level of comfort, knowing that she probably won't outright reject him, or so he hopes.
"But I'll try to get your mother to like me."
Ae isn't the kind of guy who sweet-talks adults. Instead, he tends to be quiet, unsure of what to discuss with them. However, even though he's like that, he will try... all for the guy who isn't smiling right now.
The words make the listener press his lips together and blink rapidly, feeling a warmth in his head. He quickly nods vigorously.
"Uh... I'll also try to get your parents to like me. Uh, your brother and sister-in-law too, and even your niece, I'll try really hard, so that you won't be disappointed..."
"Ha ha," the one who is feeling sentimental laughs quickly, wanting to reciprocate.
This makes the listener chuckle softly, leading him to quiet down. "Uh, did you laugh at me? Did I say something funny?"
"No, no. It's just that when you're flustered, you look cute. You're going to have to try harder than me with all of them—my parents, two older siblings, and a niece... Don't you think you're at a disadvantage?" Ae asks with a chuckle, causing Pete to scratch his head awkwardly before responding in a soft voice.
"Well... then you have to try to get Aunt Jeab to like you too. She's like an elder relative to me. Oh, and P'Nueng too. Um..." Pete tries to think of more people to balance things out.
He's even pulled his mom's driver into the mix. After thinking about it, he realizes there are really only a few important people in his life.
"What about your father?"
Gulp.
Ae's playful question, amused by the look on Pete's face as he tries to think, suddenly causes Pete to freeze. His smile fades gradually, and he shakes his head.
"That one... you don't need to worry about it."
"But..." Ae almost asks more, but Pete's expression shows he doesn't want to talk about it, so Ae falls silent.
Ae looks down at his own hands, now dusty, resisting the urge to stroke Pete's cheek as he usually does. Instead, he moves closer and lightly bumps his shoulder against Pete's.
"Don't make that face. I like it better when you smile."
"Ae..."
"Now go get your things organized already. Otherwise, how long is this going to take? Now that you're living on your own, you have to learn to do things for yourself, Ai'Pete. You can't rely on adults all the time. If I come back up here and that box of books isn't on the shelf, I'm going to be mad." With that, Ae changes the subject, nodding toward the box of books.
Pete quickly scrambles to open his box of books. Before his football player partner leaves the room, Pete asks, "And if I don't know how to do something, will you teach me, Ae?"
"Partners… Uh, never mind."
Pete quickly shakes his head and bends down to continue his task, causing Ae, who is about to leave, to smile.
"Don't worry. I will really push you hard," the answer makes the listener smile at the pile of books while the other person walks out. For some reason, Ae's calm words make him feel inexplicably at ease.
No matter the issue, Ae clearly does not intend to let him face it alone.
Unbeknownst to the two boys, all of this is overheard by Khun Patcharaporn, who is coming to help her son organize things. Her thoughts make her smile gently. Perhaps her little one, who is just a small chick wrapped in its shell, has found someone to teach him how to fly.
~~~
"Go ahead and eat. Today, we really have to thank Ae for helping. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been done so quickly."
Inside a pleasant restaurant, the people gathered at the table include Khun Patcharaporn, Aunt Jeab, young Pete, and, of course, the very eager volunteer, Ae.
"Indeed, Khun Patcharaporn. Just one person wouldn't have finished this quickly. If it weren't for Ae, I would probably have gone down to help carry things," Aunt Jeab immediately agrees, looking at Khun's friend with great fondness. After all, it's hard to find someone so kind-hearted these days.
Anyway, Khun's friend helps with everything, from moving things into the room to arranging them in the cabinet. The worker they brought along is useless, and Aunt Jeab finds herself irritated by their questions about where this should go and where that should go.
"Um, yes," the boy responds. Being someone who is not good at approaching adults, he can only agree. He doesn't know how to be humble without sounding annoying, so a short, simple word suffices.
The person sitting next to him quickly adds, "That's right. I really have to thank Ae a lot. If Ae hadn't come to help today, I would be in trouble. I don't even know where things should be placed."
Pete quickly chimes in, trying hard to score points for his romantic partner, which causes the listener to frown slightly. "There are some things you should know. Who puts toilet cleaner in the wardrobe?"
"Uh…" The young man suddenly feels downcast, and the speaker realizes this.
"Uh, sorry. I didn't mean it like that about Pete," Ae quickly realizes that adults are watching, and warning him like this in front of them might make them view him negatively. However, the mother of the young gentleman just… smiles.
"By the way, Ae, could you help Pete?"
"Sure?" the listener repeats softly while looking at the adult who smiles at him before turning to his son, who is scratching his head awkwardly.
"Pete has never been alone. At first, I was a little worried if he could manage. I was afraid he would rent a room to store things and then run back home to sleep. After meeting Ae like this, I feel relieved... I think Ae is helping Pete become stronger," the mother thinks. How could she not know what her son is like? This leads the close friend to chime in.
"Everyone tends to see Khun as the perfect man. He's so handsome that everyone expects him to excel. Really though, he's just thrilled if he can make shrimp porridge…"
"Aunt Jeab!" Pete's eyes widen as he looks at the one who is exposing his secret, making the person next to him turn sharply to look.
"Shrimp porridge?"
"Yes! I was surprised when he suddenly got up and asked me to teach him how to make it, even though he didn't even know how to peel shrimp! Ae should have seen him peel his first shrimp. I couldn't help but laugh. With looks like that, he looked so happy, like a little kid."
"Aunt!" The embarrassed young man groans softly, feeling as if he is being roasted, which makes Aunt Jeab burst into laughter.
"Where did I say something wrong, Khun?"
"Well, you're speaking the truth. That's why I am embarrassed," the embarrassed one replies, looking down at his plate, unable to meet anyone's gaze. This makes the person sitting next to him smile, wanting to pinch his flushed cheeks but can only say, "Should I teach you?" Pete looks up, but his cheeks feel even hotter for some reason.
"I love eating shrimp. I'm really good at peeling shrimp," the young gentleman is almost dying of embarrassment because Ae surely knows that he is trying to make shrimp porridge because someone said they like it. He secretly wonders if this comment carries some deeper meaning. Otherwise, why do Ae's eyes make him feel so warm?
The sight of the two boys makes the observer smile to herself.
"Ae."
"Sure."
"By the way... please take care of Pete."
Though the words sound like mere statements, the listener responds with a firm voice.
"Sure, I will take care of Ai'Pete myself."
For some reason, the words from both his mother and his romantic partner make Pete feel a warm flush all over. What exactly is his mother entrusting to Ae regarding him?
~~~
"Are you going to sleep here tonight?"
"Yes, I plan to stay for a couple of nights to get used to it. I'll probably go home on Saturday."
Inside the luxurious room, only the two boys remain. While Ae is flopping down on the sofa in exhaustion, the other one is settling down beside him.
"Hmm, that's good. Don't rent a room just to store things like your mom said. That would be a waste of money," Ae says as he gets up to leave. "Well, I'll get going then. You should rest…"
"Wait, don't go yet!" Pete suddenly blurts out, reaching out to grip the hem of Ae's shirt tightly, unintentionally making a face that shows he doesn't want him to leave.
"Um…" Ae stares silently at him, then at the pale hand holding his shirt tightly.
"Well, I'll sit down and rest for a bit," Ae says, taking a seat again. He doesn't mention that Ai'Pete's face makes him not want to leave, even though he's sticky and really wants to take a shower.
"Sure, sure." It must be that handsome face giving him a smile that makes him even softer-hearted.
After that, the conversation seems to quiet down, with both of them sitting still in the spacious room. Pete can't help but feel a bit shy. He tries to think of something to talk about, but when he turns to look at the person beside him, he finds that…
Ae has fallen asleep.
At this moment, the football player rests his arms on the armrest of the sofa, his head leaning down, eyes tightly closed, breathing in and out like someone who is worn out from a day of physical exertion. The sight makes Pete unconsciously lean closer. His sharp eyes gaze at the chiseled face of the person in front of him.
Who says Ae isn't handsome? Not at all. Ae makes his heart race, even while asleep like this.
Thinking about it, Pete blushes and stretches out his hand as if wanting to touch the other person's cheek. However...
Suddenly, Pete jumps up and rushes quickly to the bedroom, heading straight into the bathroom and shutting the door behind him. He looks at his reflection in the mirror and realizes how flushed his face is. That's not just from embarrassment… He's feeling something else entirely.
Thoughts race as he bites his lower lip tightly. The image behind his closed eyes is Ae's gaze when he offered to teach him how to peel shrimp, the touch of Ae that once brushed against him lingering on his body. Just being close, shoulder to shoulder, holding hands… it makes him feel something.
He can't take it anymore.
Pete can only shove his hand into his pants, unable to think clearly anymore. The sensation of his own sensitive part intensifies just at the thought of the other person.
How shameless… I'm so shameless.
Even though he thinks that way, he can't stop. The image of Ae, drenched in sweat, with his sharp eyes full of determination and his deep voice telling his mother that he will take care of him, fills his mind.
"Huff huff..."
After a moment, the sound of heavy breathing rises. His hot breath quickens, and he moves one hand into his shirt to touch one of his light-colored nipples. Pete bows his head, looking at the tiled floor. However, his body tenses up, and both hands move according to his body's desires.
"Ae... um, Ae... hack…"
At that moment…
Knock, knock, knock.
Gasp!
"Ai'Pete, are you in there?"
The person who is pleasuring himself quickly turns to look at the door.
What should I do!?!
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